Internal Competitions - Competition Guide
HPS holds competitions throughout each season on the dates shown in the programme. There are three types of internal competition:
- Annual Awards - five rounds per season
- Digital Audio-Visual - held once per season
- Panel of Three - held once per season
IMAGES ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY
1 Images entered must not be more than five years old, except when specified otherwise for a particular round.
2. It is important that images entered for competitions are the work of the author.
We want to encourage members to attend activities to learn new skills and techniques. But when submitting images for competition that have been taken at a workshop or a remote shoot, members must feel confident that the work is their own, ie they feel they have contributed fully to the creation of the image and not unduly influenced by the workshop leader.
Only the Author can judge this. However, there are certain factors that might help them decide:
Only the Author can judge this. However, there are certain factors that might help them decide:
- The framing and composition must be done by the author.
- The camera settings should be decided and applied by the author.
- The lighting is less clear. The author should have a reasonable degree of control of the lighting, even if it was set up by someone else, e.g. in a studio.
- Set-up or staging of the subject matter or model. The author should have reasonable control of the positioning and posing.
3. Artificial intelligence in Photography
In Oct 2023 PAGB issued guidance that amplifies their General Conditions which apply directly to all images submitted to PAGB events. HPS have adopted this guidance in full and it applies to all images entered in Internal (and External) competitions.
For full PAGB text see: PAGB Guidance ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in Photography
For full PAGB text see: PAGB Guidance ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in Photography
ANNUAL AWARDS COMPETITION
Each Annual Awards competition round will have separate sections for:
- Colour prints
- Monochrome prints
- Projected digital images (both colour and monochrome)
An external judge will comment on the entries and in each section will select first, second and third places and, at his/her discretion, highly commended and commended.
In each round, Members may enter up to 2 images in any one section, with a MAXIMUM of 3 images in total spread across the three sections.
In OPEN internal competitions, images can be of ANY SUBJECT - all entries are simply judged as "images".
In SET SUBJECT internal competitions, images must interpret the SET SUBJECT and MUST be taken AFTER the Set Subject topic was announced at the AGM at the end of the previous season.
In both OPEN and SET SUBJECT internal competitions the PAGB definition of NATURE does NOT apply. (See External Competitions - Competition Guidance - Definition of Nature used in PAGB competitions)
In each round, Members may enter up to 2 images in any one section, with a MAXIMUM of 3 images in total spread across the three sections.
In OPEN internal competitions, images can be of ANY SUBJECT - all entries are simply judged as "images".
In SET SUBJECT internal competitions, images must interpret the SET SUBJECT and MUST be taken AFTER the Set Subject topic was announced at the AGM at the end of the previous season.
In both OPEN and SET SUBJECT internal competitions the PAGB definition of NATURE does NOT apply. (See External Competitions - Competition Guidance - Definition of Nature used in PAGB competitions)
SCORING
Each entry will score one point for entering the competition. Additional points will be awarded as follows:
First 6 points
Second 5 points
Third 4 points
Highly Commended 3 points
Commended 2 points
Second 5 points
Third 4 points
Highly Commended 3 points
Commended 2 points
Members with the highest cumulative score over the five rounds in each of the competition sections are awarded a trophy at the AGM in June, and the title of:
Colour Print Photographer of the Year
Monochrome Print Photographer of the Year
Digital Image Photographer of the Year
Monochrome Print Photographer of the Year
Digital Image Photographer of the Year
The title of "Photographer of the Year" is awarded to the photographer with the highest total score of all three sections.
ENTERING ANNUAL AWARDS COMPETITION
In each round, Members may enter up to 2 images in any one section, with a MAXIMUM of 3 images in total spread across the three sections.
Entries for Annual Award competitions must be given to the Competition Secretary at the meeting prior to the competition (typically two weeks earlier)
Any Image (print or digitally projected) that has previously been entered into an HPS competition, in the current or any previous season, may be entered a second time, so long as it is accompanied by a new image. However, an image that has received an award in a competition (1st, 2nd, 3rd, highly commended or commended) may not be entered a second time. Under no circumstances may an image be entered a third time.
