Open competitions are held monthly, for either Prints or Projected Digital (PDI) Images. The best entries (in the opinion of the judge) are given a grade of Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended, and these results contribute to the relevant annual awards as listed below. The annual Master Photographer competition takes place toward the end of the season and requires entries from the selected themes specified for the season. In the last month, and Images of the Year competition ranks the best of the season.
ANNUAL AWARD CATEGORIES
- The NAPC Photographer of the Year award is presented to the member who has gained the highest total of points from the monthly competitions of that season, across both sections.
- The PDI Worker of the Year award is presented to the member who has gained the highest total of points from the PDI monthly competitions.
- The Print Worker of the Year award is presented to the member who has gained the highest total of points from the Print monthly competitions.
- NAPC Images of the Year awards are made to the winners of each of the three sections (Colour Print, Mono Print, and PDI), in the annual Images of the Year competition.
- The Themed Challenge Competition is to encourage members to shoot to specific brief and to introduce new work.
GENERAL COMPETITION RULES
Rule 1 Members must have photographed the entries themselves, including those used in digital work. Copies or derivatives of other people’s work will not be accepted into any competition.
Rule 2 There will be five monthly rounds, each with an open theme. There is no time limit as to when the pictures were taken.
Rule 3 Two rounds will be restricted to Prints, when members may enter THREE prints MAXIMUM. They can be any combination of Monochrome or Colour. Prints must be designated 1, 2, and 3. In the event of a high number of entries, image 3 will be withdrawn. Note: The Master Photographer series gives an additional opportunity for print entry, as an alternative to PDI.
Rule 4 Three rounds will be restricted to PDI, when members may enter THREE Projected Digital Images MAXIMUM. PDI filenames must be designated _01, _02, and _03. In the event of a high number of competition entries, image _03 will be withdrawn. The withdrawn image may be entered in a subsequent monthly competition.
Rule 5 Entries must be presented on the dates indicated in the Club Programme which can now be found on HERE
Rule 6 Judges are asked to give ‘maximum consideration’ to the critique of all entries, particularly to help the less experienced photographers. The judges are also asked to grade any number of images, which they consider to be of extra merit, using the categories Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Highly Commended. Some will indicate a “near-miss”.
For the purpose of the end of the year awards, (Photographer, PDI Worker, and Print Worker, of the Year), all entered images in the ‘monthly competition’ will receive at least one point, whilst Highly Commended to Gold will receive a total of 2 to 5 points respectively.
Rule 7 Any Print or PDI may be submitted for a monthly competition only once, unless previously withdrawn due to unmanageable high numbers, and must not have been used in the Master Photographer series. If the image is subsequently produced in a different format it may be submitted once again, but not in the same season.
Rule 8 To be eligible for any competition, the entrant must be a fully subscribed member of Newton Abbot Photographic Club.
Rule 9 Titles are required for Projected Digital Images. Titles are optional, but preferred, for prints. There must be no names on entries, only the membership number.
Rule 10 All submissions must be accompanied by completed entry form, which is downloadable from the website. The entry form can be downloaded as a PDF or WORD document.
RULES SPECIFIC TO PRINTS
- Entries must be mounted on card, (or similar), with a size of 50cm x 40cm.
- Framed or glass mounted submissions cannot be accepted.
RULES SPECIFIC TO PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGES (PDI)
- Projected Digital Images may be sourced from either digital camera files, or digitally scanned objects and / or photographic film images.
- All entries must be submitted by email, before midnight on the published dates, and must be supplied as simple attachments to the email, and must NOT be embedded. The email address is given on the entry form, which should also be attached to the email.
- Files must be carefully named to include your chosen title (max 30 characters), prefixed with your membership number, followed by _01, _02, or _03.
