POTTERS BAR & DISTRICT  PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

Competition Rules 2024

1.   General

1.1     Only full members of the Society may enter the Competitions.
1.2     Judging is by invitation of the Committee and the Judge’s decision is final. The Competitions are run annually with trophies awarded in December of each year.

1.3     All trophies shall be held by the winners for one year only and returned to the Society before the annual prize giving held in December. Engraving the trophies will be undertaken by the Society.

1.4     Print and PDI Competitions are made up of five separate rounds that are held throughout the year and entries are divided into 2 classes.

Class 1 —–Advanced
This is for more experienced members.

Class 2 —– General 
This is for beginners and intermediate standard members.

1.5       In addition to the conditions specified in rule 2.3 and rule 3.3, the Committee may, upon application, promote a Member from Class 2 to Class 1 for any of the following reasons:

a.   Having been a member of another PAGB affiliated club at the Class 1 level or equivalent.

• • If the club in question had only a single class, then the Committee may take into consideration the member’s ranking in that club’s competitions.
  • In the case of membership of a non-UK or non-PAGB affiliated club, equivalence may be considered by the Committee.

b.   Having a recognised distinction from the RPS (LRPS or above) or award from PAGB (CPAGB or above). Other awards or distinctions may be considered by the Committee.

c.   Having been accepted for exhibition in a National or International Photographic Salon (e.g. AFIAP or above). The Committee may consider whether the Salon(s) or exhibition(s) or the number of acceptances are of sufficient standard for promotion.

d.   Having been awarded a placing in a National or International Photographic Competition. The Committee may consider whether the competition(s) or number of awards are of sufficient standard for promotion.

e.   Having experience as a professional photographer. The Committee may consider whether the amount and type of experience is of sufficient standard for promotion.

If the Committee agrees that an applicant fulfils any of the above criteria, promotion would apply to both Print and PDI classes.

If a member qualifies for promotion but chooses to remain in Class 2, they will be prohibited from winning the Class Trophy. The member may subsequently request promotion at any time.

Promotion to Class 1 will take effect from the beginning of the following year except in the case of new joiners who fulfil any of the criteria. Such new joiners may, at the Committee’s discretion, be placed in Class 1 upon joining.

1.6     For print competitions, print titles should be emailed to the Print Competition Secretary before the weekend immediately preceding the competition.  Prints shall be handed to the Competition Secretary at any time prior to the Competition but no later than 7.30 pm on the evening of the Competition.  Projected image files shall be handed to or transmitted to the Projected Image Secretary at least one week prior to the competition. The competition secretaries may refuse to accept any late entries.

1.7     The Society’s Competition Secretaries will communicate the competition results by email to members.

1.8     No image may be entered into a Society print or projected image competition more than three years after it has first been entered into any competition or accepted in any exhibition organised by this or any other club.

1.9     An image (or essentially the same image) may not be entered more than twice in total in internal Society competitions (i.e. Annual Print Competition, Annual Projected Image Competition, the Linbird and Hails Cup Competitions, the Oakmere Cup and the Douglas Best Cup).  If an image is entered, for example, in one print competition and one projected image competition this will count as two entries. However eligible images will also be entered into the Projected Image of the Year or Print of the Year competitions but not both.  An image which, by virtue of marks awarded in rounds of the annual competitions, is eligible for both the Print of the Year and the Projected Image of the Year competitions will be entered only for the category in which it was first entered.

1.10     Images must originate as photographs (image captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally.  Unless otherwise specified, original images may be altered either digitally or otherwise, by the maker, and art or computer graphics created by the entrant may be incorporated if the photographic content predominates. All components of the final image and all adjustments or manipulations should be the entrant’s own work. For the avoidance of doubt, use of images from outside sources including image generators, royalty free image banks and clipart are not permitted. In this context the use of HDR, Image Stacking and content aware software are acceptable whether done in camera or in computer software provided that only the members own images are accessed and manipulated.

