Competitions Rules & Info

Our competitions give members the chance to have their work assessed, often by well-known external judges. Apart from the competitive aspect, much can be gained from the advice given as part of the judging process. Competitions also provide members with an opportunity to see the work of other members which, in itself, can extend knowledge and inspire. We encourage all members to enter whichever competitions they like – at the same time, it is in no way compulsory. Scroll down and look at the different competitions and entry requirements. Good Luck!

General Guide for Entrants

Entry levels for competitions

The 3 levels of proficiency for entrants to consider are:

Club: (Level letter for PDI = W) This would suit someone who has limited experience in photography 

Intermediate: (Level letter for PDI = X) At this level the member will have some experience of competition photography

Advanced: (Level letter for PDI = Z) An Advanced entrant will normally have had considerable experience of competition, exhibition or commercial work.

New entrants make their own decision concerning the level at which they should enter the competitions, though the Competition Secretaries are happy to advise. 

A competitor, having entered a competition at Club or Intermediate level may, if they wish, enter the next competition or round at a higher level.  Having voluntarily moved to a higher level, the competitor will forfeit any points gained, or entitlement to any award previously anticipated.  

It is hoped that movement between levels will be undertaken voluntarily, either at the end of the competition season, or at any time as outlined above.  However, at the end of the season the Competition Secretaries may request certain members to enter in a higher level where it is believed that this will ensure fair competition. It is also possible for members to downgrade themselves with agreement of Council.

General rules for club competitions

Entries must originate as photographs (image capture of objects via light sensitivity), taken by the entrant, on photographic emulsion, or acquired digitally.

Each photographer must own the copyright of every element of the image – Clip Art, Copyright-free material and Fractals are NOT acceptable.

Images must be entirely the work of the Photographer. In composite images, all component images must meet this requirement. For the avoidance of doubt, use of images from any other source including, but not limited to, royalty free image banks, clipart and Generative AI is not permitted.

As detailed in these notes, each print or digital file entered for competition must include the entrant’s BPS member number and indicate the level of entry when requested. Entrants’ names or other personal identifying details must not be visible. Downloadable labels will be provided for prints.  

Prints and PDI images, once having been submitted in a specific competition will not be accepted a second time in the same competition, either in following rounds or following years.  In addition, an image that has been entered in the print bimonthly competition may not be entered in the PDI bi-monthly competition in the same competition year, and vice-versa.  However, images may be carried forward to a different competition, for example to the annual print, PDI and Creative competitions (and indeed switched from print to PDI or vice-versa if desired).  But again, the same image may not be used in both the Annual Print and Annual PDI competitions in the same year.

With regard to the Nature section in the Annual Competitions, entries must conform to the WCPF / PAGB Nature guidelines which the club now uses. These can be found in the Definitions section below.

The Competitions

Bimonthly Print and Projected Digital Image Competitions

Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4

Each competition consists of 4 rounds at roughly two-monthly intervals.  

Club level entrants may submit a maximum of 3 PDIs or prints in each round.  

Intermediate and Advanced entrants may submit a maximum of 2 images.  

Across the four rounds points for images gaining awards are accumulated.  Trophies are presented in each of the 3 levels (Club, Intermediate, and Advanced) to the holders of the highest number of points at the end of the four rounds.  In the event of a tie, the entrant with most first places wins.

Prescribed Topic Challenge

For entrants at all levels, one of their 3 or 2 images may be submitted for an optional Prescribed Topic challenge in each round.  These will be judged together, regardless of the entrant’s level. This entry must be identified with the letter P, in place of the level letter, or with a tick in the appropriate box on the downloaded print label.  Points gained for the Prescribed topic will, however, accrue to the entrant’s score at the appropriate level.

A separate tally of Prescribed scores will be kept, with awards for the PDI and Print winners at the end of the season.

Prescribed Topic for 2024-2025

Annual Print and Projected Digital Image Competitions

These competitions are held toward the end of the club year and consist of the usual Club, Intermediate and Advanced levels. In addition, there is a Nature section which does not distinguish between Club, Intermediate and Advanced entrants but is open to all.  Anyone wishing to enter the Nature section must indicate the entries with the appropriate identification, letter Y, in place of the level letter, or with a tick in the appropriate box on the print label. (see Procedure rules below).

Members may submit a maximum of 4 PDI images or prints into each competition. These must be numbered in the entrant’s preferred order, as some images may be excluded if the total entry is excessive.

