CAPA Education Committee

UPDATED – AI Editing Criteria – Authentication

Our AI Editing Criteria has been updated to include the following provisions:

For Camera Club entries: The photographer’s original image as submitted to the club, before any club modifications such as resizing, copyright additions, or other editing.

The following administrative modifications by the club are explicitly permitted, provided that the image’s camera and editing details remain unaltered:

• Resizing to meet CAPA pixel dimension and file size specifications
• Adding a copyright to the metadata or club identifier, when exporting from Lightroom to JPEG at the required quality setting
• Renaming files to comply with CAPA entry naming conventions

*Retention of the photographer’s original submission is the responsibility of the individual photographer, not the club.

*This update has been added to all remaining 2026 and 2027 competitions.

AI Authentication Review Process

CAPA’s authentication process relies on a structured, multi-stage forensic approach rather than any single detection tool or automated system. When a submission is flagged for review, the authentication process draws on multiple inputs, including metadata analysis, Content Credentials (C2PA) verification, visual forensic examination, the photographer’s editing narrative, and original working files. No image will be disqualified solely on the basis of a single flag indicator. 

Detection flags initiate a review, not an automatic determination. When results raise concerns or remain ambiguous, the photographer will be contacted to provide clarification and specific image files. A final ruling will be rendered only after the photographer’s response and all submitted files have been reviewed.

Originality vs Derivative Work

CAPA guidelines require that photographs incorporating another artist’s copyrighted work must show meaningful creative transformation. Simply photographing or reproducing existing copyrighted artwork without adding significant original elements does not qualify as original work. Submissions that fail this standard risk disqualification from competition.

For more details, please check out the attached document, available in both English and French.

2026 Fine Art Competition

• Club winning images – view webpage by clicking here
• Individual winning images – view webpage by clicking here

2026 Quebec Zone Competition

• Club winning images – view webpage by clicking here
• Individual winning images – view webpage by clicking here

Open Competitions For Image Uploading

• Atlantic Zone – closes March 15, 2026 – Check it out here
• Prairie Zone – closes March 30, 2026 – Check it out here
• Triptych – closes April 15, 2026 – Check it out here
• Canada My Country – closes April 15, 2026 – Check it out here
• Annual Photo Challenge – closes May 5, 2016 – Check it out here