OVERVIEW
The society organizes three kinds of competition during the season: championship,
set subject and special. The closing dates for entries and the dates of the
competitions are as shown in the syllabus.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITIONS
There are four-championship competition evenings each season with separate print
and digital projected image (DPI) competitions on these evenings. There are no
set subjects so members are free to choose any subject at will. Marks awarded are
totalled over all four heats in order to decide the winners of the Annual Championship
Awards for prints and DPI.
SET SUBJECT COMPETITIONS
There are six set subject competitions as follows:
- Monochrome Print only
- Portrait Print only
- Landscape Print only
- Documentary DPI only
- Natural History DPI only
- Chosen Subject. DPI only
All members compete together. In each competition. Points awarded in these
competitions are totalled across the year and the member who achieves the highest
total wins the "Best All-Round Photographer” award.
SPECIAL COMPETITIONS
There are three special competitions:
- Theme panel Print only
- Creative DPI only
- Audio Visual
These competitions do not count towards any annual award.
PREPARATION OF ENTRIES
General
The Society welcomes camera-originated images taken on any photographic
medium in all of its competitions. The photographer must personally have taken
all images concerned and have the full copyright for all elements within them.
Manipulated images are welcome in competitions, with the exception of Natural
History and Documentary, provided the photographer personally carried out the
manipulation and took the original exposure(s). Images employing so called Royalty
Free and Copyright Free Images are not acceptable. An individual image may be
used once in the Championship Competitions, once in the Theme Panel Competition
and once in one of the Set Subject Competitions. An image that is so similar as to be
almost identical to one already used is considered to be the same image even if the
medium is changed. If an image is considered offensive or unsuitable the Internal
Competition Organiser may require the photographer to withdraw it. Images should
be correctly and clearly titled. In the Documentary and Natural History competitions
titles must be accurate and specific to the subject matter.
Number Of Entries
The maximum number of entries which may be submitted for the competitions is
as follows:
- Championship: two prints and two DPI
- Set subjects: two images per competition
- Theme panel: two sets of 3 prints
- Creative dpi: two images
- Audio Visual: three sequences.
Prints
Prints may be of any size in any photographic medium, but must be mounted on
standard card, which may be of any colour. Mounts must not exceed the preferred
size of 50cm X 40cm,
If a smaller mount is used it must not be less than 38cm on the longest side. Overall
thickness must not exceed 4mm. To avoid damage to other prints when packed,
adhesive tape, Velcro, or similar materials, must not be exposed on the back of
prints and the backing mount, if used, must be the same size as the front window
mount.
Projected Images
DPI should be presented in sRGB mode as JPG files; they should preferably have
an sRGB colour profile attached. Images in other formats are likely to be rejected
automatically by the DiCentra software used and excluded from the competitions.
The maximum pixel dimensions that can be accepted are 1400 horizontal and 1050
vertical. If an image is smaller than this the photographer may fill the non-image area
with a background of his or her choice to bring the dimensions up to 1400 X 1050
pixels. Failing this DiCentra will add a black background.
ENTERING THE COMPETITIONS
Identification
Prior to entering any of the internal print competitions members should ensure that
they have been issued with two print competition entry numbers by the Internal
Competitions Secretary. These numbers remain valid for all future print competitions
unless otherwise notified. Where two prints are used in the same competition both
numbers must be used; the print having the lower number will be shown first.
Prints should be labelled on the back in the top left hand corner (as viewed from
behind when in the correct orientation) with the entry number and print title. The
photographer’s name must not appear on the mount. A 1400 X 1050 pixel digital file
of each print meeting the same criteria as dpi entries (see above) should also be
submitted for record and management purposes. The file should be named with the
sequence number, entry number and title, e.g. 01 1234 Title.jpeg
Files for DPI competitions should be given a two-digit sequence number, 01 or 02,
followed by the title e.g. 02 Winter sunrise.jpg The member’s entry number is not
required.
