Rules for the Annual Exhibition - 2013 / 2014 and beyond

Advanced Class:

The maximum number of entries in the Advanced Class will be determined in advance by the Committee, but will be at least 5 prints and 5 projected images.

For the Annual Exhibition of February 2013, the maximum is 5 prints and 5 projected images.

Any paid-up member may submit work in the Advanced Class, but in so doing forfeits the right to enter work as Intermediate Class in this and future NCPS competitions and exhibitions.

With the exception of the Natural History category, work is not entered into particular categories. However, judges will assess work against the criteria for the following categories, and make awards at their discretion. Only work specifically identified as Natural History will be assessed for that category.

These categories (described later) apply to both prints and projected images: General, Portrait, Record, Natural History, and Photojournalism.

Entries must identify the author’s Class and Competition Number, and the work’s title. Work to be assessed for a Natural History award must explicitly say so. The author’s name must not appear on the prints or projected images.

Intermediate Class:

The maximum number of entries in the Intermediate Class will be determined in advance by the Committee, but will be at least 4 prints and 4 projected images.

For the Annual Exhibition of February 2013, the maximum is 5 prints and 5 projected images.

Judges will assess work against the criteria for the General category (described later), and make awards at their discretion.

Paid-up members may submit to the Intermediate Class provided they have not previously entered work in an NCPS competition or exhibition as Advanced Class.

Entries must identify the author’s Class and Competition Number, and the work’s title. The author’s name must not appear on the print or projected images.

Eligibility of Prints and Projected images:

Images entered in a previous NCPS Annual Exhibition, in any format, or any images significantly similar to them, are not eligible. Significantly similar images are defined as those with only minor alterations to the image or viewpoint and where the basic impression of that image remains constant and would normally be interpreted as being the same without detailed examination. Entries must not have been photographed more than 5 years prior to entry.

All print entries should be in order of preference in event of the need to reduce the total number of entries hung. All entries will be judged.

The Committee has the right to reject any material submitted.

Print mounts:

Mounts must be rectangular and suitable for display on the NCPS light box. The maximum board size is 50cm x 40cm, and the longest side must be at least 40cm.

A print is either a separate piece of paper, or a separate window. There may be any number of prints on a mount. They may be any size and shape, but they must fit on the board.

Note that it is the mount that has a "Competition Number" (hence an author); a title; and, in the case of Natural History, a Category. It is the mount (not individual prints) that is judged and awarded points or commendations.

Projected digital image medium and format:

Image display size, file type, colour space, storage medium, and filename must comply with guidelines issued by the Competition Secretary to suit the digital projector and display software currently in use.

Judging:

All entries will be assessed for: Best in Category, Very Highly Commended, Highly Commended, and Commended, Best Monochrome and Best Colour Print, Best Print in Exhibition, and Best Projected image in Exhibition. Points will accumulate towards the Best Performance in the Exhibition.

Trophies and Certificates of Merit will be awarded (subject to the Exhibition Rules) for:

Trophy winners will receive a Certificate of Merit and all previous winners will be included on the reverse side of the certificate. Trophies are no longer engraved with the exception of the Presidents Cup giving a record of all Past Presidents and the Prism Trophy for the Best Performance in the Exhibition.

No award will be made for Best Print or Best Projected Digital Image in Category if, in the judge’s opinion, there are fewer than 3 entries of that medium in that category.

Category Guidance Notes:

These descriptions are for guidance only and do not constitute hard and fast rules. Computer-generated prints, as well as traditionally produced darkroom prints, are welcomed in all categories. Monochrome is allowed in all categories.

General. There are no restrictions on the content, or on the number of images in a print, or on the degree of manipulation.

Portrait. The subject is one or more people or animals. Animals may be wild or pets or captive. The purpose of a portrait is to reveal or illustrate the character of the subject. There are no restrictions on the number of images in a print, or on the degree of manipulation.

Natural History. The subject is from any branch of natural history. Animals must be wild, live, and free, and in a natural or adopted habitat of their choice. Artificially produced hybrids of plants are not allowed. There is one image per print in an honest presentation. Only minor distractions or blemishes may be removed from the image.

Photojournalism. The photography will be suitable for newspaper, magazine and book journalism, where the images tell the story and take precedence over the words. The images may be of "human interest" situations or sporting occasions, etc. There is one image per print in an honest presentation. Only minor distractions or blemishes may be removed from the image.

Record. The emphasis is on high technical quality images of inanimate objects such as buildings, vehicles, and machinery. There is one image per print in an honest presentation. Only minor distractions or blemishes may be removed from the image.

 

(Rules revised 15 May 2013).

(Numbers of prints and PDIs for the 2013 Exhibition added in red on 9 December 2012)