Tynemouth Photographic Society
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TYNEMOUTH PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
COMPETITION RULES
TPS Competition Rules Update v1.01 – August 2024
COMPETITION RULES
TPS Competition Rules Update v1.01 – August 2024
COMPETITION RULES AND GUIDANCE ON THE USE OF A.I.
1 INTERNAL COMPETITIONS
TPS holds competitions throughout each season (September to May) on the dates shown in the programme.
There are four types of internal competitions.
1.1 Annual Award Competitions
1.2 Annual Panel of Three Projected Digital image
1.3 President’s Trophy
1.4 The Annual Print Exhibition
2 ELIGIBILITY FOR ENTRY
2.1 Entrants must accept these Competition rules
2.2 Entrants must be a paid-up member of TPS on date of entry into the competition
2.3 Except for the scanning or printing process, every part of the entry must be the work of the author.
2.4 Whilst every care will be taken of the author’s work, all entries are submitted at the author’s risk
3 ANNUAL AWARD COMPETITIONS
3.1 Categories: Each round of the competitions leading to Annual Awards have three separate categories as follows:
• Monochrome Prints
• Colour Prints
• Projected digital images (PDIs)
A monochrome print will be considered as one which consists of shades of one colour.
A coloured, or multi toned print will be considered as being Colour.
3.2 Sections: Members will enter in either the Preliminary or Advanced sections.
At the start of each season each member must nominate the section (Preliminary or Advanced) under which they wish to enter.
A preliminary member may decide for themselves to move up to the Advanced section, or, based on their performance in competitions or in external activities, may be asked to do so by the Committee.
3.3 Any print or projected digital image (PDI) is allowed to be entered only once in any category of competition, and cannot be entered again in any future Annual Awards competition. This also applies to any photograph that is so similar that it could be seen as being the same entered photograph.
3.4 Subject matter: All competitions are ‘open’ in terms of subject matter.
3.5 An external judge will comment on each entry and award 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, and at his or her discretion Highly Commended
3.6 Points will be awarded to each entry as follows:
• First place: 7 points
• Second place: 5 points
• Third place: 3 points
• Highly commended: 2 points
• Each entry (up to 2): 1 point
3.7 Points will be accumulated over the year, and trophies awarded at a presentation evening to overall winners in each category and each section. The trophies are held by the author for one year and are to be returned one month before the presentation evening the following year. Winners of 1st, 2nd and 3rd will also be given a certificate.
3.8 The Committee will reserve the right to
• Refuse to accept an entry
• Refuse to exhibit an entry
• Decide any issue not provided for in these rules
3.9 Unless specified to the contrary by the member at the time of entry, it is understood that entries to the competitions (prints and PDIs) are available for use by and on behalf of the Society for the purpose of display and entering Federation, Alliance, or other external completions.
4 ENTERING PRINT ANNUAL AWARD COMPETITIONS
4.1 There will be three rounds for both mono and colour prints in the season
4.2 Up to 2 entries are allowed in each round
4.3 Prints must be unframed and mounted on board not exceeding 50x40 cms, and 3 mm thickness. All entrants are encouraged to use 50x40cm mounts to maintain a club presentation standard and also to meet the NCPF and PAGB standard so that entries can be selected for external competitions.
4.4 The title must be clearly shown on the back of the mount, at the top left-hand corner (eg On The Beach). The authors name should not appear on the back of the mount in order to preserve anonymity of the author.
4.5 A PDI file of each print entries must also be emailed as an attachment to the Print Competition Secretary. A print entry will not be accepted without the accompanying PDI file. Note this file is used for identification purposes and is not sent to the competition judge. The file format should be jpeg, with maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions of 1600x1200 dpi, and named as follows:
authors initials hash tag print title.jpg, eg HDW#On The Beach.jpg
The email should also provide
• Author’s name
• The competition category being entered (Mono or colour)
• The section is being entered (Preliminary or Advanced)
• the print titles
5 ENTERING PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGE ANNUAL AWARD COMPETITIONS
5.1 There will be three rounds for PDIs in the season
5.2 Up to 2 entries are allowed in each round.
5.3 A PDI file of all entries should be mailed as an attachment to the PDI Competition Secretary. The file format should be jpeg, with maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions of 1600x1200 dpi, and named as follows (note the author’s name or initials are not included in order to preserve the anonymity of the author):
Title.jpg, eg On The Beach.jpg
The email should also provide
• Author’s name
• The competition being entered
• Category is being entered (Preliminary or Advanced)
• The PDI titles
6 ANNUAL PANEL OF THREE PROJECTED IMAGE COMPETITION
6.1 This competition has preliminary and advanced sections.
6.2 An entry will be a single image file comprising three separate photographs. The purpose in showing the three photographs together is to demonstrate their connections, to tell a stronger story and to present visually more attractive whole.
