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The Honours Division controls the awards made to members in recognition of a high standard of photographic ability and/or service to PSSA and to photography in general.
Application is only open to full members of the Society. Anyone interested in applying for Honours may join at the same time as applying. Proof of status of current membership must be included with your application.
Honours may either be applied for by submitting a panel for judging or by accumulating salon acceptances.
Panel submissions may be made twice annually with the closing dates being 25 January and 1 July.
Salon Honours may be applied for at any time during the year.
Members submit a panel of images for judging by a panel of judges – application may be made in Digital (PDI), Prints, Audio Visual (AV) or Applied.
Licentiateship: The LPSSA is the entry level Honours and is awarded for a high level of basic skill and competence.
All applicants must start with an LPSSA unless they already hold a 3 Diamond rating in the medium in which they are applying.
The panel consists of 10 images or 2 AVs.
Associateship: The APSSA is awarded for a high standard of technical skill, competence and creative ability. This award recognises a high standard of achievement in the art and science of the medium and is awarded in recognition of work of a good aesthetic and technical standard.
This panel consists of 15 images or 3 AVs.
In order to apply for an APSSA a member must either hold an LPSSA or a 3 Diamond Rating in the medium of application or an APSSA in any medium. The exception to this ruling is that an applicant in Audio Visual must hold an LPSSA in Audio Visual.
Fellowship: The FPSSA is awarded for excellence and distinguished ability. The Fellowship recognises a high standard of achievement in the art and science of the medium and is awarded for excellence. The applicant must hold an APSSA in the medium of application.
This panel consists of 25 images or 4 AVs.
Master: The MPSSA is the highest award which may be applied for by a member of PSSA.
The application consists of an educational, illustrated lecture as well as a panel of between 15 and 25 mounted top quality exhibition prints.
General: Application for higher honours may only be made once the lower level has been achieved in that specific medium.
In the case of an application for an MPSSA further criteria must be met, details of these and the requirements for the MPSSA may be downloaded here.
Acceptances in South African National and International Salons with PSSA patronage as well as other International Salons with patronage by one or more of:
The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain
The Photographic Society of America
The Australian Photographic Society
FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique)
No more than 50% of the acceptance points may be claimed from overseas-based salons.
Application may be made in any of the 3 categories, namely – Colour – Mono – Nature.
All awards have to be applied for – full details are available here.
The requirements for digital (PDI) are as listed below:
The requirements for Prints are as listed below:
The requirements for Audio Visual are as listed below:
In order to achieve a versatility award an applicant needs to be awarded three honours at the same level.
The (Vers) may be awarded for either panel submissions or salon honours but may not include a combination of both.
The intention of the award is to show versatility and therefore the three panels must do just this.
An honour for versatility may be awarded on achievement of any combination of honours, however, to achieve it in a single medium a minimum of two of the panels must be specialised.
The different mediums available are Mono Digital, Colour Digital, Mono Prints, Colour Prints, Audio Visual, Applied and Colour Slides (existing honours only).
At the LPSSA level – the applicant has the option of being awarded an LPSSA(Vers) or an APSSA on achieving three LPSSAs.
At the APSSA and FPSSA levels – an APSSA(Vers) and FPSSA(Vers) may be awarded.
The awards are not automatic – the onus is on the applicant to apply for the award. In order to apply the applicant must submit proof sheets of the three applications to the Honours Chair in order for the award to be ratified.
Please note that an APSSA which is awarded for achieving three LPSSAs does not count towards the APSSA(Vers).
FPSSA(Dux) At the Fellowship level acknowledgement in the form of a (Dux) is given for the achievement of three Fellowships in different mediums. The mediums are divided into 4 categories and in order to be awarded a (Dux), a Fellowship must be achieved in at least 2 of the 4 categories, with no more than 1 from the Applied category – the categories are:
- Projected Media (Slides [existing honours only], Colour, Monochrome)
- Prints (Colour, Monochrome)
- Audio Visual
- Applied
The award is not automatic – the onus is on the applicant to apply for the award. In order to apply the applicant must submit details of the three applications to the Honours Chair in order for the award to be ratified.
A member may not apply for these awards. Nominations must be made to the Honours Chair by a Club Chairman, Director or member of the Executive Committee and all nominations should be accompanied by a detailed CV.
