Malta Photographic Society Internal Competitions

MERIT COMPETITION – PANEL COMPETITION – PROGRESS TROPHY – THE MPS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

 MPS Competition Rules, Terms and Conditions – 2024

 

RULES FOR THE MPS INTERNAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITIONS

Implementation date: January 2020

1.     General

 

The Malta Photographic Society (MPS) organises 8 internal photographic competitions (4 Merit and 4 Panel) throughout the year. Both the Merit and the Panel competitions are stand-alone competitions with awards attached to them.

2.     Requirements

 

Only paid-up members are eligible to participate in the internal competitions organised by the Malta Photographic Society.

3.     Categories

 

Participating members of the Malta Photographic Society are classified in two distinct categories namely the ‘Entry Category’ and the ‘Advanced Category.’

4.     Upgrading

 

A member in the ‘Entry Category’ of the Malta Photographic Society is promoted to the ‘Advanced Category’ when he or she:

  • Chooses to participate in the ‘Advanced Category ’
  • Places first, three times in the ‘Entry Category’ of the Merit or the Panel competition.
  • Places first overall in any of the Merit or Panel competition.
  • Obtains 10 acceptances of different photographic works in recognised international competition.
  • Is awarded the MPS Photographer of the Year or the Progress Trophy.

Any member who chooses to participate in or is promoted to the ‘Advanced Category’ cannot revert to the ‘Entry Category.’

A member’s progress to the ‘Advanced Category’ becomes effective at the beginning of the new Competition Season, that is, on the 1st of January of each year.

5.     Internal Photographic Competitions – Format and Titles

 

Abbreviations used:

  • P = Prints
  • PI = Projected Image
  • P(c) = Prints Colour
  • P(m) = Prints Monochrome
  • PI(c) = Projected Image Colour
  • PI(m) = Projected Images Monochrome

Merit Competitions

The Merit competition is a standalone MPS internal competition.

6.     Frequency

 

Four Merit competitions are held during every Competition Season of the Society as listed below:

  • Two Merit Competitions in ‘Projected Images’ format, one in colour, the other in monochrome
  • Two Merit Competitions in ‘Print’ format, one in colour, the other in monochrome

7.     Projected Images – PI – Format

 

  • The image file format should be jpeg. The file resolution should not be more than 1920 pixels (horizontal) by 1080 pixels (vertical) at 300 ppi.
  • When saving the image file, the compression ratio should be set to 12.
  • Colour space should be sRGB and the file size should not exceed 3 MB.
  • ‘Merit’ PI must be named as follows: Name Surname_XXX_title of image, for example: John Borg_065_Old Maid, where XXX is the MPS membership number, followed by an underscore and an image title.

8.     Prints – P – Format

 

Prints must not be more than 40cm, or less than 30cm on the longest side. Prints must not be mounted.

‘Merit’ prints must be labelled in block letters as follows:

• Title of image

 

Name and surname of the participant

MPS membership number

Arrow showing which way is up

Images not conforming to these regulations will be disqualified.

9.     Entries

 

  • Every member of the Malta Photographic Society is entitled to submit a maximum of three images for each Merit competition.
  • Photographic works previously entered in the Merit, Panel and Portfolio competitions will not be eligible for subsequent Merit competition.
  • Prize winning works (including Honourable Mentions & Special Awards) in the National Competition & Exhibition of Photography organised by MPS are not eligible for participation in the Merit and Panel competitions, however, accepted works are permitted.
  • All entries must be the entire work of the author.
  • Prints may be commercially printed.
  • The Executive Committee shall issue the Merit and Panel Competition subject matter, format (prints or projected digital images) and medium (colour or monochrome) list before the start of the new competition season and not later than 30th September of the preceding year.

10.   Submission of works

 

Works are to submitted by not later than one week before the actual competition, that is on the Thursday preceding the competition, unless otherwise advised beforehand. Prints are to be handed in at the MPS premises, during the opening hours, on the Thursday before the actual competition date. Prints are to be placed in an envelope with the participant’s name written on the outside of the envelope.