6.3 Up to 2 entries are allowed.
6.4 A PDI file of each entry must be emailed as an attachment to the PDI Competition Secretary. The file format should be jpeg, with maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions of 1600x1200 dpi, and named as follows:
Title.jpg, eg On The Beach.jpg
The email should also provide
• Author’s name
• The section is being entered (Preliminary or Advanced)
• The panel titles
6.5 The judge will view the panel as a whole and award a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and at their discretion Highly Commended awards in each section.
7 PRESIDENT’S TROPHY
7.1 The subject and rules of this competition will be set annually by the President of the Society at the start of each season and will appear under the Competitions tab on the web site and in the season’s programme. The President may not enter this competition.
8 ANNUAL PRINT EXHIBITION
8.1 This is a print competition, rules as in 4.3 and 4.4 above apply
8.2 Authors must enter in the same sections (preliminary or advanced) as for the competitions through the season
8.3 There will be a separate non conventional section in which freedom of expression will be encouraged.
None of the previous general rules will apply.
8.4 The judge will allocate a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards plus, at his discretion a number of highly commended awards.
The judge will also allocate the best print, best portrait, best nature, best landscape and best non-conventional in the exhibition.
8.5 Entries gaining an award shall be entitled to be so indicated by a suitable label attached to the back of the mount.
9 COMPETITION TROPHIES
9.1 At the end of the season, the awards will be presented to those members that have been successful in the various competitions and also those that have done well in the Annual Exhibition. The trophies presented are as follows:
9.2 Annual Awards
Projected Images Advanced Agar Trophy
Projected Images Preliminary Brooks Trophy
Mono Prints Advanced Silver Jubilee Trophy
Mono Prints Preliminary Furlong Trophy
Colour Prints Advanced Dr Knox Trophy
Colour Prints Preliminary Taylor Trophy
9.3 Panel of Three PDI
Panel of three Preliminary Stephenson Trophy
Panel of three Advanced Brittain Trophy
9.4 President’s Trophy
Winning entry President’s Trophy
TPS holds competitions throughout each season (September to May) on the dates shown in the programme.
There are four types of internal competitions.
1.1 Annual Award Competitions
1.2 Annual Panel of Three Projected Digital image
1.3 President’s Trophy
1.4 The Annual Print Exhibition
2 ELIGIBILITY FOR ENTRY
2.1 Entrants must accept these Competition rules
2.2 Entrants must be a paid-up member of TPS on date of entry into the competition
2.3 Except for the scanning or printing process, every part of the entry must be the work of the author.
2.4 Whilst every care will be taken of the author’s work, all entries are submitted at the author’s risk
3 ANNUAL AWARD COMPETITIONS
3.1 Categories: Each round of the competitions leading to Annual Awards have three separate categories as follows:
• Monochrome Prints
• Colour Prints
• Projected digital images (PDIs)
A monochrome print will be considered as one which consists of shades of one colour.
A coloured, or multi toned print will be considered as being Colour.
3.2 Sections: Members will enter in either the Preliminary or Advanced sections.
At the start of each season each member must nominate the section (Preliminary or Advanced) under which they wish to enter.
A preliminary member may decide for themselves to move up to the Advanced section, or, based on their performance in competitions or in external activities, may be asked to do so by the Committee.
3.3 Any print or projected digital image (PDI) is allowed to be entered only once in any category of competition, and cannot be entered again in any future Annual Awards competition. This also applies to any photograph that is so similar that it could be seen as being the same entered photograph.
3.4 Subject matter: All competitions are ‘open’ in terms of subject matter.
3.5 An external judge will comment on each entry and award 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, and at his or her discretion Highly Commended
3.6 Points will be awarded to each entry as follows:
• First place: 7 points
• Second place: 5 points
• Third place: 3 points
• Highly commended: 2 points
• Each entry (up to 2): 1 point
3.7 Points will be accumulated over the year, and trophies awarded at a presentation evening to overall winners in each category and each section. The trophies are held by the author for one year and are to be returned one month before the presentation evening the following year. Winners of 1st, 2nd and 3rd will also be given a certificate.
