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Competition Help
Throughout the season, we hold a number of internal competitions for all society members, both DPIs and prints. Entering competitions is not compulsory, but members do feel that having their images professionally judged and seeing other members' photographs being judged helps them to improve their photography. It's also a bit of fun.
Much of the terminology may be confusing; you may not know how to present your prints, or maybe you just want to understand the rules before entering. This guide is here to help answer all your questions.
Definitions
Jan Zoltonos Cup - 'Scapes'. DPI's
Images of the countryside, landscapes, seascapes, nightscapes, cityscapes, and urban landscapes. Humans or animals within the image should only be there to show a sense of scale in the image.
Secretary's Cup - Open Colour or monochrome. DPI's
Images of any subject, eg, Architecture, Culture, Creative, Motion, Landscape, Lifestyle, Natural World & Wildlife, Portraiture, Still Life, Object, Street Photography and Travel.
Eddie Kevill Memorial Cup - Nature. DPI's
DEFINITION OF NATURE TO BE USED IN PAGB COMPETITIONS
Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation.
The storytelling value of a Nature photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality.
Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible.
Photographs of human-created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.
Processing of the captured image, by cropping, exposure adjustment, colour correction, noise minimisation, dodging/burning, HDR, focus stacking and sharpening, is allowed.
Cloning of image defects and minor distractions, including overlapping elements, is permitted when these do not distort the truth of the photographic statement.
Images entered as Nature can have landscape, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.
Access to biological subjects may be restricted.
By entering a PAGB event, Photographers warrant that they have followed relevant codes of practice and hold any necessary licences.
This definition is in line with current PAGB guidelines.
Images of a specific part of the organism are acceptable, although it is usually advisable to include the whole. Titles must be the correct common name or the Generic name, and/or Latin name with, perhaps, a description of any activity (avoid anthropomorphisms such as ‘Eagle eating his dinner’).
Rosebowl Trophy - Flora. DPI's
Images of flowers or plants only. Images of fungi are not permissible for this trophy.
Cartridge World Cup – Still-life DPI's
Still photography is the art of capturing single, stationary images, as opposed to moving pictures or video. It focuses on creating a single, impactful visual composition, often using techniques like lighting, composition, focus, and exposure to convey a specific message or evoke an emotion.
Raymond Platt Trophies -
1. Monochrome/Black and White. DPI's
An image is either a black and white work (with tones of grey, black, and white) or a work toned entirely in a single colour (like sepia). A monochrome image must remain entirely in that single tone; if it has partial toning or the addition of any other colour, it becomes a colour image and is ineligible for monochrome competitions.
2. Open Prints
Any subject. Prints must be mounted, Max. size of print A3, max. size of the mount 50cm x 40cm
John Marsh Interim Cup - "Small Prints" Open
Prints of any subject
Prints must be mounted; the maximum print size should be A4, not including mounts. Letterbox prints smaller than A4 would be acceptable as long as the size does not exceed any A4 dimension.
ODM - Spot Cup –'Macro'
In photography, "macro" refers to extreme close-up photography, where a small subject is captured at a larger-than-life scale. This technique reveals intricate details not easily visible to the naked eye.
Borders Counties Advertiser Cup – Open, DPI's
Colour or Monochrome, Images of any subject, eg, Architecture, Culture, Creative, Motion, Landscape, Lifestyle, etc.
Colin Powell Cup – 'Personal Best' projected image of the season – Open. DPI's.
Members can submit images that they feel reflect their best work for the season. All images are not to be taken prior to 1st January 2025. This competition can include images that have been entered into previous competitions in the current season, as long as they conform to the date stated above. Any composite images submitted must have the primary elements taken within the above date criteria.
John Marsh Challenge Cup - Best Print of the Season
Members can submit prints that they feel reflect their best work for the season. All images are not to be taken prior to 1st January 2025. This competition can include images that have been entered into previous competitions in the current season, as long as they conform to the date stated above. Any composite prints submitted must have the primary elements taken within the above date criteria.
KNOCKOUT
The images entered may have been taken at any time and have been previously entered into club competitions. Images will be shown in random order, two at a time; members will vote for the preferred image of the two, and the winning image will pass to the next round. Any image unpaired at the end of each round will be given a bye to the next round.
General Definitions
MONOCHROME
An image is either a black and white work (with tones of grey, black, and white) or a work toned entirely in a single colour (like sepia). A monochrome image must remain entirely in that single tone; if it has partial toning or the addition of any other colour, it becomes a colour image and is ineligible for monochrome competitions.
STILL LIFE is defined as a posed picture of one or more inanimate objects.
MACRO is defined as an image taken with the subject close to the camera, either with a Macro lens or a normal lens (usually a telephoto) working at its closest focus distance.
CREATIVE is defined as an image that stimulates the imagination. Effects like merging multiple images, deliberate blurring (lens zooming and panning), solarisation, double exposures and tone mapping are allowed.