Projected images are to be uploaded on mpscompetitons.com by not later than 23.59 hours of the Thursday before the actual competition date.

The full programme of the submission dates and the actual competition dates will be made available before the start of the competitions.

11.   Judging

 

Two Judges shall judge the Merit Competition.

12.   Scoring

 

Each judge shall award a maximum of 10 points for each participating work.

13.    Awards

 

The overall winner, obtaining the highest total points in all four Merit competitions, will receive the Merit Challenge Trophy.

14.    Other Conditions

 

In the event that a submission violates any of the conditions, the Society reserves the right to take any fitting action, including the forfeiture of points and the suspension of the offending member from participating in any or all competitions organised by the MPS.

Panels Competitions

The Panel competition is a standalone MPS internal competition.

15.   Frequency

 

Four Panel competitions are held during every Competition Season of the Society as listed below:

  • Two Panel Competitions in ‘Projected Images’ format, one in colour, the other in monochrome
  • Two Panel Competitions in ‘Print’ format, one in colour, the other in monochrome

16.   Format and Medium

 

Each panel competition will be made up of a set of three images in print format or projected image format in either colour or monochrome as determined by the MPS Executive Committee.

Panel images must be coherent and cohesive.

17.   Projected Images – PI Format

 

  • The image file format should be jpeg. The file resolution should not be more than 1920 pixels (horizontal) by 1080 pixels (vertical) at 300 ppi.
  • When saving the image file, the compression ratio should be set to 12.
  • Colour space should be sRGB and the file size should not exceed 3 MB.
  • Panel PI must be named as follows: Name Surname_XXX_No_ . For example: John Borg_165_No1 where 165 is the participant’s MPS membership number, followed by an underscore and the image number.
  • Images are numbered 1 or 2 or 3.
  • As cohesion and coherence play a very important part in Panels, a separate jpeg containing the three photographs laid out on one image must also be presented. The images may be in line or staggered for best effect . This jpeg should be named with only the participant’s MPS membership number.
  • The author can give a background to this image and this can be either white, black or a shade of grey In PI(c) a coloured background can be added.

18.   Prints – P Format

 

Prints must not be more than 40cm, or less than 30cm on the longest side. Prints must not be mounted.

Panel prints must be labelled in block letters as follows:

   Title of Panel

 

Name and surname of the participant

MPS membership number

Arrow showing which way is up

Display sequence number (left to right)

Images not conforming to these regulations will be disqualified

19.   Entries

 

  • Every member of the Malta Photographic Society is entitled to submit one panel of three photographs for the Panel competition.
  • Photographic works previously entered in the Merit, Panel and Portfolio competitions will not be eligible for subsequent Panel competitions.
  • Prize winning works (including Honourable Mentions & Special Awards) in the National Competition & Exhibition of Photography organised by MPS are not eligible for participation in the Merit and Panel competitions, however, accepted works are permitted.
  • All entries must be the entire work of the author.
  • Prints may be commercially printed.
  • The Executive Committee shall issue the Merit and Panel Competition subject matter, format (prints or projected digital images) and medium (colour or monochrome) list before the start of the new competition season and not later than 30th September of the preceding year.

20.   Submission of works

 

Works are to be submitted by not later than one week before the actual competition, that is on the Thursday preceding  the competition, unless otherwise advised beforehand. Prints are to be handed in at the MPS premises, during the opening hours, on the Thursday before the actual competition date. Prints are to be placed in an envelope with the participant’s name written on the outside of the envelope.

Projected images are to be uploaded on mpscompetitions.com by not later than 23.59 hours of the Thursday before the actual competition date.

The full programme of the submission dates and the actual competition dates will be made available before the start of the competitions.

21.   Judging

 

Two judges shall judge the Panel Competition.

22.   Scoring

 

Each judge shall award a maximum of 30 points for each participating work dissected as follows:

  • Subject relevance and coherence – 10 points
  • Technical standard – 10 points
  • Judge’s personal reaction (wow factor) – 10 points

23.    Awards

 

The winner of every Panel Competition will be awarded.