APSSA for Service – SPSSA – An APSSA for Service, to be known as SPSSA, may be awarded at the discretion of the Honours Division and the Board of Directors to an applicant sponsored by a Director.
The nominee should be a member of long standing who has actively served PSSA in an outstanding manner putting photography and PSSA before his personal aims and ambitions.
While the criteria for the service award could include national and international judging, exhibiting and lecturing, photographic ability is not the prime element.
Any member is eligible for the APSSA for service and does not need to be a holder of an existing honour.
HONORARY PSSA – Hon PSSA The Hon PSSA is awarded for outstanding service to PSSA and to photography. No previous honours are required.
At the end of the term as President, a Hon PSSA will be awarded. If the retiring President already has a Hon PSSA a higher award, as detailed below, may be awarded.
HONORARY APSSA – Hon APSSA The Hon APSSA is awarded for outstanding service to PSSA and to photography as well as an excellent overall ability in the art and science of photography. An Associateship is a prerequisite.
HONORARY EPSSA – Hon EPSSA The Hon EPSSA is awarded for an outstanding salon record – well beyond the norm. In addition, the member should have regularly served photography as a Salon Director or other similar position. An EPSSA is a prerequisite.
HONORARY EPSSA(Mille) – Hon EPSSA(Mille) The Hon EPSSA(Mille) is awarded for an outstanding salon record – well beyond the norm. In addition, the member should have regularly served photography as a Salon Director or other similar position. An EPSSA(Mille) is a prerequisite.
HONORARY FPSSA – Hon FPSSA The Hon FPSSA is awarded for outstanding service to PSSA and to photography as well as an outstanding overall ability in the art and science of photography. A Fellowship is a prerequisite.
HONORARY MPSSA – Hon MPSSA The Hon MPSSA is awarded for exceptional lifelong service to PSSA and to photography as well as an exceptional overall ability in the art and science of photography. A Hon FPSSA and a MPSSA are prerequisites.
The Honorary awards are for life and recipients shall not be liable for any further membership fees.
- By virtue of submitting the application, the applicant certifies that the images and all elements included therein are his/her own and that no second party can claim authorship of any part of the said image.
- Any image or part thereof which might require copyright clearance, such as a photograph of a famous national or international personage, should be so noted and attested to its authenticity by means of a signed statement on the back of the print or in an accompanying statement.
- A photographic image is defined “as being a captured image on a light-sensitive device/surface (e.g. photogram technique, film camera, digital camera, smartphone, tablet, etc…) and recorded on paper, film or in a digital format.”
An artificial intelligence (AI) generated image is not deemed to be a photographic image because it was created from scratch by the AI system and contains no image captured by the entrant. Therefore, this type of image will not be accepted.
Use of AI features (limited to: clear, de-noise, masking, sharpening, subject selection, tone adjustments, upsizing image) contained within a post-processing application is permitted provided they comply with a competition’s editing criteria and do not contain any elements which were not captured by the entrant (e.g. element, texture, sky, etc…).
- A maximum of two applications may be made at a time, but they may not be in the same medium.
- Subject matter is entirely open, applicants should acquaint themselves with the definitions pertaining to their specific field of entry. Refer to definitions on the website here.
- No image, or similar, may be entered in two applications at the same time – this includes conversions between mono and colour.
- No image, or similar, that has been submitted in a successful application, may be submitted in any further application – this includes conversions between mono and colour and prints or digital.
Similar implies that it is almost the same time, or almost the same place, or almost the same situation – just another frame in an action series or a different crop is not necessarily sufficiently different to make it a different image – by being almost the same it is a similar shot. This is true in any genre be it portrait, landscape, creative, nature etc.
- Any panel which transgresses any of these rules will be disqualified in its entirety.
PSSA does not prescribe to applicants how a panel should be compiled but rather makes recommendations.
Good presentation will always help to make a good impression on the judges. Entries should be neatly and uniformly mounted/framed and should be free of dust and other marks. The images are viewed individually and as a panel and it is therefore important that they hang together as a panel as well as being individually good pictures.
A single image of a different subject in an application is not a good idea. A panel should be balanced in terms of subject matter and techniques used.
