E-mail addresses of Competition Secretaries are :-

Internal Competition Secretary - wdcccompsec1@gmail.com

External Competition Secretary - wdcccompsec1@gmail.com

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WORKINGTON & DISTRICT CAMERA CLUB RULES 2025/26

 

E-mail addresses for Competition Secretary are:

 

Internal Competition Secretary – wdcccompsec1@gmail.com

External Competition Secretary – wdcccompsec1@gmail.com

 

1.      AUTHENTICITY OF WORK

        All elements in the entered image must have been produced by the author.  Specifically the                      author must have:        

         a)   Taken the photograph/s used in the image

         b)   Been the author of any post production manipulation in the darkroom or computer based                 equivalent.         

 

2.      COPYRIGHT

         Copyright for all images is acknowledged as remaining with the author unless otherwise                           assigned by the author.

 

3.      PORTRAITS

         Where the image is a portrait, (and in particular where the subject is a minor) it is the author’s                 responsibility to indemnify Workington & District Camera Club (WDCC) by obtaining signed                     waivers and permissions, where necessary.

 

4.      USE OF IMAGES

         Entry into competition implicitly authorises WDCC to use the specific image:-

        

         a)   To represent the WDCC in external competitions (including subsequent catalogues, selections           etc. when successful), unless specifically stated by the member on joining WDCC.

         b)   To illustrate the WDCC competition results / members’ work on the internet.

         c)    In displays and literature to promote WDCC and canvas for new members.

 

5.      ENTRY TO COMPETITIONS

         Only paid up and honorary members of WDCC can enter WDCC competitions. To facilitate this               each member will be given a Competition Number when they pay their subscription.

 

6.      IMAGE OF THE YEAR

         The Image of the Year (IOY) competition is the final competition to decide the individual Print and           Projected Digital Image (PDI) of the year.  All members will be allowed to choose two images                   from their PDI entries and two images from their Print entries to enter in the IOY competition.                   These must have been entered in a WDCC competition during the season and be unaltered in                  any way from that entry.

 

7.      OPEN COMPETITIONS

         The Open competitions are the mainstay of the WDCC competition calendar. 

         They are judged by impartial judges, typically members of other clubs.  (Note: All judges names              proposed by the appropriate Competition Secretary are to be submitted for approval at a                      Committee Meeting before they are invited to judge).

 

         Open competitions allow for all genres and aspects of photography, including creative and                     composite works.  Unless otherwise stated, includes both colour and monochrome.

 

7.1    There will be three OPEN competitions each season.  The competitions will consist of a print                    category and a Projected Digital Image (PDI) category.

        

        a)   In addition there will be an OPEN competition on a technique chosen by the holder of the m              President’s Trophy from the previous year.

 

7.2    Independent judges will assess the images entered and each image will be awarded a mark from          the following scale:

 

         1st place 6 points, 2nd place 5 points, 3rd place 4 points, Highly Commended 3 points,                              Commended 2 points and for Entry 1 point.

 

7.3    The judge may award as many 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, Highly Commended and Commended as             they feel appropriate.

 

7.4    There will be two sections in each competition; the Club section for less experienced members                 and the Advanced section for more experienced/qualified members.  Members may only take               part in one section in any one year.  (Members may choose which section they wish to enter but             the final decision as to their eligibility will be made by the Committee.

 

         At the end of each year the member(s) with the highest overall points total, in either Club PDI or             Club Print competitions may move up to the Advanced section.  Any member with the highest                 overall total points in the Club section for two years will be automatically promoted to the                       Advanced section.

 

7.5    In each category of competition a member may submit two entries; viz; two Prints and two PDI’s.          These will all count towards the marking system.

 

7.6    All entries to OPEN competitions must be new work to WDCC competitions in either format. 

        There are two exceptions:

         a)   An image enhanced and altered by the author to the extent that it becomes new work may             be entered once more in an OPEN competition.

         b)   Entry into Themed competitions does not count and entries to Themed competitions may                 also be entered once in an OPEN competition.

