COMPETITION RULES
Club Rules for 2024-25 Season HIGHCLIFFE & INFINITY PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB COMPETITION RULES
1.0 GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR ALL COMPETITIONS
Only fully paid-up members of Highcliffe & Infinity Photography Club (H&IPC) may participate in competitions. Each photographic image is eligible to be entered in only one internal club competition during the season, plus The Best of Year. Images used in any previous year’s competitions cannot be re-used.
Members agree that their images may be used on our website, in inter-club competitions, and may also be chosen to represent the Club in external competitions. Copyright always remains with the author.
H&IPC is an active member of the Southern Counties Photographic Federation (SCPF) and participates in their League, Championship, and inter-Federation Competitions.
Members who belong to other photographic clubs must ensure that any image used by H&IPC in SCPF League or inter-Federation competitions is not used in the same Federation competitions by their other club(s). Similarly, members must inform the External Competitions Secretary of any image likely to be or that has been used by their other club(s) in the same Federation competitions, regardless of SCPF League, so it can be excluded from our entries.
Members may request that their images submitted for competitions be critiqued only and not given a score. The member must inform the Internal Competition Secretary of their request at the time of submitting their image(s).
2.0 OWNERSHIP
All images and their components must be the original work of the entrant, photographed by them, with the copyright held by them. The use of stock images or any elements derived from images not photographed by the entrant is prohibited. The Committee reserves the right to view the original image files. Images created using AI are not permitted; all pixels must originate from the photographer’s work.
3.0 Changes for 2024-2025 Season
This season, we will have 12 competition evenings. Two of these evenings will feature both a PDI and a Print competition on the same night. All other evenings, including those with a Trophy awarded, will have only one competition.
Members are allowed to enter a maximum of 3 images per competition night. On evenings with two competitions, members can submit a maximum of 3 images across both competitions. This can be any combination of 3 Prints and 0 PDIs, 3 PDIs and 0 Prints, or 3 entries spread across both PDI and Print competitions.
All images must be submitted online via the PhotoEntry website: photoentry.uk Members have been provided with login details. If you have not received them or are experiencing issues, please contact Tony White.
4.0 PRESENTATION
4.1 PRINTS
Prints must be mounted on board or card with a maximum mount size of 500mm x 400mm, with the entry number, print title and author’s name clearly marked on the back. The entry number must be positioned in the top left-hand corner of the back. All prints must be supplied in electronic format into the PhotoEntry system.
4.2 DIGITAL PROJECTION IMAGES PREPARATION
Files must be in JPG format and in the sRGB colour space. The image dimensions should fit within a rectangle of 1600 pixels wide by 1200 pixels high (maximum).
It has been found that applying a narrow white stroke line of 1-2 pixels around the image works well. There is no need to place smaller images on a 1600x1200 black canvas anymore.
5.0 Colour\B&W\Monochrome
With the exception of entries for the Monochrome Cup, all images may be either colour or monochrome unless otherwise advised by the Chairman.
6.0 JUDGING
All competitions will be independently judged whenever possible. Prints and images for digital projection will be
judged as separate categories.
The scoring system for the 2024/25 season has been updated following the majority agreement at the AGM 2024. We will adopt a points system ranging from 6 to 10, including half marks, for all competitions.
6.01 Scoring Guide:
The judge will score pictures within the range of 6 to 10, allowing for half marks. This scoring does not necessarily reflect the overall quality of the pictures but is relative to the entries on the night. Consequently, there will always be at least one score of 6 and one score of 10. The score is not a reflection of the picture’s quality but indicates the judge’s opinion of where the picture stands in relation to the other entries in that specific competition.
6.02 Results
The Set Subject Competitions will be scored and will recognize a winner and a runner-up. The Open Competitions will only be scored.
7.0 SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES
Submitting a JPEG of your print via PhotoEntry is required no later than midnight on the Friday before the competition week.
In PhotoEntry, enter the file name you want displayed in the competition in the box titled “Entry Title” (e.g., ‘Snowy Mountain’).
As in previous years, upload your images to PhotoEntry in the order you would like them to be used in competitions. If we receive too many entries for a particular competition, we may remove your last submitted image. If you change your mind, you can reorder your images using the blue up and down arrows on the left of the image in PhotoEntry. Please note that your third image is the one most likely to be culled.
7.01 Competition Night
Prints must be handed in no later than 7.20pm on the night of the competition - the Internal Submitting Competition Secretary has the right to refuse late entries.
8.0 LEAGUE COMPETITIONS
8.1 ORGANISATION
League competitions will be held in two categories throughout the season: Prints and Digitally Projected Images.