Submission
The preferred method of submission is via the Society web site, this should be used
for both DPI entries and DPI copies of prints being entered. On the home page,
www.southport-ps.co.uk click on the link for Internal Competitions and follow the
instructions. As an alternative USB drives may be used for this year
Prints,without any accompanying packaging, should be placed in the Print
Boxes provided on submission nights and USB flash drives (identified with the
photographer’s name and telephone number) should be placed in the receptacle
provided.
AFTER THE COMPETITION
At the end of a competition evening members should collect their prints and/or USB
Flash Drives and take them away. With the permission of the author, certain prints
may be retained for use in External Competitions. Digital versions of award winning
images will be posted on the Society’s website.
DETAILED REQUIREMENTS
Championship Competitions - Print and DPI
These are open competitions and the choice of subject is at the photographer's
discretion.
Monochrome Competition - Print Only
This is an open competition; normally black and white images should be submitted
for this competition; however black and white images modified by the addition of a
single tone over the entire image are acceptable. Images obtained by toning part of
the image or adding colour to part of the image are not eligible.
Portrait Competition - Print Only
May contain the whole or part of one or more persons. If only part of a figure is
shown it must include a substantial part of the head. Animals by themselves are not
included in this category.
Landscape Competition - Print Only
Landscape is defined as a picture with the earth's surface forming all or part of it.
Buildings, bridges, cities, roads and other works of man are considered natural
parts of landscape but should be shown in context and should not be the only
elements of the picture. Thus cityscapes are not eligible. Human or animal figures
and activities, if present, should be of secondary interest only and help to show the
relationship between man and the landscape.
Documentary Competition - DPI
The principal aim is the clear recording of the subject. The title must identify the
subject accurately; “poetic” titles are not appropriate. Subjects could include
man-made objects recorded as distinctly as possible, architecture, sport, photojournalism,
domesticated animals, cultivated plants, formal flower arrangements,
mounted specimens, museum groups and other items and activities, provided that
each is worthy of good photographic record. Technical quality is important.
Natural History Competition - DPI Only
The principal aim is the accurate recording of living creatures and uncultivated
plants shown in their natural habitat, or of geological or other natural phenomena.
Any retouching or processing must not alter the truth of the photographic statement
depicted in the original image. Technical quality is important and the title must
identify the subject accurately. Items included under 'Documentary' are not allowed.
Chosen Subject Competition - DPI
Only
This is a set subject competition and there will be a different theme each season.
The theme will be decided by Council and announced no later than the AGM of
the previous season. Photographers are free to interpret the selected theme in any
manner of their choosing.
Theme Panel Competition - Print Only
The aim is to explore a theme of the photographer's own choosing through three
related photographs, which will be judged as a group of images. An overall title
should be provided for the three photographs,which should not be individually
titled. The images may be mounted individually (in which case the photographer
must indicate on the backs of the mounts the order in which they should be
displayed) or on a single standard size mount. Two themed sets may be entered.
Audio Visual Competition
A separate entry form is required for this competition. This may be obtained from the
Internal Competition Secretary and must be returned to him no later than the date
shown in the syllabus. Up to three sequences may be entered but, depending on the
number of entries received, it may not be possible to judge more than one of these.
Sequences must be listed on the form in order of priority for showing. Sequences
entered must be on a CD (or memory stick) and the duration must not exceed 12
minutes. It is permissible for the authorʼs name to appear in the sequence (but this
may render it ineligible for entry to certain national and international competitions).
All the photography must be the work of the entrant and any declared collaborators
who must be members of the Society. Copyright of all work must be at the disposal
of the entrant who is responsible for obtaining the necessary licenses or permissions
to use material for which they do not hold the rights
Creative Competition - DPI Only
The subject is open. The competition is restricted to new images which have not
previously been entered in any of the Societyʼs Internal competitions, used by the
Society in external competitions, or entered into any exhibition.