Merit Image Review Rules

The purpose of this review is to allow photographers to enter photographic digital files, and/or digital albums to be judged against a standard of excellence using the 12 Elements of a Merit Image. Through this review, PPA members are also eligible to achieve PPA exhibition merits toward the Master of Photography degree.

Following the review, entrants will be notified via the PPA website of their achievement. Press releases will also be available for download from the PPA website for Merit and/or Image Excellence entries.

These rules pertain to images entered digital files created by any photographic processes. All entries must be registered at PPA.com.

1. Entrants may submit a digital files, digital albums, or a combination for judging at PPA.com. (Maximum of 4 entries per degree per month. A maximum of 8 exhibition merits per year for each degree.)
2. Entrants are required to upload a digital file for each image entered.
3. No changes to your entry are permitted once the entry deadline has passed.
4. Entrants must be PPA members to submit in the Photographic Open review.

ELIGIBILITY

1. The Master of Photography Degree Image Review is to show the photographic knowledge and skillset of the maker. However, a maker can use supporting photographic elements that they did not create, provided those elements are referenced as guide images on the face of the entry. The original photographic capture by the entrant should be merit-worthy independent of the work that was not their own. Elements created by the maker must not be part of the guide images. This includes images within an album entry.
2. All processing, manipulation, or rendering, were done by the entrant or under their direct supervision.
3. The entrant has obtained and has access to all necessary releases (model or property) and agrees to hold PPA harmless against all claims and liabilities arising out of PPA's display, publication, and promotion or other use of each image submitted to PPA.
4. The entrant's name shall not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
5. No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed. Images created in an educational environment under direct supervision from an instructor are ineligible.
6. Any entry that has been created from an existing photograph, portrait, graphic, or any other artwork produced by another person is a violation of the review rules. If an entry, in the good-faith opinion of PPA, violates copyright, trademark, or any other applicable law, that entry shall not be displayed or published.
7. Once an image has been awarded an exhibition merit in any category of PPA image review, it may not be entered again in any other category or review, at any time, by any entrant. No image that receives a merit may be entered more than once under any condition, including any image from a merited album.
8. Images not of acceptable PPA exhibition content will be reviewed for Merit and Image Excellence but may not be displayed. The decision of acceptable content will be based on the standards set by the National Gallery in Washington, DC, and at the discretion of PPA.
9. Entries of the same subject in multiple images will be allowed, as long as the images are entirely different concepts.

MASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY DEGREE TAGS

You must designate one of the below tags for each entry.

• PORTRAIT: Consists of portrait images.
• ILLUSTRATIVE: Consists of commercial/industrial images, scenic, pictorials, digital paintings, and similar subject matter. Portraits and weddings are not appropriate for this category.
• REPORTAGE: Images that illustrate an actual public or non-public event, life, an area of human interest, telling news that has meaning in the context or record of events, high impact, and/or lasting emotional response. Images that illustrate sporting events are included in this category. ONLY basic color and brightness adjustments, cropping, dodging, and burning in are allowed. Only single-capture images will be accepted. Composite and multiple exposure images will not be accepted. The originally captured image (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by the committee.
• ALBUM: consists of portrait and story-telling albums.

DIGITAL IMAGE ENTRIES

1. All page/spread files must be a maximum of 3840 pixels on the longest side and a maximum of 2160 on the tallest side, have an embedded color profile of either sRGB or Adobe RGB1998, and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 12.

DIGITAL ALBUM ENTRY

1. All page/spread files must be a maximum of 3840 pixels on the longest side and a maximum of 2160 on the tallest side, have an embedded color profile of either sRGB or Adobe RGB1998, and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 12.
2. Each page/spread file may contain as many images as you desire.
3. An entry shall contain a minimum of 5 page/spread files up to 36 page/spread files.
4. Files are to be numbered in viewing order using three digits, i.e. 001 jpg, 002 jpg, 003 jpg, etc.
5. All individual files must be compressed into a single ZIP file. ZIP file must be named: Album Title.zip (e.g. Summer Wedding.zip).
6. Studio identification or entrant's name cannot appear on any file within the album entry.

Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification of entry. The decision of PPA is final.

The purpose of this review is to allow the entrant to demonstrate their art skills and expertise in pursuit of the PPA Master Artist degree. Entries will be reviewed for digital, artistic, and technical proficiency. Entries can be created using digital or traditional art (such as painting and airbrush) or a combination of both. Through this review, PPA members are also eligible to achieve PPA Artist Exhibition Merits toward the PPA Master Artist degree.

1. All entries must be registered at PPA.com.
2. Entrants submit digital files for review.
3. Entrants are required to upload a digital file for each image entered.
4. No changes to your entry are permitted once the entry deadline has passed.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Entries may be created in various artistic mediums. Photographs may be used in this category in creating an entry, but it is not a requirement. Entries may include freehand drawing or painting in traditional or digital applications. Entries can include stock photography, photographs, or artwork from another artist (s) with written consent to use those sources. Documentation may be requested by PPA before, during, or after the review. If an entry, in the good-faith opinion of the International Photographic Competition Committee, violates copyright, trademark, or any other applicable law and cannot be proven otherwise, that entry shall be disqualified and merits revoked if issued.
2. All processing, manipulation, artwork, or rendering must be done by the entrant.
3. Guide images must be included on the face of the entry.
4. No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed.
5. Entries of the same subject in multiple images will be allowed as long as the images are entirely different concepts.
6. Once an image has been awarded an exhibition merit in any category of PPA image review, it may not be entered again in any other category or review, at any time, by any entrant. No image that receives a merit may be entered more than once under any condition The entrant’s name shall not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
7. Maximum of 4 entries per degree per month. A maximum of 8 exhibition merits per year for each degree.
8. Entrants need to be PPA members to compete in the Artist Competition.

