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FWPPA Print Competition Rules

Photographer of the Year

2009

Keith Evans

Starting in January 2010, the FWPPA print competition has undergone some changes. The most significant change has been to accommodate multiple categories each month. This will encourage more entries into the print competition.   A given print can be entered in one category only.  Listed below are the categories for each month:   

 

• Portrait – Includes the following: individuals, seniors, families, children, and animals.
• Wedding – Can be a Bridal or Engagement portrait or any image taken at a wedding.
• Illustrative – Includes: landscapes, scenery, buildings, commercial, photojournalism, etc.
• Albums – Can be any album, either bridal, wedding, engagement, or senior.   Must consist of a minimum of 10 images represented in the album.   The album entrant must have created all the images within the album.   No other photographer’s images are allowed.  

1. There will be a monthly print competition/evaluation at every monthly meeting except the December Holiday party.
2. Prints may be any size or any shape with an image area of not less than 80 square inches and not more than 480 square inches, with the largest dimension no longer than 24 inches. Image must be permanently mounted on standard mount material (matte board, gator board, foam, sintra). No masonite, glass, stretcher or conventional frames are allowed.   
3. The judging for 1st, 2nd and 3rd will be done by a three person panel, usually consisting of the guest speaker, and two master photographers from the guild.  The scores from all three will be added and the highest average scores will be assigned.   All the guild members will vote for the member's choice.  The judging will still be on the 12 elements of a good print but with an emphasis on lighting, posing, composition, color harmony and impact (the things that will help us all improve and increase our sales).  
4. Ribbons will be given out in all four categories for 1st Blue, 2nd Red, and 3rd White, plus the overall ribbon for member's choice Gold.  Winners must meet the minimum score requirements.  
5. The speaker will give a brief evaluation of each print after the program has ended.  
6. One month each year will be designated as Folio Month where entries will be at least eight prints in a folio.  These images are to be proofs with no retouching.  
7. One month each year will be for albums (feel free to bring a studio sample just cover the studio name where ever it occurs.  
8. Each participating member will get one entry into the Texas School Scholarship drawing for every entry.  
9. Each participating member will receive fellowship points at the rate of one half point for each entry and one point for each ribbon.  If a member enters every month the total number of entry points (5 1/2) will be increased to 8 points.  
10. As an added incentive to continue to participate in the evaluations and FWPPA activities, once you have achieved a Full Fellowship you will begin to earn clips for your ribbon, 25 points per clip - like the PPA merit clips.  
11. Taking the judging class will count as a special meeting towards your Fellowship.  
12. You cannot judge if you have a print entered so each time you judge you will receive one half point counted under competition.  
13. The evaluations given each month by different people with different view points should help us to get a better idea of how our customers view our work.  

 

•••  SPECIAL NOTE   •••

 

Under the new rules, in order for a print to earn a ribbon its overall score must be a 76 or higher.  What does this mean?   Let's say you are the only entrant in the illustrative category and your overall score is a 75.   That means no ribbons will be given for that category and it will not have a winner.   What we don't want to do is give a ribbon to everyone that enters.   We want to only give ribbons that meet the minimum score.  

The Board of Directors may cancel a scheduled competition for any month.   Entries MUST be received by 7:00 p.m. to qualify.

ELIGIBILITY

 

1. Any Active or Associate member, in good standing, may enter a monthly competition.  
2. The member must be present to have their entry judged.   Print scores will not be recorded for those not present.  
3. New Active and Associate members may participate in monthly competition beginning the month following their approval as member by the general membership.
4. Only one entry can be submitted per entrant per month.
5. A transparency (minimum size of 4x5) may be entered instead of a print.   Entrant must furnish a light box for viewing.
6. A folio with at least eight (8) proof size prints of the same subject (in the appropriate month).  
7. A wedding album containing prints from the same event.
8. The entry must have been captured and created by the entrant.
9. The entrant's name or studio name shall not appear visible anywhere on the face of the entry.  
10. No entry will be eligible that has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment.
11. Entries previously merited at any PPA affiliated Judging are not eligible, including any image from a merited album.
12. All prints must have a title.  

SPECIAL CATEGORY COMPETITIONS

 

From time to time, the Vice President of Skills Development will declare a particular month's competition a Folio Night, or a Wedding Album Night.   When this occurs, entries that are voted on must comply with the category and ribbons will be awarded to those entries only.   However, any entries that comply with the regular competition rules will be recorded as counting towards the FWPPA members Texas School Scholarship eligibility requirement.  

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

 

• The Photographer of the Year Award is based on monthly competition from January through November.  
• Competition scores for each month are tabulated and maintained from month to month by the Vice President of Skills Development or his/her competition chairperson.
• The person with the highest total score after the November monthly competition will be named Photographer of the Year and will receive a plaque at the December FWPPA meeting.  

 

DAVE CISCO MEMORIAL TEXAS SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP

 

1. To honor Dave Cisco, a long time FWPPA member, a Texas School Tuition Scholarship, limited to tuition fees will be awarded at the December FWPPA meeting annually.
2. Competition for this award is based on 11 months of competition from January through November of the current calendar year.
3. Each entry in the monthly competition will be eligible for one(1) entry into the drawing for the Texas School Scholarship.
4. New Active and Associate members approved for membership during the period of a Texas School Scholarship eligibility year may enter beginning the month following their approval as members by the general membership.
5. The winner of the year's Texas School Tuition Scholarship will be determined by a drawing held at the December meeting of FWPPA with the names of all the eligible participants being placed in the drawing with the appropriate number of entries - 1 month entered = 1 entry, 4 months = 4 entries, etc.   The winner need not be present at the drawing to win.