Section 1 General Competition Rules
1.1. The competition year runs from 1st September to 31st August.
1.2. Who can enter competitions?
The following are eligible to enter competitions:
· Life Members.
· All members who have paid their annual subscription.
· Returning members until 31st October. However, returning members who do not pay their annual subscription by 31st October will be deemed to have left the club and any points gained in competitions up to that point will be annulled.
1.3 Image Creation and Ownership
All elements of a photographic image must have been taken (by whatever photographic medium is used) and processed by the photographer, and the copyright must be owned by the photographer.
Where another artist’s work is necessarily included (for example street art, posters, paintings, drawings, or statues) in an image entered for competition, is must be self-evident that the work is NOT the work of the photographer and cannot be interpreted.
In composite images, all component images must meet this requirement. For the avoidance of doubt, use of images from any other source, including, but not limited to, royalty free image banks and clipart, are not permitted.
Images obtained ‘Remotely’ whereby the image is created as a service by a third party rather than directly by the photographer, are not eligible for competitions. Until the PAGB clarify the position regarding 'Remote Photography' such images will remain ineligible for competitions.
1.4 Image Manipulation
Manipulation of images is acceptable in all competitions except where the entry rules of the competition state otherwise (for example the Nature & Landscape Competition Rules)
When submitting an image that has been post-processed, please refer to the guidelines for ‘Traditional’ and ‘Creative’ Images below to ensure that the image is classified correctly when it is submitted for competition.
1.5 Re-using an Image.
An image or AV (or one that is significantly similar) entered in a Club projected image or print competition may not be re-entered in any other Club Competition in either medium except that: -
· An image may be used as part of an entry for the Hewitt Cup
· An image used in an entry for theHewitt Cup may be subsequently entered in a Club Competition (whether a projected image or print) if it had not been so entered previously.
· Images entering Club Competitions may be entered in the Biennial Print Exhibition competitions and any image entered in the Biennial Print Exhibition may be subsequently entered in a Club Competition (whether projected image or print) if it had not been so entered previously.
· If the image did NOT receive a placing or Highly Commended (in either format) it may be entered in one further Club Competition, but not in the same Club year.
Please check carefully before submitting your images for club competitions.
The Competition Secretary will have the final say in determining if an entry is eligible and may ask to see the RAW files and metadata for the image to determine eligibility.
1.6 Submitting Images.
All entries must comply with the relevant competition entry requirements as determined by the Committee from time to time and notified to all members. In addition:
· Entrants are required to send electronically to the competition secretary by the closing date a list of their entries in numbered order, stating the title and other information required by the rules of that competition (Open, Monochrome, Nature, and Landscape), including where applicable whether images are “Traditional” or “Creative” (See notes below)
· All Projected Image entry files must be titled with the title, entrant's name, and section in accordance with the format determined by the Committee from time to time.
· All print entries must be clearly titled and show the members competition number and section. They must not show the member's name.
· While all reasonable care will be taken by the Club, the entry of work into a Club Competition, Exhibition or external competition representing the Club is entirely at the risk of the member and a copy should be taken if the work is irreplaceable.
1.7 Competition Closing Dates.
Closing dates for entries will be specified in the programme or otherwise notified to all Club Members by email or via the Club Website.
The Chairman and Competition Secretary may change a Closing Date at their discretion, but notification of the change must be circulated to all Club Members ahead of the original closing date.
Entries which do not conform to the Competition Rules or are submitted after the Closing Date will not be accepted.
1.8 The number of entries in a competition.
The Committee reserves the right to limit the entry for any Competition where the total number of images received for judging exceeds 80; or not to run a competition where there are fewer than 3 images entered.
In addition, the Committee may add or suspend Competition and (provided notice is given to the members prior to the opening of entries for that Competition) amend the maximum number of entries for competition as it sees fit.
1.9 Competition Judges.
All competitions shall be judged by judges selected by the Committee unless the rules specify otherwise.
The judges' decisions are final in all cases.
1.10 Judging the images and awarding points.
· All competition entries will be presented to the judge anonymously, but the Competition Secretary may announce the name of the photographer after the judge's comments have been given unless anonymity has been requested.
· The judge will assess and be asked to comment on each image separately.
· The judge will be asked to award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each Competition.
· The judge may also award as many Highly Commended as merit it, except that the total awards shall not be more than one third of the entries.
· To ensure consistency, judges will also be reminded that the club does not recognise an award of 'Commended'.
Points will be awarded as follows.
First Place 6 points
Second Place 5 points
Third Place 4 points
Highly Commended 2 points
1.11 Traditional or Creative Images classification.
To help the competition judge fairly assess and compare images, the club has introduced an image classification of ‘Traditional’ or ‘Creative’.
Rule 1 – Entries to competitions shall be declared as either “Traditional” or “Creative” by the photographer at the time of entry.
This should be by means of a suffix of “T” (Traditional) or “C” (Creative) added to the entry class on the list sent to the Competition Secretary
Rule 2 – “Traditional” images shall be those that are created in camera with post-production limited to cropping, minor retouching of blemishes, selective lightening and darkening, and removal of minor distracting or unwanted objects by digital cloning.
Focus stacking and High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing are allowed, as is the stitching together of multiple images of the same scene to create a panorama.
Images where the essential truth of the photographic statement has been altered in processing, including digital alterations of the main subject matter, or selectively incorporating elements from more than one original photograph (including importing main subjects, background or skies that were not present in the original scene) shall NOT BE ELIGIBLE to be classed as “Traditional” images.
Rule 3 – “Creative” images shall be those depicting “altered reality”, defined as images which do not fit the description of “Traditional” images in Rule 2.
Rule 4 – If an entrant fails to declare entries as “Traditional” or “Creative”, the competition secretary shall assume they are “Creative” and mark them accordingly for judging.
The Competition Secretary shall incorporate this information into the list of entries given to the judge. The Competition Secretary shall also give to the judge a copy of the rules of each competition including the requirements for eligibility.
Rule 5 - If the Competition Secretary has reason to believe that an image entered in a competition may not comply with the rules relating to “Traditional” entries then he/she may request from the photographer a copy of the original RAW file for that entry.
If an entry declared as “Traditional” is found to be non-compliant with the rules then the photographer shall forfeit any placings, highly commended awards and points gained from all images in that competition.
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