 

8.      THEMED COMPETITIONS

         There will be two themed competitions during the season: People (including portraits) and                        Landscapes.

         a)   These competitions will be separate from the OPEN competitions.

         b)   The format of the competitions will otherwise be the same as the OPEN competitions.  The               winner will be the member who gains first place in the competition.

         c)    The People (including portraits) themed competition held during the season will encompass             all aspects of human life and its associations.           

         People photography can include portraiture, human interest photography and other types of                 photography that capture people.  The people element must occupy a significant proportion of             the image.              

         Portrait photography captures the likeness of a person or living creature, or a small group of                   such, in which the face and expression are predominant (although the entire body and the                       background may be included).  The objective is to display the likeness, personality or mood of               the subject.

         Unless otherwise stated, elements such as textures may be added so long as these elements are           derived from photographs taken by the photographer.  All editing techniques are acceptable.

         d)   The definition of scape for entries into the Landscape competition is:

         Images which capture extensive areas of the landmass.  This includes skyscapes, waterscapes,               cityscapes and astrophotography.

         Unless otherwise stated, pictorial elements may be added so long as these elements are derived           from photographs taken by the photographer.

         All editing techniques are acceptable.

 

9.      EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS

         There are a number of external competitions that WDCC participates in either by entering a ‘Club           entry’ or where individual members can enter representing themselves and WDCC.  Where                       practical, the External Competition Secretary will co-ordinate and collect the entries.  It remains               the individual member’s responsibility to prepare images in accordance with the rules of the                   particular competition.

         The competitions currently are:

          a)   Western Area Battle – Where a selection of prints and PDI’s are judged in competition                       against all the clubs in the Northern Counties  Photographic Federation’s ‘Western Area’.  The                 event is hosted by each of the clubs in rotation.

          b)   Three Way Club Battle – Where a selection of Prints and PDI’s are judged in competition with           our neighbouring clubs Carlisle and Dalston.  The event is hosted by each of the clubs in rotation.

          c)    NCPF Annual Competition – Club and individual entries

         - and any other competitions at the discretion of the Committee (see Club Programme and
         PAGB and NCPF website for dates).

 

10.     THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD

         In addition to the ‘Competed for’ awards, the Club President may make an award, solely at their             discretion, to mark any achievement, contribution or commitment to WDCC.

 

11.     RULES OF COMPETITION

         It is the members’ responsibility to ensure that entries arrive in the possession of the appropriate          Competition Secretary or their deputy in good time, and in compliance with all of the specific                  competition rules.

 

11.1   Print format

       The intention is to give the judges as little clue as possible as to who the author is.  To this end we            look to make the entry format as uniform as possible.

         

        For competitions to be judged in the hall all prints must:

 

          a)   Contain a Title in the top left-hand corner on the reverse side of the mount.

          b)   Be mounted on card, preferably backed but not using masking tape.

          c)    The size of the mount must be 500mm x 400mm in line with NCPF regulations.

          d)   The minimum size of the actual print must be not less than 190mm along one of its sides.

 

        For competitions judged on Zoom members should prepare an A4 copy of their print, to be sent            to the judge, and a print which may be mounted or unmounted for display in the hall.  These                    should have the title in the top left hand corner on the reverse of the print.

 

        All prints that have been entered for a competition should be collected within a reasonable time              after the competition.

 

11.2   Projected Digital Images (PDI’s) format

        There is a separate ‘How to’ guide for producing these images on the WDCC website.  To                          summarise, the requirements for the images are:

         

         a)   Must be ‘Jpeg’ format, in sRGB colour space and with a title not exceeding 35 characters                          (excluding competition number, but including spaces).

         b)   The maximum overall size is 1600 pixels (wide) by 1200 pixels (high) at any resolution but                          must be less than 2MB in size.

         c)    Named in the form - Competition Number – TITLE IN CAPITALS  - e.g. 15 CRUMMOCK WATER.

