Rules – Kent County Photographic Association

Generic Rules.

Definitions:

For the purpose of the KCPA rules a photograph is an image formed by the action of light falling upon a sensitive medium. Be it film or a digital sensor.

In line with the PAGB we apply the FIAP Monochrome Definition & the PAGB Definition for Nature.

Monochrome Definition

An image in tones of neutral grey ranging from transparent /white to opaque /black.

An image in a single colour.

- A print using a chemical process such as Sepia, Cyanotpye, etc

A digitally produced colourised in a single hue.

All images other than those above are defined as colour images.

Nature Definition

Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material
and certify its honest presentation.
The story telling value of a Nature photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality.
Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible. Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.
Processing of the captured image, by cropping, exposure adjustment, colour correction, noise minimisation, dodging/burning, HDR, focus stacking and sharpening, is allowed. Cloning of image defects and minor distractions, including overlapping elements, are permitted when these do not distort the truth of the photographic statement.
Images entered as Nature can have landscape, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food. Access to biological subjects may be restricted. Wildlife - 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 section.

All other Category Definitions
For which trophies, medals and certificates may be awarded, will be determined by the Judge(s) appointed for the purpose of judging each competition – e.g. portraiture, landscape, record, portraiture and in the case of Audio Visual competitions to cover best sequence, best photography, best sound track and best transitions. Plus 2 new trophies added in 2017, The Most Humorous Sequence trophy and The Most Creative Sequence trophy.

Rules that apply to KCPA Competitions:

1. The Rules can only be amended by the KCPA Committee (“KCPA Cmt”).
2. The KCPA Cmt and the “organising body” (be it KCPA Cmt or Associate) have discretionary power to exclude any entry that might cause offence.
3. All correspondence should be addressed to the nominated person on the KCPA Cmt or organising body or KCPA President.
4. Work can only be entered by Associates or Members of Associates at the time of entry into the competition. Members work may only represent one Associate.
5. Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally. All aspects and Copyright of every image MUST be your total and exclusive work as the submitting photographer. You may not include any element that was originated by or is the copyright of other photographers. You may not use clip-art or elements from stock photography.
6. The KCPA /organising body / PAGB reserve the right to publish any entry in connection with promoting the KCPA / PAGB / the Exhibition, without payment. The Photographer shall be accredited. Unless of course the appropriate box has been selected to show the photographer does not wish their image to go into any catalgue produced or on the KCPA website.
7. Sizing and preparation of work for submission:-
See separate section below for full details.
8. Prints, should preferably be packed into Nomad (http://www.nomadcases.co.uk) (or equivalent) Print Boxes, must be capable of being stored / boxed
9. Entries submitted by Associates should be packed in their listed order on the entry form. Each package must be clearly labelled with the name of the Associate together with their contact details.
10. The number of entries and the entry fees shall be determined / approved by the KCPA Cmt. Entry fees shall be payable to the organising body via the KCPA online image management system, and are non-refundable. Entries that are not fully funded will not be entered for judgement.
11. Arrangements for the return / collection of entries is the responsibility of the entering Associate or Member and not the responsibility of the KCPA or competition organising body. If the return of an entry is required by post, appropriate postage and packaging must be included with the application. PDI’s will not be returned and any recording media used to submit images shall be destroyed by the organisers.
12. Reasonable care will be taken with all entries. Neither the KCPA nor the organising body accepts responsibility for any loss or damage that might occur.
13. Closing dates for the acceptance of entries shall be clearly stated.
14. The submission of an entry implies that the Associate / Member / Photographer accept the rules and conditions of entry. Any breach of these rules shall render the entrant liable to disqualification.
15. The award of PAGB Gold medals and Ribbons is subject to PAGB Patronage being granted.
16. If the standard of photography in any particular event or category is deemed too low the Judges/s may decide not to present an award.
17. In the case of a tie for any Trophy or Shield or Award, each Associate or Member shall share the tenure equally in alphabetical order. Cups and Trophies are normally held for a year. It is the responsibility of the winner(s) to arrange the return of such trophies.
18. If the standard of photography in any particular event or category is deemed too low the Judges/s may decide not to present an award.
19. Subject to KCPA Cmt recommendation the organising body may choose to have from one to three Judges for a competition.
20. Each competition will have specific Rules and paperwork which shall be read in conjunction with these KCPA Rules.
21. Member’s participation – Wherever possible Members should be encouraged to enter the individual Members’ competitions e.g. The Annual PDI and Print Exhibition)
22. Generally the charges made for entry should ensure that the competition is self-financing and not financed from KCPA General Funds other than as provided for in Finance in Guidelines for Associates (Clubs) running KCPA Sponsored events.[/framed_box]

