YPU COMPETITION RULES
Yorkshire Photographic Union 2024 Annual Competition and Exhibition Rules and Conditions of entry for Prints and Projected Digital Images __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Exhibition Calendar ▪ Open for entries 30th Nov 2023 ▪ Closing date for online entries, both Prints and PDIs 22nd Feb 2024 @ 23:55 ▪ Hand-in day for prints 24th Feb 2024 - Carlton Community Centre ▪ Assembly Day and Presentation of Awards 11th May 2024 10:30 - Barnsley Civic Centre ▪ Exhibition Opens 11th May 2024 12:30 ▪ Exhibition Closes 22nd June 2024 16:00 Overview ▪ This event is open to all members of Clubs/Societies/Groups affiliated to the YPU ▪ Prints and Projected Digital Images may be entered. ▪ There are 10 Print Categories and 9 PDIs Categories ▪ Individual authors may enter up to 10 Prints and 10 PDIs ▪ Young Photographer (Under the age of 18yrs) may enter 3 Prints and 3 PDIs ▪ All entries, PDIs and digital copies of prints must be submitted via the YPU Portal https://ypuportal.org.uk/portal (Further details see General Rule 5) ▪ The image size for uploading is 1600 pixels wide by 1200 pixels high sRGB colour space ▪ Images that are computer/AI generated are not permitted. (See below) ▪ The entry Fee is £1.50 per image – both for Prints and PDIs.
General Rules
1. Author should not enter images that are substantially the same in both Print and PDI categories.
2. Any entries Accepted in any previous YPU Annual Exhibition should not be re-entered in any other form, e.g., colour & mono, print or projected digital image. Like or similar images from the same original capture may not be used.
3. Entrants, who are members of more than one Society, must submit all their entry through just one Society, including both Prints and PDIs.
4. Entrants must own the copyright of the work submitted. Composite images are permitted provided all component images meet this requirement. The use of copyright-free images is not allowed. The entry must be entirely the work of the photographer.
5. All entries must be submitted via the YPU Portal. Print entries must have a PDI copy uploaded. The Image size for all uploads is a maximum 1600 pixels wide by 1200 pixels high. The colour space should be sRGB and the file format should be “Baseline (standard)” NOT ‘Progressive” jpg. The file size should be no greater than 1.9Mb. If an image is rejected by the software, consider cropping or reducing the jpg file quality very slightly.
6. The Portal will accept entries uploaded by Club Competition Secretaries and individual Portal Registered authors; however, it is strongly suggested that Club Competition Secretaries upload all entries as they are responsible for all their club’s entries.
7. Please ensure up-to-date post-nominal letters are entered into the system. (This information is needed for the printing of the catalogue.)
8. A maximum of three sets of post-nominals are allowed per author. The order is normally: Fred Bloggs RPS / PAGB / Other, but will depend upon what the author has or what they want entering… Please don’t use full stops between letters, i.e., F.R.P.S should be FRPS or as a suffix – FRPS. MPAGB. ABIPP.
9. Print and PDI titles must not exceed 32 characters.
Print Rules
1. Prints may be home or trade processed.
2. Prints must be mounted but not framed.
3. Mounts must be the standard size of 400 x 500mm ± 2mm along either length and not exceeding 4mm in thickness to facilitate framing. Oversize and undersize prints will be disqualified.
4. Mounts can be any form or colour
5. Prints not accepted into the Exhibition should be collected at the Annual Assembly.
6. Accepted prints will be available for collection at the following year’s Representatives Meeting unless retained for the YPU Folio or entered into PAGB Inter Federation competitions. They will be available during the following year. A print not collected from two successive Representatives Meetings / AGMs after becoming available and there has been no contact by the author or Club, the Print Secretary may dispose of the prints as it will be deemed unwanted.
Print Labels
The software will accept print label size Avery L7165, (99.1×67.7mm – 8 per A4 sheet) or equivalent. It is the Competition Secretaries responsibility to print the labels after all edits have been made and entries are complete and to ensure labels are printed correctly. Labels automatically includes an individual identity barcode. All prints entered should have the appropriate label on the back of the print, ideally fixed to the upper righthand corner of the mount. N.B. It will not be possible to process or exhibit any print where the label is missing or illegible.
Print Boxes
The submitting Club’s name should be written on the front of the print boxes the correct way up and, on each end. (Masking tape can easily be written on and removed later.)
Please avoid using flimsy and/or very heavy wooden type print boxes. There will be a lot of moving around of print boxes. Nomad print boxes or similar are ideal.
When packaging prints, please collate them in their respective categories. Print boxes should be left at the AGM. or earlier with the Print Secretary by prior arrangement.
Any queries to the Prints Secretary – Andrew Pell – printsec@ypu.org.uk
Projected Digital Images
PDIs must be in JPG, sRGB colour space and Baseline (standard) format at maximum quality 12, and not more than 1600 pixels wide by 1200 pixels high (N.B. If in portrait format, the maximum height will be 1200 pixels.) As images will be judged at a size adjusted to 1600 x 1200 pixels, they are best entered at a maximum of these dimensions. In the case of smaller images, do not ‘pad out’ the image with a border to achieve the maximum sizes. Images will be projected with a black background. Image resolution is irrelevant.
