Internal Competition Rules

This page details the rules governing Melbourne Photographic Society’s internal competitions.

Grab a cuppa and a biscuit! don’t worry, it looks worse than it is.

  1. An image (for the purposes of MPS competitions) must be perceived as a single ‘picture’or image. All images must be the original work of the photographer. Composite images are permitted provided all component images meet this requirement.
  2. Members may enter a maximum of 3 digital images and 3 printed images per competition. EXCEPT in the case of the panel competition, where members may enter one digital panel and one printed panel.
  3. Digital entries for “The panel” competition, should consist of the requisite number of individual images plus one composite image. Print entries to consist of the requisite number of prints.
    Each of the individual entries, both print and digital, should be numbered in order starting at 1, in the order they are to be displayed.It is assumed that the print images will be displayed in a row in an ascending sequence unless specifically stated otherwise by the author.
    For digital entries the composite image should be the last number in the sequence. The AGM will decide the number of images to constitute a panel for the forthcoming season.
  4. All images must be in .jpg format and the file size must be no larger than 1400 pixels wide x 1050 pixels high. SRGB colour-space is recommended.
  5. The naming convention for both digital and printed images is No of image followed by a space followed by the title, e.g., 1 Buckingham Palace, 2 Hampton Court Palace, etc
    The deadline for submission of entries will be no later than Midnight on the Monday before the competition. Print Titles and Projected Digital Images arriving after this deadline will not be accepted without prior agreement with the competition secretary. Any files received not conforming to the naming convention will be returned to the author. This may mean that may be classed as missing the submission deadline.Files must be submitted to the Competition Secretary via E-mail.
  6. All Prints must be presented mounted and the mount should measure 500mm x 400mm. The minimum size for a print is 230mm for the longest side. The mounted print should include a backing board and be sturdy enough to stand without flexing.The photographer’s name and the print title must be clearly printed on the reverse of the mount. No titles or photographer’s name may appear on the front of theprint/mount.
    The deadline for submission of print titles is no later than Midnight on the Monday prior to the competition and must be E-mailed to the Competition Secretary, as per section 5 above.
  7. Prints should be handed in to the Competition Secretary before competition night, but if delivered on competition night then the deadline for submission is 7pm. Prints arriving late will not be accepted. A number will be allocated to each print, which will be written in pencil on the back of the print. This will assist marking and the production of the result sheet.
  8. A full definition of Natural History can be found on the member’s area of the website, titled ‘Definition of nature used in PAGB Competitions’. This is the current definition asagreed by FIAP, PSA and the RPS as well as the PAGB and its Federations.
  9. Definition of Landscape Photography, as defined in Landscape Photographer of TheYear’ and which will be used in competitions, can be found on the member’s area of the website, entitled ‘Landscape definition’
  10. Emails confirming receipt of entries will be sent.
  11. The club, its officers and members cannot be held responsible for any damage that may occur to prints. However, every effort will be made to ensure that they are kept in good condition.
  12. Images, either digital or print, may only be entered into an internal competition twice, they must then be retired. The same image may be entered into an external competition but only once against the same opposition.
  13. Images used in the Print and Digital Panel competitions must not have been previously used in any MPS internal competition. However, an image used in the Panel competition may be entered in one other internal competition before being subsequently retired.
  14. Competition entry is open to paid-up members only.
  15. MPS may wish to put high scoring entries in internal competitions onto the Society’sweb-site. If the submitting member concerned is in agreement, they are to provide digital image files of the relevant DPI or print (to be supplied by the submitting member, no larger than 600 pixels on the longest side) in an email stating that the member is the copyright owner of the image(s) concerned and granting MPS a perpetual free licence for the images to be placed on the MPS web-site only.
  16. MPS take no responsibility for any misuse of images resulting from downloading ofimages from the MPS website. Images are loaded at the author’s risk.
  17. “Photographer of the Year” to be awarded the member who has the highest total from their best 10 scores in internal competitions, either print or PDI. In the event of a tie, score 11 to be counted, and so on until there was a clear winner. To be eligible for the award, the photographer must have entered at least 10 images in MPS internal competitions.
  18. “New Comer of the Year” to be awarded the member who has the highest total from their best 10 scores, either print or PDI, in internal competitions. In the event of a tie, score 11 to be counted, and so on until there was a clear winner.
    This award is open to members who have been a member for 3 years or less.Once a member has won this award then they are not eligible in subsequent years.
  19. The MPS committee will resolve any disputes and their decision is final.
  20. Submission of an entry will signify acceptance of these rules.

PAGB Definitions of Nature and Wildlife

Nature Definition

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 must be weighed 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 without 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.

Images used in Nature Photography competitions may be divided in two classes: Nature and Wildlife.

Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.

Images entered in Wildlife sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above are further defined as one or more extant zoological or botanical organisms free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat. Landscapes, geologic formations, photographs of zoo or game farm animals, or of any extant zoological or botanical species taken under controlled conditions are not eligible in Wildlife sections. Wildlife is not limited to animals, birds and insects. Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects, as are carcasses of extant species.

Wildlife images may be entered in Nature sections of Exhibitions.

Landscapes, Classic view, Living the view & Urban view

The integrity of the subject must be maintained and the making of physical changes to the landscape is not permitted. You may not, for example, remove fences, move trees or strip in the sky from another image. Digital adjustments including dodging & burning, changes to tone & contrast and cropping are allowed, as are High Dynamic Range imaging techniques, stitched panoramas and focus stacking.