GENERAL

Every entry must have a title the use of ‘Untitled’ is not acceptable and the image will be disallowed.
No photographs accepted in a previous event shall be eligible for re-entry in the same event in subsequent years, but they are eligible for other KCPA competitions.
An image entered, in this Competition, as a PRINT cannot be entered as a PDI and vice versa.
Image titles must not exceed 35 characters.
No more than 3 qualifications to be accredited to a photographer.
All entries MUST be recorded on the entry form provided.
All aspects and Copyright of every image MUST be your total and exclusive work as the submitting photographer. You may not include any element that was originated by or is the copyright of other photographers. You may not use clip-art or elements from stock photography.
No Watermarks, embossing, titles or photographer’s name/qualifications are to appear either on the front of a print or in a PDI image. No A.I to be used.
We suggest for PDI entries you project and review your images at 100% magnification before submission. Your digital images are presented for assessment by our judges using a colour calibrated digital projector using SRGB colour. The exact image size may change in the future and will be determined by the organising Club.

PRINTS

Print Mounts must be 50 x 40 cm and a maximum of 4mm thick , the actual image can be any size, mounts that deviate from these sizes will be excluded, as they will not fit the frames used to display winning entries.
The Title of the image and the Photographer’s name should be written on the back of the image in the TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER this text will also be used to determine the orientation of the print.
The images should be ordered as shown on the Entry form that you complete.
This should be printed out and must be included with your package of prints.
Prints can be produced using conventional silver-based technology or by electronic or mechanical means and may be third party processed. Prints that have been produced or enhanced by electronic means are allowed provided that the components used to produce the final image are the original photographic work of the photographer.
An image entered, in the Annual Exhibition, as a PDI cannot be entered as a PRINT and vice versa.
Un-mounted prints are NOT acceptable.
Framed prints are NOT permitted.
Prints must be capable of being stored with other work without causing damage due to poor mounting and / or the use of abrasive / sticky materials e.g. Velcro / sellotape. Failure to satisfactorily mount prints may result in their exclusion
The Winning Print entries will be hung along with accepted images. In the case of the Annual Exhibition, the number of images hung may alter each year depending on the space allotted in the various venues, the KCPA hire for the event.

PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGES (“PDI’s”)

The image must not exceed 1600 pixels wide by 1200 pixels high. Images that are smaller than these dimensions are acceptable but will appear smaller when projected for judging.
The files must be in JPEG format.
Maximum file size 3Mb
It is recommended but not obligatory that the print resolution should be set to 300 ppi for catalogue printing purposes.
lease note that this print resolution setting has no effect on the quality of your projected image.
SEE HERE FOR MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION
Embedding a source ICC colour profile is recommended (usually sRGB or Adobe RGB 1998).
Please do not add any unnecessary borders to your images. Black borders serve no purpose for digital projection, while white borders can distract the eye from the image.
If your entries do not meet the specifications they may not display correctly and we may not be able to judge them
The digital images must be sent to competitions@kcpa.co.uk via wetransfer or USB or emaile and paid for at this stage usingPaypal or by sending a cheque payable to KCPA to the competition coordinator
The Winning PDI’s and accepted PDI images will be projected at the Presentation evening, and whilst every effort will be made to show them during the Exhibition it is not guaranteed.

Rules that apply to the individual KCPA sponsored Competitions

Each competition has specific rules which shall be read in conjunction with these generic rules.

The Ross Cup (Prints)

This is run by the KCPA events subcommittee (Up until 2015 it was hosted by an Associate Club).
The Ross Cup competition is held annually between Associates affiliated to the KCPA.
The Ross Cup is awarded to the Associate with the highest total marks in the competition from a total of 8 prints. No more than 2 prints may be submitted from a single Member / Photographer.
The Mick Smithson Shield and Premier Award Certificate are awarded to the Photographer, who in the opinion of the Judge(s) produced the Best Print.
The Lakeland Holidays Landscape Trophy is awarded to the Photographer who in the opinion of the Judge produced the Best Landscape Print.
A Trophy is presented to the most improved Club. Defined by the Club with the highest placement as compared to their position in the competition the previous year. (Those that have had an image disqualified in the previous year will not be included).
Merit Award Certificates (maximum 10) may be awarded at the discretion of the Judge(s).
The Ross Cup is the mechanism for the KCPA to choose its representatives for the PAGB Inter-Club Print competition. The first and second placed Associates are invited to represent the KCPA.

