1.        Trophies
1.1.     League trophies

           Edna Thomas Trophy  -  League Award for Colour Prints
           Hyde Trophy  - League Award for Monochrome Prints
           BPS Trust Trophy  - League Award for Digital Projected Colour Image
           A New BPS Trophy  -  League Digital Projected Mono Image
           Arthur Downes Memorial Salver  -  Annual “The One to Watch” award

The league scores will be totalled over the 7 rounds of the league and the trophy will be awarded to the winner of each category. The “One to Watch” award will be awarded to the member who has the highest total in any single one of the 4 league categories, who never previously won a Society trophy awarded for Leagues, Image / Print of the Year or One to Watch.

1.2.     Annual trophies

           Frank Seale Colour Rosebowl  - Colour Print of the Year
           Perpetual Challenge Rosebowl  - Monochrome Print of the Year
           Lansdown Trophy  - Digital Projected Colour Image of the Year
           A New BPS Trophy - Digital Projected Mono Image of the Year
           L C E Photo Essay Cup - Annual Photo-Essay competition
           L C E Enprint Cup - Annual Enprint competition
           Digital Composite Cup - Annual Digital Composite competition
                                                                (Follow on from Triptych competition)
           Trophy TBC - Members Photographer of the Year

2.     All Competitions
    a)  League competitions will be managed using the PhotoEntry system. Members must be have a login in order to enter the competitions. Other competitions or activities may also use the PhotoEntry system.
    b)  All entries will be anonymous. Each image entered will be allocated a randomly generated Projection Sequence Number by the PhotoEntry system when submitted.
    c)  Copyright of images must belong to the member submitting.
    d)  Entries can originate from a film camera, digital camera or flatbed scanner and may be digitally manipulated. However, every element of the image entered must be authored by the entrant and produced using a photographic process.
    e)  All competitions are open to all Society members on an equal basis.
    f)  Entered images from all competitions may be published on/in the Society website, Newsletter and (closed) social media with appropriate attribution & copyright statements.
    g)  Images from all club competitions may be used by the Society as entries for club level competitions (eg. WCPF) unless the member indicates they do not wish to participate by:-
    i)   For print competitions – placing an X in the appropriate box on the competition label
    ii)  For DPI competitions – placing an X in the “Entry Reference” box adjacent to their selected priority number when submitting their image(s).
    h)  Where the Society is gathering images for a third party competition, then the member accepts and agrees to comply with all the terms and condition of the third party competition organiser in addition to those of the Society.
    i)   The PhotoEntry League system is “live” and thus no image or member can be removed from the system until the League has been finalised and results announced for the session, except by permission of the Council.
    j)   Unless specifically requested images and competition entry/judging data will be retained within the PhotoEntry System for as long as deemed appropriate by the Competition Secretary(s) or the Council.
    k)  Entering a Society’s competition indicates acceptance of all rules set out in this document.

2.1. Definition of Monochrome and Colour:

  A monochrome image is a black and white image or one that has been modified by the addition of a single colour tone to the entire image. All other  images are colour images. E.g. a black and white image that has been modified by the addition of partial colour toning or by the addition of one or more colours to any part of the image is a colour Image.

3. League Competition:

There are seven rounds in the League Competition:

• Two rounds for Open Subject Prints, two rounds for Open Subject Digital Projected Images (DPI one round for Set Subject Prints, one round for Set Subject DPIs one round for Panels of Three covering both Prints and DPI.

• Each round will usually comprise a colour and monochrome competition both having the same submission and judging dates and will usually have the same judge.

• The Set Subject for each year’s League Competition will be determined by the Competition Secretary in consultation with the Council and communicated to members before the summer recess of the previous season.

• The Panel of Three Round is for entries comprising three separate but related photographs, which should work together as a panel as well as having individual merit. The three photographs (both Print and DPI) will be displayed as a panel and judged as such.

•  For each Round, the judge will be asked to select the best images / panels from those presented in each competition, so that points can be built up to enable the trophies to be awarded as above.

