:: Rules

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION RULES
All new rules for 2009! Please read thoroughly!
 
The purpose of this competition is to allow photographers to enter photographic prints, CD albums and/or albums to be judged relative to the 12 Elements of a Merit Print. (For more information go to http://competitions.ppa.com  International Competitions).

PPA members are eligible to achieve PPA Exhibition Merits toward the Master of Photography Degree. These rules pertain to images entered as prints created by traditional hotographic processes as well as those captured electronically with a digital camera or scanner.

Click here to register for the 2009 Internationl Print Competition

ELIGIBILITY

  1. Entrant must have captured and created the original exposure.
  2. Any entry which has been reproduced from an existing photograph, portrait, graphic or any other artwork produced by another person is a violation of the competition rules and will not be judged, accepted, or displayed.  If an entry, in the good-faith opinion of the Photographic Exhibition Committee, violates copyright, trademark or any other applicable law that entry shall be disqualified.
  3. The entrant’s name shall not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
  4. A maximum of four entries may be submitted per entrant.
  5. No entry will be eligible that has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment.
  6. No two entries shall be of the same subject.
  7. Entries previously merited at any PPA International Competition are not eligible including any image from a merited album.
  8. Entries bearing the PPA Affiliated Exhibition Seal of Approval submitted according to the rules of entry will be automatically accepted for exhibition only when submitted to the next PPA International Competition immediately following the Regional competition where awarded.
  9. Entry media includes photographic prints, CD albums and albums.
  10. If an image Merits in any category of PPA competition it may not be entered again in any other category at any time by any entrant.  No image that receives a Merit may be entered more than once under any condition.

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION CATEGORIES

  1. COMMERCIAL consists of Commercial and Industrial entries. If a tear sheet is included, enclose it in an envelope attached to the back, top, center of the entry.
  2. PHOTOGRAPHIC OPEN consists of Portrait, Illustrative, Wedding, and Album entries.


MOUNTING

  1. Print entries must be permanently mounted on standard mount material. (e.g. 3x mat board, gator board, ¼” foam or sintra.) No masonite, glass, stretcher or conventional frames are allowed.
  2. Images of any shape and size are allowed and must be mounted on 16 x 20 mount board.
  3. (recommended mounting thickness is 1/8" to       3/8")
  4. No material may be added to the front or back of an entry that may damage another entry.
  5. Exception: PPA Master of Photography Degree holders may submit images of any shape and size on a mount board a minimum of 80 square inches to a maximum of 480 square inches, with the largest dimension no longer than 24". 

 

ALBUM ENTRIES

EVENTS:    Use this category for time-sensitive
social events such as weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.
NON-EVENTS: Use this category for portrait and storytelling albums.
NOTE: Multi maker and single maker albums will be judged as one category.

Traditional Album Entry

  1. Album covers must be between 63-400 square inches.
  2. No multiple volume albums are allowed.
  3. Any studio identification or entrant’s name in the traditional album must be covered.


CD Format Album Entry
See TUTORIAL at http://competitions.ppa.com International Competitions.

  1. Non-rewritable CDs are required for CD album entries.
  2. All files MUST be a horizontal canvas size of 2560 x 1600 pixels color space sRGB, JPEG at Quality setting 12 (That doesn’t mean you can’t have vertical images. See tutorial)
  3. Each canvas/file may be a single album side or a spread with as many images as you desire.
  4. An entry may contain up to 36 “Canvases/files”
  5. Identify Canvas/files in the order to be viewed using two digits i.e. 01 jpg, 02 jpg, 03 jpg, etc.)
  6. Canvas/file 01jpg MUST be blank - filled with BLACK
  7. All Canvas/files for one entry Must be in one folder named with your, Entry #, PPA# and Title of Entry in that order. i.e. 1-49881 Endless Love
  8. Limit (1) album entry per CD.
  9. Entrant’s Name/s plus, Entry #, PPA#/s, and Title MUST be written directly on the CD for identification. NOTE: In order to prevent jamming, NO labels can be affixed to the CD! Use the Official Entry Form and jewel case label.
  10. Studio identification or entrant’s name cannot appear on any file within the album entry.


NOTE:   In the case of any Multi-Maker album entries:

  1. The makers of a multi-maker album MUST belong to the same Regional to be eligible for the Seal of Approval. If they do not, the album may be entered at the International Judging to be eligible for merit.
  2. Each entrant must pay the appropriate entry fee.
  3. Each album or CD jewel case must have the official entry label with the names and PPA #s for each entrant.
  4. Images in the album must be the work of the entrants, with a minimum of 20 images per entrant.
  5. Multi-maker albums will be judged as one entry.


DEADLINES AND FEES

  1. $95.00 for PPA members received by 5:00 PM on  May 1, 2009
  2. $155.00 for PPA members received after 5:00 PM on May 1, 2009 but before 5:00 PM on  May 22, 2009.
  3. $160.00 for all non-members received by 5:00 PM on May 1, 2009
  4. $220.00 for all non-members received after 5:00 PM on May 1, 2009 but before 5:00 PM on  May 22, 2009.

Participants may now upload digital files of their competition images for consideration for use in publications like the General and Loan Collection books, Professional Photographer Magazine, PPA promotions and PPA.com. View the FILE SPECIFICATIONS.


SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. For any entry to be returned, it must be shipped in an approved print case. Or, entries may be shipped in any serviceable box but they will not be returned. .(For more information go to http://competitions.ppa.com  International Competitions).
  2. Ship to: PPA Print Exhibition, 5100 N. 27th, Suite A2-391, Lincoln, NE 68521
  3. PPA assumes no responsibility for damage to entries or print cases.
  4. Images shipped in an Approved Print Case will be returned within 30 days of the conclusion of Imaging USA.
  5. Entries accepted into the Loan Collection will not be returned.


Note: Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification of entry. The decision of the Photographic Exhibitions Committee is final.