DUNFERMLINE PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION

COMPETITION RULES

Entries
Three categories of entries are recognised, namely monochrome prints, colour prints and projected images.
A monochrome print that has been toned overall with a single colour is still regarded as a monochrome print.
A monochrome print that has been partially toned, or that has been produced by desaturation of parts of a colour print, so that some areas of colour remain, is regarded as a colour print.
No distinction shall be made between images produced by traditional means and those using digital techniques.
Entries must be entirely the work of the member, who must own the copyright. In the case of digital work produced by the combination of several discrete images, all elements must have been the work of the member.
Unless otherwise stated, members may enter a maximum of four images per category in each competition, but the Competition Secretary reserves the right to limit the entry when necessary. For this purpose all entries shall be marked with the author’s order of preference, 1, 2, 3 etc. with 1 being the most preferred
All entries shall show on the back top right hand corner of the prints or on the mounts of the transparencies:-
      Dunfermline P A
      Title (to help identify the image)
      The author’s competition number.
      The author’s name must not appear.
      Order of preference.

All prints shall be mounted on board with a minimum side of 200 mm and a maximum size of 400 x 500 mm, and have no features that may damage other prints such as exposed adhesive. Prints submitted for inclusion in an exhibition must be mounted on a 400 x 500 mm board.
Projected images shall comply with the SPF Digital Guidance ““Digital file rules for SPF competitions“, see - http://www.scottish-photographic-federation.org/
Transparencies shall be mounted between glass with a mount size of 50 x 50 mm and shall be spotted correctly, i.e. on the bottom left-hand corner when viewed normally.
Naming of digital files shall follow the “Digital file rules for SPF competitions“
Entries not complying with the requirements of these rules may be disqualified at the discretion of the Competition Secretary.
Trade processed prints and transparencies will be allowed.
No print or projected image may be entered in more than one monthly competition, but may be entered in the Annual Exhibition, the Elena Mae Trophy and external competitions.

Judging.
For monthly, annual, Elena Mae and audio-visual competitions, the Competition Secretary will appoint an independent assessor, normally from outwith the Association.
The assessor, in presenting his judgement, will be asked to comment on the good and poor aspects of each image.

Monthly Competitions.
There will be four monthly competitions in a series. The committee will decide one year in advance if these are to be set subjects or open, i.e., at the discretion of the entrant.
In each category the leading entries in each competition are placed 1st to 5th and awarded 10, 7, 5, 3 and 1 point respectively. At the end of the year, the member with the highest number of points is awarded the trophy. In the case of a tie, then the highest number of 1st, then 2nd etc places will be taken into consideration.

Annual Exhibition Competition.
This competition will be in the three categories plus the award of the Don Paris Trophy for the best Nature shot.
The subject will be open, i.e., at the discretion of the entrant.
Images that have been entered in one of the preceding monthly competitions or in the Elena Mae competition may be entered also in this competition.
As far as proves possible, all the entries in this competition will be included in the Association’s Annual Exhibition.

Elena Mae Competition. (Under review by Committee. Will not run in 2009)
This competition is for projected images only.
The subject matter will be open, i.e., at the discretion of the entrant.
Images that have been entered in monthly or annual competitions may be entered also in this competition.

Snapshot Competition.
This competition is for panels of prints that are related to each other in some way.
Members may enter one or more panels of 2, 3 or 4 prints attached to the surface of the panel. No other style of mounting will be accepted.
The prints must be of standard commercial Enprint dimensions, no larger than 9 x 6 inches. They need not be all the same shape or size, and both colour and monochrome are acceptable. There is no restriction on the shape, size or type of mounting board.
Prints may be home processed by either traditional or digital means, and should consist of essentially the whole of the original image.
Simple captions are permitted if desired, but the entrant’s name shall not appear anywhere on the panel. The Competition Secretary will attach a temporary identification to the front of the panel.
All panels will be displayed at the same time in the meeting room.
All members will be invited to mark a choice of first, second and third on a score sheet provided. Members are expected not to vote for their own entry.
Entries will be awarded three points for a first place, two for a second and one for a third, and the scores will be totalled by the Competition Secretary. In the event of a tie, the panel awarded the most 1st, and if necessary 2nd and 3rd places will be declared the winner. If this does not settle the matter, a final decision will be made on a show of hands.
Before the result is announced, each panel will be commented on by a small group of members and discussion invited.
The winner will be awarded his or her choice from the prize list as agreed by the Association Committee.

Audio-Visual Competition
This is an open competition for a sequence of projected images interpreted with sound - music and/or speech.
The programme time should be limited to five minutes, but members having longer or more than one programme may be allowed, at the discretion of the Competition Secretary, to show them if a small entry is received and time allows.
Members using recorded music for sound will be covered for the competition by the mechanical copyright society licence held by the Association.

Carnegie Dunfermline Trust Competition.
This is an annual competition sponsored by the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, who award cash prizes to the leading three entrants. The intention is to encourage creative work by Association members, which could be used by the Trust to illustrate their reports. Such use is, however, not essential and need not constrain members’ choice of subjects.
The theme for each year’s competition will be agreed between the Trust and the Association Committee. It is preferable, but not essential, that the theme should reflect some aspect of Dunfermline or Fife.
Each entrant shall submit one set of four prints which may be in monochrome or colour.
Prints shall be individually mounted, with mounts no larger than 500 x 400 mm.
The photographs must have been taken during the calendar year immediately prior to the entry date.
The photographer’s name and title of the print must appear on the back of each mount.
Entries will be judged on the overall quality of the full set of four prints.
The judge(s) will be appointed by the Association
The Trust may use the entries in its reports or elsewhere in connection with its activities, without fee or further consent. The photographer’s name will be credited on each occasion.


AWARDS
The following trophies will be awarded to the winners of each of the sections of the Monthly and the Annual competitions

 Appendix
For use when appropriate, as decided by the Committee (ay be required for external competitions which have defined Beginner classes)
CLASSIFICATION
Members may be allocated to one of two sections:
Beginner: This section is reserved for those who have had no acceptances in International Exhibitions, who do not hold honours in the Royal Photographic Society and who have not been promoted.
General: Any member may elect to join this section but having done so may not revert to the Beginner section.
PROMOTION
Promotion from Beginner to General section shall be by:
The award of a DPA trophy for monthly competitions. This will not apply if fewer than five members have competed in the section during the year or there have been fewer than forty entries in total in the section during the year. A member may appeal to the Competition Secretary against promotion, and this will be considered by a sub-committee of three appointed by the management committee. The member shall have the right to appear before the sub-committee. The sub-committee’s decision will be final. No-one may appeal in successive years against promotion from any one section.
An acceptance in an SPF portfolio.
An acceptance in an international or national competition.
Obtaining honours in the RPS.
General consensus of the DPA Committee that a General level has been obtained.
Personal choice.
Note 1. A member may be a General worker in one section and a Beginner in another.
Note 2. The Association Committee may review the membership of each section after consultation with the members and effect a re-organisation.

August 2009