4. Eligibility

• Members may enter photographs into either or both of the colour and monochrome competitions in any round of the League Competition usually with a maximum of 2 prints per competition – making 4 per Round (2 Mono & 2 Colour)

• Panel of Three rounds: Members may make one entry into each competition (colour & monochrome), each comprising three photographs arranged as a panel.

• Photographs that have been previously awarded (Placed or Commended) in any round of any year of the League Competition or Picture of the Year or are winning entries in the Annual (Christmas) or Smartphone Image competitions may not be entered in another League Competition.

• Photographs that have not been awarded in the League Competition may be re-entered up to a maximum of three entries per photograph regardless of year or competition entered.

• Modifications to a previously entered image (including: alterations following the suggestions of a Judge, colour and monochrome versions, crops retaining substantially the same visual content) will be counted as a single photograph regarding eligibility for the League Competition.

5. Notice

Submission deadlines for all competitions are available on the Society’s website and will be circulated in the Society Newsletter no less than 2 weeks before submissions close.

6. Submission of Entries

• The hand-in deadline for entries is midnight (DPI) or the close of the Society Meeting (Prints), two weeks before the Competition judging evening.

• All entries must be submitted onto the PhotoEntry system by the deadline, as published in the Society’s programme. (applies to both Prints and DPIs – see details below).

• In the case of print entries, they must be identified with the 4 digit Projection Sequence Number generated by the PhotoEntry system when the corresponding DPI is submitted – members should ensure that the DPI version of any print entry reflects the print as closely as possible particularly in respect to cropping.

• Entries may be reviewed or changed within the PhotoEntry system up until the respective closing deadline.

• If an entry (DPI) fails to conform to the Entry Requirements, the PhotoEntry system will flag the issue allowing the details to be corrected. The PhotoEntry system will automatically resize the image submitted however quality is not guaranteed. A correctly submitted image (DPI) will be displayed on the PhotoEntry system in the member’s own area.

7. Entry Requirements

7.1.1. Print & DPI Rounds

• All entries must be ranked in priority from 1 (highest) to 4 (lowest) across the Round. In the event that more entries are received than can be judged in an evening, the Competition Secretary will eliminate entries according to priority or if no priority has been stated using their reasonable judgment.

• If it is necessary to reduce the entries in any round, the cut-off level will be announced before the judging.

• Any Entries eliminated by this process are eligible for re-entry without affecting the maximum re-entries allowed.

7.1.2. Text on League Entries
Only text captured as a natural part of capturing the original image may be included in an entry for a League Competition. No additional text, added post initial exposure, may be included on the face of the image or on any mount boards.

7.1.3. Prints:

• For each print entered, its corresponding DPI must be entered into the PhotoEntry system and the generated Projection Sequence Number recorded.. In the event that the Print does not match the DPIwith the same Projection Sequence Number, the entry may be disqualified. Members should be aware that matching cropping between DPI and print is important.

• Prints may be trade or home processed, and must be mounted in a 50x40cm mount. Any print submitted in a manner that could damage other prints (e.g. with Velcro or exposed sticky tape, etc.) will be disqualified.

• Each print must have a Bath Photographic Society Competition Label for the appropriate club year on the back, giving the PhotoEntry generated Projection Sequence Number, the title and the Competition Round, Mono or Colour and Priority Number. The competition label can be downloaded from the Society’s website and must be clearly and legibly filled out.

 

7.1.3.1. Panel of Three Prints:

• Each of the Panel of Three prints will be treated just as standard prints above. In particular each print must have it’s own label with Right , Centre, Left indication

• The DPI entered into PhotoEntry must be of the complete panel preferably as a computer generated DPI of the three images with a boarder of similar colour to the print mount, however a photograph of the 3 images is acceptable but may not be of sufficient quality or detail to be used on the Society Website or newsletter..

• PhotoEntry will generate a single Projection Sequence Number to identify all three prints but an additional designation must be added by the memeber to specify the desired layout –(i.e Left - Centre - Right). In the event that any or all of the Panel of 3 images do not match the DPI with the same Projections Sequence Number, the entry may be disqualified.