One should consider technique as an integral part of the picture. In an Honours application, one’s technique should be impeccable. A picture well-handled should hardly need to be considered for technique. If the image is not technically correct the subject matter is unlikely to be considered unless the picture is exceptional.
What is technique? It is the orthodox/correct use of exposure, focus, composition, lighting etc. Bear in mind that unorthodox technique is very effective in many instances, particularly in creative work. Sloppy technique however e.g. poor focus, bad lighting etc. is not acceptable.
We can ask ourselves if there are any technical faults which detract from the picture and whether the technique has enhanced the picture or was it merely used as a gimmick.
The difference between the different levels of application is not just an increase in the number of images required. A wider understanding and mastering of technique, treatment and artistry will be required as the applicant moves through the various levels.
Both general and specialist panels may be entered and an applicant may apply for more than one honour of the same level using different specialist subjects. These honours may count towards the versatility awards.
A Specialist Panel refers to the concept of focusing on a single theme, subject or aspect and could include a single subject or a specific photographic technique.
In the interest of consistency and fairness to both applicants and PSSA judging is done twice a year by a panel of experienced, active photographers. These judges are selected for their overall knowledge and experience and for their ability to assess, regardless of their own personal taste.
Fellows who would like to join the judging panel should send a motivation as well as their CV to the Chairman of the Honours Division jillsneesby@gmail.com
Honours are awarded for mastering the art and craft of photography to varying degrees.
Photography is a subjective art and as such no hard and fast rules can be set for the grading of images, because of its subjectivity it can provoke controversy. This is healthy, in that discussion usually follows and hopefully more knowledge can be imparted.
The panel acts with absolute sincerity and wholehearted fair play in assessing the applications.
Information regarding the judging panel can be found here.
PDI & Prints – Judging is done live by the judging panel and the applications are assessed one at a time. The panels are judged anonymously.
Digital applications are projected twice in their entirety using a calibrated projection system. Refer here for more information on calibration. During the second projection, judges are asked to mark the images as either “Up to” the required Standard or “Below” the required Standard.
Print applications are exhibited on correctly lit exhibition stands in order for the judges to assess the panel as a whole and individually. The judges are asked to mark the images as either “Up to” the required Standard or “Below” the required Standard.
8 of the 12 judges (66.6%) must pass all the images in an application in order for it to be successful.
Once each panel has been judged the resultant spreadsheet is shown to and discussed by the judges. This is not a matter of one judge dominating the process as each member of the judging panel has a valuable contribution to make.
Images that miss passing by only one or two judges are discussed and the judges may then rescore those specific images if they wish.
If a panel is only one or two images short, then the whole panel will be shown again and discussed – the judges will then rescore that panel. If it is still not successful but only misses by one image for an LPSSA or APSSA, then the applicant is invited to submit an additional image. In the case of an FPSSA application, the applicant may miss by two images and is invited to submit an additional two images.
These images are judged remotely and if 66.6% of the judges feel that they are of the required standard to pass then the panel will be passed.
Audio Visual – Audio Visual applications are judged remotely and discussed via Zoom.
Each sequence in an Audio Visual application is viewed using calibrated and suitable viewing and sound equipment. The judges will mark each sequence as “up to standard” or “below standard” basing their marking on the aspects as detailed in the PSSA Audio Visual Judging Sheet.
In the case of Audio Visual 60% of the judges must pass all of the sequences in an application in order for it to be successful.
In order for a panel to be successful all images/sequences have to pass. If a panel does not pass credits are awarded.
Credits are awarded to unsuccessful applicants for individual images or Audio Visual sequences that were passed by 75% or more of the judges.
The Credit System runs for a period of two years from the date of your first application. Credits will be awarded at each of four successive judging sessions.
The credits help to make up the necessary requirements for a panel to be successful and must be resubmitted with all applications made within two years of the date of the original application. Thereafter all the credits will become null and void. A credit may not be failed by a judge during the time of its validity.
Credits in a resubmitted panel need not be in the same order or position as in the previous panel.
There is no limit to the number of times one may apply, but credits are only valid for the two-year application period. While expired credits may be re-submitted in subsequent applications there is no guarantee that they will pass in the new application.
