DPPA Print Competition Rules

Dallas PPA Print Competition Rules: 

Amended April 2, 2018

Who may enter print competition
a.  Active, Aspiring, or Lifetime Members in good standing with DPPA may enter print competition.

Classification of entries in Photographic Division

 a.      Scenic (nature and landscapes) - Scenes or elements from nature where people are not the dominant feature of the image.

 b.      Illustrative - Images such as photographic art, photojournalism, architectural, commercial, or other images that do not fit any of the other categories. Portraits and wedding images are not appropriate for this category.

 c.       Portrait - Photographs of individuals or groups (exceptions - those that meet the criteria for illustrative or wedding category).

 d.      Wedding - Any photographic print from a bridal portrait session or wedding event.

 e.       Wedding Album - All photographs must be of the same wedding assignment. May contain images from an engagement or bridal portrait session. Albums must be a minimum of 8x8 in size and meet minimum of 20 images. No multiple volume albums are allowed. Each spread may contain as many images as you desire. An entry shall contain a minimum of 5 spreads up to 36 spreads. Any studio identification or entrant's name in the album must be covered.

 f.       General Album - Albums may be of any subject except wedding events (bridal and engagement portrait albums with no images from a wedding event may be entered in this category). For instance, a general album may be a portrait album, commercial album, illustrative album, etc. No two-volume albums are allowed. If an album entry is from a multi-maker, it will be judged as one entry but shall be counted as the album entry of each photographer with images in the album. Each participating photographer must have a minimum of 10 of his or her images represented in the album. The album entrants must have created all the images within the album. No other photographer’s images are allowed.

 

Print Competition Rules

 a.      Print judging will be conducted at the DPPA general meetings. The competition is scheduled to be held each month at the general DPPA meeting except the months of Little Red Schoolhouse and December.

 b.      Each entrant is allowed to enter one print or one album in the Photographic Division and may also enter one print in the Artist Division per monthly competition.

 c.       Print size shall range from a minimum of 80 square inches before matting to a maximum of 24 inches on the long side with matting. Print entries must be mounted on standard mount materials (double weight mat board, gator board, ¼” foam or Sintra). Recommended mounting thickness is 1/8” to 3/8”. Images on metal and mounted on another standard material must have rounded corners and smooth edges. No mount that could potentially damage other entries or pose a danger to print handlers will be accepted. Masonite, glass, stretcher frames, or conventional frames will not be accepted. 

 d.      Exceptions to size requirements for prints being prepared for outside competitions may, based upon entrant’s statement as to the reason for the variation, be accepted at the discretion of the Skills Director. Please be advised that scores may be affected. 

 e.       Names of individuals or studios may not appear on the front of any print or on the front or inside of any album. (May be taped over.)

 f.       Prints and albums that have been previously entered in any professional competition are not eligible.

  g.     Images may only be entered once, whether they are a single print, an image in an album or an element in a collage or composite.  Images begin their journey at DPPA. Images entered into any other competition are ineligible for entry into DPPA (including lateral entrances-other guilds). Once entered into DPPA, that image can only be entered once into DPPA and cannot be reworked and entered again. When you register your entrance in another competition, that registration/entrance date is your date in which the image is no longer viable.

 h.      No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment.

 i.        Entrant must have captured and created the original exposure(s) in the Photographic Division. (If entering the Artist Division please refer to its regulations)

 j.        A $7.00 fee will be assessed per competition. Entrant may enter both divisions with one fee.

 k.      It is acceptable for a print to be entered by another party to meet print competition deadline. However, entrants must be present during the announcement of the awards to maintain eligibility.

 l.        A title is required for each entry. 

 m.    Once a print or album is entered, no changes of any kind may be made by the entrant. Entries are displayed in the order in which they are received.

 n.      Five Master photographers will judge the entries. If five Masters are not available, then Craftsmen or qualified persons (as deemed by the Board) will be asked to judge.

  o.      All entries for the competition must be registered and labeled by the print chair NO LATER THAN 6:45pm. Print judging shall begin when the judges’ clipboards and score sheets are issued by the print chairman.

 p.      Scoring shall be based upon the following standards:
                    Exceptional 100-95
                      Superior 94-90
                      Excellent 89-85
                      Deserving of a Merit 84-80
                      Above Average 79-76
                      Average 75-74
                      Acceptable 73-70

 q.      Ribbons will be awarded for first and second place in each category. These prints or albums must have a minimum score of 400 to qualify for First or Second place ribbons.