It is the responsibility of the club competition secretary to apply these rules
Any queries to the Projected Digital Images Secretary – Richard Littlefair –pdisec@ypu.org.uk.
Payment of Entry Fees
Payments can be made by cheque payable to “Yorkshire Photographic Union” with the club’s name written on the reverse and handed to the YPU Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday February 24th 2024.
Bank transfers are preferable and the club should discuss this with the YPU Treasurer. Entries fees must be paid for on or by Saturday 24th February 2024, nonpayment could result in disqualification.
Treasurer: Christine Hodgson, 01484 640037 treasurer@ypu.org.uk
Club subscriptions due to the YPU must been paid before the entry closing date, otherwise entries cannot be
accepted.
Best Author and Society Awards
The Best Author will be calculated by totalling the points awarded across both prints and projected digital image categories as follows:
Acceptance 1 point. Certificate 2 points. Trophy Award 3 points.
Clubs are automatically entered into the Best Print Club and Best Projected Digital Image Club Society Awards if they meet the following criteria:
a) A minimum of four different authors, and
b) A minimum of ten different images.
If the Club meets the criteria, the score will be calculated from the average of the top ten marked images for that Club. Authors are not allowed more than three Prints and three PDIs in the count. Clubs are not required to nominate any images.
Folio and PAGB Selection
The authors of all entries1 shall permit their images to be available for selection to represent the YPU in the PAGB Inter-Federation Competition. Furthermore, the author will not allow any of their images (i.e. Prints or PDIs) to represent any other Federation in that calendar year as per PAGB Rule 4.
A digital version of any print submitted is required for archival, catalogue and PAGB purposes.
The Exhibition organisers will take every reasonable care of entries but neither they nor the YPU can be held responsible for any loss or damage that may occur.
1 Please note: The 2024 PAGB Inter-Federation Competition is for Prints only.
Entering the YPU Exhibition.
Detailed instructions for entering an image are given on the Portal Competition entry page.
All entries must be uploaded by the date and time shown on the competition entry page of the portal. Once the closing date has been reached, neither club officials nor individuals will be able to access the entry page.
Member’s details are stored from previous entries so should not need re-entering. However, the names and email addresses of new club members will need entering before uploading their images. Email addresses must be unique. If a member does not have an email address you should enter the following: forename.surname.yourclubcode@noemail.com for example – john.smith.rps@noemail.com
Please be especially careful when entering image titles and author’s names that the spelling is correct – any spelling mistakes will be carried through to the printed catalogue and the Exhibition Presentations.
Exhibition Entry Categories:
Prints Projected Digital Images
Open Colour Open Colour
Open Monochrome Open Monochrome
Architecture & General Record People, Portrait & Figure Studies
People, Portrait & Figure Studies Sport Action
Sport Action Nature
Nature Creative
Creative Travel
Travel ‘Scapes
‘Scapes Young Photographer
Young Photographer
Please note: there are two Open categories – Colour and Mono in both Print and PDIs sections. In all other categories the Colour and Monochrome images are entered together.
Photojournalism images are to be entered in an Open category and not in the Sport Action category.
Mobile ‘Phone images can be entered into any appropriate category.
Exhibition Catalogues
All entrants will receive a free Exhibition Catalogue.
The club’s name and the names of all the entrants should be written on the front of a large A4 envelope. This information is used to distribute the exhibition catalogues. The envelope should then be handed-in, with the entry fee at the AGM (Saturday 24th Feb 2024)
The YPU encourages all clubs to enjoy a club evening looking at the Prints and PDIs from the Exhibition. A selection of Accepted Print entries will be available to view in the YPU circulating portfolio throughout the following year. The full PDI exhibition presentation and all Print digitals will be made available to clubs via Dropbox.
The Dropbox Download links for Competition Secretaries will be available in the “Document” section of the
YPU Portal from 31st July 2024
Individual Awards Prints
The Challenge Cup for the best Monochrome Open print,
The Portrait Trophy for the best Portrait, People or Figure Study print,
The Harrogate Trophy for the best Travel print.
The Mabel Bruce Trophy for the best Architectural and General Record print,
The G&S Neal Trophy for the best Nature print,
The Yorkshire Post Trophy for the best Colour Open print,
The Jim Barker Trophy for the best ‘Scapes print,
The Challenge Plaque for the best Creative print,
The Rotherham Trophy for the best Sport, Action print,
The Warren Jepson Trophy for the best Young Photographer print.
Projected Digital Images
The Crowther Cox Silver Vase for the best Open Colour Image.
The Bryce Thompson Cup for the best Open Monochrome Image.
The Rose Bowl for the best Portrait, People or Figure Study Image.
The Peter Brook Trophy for the best Sport, Action Image.
The G. F. Kaye Trophy for the best Nature Image.
