Competition Rules

A: GENERAL COMPETITION RULES

Unless otherwise indicated by the individual competition theme/rules (see Section B), the following general rules are applicable to ALL competitions:

The route for images through the competition year is:

A)  Enprint

B)  Club Competition

C)  Open Competition

D)  External Competition e.g. NCPF (according to the NCPF rules) or Exhibitions

Images cannot be modified and subsequently re-entered into competitions under the guise of it being a different image. I.E an image can be entered once only into an enprint, then a Club Competition and finally an Open Competition. Duplicate entries into the same category of competition are not allowed. Entries to external or interclub competitions are not bound by HCC Rules.

1. Wherever possible (barring unforeseen circumstances) ALL competitions will be judged by an invited NCPF Judge

Competitions judged “in-house”, will be so judged by either:

a) A Member chosen/invited by the Committee (or a representative thereof), or

b) By the assembled Membership as a whole (using a “points score” system).

2. There is an entry fee payable for each submitted Competition entry except where stated.

3. There is a limit of 4 entries from each Member for any competition except where the committee request more entries where numbers are low.
4. Entries may be in either be COLOUR or B/W (MONOCHROME) as defined by the theme
   
   A “MONOCHROME” print, for the purposes of our internal Competitions, is BLACK & WHITE (or a B/W print completely “toned” with one colour, e.g. sepia). Any simulation or creation of spot/split/selective toning effects on specific areas of a print will make this a COLOUR (or “polychrome”) print thereby making it ineligible for entry into a B&W competition.
5. All entries for competitions must be submitted to the relevant Competition Secretary (Print or DI) by 9.00PM on the due date, and all appropriate entry fee paid at this time.
6. Entries supplied for Digital Image (DI) Competitions should:
   a) Be re-sized to 1600 pixels resolution: Max Width for Landscape or Height for Portrait. (if you do not have the appropriate facilities ask and this will be carried out for you)And:
   
   b) Be re-named to a meaningful title pertaining to the competition theme, e.g. “mydog.jpg”, rather than leaving them with your camera’s default file-naming choice. It would also be much appreciated if you avoided titling the files sequentially, as “Portrait_1”, “Portrait_2” etc. NOTE: Filenames may be re-edited on collation of the entries, in order to further randomise the order.

COMPETITIONS GUIDE.

These are essentially the steps towards standardising these submissions to our competitions, in line with current NCPF criteria.

B: Individual Competition Rules

Aside from the General Competition Rules in A above, there are some variations for Individual competitions:

“CREATIVE DIGITAL” COMPETITION

For the purposes of clarification – Although digital manipulation IS allowed in all other competitions except in the enprint ‘Unmanipulated’ category it was felt that this competition set a specific creative challenge. This annual OPEN- THEMED internal competition, therefore, is aimed at these more “obvious” examples of imaginative/creative digital manipulation and the chosen Judge will be accordingly briefed.

“ANNUAL OPEN COMPETITIONS” (COLOUR or B/W)

These are annual, “Open-Themed” internal competitions, intended primarily to “showcase” the best work submitted by Members to the various competitions over the preceding year.

As such:

a) As specified in General Rule A, Members are not allowed to submit duplicate/repeat prints.

b) Submission of “new” prints to these competitions is allowed. However, any such print is then bound by General Rule A and is not eligible for further entry into internal competitions.

c) Entry to these competitions is furthermore limited to those members who have participated in at least ONE other Themed/Open competition in the year.

“STOCKTON PRINT BATTLE” / GALLERY INTERCLUB

A friendly interclub competition held annually at alternate club venues. Digital Images required either by email or on a stick on or before the submission date at a resolution of 1400 pixel H OR W as Rule A:7. Larger images will be resized before submission if assistance is required.

A) It is an “Open” themed competition, a Club “entry” consisting of 20 images submitted by each club.

B) Images can be colour or B&W

C) The images making up our submission are selected by an invited individual and/or selected Panel of Members, from those images entered by Club members for consideration. The selected images may include images from previous competitions

D) There is no fee for this competition

“SWAN TROPHY”

This is an annual themed internal competition externally judged. As such

A) The theme of this competition is “Portraits”.

