Rules

Current Competition Rules

Club competitions are open to Members of the Club who have paid all due subscriptions and have not been barred from competing by a decision of the Executive Committee.

Entries must have been created entirely from photographs taken by the entrant, and any creative processing, alteration or combination of images must be the entrant’s own work. Outside help is acceptable for normal processing, adjustment, copying and printing. Serious and deliberate flouting of this rule will be reported to the Executive Committee, which has the power to disbar a member from participation in club competitions.

Entries must be given to the Competitions Secretary, with the appropriate entry form, on or before the relevant entry date published in the Annual Programme. Images which, in the judgement of the Competitions Secretary, are likely to be offensive to other members or do not comply with the law or the rules for the class or competition in which they are entered may be transferred to the appropriate class or, if necessary, disqualified.

An image may only be entered in a maximum of two internal competitions.

Images entered for club competitions may be used by the Executive Committee to represent the club in exhibitions, external competitions and publicity, in particular the L&CPU and ICPA. Permission for such use is a condition of entry, and entrants will be expected to make images available as required. If you do not want your images to be used and/or they may be used by another club then please let the Competition Secretary know.

The Club will appoint one or more judges for each competition and must ensure that all judges are familiar with the rules and any guidelines offered to entrants. The judge’s decision is final.

The Competition Secretary will set a maximum number of entries for each competition to ensure that the judge has sufficient time to assess each image satisfactorily. The Competition Entry System (SUCCESS) will allow a number of images to be entered and if the maximum number of images is exceeded the 6th image entered by each entrant will be discarded for that competition, if need be then the 5th image may also be discarded. These discarded images will not count as having been entered and may be used in subsequent competitions by the author.

Presentation:

Prints must be mounted on stiff board, unframed and not larger than 50cm x 40cm including the mount. The name of the entrant, along with the title and class entered (if relevant) must be shown on the back. (If mounted prints are less than 50cm x 40cm they will not be eligible for entry in L&CPU competitions unless re-mounted). A digital copy of prints must be provided (entered on SUCCESS) to be used for administration purposes only.

Digital image files must be in JPEG format and may not exceed 1600 pixels in width or 1200 pixels in height; Digital colour space is sRGB; max image size is 2Gb; they should be entered online using the SUCCESS system unless an alternative has been agreed in advance with the Competition Secretary.

Open Competitions:

A new image derived from the same source as a previous entry must be substantially different from that entry. On each Open Competition evening, the two Sections - Prints and Digitally Projected Images – will be judged separately. Members may enter up to four images in total, spread across each section in any ratio. Points will be accumulated to give an overall winner for each section at the end of the season.

Annual Competitions:

No image will be eligible if it has previously been entered in a club Annual Competition in any format. A new image derived from the same source as a previous entry must be substantially different from that entry.

The Annual Competition has two sections: Prints and Digital images. Within each section there are separate classes for Open Colour (Class 1) Open Mono (Class 2) Portrait (Class 3) Nature (Class 4) Record (Class 5) and Creative (Class 6). Members may enter up to ten images in each section, of which not more than four may be entered in any one class. All images must be appropriate to the class in which they are entered, according to the following criteria:

Class 1 – Open Colour: any image.

Class 2 – Open Monochrome: any image employing only shades of a single hue.

Class 3 – Portrait: The capture by means of photography of the likeness of a living person or creature or a small group of people or creatures (a group portrait), in which the face and expression is predominant.

Class 4 – Nature photography: images which convey accurate and detailed information about the appearance or behaviour of natural organisms and geological specimens. Domestic animals and cultivated plants are not acceptable as the main subject. The identity of the subject should be indicated as accurately as possible in the title by use of its common or scientific name.

Class 5 – Record photography: images which convey accurate and detailed information about specific man-made objects and structures, and which would help in reconstructing the subject following damage or destruction.The title should clearly identify the subject.

Class 6 – Creative photography: images entered into this section should show an imaginative approach to produce an altered reality, artistic approach or a creative interpretation of the subject or scene.