The Digital Projection League will consist of 7 Competitions:
Three Open Competitions with no set subject:
Landscape – the winner will receive the Landscape Trophy:
Set Subject - the winner will receive the Set Subject Trophy:
Wildlife - the winner will receive the Wildlife Trophy:
Flora - the winner will receive the Flora Trophy:
The Print League will consist of 5 Competitions:
Two Open Competitions with no set subject:
Monochrome - the winner will receive the Monochrome Trophy:
Portrait - the winner will receive the Portrait Trophy:
Battle of the Sexes:
8.2 League 2024/25: PDI & Print League Winners
To ensure a fair and accurate determination of the PDI League winner, the following scoring method will be used: Top 15 Scores: Only the top 15 scores will be considered for the final calculation of a participant's PDI score.
To determine the Print League winner, the following scoring method will be used: Top 12 Scores: Only the top 12 scores will be considered for the final calculation of a participant's Print League score.
The impact of any lower-scoring images, including those from rounds a participant may have missed, is minimized. This approach rewards consistent high-quality work and provides a more accurate reflection of a participant's overall skill and effort.
9.0 ENTRIES
Each member may submit up to three entries for each competition evening. Unless otherwise stated (see rules for each competition) there is no age-limit for entered images but they must not have been entered in any previous league competition.
The Competition Secretary reserves the right to see the original image from camera.
9.1 LANDSCAPE COMPETITION
This digital projection competition celebrates the art of landscape photography. Members are invited to submit up to three images, with the winner receiving the esteemed Landscape Trophy.
This is an open landscape competition, welcoming entries from around the world. While there is no strict definition of landscape photography, it is generally understood to be outdoor images without humans or animals. If living creatures are present, they should not dominate the scene but rather be included to provide a sense of scale.
For this competition, there are no restrictions on what constitutes a ‘landscape’ image. It can encompass traditional landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, industrial landscapes, or even close-ups of elements within a landscape. The goal is to capture the beauty and essence of the world around us.
9.2 SET SUBJECT COMPETITIONS
This is a digital projection competition with the subject chosen by club members at the Annual General Meeting. Members may submit up to three images, which must have been photographed since the subject was set at the previous AGM. Images must not have been used in previous League competitions and cannot be entered in later League competitions, except for the Best of Year in the same year.
9.3 WILDLIFE AND FLORA COMPETITIONS
These competitions are digital projection set subject competitions. As of 2023, the Wildlife and Flora Competitions are separate league competitions. Each member may submit up to three entries per competition.
9.3.1 Flora Competition
The Flora Competition is dedicated to images of flowers, plant life, cacti, and fungi, whether found in nature or arranged as a tabletop subject.
9.3.2 Wildlife Competition
The Wildlife Competition focuses on wildlife typically found in the wild, excluding domesticated animals such as New Forest ponies. Photographs featuring only plant subjects are not eligible. However, images with insects or small animals as the main subject are acceptable. The photographed subject may be in captivity, provided there is no evidence of human presence in the picture. Wildlife photographs should be essentially ‘straight from the camera,’ with minimal editing allowed, such as cropping.
9.4 MONOCHROME COMPETITION
Each member may enter up to three monochrome prints. There is no prescribed subject.
‘A monochrome image is defined as an image produced in varying densities of a single hue. This typically includes black-and-white images, which range from the darkest black to the lightest white. However, monochrome images can also be toned entirely in a single colour, such as sepia, cyan, or any other hue. an image that is partially toned or colour popped of a single colour that is not monochrome/single hue is treated as a colour image and will not qualify for the monochrome category’.
9.5 PORTRAIT COMPETITION
This is a print competition where members may enter up to three images. A portrait is defined as the representation of a person, with the face and its expression being predominant. The intention is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person.
9.6 BEST OF YEAR COMPETITION
Following the decision made at last year’s committee meeting, the Best of Year competition has been split into two separate categories: Print and Digital Projection (DPI). Each member may now submit up to three images in each category.
The images must be displayed as previously presented and cannot be altered in any way. However, if an image has been used in a Set Subject competition and the title appears slightly odd, it may be retitled.
Entries must have appeared in an Internal Club Competition during the current year.
10.0 NON-LEAGUE TROPHIES
10.1 THE CHAIRMANS CUP
This trophy will be awarded at the Chairman’s discretion to the club member who has demonstrated the most improvement over the year. The recipient will be chosen based on competition scores, reflecting their enthusiasm, effort, and progression.
11.0 FINALLY
While the competition rules aim to be comprehensive, they may not cover every possible scenario. Members are encouraged to follow both the spirit and the letter of the rules.
Latest Amendment 7th August 2024.