1.11   In a competition when limited manipulation is specified, no kind of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement is allowed. The content of the photograph must not be altered by adding, rearranging, reversing, distorting or removing people and\or objects from within the frame.

Only the following adjustments are permitted:

1. Cropping;
2. Removing sensor dust or blemishes;
3. Adjustment of colour or conversion to greyscale;
4. Adjustments to exposure, contrast, saturation, noise and sharpness provided they do not significantly alter the content of the picture;
5. A keyline around the image.

1.12   A Monochrome image is defined as an image in black and white, or a black and white image which has been modified by the addition of a single tone to the entire image.

All images that do not meet the definition of  Monochrome are defined as Colour images.  A black and white image which has been modified by the addition of partial toning or by the addition of one colour to any part of the image is a Colour image.

1.13   All images may be put forward for selection in the Annual Exhibition regardless of how many times they have been entered in competitions, and the images selected are eligible for the Hornby and Exhibition Cups.  

1.15   Images may be selected for inter-club competitions regardless of how many times they have been entered in internal competitions and whether hosted by this Society or another.

1.14   Prints and projected image entries will be marked out of 20.

1.16   Prints must carry on the back the member’s name (which must not appear on the front), the title of the print and, where appropriate, the class for which it is being entered. The Print Secretary will label the entry and record the judge’s score where this is appropriate.

1.17   Prints in all competitions may be produced by chemical or digital processes and may be home or trade processed.

1.18   The pixel dimensions of digital images must not exceed the limits declared by the competition secretary. (These may align with the limits used by the EAF/PAGB and will normally be shown in the club programme and on the club website.) This is currently no more than 1600 pixels wide and 1200 pixels high.  Filenames must follow this format:

a.            title of image file (capital letters are optional),
b.            followed by a space,
c.            followed by “-”,
d.           followed by another space,
e.            followed by the photographer’s name with initial capitals.

Example:  The Sky at Night – Patrick Moore.jpg.

Images must be saved as JPEG files in sRGB colour space (which will automatically add the .jpg extension)

1.19   A competition entry which is found to contravene any of the competition rules will not be accepted into competitions or, if found retrospectively to contravene these rules, will be stripped of any marks.

1.20   The committee reserves the right to cancel or alter the rules for any competition and the committee’s decision on matters relating to competitions is final.

2.   Print Competitions

Annual Print Competition

 2.1    The Competition is made up of five separate rounds that are held throughout the year and entries are divided into 2 classes in accordance with 1.4 above. Entries shall be submitted in accordance with 1.5 above.

2.2     Members may enter in only one of the above classes and submit up to 3 prints in any round.

2.3     The winner in Class 2 is expected to automatically progress into Class 1 the following year. If the member does not wish to do so they can remain in Class 2 but will be prohibited from winning the Class 2 trophy in future years.

2.4     The scores awarded to the two highest marked prints entered by a member in each round will be accumulated for the year.

2.5     The Annual Print Competition winner will be the member obtaining the highest cumulative total points in the Class they have entered after the completion of the 5 rounds at the year end.

2.6     During the course of the Annual Print Competition, prints obtaining 18, 19 and 20 points will automatically qualify to be entered in the Print of the Year Competition. The only proviso to this being that if the total number of eligible prints at the year end exceeds 50 all prints with marks of 18 in either one or both classes, as determined by the competition secretary, will be discarded from the entry.

2.7     In at least one of the five rounds a set subject will be introduced which will be selected by the committee.

Print of the Year

2.8     Prints qualifying in 2.6 above are entered in this Competition under the Classes defined in 1.4 above. However, an image which has been entered in this Competition may not qualify for inclusion in the Competition in subsequent years (even if awarded 18 or more points in a round of the Annual Competition).

2.9 The judge will not award marks but will nominate a winner in each class. The judge will also be asked to select a second and third in each class but these prints will not attract trophies.

The Oakmere Cup

 2.15  This competition is for Monochrome prints (see definition in 1.10 above).

2.16   Each member may enter up to 3 prints.

2.17   The judge will be asked to select a winner and also a second and third but no trophies will be awarded for runners up.

