Photoshow 2024 – Member’s Instructions

PHOTOSHOW Overview

Photoshow is the name given to the members only competition that, traditionally, is the last competition to be held each season. Photoshow is also the name given to the annual exhibition that displays the competition entries after they have been judged. This is held in August each year and is open to the public.

Photoshow is an open competition which means that all members compete on the same level, i.e., there are no separate sections for Beginners, Intermediates or Advanced groups. Only images that have NOT been entered in a previous Photoshow competition may be entered.

The Photoshow competition has two Sections; Prints and Projected Digital Images (PDI). Up to ten images may be entered into either or both of these Sections. However, the same image (or one significantly similar) may not be entered into both Sections. Both Sections are divided into identical, specified Categories:-

  • Open Colour
  • Mono
  • Nature
  • People & Portraits
  • Scapes

An Image must be entered into only one of these Categories.

Two independent judges will be appointed – one for each Section. The judges will not be informed of the authorship of any images. All the entries will be judged. Each judge will be asked to select 1st, 2nd, 3rd and, at their discretion, to Commend images in each Category.

Accepted entries into the Photoshow Competition will be exhibited at the corresponding Photoshow the following August. Entry infers that LSAPS has, at its discretion, the right to use and display digital versions of any image to publicise Photoshow.

It is the winning individual’s responsibility to ensure the return of trophies on or before the hand-in evening for the following year’s competition.

NOTE: Trophies are not engraved with the winner’s name by LSAPS but before its return for the following year’s competition, the recipient may arrange to have their name inscribed on the trophy in the appropriate manner at their own cost.

RULES & Guidelines 

These Rules and Guidelines are to be applied in conjunction with the standard Rules Considerations and Guidelines that apply to all LSAPS Competitions.

Please read them carefully.

Eligibility  /  Acceptability
  • An image (or one significantly similar) that has already been entered into a previous Photoshow is not eligible.
  • An image (or one significantly similar) may only be used once, in one Section (Print or PDI) and in one Category within this competition.
  • Colour and monochrome versions from one image are likely to be considered the same image, unless the artistic treatment is significantly different.
  • An image that includes identifiable children may be entered and accepted into the Photoshow competition even if the photographer does not have parental consent. If consent has not been confirmed, then the image in question may not be displayed on the LSAPS website.
Number of Entries

Members may submit any number of entries – up to a maximum of ten prints and/or up to a maximum of ten PDIs.

Priority Order

The current Photoshow exhibition venue, the Drive Methodist Church in St Annes, allows us space to display 300 mounted Prints. The PDIs are presented as a continuous projection and 30 minutes or less is the preferred length of the presentation. With a large entry, therefore, the total number of submissions may have to be reduced.

Consequently, members are required, when submitting entries, to give each of their images a PRIORITY ORDER number e.g., 1, 2, 10; where 1 = top priority, 10 = lowest preference. This is to indicate the order of priority in which their entries are to be accepted into the competition when such a reduction becomes necessary. With a large number of entries, images with a PRIORITY ORDER number of 10 or 9 are most likely to be at risk of being ‘excluded’ from the exhibition due to there not being enough space. Obviously, this is only likely to affect members who have entered the maximum number images. However, all the entries submitted will be judged.

If an entry with say, a 10 or 9 Priority Order number is excluded and subsequently, receives an award from the judge, then that successful image is automatically reinstated and accepted for display at the exhibition. (This does happen!) In this case, that member’s image with the nearest Priority Order number that has not received an award is excluded instead.

NOTE: Having been judged, any ‘excluded’ image is deemed to have been ‘entered’ into the competition and will, therefore, not be eligible for entry into future Photoshow competition.

Obviously, excluded’ images will not be displayed in the exhibition.

Competition Format

The competition comprises two separate and distinct Sections; one for Prints and the other for Projected Digital Images (PDI). Members may enter one or both Sections. The Print and PDI Sections both contain the following Categories:-

  • Open Colour
  • Mono
  • Nature
  • People & Portraits
  • Scapes

Each image must be entered into only one competition Category within the Section, i.e., an image cannot be entered into more than one Category.

Any number of images, subject to the maximum number of entries, may be entered, in any combination, into any of the specified Categories, e.g., all entries to one Section could be put into the same Category – provided, of course, that the images are all eligible for that particular category.

Nature images must be entered into the Nature Category. The PAGB Nature definition applies to Photoshow entries.  (See Categories below).

An image should not be entered into the Open Colour Category if it would clearly fit much better in and be best suited for a more specific Category, e.g., People & Portraits, Scapes etc.