PORTRAIT is defined as an image of a person or group of people in either a posed or candid situation, showing something of the character, personality or occupation of the subject.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY is basically a form of candid photography where the emphasis is on capturing chance encounters and random incidents in public places. Street photography does not have to include a 'street' or even an urban environment to be effective. Images of people in a contradictory or complementary context, which also have visual humour or pathos, work well.
Preparation
How to submit printed images.
Mounted prints are brought along on competition evenings.
A digital copy of the print must first be uploaded via our Photoentry portal no later than midnight of the competition closing date.
It is the members' responsibility to ensure their entry details have been uploaded correctly.
Prints must be mounted in recessed card mounts so that when stacked, they do not damage other prints. Framed prints are not allowed.
• The maximum size for the photographic prints is A3 (30x42cm) within a mount max size of 50cm x 40 cm
• The minimum size of the photographic print image allowed is A5.
The member must put the title on the reverse in the top left-hand corner, along with the member’s unique membership number. Members should not put their names on the front or back of the print mount.
Digital entries :
Digital entries, also known as DPIs (Digital Projected Images), should have the title as the file name with a jpg extension, eg “Clouds1.jpg
Your image must be saved at a maximum size of 1600 pixels horizontally or 1200 pixels vertically (Please do not fill in unused areas of your image with Black to make up the size) and be entered via Photoentry at least 7 days (or as advised by the competition secretary) before the competition. It is advised that they are saved at maximum quality and be in the SRGB colour space to ensure correct display.
COMPETITION RULES
1. Dates, subjects and details of each season’s competitions will be made available via the society program at the start of the season.
2. Definitions for each competition will be provided at the beginning of the season on the society website when the program is released to members. Judges will be provided with a copy of the definitions relating to any competition that they have agreed to judge.
3. Competitions are open to all members who have paid the current year’s subscription.
4. When a member enrols and pays the annual fee he/she will be given a membership number which should be used as a means of identification for print entries – see 9e below.
For judging, where practical, the Competition Secretary will appoint a qualified judge from outside the society. Judges will be asked to score on a scale with a maximum mark of 20. There may be multiple 2nd/ 3rd places awarded but only 1 winner.
To apportion scores for the Photographer of the Year award, the competition secretary will apportion points as follows:
a. Winner ---------------------- (20) -------5 points
b. 2nd place ------------------- (19) --------4 points
c. 3rd place ------------------- (18) -------3 points
d. Highly Commended ------- (17)--------2 points
e. Commended ---------------- (16) -------1 point
5. The Competitions Secretary will keep a tally of each member’s scores throughout the season’s competitions to decide Photographer of the Year.
6. Members may enter up to 3 images in each competition.
a.They should be entered in order of preference in case one has to be dropped because the competition is oversubscribed
7. Entries must be the original work of the exhibitor and not a reproduction of another author’s work.
8. Entries may be colour or monochrome, home or commercially processed.
9. Print entries:
a. Prints must be mounted in recessed card mounts so that when stacked they do not damage other prints. Framed prints are not allowed.
b. The maximum size for photographic prints is A3 (30x42cm) Max mount size 50 x 40cm
c. The minimum size of the photographic print image allowed is A5.
d. Must be titled on the reverse in the top left-hand corner.
e. The member’s unique membership number should be clearly marked in the top left-hand corner. Members should not put their names on the front or back of the print mount.
f. A jpg image of all print entries, saved as described in section 10, should be uploaded to Photoentry at least 7 days prior to the date of the competition.
10. Digital entries :
a. Digital entries should have the title as the file name with a jpg extension eg Clouds1.jpg
b. Must be jpg, saved at a size of 1600 pixels horizontally or 1200 pixels vertically and be entered
via Photoentry at least 7 days prior to the competition.
c. It is advised that they are saved at maximum quality and be in the sRGB colour space to ensure correct display.
11. Slides are no longer accepted for competition.
12. Eligibility:-
a. Work judged in any previous season’s club competitions cannot be entered into the present season’s competitions
b. Work may not be entered more than once in a single season, apart from the following exceptions:
Exceptions-
a. Images entered in a Knockout competition or comprising a panel in a panel competition are not constrained by this
sub-section.
b. Entries into the Colin Powell Trophy and John Marsh Challenge Cup
c. An image can be entered twice in different formats, eg, dpi and print in the current season or the following season if that format wasn't judged the previous year
13. Entries may be rejected and awards taken away if the rules are not complied with, as determined by the Committee.
14. Copyright is an automatic right of the author and is retained by the author.
15. By entering a competition, you are giving permission for your image to be shown on the club website; used in club promotional materials, etc.
16. Where the club committee decides to enter an inter-club competition, images will be selected by the club committee from images awarded a mark of 17 or greater during the previous season’s competitions. Photographers whose prints are selected for entry into an inter-club competition will be notified by the competition secretary as will any marks awarded.
17. Use of Copyright Free, Clip Art, Royalty Free or Copyright expired images or parts thereof is inadmissible.
This follows MCPF guidance, April 2000.