Competitions Guidance

Over the past two years, Clubs have been inventive in continuing their activities using on-line methods for virtual meetings. This has been largely beneficial, with the ability to entertain speakers from a much wider geography. One behaviour which has become much easier is wide-area recruitment of members by Clubs, and several Clubs are on record as advertising such membership even to overseas members. This is different from Clubs having long term members who live at a distance perhaps through moving away who they know very well.

SPF Clubs are autonomous and can take members from wherever they like, and an Individual member’s work can be used in their Club’s internal competitions bound only by the restrictions of that Club. But care requires to be taken by the Club and Individual before using that member’s images in external events, particularly those of the SPF, PAGB or FIAP.

The SPF must ensure the eligibility of any submissions made to its own events together with its own entry into PAGB or FIAP competitions, as should Clubs, to avoid any duplicate images or duplicate photographers in events. Otherwise, this can cause embarrassment for Club, Competition Secretary and Photographer alike if it happens at a public event or results in a placing, trophy or medal being withdrawn.

As many more individuals are now members of multiple Clubs, that are not geographically close, or even in Scotland, this makes it difficult for the Clubs or SPF to establish eligibility before an entry is made. In some cases, the club may not know that one of their members is entering with another club. Although this situation has been exacerbated due to the pandemic, several Clubs are considering continuing hybrid membership to keep speakers, members and money coming in from further afield, so the indication is this issue is likely to continue.

The PAGB and SPF have both had discussions over the best way to tackle this. The PAGB will take their own decision in due course.

After some deliberations the SPF have taken the decision to introduce the following eligibility rule for all of its events from 1st Sept 2022 to help all concerned avoid any embarrassing situations occurring, keeping the rule as simple as possible, and following the ethos of our SPF Constitution of only having SPF membership open to Clubs based in Scotland.

NEW RULE – “To be eligible to enter SPF competitions individuals must be resident in Scotland* or via application to the SPF” *An exception is made for members of Clubs close to the Scotland/England border who stay in the north of England provided they indicate they do not wish to enter through NCPF.

NEW IN ADDITION –

• Clubs require to ascertain at the start of each club season if any of their members are also members of other UK Clubs (not just SPF Clubs) and ask the individual to declare which club they wish to enter with for SPF/PAGB competitions for the coming season.
• The Club Secretary who deals with the Club’s external competitions requires to declare to the SPF, those details for all of their members with multiple club memberships, before any entries can be used by the Club or Individual for that season.
• Individuals can indicate which club they wish to enter SPF competitions through directly to the SPF if they wish, but they must also make sure that all clubs of which they are a member of are also informed (including any non-SPF clubs).
• An SPF Form is now available for this purpose for use by Clubs and Individuals alike. Forms are available from the downloads area above.  You can also download a copy of this website item for circulation to your members

Summary of SPF, PAGB or FIAP General Event Requirements Applicable to all Entries  - This is in addition to all Event Rules

• SPF Competitions require that an Individual only enters for one SPF Club per event.
• PAGB Competitions require that an Individual only enters for one Club per event
• SPF and PAGB Competitions require that a photographer’s image has not been used in the same competition in any previous year.
• SPF entry to PAGB events requires SPF to ensure that an Individual’s work is not being used by any other Federation to avoid the entry being disqualified. By extension any Clubs entering PAGB events require to ensure the same. - The PAGB now count disqualified scores of zero first.
• As the SPF select work from our own SPF Competitions to make our entry into FIAP or PAGB events. The SPF require to ensure that this work is eligible to be used by us in these events.
• Long-term members of an SPF club, who have moved away, are no longer eligible to enter SPF events with their Club. - The PAGB currently limits Clubs to one photographer per event from more than 30 miles from the Club’s Federation border
• Any club member living out with Scotland is not eligible to submit to FIAP via SPF – FIAP Rule
• All SPF, PAGB events are entered on the photographer’s behalf by the organisation’s Competition Secretary, who requires to confirm the eligibility of the entry and permission to use that photographer’s entries on behalf of that organisation when submitting.

The Admin Area gives access to the Online Entry area for Club Main Contacts and Competition Secretaries, who use this area to log in and enter our SPF Competitions.

Guidance Notes are available for our events from the downloads area below which explain how the online entry process works and how to log in.

Contact Libby if you require any assistance.

The notes supplied below in 'Downloads' should help you enter any of the SPF’s Projected Digital Imaging (PDI) events. These notes should be read in conjunction with the particular Competition’s rules.

Over the years we have also been asked if we could supply some help in how to manage digital files for competitions, or help in sourcing or setting up projection equipment. We do not recommend equipment, but the notes below of what we use should help you start the process. These notes are supplied only as basic guidance to anyone who wishes assistance in running digital competitions. There are several different ways to do everything here you will find a few things to consider.

We have added some updates in the guidance notes 'Downloads' area below. These updates were required for the SPF NEW 'standard' 1600x1200 pixel size that came in to effect as at 1st Jan 2017. The previous 1400x1050 size will still be accepted by the SPF so that Clubs can choose what suits them. 

The first five are the NEW additions, in addition Guidance Note 5 has also been updated. Guidance on 'Print Capture' as used by the SPF at their Print Championship is included in these downloads. The remaining Guidance Notes 2 to 6 should be read in conjunction with the new additions, and the sizing substituted as required dependent on your Club’s own equipment.

If you require further information on these please contact Libby Smith.

New Guidance Notes -

There is a new ‘How to size to 1600x1200’; Additional guidance on what the new 1600x1200 pixel image size means (An Insight into Resolution) in relation to previous sizes; Additional information on equipment for the new 1600x1200. Guidance Note 5 has also been updated to reflect the new 1600x1200 size, and some weblinks have been updated or added. The last is an overview of the 1600x1200 size introduction which can be used as a poster for your Club.

When choosing what resolution your Club should use; The first priority for Club Internal Competitions is what your Club equipment is capable off. Images should be capable of being viewed at 100% i.e pixel for pixel. – The SPF and PAGB will always do this. (This may mean that some Clubs feel they cannot view the new 1600x1200 size at this time).

Clubs should therefore be going with the image size they can project at 100%, and never just fill their screen with the image e.g. 1400x1050 should not fill a 1920x1080 screen but just appear smaller on the screen. If a 1400x1050 image is entered to the SPF Competitions it will be projected at 100% and will show smaller on the 1600x1200 projection area – Hence the new 'Insight in to Resolutions Notes' supplied below.

The following definitions are currently the only ones applicable to SPF Club competitions (except the Scottish Salon). Please refer to the definitions on the Scottish Salon’s own website for the Definitions for that event.

Please Note for the avoidance of any confusion, that the PAGB Nature Definition (2018) is not applicable to SPF Competitions, only those of the PAGB. Also the new 2022 PSA and FIAP Nature definitions are also not applicable to SPF or PAGB Competitions. The FIAP definition will be come applicable for FIAP Nature biennials however.