7.1.4. Digital Projected Image (DPI):

• The society standard specification for DPI images is 1600 (wide) X 1200 (high) pixels in sRGB format.

• PhotoEntry will automatically resize images down to this standard and warn if the format is not sRGB – members should be aware that PhotoEntry resizing is done at the PhotoEntry server and the Society can take no responsibility for the quality of any re-sized in this

• The process of submitting a DPI file into the PhotoEntry system will require the image title to be entered, and a Priority Number in the “Entry Reference Box”. All other details will be obtained from the member’s record on the system.

• A 4 digit Projection Sequence Number will be allocated to each image

7.1.4.1. Panel of Three DPI

• Entries for the Panel of Three DPI must be a single image to the specification for DPI given above.

• This composite image shall comprise three separate photographs, each with or without a border, positioned on a plain background either separately or adjoining each other.

• The images must not overlap in any way to form a montage.

• One photograph cut into three parts and composite images entered in the Annual Digital Composition Competition are not permitted.

 

8. Scoring
The judge will be asked to select 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed photographs and may award as many Highly Commended and commended placings as he or she wishes.
The following scores will be awarded for all rounds except the Panel of Three
    1st place                               10 points
    2nd place                               9 points
    3rd place                                8 points
    Highly Commended         6 points
    Commended                        4 points
    Not placed                            1 point
The following scores will be awarded for the Panel of Three Round
    1st place                               16 points
    2nd place                             14 points
    3rd place                              12 points
    Highly Commended          9 points
    Commended                         6 points
    Not placed                             3 points

 

9. Picture of the Year
The Picture of the Year is an annual competition to determine the best image in each of the four categories of the League Competition:
        Colour Print
        Monochrome Print
        Colour DPI
        Monochrome DPI

 

9.1. Eligibility

• Members may submit one entry per category.

• Only photographs that have previously been entered in any of the Club’s Competitions are eligible.

• Photographs may not be altered from the original Competition entry and must have been previously entered in the same category.

• Entry to Picture of the Year will only be possible by selection of a previous entry within PhotoEntry. In the case of previous entries composed of multiple images (Panel of Three, Photo Essay or Enprint), any single image from the may be entered (e.g. a single image from the Panel of Three may be entered although the image entered into PhotoEntry will show the three images).

• All League Competition rules will also apply.

• Scoring of the Picture of the Year competitions will be done jointly by an external judge who will award a score of 5 to 1 points for their top 5 images and by a members vote, for their favourite 5 images, adjusted to give equal weight to Judges and Members selections.

• The cumulative scores will go towards the authors score in the Photographer of the year award.

10. The Smartphone Image Competition
The Smartphone image competition is exclusively for images taken on a smartphone and edited, if needed, using apps resident within that same smartphone. Images may be colour or mono and of any subject. Techniques such as HDI, multiple exposure and other in-smartphone camera functions may be used.

10.1. Eligibility

• Members may enter up to 4 images into this competition

• League Competition rules will apply.

• This is a single competition with no separate groups for Mono & Colour

• Scoring of the Smartphone Image competition will be done jointly be an external judge who will award a score of 5 to 1 points for their top 5 images and by a members vote, for their favourite 5 images, adjusted to give equal weight to Judges and Members selections.

• The cumulative scores will go towards the authors score in the Photographer of the year award.

11. The Annual Competitions
There are three competitions: Photo-Essay, Enprint and Digital Composite. Each of these competitions is for a collection of photographs, rather than for single photographs. The Annual Competitions are usually held during the Society’s Christmas Social.
The Competition Secretary may wish to have entries submitted through the PhotoEntry system or submitted on the evening of the competition.

11.1. Eligibility

• Members are allowed an unlimited number of entries in each Annual Competition. Any photograph may be included in an entry to the Annual Competitions regardless of previous awards in the League Competition or Picture of the Year.

 

11.2. Judging

• Judging is by secret ballot by the members via PhotoEntry or some other means, casting a single vote in each Competition.