The two-year application period will only begin when credits are awarded. Credits will not be awarded if the required minimum is not achieved –
The required minimum number of credits is
LPSSA Digital & Prints – 3 Credits Audio Visual – 1 Credit
APSSA Digital & Prints – 5 Credits Audio Visual – 1 Credit
FPSSA Digital & Prints – 8 Credits Audio Visual – 2 Credits
The assessment and awarding of credits for the FPSSA is slightly different and full details may be found on the FPSSA tab lower down.
Joint applications are possible in Audio Visual with a maximum of two members in a joint application. Full details as to each member’s contribution must be supplied.
LPSSA – 2 AVs (maximum 10 minutes per AV) with a total combined running time of both AVs not exceeding 12 minutes must be submitted.
APSSA – 3 AVs (maximum 10 minutes per AV) with a total combined running time of all three AVs not exceeding 18 minutes.
FPSSA – 4 AVs (maximum 10 minutes per AV) with a total combined running time of all four AVs not exceeding 30 minutes.
An Audio Visual is a compilation of images (and may include both still images and video clips) with an integrated theme or storyline where sound, transitions and images are interdependent. An effective AV will therefore have unity of its three parts – the conception, the visuals and the sound. All this together makes up the presentation.
Applicants are encouraged to explore the photographic medium and to use it to communicate their own personal vision incorporating feeling, senses and imagination to the viewer. The technical ability to combine the images with music in an effective manner will add to the overall success of the Audio Visual.
The photographic aspect of the Honours application in Audio Visual is an important one and therefore all images must be the applicant’s own work.
In the case of documentary Audio Visuals, a limited number of reference works may be included provided acknowledgement is given and the relevant permissions have been obtained.
All audio-visual sequences submitted for PSSA Honours must take into account, and give evidence of unquestionable photographic competence of the person applying for the distinction.
The author’s name may not be shown on the AV but may be shown on the accompanying poster.
Any aspect ratio may be used but the maximum vertical size is limited to 1080 pixels and the horizontal limit is 1920 pixels which is the native resolution of the equipment that will be used.
AVs are judged according to four criteria:
Communication – The strength of the audio visual medium lies in its ability to communicate with people to register feelings, ideas, facts and opinions.
Success is measured by how well the judge receives the intended message or has the intended reaction.
Visuals – The visuals must be assessed in the context of the AV. To achieve an Honours credit for an AV the visuals do need to at least fulfil the basic technical criteria in terms of exposure, focus, post-processing etc.
Generally, the audience was not present when the photographs were taken so they do not have the same feeling for the occasion. It is therefore up to the AV maker to share the experience by using the language of visual elements and design principles to convey information, emotions, thoughts, ideas, concepts or feelings.
How well the AV maker achieves this will dictate the score awarded to the visuals.
Audio – Audio should be considered an integral part of the presentation and not just a mere accompaniment to the visuals. The relative ease of ripping a music cut does not make the technical quality of a recording any less important – the way it starts and ends, the volume etc. all need to be considered.
A successful soundtrack, be it simple or complex, should communicate a feeling and an atmosphere and furthermore this mood should fit in with the images, pace and rhythm of the AV.
Audio-Visual Techniques – AVs are stories, even though the subject may not be a fictional tale. There should be a progression, each image carrying the viewer a step forward.
The means of moving from one image to the next i.e. the transitions used are Audio-Visual techniques which dictate the rhythm and pace of the AV.
The rhythm is determined by the length of time an image remains on the screen and the speed of the transition between images. The pace is the rate at which new information is provided to the audience.
Each of the elements is scored out of 100 with the total being divided by 4 to give a percentage as a result.
For an LPSSA AV to pass a total score of 55% is required.
For an APSSA AV to pass a total score of 65% is required – with no one aspect gaining less than 50%.
For a FPSSA AV to pass a total score of 75% is required – with no one aspect gaining less than 65%.
All of the AVs in the application have to be passed by 60% of the judges in order for the panel to succeed.
If the panel does not succeed then credits are awarded when 75% of the judges pass an AV.
After successfully applying for your Honours you may list the relevant Honour after your name as long as you remain a fully paid-up member of PSSA.
All successful applicants may apply for an Honours e-badge which can be used on personal websites, letterheads, accreditation applications etc. as long as you remain a full member of PSSA. Application must be made to membership@pssa.co.za
In order to identify members who have achieved their Honours in Audio Visual the letters AV- are to be added before the honour achieved.