3.8 The Committee will reserve the right to
• Refuse to accept an entry
• Refuse to exhibit an entry
• Decide any issue not provided for in these rules
3.9 Unless specified to the contrary by the member at the time of entry, it is understood that entries to the competitions (prints and PDIs) are available for use by and on behalf of the Society for the purpose of display and entering Federation, Alliance, or other external completions.
4 ENTERING PRINT ANNUAL AWARD COMPETITIONS
4.1 There will be three rounds for both mono and colour prints in the season
4.2 Up to 2 entries are allowed in each round
4.3 Prints must be unframed and mounted on board not exceeding 50x40 cms, and 3 mm thickness. All entrants are encouraged to use 50x40cm mounts to maintain a club presentation standard and also to meet the NCPF and PAGB standard so that entries can be selected for external competitions.
4.4 The title must be clearly shown on the back of the mount, at the top left-hand corner (eg On The Beach). The authors name should not appear on the back of the mount in order to preserve anonymity of the author.
4.5 A PDI file of each print entries must also be emailed as an attachment to the Print Competition Secretary. A print entry will not be accepted without the accompanying PDI file. Note this file is used for identification purposes and is not sent to the competition judge. The file format should be jpeg, with maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions of 1600x1200 dpi, and named as follows:
authors initials hash tag print title.jpg, eg HDW#On The Beach.jpg
The email should also provide
• Author’s name
• The competition category being entered (Mono or colour)
• The section is being entered (Preliminary or Advanced)
• the print titles
5 ENTERING PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGE ANNUAL AWARD COMPETITIONS
5.1 There will be three rounds for PDIs in the season
5.2 Up to 2 entries are allowed in each round.
5.3 A PDI file of all entries should be mailed as an attachment to the PDI Competition Secretary. The file format should be jpeg, with maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions of 1600x1200 dpi, and named as follows (note the author’s name or initials are not included in order to preserve the anonymity of the author):
Title.jpg, eg On The Beach.jpg
The email should also provide
• Author’s name
• The competition being entered
• Category is being entered (Preliminary or Advanced)
• The PDI titles
6 ANNUAL PANEL OF THREE PROJECTED IMAGE COMPETITION
6.1 This competition has preliminary and advanced sections.
6.2 An entry will be a single image file comprising three separate photographs. The purpose in showing the three photographs together is to demonstrate their connections, to tell a stronger story and to present visually more attractive whole.
6.3 Up to 2 entries are allowed.
6.4 A PDI file of each entry must be emailed as an attachment to the PDI Competition Secretary. The file format should be jpeg, with maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions of 1600x1200 dpi, and named as follows:
Title.jpg, eg On The Beach.jpg
The email should also provide
• Author’s name
• The section is being entered (Preliminary or Advanced)
• The panel titles
6.5 The judge will view the panel as a whole and award a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and at their discretion Highly Commended awards in each section.
7 PRESIDENT’S TROPHY
7.1 The subject and rules of this competition will be set annually by the President of the Society at the start of each season and will appear under the Competitions tab on the web site and in the season’s programme. The President may not enter this competition.
8 ANNUAL PRINT EXHIBITION
8.1 This is a print competition, rules as in 4.3 and 4.4 above apply
8.2 Authors must enter in the same sections (preliminary or advanced) as for the competitions through the season
8.3 There will be a separate non conventional section in which freedom of expression will be encouraged.
None of the previous general rules will apply.
8.4 The judge will allocate a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards plus, at his discretion a number of highly commended awards.
The judge will also allocate the best print, best portrait, best nature, best landscape and best non-conventional in the exhibition.
8.5 Entries gaining an award shall be entitled to be so indicated by a suitable label attached to the back of the mount.
9 COMPETITION TROPHIES
9.1 At the end of the season, the awards will be presented to those members that have been successful in the various competitions and also those that have done well in the Annual Exhibition. The trophies presented are as follows:
9.2 Annual Awards
Projected Images Advanced Agar Trophy
Projected Images Preliminary Brooks Trophy
Mono Prints Advanced Silver Jubilee Trophy
Mono Prints Preliminary Furlong Trophy
Colour Prints Advanced Dr Knox Trophy
Colour Prints Preliminary Taylor Trophy
9.3 Panel of Three PDI
Panel of three Preliminary Stephenson Trophy
Panel of three Advanced Brittain Trophy
9.4 President’s Trophy
Winning entry President’s Trophy
Tynemouth Photographic Society - Guidance on the use of A.I.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when Submitting Images for Competitions and Exhibitions
In order to ensure that all images received for judging in Society competitions, Tynemouth Photographic Society (TPS) will follow the rules and guidance defined by the Northern Counties Photographic Federation (NCPF) and the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) and any member who wishes to submit an image must comply with the rules as laid out by these 2 organisations.
