NCPS News

In the May edition of Focus it was noted that a sub-committee was formed to consider the present competition rules, and how they might be simplified. Barry Pearson had first raised the item noting several anomalies in the present structure. Barry was duly asked to report on the findings of the sub-committee:

Proposed rules for board and print sizes, etc

Prints are mounted on rectangular Boards. The maximum board size shall be 20” x 16”, and longest side must be at least 16”. Any number of prints may be used, and any shape, but they must fit on the rectangular board.

Note that it is the board that has a “competition number” (hence an author); a title; and a category in the Annual Exhibition. It is the board (carrying one or multiple images) that is judged and awarded points or commendations.

Proposed Categories in the Annual Exhibition

[Proposed that “Creative” disappears; “Pictorial” is replaced with “General”; and the rules for the specialist categories are revised and clarified. All rules for board and print sizes apply to all categories, including the ability to have any number of prints on a board.]

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.

Additional notes

Why change the rules?

There are various reasons for changing the rules, but typically: some are ambiguous; some are unclear; there are incompatibilities between the Quarterly Competitions and the Annual Exhibition; and some of the rules appear to have been created for historical reasons that no longer apply.

The aim is to have only rules where there is a good reason for them, and discard all others. This should make the rules simpler, clearer, and more flexible.

How were these proposals arrived at?

Various separate proposals were made. Part of the process of devising new rules involved not only examining our own reasons for having rules and having categories, but also seeing what other photographic organisations do.

Apart from the principle of not having rules without a good reason for them, the Sub-Committee also applied a principle of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. This latter principle also ensured that existing trophies for the categories in the Annual Exhibition continued to be used for a similar purpose. (There is no trophy for the “Creative” category, which is proposed for removal). The proposal is not very different from the existing set of rules, and it is likely that most people will hardly be impacted unless they choose to take advantage of any increased flexibility.

One important exercise was to consider what members had actually submitted in the last Annual Exhibition and recent Quarterly Competitions. One or two of the proposals actually reflect what members have already decided to do!

So why have rules and categories?

The rules for board sizes exist to enable entries to the Quarterly Competitions and the Annual Exhibition to be packed and carried around with minimum risk of damage. Our boxes are designed for this size of board. Small boards have a tendency to slide around and may damage work on larger boards. But it would be inappropriate to have one standard board size. So the proposal is believed to be a reasonable compromise.

The specialist categories in the Annual Exhibition represent distinct skill-sets and provide opportunities for people with those skills to be recognised and rewarded. For example, there is a considerable difference between photographing a live Kingfisher, and photographing a stuffed one then “Photoshopping” it! The Sub-Committee kept the specialist categories the same, but revised some of the definitions to provide a better match with what judges and the public might expect from those categories.

Panoramas

Panoramas using boards outside the 20” x 16” limit were discussed. They will not be proposed as changes to the rules, because they cannot be conveniently handled.

[There is an intention to have a “panorama” session as part of some other evening, in which members can bring their work along and take it away themselves. This hasn’t yet been committed or scheduled.]

Monochrome

Unlike L&CPU, we are not proposing to have a separate monochrome category. Instead, monochrome work can be submitted in any category, and will be judged accordingly.

Note - the Sub-Committee didn’t discuss whether this applies to the Natural History category as well. Would a monochrome print from a colour original be considered to be an unreasonable degree of manipulation?

In order to avoid delay, it is proposed here that monochrome is valid even in the Natural History category. It will be up to members to vote either way and, if adopted, for the judge to decide whether it has merit.

What happens next?

All of these proposals will be put to a vote of members at an Extraordinary General Meeting This EGM is likely to be added to the events of an existing evening. The constitution requires at least 28 days notice in the case of an EGM.

Home News News Index Report About us Syllabus Exhibition Results Service Newsletter Galleries Links		Report from the Sub-Committee set up to consider the present competition Rules
		In the May edition of Focus it was noted that a sub-committee was formed to consider the present competition rules, and how they might be simplified. Barry Pearson had first raised the item noting several anomalies in the present structure. Barry was duly asked to report on the findings of the sub-committee: Proposed rules for board and print sizes, etc Prints are mounted on rectangular Boards. The maximum board size shall be 20” x 16”, and longest side must be at least 16”. Any number of prints may be used, and any shape, but they must fit on the rectangular board. Note that it is the board that has a “competition number” (hence an author); a title; and a category in the Annual Exhibition. It is *the board* (carrying one or multiple images) that is judged and awarded points or commendations. Proposed Categories in the Annual Exhibition [Proposed that “Creative” disappears; “Pictorial” is replaced with “General”; and the rules for the specialist categories are revised and clarified. All rules for board and print sizes apply to all categories, including the ability to have any number of prints on a board.] 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. Additional notes Why change the rules? There are various reasons for changing the rules, but typically: some are ambiguous; some are unclear; there are incompatibilities between the Quarterly Competitions and the Annual Exhibition; and some of the rules appear to have been created for historical reasons that no longer apply. The aim is to have only rules where there is a good reason for them, and discard all others. This should make the rules simpler, clearer, and more flexible. How were these proposals arrived at? Various separate proposals were made. Part of the process of devising new rules involved not only examining our own reasons for having rules and having categories, but also seeing what other photographic organisations do. Apart from the principle of not having rules without a good reason for them, the Sub-Committee also applied a principle of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. This latter principle also ensured that existing trophies for the categories in the Annual Exhibition continued to be used for a similar purpose. (There is no trophy for the “Creative” category, which is proposed for removal). The proposal is not very different from the existing set of rules, and it is likely that most people will hardly be impacted unless they choose to take advantage of any increased flexibility. One important exercise was to consider what members had actually submitted in the last Annual Exhibition and recent Quarterly Competitions. One or two of the proposals actually reflect what members have already decided to do! So why have rules and categories? The rules for board sizes exist to enable entries to the Quarterly Competitions and the Annual Exhibition to be packed and carried around with minimum risk of damage. Our boxes are designed for this size of board. Small boards have a tendency to slide around and may damage work on larger boards. But it would be inappropriate to have one standard board size. So the proposal is believed to be a reasonable compromise. The specialist categories in the Annual Exhibition represent distinct skill-sets and provide opportunities for people with those skills to be recognised and rewarded. For example, there is a considerable difference between photographing a live Kingfisher, and photographing a stuffed one then “Photoshopping” it! The Sub-Committee kept the specialist categories the same, but revised some of the definitions to provide a better match with what judges and the public might expect from those categories. Panoramas Panoramas using boards outside the 20” x 16” limit were discussed. They will not be proposed as changes to the rules, because they cannot be conveniently handled. [There is an intention to have a “panorama” session as part of some other evening, in which members can bring their work along and take it away themselves. This hasn’t yet been committed or scheduled.] Monochrome Unlike L&CPU, we are not proposing to have a separate monochrome category. Instead, monochrome work can be submitted in any category, and will be judged accordingly. Note - the Sub-Committee didn’t discuss whether this applies to the Natural History category as well. Would a monochrome print from a colour original be considered to be an unreasonable degree of manipulation? In order to avoid delay, it is proposed here that monochrome is valid even in the Natural History category. It will be up to members to vote either way and, if adopted, for the judge to decide whether it has merit. What happens next? All of these proposals will be put to a vote of members at an Extraordinary General Meeting This EGM is likely to be added to the events of an existing evening. The constitution requires at least 28 days notice in the case of an EGM. Barry Pearson
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