Delaware Photographic Society
Projected Image Competition Rules 2025-2026

August 2025

GENERAL

The Delaware Photographic Society (DPS) holds competitions to encourage club members to show and improve their photographic work.  Digital Projected Image competitions will be held on the 2nd Monday in September, October, November, January, February, March and April during the DPS year.  The competition meetings begin at 7:00 PM at the duPont Pavilion at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin, Delaware.  An end-of-the-year virtual competition for Projected-Image-of-the-Year will be held in May.

To be eligible for competition, images must be uploaded to the DPS website by midnight of the Friday before competition.

Assigned Subjects: please refer to the list published here: Assigned Subjects

Assigned subject images for 2025-2026 must be captured after September 1, 2024.

CATEGORIES
The categories for each competition will be: Assigned Subject, Open Subject Color, Creative (Altered Reality), and Open Subject Monochrome. All categories, except Creative will have three classes: Class B, Class A, and Salon.  Creative will be treated as a single class.

ELIGIBILITY
The competitions are open to all current active Delaware Photographic Society members whose dues have been paid prior to the competition. Entries must be photographed using a digital camera or scanned by a digital scanner (including scanned photographic slides or negatives). Digital images entered in all categories must be solely the work of the entrant. DPS members must have made the original film or digital captures of all parts of a composite image including, but not limited to, sky, background, and subject matter. While artificial intelligence (AI) software is allowed to make luminosity, color, and sharpness correction, creation of subject matter via AI software is not allowed.

Any image that has been previously selected in an intra-club monthly competition, whether in print form or as a projected image, may not be re-entered in DPS monthly competitions. For a selected image to be entered again, the image must have been substantially changed from when it was previously entered and selected, subject to the judgment and discretion of the Projected Image Director or a member of the Standards Committee. If this matter is unclear, consult with the Projected Image Director.

COMPETITION CLASSES

  • Class B is for members who are new to competitions or are less proficient in preparing images.
  • Class A is for members who are more experienced and more proficient.
  • Salon Class is for members who have demonstrated high skill in image making.


CLASS ASSIGNMENT
New Members will be assigned to Class B, unless the new member, prior to the start of their first competition year, requests a higher-class ranking. If such a request is made, the requestor’s work (e.g., portfolio) shall be reviewed by the Standards Committee. The Standards Committee may then approve the request.

At the end of the year the Standards Committee may advance members to the next higher class based upon their performance in competition, during the previous one to two years, having demonstrated a significant improvement in photographic proficiency. This can occur until the member is in the Salon Class.

Note: changes to a member’s competition classification shall not be made during a competition year.

IMAGE REQUIREMENTS
JPEG files only (sRGB color space is recommended)
There is no absolute restriction on image or file size when submitting images, but judging will be done using a maximum of 1200x1200 pixels. If images are larger than 1200 pixels they will be scaled down using bi-cubic interpolation to 1200 pixels for the longest side of the image. Images will NOT be scaled up.


NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER ENTRANT PER COMPETITION
Assigned Subject – 1 image
Open Subject Color – 1 image
Creative – 1 image
Open Subject Monochrome – 1 image

PROJECTED IMAGE COMMENTS
While a projected image is being viewed for competition, anyone may request 'Comment Please' which will be done as a discussion session following the competition. At that time the requestor must be present and ask what they desire to know about the image or if they wish the judge and audience to discuss the image.

 

ASSIGNED SUBJECTS
A list of Assigned Subjects is published in “The Reflector” and on the DPS website. Assigned subject competitions are conducted in all classes. All images that are to be entered in the Assigned Subject category for the 2025-2026 DPS year must have been captured after September 1, 2024. The date of original image capture must appear in the EXIF data for the submitted images. The judging panel for any monthly competition will have the final determination as to whether or not an image fits the assigned subject.

OPEN SUBJECT COLOR
Any image taken by the club member, at any time, may be entered in the Open category, except for images previously marked as selected in earlier competitions. Club members are requested to use discretion and propriety when submitting images in this category. The Open category has no date, technique or subject requirement.