The Fred Atkinson Trophy for best Travel Image.
The Crowther Cox Trophy for the best ‘Scapes Image.
The Challenge Bowl for the best Creative Image.
The W. A. Johnson Trophy for the best Young Photographer Image.
Society Awards
The Keighley Challenge Trophy to the Best Overall Club.
The J. E. Barker Trophy for the Best Print Club.
The Jordan Trophy for the Best Projected Digital Image Club.
Overall “Best in Show” Award
The Halifax Trophy to the author with the best set of Print and PDI Acceptances in the Exhibition.
Trophies are not kept in perpetuity by clubs or individuals and should be returned by the following A.G.M. for collection by the Trophy Steward. If presented, trophies must be signed for on collection. Medals will also be presented to Trophy winners that may kept in perpetuity.
Notes for Entrants
Please stick to the categories as listed on the entry download; it is not possible to swap Prints between categories after the closing day. A silent marker system will be used by the three judges to screen for the top images in each category. The judges will then look through those images to determine the Individual Awards and Certificates. The Society Awards are calculated from the judges’ scores.
The Exhibition (both Print and PDIs) will be selected by the judges on the judging day. The images to go to the PAGB Inter-Federation competition will be selected by a different panel of judges on another day to avoid cross-referencing of results.
Architecture and General Record
Entries should be buildings, inanimate objects such as vehicles, machinery, statues or other objets d’art. The emphasis is on a high technical quality image which makes an accurate record of the subject. Artistic interpretation is not acceptable in this class, although direct monochrome conversions are. Digital manipulation should be limited to cropping, sharpening, contrast, colour corrections and correction of converging verticals.
Only minor distractions or blemishes may be removed from the image. Any adjustments should not alter the main content of the original photograph. Titles should be factual, simply naming the building, feature or object.
Creative
Images for this category are often highly manipulated and may contain elements from several images which produce a final image that stimulates the imagination of the viewer. The image may be of any subject matter and must display a change in natural colour, form, shape or any combination of these three. All images must be original and may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else. Artwork or computer graphics generated by the entrant may be incorporated but the original photographic content must predominate. Images may not be constructed entirely within a computer. (See AI note below)
‘Scapes
A ‘scape image shows a vista. Included, but are not restricted to, landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, waterscapes and skyscapes. An image may include a single tree, building, people or animal – they must not dominate but be part of an overall image providing a mood or atmosphere of the environment captured.
Travel
A Photo Travel image expresses the characteristic features or culture of a land as they are found naturally.
There are no geographic limitations. Images from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography are not appropriate. Close up pictures of people or objects must include features that provide information about the environment. Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. The only allowable adjustments are removal of dust or digital noise, restoration of the appearance of the original scene, and complete conversion to grayscale monochrome. Other derivations, including infrared, are not permitted. All allowed adjustments must appear natural.
Nature
Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation. The story telling value of a photograph should weigh more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality. Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible. Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.
No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted.
Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content, or altering the content of the original scene, are permitted including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning. Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Stitched images are not permitted. All allowed adjustments must appear natural.
Colour images can be converted to greyscale monochrome. Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed.
Nature is not limited to animals, birds and insects. Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable Nature subjects, as are carcasses of extant species.
Portrait, People and Figure Studies
Shall include figure studies, groups of a portrait nature and animal portraits.
Mono or Colour
YPU has adopted the FIAP definition of monochrome work as follows:
“A black and white work going from very dark grey (black) to very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white (monochrome) category.
On the other hand, a black and white work modified by partial toning or by the addition of one colour, becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category.”
Young Photographer
Shall be open to all members under the age of 18 years at the closing date for entries.
Young Photographers may enter up to 3 prints and 3 projected digital images in this category. The subject matter is Open.
A Young Photographers may also enter other categories as a regular author, but their total number of entries must not exceed the maximum entry of 10 Prints and 10 PDIs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated images
Images generated solely via AI are not permitted. All images or parts of images must be based on Photographic
Images taken by the author. The YPU will trust in the integrity of its community but in certain circumstances may request further evidence in the form of RAW files or EXIF data, accepting that such evidence may itself not be definitive.
Computer Manipulated Images
Shall be permitted in all categories (with the exception of Nature, Record and Travel Categories) providing the work is based on photographic images taken by the author. All manipulation of the image shall be carried out by the author, or under his or her direct control. This can include cropping, masking, filtration etc., removing unwanted details and blemishes and, in the General Categories, the addition of details taken from other photographic images taken by the author. Computer Clip-Art, internet copyright free images or graphics from any other sources is not permitted.
Copyright
Copyright of all entries is retained by the entrant but entry into YPU Competitions will be taken to signify their willingness to have accepted images shown at the YPU Annual Exhibition, for inclusion in the YPU circulating folios and to represent the YPU in PAGB competitions. Copies will be retained by the Union for such purposes.
If you have any queries concerning the YPU Exhibition, please contact the Exhibition Coordinator, Print Secretary or PDI Secretary.