B) This competition is externally judged.

C) There is a maximum 4 entries per member. Entry numbers may be extended by the committee if entry numbers are low.

“ANDREW KERR MEMORIAL”

This is an annual competition judged externally, held in memory of Andrew Kerr, a former Club Member and dear friend.

As such
A) The theme of this competition is “Open”.

B) This competition is externally judged.

C) There is a maximum 4 entries per member. Entry numbers may be extended by the committee if entry numbers are low.

“FRED WIGSTON MEMORIAL”

This is an annual internal competition, held in memory of Fred Wigston, a former Club Member and dear friend. The Competition is held in Digital format (see Rule A:7 for details).

As such:
A) The theme of this competition is “Architecture”.

B) This competition is externally judged.

C) There is a maximum 4 entries per member. Entry numbers may be extended by the committee if entry numbers are low.

THE STEPHEN EMERSON MEMORIAL TROPHY – “SCAPES”

This competition is in memory of a very abled and enthusiastic club member who loved above all landscape images.

It is an annual, internal competition
As such
A) The theme of this competition is “Sea… Land… or Sky…” Scapes.

B) This competition is externally judged.

C) There is a maximum 4 entries per member. Entry numbers may be extended by the committee if entry numbers are low.

PROJECTED IMAGES

This is an annual internal competition, held in Digital Projection format (see Rule A:7 for details)

As such:

A)  The theme for the following year will be selected by the committee.

B)  There is a maximum 4 entries per member. Entry numbers may be extended by the committee if entry numbers are low.

C)  The competition is judged by an external judge.

THE DORA DAVIES MEMORIAL TROPHY

This is an annual internal competition, held in the memory of Dora Davies, a former club member and dear friend. The Competition is held in Digital Projection format (see Rule A:7 for details)

As such:

A)  The theme for the following year will be selected by the current winner.

B)  There is a maximum 4 entries per member. Entry numbers may be extended by the committee if entry numbers are low.

C)  The competition is judged by an external judge.

10 ENPRINT COMPETITIONS

The internal “Enprint” Competitions are held on the first Monday of each month (except for public holidays, when the Competition will be held on the next available date). Whilst the Enprint competition functions as a stand- alone event in its own right, its primary purpose is to act as a “testing and proving ground” for new prints and as a valuable source of feedback for new Members/photographers.

As such:

A) The Competitions are “open-themed” unless stated e.g.B&W.

B) Print entries should be submitted to the Competition Secretary by 9.00PM on the Monday before the competition date.

C) Entries should be digital, with the longest side being no larger than 1400 pixels.

D) Each member may submit up to 4 prints in the manipulated, un- manipulated and Beginners sections.

E) Entries will be judged in-house and scores awarded to the top prints as follows:

1st: 10pts

2nd: 8 pts
3rd: 6pts
4th: 4pts
5th: 3pts
6th: 2pts
Highly commended 1pt. (Number of HC’s determined by judge)

F)  Trophies are awarded at the end of the year to the member who accumulates the highest points score over the year in each category.

G)  Enprint entries (having, hopefully, proven their worth!) may be enlarged for entry into any internal/external Themed/Open competitions. This step is NOT considered to be a duplicate/repeat entry into the Enprint competition (as per General Competition Rule B).

H)  Judges feedback on an individual Enprint is NOT to be taken as a license to re-print/edit the image and re-submit to further Enprint Competitions. Such entries will be considered “duplicates” and deemed ineligible for entry.

I)  The Enprints entries are divided into three separate categories:
a) Manipulated: no limitation on extent of manipulation
b) Un-manipulated image are ‘UNMANIPULATED’ by the camera or by external means e.g. editing software. IT CAN ONLY BE CROPPED. This restriction also includes internal HDR manipulation by capable cameras. Shooting in RAW and converting to JPEG is not deemed as Manipulation.
c) Beginners. Eligible to any beginner who has not been placed (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in a main competition.

11 BEGINNERS COMPETITION

Entries to the Beginners Competition is allowed if the entrant has completed the classes and has not been placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in another competition

a) There is a maximum 4 entries per member. Entry numbers may be extended by the committee if entry numbers are low.

b) The competition is judged by an internal judge.