PPMT

Challenge yourself and grow your photography skills by entering the 2020 ASPC.

The 2021 Annual Salon Photography Competition (ASPC) will be held on Thursday, June 10 online via Zoom.  The purpose of this competition is to allow photographers to enter digital images and albums to be judged against a standard of excellence using the 12 Elements of a Merit Image. This is a great learning opportunity whether you enter the competition, or just attend to watch the judging. Through the judging process and image critiques, photographers can hone their craft and instinctively start looking for what makes a Merit image. Entering in image competitions helps photographers:

• Become better technical photographers
• Gain more confidence
• Be more marketable

Additionally, the ASPC strives to show off the best work of PPMT photographers and awards top ranking images with Distinguished and Best In Show awards. Go head-to-head with your photographer peers to see if you have what it takes to rank above all. Bragging rights go a long way with your clients as well!

Who Judges the ASPC?

Trained, professional PPA International Photographic Competition (IPC) Affiliate Jurors and PPA Jurors-in-Training will score all the images for this competition, which assures competitors of consistency in judging and provides an opportunity to get the highest-quality feedback for those who want to go on to IPC or District Competitions.

• The Salon is an annual celebration of PPMT members’ hard work, talent, and progress in their craft. Top scoring images from PPMT members will receive awards.
• BUT . . . if you’d like to enter as a non-member to have your images professionally judged and critiqued, we invite you to do so!

• $100 for up to 6 entries
• $75 for up to 4 entries
• $25 for up to 6 entries (First Time Member competitors only)
• $25 for Juror Critiques of your entries

Juror Critiques?  All entrants have the option to order a professional Juror Critique of their entries. These critiques occur after the competition and include audio of a professional juror from the competition reviewing and providing exclusive feedback on positive elements and areas to improve for each entry. Critiques will be delivered 4-6 weeks after the competition, and are invaluable for improving images for future competitions and making adjustments for producing higher quality imagery in the future.  Check out these example Juror Critiques.

Early Bird Pricing:  $25 off for 6 and 4 entries

(First Time Member entries not eligible for Early Bird Pricing) by May 25, 2021!

Competition will be held on June 10th.

Submission deadlines:

Early bird: May 10 – 25, up to 6 images $75, up to 4 image $50

Regular: May 26 – June 2, up to 6 images $100, up to 4 image $75

June 2 is the definite submission deadline!

Register at PrintCompetition.com https://printcompetition.com/

When registering…Choose “Yes” member of PPETN, then whether you’ve entered before in either organization, then select which organization you are representing…PPETN or PPMT

Last year registration cost $11 per year) , you can enter multiple affiliate’s competitions.

How to enter images: login, choose association (PPETN/MTPPA … typo PPMT will prob not appear on the list closer to the entry day…be sure to choose the one that has PPETN/???), upload images.  REMINDER:  You will be PAYING through PPETN website! 

• Best in Show Overall – the highest scoring image of all entrants.
• Best in Show – the highest scoring image (receiving a minimum score of 80) in each category.
• 1^st Place – the highest scoring image (receiving a minimum score of 80) in each subcategory after the Best in Show image.
• Distinguished – the second (and sometimes third) highest scoring image(s) (receiving a minimum score of 78) in each subcategory.
• Judge’s Choice – each judge will choose their favorite image of the competition (maker receives award at end of event).
• First Time Competitor – Best in Show – the highest scoring image of all first time competitors.
• CPP Award – the highest scoring image made by a Certified Professional Photographer.

ASPC images are evaluated by a panel of judges who are trained within the PPA system. They use a numeric scoring system to evaluate each image based on how well it meets the “12 Elements of a Merit Image”. After all images are scored, the awards listed above are assigned to top ranking images.

