Competition rules

General rules
Submission of entries
Merit competitions
Annual Cups competitions

General Rules Applicable to all Competitions.
1. Entries for all competitions will only be accepted from members whose subscription has been paid for the current season.
2. Each competition may consist of two sections (for novice and advanced work). Each member can elect at the start of the season which section they wish to enter. However the committee reserve the right to re-classify if they think it is appropriate.
3. An invited, independent assessor, selected by the committee, shall judge the merit, annual cups and hosted interclub competitions.
4 The author must own the copyright of all parts of the image entered into a competition.
5. Images must be the unaided work of the Author. Trade processing of prints is permitted and should be declared as such.
6. A print or projected image, which has been entered in one of the three "Merit" competitions, may also be entered into an "Annual Cups" competition.
7. Unless otherwise requested projected images should be e-mailed to the competition secretary at least 5 days before the competition. Prints are to be taken on the evening of the competition
8. The trophies are held for one year and are returnable before or at Annual General Meeting.

Prints:
1. Each print shall be mounted. The size of the mount board shall be no larger than 20 x 16 ins (50.8cm x 40.8 cm) and not smaller than 10 x 8 ins (25.4cm x 20.3cm)
2. Prints entered into competitions will be marked on the reverse side with authors name, classification and the competition entered.

Projected Images:
1. Files must be jpeg format, RGB mode (for both colour and monochrome images) and in the sRGB colour space.
2. The maximum dimensions of submitted files are 1400 pixels horizontal by 1050 pixels vertical. (Please note: NOT 1400 pixels vertical). Files that do not conform to these dimensions may not display properly. Entrants are free to make whatever use they choose of the area within these dimensions.
3. An image will be disqualified if it shows on screen the title or the name of the author embedded in the image.
4. File naming protocol is as follows:- format is: Title_ semi-colon_ Authors name distinctions_ dot_ jpg)
Examples: Bodmin Moor; Fred Smith ARPS.jpg or alternatively: Sacred Valley, Peru ; John Jones D.P.A.G.B..jpg

Merit Competitions. No 1, 2, and 3.

Open Classification - Prints (monochrome or colour) [The Coleman Shield]
Open Classification - Projected Images [The Beverly Cup]

1. Entry is limited to a maximum of four prints and four projected images in each competition
2. The subject matter will be the choice of the Author.
3. Each print or projected image will be assessed individually.
4. The Assessor on the evening will award a first, second, third, plus as many highly commended and commended as they think appropriate. Points will be awarded as to 6 points for first, 5 points for second, 4 points for third, 3 points for highly commended, and 2 points for a commended. All other entries will be awarded 1 point. 5. The print and projected image trophies will be awarded to the member(s) who score the highest total marks from all three "Merit" competitions.
6. The winning print and projected image from each "Merit" competition will be entered into the "Image of the Year" competition to be assessed on the evening of the Annual Cups Competition.

Annual Cups Competition

Category A: - Print Panel (monochrome, colour or digital)
Open Classification [The Pictorial Advanced Cup]

1. Entry is limited to one panel of three prints per Author and these will be assessed as a panel.
2. Subject matter will the choice of the author, but must be on a related theme.
3. Panels will be marked out of 10 points for each individual print and a further 30 points for the overall cohesion of the panel (maximum 60 points).

Category B: - Projected Image Colour Panel
Open Classification [The Ken Wetherall Colour Cup]

1. Entry is limited to one panel of three projected images per Author and these will be assessed as a panel.
2. Subject matter will the choice of the author, but must be on a related theme.
3. Panels will be marked out of 10 points for each individual slide and a further 30 points for the overall cohesion of the panel (maximum 60 points).

Category C: - Nature - Prints (monochrome, colour or digital)
Nature Classification [The Nature Award]

1. Entry is limited to a maximum of three prints per author.
2. Images will be assessed individually.
3. Prints will be marked out of a maximum mark of 20 points.

Category D: - Nature - Projected Image
Nature Classification [The Davis Trophy]

1. Entry is limited to a maximum of three projected images per author.
2. Images will be assessed individually.
3. Projected images will be marked out of a maximum mark of 20 points.

Category E: - Creative - Prints (monochrome, colour or digital)
Creative Classification [The Gilmer Trophy]

1. Entry is limited to a maximum of three prints per author.
2. Creative photography is defined as creating a new composition(s) by altering reality in an obvious manner. The AGM will set the subject for the following seasons competition.
3. Images will be assessed individually.
4. Prints will be marked out of 20 points. Subject matter will be the choice of the author but will be judged on creativity.

Category F: - Creative - Projected image
Creative Classification [The Angus Black Trophy]

1. Entry is limited to a maximum of three projected images per author.
2. Creative photography is defined as creating a new composition(s) by altering reality in an obvious manner. The AGM will set the subject for the following seasons competition.
3. Images will be assessed individually.
4. Projected images will be marked out of 20 points. Subject matter will be the choice of the author but will be judged on creativity.

Category G: Print and Projected Image of the Year
Open Classification [Print of the Year] [Projected Image of the Year]

1. Winning prints and projected images from the Annual Cups A to F categories and Merit 1, 2 and 3 competitions shall be eligible for entry into their respective “Print of the year” and “Projected Image of the year” competitions.
2. The Assessor shall select one winning print and one projected image on the night.




EVENTS PROGRAMME	COMPETITION WINNERS	MEMBERS' WEBSITES	LATEST NEWS
find out what the club has planned for the coming year	winners of this year's competitions and their images	Dick Prior	What's new at Stratford Photo Group
		Ian Bailey
		Rob Shaw
		John Harding
		Andy Page