Competition Rules

MONTHLY COMPETITIONS

1. Entry to monthly competitions is open to all honorary and paid-up members. Monthly competitions are held on the second Monday of the months of January to August, unless this is a Bank Holiday or for some other unavoidable reason. 
2. The entry limits for the competitions are shown during the online submission process. All entries will qualify for points in the annual consistency awards competitions.
3. Any picture may be used once only by the same member. But the committee reserve the right to consider an image to be the same as one already used if, regardless of title or medium, it is so similar to the other as to be almost identical.
4. A digital image, once used, cannot be entered as a print in any monthly competition and, similarly, a print, once used, cannot be entered as a digital image.
5. Prints resulting from computer/digital imaging techniques will be allowed in all competitions. The original image or composite of images must be made by the member on photographic emulsion or acquired with a digital camera or scanner. Any modification of the original image must be made by the member or under his/her personal supervision and direction. Prints must be on photographic or electronic print material, mount excepted.
6. Prints will not be accepted after the close of the meeting immediately preceding the competition night unless notified at a club meeting. Entries may be handed in by another member on behalf of someone who cannot attend in time. Digital images of the prints must be uploaded onto the website no later than midnight on the same night.
7. All prints must be mounted on suitable stiff card, flush mounted, or with a border. A print with a window mount should have the back mount board flush all round with the top one and adhered without any adhesive tape being visible. Prints contained in picture frames are NOT permitted.
8. Print mounts shall not exceed 50cm x 40cm in size but there is no minimum size.
9. Prints must show the title on the back of the mount and may be black and white or colour and may be either home or trade processed. Members are also encouraged to submit digital versions of their prints for display on the web site. For this purpose they should use the same format as for projected digital images (see below).
10. Digital images must be in jpeg format with maximum image dimensions of 1600 pixels wide and 1200 pixels high.
11. The image title should not include any of the following characters: / ? % * : | " < >
12. The digital images must be uploaded to the club's web site before midnight of the day specified as the closing date for submissions.
13. The members aggregating the highest number of points over the competition year shall the receive the appropriate Consistency Award for their medium. In the event of a tie on marks, the placing shall be determined by the entry with the highest number of 1st place votes, or 2nd place votes as described above.

ANNUAL COMPETITIONS

1. The 'Print of the Year', 'Digital Image of the Year', and 'Fun Competition Night' competitions are open to all honorary and paid-up members.
2. Each member may enter up to a maximum of 4 prints in the Print of the Year and 2 digital images in the Digital Image of the Year. In the Fun Competition each member may enter one image into each category. Only new members however may enter the New Members category. A new member is defined as one who joined in the twelve months preceding the competition deadline.
3. An image may be used in only one annual competition, but the committee reserves the right to consider an image to be the same as one already used if, regardless of title or medium, it is so similar to another by the same author as to be almost identical.
4. Prints and digital images must conform to the appropriate rules of the monthly competition.
5. Images may have been entered in a monthly competition but must not have been entered in any annual competition. However, an image used in one medium in a monthly competition may be used in a different medium in one of the annual competitions. Prints and digital images may be home, trade or digitally processed.
6. Entries for these annual competitions must be submitted to the website or appropriate competition secretary by the closing dates published in the club's programme or announced at a club meeting.
7. The prints and digital images entered in the annual competitions will be judged by both the external judge and club members in the same manner as the monthly competition.