CATEGORIES

Any number of images, subject to the maximum number of entries, may be entered, in any combination, into any of the specified categories, e.g., you could put all your entries into the same Category if you so wish – provided the images were all of a similar topic, e.g., say Scapes.

NOTE: Judges have been known to mark work down where it is in the incorrect category.

Open Colour – There is no restriction on image content, except that it must contain colour. However, if an image would clearly fit into a different category, e.g., People & Portraits or Scapes, you should enter it into that more suitable Category.

Mono – There is no restriction on image content, except that any image must be reproduced with a single tone, such as Black & White or Sepia. However, it is your choice if you want to enter a mono print into a different category, for example  e.g., People & Portraits or Scapes.

Note: Colour-popped images (where any part of the image is in colour) are not eligible and should be entered into a different category.

Nature – Images entered as Nature can have landscape, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter.

The PAGB Nature definition applies to Photoshow entries:-

“Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation. The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible. 

Processing of the captured image, by cropping, exposure adjustment, colour correction, noise minimisation, dodging/burning, HDR, focus stacking and sharpening, is allowed.

Cloning of image defects and minor distractions, including overlapping elements, are permitted when these do not distort the truth of the photographic statement. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as in zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.”

Composite images are not eligible for the Nature Category. Equally, Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement. 

People And Portraits – Images of people or a single person. Animal portraits are not permitted in this category. Images can be colour or monochrome.

Scapes – Any image depicting our physical environment – land, sea, urban, rural – is acceptable.  People and animals may be included in the scene as long as they are not the main subject. Images can be colour or monochrome.

In all categories, members are reminded of the LSAPS rules on display of images including children, which in summary states that images of children taken within the UK will not be displayed on the LSAPS website without the consent of a parent or guardian.

Prints and PDIs will be displayed at Photoshow but the onus of legality, etc., rests with the author.

Preparation of entries
Prints
  • Prints must be mounted (but not framed) in a standard 500 x 400mm mount.
  • An Image, including the front or the back of a print mount, must not display the member’s name.
  • The printed image, itself or images in the case of a Triptych* (see below), may be of any size and orientation within the dimensions of that standard mount.
  • The back of each Print must have no exposed adhesive tape and it is advised should be protected by a flush mounted backing board. Note that if a print is not backed with card, it is likely to be less robust and therefore probably more prone to damage.
  • The Print plus mount and backing must be no more than 4mm deep.
  • The front mount board may be any colour. However, black or white mounts are preferred for Photoshow as this helps simplify the display of entries at the exhibition venue.
  • *For a  Triptych Print entry in Photoshow, all three images in the set must be submitted on only one standard size mount board. 
  • A PDI copy of the Print entry must also be uploaded before the Closing Date on one standard size DPI file. This includes digital copies of Triptych Prints
 PDIs
  • All uploads must be in jpg/jpeg format, using sRGB colour space.
  • The image size should be a maximum of either 1600 pixels wide and/or 1200 pixels high.
  • NOTE: There is no requirement to pad out the smaller dimension to meet an overall image of 1600 x 1200 pixels, as this is handled by the competition software.
IDENTIFICATION of PRINTS
  • An Image, including the front or the back of a print mount, must not display the member’s name.
  • You must identify each Print with an Identifier Code on the back of the mount board., positioned in the top left hand corner to indicate the top of the image and its correct orientation.
  • The Identifier Code should be in the form X_Y_Z_Title’ where X = Category, Y = Member ID, Z = Priority Order and Title = Image Title. The Category Codes are:-
  • C – Open Colour
  • M – Open Mono
  • N – Nature
  • P – People & Portraits
  • S – Scapes

For Example

C_013_08_My Picture

indicates that a Colour Print image has been submitted by Member number 13 that is 8th in their order of Priority which has been given the title My Picture.

IMPORTANT: The Title shown on the entry’s mount board must be exactly the same as the Title of the PDI copy uploaded.

NOTE: If the two Titles do not match one another the entry will not be accepted into the competition

HAND IN / SUBMITTING / UPLOADING entries
  • PRINTS Hand-in : Thursday evening 6th June 2024
  • PDIs: Photoshow Uploader closes at 1.00am 7th June 2024

PLEASE read the instructions on the Photoshow Uploader page very carefully.

PRINTS

Both the mounted Prints and their PDI copies must be handed in and uploaded to the website by the time the Photoshow Uploader closes – at 1 o’clock the morning after the last hand in evening.

NOTE: Failure to submit one of the two entry requirements in time will mean that the image will not be accepted.

Both the Print and its PDI copy must bear exactly the same TITLE.

PDI

Entries to the PDI Section and PDI copy Prints must be submitted using the LSAP website Photoshow Uploader.

Go To Photoshow Uploader