       The member shall also enter the following data into the File Properties:

       Select the Detail tab:

       In the Description section Title Field add the Image Title (no members Competition Number)

       In the Description section Subject Field add the Competition Title

       In the Origin section Author field add the Members Competition number

 

Some DPI tips

 

         a)   Jpegs are a ‘Lossy’ format which means that every time you do something to the file it loses                     some of its data. So, consider:

                 i)     Work in another format before saving the final PDI as a jpeg

                 ii)    Don’t use ‘Send as email attachment’ or ZIP files – Both of them will degrade the data in                           your image.

 

          b)   Save the image and in your e-mail package use the attach command (usually a paper clip)                     to put the image in the email.

 

11.3  Preferred Method of Entry

       By midnight on the day before the hand-in deadline.  Send an e-mail to the appropriate                           Competition Secretary, (see top of the rules document or website for Competition Secretaries                 email addresses) attaching your PDI entries and digital copies of your print entries.  The e-mail               should contain your competition number and the titles of your PDI and print entries.

 

        To ensure they do not go into the PDI competition, digital copies of Print entries must be entitled            in the following way:

 

         Competition number – COPYPRINT – TITLE         e.g. 15  COPYPRINT Derwent Water

 

         The member shall also enter the following data into the File Properties

         Select the Details tab

         In the Description section Title Field add the Image Title (no COPYPRINT or members                               Competition Number)

         In the Description section Subject field add the Competition Title

         In the Origin section Author field add the Members Competition Number

         On the following Monday night hand in the prints to the Competition Secretary.

 

12.    LATE ENTRIES

        Late entries are not accepted.  In the case of an emergency contact the Competition Secretary              for guidance.

 

13.     DISCLAIMER AND EXCEPTIONS

 

13.1   WDCC and/or its officers cannot accept responsibility for loss of or damage to entries.

 

13.2   WDCC aims to give equal opportunities to all members.  Should you have any difficulty accessing           information or resources speak to the Competition Secretary or a Committee member and we               will do all we can to help you.

 

13.3  In all competitions the Judges decisions with regards to placements and commendations are final.

 

13.4  The Competition Secretary, or their deputy, will arbitrate any other dispute and for competition              their decision is final.  A significant point of fact or order may be referred to the WDCC Committee          to define future club interpretation of whatever the major issue is.

 

13.5  The Competition Secretary, or their deputy, may reject any entry from competition if in their                     opinion:-

 

          a)   A print is presented in a condition which may damage other members’ work.

          b)   A PDI is not submitted in the correct format.

 

14.    DISPUTES

 

14.1  WDCC Committee is the final arbiter of any disputes with regards to competition and reserves the          right to alter the rules and conditions of competition without notice.

 

14.2  Submission of an entry implies acceptance of all of these rules.

 

15.    AWARDS

         Medals will be awarded as follows:

        

         In the Advanced Section:

         For highest total points in all 3 OPEN competitions and the ‘OPEN technique’ competition.

 

         Prints – Print Competition Medal

         PDI – Projected Digital Image Medal

         For the winning Print – ‘People and Portraits’ – People and Portraits Print Medal

         For the winning PDI    – People and Portraits – People and Portraits PDI Medal

         For the winning Print  –‘Landscapes’ – Landscape Print Medal

         For the winning PDI    – Landscapes – Landscape PDI Medal

        

         In the Club Section

         For the highest total points in all PDI Club section competitions   – Club PDI Medal

         For the highest total points in all Print Club section competitions – Club Print Medal

 

         Advanced/Club Sections - Joint Award

         For the winning Print ‘Image of the Year’ -Print of the Year Medal

         For the winning PDI ‘Image of the Year’   -PDI of the Year  Medal

 

 

         Updated May 2025