• The winner is the entry with the most votes. Members must not vote for their own entries.

 

11.3. Photo Essay Competition

• This competition is for an essay of prints, depicting a story, which should comprise between 5 and 15 pictorially, linked images that tell a story (a collection of themed images without a supporting story will be disqualified). An identifying title must be included on the front but must not show the photographer’s name or competition number. Descriptive text may be included.

• Prints may be trade or home processed, colour or monochrome or a combination and may be of any size. They should be mounted on a board no larger than 50 x 80cm or 40 x 100cm, which can be formed by two 50 x 40cm boards placed together.

• A photograph of the Photo Essay board must be entered into the PhotoEntry system and the Projection Sequence Number entered at the back of the board. The authors name may also be entered on the back of the board.

• The winning entry will be awarded 5 points that will go towards the authors score in the Photographer of the year award.

11.4. The Enprint Competition
The Enprint competition was traditionally for a set of three trade printed photographs, typically 6x4 or 7x5 inch that could be obtained from high street outlets, fixed onto a backing board. It was aimed at members who did not have access to high quality home printers and before the advent of online companies.

• This competition is for 3 prints on a common theme.

• The images should be linked but need not tell a story.

• An identifying title must be included on the front but must not show the photographer’s name or competition number. Descriptive text may be included.

• Prints may be trade or home processed; colour or monochrome or a combination of both. Individual prints should be no larger than 18 x 13cm and be mounted on one board not exceeding 50 x 40cm.

• A photograph of the Enprint board (or a computer generated DPI) must be entered into the PhotoEntry system and the Projection Sequence Number entered at the back of the board. The authors name may also be written on the back of the board.

• The winning entry will be awarded 3 points that will go towards the authors score in the Photographer of the year award.

11.5. The Digital Composite Competition
This competition is the revised Triptych competition which calls for creativity on the part of the author to create a single DPI image by combining a number of other images.

• A single DPI image must be submitted as a Composite of 3 other images. The Composite Image must be a new image for the current Society year.

• In contrast to the DPI Panel of Three, creativity is encouraged in the way the Composite Image is created. Any techniques (digital or other) can be used as long as 3 different photographs have been used in the making of the final image.

• The title must be included within the image, no more than 12pt, and must not detract from the image.

• The final Composite Image should comply with the League Competition requirements for DPI. The Composite image must be entered into PhotoEntry as would any DPI image entry.

• The winning entry will be awarded 4 points that will go towards the authors score in the Photographer of the year award.

12. Members’ Photographer of the Year
At the end of the club year, the number of points scored by members in the Annual (Christmas), the Smartphone and the Picture of the Year competitions will be totalled and the member with the highest score will be awarded The Photographer of the Year award.

13. Exhibition
The winners of the League , Annual and Smartphone competitions should endeavour to show their entries at the club’s annual exhibition. If the Photo-Essay winning entry was submitted on the larger of the board sizes then the competitor is responsible for transport to/from the exhibition.

14. Review and communication
All rules will be reviewed before the start of each season by the Competition Secretary and agreed by the Council. The rules can be found on the Society’s website and will be communicated to all members by a printable file sent via the Newsletter at the start of each year. The Membership Secretary will send the file to new members.

15. Interpretation
Members should have a version of these rules to hand to help them make decisions regarding their entries. The Competition Secretary will provide clarification when needed. If a member believes that a photograph has been incorrectly entered into a competition, they should inform the Competition Secretary and the President who will then take appropriate action.

​16. Version History
Version 04.1 Revised following Council Meeting 27/4/23
Version 04.2 Clarity on Panel of Three in picture of the year and selection of ‘One to Watch’
Version 05.0 Revised following members voting and smartphone and Digital Composition changes 18/6/24
Version 05.1 after review
Version 05.2 re format to automate headings and minor changes
Version 5.2.1 minor changes bullets added to long paras and points which may need clarification noted
Version 5.3.1 minor changes and issue to Webmaster and council 21/6/2024