Entrants must select a category and stay in that category for the year.  Entrants may change categories each year. If a member chooses to change mid-year, they forfeit any points they accumulated in the other category. 

Enthusiast
Only global changes are allowed in this category. Any member may choose to be in this category. This category is for people who may be better photographers than computer experts or do not want to spend time on a computer and are not considered an expert by our definition. 

Global modifications are those that affect the entire image, such as cropping, saturation, white balance, levels, sharpening, and contrast. Prohibited modifications include the use of layers or tools that are applied to specific areas such as brushes, healing, cloning, masking, etc.

Master
Digital manipulation is allowed except for composite imaging (adding to an image). This category includes members that wish to do more than global manipulation to their images and are not considered an expert by our definition. 

Expert
Digital manipulation is allowed except for composite imaging (adding to an image). This category includes members who are thought of as experts or who present themselves as an expert in photography which would include professionals; semi-professionals; members making money from photography, giving seminars, workshops or blogs on underwater photography; or winning multiple international photo competitions. It also includes any member who wishes to compete in this category. 

Definition of Global Modification:
Changes that affect the entire images, such as cropping, saturation, white balance, levels, sharpening, masking, and contrast. Prohibited modifications would include the use of layers or other tools that are applied to a specific area i.e. brushes, healing, cloning, etc. Contestants may enter images for only one still category in a given year. However, the video category is separate and may be entered independent of the still category. Member eligibility for a category will be determined at the first of the year of when joining the club. Members may choose to move up a category, but not down, during the year, forfeiting all previous points accumulated.

The OCUPS board may review eligibility qualifications and request a member to change their category.