As a member of the PGD Photography Social and/or Creative Photography Events, you are now eligible to enter our monthly photography competition.
This is a fun and engaging way to encourage our members to demonstrate their skills, engage with other members as well as gaining recognition and receiving constructive feedback of their work
I have outlined below the important information regarding this exciting new initiative, but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
1. Purpose and Theme
- Purpose: To help photographers develop their skills and showcase their creative works.
- Themes: The overall theme will be studio portraiture but may include more specific challenges like "Reflections," "Dance," or "Cosplay."
2. Judging Criteria
- Composition: How well is the photo framed? Is there a clear focal point?
- Creativity & Originality: How unique or innovative is the photograph?
- Technical Quality: Consider sharpness, exposure, depth of field, colour balance, and other technical elements.
- Adherence to the Theme: How well does the photo fit the competition theme?
Each criteria will be weighted the same, with a maximum of 5 points being awarded for each criteria.
Monthly points system will tally for an annual score for our ‘Photographer of the Year’ award.
3. Competition Format
- Submissions: Participants may enter up to a maximum of 3 entries per competition via our dedicated website (New webpage image upload on PGD site) Entries must be 300dpi, max dimension 10800px, Jpeg saved in high quality, AdobeRGB/sRGB
- Entry Fee: £4.99
- Timeframe: The competition will run monthly. Entries must be received by 28th of any month for consideration.
4. Rules & Guidelines
- Eligibility: Entrants must be either a PGD Social member or a member of Creative Photography Group
- Image Editing: NO extreme use of AI in your editing techniques, i.e. background expansion using Generative Content Aware Fill techniques and minor corrections are acceptable whilst reconstruction of a models face or features using AI is not acceptable.
AI usage must be declared. - Copyright Permissions and Ownership: Participants retain the rights to their images, but must credit all parties, submission of image grants permission to use them for exhibition/print etc.
- Content Restrictions: No open leg or adult content.
- Titling: Title must start with photographer’s name e.g. JohnSmith_img0001
- Credits: All parties involved in creating the image must be credited. Photographer, Model, Stylist, Make-up Artist, Location, Other
5. Judging
- Judging Panel: TBC
- Public Voting: We will include an element of public voting for a one-off “People's Choice” award.
- Photographer of the Year: Points awarded to each photographer for entries to the monthly competition will be totalled to determine the annual Photographer of the Year winner
6. Prizes
Monthly Prize
In house exhibition for top 5 scoring submissions
Annual Prize
- External exhibition for top 5 submissions from each month, with launch party.
- Cash value prize from ‘Photographer of the Year’ program
- Alternative prize for public vote winner – “People’s Choice Award”
7. Announcement and Exhibition
Once the competition ends:
- The monthly top 5 submissions will be announced on our social media platforms with links back to the images being displayed on the website, with credits and any additional information. ie Photographer Bio, credits to the other parties involved and image title (Required/Additional details will have input sections on the website during upload process).
- An in-house exhibition of top 5 submissions will take place each month.
- Annual Exhibition location and dates to be announced via our social platforms and email marketing lists.
- The Annual Exhibition will feature all of the top 5 entries from each month.
- ‘Photographer of the Year’ and ‘People’s Choice’ prize winners will be announced at Annual Exhibition
8. Feedback and Improvements
At the close of each competition, participants will receive their own scoring evaluation with appropriate comments to assist in the understanding of what went well and what could be improved for future contests.