In addition to the usual awards at each level, the judge is asked to select the Best Travel, People, Action, Landscape and Monochrome pictures from the whole entry (i.e. all levels).  One or more of the Best Travel etc awards may well go to an image that gains another award.  A trophy will be presented for the best image in each competition at the AGM.  The trophy will be awarded for one of the 1st place images.

President’s Cup Projected Digital Image Competition

This competition will be judged as a panel of 3 related PDIs on any subject. The images will be displayed at the competition individually, as well as with the addition of an ‘automated’ triptych.

The competition is open to all members, excluding holders of ARPS, EFIAP, DPAGB, EPSA and higher distinctions. The winner of the cup will not be eligible to enter the next year’s competition.

The Garmston Bowl Print Competition

This is open to all members and is for a panel of five related prints on any subject. The entry will be judged as a panel of five.

Click here for the Garmston Bowl Labels.

The Creative Image Competition

This is an open competition for up to four images which may be PDIs and/or prints. The Bob Faris Trophy will be awarded to the winner.  The winner of the trophy will not be eligible to enter the next year’s competition.

Competitions – Procedure for entries

Projected Digital Image Competitions

1. Send an email with your images as attachments to competitions@bristolphoto.org.uk and put the name and round of the competition in the subject line. When your images have been checked you will receive an email with a detailed Submission Report. If you do not receive the Submission Report, this may mean your images have not been received.
2. Submissions can only be made by email and are not accepted on the night.
3. Images must not be greater than 1600 pixels wide and 1200 pixels high, so note that Portrait format images must not be more than 1200 pixels high.
4. Send the images as a JPG using the highest quality. (Other file types such as TIFF or PSD will not be accepted).
5. The projector uses the sRGB colour space and hence you should save the images using the sRGB colour profile. Other profiles (such as Adobe98 or ProPhoto) may result in incorrect display of the image.
6. Name each file you enter in the following pattern:
   1. 01, 02, 03, etc to show order of preference;
   2. Underscore (not a hyphen);
   3. Title of the image (which can contain spaces and hyphens but must not contain an underscore);
   4. Underscore (not a hyphen);
   5. Your Membership Number (If you do not know your number it can be found on your membership card or at the top of your weekly “BPS In Focus” newsletter.);
   6. W (Club); or X (Intermediates); or Z (Advanced); or P (Prescribed); or Y (Nature) (this latter useable only for the annual PDI competition) showing the level for the entry.
      
      Note: there can only be two underscores in the file name, one on each side of the image title. Spaces are to be used only within the image title.
      
      As an example: 01_Morning Light_50W.jpg where number 01 is your first choice for order of preference, the image title is “Morning Light”, your membership number is 50 and ‘W’, denotes your level. There is an underscore between your entry order choice and the title, and there is an underscore between the title and your membership details.
      
      The following is an entry example for the annual PDI competition and shows two entries (amongst the total four allowed) in the Nature section:
      01_Duck_296Y.jpg, 02_Seascape_296Z.jpg, 03_Bird of Prey_296Y. jpg, 04_Volley_296Z.jpg.
      
      For the President’s Cup a typical entry might be: 01_Volley_50X. jpg, 02_Serve_50X.jpg, 03_Backhand_50X.jpg.
      
7. Please be aware that the images are processed semi-automatically. Once the e-mailed images have been loaded into the competition software it will reject unacceptable images. The most common reasons are for being oversize (but note that undersize images are accepted), and for image filenames that are not as specified above, for example the filename contains a space outside the image title. Rejected images are reported in the submission report that you will receive.
   

Print Competitions

1. Trade processed prints may be submitted
2. All prints must be mounted, the maximum size of mount being 50 cm x 40 cm.
3. Each print must be labelled to show: entrant’s membership number, level of entry (Cl, Int, Adv) and title of print. Other identifying matter must be hidden. Labels will be provided by the print competition secretary and should be positioned on the back in the bottom right hand corner. Anyone wishing to enter the Nature section of the Annual competition must nominate on the labels the prints he/she would like to be considered for this.

View/download Labels for this year’s Prints Competitions by clicking on the version you require. Versions are either PDF or MS Word & Garmston Bowl labels.

When entering a Print competition, you must also supply a digital copy of each print you enter. This should be the same size as for the PDI competitions – 1600 x 1200 – but there will be no need to give any other information than your name and the title e.g. Sam Bloggs, Storm At Sea. You don’t need to add your membership number or level of entry. 

Please upload the digital copies of your prints by clicking here (www.bristolphoto.org.uk/printsupload).

