Competition Rules

• "Untitled" cannot be used as a title of an image.
• Text of any type is not allowed to be added to images in post processing.

Regular monthly competitions plus the End of Year Competition in November.

The categories for the competitions are:

Monochrome image - Any photograph image containing shades of only one colour. If toning is carried out, it must be over the total photograph - partial toning and/or the addition of one extra colour are not acceptable in a monochrome image.

Colour image - Any image which is not a monochrome image. 

All financial and life members of the club. There are no entry fees.

There is no “minimum standard”. Beginners are always encouraged to get involved. The judge’s comments can often provide useful suggestions about how the photograph might be improved. The 3 categories in the B grade section are specifically focused on newer members. 

1. B Grade

   B Grade is intended for less experienced members.

   New members may choose to enter in this section or A Grade, unless they are ineligible for B Grade.

   New members who have:

   • a)  worked or trained as professional photographers, or

   • b)  been in A Grade of any photographic club,

   are ineligible to enter in B Grade.

   B Grade members wishing to gauge how their work might perform in A Grade may, with the approval of the committee, enter up to three images throughout the calendar year. However, awards will not be given.

   Transferring to A Grade

   Members in B Grade can request to transfer to A Grade.

   Transfers will only be possible at the end of year, at the committee’s discretion.

   There may be occasions where a transfer may not be approved based on the strength of the member’s photography. Likewise the committee may transfer a member in B Grade where the photographer’s work is of such a high standard as to warrant the transfer.

   Transferring from A Grade to B Grade

   A member in A Grade may request the committee to transfer them to B Grade as from the first of January of the following calendar year. Any such request must be in writing and must state the reasons why such a transfer is requested.

   The committee will consider the request and the reasons stated in the application. Any decision will be solely at the discretion of the committee.

2. A Grade

   Members who are not in B Grade will enter images in A Grade.

1. Member’s own work

   a.The original image(s) must have been made by the member on photographic emulsion or acquired by the member with a digital imaging device.

   b.Any modification of the image(s) must be made by the member or under the member’s personal direction.

   c.Film may be processed by a person other than the member.

   d.Prints may be printed by a person other than the member.

2. What types of images can I enter?

   All entries must comply with the subject definition(s) for that month as noted in the syllabus available on the club’s website.

3. How many images can I submit?

   You may enter 1 image in each eligible category in any competition. 

4. Every image must have a title

   You must give each image a unique title. 

   The title must not be more than 30 characters, including spaces, in length.  You can only use the normal letters of the alphabet and numerals.  The special characters ! , . ; - : ' ? % “ ' and & cannot be used in the title.

   You cannot reuse the same title for another image. 

   You cannot give the same image more than one title.  

   It is not acceptable to use "Untitled" as a title.

5. Can I add text to an image?

   Submitted entries must NOT contain text in any form on the face of the image where that text has been added in post processing. This includes watermarks, logos, photographer name or ANY other text that is not in the original captured image(s).

6. How many times can I enter the same image?

   You may enter your image twice in the monthly competitions (this can be in the same year or years apart) unless they are ineligible.

   The following images are ineligible to be entered in the normal monthly SSPS club competition for a second time:

   -An image that has received a prize (first, second or third) in a normal SSPS monthly competition;

   -An image that has received a prize (first, second or third) in an End of Year Competition.

   All other images are eligible to be entered in the normal monthly SSPS club competitions for a second time.

   Entries in Interclub competitions do not affect the eligibility of images for the SSPS club monthly competitions.

7. What is the same image?

   Any image made from the same original file/negative/positive is treated as being the same image.  Reprocessing an image does not make it a new image.  An image that has been re-cropped is the same image.  A monochrome version of a previously colour image and vice versa, is still the same image. In addition, images taken of the same subject will also be treated as the same image, unless the images are substantially different.

8. Size of prints

   A Grade

   Maximum size for A grade print entries is 50cm (20”) wide x 40cm (16”) high including the mounts. This is in line with Australian Photographic Society and international standards. There is no minimum size for prints. Panoramic prints and cropping of images either by printing a portion of the negative or by cutting an image to non standard dimensions is permitted providing the area of the image does not exceed the maximum size constraint.

   B Grade

   The image size of B Grade prints must not exceed 500 square cm (the equivalent of 25cm x 20cm (10”x 8”)) and the mounts must be no larger than 50cm x 40cm (20” x 16”). Panoramic prints and cropping of images either by printing a portion of the negative or by cutting an image to non standard dimensions is permitted providing the area of the image does not exceed 500 square cm and fits within the mount. 

9. Size and format of digital images

   All digital images uploaded to the SSPS website must be able to be displayed using a normal laptop computer and data projector using Microsoft Windows XP Operating System and comply with the following specifications:

   -Format - JPEG

   -Maximum size – 1920px wide x 1200px high

   -Colour space – sRBG – the profile should be embedded in the file

   -Bit depth – 8 bits/channel

   -The file should be saved as RGB colour.

   Files that do not comply with these specifications, except for colour space, will be rejected.  Files with an incorrect colour space will be accepted but a warning will be given that the image may not be displayed correctly.

10. What happens if my image doesn’t comply with the rules?

    The Print Steward and the DPI Steward have the authority to jointly decide whether an image complies with these rules and the definitions of the subject included in the syllabus.  In the event that these two officials cannot agree, they will request an opinion from an experienced A grade member of the club.

    Any entry that does not comply with these rules will not be accepted in the competition.

Full details of the timing of regular monthly competitions are included in the current syllabus which is available on the club website here.

In addition, entries for the End of Year Competition are judged in December. (See here for details of this competition)

Monthly competitions:

-Registration and uploading of images for all categories via the SSPS website is due by 9pm on the Friday before the first meeting of the month.   