Entries for Annual Award competitions must be given to the Competition Secretary at the meeting prior to the competition (typically two weeks earlier)
Any Image (print or digitally projected) that has previously been entered into an HPS competition, in the current or any previous season, may be entered a second time, so long as it is accompanied by a new image. However, an image that has received an award in a competition (1st, 2nd, 3rd, highly commended or commended) may not be entered a second time. Under no circumstances may an image be entered a third time.
Colour & Monochrome Print Sections
In each round, Members can enter prints in both the Colour and Monochrome sections. Monochrome images must be monochrome (i.e. Black & White or Black & White toned entirely in a single colour) with NO spot colour, in line with PAGB rules. (See External Competitions - Competition Guidance - FIAP Definition of Monochrome)
Prints must be mounted and have an entry label attached to the back. The labels are available from the Competition Secretary and must be filled out as indicated by circling the boxes as appropriate. Alternatively, Authors may apply their own label containing the same information or write the information directly on the mount board.
Prints must be mounted and have an entry label attached to the back. The labels are available from the Competition Secretary and must be filled out as indicated by circling the boxes as appropriate. Alternatively, Authors may apply their own label containing the same information or write the information directly on the mount board.
In the unlikely event that the number of entries for any section is considered too great for the judge to give a reasonable assessment on each image, the Competition Secretary may, at his/her discretion, reduce the number of entries in either or both sections to one per member. Members must therefore indicate on the label whether the print is their first or second choice entry in each section.
Projected Digital Image Section
Members can enter up to two digital images per round with a MAXIMUM of three images in total spread across the three sections. They can be monochrome or colour and both types will compete in the one competition. Images must be sent to the Competition Secretary by email.
The digital image must be saved as a jpeg file in the sRGB colour space (profile) with maximum dimensions of 1600 x 1200 pixels. This means that:
The image file should be named as follows:
TITLE(space)by(space)Name.jpg, with the title in upper case, and the author's name in title case,
e.g. HARPENDEN SUNSET by Joe Bloggs.jpg
For more detailed instructions on how to prepare digital images for our internal competitions please click here.
The digital image must be saved as a jpeg file in the sRGB colour space (profile) with maximum dimensions of 1600 x 1200 pixels. This means that:
- A landscape orientation image will have a maximum width of 1600 pixels, and
- A portrait orientation image will have maximum height of 1200 pixels
The image file should be named as follows:
TITLE(space)by(space)Name.jpg, with the title in upper case, and the author's name in title case,
e.g. HARPENDEN SUNSET by Joe Bloggs.jpg
For more detailed instructions on how to prepare digital images for our internal competitions please click here.
DIGITAL AUDIO-VISUAL COMPETITION
This is an annual competition, judged by the Society's members present on the evening.
The sequence of images must be no longer than five minutes and can be accompanied by music, a commentary or a talk. Members can enter up to two sequences which must be submitted on USB Flash Drive or CD to the Competition Secretary at or by the meeting prior to the competition (typically two weeks earlier)
A trophy is awarded on the night for the winning Audio-Visual sequence. This competition does not count towards the Society's Annual Awards.
The sequence of images must be no longer than five minutes and can be accompanied by music, a commentary or a talk. Members can enter up to two sequences which must be submitted on USB Flash Drive or CD to the Competition Secretary at or by the meeting prior to the competition (typically two weeks earlier)
A trophy is awarded on the night for the winning Audio-Visual sequence. This competition does not count towards the Society's Annual Awards.
PANEL OF THREE COMPETITION
This is an annual print competition, judged by an external judge. Entries are brought on the night and must have the member's name and title on the reverse and indicate the order in which they should be displayed.
Panels can be three individual images or three images on one mount. The three images must represent a common or connecting theme. Members can enter two panels. The panels can be in colour or monochrome.
The Jim Jarvis Trophy is awarded on the night for the winning panel. This competition does not count towards the Society's Annual Awards.
Panels can be three individual images or three images on one mount. The three images must represent a common or connecting theme. Members can enter two panels. The panels can be in colour or monochrome.
The Jim Jarvis Trophy is awarded on the night for the winning panel. This competition does not count towards the Society's Annual Awards.
Updated by Paul Johnson August 9th 2024