Example filename 010_01 Cat in a Coal-shed.jpg
The title should reflect the exact requirements of the member, including dis-played capitalisation and spaces, with hyphens, ( – ), only where appropriate. The use of the three-digit Membership Number, followed by an underscore (_), not a hyphen (-), followed by the 2-digit number, is fundamental to the competition software now used by NAPC. It also continues to allow the flexibility to limit entry numbers when required.
The organisers take no responsibility for misinterpreting the entrants’ requirements when not in the above format.
- JPG files should be provided within a 1600 x 1200 pixel overall landscape format, and must not exceed 2MB. The maximum width for a landscape image is there-fore 1600 pixels, and the maximum height for a portrait image is 1200 pixels. A 1600 x 1200 jpg image, at quality 10 or higher in Photoshop, will normally be less than 2MB. When resizing in the Image Size Windows Dialog box of your soft-ware, only the pixel width and height are important – ignore document physical width, height, and pixels per inch (ppi).
- The actual photographic image content may be of any size, orientation and aspect ratio, at or within the 1600 x 1200 pixel file format.
- Digital projectors are designed for use with images prepared in the sRGB colour space ICC profile. NAPC, in common with most clubs, now uses competition software which will remake your image if it is not provided in this colour space, or is over-size. All image editors – e.g. Photoshop, give the entrant the facility to provide SRGB originals.
RULES SPECIFIC TO IMAGES OF THE YEAR (IOY)
- PDI: TWO colour, TWO monochrome,
- Prints: TWO colour, TWO monochrome
- Members may not enter more than TWO in each category
- Colour Print
- Monochrome Print
- Colour PDI
- Monochrome PDI
THEMED CHALLENGE EVENINGS & THEMED CHALLENGE COMPETITION
Themed Challenge Evenings
Through-out the NAPC meetings season there will be four themed challenge nights, where members are invited to submit up to SIX digital images for constructive criticism and comment from attending members. The purpose of these evenings is to challenge members to take photographs on a specific topic or subject, and to then receive feedback from other members in order to improve (if necessary) the submitted images. The themes for the 2026/27 season, and the submission deadlines are –
- Monochrome* Deadline 08/09/2026
- Slow shutter speed Deadline 13/10/2026
- People working (inside or out) Deadline 10/11/2026
- Architecture Deadline 05/01/2027
Images submitted to the themed challenge evenings must be sent to napclaptop@gmail.com by midnight on the date specified as the deadline. Check the programme for dates of the actual themed evenings (normally one week following the deadline).
Images submitted to these evenings can later be used for the Themed Challenge Competition, either in their original form, re-worked, or even re-photographed. The rules for that competition are displayed below.
* Monochrome definition:
Monochrome describes images composed of a single hue or varying tones of a single colour (including black, white, and grey). Derived from Greek for “single colour,” it refers to creating visual depth using only one colour rather than a multi-colour palette, such as black-and-white photography. E.G. Sepia, selenium, blue, or other “toned” images are acceptable in this category.
A colour-popped image – e.g. where the majority of the image falls under the above description, but part of it has a specific colour or colours – must be entered as a colour image.
Images submitted to a Themed Challenge Evening can be of any age. However, if you wish to later enter them into the Themed Challenge Competition, they must have been taken in the 18 months PRIOR to the first meeting of the season. The reasons are thus:
- The Themed Challenge Evenings are a learning tool. Suggestions of the betterment of images can be applied to images taken at a later date.
- The Themed Challenge Competition is, in part, intended to encourage members to submit new work rather than relying on a back catalogue of images.
The Themed Challenge Competition Rules
This replaces the Master Photographer competition
1: There are FOUR specific themes: images submitted for this competition MUST comply with the themes.
2: Members can enter ONE IMAGE PER THEME, but do not have to enter all four themes.
3: All submitted images must be the work of the photographer submitting, and entries must have been created in the 18 month period prior to the start of the club’s meetings season. For ease of calculation, for the 2026/27 competition, NAPC will accept images taken on or after 1st January 2025.