-The actual hardcopy prints for the print categories are due to be handed in at the first meeting of the month (1st Tuesday). 

End of Year Competition:

-Registration for all categories via the SSPS website is due by 9pm on the Friday before the first meeting in November. 

-The actual hardcopy prints for the print categories are due to be handed in at the first meeting in November.  

All prints should be mounted securely with cardboard or equivalent rigid backing material covering the rear of the photograph for ease of presentation and the protection of the print.

Mounted prints may not exceed a total thickness of 4mm.

Frames or mounts involving glass or metal are not permitted as they pose a risk to other peoples’ work in transit.

 Some professional framers wrap mounted prints in a clear material for protection of the print.  Any such wrapping must be removed before entering in a club competition.

Assistance on how to mount your print is available in a video on this site here.

An entry form is not required for any entries as all entries are required to be registered via the SSPS website.

There are two aspects to the lodgement process.

Registration of entry

All entries, print and DPI, are to be registered via the SSPS website. Where possible, members are required to upload a digital version of their entry to the website as part of the registration process.

Full instructions on how to do this are available on the SSPS website.

Members who do not have internet access should contact a committee member for details on how they can register their entry.

The due date for registration is set out in para 9.

The second stage in the process does not apply to members who have only entered in the DPI category.

Handing in your print(s)

Your hardcopy print(s) are handed in at the first meeting of the month. See para 9 for further details.

After signing in for the meeting, you should locate the table where the label(s) for your print entries are located. All appropriate details including your membership number and the title of the image will be already on the label. Remove the label from the sheet and attach it to your print.

Then take your print to the entry table where the member accepting your entries will tick your entry off the entry list for the month.

You do not have to be present at the meetings to either enter your pictures or to have your work judged.

Prints may be dropped off to the Competition steward’s home by prior arrangement or may be sent along to the club meeting with another person.

If you are not present on the night that your pictures are judged, your pictures will be collected at the end of the night and placed in storage at the club rooms by the competition steward. It is of course helpful if you can arrange for someone else to collect your work for you. Any prize cards that you win will be presented to you at the next meeting you attend.

Please remember to bring an appropriate bag or container to take your images home in at the end of the judging night. 

The scores for your images will be available on the SSPS website the day after the judging night.

The judge for the competition receives lists of the titles of the entries in the competition, the prints and a CD/DVD containing the DPI entries for the competition. They do not receive the digital versions of the print entries.

Competitors’ names are not provided to the judge in any correspondence.

Whilst there is no rule about placing your name on your work it is preferred that you do not place your name on your entry.

The judge awards each image a mark out of 15 and decides the placings. These results are notified to the club prior to the judging night so that prize cards and the competition presentation can be prepared.

The judge brings the images when he/she comes to present the judging.

Each entry is shown one at a time.

Depending on the number of entries being displayed, the judge usually makes constructive comments about the B grade entries and all place getters. In addition, the score of all entries will be announced. Place getting images are shown last and prize cards are awarded at the conclusion of all the judging.

Print images are left on display until the end of the evening for members to view and are collected as you leave. Projected images are displayed on the club’s computer until the end of the evening. 

At the end of each year, a special competition entitled the “End of Year Competition” will be staged.

There will be separate competitions for:

• A grade colour prints,
• A grade monochrome prints,
• A grade DPI,
• B grade colour prints,
• B grade monochrome prints, and
• B grade DPI.

Each will be judged as an open competition.

You may enter up to 1 images in each eligible category.

The images do not need to have won any prizes, but they must have been entered in one of the club’s monthly competitions during the year. The image must be exactly the same as submitted during the year. No alterations at all are allowed. The title must be the same.

See para 9 for details of when entries are due.

The judging will occur at the first meeting in December.

During the year members will be awarded points for each image entered in the monthly competitions on the following basis:

• Images awarded first place – 5 points
• Images awarded second place – 4 points
• Images awarded third place – 3 points
• Images awarded highly commended – 2 points
• All other images – 1 point

Note that points will not be awarded for entries in the End of Year Competition.

At the end of the competition year the points awarded for each section during the year will be aggregated and the results used for determining the winners of the various aggregate trophies for the year.  Where more than one member has the same total points as another member in a section, their ranking will be determined using a countback process as follows. 

• In the first instance, the member with the greater number of first places in the section for the year will rank higher than the other member. 
• If they both have the same number of first places, then a countback will be conducted on the second places and the member with the greater number of second places in the section for the year will rank higher than the other member. 
• If they both have the same number of second places, then a countback will be conducted on the third places and the member with the greater number of third places in the section for the year will rank higher than the other member. 
• If they both have the same number of third places, then a countback will be conducted on the highly commended awards and the member with the greater number of highly commended awards in the section for the year will rank higher than the other member.
• If they both have the same number of highly commended awards, then the members will rank equally.

At the end of the competition year the award for A Grade Club Champion and B Grade Club Champion will be determined by adding together the various section aggregate scores for each member.  Where more than one member has the same total points as another member in a grade, their ranking will be determined using a countback process as follows. 

• In the first instance, the member with the greater number of first places during the year will rank higher than the other member. 
• If they both have the same number of first places, then a countback will be conducted on the second places and the member with the greater number of second places during the year will rank higher than the other member. 
• If they both have the same number of second places, then a countback will be conducted on the third places and the member with the greater number of third places during the year will rank higher than the other member. 
• If they both have the same number of third places, then a countback will be conducted on the highly commended awards and the member with the greater number of highly commended awards during the year will rank higher than the other member. 
• If they both have the same number of highly commended awards, then the members will rank equally.