24.   Other Conditions

 

  • In the event that a submission violates any of the conditions, the Society reserves the right to take any fitting action, including the forfeiture of points and the suspension of the offending member from participating in any or all competitions organised by the MPS.
  • Any member participating in any competition cannot approach any judge concerning his or her submissions either directly or indirectly If this is done and becomes known, it will result in automatic disqualification.
  • The photographic work submitted must be the member’s own work from start to finish and the member will therefore own its copyright.
  • Entries should not have watermarks or signatures included.
  • Members must be in possession of all the original, unedited file/s, including associated EXIF information of the images submitted for any competition organised by the Society. Such files may be required to be presented on demand by the Executive Committee & Competitions Sub-Committee.
  • The loss of files is not acceptable as a justifiable excuse not to provide such files.
  • The non-submission of the file/s results in automatic disqualification from that particular competition.
  • Participation in any of these competitions signifies acceptance of these rules and regulations.

THE MPS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

General

The points garnered in both the Merit and the Panel competitions organised by the Malta Photographic Society during the calendar year (4 Merit and 4 Panel Competitions), are important for a member to challenge for the Photographer of the Year Award.

The member who collects the highest combined score in both the Merit and the Panel competitions will have a right to challenge for the Photographer of the Year Award of the particular year.

Any member who would have a combined score equal to, or more than 85% of the highest score, will also have the right to challenge for the Photographer of the Year Award.

Example of Final Points Table after the 8 Internal Competitions:

The eligible members can submit a Portfolio of seven (7) prints to compete between them for the Award of the MPS Photographer of the Year.

Rules governing this selection:

  • The Photographer of the Year Portfolio Competition requires the presentation of seven prints in either colour or monochrome.
  • Portfolio images must be coherent and cohesive.
  • The subject of the Portfolio is to be chosen from the below list of titles:

Photojournalism – Street Photography – Architecture – The Visual Arts – Still Life – Product Photography – Abstract – Experimental – Portraiture – The Human Nature – Nature – Wildlife – Landscape – The Environment – Travel – Culture.

  • Photographs entered for the Merit or Panel competitions can make part of the submitted portfolio.

Judging

  • The Portfolio judging will be held in November of the same year of the competition.
  • A panel of three judges will make up the adjudicating board.
  • No scores will be given, but the three judges will decide between them (by discussion) the winning portfolio and the subsequent placing of the rest of the portfolios submitted.
  • The judges’ decision will be final and no discussion will be entered between the judges and the members as to the merit or otherwise of any portfolio.
  • If the judges are of the opinion that no portfolio has the desired and expected standard for its author to be the winner of the MPS Photographer of the Year Award, then the award will remain vacant for that particular year.

Portfolio – Format and Presentation

 

The image areas (i.e. excluding borders) of the monochrome or colour prints submitted must measure between

  • a maximum dimension of 30cm by 40cm
  • a minimum dimension of 20cm by 30cm
  • Prints are to be flush or border mounted
  • Mounts must be in square or rectangular format, and may be of any colour or form
  • The maximum mount size must not exceed 50cm by 40cm

Entries that are not within these sizes are automatically disqualified.

Print Labels

Works will have a label at the back indicating the:

Portfolio subject title

Name and surname of participant

MPS membership number

An arrow indicating which way is up

Display sequence number (left to right)

The Portfolio can be displayed in one or two rows on top of each other. The author should present a layout of how s/he wants her/his portfolio to be displayed. This printed layout must accompany the portfolio on the date of submission.

THE MPS PROGRESS TROPHY

 

The Malta Photographic Society Progress Trophy will be awarded to the Entry Level member who has obtained the highest combined score in the Merit and the Panel competitions of the particular year. Should this member be the winner of the Photographer of the Year Award, then the Entry Level member who would have obtained the second best overall score in the Merit and Panel competitions shall receive the Progress Trophy.