2.18   A print once entered cannot be entered in this Competition in subsequent years.

The Hornby Cup

2.19   This cup is awarded to the Print obtaining the highest number of public votes at the Annual Exhibition.  It cannot be won more than once with the same print.

Exhibition Cup

2.20   This cup is awarded to the best print shown at the annual Exhibition from a general class worker.  Judging will be by an informal committee of advanced workers.  It cannot be won more than once with the same print.

3.    Projected Image Competitions

Annual Projected Image Competition

3.1     The Competition is made up of five separate rounds that are held throughout the year and entries are divided into 2 classes defined in 1.4 above. Entries shall be submitted in accordance with 1.5 above.

3.2     Members may enter in only one of the above classes and submit up to 3 images in any round.

3.3     The winner in Class 2 is expected to automatically progress into Class 1 the following year. If the member does not wish to do so he/she can remain in Class 2 but will be prohibited from winning the Class 2 trophy in future years.

3.4     The scores awarded to the two highest marked images entered by a member in each round will be accumulated for the year.

3.5     The Annual Projected Image Competition winner will be the member obtaining the highest cumulative total points in the Class they have entered after the 5 rounds at the year end.

3.6     During the course of the Annual Projected Image Competition, images obtaining 18, 19 and 20 points will automatically qualify to be entered in the Projected Image of the Year Competition. The only proviso to this being that if the total number of eligible images at the year-end exceeds 50, all images with marks of 18 in either or both classes, as determined by the competition secretary, will be discarded from the entry.

3.7     In at least one of the five rounds a set subject will be introduced which will be selected by the committee.

Projected Image of the Year Competition  

3.8     Projected images qualifying in 3.6 are entered in this Competition under the Classes defined in 1.4 above. However, an image which has been entered in this Competition may not qualify for inclusion in the Competition in subsequent years (even if awarded 18 or more points in a round of the Annual Competition).

3.9     The judge will not award marks but will nominate a winner in each class. The judge will be asked to select a second and third in each class but these images will not attract trophies.

Douglas Best Cup

3.10   This Competition requires the submission of 3 images combined as a single image for digital projection (a triptych).

Up to three triptychs per member can be entered in each competition.

The 3 images on the triptych must relate to each other in any way the photographer chooses.

The 3 images in the triptych may be any size or varying sizes and may be separate or overlapped within the frame but may not be blended.

The background of the triptych can be any colour of choice and may be part of the three images you are submitting as a ghosting or texture but no additional material can be introduced.

3.11   The judge will be asked to select the best triptych taking into account the photographic merit of the individual pictures contained and the effectiveness of the combination. Second and third places will also be selected but no trophies will be awarded to the runners up. Commended and highly commended may also be awarded at the judge’s discretion.

3.12   Images once submitted cannot be entered in this competition in subsequent years.

The Linbird and Hails  Cup Competition

3.15   This competition is for digital projected images with two classes of entry as defined in 1.4 above. Advanced members will compete for the Linbird Cup and General members for the Hails Cup.

3.16   Up to three images can be submitted per worker and these can be in colour or monochrome

3.17   An image once entered, cannot be entered in this competition in subsequent years

3.18   Images must conform to limited manipulation editing and processing in accordance with the conditions and exceptions in 1.10 above.

3.19   In camera processes such as multiple exposure, photo stacking and creative filters are not allowed. However, the automatic process of producing a JPEG from a raw file is allowed.

3.20   The Judge will be asked to select a winner in each class and also a second and third but no trophies will be awarded to the runners up

4.     Inter-Club Competitions (run by PB&DPS)

The Potters Bar Trophy

4.1     This is an annual projected image competition that the Society runs.  Competing clubs will be chosen and invited by the committee.  Separate rules are published for this competition here: The Potters Bar Trophy.

The Ron Harvey Trophy

4.2     This is an annual landscape print competition that the Society runs.  Competing clubs will be chosen and invited by the committee.  Separate rules are published for this competition here: The Ron Harvey Landscape Trophy.

March 2024