CREATIVE
Creative photography is producing an image through the use of imaginative skill or originality of thought including the altering of reality.  No image should be eliminated from competition simply because it looks realistic, provided it shows originality of concept. Creative images may include modifications in the darkroom, on the computer, or in the camera, as well as unusual points of view, imaginative use of subject matter or lighting, or any other presentation that begins with the maker’s photography or a collection of photographs.  While artificial intelligence (AI) software is allowed to make luminosity, color, and sharpness correction, creation of subject matter or any elements in a composite image via AI software is not allowed.  There are no date requirements for the creative category.

Key features of creative images:

  • Going beyond the literal: Creative photography seeks to express the photographer's vision, feelings, and messages artistically, rather than just capturing reality.
  • Imaginative skill and originality of thought: It involves producing images through original ideas and techniques, including alterations to reality.
  • Altering reality: Creative images can involve modifications made in-camera, in the darkroom, or through digital manipulation, such as composites or montages.
  • Intentional use of elements: Photographers intentionally use elements like unusual perspectives, lighting techniques, or post-processing to enhance the uniqueness and mood of the image.
  • Storytelling and emotional impact: Creative photography can use imagery to convey a message, tell a story, or evoke emotions in the viewer.
  • Originality of concept: Even if the final image looks realistic, as long as it demonstrates an original concept, it can be considered creative.
  • Significant photographic content: While manipulation and mixed media can be included, the final result must retain significant photographic content, and the original images must be the photographer's own work. 

OPEN SUBJECT MONOCHROME:
An image is considered to be Monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e. contains only shades of gray which can include pure black and pure white) OR it gives the impression of being a grayscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image (for example by Sepia, red, gold, etc.).

JUDGING AND SCORING

Three judges will be used to score images at each competition. Projected Images in each category and class will be previewed by the judge(s) before scoring begins. Projected Images will receive a score from 1 (low) to 9 (high) from the judge(s) and will be ranked by score. The score for each entry will be recorded and published online on the DPS website.

 

  • SELECTED IMAGES
    Images will be considered “selected” if the total score awarded for the image is in the top 25-30% of the scores – ranked high to low.

    DISQUALIFICATION
    Exhibitors are responsible for adhering to the competition rules set forth. The Projected Image Director may disqualify any image that does not conform to the rules of the competition.

    Reasons for disqualification include (but are not limited to):

    • The Image(s) submitted for Assigned Subject does not meet the Assigned Subject criteria.
    • The Image did not originate with the person submitting the images.
    • The image is recognized as having been entered and accepted in a previous competition without regard to the year entered and accepted.
    Identification marks, copyright, names, titles or honors must not appear on the image(s).
    ANNUAL AWARDS
    Cumulative scores will be kept for each member in each category and class. First, Second, and Third place brass plates will be awarded to the top three members in each category and class. In case of a tie the member who entered the most images in that class and category will prevail. Other awards can be awarded at the discretion of the Projected Image Director.

    PROJECTED IMAGE-OF-THE-YEAR COMPETITION
    A Projected-Image-of-the-Year (PIOY) competition will be held in May. Each competitor may enter all of his or her selected images for judging. All entries must have been entered and selected during the current competition year in Class B, Class A, Salon and Creative. Selected images in Assigned, Open and Creative subjects are included in the PIOY competition.

    Three qualified judges, who are not members of the Delaware Photographic Society, shall jury the PIOY competition. One image will be chosen as the Projected-Image-of- the-Year and winner of the Morris James award. Up to 10 Honorable Mentions will be awarded in each class with a limit of one Honorable Mention per entrant.

    • LARRY HINSON AWARD: (PIOY) BEST MONOCHROME IMAGE:
    In honor of Larry Hinson, an excellent monochrome image maker, the Larry Hinson Award will be given to the maker of a monochrome image chosen from the highest scoring monochrome PIOY image. Up to 10 Honorable Mention ribbons will be awarded in the monochrome category.  Monochrome is defined as white and one color (sepia, blue, warm tone, black, etc.).


    NOTICE
    By virtue of submitting your entry, you permit DPS to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the Society.

    The Delaware Photographic Society will take all reasonable care to ensure that all submitted images appear before the judges and are entered in the correct Class. However, the Delaware Photographic Society cannot be responsible for any errors or omissions in this regard. Entering the contest signifies your acceptance of this notice.

    Mark Lieberman, Projected Image Director (mlieberman47@gmail.com)

     

    Draft 2025-26 projected image rules July 2, 2025
    Board Approved July 10, 2025



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