4: Images generated by artificial intelligence are not permitted. However, altered images and composites are permitted, as long as they comply with the PAGB principles, which can be found on this link – https://thepagb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/guidance_ai.pdf .
5: Images entered into this competition do not have to have to have been submitted to a themed challenge evening, but each image entered must comply with the theme for which it was entered.
6: An image can only be entered into one theme –
e.g. In 2026/27 season, the four themes are/were Monochrome, Slow Shutter Speed, People Working and Architecture. A monochrome image taken on a long exposure at night, with a security officer in his place of work, that also features an architectural subject, cannot be entered into all themes: it is for the entrant to decide which theme best suits the image.
7: (a) All entries will be digital (no prints), and must be sent to napccomps@gmail.com by midnight on the date of the deadline specified in the club programme.
(b) JPG files should be provided within a 1600 x 1200 pixel overall landscape format, and must not exceed 2MB. The maximum width for a landscape image is therefore 1600 pixels, and the maximum height for a portrait image is 1200 pixels. A 1600 x 1200 jpg image, at quality 10 or higher in Photoshop, will normally be less than 2MB. When resizing in the Image Size Windows Dialog box of your soft-ware, only the pixel width and height are important – ignore document physical width, height, and pixels per inch (ppi).
(c) All images should be saved in the sRGB. Instructions as to how to convert to sRGB varies from program to program, so please check the instructions for whatever editing software you use.
NOTE Images not compliant with 7(b) & (c) MIGHT still be accepted, but NAPC cannot be held responsible should you image not be displayed correctly by the club’s projection software.
9: Judging will take place on an evening specified in the club programme and will be by member vote, where members choose their top three images in each theme. The tally will be calculated using the Excel[TM] Scoresheet first introduced for the 2025/26 Image of the Year competition.
9: Members MUST NOT vote for their own image, no matter how superior the photographer considers it to be.
10: Images used in this competition can also be entered into the Image of the Year competition, and the scores for the themed images will be used in determining Photographer of the Year, in the same fashion as other competitions. That is to say, each image will be awarded 1 point to count towards Photographer of the Year. 4th placed images will be awarded 2 points, 3rd will be awarded 3 points, 2nd will be awarded 4 points, and 1st will be awarded 5 points.
WHAT DO JUDGES CONSIDER?
The following is taken from PAGB e-news – Lots of interesting articles, you can subscribe to their newsletters or download from http://www.pagbnews.co.uk/
DO I LIKE THIS PHOTOGRAPH? WHY? Perhaps 50% of the judges decision
Does it tell a story?
Does it make a statement?
Is it creative?
Does it show the subject in an unusual attractive way?
Does it use an interesting, fresh approach?
Does it utilise interesting techniques?
But … what could be changed to do this better?
SUBJECT MATTER AND CONTENT Perhaps 25% of the judges decision
Is this something that will provoke interest in others?
Something the viewer may not get to see due to travel opportunity/ early rising/field craft/etc.
Something you don’t notice because it is ordinary or familiar but shown in a new way.
PRODUCTION VALUES Perhaps 25% of the judges decision
Everything that goes into the creative process.
How was it made? How difficult was it?
What makes it different and/or better?
Composition, Lighting, Colour (or not)
Perspective, Viewpoint
Depth of Field, Angle of view
TECHNICAL (CRAFT, EXECUTION, PRESENTATION) Takes points off
Is the focus accurate and the exposure appropriate?
Is the centre of interest (subject) the sharpest point?
Is it appropriately sharpened? Is it “over sharpened”
Does the Depth of Field enhance the subject or distract from it?
Does the overall (and specific area) contrast/suit the subject?
Are dark areas blocked up?
Are bright areas burnt out?
Are the colours pleasing? (not necessarily correct).
Good Technical Quality and Technique do not in themselves ensure good photographs, but without them you reduce the chances considerably that the judge will view your work with respect.