The protocol for listing honours is that only the highest honour is listed and that it is only listed once, even if you have honours in multiple sections. If however a (Vers) or (Dux) is achieved it would also be listed.
As the DPSSA and EPSSA are awarded for salon acceptances they are listed in addition to the LPSSA, APSSA or FPSSA, once again however only the highest is listed.
As the SPSSA is awarded for Service it is listed in addition to any achievement Honour.
Honorary Honours are listed in addition to and before the achievement honours.
The relevant letters should be listed without punctuation and without any further detail.
Example 1:
A member who has achieved one LPSSA, two APSSA’s and one FPSSA as well as an EPSSA should list their honours as FPSSA, EPSSA
If that same member had also achieved an APSSA(Vers) their honours should be listed as
FPSSA, EPSSA, APSSA(Vers)
Example 2:
If an AV-LPSSA is achieved in addition to an LPSSA then both should be listed. AV-LPSSA, LPSSA
If a member has an LPSSA in AV and an APSSA in digital or another medium then they would list their honours as APSSA, AV-LPSSA.
On being awarded your honours please check to ensure that the PSSA database has been updated to reflect them by checking your member profile in the PSSA Member Zone. If they are not there please contact our Secretary at membership@pssa.co.za
A Fellowship recognizes a high standard of achievement in the art and science of the medium and is awarded for excellence.
As at the other levels, good presentation will always help to make a good impression, and for the FPSSA your panel must go a step further and the panel itself must be cohesive. This does not mean that all the images should be the same, but rather that they should show an in-depth understanding and mastery of all the fields that are shown.
The panel should be presented in such a manner as to satisfy the judges that the work hangs together as a panel and does not appear to be a series of disparate images, nor that too many similar images are included.
Consider factors such as visual flow, colour, brightness etc. when choosing what to include and the order in which to present them.
In order to ensure that the panel fulfils these requirements – the judges will start by viewing the entire panel as shown below.
The judges will discuss the panel and provided they are happy that it does hang together well then they will proceed to the next step which is the judging of the individual images and the awarding of credits.
If the panel fails at the first step the applicant will be given feedback as to why it fails. The judges will take a brief look at the individual images to see whether individually the standard is met so that this feedback may be given to the applicant as well. No credits will be awarded.
When credits are awarded it will be in the same way as for the other levels of application and they may be rearranged when submitting again BUT the panel will once again be assessed as a panel first and if it is found that the panel does not fulfil the panel requirements no further credits will be awarded and feedback will be given to the applicant.
Both general and specialist panels may be entered. When presenting a general panel consider how it will look when displayed on one page – as there will be 5 rows of images consider that 5 could be the ideal number of different subjects/techniques, but that choice is yours.
A Specialist Panel refers to the concept of focusing on a single theme, subject or aspect and could include a single subject or a specific photographic technique. Be careful however of repetition with too many similar images.
The layout of a specialist panel is as important as that for a general panel.
A Fellowship panel must show an excellent understanding and mastering of technique and treatment whether you submit a general or specialised panel.
All Digital applications are to be made via Photovaultonline – no application forms or numbers are required, these will automatically be assigned via Photovaultonline.
Photovaultonline will open approximately six weeks prior to the closing date.
The sizing requirements for all images uploaded are as follows:
The maximum pixels on the horizontal axis is 1920 and on the vertical axis 1080.
One of the axes must be the full 1920 or 1080 in order for the image to be uploaded onto Photovaultonline.
Images must be saved as JPG files with a maximum size of 2 Mb. No titles are required.
Images which have already received credits will automatically be included in your subsequent application but do not have to be placed in the same order and can be rearranged.
The number assigned to you will be valid for a total of 4 successive sessions and must be used for these sessions in order for credits to be assigned.
If your previous credits do not appear please contact the chair of the Honours division.
All Print applications are to first be made via Photovaultonline – once your application number has been assigned, it, together with the order number, must be written on the label which should be affixed to the back of the print in the top right-hand corner.
Your name or other identifying mark must not appear anywhere on the front or the back of the prints.
The maximum size for prints is 500mm x 400mm and the minimum size is A4. Prints must be mounted on a thin board to enable them to stand unsupported against a display stand.