Creative Competition

For this competition, a submitted image must have originated as a photographic image or images, produced either in camera or by post processing. All images must be original and may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else. Artwork or computer graphics created by the entrant may be incorporated so long as the original photographic content predominates. Digital skills should be seen as the tools to compose photographic images into one new single image. The final composition will show the photographer’s artistic interpretation.

1. This is an Open competition, with no levels of entry.
2. Images may have been entered into any previous club competition, except for previous Creative competitions and may be entered into any subsequent bi-monthly or annual competition, except for subsequent Creative competitions.
3. Each entrant may submit up to four images. These may be all PDI, all Print or any combination of the two.
4. The judge will select a Best PDI, a Best Print and award the trophy to one of these two.
5. The trophy winner will not be eligible to enter the next year’s Creative competition.

Rob Stephenson
Projected Image Competition Secretary
Email: competitions@bristolphoto.org.uk

David Alderson
Print Competition Secretary
Email: printcompetitions@bristolphoto.org.uk

Definitions

BPS follows the rules of the WCPF & PAGB and adheres to the following definitions. These apply to all BPS competitions where a category has been applied:

Monochrome Images

A  black  and  white  work  going  from  the  very  dark  grey  (black)  to  the  very  clear  grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey.
A  black  and  white  work  toned  entirely  in  a  single  colour  will  remain  a  monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category.
On  the  other  hand  a  black  and  white  work  modified  by  a  partial  toning  or  by  the addition  of  one  colour  becomes  a  colour  work  (polychrome)  to  stand  in  the  colour category.

Colour Images

All images other than those above are defined as colour images. A black and white image which has been modified by the addition of partial toning or by the addition of one colour to any part of the image is a Colour Image. 

Nature Images

Nature means Images where living organisms are the primary subject matter. The story telling value of an Image will normally be weighed more than the pictorial quality. 

Nature includes: 

• Images taken with subjects in controlled conditions such as zoos, game parks, botanic gardens, aquariums and enclosures where the subjects are dependent on man for food. Scientific bands, tags or collars are permissible. 

Nature excludes: 

• Images where the subjects are obviously domestic animals or plants.
• Images where an obviously artistic treatment has been applied. 

Processing of the captured image, by cropping, exposure adjustment, colour correction, noise minimisation, dodging/burning, HDR, focus stacking and sharpening, is permitted, as is cloning of image defects and minor distractions including overlapping elements. 

An Image appearing to meet these criteria will be accepted as Nature. The Judges will normally assume that any Image presented to them is eligible. 

Access to some biological subjects may be restricted. Where that is relevant, then Photographers warrant that they have followed relevant codes of practices and hold any necessary licences.

Wildlife Images

Images entered in Wildlife sections are further defined as one or more extant zoological or botanical organisms free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat. Landscapes, geologic formations, photographs of zoo or game farm animals, or of any extant zoological or botanical species taken under controlled conditions are not eligible in Wildlife sections. Wildlife is not limited to animals, birds and insects. Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects, as are carcasses of extant species. Wildlife images may be entered in Nature sections.

Travel Images

A Photo Travel image expresses the characteristics or culture of a land as they are found naturally. There are no geographic limitations. Images from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography are NOT appropriate. Close up pictures of people or objects must include features that provide information about the environment. Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping are not permitted. The only allowable adjustments are removal of dust or digital noise, restoration of the original scene, and complete conversion to greyscale monochrome. Other derivations including infrared are not permitted. All permitted adjustments must appear natural.

FIAP Distinctions Rules

New FIAP Distinction Rules click HERE. Please make note of Paragraph 8,7

For members working towards or wishing to apply for a distinction having met the requirements for a particular award, in the first instance check the Distinctions Rules link above paying particular attention to the submission timescales.  If you are un-able to find the answer to your query, speak with a member holding that distinction or contact the FIAP liaison officer below.

Liaison Officer for England
Howard Tate
TBC

Tel: TBC
Email: TBC

External Competitions

All members are urged to provide digital images and prints for competitions which the Society enters as a club.

PAGB Digital Image Championship

Each Federation in the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain holds a competition to decide which two clubs should represent it at the national final. Our Federation, the WCPF, normally holds its competition in February. The Society will choose its 40 image entry in January. We have often been in the top ten at the National final.

PAGB Print Championship

This is run on similar lines to the digital image competition, above, where we select our entry in early Autumn. The national final takes place in November. As with the images we need an entry of 40 images, a percentage of which  must be monochrome.

WCPF Digital Projection Competition

This is normally held at the beginning of April with BPS selecting its entry late February.

The Kingswood Salver

This competition is usually held in November and requires a panel of 5 prints. Details of our selection process are announced nearer the time.