How to enter an image in an External Competition
Overview
This note describes how to enter an image as part of the Club’s entry in an external competition.
What types of competition are there?
There are two basic types of club competition:
Details of all the competitions that we enter can be found in the External Competitions section on the website along with details of how they work.
- Open competitions where any genre of photography is acceptable and any editing is allowed. Sometimes these are restricted to Monochrome.
- Nature competitions where nature rules (as per our internal comps) apply.
Details of all the competitions that we enter can be found in the External Competitions section on the website along with details of how they work.
Which images are eligible?
Images typically cannot be submitted more than once to the same competition eg if your image was used in last year’s Melbourne Cup then it is ineligible for all future iterations of the Melbourne Cup but it is eligible for any other external competitions.
The exception to this is the LCPU KO which is more restrictive in that only images that have not been used in any LCPU competition are eligible.
For the avoidance of doubt, the entry of an image in our internal competitions has no effect whatsoever on this.
There is normally no time limit on when the image was taken so you may wish to use an image that did well in a previous season or you may wish to use a new image. Obviously the older the image the greater the likelihood that it has been used previously.
The exception to this is the LCPU KO which is more restrictive in that only images that have not been used in any LCPU competition are eligible.
For the avoidance of doubt, the entry of an image in our internal competitions has no effect whatsoever on this.
There is normally no time limit on when the image was taken so you may wish to use an image that did well in a previous season or you may wish to use a new image. Obviously the older the image the greater the likelihood that it has been used previously.
What images should I consider sending in?
The selected images will represent PPS against other clubs some of whom have had success at the international competition level eg Wigan 10 and Chorley.
To get in our entry they need to be as good a standard as possible. If you’re not sure, ask for feedback. PPS operate critique evenings which are really useful for getting a view from some of our more experienced photographers.
To get in our entry they need to be as good a standard as possible. If you’re not sure, ask for feedback. PPS operate critique evenings which are really useful for getting a view from some of our more experienced photographers.
What format should the image be in?
Same as our internal competition i.e.:
Please name it number_title eg 095_Barn Owl. It helps me considerably if the naming and sizing are correct,
- Projected Digital Images (PDIs) - no more than 1600 pixels on the horizontal and no more than 1200 pixels on the vertical.
- Prints - mounted on 500 x 400 frames
Please name it number_title eg 095_Barn Owl. It helps me considerably if the naming and sizing are correct,
How do I send images in?
The normal route is to put your image in our Selection Bank which can be found on Photo Entry.
Details of when the Selection Banks are open will be publicised and should also be clear on Photo Entry.
Details of when the Selection Banks are open will be publicised and should also be clear on Photo Entry.
How does an image get selected?
From the beginning of 2021-22 season we have been operating an external competition Selection Bank.
Each image sent in will be scored by each member of the Selection Committee. We are looking to assess the image’s chance of doing well in a competition that generally will have quite high standards and where the judges usually have a few seconds to make a determination.
Each image sent in will be scored by each member of the Selection Committee. We are looking to assess the image’s chance of doing well in a competition that generally will have quite high standards and where the judges usually have a few seconds to make a determination.
The top scoring images will be selected for entry to each competition based on a number of factors including:
Additionally, we aim to make our entry as inclusive as possible so a ‘better’ image from a photographer who has already had one selected MAY be excluded in favour of an image from a member who has no other entry provided that image is of a suitable standard.
Each image sent in will be scored by each member of the Selection Committee. We are looking to assess the image’s chance of doing well in a competition that generally will have quite high standards and where the judges usually have a few seconds to make a determination.
Each image sent in will be scored by each member of the Selection Committee. We are looking to assess the image’s chance of doing well in a competition that generally will have quite high standards and where the judges usually have a few seconds to make a determination.
The top scoring images will be selected for entry to each competition based on a number of factors including:
- competition requirements eg no of images required, no of different photographers….
- their eligibility for that competition eg previous use, nature specific….
- overall balance of our entry eg landscapes, portraits, sport etc.
Additionally, we aim to make our entry as inclusive as possible so a ‘better’ image from a photographer who has already had one selected MAY be excluded in favour of an image from a member who has no other entry provided that image is of a suitable standard.
How will I know if one of my images has been selected and how it fared?
A report is produced after each competition detailing how we did as a Club and how each image fared.
Can I get feedback on my images?
Yes but you need to ask the External Competition Secretary as we will not feedback unless requested as some people do not want this.
You can of course submit the image to a critique evening and it is hoped that this will become a normal procedure.
You can of course submit the image to a critique evening and it is hoped that this will become a normal procedure.
What is the Selection Committee?
This is chaired by the External Competitions Secretary and will typically number 3-5 including the chair.
The members of the Committee have been chosen to represent as wide a skill set as we reasonably can.
The members of the Selection Committee comprise:
The aim of the Selection Committee is to ensure that each image gets a balanced appraisal and that our selection is as fair and balanced as we can achieve with a view to having as wide a representation as possible commensurate with a good club entry.
The members of the Committee have been chosen to represent as wide a skill set as we reasonably can.
The members of the Selection Committee comprise:
- Tim Gilbert
- Alf Myers
- Iain Jack
- Paul Yates
The aim of the Selection Committee is to ensure that each image gets a balanced appraisal and that our selection is as fair and balanced as we can achieve with a view to having as wide a representation as possible commensurate with a good club entry.
How do I take part?
That depends on which type of competition / exhibition it is that you are interested in.
- For Club competitions, our governance and selection process is described below, and a separate note describing the process in more detail is available on the website.
- For exhibitions and qualifications, more details can be found in the relevant section on the website or ask the external competitions secretary.
For more information please contact the PPS External Competition Secretary on contactppsexternalcompsec@gmail.com.
Tim Gilbert - April 2023
Tim Gilbert - April 2023