ARTIST COMPETITION TAGS

You must designate one of the below tags for each entry.

• Artist Open

DIGITAL IMAGE ENTRIES

1. Files must be sized to a maximum width of 3840 pixels and a maximum height of 2160 pixels. Each file must contain an embedded color profile of either sRGB or Adobe RGB1998 and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 12.

The purpose of this review is to allow photographers to enter photographic digital files, or digital albums to be judged against a standard of excellence using the 12 Elements of a Merit Image. In addition to the twelve elements, for an image to be merit-worthy in the wedding review, an additional evaluation will be considered for the entries that illustrate the personality of the subject or subjects and the story of the wedding as well as the artistic and technical skills of the image-maker. Jurors will keep in mind that the maker has limited control over many aspects of a wedding. For example, subject matter, environment, and time of day. Ultimately, additional consideration will be given to the maker for technically and artistically executing at a merit level despite the challenges involved at a typical wedding.

Through this review, PPA members are also eligible to achieve The PPA Master of Wedding Photography degree.

Images and all elements of an image in the Wedding review must be created in connection with an actual wedding. The entrant or entrants must have captured all elements of the final submission from that wedding. Images in the Wedding review should reflect the personality or personalities of the subject(s) or the story of the wedding as well as the personality, artistic and technical skills of the image-maker. Images should include some kind of visual wedding reference(s). The originally captured image (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by PPA.

These rules pertain to images entered as digital files, or digital albums created by traditional photographic processes as well as those captured electronically with a digital camera or scanner:

1. All entries must be registered at PPA.com.
2. Entrants may submit a case of either digital files, digital albums, or a combination for judging. Maximum of 4 entries per degree per month. A maximum of 8 exhibition merits per year for each degree. Entrants are required to upload a digital file for each image entered.
3. No changes to your entry are permitted once the entry deadline has passed.
4. Entrants must be PPA members to submit in the Wedding Review.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Entrant must have captured and created the original exposure or exposures during the time constraints of the wedding.
2. All processing, manipulation or rendering, were done by the entrant or under their direct supervision.
3. The entrant has obtained and has access to all necessary releases (model or property) and agrees to hold PPA harmless against all claims and liabilities arising out of PPA’s display, publication and promotion or other use of each image submitted to PPA.
4. The entrant’s name shall not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
5. No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed. Images created in an educational environment under direct supervision from an instructor are ineligible.
6. Any entry that has been created from an existing photograph, portrait, graphic or any other artwork produced by another person is a violation of the review rules and will not be judged, accepted or displayed. If an entry, in the good-faith opinion of PPA, violates copyright, trademark or any other applicable law, that entry shall not be displayed or published.
7. Entries of the same subject in multiple images will be allowed, as long as the images are entirely different concepts. 
8. Once an image has been awarded an exhibition merit in any category of PPA review, 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, including any image from a merited album.
9. Images not of acceptable PPA exhibition content will be reviewed for Merit and Image Excellence but may not be displayed. The decision of acceptable content will be based on the standards set by the National Gallery in Washington, DC and at the discretion of PPA.

WEDDING COMPETITION TAGS

You must designate one of the below tags for each entry.

• WEDDING OPEN
• WEDDING ALBUM

TAG DESCRIPTIONS

WEDDING OPEN: Images can portray a subject or subjects from all aspects of a wedding including traditional portraits, candids or detail work.

SINGLE MAKER WEDDING ALBUM: Multiple images combined into a digital album collection exclusively showcasing a specific wedding.

MULTI‐MAKER WEDDNG ALBUM: Images in the album must be the work of the two entrants, with a minimum of 20 images per entrant. Each entrant must individually enter the competition and pay appropriate entry fees. Multi‐maker Wedding albums will be judged as one entry.

DIGITAL IMAGE ENTRIES

1. Files must be sized to a maximum width of 3840 pixels and a maximum height of 2160 pixels. Each file must contain an embedded color profile of either sRGB or Adobe RGB1998 and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 12.

DIGITAL ALBUM ENTRY

1. All page/spread files must be a maximum of 3840 pixels on the longest side and a maximum of 2160 on the tallest side, have an embedded color profile of either sRGB or Adobe RGB1998, and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 12.
2. Each page/spread file may contain as many images as you desire.
3. An entry shall contain a minimum of 5 page/spread files up to 36 page/spread files.
4. Files are to be numbered in viewing order using three digits, i.e. 001 jpg, 002 jpg, 003 jpg, etc.
5. All individual files must be compressed into a single ZIP file. ZIP file must be named: Album Title.zip (e.g. Summer Wedding.zip).
6. Studio identification or entrant's name cannot appear on any file within the album entry.

MULTI‐MAKER ALBUM

Images in the album must be the work of two entrants, with a minimum of 20 images per entrant. Each entrant must individually enter the review and pay appropriate entry fees. Multi‐maker albums will be reviewed as one entry. Each entrant must use the same title when entering a multi‐maker album.

Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification of entry. The decision of PPA is final.