The digital files must be uploaded but will not be judged, they are for admin purposes only – only the submitted prints will be judged.
The sizing requirements for all images uploaded are as follows:
The maximum pixels on the horizontal axis is 1920 and on the vertical axis 1080.
One of the axes must be the full 1920 or 1080 in order for the image to be uploaded onto Photovaultonline.
Images must be saved as JPG files with a maximum size of 2 Mb. No titles are required.
Photovaultonline will open approximately six weeks prior to the closing date.
Images which have already received credits will automatically be included in your subsequent application but do not have to be placed in the same order and can be rearranged.
The number assigned to you will be valid for a total of 4 successive sessions and must be used for these sessions in order for credits to be assigned.
If your previous credits do not appear, please contact the chair of the Honours division.
Prints should be delivered to: Francois Roux
c/o Jordaan Botha and Partners
Albatros Building
17 Joubertstreet
Vereeniging
1939
Please ensure that the prints are suitably packaged for both delivery and return.
It is advisable to confirm with Francois that your panel has been received. Arrangements must be made for collection of the prints after judging. The cost for both delivery and collection is for the applicant’s own account.
Successful panels may be required for exhibition at Congress and members will be advised of delivery and collection details. Once again cost for both delivery and collection are for the applicant’s own account.
In the applied section applicants may choose what to submit and how to submit it, they should ensure however that they submit sufficient work to enable the judging panel to assess the merit of the application.
Applications in Published Works, Documentary / Literary and Scientific / Technical as a means of education now fall under the Applied category.
Any application which deviates in any way from the norm should be submitted in this category – for instance, if you wish to include a motivational statement which you would like to be read to the judges prior to the judging of your panel then you should apply in this category rather than in the standard categories.
The applied application is a body of work that shows specific photographic skill, a unique application of photographic techniques, or work done in support of photography; that cannot be displayed as a typical digital or print panel.
Prior to submitting an application in the APPLIED category, a member must submit a motivation to the Honours Chair – this is to ensure that the application can be fairly assessed. The Chair will also advise how the work should be delivered.
A JPG poster, sized as above – showing an image or images and title of the AV for each sequence entered must be sent via WeTransfer together with the completed entry form.
The entry form may be downloaded here.
The Audio Visuals, entry forms, proof of membership and proof of payment must be sent via the internet using WeTransfer or similar to jillsneesby@gmail.com AND to froux@jbv.co.za
Please be sure to include all the necessary files necessary for the correct running of the Audio Visuals. It is advisable to confirm with the Honours Chair that your panel has been received.
Feedback from the judging session will be given to each unsuccessful applicant by one member of the honours judging panel. The feedback may be via email, telephone or Zoom/meetings, whatever works best for both the applicant and the judge.
While they will give as much assistance and advice as possible it must be realised that the judge is only one member of the panel and his/her advice cannot guarantee a successful result in the future.
Application fees must be paid for each application (i.e. each judging session) and in the case of prints and any other applications requiring physical submission of the application, the fees do not include the delivery or return of the application.
LPSSA – R285-00
APSSA – R315-00
FPSSA – R335-00
MPSSA – R400-00
All South African payments should be made via EFT into the following account using the Honours applied for and your name as reference.
PSSA – ABSA Account number 405 263 9245
Reference: Honour applying for – Your name e.g. APSSA – Jo Soap
Proof of Payment should be uploaded onto Photovaultonline when submitting your entry.
All International payments should be made via PayPal photosocsa@gmail.com using your name and honour applied for as reference. All charges are for the applicant’s account.
Certificates and badges will be presented at the Honours Banquet at Congress. For those members not able to attend Congress their certificates and badges will be sent via courier at PSSA’s expense provided they live in South Africa. Successful applicants living out of the country will be responsible for the costs involved for the delivery of the certificate and badge.
Chair – Jill Sneesby Hon MPSSA, MPSSA, FPSSA(Dux), MFIAP, ESFIAP, FPSA
Francois Roux Hon MPSSA, MPSSA, EPSSA(Mille), AV-LPSSA, EFIAP
Charmaine Joubert FPSSA, DPSSA, EFIAP
Koot Marais MPSSA, FPSSA, EPSSA(Mille), APSSA(Vers)
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