Competition Rules – Updated 2025
Updated April 2025
During the season, the Society takes part in a number of internal and external competitions. Below you’ll find a list of current internal competitions and full rules for participation.
🏆 Internal Competitions
- Summer Competition
- Summer Trophy (formerly the Daytripper Trophy) – Prints
- Jack Hemming Memorial Trophy – Projected Digital Images
- Open Subject Competitions
- John Hughes Trophy – Monochrome Prints
- Gerry Coyle Memorial Trophy – Colour Prints
- President’s Trophy – Projected Digital Images (PDIs)
- Jeff Bartlett Memorial Trophy – Panel of 3 PDIs
- Nature Competitions
- Wally Mills Trophy – Nature Prints
- Toft Trophy – Nature PDIs
- Merit Competitions
- Walter Heath Trophy – Advanced PDIs
- Lanchester Trophy – Advanced Prints
- Jean Sutton PDI Trophy – Novice PDIs
- Jean Sutton Print Trophy – Novice Prints
Through these competitions, the Society aims to:
- Provide enjoyable entertainment for members.
- Encourage photographers of all levels to enter, receive feedback, and improve their skills.
- Enhance the reputation of Dunchurch Photographic Society and our standing in inter-club battles.
⚔️ Club Battles
A “Battle” is an external competition between one or more local photographic societies. A set number of prints and PDIs from each club are judged by an independent judge, who scores each image out of 20. The club with the highest combined score wins.
Our Society’s entries are generally selected from top-placed images from the previous season.
Note: All prints and images entered into internal competitions may be used in the Society’s battles, inter-club events, and on the website/social media unless the member notifies the Secretary in writing to opt out
🧑⚖️ Judging
- Each competition has a single judge, usually external to the Society.
- The judge comments on all entries and will either score each image out of 20 or rank the top three images, along with a number of Commended and Highly Commended images.
📋 Competition Specific Details
All members may enter any competition, including the Advanced section of the Merit competitions. Only “Novices” may enter the Club sections.
A Novice is a member who has not won a Club Trophy in previous seasons or achieved a photographic distinction (FIAP, PAGB, or RPS). Any member may request to be moved from the Club section into Club Advanced prior to the first round of the Merit completion.
Images may be submitted as mounted prints (not framed) or as Projected Digital Images (PDIs).
When both prints and PDIs are judged on the same evening, prints are usually shown first so they can be displayed during the interval. Results for prints are normally announced at the start of the second half of the evening.
Trophies are awarded to first-place winners, or in Merit Competitions, to members with the highest aggregate score after three rounds. In the event of a tie, the trophy is shared. Trophies are held for one year and must be returned when requested.
🏅 Individual Competition Details
John Hughes Trophy – Monochrome Prints
Up to three monochrome prints on any subject. We follow the FIAP definition: black, white, and shades of grey count as monochrome; a single tone is allowed; partial toning or added colours make it a colour image.
Gerry Coyle Memorial Trophy – Colour Prints
Up to three colour prints on any subject.
President’s Trophy – Projected Digital Images
Up to three PDIs on any subject.
Jeff Bartlett Memorial Trophy – Panel of 3 PDIs
Submit three related images on a theme of your choice, shown individually. Include a JPEG “panel summary” (1600×1200–3840×2400) showing sequence and layout. Up to two panels may be entered.
Summer Competition
Separate Print and PDI sections featuring images taken over summer on a theme set by the Committee. Judged democratically by members on the first evening of the season.
Jack Hemming Memorial Trophy
Up to two PDIs.
Summer Trophy
Up to two Prints.
Merit Competitions
Run over three rounds. Subjects are announced before the season begins. There are two levels — Advanced and Novice — each with Print and PDI categories.
- Advanced: Walter Heath Trophy (PDIs) and Lanchester Trophy (Prints)
- Novice: Jean Sutton PDI Trophy and Jean Sutton Print Trophy
Scoring
All Merit Competitions are scored out of 20. Separate tables are maintained for all four sections. In smaller entries (6 or fewer per section), novice entries may be judged within the main competition but scored separately.
Nature Competitions
- Wally Mills Trophy: Up to 2 Prints
- Toft Trophy: Up to 2 PDIs
Descriptive titles only (no “cute” names). We follow the PAGB definition of nature: images must feature living organisms as the main subject, with minimal artistic manipulation allowed.
📜 Competition Rules
- All photographs must be the original work of the author, who must hold copyright.
- All image editing must be carried out by the author. Prints may be trade processed.
- Entries close one week before judging night; late entries cannot be accepted.
- The same image cannot be entered in both print and PDI format on the same evening.
- Members must submit new and unique work; images scoring 19 or above in past seasons may not be reused.
- Placed or commended images become ineligible for internal competitions in future years (but may be used for external battles).
- Entries may be rejected if deemed inappropriate by the Competition Secretary.
🖨️ Print Submissions
- No minimum print size. Mounts must not exceed 500mm × 400mm × 4mm.
- Label the reverse with your name and image title.
- Submit a digital version (1600 × 1200px) for selection and display purposes.
- All prints must be entered via PhotoEntry.co.uk. Only prints with an uploaded PDI are eligible. More information on Using PhotoEntry can be found here
- Entries are made at members’ own risk; the Society cannot accept liability for damage or loss.
💻 PDI Submissions
- The image must originate from the author’s own photograph (film or digital).
- All editing must be performed by the author. Maximum resolution: 1600px wide by 1200px high