The Diamond Jubilee Trophy (PDI’s)

This is normally run by an Associate (Club).
The Diamond Jubilee Trophy competition is held annually between Associates (Clubs) affiliated to the KCPA.
The Diamond Jubilee Trophy is awarded to the Associate with the highest total marks in the competition from a total of 8 PDI’s. No more than 2 PDI’s may be submitted from a single Member / Photographer.
The Ashford Photographic Society Shield and Premier Award Certificate are awarded to the Photographer who in the opinion of the Judge(s) produced the Best PDI in the competition.
A Trophy is presented to the most improved Club. Defined by the Club with the highest placement as compared to their position in the competition the previous year. Those that have had an image disqualified in the previous year will not be included).
Merit Award Certificates (maximum 10 ) may be awarded at the discretion of the Judge(s).
The Diamond Jubilee Trophy is the mechanism for the KCPA to choose its representatives for the PAGB Inter- Club Projected Digital Images competition. The first and second placed Associates are invited to represent the KCPA.

THE KCPA ANNUAL PRINT AND PDI EXHIBITION

The Annual Exhibition (Prints)

As from 2014 a combined Competition with the PDI below

This is a competition for individual Members of Associates and normally run by the KCPA.
A maximum of 15 prints may be entered. A maximum of 6 images in any one class.
The KCPA will apply for PAGB Patronage.
The Judges (3) will normally award 1 PAGB Gold Medal and 2 PAGB Ribbons plus Highly Commended certificates in each of the following classes – Ceartive / Nature / Record – Portraiture – Colour Pictorial – Monochrome Pictorial.
Highly Commended certificates may be awarded at the discretion of the Judge(s) and the KCPA sliding scales.

The Annual Projected Digital Imaging Trophy (PDI’s)

As from 2014 a combined Competition with the Prints above

This is a competition for individual Members of Associates and normally run by the KCPA.
A maximum of 15 PDI’s may be entered. A maximum of 6 images in any one class.
The KCPA will apply for PAGB Patronage.
The Judges (s) will normally award PAGB Gold Medals and PAGB Ribbons plus a number (max 10) of Merit Awards in each of the following classes – Nature/ Record – Portraiture – Colour Pictorial – Monochrome Pictorial- Creative Image and at the discretion of the Judge(s).
The Digital Imaging Trophy and Premier Award Certificate will be awarded to the Best PDI.
Merit Award Certificates (maximum 10 No) may be awarded at the discretion of the Judge(s).

The Audio Visual Competition (Digital)

This is normally run by an Associate (Club) and is a competition for individual Members.
A maximum of 2 digital AV sequences may be entered per Member.
The duration of an AV sequence must not exceed 10 minutes. If the predicted running time of all the entries exceeds the available time for the competition’s presentation the organising body has the right to prioritise the AV sequences that will be shown.
The AV Sequence must be the original work of the entrant(s).
The technical requirements will be specified by the organising body.
The Folkestone Town Council Trophy is awarded to the Photographer(s) who in the opinion of the Judge(s) produced the Best Sequence.
The Trophy Donated by Maidstone CC is awarded to the Photographer(s) who in the opinion of the Judge(s) produced the Best Photography.
The Trophy Donated by Jeff and Sylvia Wagner is awarded to the Photographer(s) who in the opinion of the Judge(s) produced the Best Transitions.
The Trophy Donated by Bob and Gill Brisley is awarded to the Photographer(s) who in the opinion of the Judge(s) produced the Best Sound Track.
The Most Humorous Sequence trophy (Introduced in 2017 & trophy donated by Hailsham P.S).
The Most Creative Sequence trophy (introduced 2017 & trophy donated by Tonbridge C.C.)
Merit Award Certificates (maximum 5 ) may be awarded at the discretion of the Judge(s).
The Handley Shield (1st generation Slides) Competition Suspended[/framed_box]