Full details can be found at the NCPF and PAGB websites (see below) however, the following summary of principals must be followed:
The PAGB’s position on the use of Artificial Intelligence tools, and the Remove tool in particular, when editing images (Mar 2026) is as follows:
This refers to Lightroom and Photoshop, but the same argument will apply to other editing software such as Affinity.
Key Considerations for PAGB and Society Competitions:
Remove Tool vs. Generative AI:
When using the Remove tool, ensure "Generative AI" is turned off to avoid adding content not present in the original scene. There is a separate tick box to do this in Photoshop/Lightroom
Content-Aware is Okay:
Tools that use surrounding pixels to fill in a removed object (similar to cloning/healing) are generally acceptable.
(Spot healing tool probably safer if not sure.)
Edit & Generative Fill or Generate Image
must not be used.
No New Elements: You cannot use AI to add, replace, or heavily alter pictorial elements (e.g., adding a sky, birds, or new objects).
Responsibility:
It is the photographer's responsibility to ensure all adjustments are derived from their own source photos.
In summary:
Standard, non-generative, content-aware removal for cleaning up an image is allowed.
AI-generated, "imagined" content is not.
The use of generative AI is often not easy to detect and we appreciate the difficult job competition secretaries have in this area, but we hope this note is helpful to members when submitting entries to TPS competitions.
See also:
For NCPF: https://ncpf.org.uk/ai/
For PAGB: https://thepagb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/guidance_ai.pdf
In summary:
"Any pixels must be your own pixels"
Andy Louch, General Secretary, TPS July 2026
The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when Submitting Images for Competitions and Exhibitions
In order to ensure that all images received for judging in Society competitions, Tynemouth Photographic Society (TPS) will follow the rules and guidance defined by the Northern Counties Photographic Federation (NCPF) and the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) and any member who wishes to submit an image must comply with the rules as laid out by these 2 organisations.
Full details can be found at the NCPF and PAGB websites (see below) however, the following summary of principals must be followed:
- Prohibited AI editing includes any AI assisted processes for synthetic image generation that incorporate external image data, visual elements, textures, objects, or scenes not originally present in the author’s photograph are prohibited.
- Permitted AI enhanced editing includes editing tools that perform transformations, enhancements, or corrections based exclusively on the existing pixel data captured in the author’s original photograph without introducing externally sourced content.
The PAGB’s position on the use of Artificial Intelligence tools, and the Remove tool in particular, when editing images (Mar 2026) is as follows:
This refers to Lightroom and Photoshop, but the same argument will apply to other editing software such as Affinity.
- The PAGB allows the use of the Remove tool in editing software, provided it functions as a content-aware removal tool using only pixels from the original image.
- Generative AI features that create new, non-photographic, or imported elements however, are generally forbidden.
- The key rule is that the final image must be entirely derived from the photographer's own work.
Key Considerations for PAGB and Society Competitions:
Remove Tool vs. Generative AI:
When using the Remove tool, ensure "Generative AI" is turned off to avoid adding content not present in the original scene. There is a separate tick box to do this in Photoshop/Lightroom
Content-Aware is Okay:
Tools that use surrounding pixels to fill in a removed object (similar to cloning/healing) are generally acceptable.
(Spot healing tool probably safer if not sure.)
Edit & Generative Fill or Generate Image
must not be used.
No New Elements: You cannot use AI to add, replace, or heavily alter pictorial elements (e.g., adding a sky, birds, or new objects).
Responsibility:
It is the photographer's responsibility to ensure all adjustments are derived from their own source photos.
In summary:
Standard, non-generative, content-aware removal for cleaning up an image is allowed.
AI-generated, "imagined" content is not.
The use of generative AI is often not easy to detect and we appreciate the difficult job competition secretaries have in this area, but we hope this note is helpful to members when submitting entries to TPS competitions.
See also:
For NCPF: https://ncpf.org.uk/ai/
For PAGB: https://thepagb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/guidance_ai.pdf
In summary:
"Any pixels must be your own pixels"
Andy Louch, General Secretary, TPS July 2026