Print Competition

Photographer of the Year 2008
Keith Evans

RULES

As a major portion of Skills Development we are instituting a new way to help all of our members improve their skills.   In the past we have held monthly competitions under the same guidelines of the PPA International Print Competition.   This was great for people working on their Masters Degree - but very expensive.   Also, most of us need to work more on the more traditional aspects of good photography, lighting, posing, composition and color harmony.   The PPA judging has been going on for so long now that traditional portraiture and wedding photography (the way we make our livings) have become routine and the judges do not score them well - moving the print competition towards a more modern art feel (lots of techniques mixed and less of the simple substance that makes images that you can actually sell to a client).   We are about to address these issues in a forum that should be more appealing to the working photographer.

1. There will be a monthly print competition/evaluation at every meeting except the December Holiday party.
2. Entries must be no smaller than 8x10 and no larger than 16x20, mounted, no frames or gallery wrap prints allowed.
3. Entries will be judged by our speaker and two members of the MPP.   All members are encouraged to vote for their favorite image.
4. The speaker will give a brief evaluation of each print after the program has ended.
5. The winners will be announced: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and members' choice.
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. 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).
9. Each member will get one entry into the Texas School Scholarship drawing for every entry.
10. Each member will receive fellowship points under competition at the rate of one half point for each entry and one point for each ribbon.
11. If a member enters every month the total number of entry points (51/2) will be increased to 8 points.
12. As an added incentive to continue to participate in the evaluations and MPP 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.
13. Taking the judging class will count as a special meeting towards your Fellowship.
14. You can not judge if you have a print entered so each time you judge you will receive one half point counted under competition.
15. 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.

The Board of Directors may cancel a scheduled competition for any month.   Entries MUST be received by 7:15 p.m. to qualify.

ELIGIBILITY

• Any Active or Associate member, in good standing, may enter a monthly competition.
• The member must be present to have their entry judged.   Print scores will not be recorded for those not present.
• New Active and Associate members may participate in monthly competition beginning the month following their approval as member by the general membership.
• Only one entry can be submited per entrant.
• Any mounted print 8x10 or larger.
• A transparency (minimum size of 4x5) may be enterd instead of a print.   Entrant must furnish a light box for viewing.
• A folio with at least eight (8) proof size prints of the same subject (in the appropriate month).
• A wedding album containing prints from the same event (in the appropriate month).
• The entry must have been captured and created by the entrant.
• The entrant's name shall not appear anywhere on the face of the entry.
• No entry will be eligible that has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment.
• Entries previously merited at any PPA affiliated Judging are not eligible including any image from a merited album.
• Titles are optional.

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 MPP members Texas School Scholarship eligibility requirement.

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

• The PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD is based on monthly competition from July of one year through June of the following year.
• Competition scores for each month are tabulated and maintained from month to month for each competition year by the Vice President of Skills Development or his/her competition chairperson.
• The person with the highest total score after the June monthly competition will be named Photographer of the Year and will receive a plaque at the July MPP meeting.

TEXAS SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP

1. A Texas School Tuition Scholarship, limited to tuition fees will be awarded at the December MPP meeting annually.
2. Competition for this award is based on eleven 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 MPP with the names of all the eligible participants being placed in the drawing with the appropriate number of entries - 1 month entered = 1 name, 4 months = 4 names, etc.   The winner need not be present at the drawing to win.

© Metroplex Professional Photographers, Inc. and other individuals.   All rights reserved.
MPP WebMeister: Rags Gardner at:  www.rags-int-inc.com
For feedback, please contact Metroplex Professional Photographers: President.