 r.       In the case of a tie, cumulative scores will be considered. If still a tie, both entrants will be awarded a ribbon, with the exception of the high print or album score for the month (traveling trophy).  In the case of a cumulative score tie for the traveling trophy, judges will reconvene to discuss their scores and break the tie. The winner will keep the trophy until the next meeting.

 s.       When the trophy is returned the following month, the winner will receive a trophy ribbon for the previous month’s high score. In the event the trophy is not returned, the winner holding the trophy will present it to the new winner within 48 hours.

 t.        Print scores will be accumulated throughout the year and published on the DPPA website.

 u.      Individual judge’s scores will be kept confidential, but entrants are free to discuss their scores with the judges. Please use good manners when discussing scores or print competition with judges or other competitors.

 v.      The DPPA Board of Directors will settle any disputes arising from the competition. All decisions by the board are final.

w.    Members should only be able to compete as one member type. If a membership status changes, the member must enter four images under the new membership type to qualify for EOY awards. To qualify as Photographer of the Year, a member must have entered 8 times under one specific membership status.

Artist Division – NEW 2016

This division is for composites, paintings, and other elements that extend beyond traditional retouching and changing the entire scope of the finished product. In addition to consideration of the 12 elements, the Artist Division evaluates the skill level of the artwork done to the image as well as creativity demonstrated by the maker. 

a.     Artist may use an image or images in their entry that were not photographed by them, the scoring in this category is more than judging just the final image.  

b.     Entries may be reproduced from existing photographs, portraits, graphics, or any other artwork so long as the entrant is prepared to provide appropriate written documentation indicating permission for usage. Artist does not need to have taken the photographic elements.

c.     All processing, manipulation, artwork, or rendering must be done by the entrant.

d.     No entry will be eligible that has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment.

e.     Entries in the artist division can include any subject.

f.     Guide prints are required for each entry and must be included on the face of the image either below or along the side artwork.

Competition Award Guidelines

a.      At the end of the year, the eight highest scores of each Active or Life member will be tallied to determine the “Photographer of the Year”. The trophies will be awarded at the annual holiday party. The “Photographer of the Year” award is based upon the total points earned from January through November of each year. The eight highest monthly scores will be added together for the participant’s total to compete for “Photographer of the Year”.  This is a singular award.

 b.      The four highest scores of each Active or Life member in each category will be tallied to determine the category winners.  The participant can enter all the categories over a given year, but must have minimum of 4 entries in a given category to be eligible for the award. There is a first and second place award. Albums with multi-makers will have the total monthly points given to each of the makers.

 c.        The “Best First Year Score” award is for Aspiring or Active members entering print competition for the first time. This award is limited to an individual who has not at any time previously entered the DPPA print competition. It is up to the individual to notify the Skills Director upon delivery of their first entry of their desire to compete for this award. An individual may enter each month in any of the categories. The individual entrant must be the sole maker of an album. (No multi-maker albums for this award.) The “Best First Year Top Score” award is based upon the points earned from January through November of each year. The FOUR highest monthly scores will be added together for the participant’s total to compete for the award. This is a singular award.

 d.      “Master Photographer of the Year” is for photographers who have been awarded their Master degree through PPA in January of each given year. At the end of the year, the six highest scores of each entrant will be tallied to determine the “Master Photographer of the Year”. This is a singular award.

 e.       “Aspiring Photographer of the Year Award” is for Aspiring members only. This award is based upon the points earned from January through November of each year. At the end of the year, the eight highest scores of each entrant will be tallied to determine the “Aspiring Photographer of the Year”. This is a singular award.

 f.       “CPP” award is for members who are Certified Professional Photographers. Active or Life members who compete for this award must enter four prints FOLLOWING certification. Prints entered prior to formal certification will not be eligible. It is the member’s responsibility to update their profile upon earning their CPP designation and notify the Skills Director when entering their first qualifying print. This is a singular award.

 g.      Special awards (Best Color, B/W, and Judges’ Choice) will be awarded based on single images throughout the year, and may be given to Active, Aspiring, or Life members.

End of the Year Awards

Portrait Category – 1^st & 2^nd Place

Scenic Category – 1^st & 2^nd Place

Illustrative Category – 1^st & 2^nd Place

Wedding Category – 1^st & 2^nd Place

Wedding Album – 1^st & 2^nd Place

General Album – 1^st & 2^nd Place

Artist Division – 1^st & 2^nd Place 

Photographer of the Year – Singular Award

Master Photographer of the Year – Singular Award

Aspiring Photographer of the Year – Singular Award

Best First Year – Singular Award

CPP – Singular Award

Best Color Image – Singular Award

Best Black and White Image – Singular Award

Judges’ Choice – Singular Award