100 – 95 Exceptional
94 – 90 Superior
89 – 85 Excellent
84 – 80 Deserving of a Merit
79 – 75 Above Average
74 – 70 Average
69 – 65 Below Exhibition Standards

General logistics

1. Potential judges will be contacted this week, according to PPA we will have 5 judges and the chairman (6 total). PPA gave our guild merits to cover judges.
2. Every judge receives $100 compensation. $600 it will be split between PPMT and PPETN proportionally to the number of the entered images)
3. Competition will be done via Zoom
4. We are going to use PrintCompetition web site.
5. Elena (currently President of the PPETN) will do all the logistics of the print competition (organized 4 in the last 3 years).
6. Color Calibrated Monitor will be provided by Colby McLemore for $75 as a rent
7. Competition will be held on June 10th.
8. Submission deadlines and cost: early bird May 10 – 25, up to 6 images $75, up to 4 image $50 regular May 26 – June 2, up to 6 images $100, up to 4 image $75
9. Image submission will be done via PrintCompetition.com  ***NOTE: Please enter as a member of PPETN at the beginning of entry.
10. Payments will be done: – via PPETN and then funds will be split according to the number of images entered by PPETN or PPMT members
11. Winners of the competition will be announced separately in each guild.

Rules for the submitted photographic images (according to PPA)

1. Entrants are required to upload a digital file for each image entered.
2. No changes to your entry are permitted once the entry deadline has passed. No refunds will be issued after the entry fee is paid.

ELIGIBILITY

1. The Annual Salon is to show the photographic knowledge and skillset of the maker. However, a maker can use supporting photographic elements that they did not  create, provided those elements are referenced as guide images on the face of the entry. The original photographic capture by the entrant should be merit-worthy  independent of the work that was not their own. Elements created by the maker must not be part of the guide images. This includes images within an album entry.
2. All processing, manipulation, and printing or rendering, were done by the entrant or under their direct supervision.
3. The entrant’s name shall not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
4. No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed. Images  created in an educational environment under direct supervision from an instructor are ineligible.
5. Any entry that has been created from an existing photograph, portrait, graphic, or any other artwork produced by another person is a violation of the competition  rules.

Rules for the submitted artist images (according to PPA)

1. Entrants are required to upload a digital file for each image entered.
2. No changes to your entry are permitted once the entry deadline has passed. No refunds will be issued after the entry fee is paid.

ELIGIBILITY

1. The Annual Salon is to show the photographic knowledge and skillset of the maker. However, a maker can use supporting photographic elements that they did not  create, provided those elements are referenced as guide images on the face of the entry. The original photographic capture by the entrant should be merit-worthy  independent of the work that was not their own. Elements created by the maker must not be part of the guide images. This includes images within an album entry.
2. All processing, manipulation, and printing or rendering, were done by the entrant or under their direct supervision.
3. The entrant’s name shall not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
4. No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed. Images  created in an educational environment under direct supervision from an instructor are ineligible.
5. Any entry that has been created from an existing photograph, portrait, graphic, or any other artwork produced by another person is a violation of the competition  rules.

Categories

1. Album – Open
2. Album – Wedding
3. Groups – Couples
4. Groups – More than Two
5. Illustrative – Abstract
6. Illustrative – City/Landscape
7. Illustrative – Editorial
8. Illustrative – Wildlife
9. Master Artist – Master Artist
10. Portrait – Child (Individual)
11. Portrait – Female (Individual)
12. Portrait – Male (Individual)
13. Portrait – Pets
14. Wedding/Event – Bridal Portrait
15. Wedding/Event – Event

Images:

– Jpg format

– Color space sRGB

– 4,000 dpi on the longest side

– Image size should be less or equal to 3Mb

– File name: Title1_title2_title3.jpg

Album:

– at least 10 pages, image size rules apply to every

single page in the album,

– album should be Zipped to be entered

– Title of the pages:

Title1_title2_title3_page1.jpg

– Title1_title2_title3_page2.jpg

– Title1_title2_title3_page3.jpg ……

Artist category images should have reference images on the bottom.

Useful links and tutorials

Image resizing

Adding a presentation to your image

12 Elements of a merit

https://www.ppa.com/events-members/photo-competitions-mem/the-12-elements-of-a-merit-image-mem

Image resolution

 

PPA competition critiques