SPS member competition rules

Competition Dimensions

Dimension of submitted digital images for PDI and accompanying print submissions.

Internal Competitions Team Leader

Contact: Judith Parry AFIAP, DPAGB, Hon PAGB

SUMMARY OF RULES

Image size

Please submit your images with a maximum of 1600 pixels width and 1200 pixels height.

Competition Dimensions

Print entries

  • Please bring mounted prints. Mount size: 500 x 400 mm
  • Entries should be delivered to the club a week in advance of competition night.
  • Please attach a sticker to the back stating: Name, Section, Title.
  • Please submit a digital image with your online entry that follows the same guidance as that for PDIs. (1600 x 1200 max)

PDI entries

  • Our projection background is black.
  • Please export the image with the maximum dimensions are 1600 pixels width and/or 1200 pixels height.
  • All layers must be flattened, file format: JPEG, colour space: sRGB.
  • Please do not fill empty space or add large borders to your PDI images. A thin outline border is acceptable.

Re-submission

  • If an image scores any points, it can not be used in any subsequent competition except for the Members Annual Competition.
  • If an image scores no points, it can be re-submitted once more in a different competition in the season.
  • Once an Image has been used in a Competition season and any one Members Annual Competition, it cannot be used again for any SPS Internal Competitions. It can, of course, be used for external competitions.

HOW TO SAVE YOUR DIGITAL IMAGES FOR THE COMPETITION

Lightroom

GENERAL RULES

The actual dates for each member competition are listed in the Society’s programme booklet and on the Programme Calendar as well as the Entry Page on this website.

1. The following Competitions are held during each Club Year:

  • Three Colour Print Competitions.
  • Three Mono Print  Competitions.
  • Three Projected Digital Image Competitions.
  • One Nature Competitions for Prints and Projected Digital Images.
  • One Members Best of the Year Competition.
  • One Mobile Phone image competition.
  • One ‘Outdoor Britain’ competition.

Currently a maximum of  three Images can be entered into your nominated section for any one competition and in the MembersBest of the Year sub categories. Four images are allowed in the ‘Outdoor Britain’ competition

Members are requested to use the online entry procedure for ALL competitions as available on this website, even for print competitions, during the process of entering prints online you will be requested to upload a digital image of your print sized as for ‘Projected Digital’ images described below.

If for any reason the online entry system is not available to you, arrangements can be made with the Competition team for an alternative method of entry.

2. Sections that apply to each member’s status in the competitions are as follows:

For all competitions, the sections are Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. With the following PROVISO:  If three members or less enter either the Novice or intermediate sections, then these entries will be combined for that competition  and the section renamed as General.

3. New members:

New members must present between four and six pictures, preferably prints, for classification in order for the Internal Competitions Committee to decide in which section they should initially participate. Progression after this initial assessment will be according to results achieved in the different sections.

4. In Monthly Competitions points are awarded per section as follows:

  • First place: 5 points

  • Second place: 4 points

  • Third place: 3 points

  • Highly Commended: 2 points

  • Commended: 1 point

Awards are presented at the AGM to those members with the highest aggregate score in each section for the competitions held in the current year. The Competitions Committee also decides at this time who will be promoted to a higher section for the following years merits.

Results in the Nature, Members Best of the Year, Mobile Phone and Outdoor Britain competitions stand alone and so are not counted in any annual results. However, winners in these competitions do receive SPS awards.

5. Re-submitting images:

If an Image scores any points, it CANNOT be used again in following  competitions, even in a different medium, but can be included in any submission for the Members Annual Competition.

If an Image does not score any points it may be used once more in a following competition in the season and can still be used in Members Annual competition.

Once an Image has been used in a Competition season and any one Members Annual Competition, it cannot be used again for any SPS Internal Competitions. It can, of course, be used for external competitions.

6. Formatting of digital images.

The format and size of Projected Digital Images must be according to the Rules shown here (see the diagram at the top of this page).

Currently the format in which entries should be submitted are:

  • Landscape crops should be Max. width 1600 pixels,
  • Portrait crops should be Max. height 1200 pixels.

All layers must be Flattened.

File format must be JPEG.

Our projection background is black, please DO NOT fill empty space or add large borders to your PDI images, however a thin outline border is acceptable.

7. Handing in of entries:

All members entries must be handed in no later than the appointed time and placed in the appropriate competition box in the Clubroom. For Prints, members should use the appropriate plastic carrier envelope available for a small charge.

8. Collection of entries:

After each Competition has been judged, members must collect their entry on the night of the competition. If this is not possible, their entry will be placed in the collection box in the reception hall where they must be collected at the earliest opportunity.    

In the case of the Members Annual Competition, they can only be collected on the prescribed date since they will be used in the Members Exhibition shown in the clubroom.

9. Labelling of prints:

All prints must have the member’s name and their section clearly marked. Ideally members should use the appropriate labels available.

10. Help:

Please note that your fellow members are always willing to help you should the need arise. If you require help in mounting prints please come along to a Technique Group meeting on a Monday evening where a member of the group will be happy to help you.

By entering your Images in any internal competition, you thereby agree that they may be published on the society’s website.

‘FRIDAY FOCUS’ AUDIO VISUAL ANNUAL COMPETITION

Group Leader: Ray Dowding FRPS

AV Competition Rules

01. The competition has two sections, Advanced and New to AV, each will be judged separately by a non-Smethwick PS qualified judge.

02. Entrants must be members of Smethwick Photographic Society.

03. An entry form should be completed for each sequence submitted. By entering you agree to these competition rules.

04. Entries must be digital and saved as a “.exe” file.

05. It is recommended that images are cropped to a final size of not less than 1600 x 1200.

Entries that have previously been created smaller are still eligible for entry but will appear on the screen at a smaller size.

06. Entries must be new to the SPS Friday Focus AV Competition.

07. It is the entrant’s own responsibility to ensure that any material recorded on the soundtrack or visually shown is covered against copyright infringement.

08. Each sequence must be the original work of the entrant or covered by copyright clearance.

09. The duration of any sequence must not exceed 12 minutes, entrants are advised to aim for 4 to 6 minutes.

10. A maximum of 2 sequences per author may be entered, if entering 2 sequences please indicate your 1st

11. Entries will be saved to Smethwick’s computer hard drive for projection at the judging session. Following the judging they will be archived (for showing in case a lecturer fails to attend) and removed from the hard drive.