POTY Competition Rules and Entering

General

1. Club competitions are open to all paid up club members
2. Club competition titles and dates will be circulated to members at the beginning of the competition year (normally in advance) and can be see via PhotoEntry
3. There are 5 rounds in total - 3 DPI and 2 Print
4. A maximum of 3 images can be submitted per round
5. Entries must be uploaded no later than midnight on the date shown in the programme and confirmed by the closing date PhotoEntry
6. The winner in each section is the Photographer with the highest score from their 12 best images
7. Images cannot have been submitted within any previous POTY competition
8. Images must be all your own work. This includes all elements of a composite image.
9. Use of AI tools is restricted to permitted photo correction, image sharpening and removal of distractions as permitted under YPU rules.
10. Prints may be home or commercially printed.
11. The Club reserves the right to publish any submitted images on the club website and to use them within inter-club competitions
12. The Programme and Competitions Group shall have the right to reject an entry which in their opinion does not conform to the rules. Images depicting explicit sexual content, violence, acts of a criminal nature, or racism, etc. may not be accepted.
13. Should it be found that an image entered for a competition is not created by the author then any marks awarded to that entrant in the competition will be deleted.
14. PhotoEntry is an online application, allowing photographers to submit their digital entries directly from their computer or tablet.
15. PhotoEntry will be used to enter DPI's and also digital copies of prints.

Club competitions will be split into two sections:

1. Open: For which all members are eligible. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Places will be awarded to a members highest scoring image.
2. Endeavour: For which new members to the club are eligible, until such a time they progress to the Open standard. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Places will be awarded to a members highest scoring image.

A member will progress to the Open Section at the end of a competition year after they gain a 1st Open competition position, two 2nd Open competition positions, or, three 3rd Open positions within a competition year. A member will also progress to the Open Section following a win of the Endeavour Trophy.  Members joining who possess PAGB or RPS qualifications will automatically join in the Open section.  Members in the Endeavour section attaining PAGB or RPS qualifications during the season will progress at the start of the following season.

Image Format and Size

1. Each digital image: maximum resolution 1600px wide, 1200px high
2. Maximum image file size: >2mb (if it’s bigger the upload will fail) and in sRGB colour space. The PPI setting of the images is not relevant.
3. All DPI entries, including mono must comply with size and colour space requirements.
4. All digital images must be submitted online using the PhotoEntry website. Entries will not be accepted on memory sticks or by email.
5. For all PCC Print competitions the Mount sizes must be exactly 400mm x 500mm . Smaller sized mounts are not permitted. This is to allow prints to be eligible for most external competitions. The image itself can be of any size that the author feels is appropriate.
6. Each print that is entered must be accompanied by a digital copy.
7. The entrants name or initials must not appear on the face of the print or mount.
8. Prints should be titled and must be clearly marked on the back with only the print title, membership number (found on PhotoEntry) and the Member's section (eg Title, Member No., Open). Members' names and addresses or other stickers must not be included or if they are, they must not be visible. Only the print title may be repeated on the front of the mount.  Labelling should match the intended orientation of the print so judges are clear in all cases which way to judge the image.