Official Rule for TTPS Photography Competition 2019
(Please also refer to our FAQ for additional information)
Entrants (and their legal guardians where applicable) are responsible for complying with these Official Rules. These rules along with the FAQ constitute the guidelines for the competition.
Who may enter
The contest is open to photographers of all ages, professional or amateur who are Trinidad and Tobago nationals or who live in Trinidad and Tobago. Entrants must be paid up members of the Trinidad and Tobago Photographic Society (TTPS). No member of the TTPS executive or their immediate family, interns, judging panel or sub-committee members may enter. Non-members wishing to enter the contest may pay their membership fee at the time of submission. Membership is $150 (full) or $30 (Under-18).
Any non-members entering the competition shall forfeit any entry fees paid and any such entries shall be disqualified.
Under-18 entrants must be under 18 years of age as at the date of submission of their entries.
What to enter
The Categories for Adult entries are:
- Abstract and Digital Art
- People and Portraits
- Landscape
- Wedding
- Nature
- Sport
- Street & Photojournalism
Under-18 categories are:
- Street and Photojournalism
- Nature
- Landscape
- People & Portraits
- Abstract & Digital Art
Submissions may be digital or film photographs. Film photographs must be scanned to digital files for the online submission. Digital image files must be in JPEG format, be no larger than 2MB
Submissions must not include any information that would identify the entrant.
Submissions must be only the work of the entrant submitting the images. Submissions must be taken in Trinidad and Tobago within the last 5 years.
The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Judges, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.
Image File Names
Image File names MUST MATCH Name of Image submitted in the online form. E.g if the Name of Image is Boy in Red Hat 1 the image filename must be boyinredhat1.jpg
The Name of Image and image filename must not include in part or in full the name of the entrant. E.g. Keisha Smith cannot enter an image named keishasmith3.jpg
The Name of Image and image filename must not include in part or in full the name of any business or studio associated with the entrant.
The Name of Image and image filename must in no way reveal the identity of the entrant.
How to enter
Each entry consists of an entry form, a single digital image(s) and an entry fee. The entry fee is TT$75 per image for adults, TT$35 per image for under 18’s. Entries are limited to a maximum of 10 images per entrant. Entrants may submit no more than 3 visually distinct individual images in a single category (no series). Each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. To enter, visit www.tt-ps.org, complete an entry form with the required information, including your name, telephone number, address, email address, and a photo caption; and submit along with your photograph(s) and entry fee in accordance with the instructions given.
Under 18 entrants may be required to provide proof of age / ID.
Online submissions open on 1st July 2019 and close on 26th July 2019 at 5:00 PM promptly. No late entries will be accepted. Submissions will be shortlisted for display in the contest exhibition on 4 – 8th September 2019, at The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ASTT).
Shortlisted entrants will be notified by email and on the TTPS website by 5th August 2019 and will be invited to submit their entry printed, framed and ready for hanging. Framed works should be delivered between 3 PM to 6 PM on the 2nd September 2019 at the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ASTT). Deliveries will not be accepted after 6.00 PM on 2nd September 2019.
Shortlisted entries included in the Exhibition at ASTT will be offered for sale with 85% of the sale price going to the photographer, and 15% of the proceeds being retained by TTPS for administration. On submitting their short-listed pieces entrants will be required to state a selling price for the piece and to indicate if they would be willing to sell more than one copy of the piece.
Shortlisting Specifications
All shortlisted entries must follow the guidelines for framing of the works for entry to the exhibition:
Three print sizes will be permitted and shortlisted photographers should select the one that best suits their entries for the exhibition:
- 12”x18”
- 14”x14”
- 11”x14”
Paper types: lustre, glossy, matte. The photograph may be laminated or placed under glass or acrylic.
Mat: 2-inch mats or no mat at all may be used.
Framing: 1″ frames. Please note that Members are entitled to discounts by selected companies listed on the TTPS website.
No framed image should exceed 18” x24”.
Any framed images not meeting these shortlisting specifications will be excluded from the exhibition.
You will need to present your TTPS Membership cards to qualify for the discounts for printing and framing.
Judging
Entries submitted which do not comply with these rules or which contain false declarations will be disqualified and no refund given by TTPS. Entries submitted in the wrong category will be disqualified. No refund will be given to those entries which are unsuccessful in the short-listing round.
The entire contest will be judged by viewing digital images only, both at the shortlisting phase and at the final judging phase. All judging is done anonymously i.e. at no point do judges or the TTPS executive have any knowledge of the creators of any of the submissions. In the first phase of judging the TTPS executive shortlists the top 100 images which includes the top 3 images in each category. From the 100 shortlisted images, a panel of expert judges then makes the final selection of winners. The final judging is completed before the shortlisting notifications are sent.
The judges will select finalists based on the following criteria:
- Impact 35%
- Creativity 10%
- Composition 15%
- Colour Balance 5%
- Lighting 15%
- Subject Matter 10%
- Story Telling 10%
Category winners will be notified at the prize-giving night of the Exhibition at ASTT on 4th September 2019 and via email on 5th September 2019.
Images for the Peoples’ Choice Award will be posted on the TTPS facebook page immediately after final judging has been completed. Anyone can vote by ‘liking’ their favourite image and sharing to increase likes is encouraged. Voting closes at 5 PM on September 8th, 2019 – the last day of the exhibition – and the image receiving the most votes will win the Peoples’ Choice award. The winner will be announced on September 11th, 2019 on www.facebook.com/TTphotosoc and will also be notified by email.
All winners’ names will be available online at www.tt-ps.org and www.facebook.com/TTphotosoc after 14th September 2019.
Decisions of the judges are final and binding.
Prizes
First-place winners in each adult category will receive a TTPS Trophy and TT$2000.
The first-place winner in each Under-18 category receives a TTPS trophy and TT$1,000.
The National Photograph of the Year goes to the image with the highest Overall Score and the winner will receive TT$1,000.
The People’s Choice award is the photograph that receives the highest number of public votes/likes on Facebook and the winner will receive TT$1,000.
License & Rights
By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in therein.
Participants must possess the exclusive rights to each submitted work and are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions relating to the subject captured including model releases. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph. TTPS will not be held accountable for any consequences arising out of participants not obtaining the necessary permissions.
Through submission of electronic images, entrants (and their legal guardians where applicable) grant non-exclusive reproduction and publication rights to the works submitted to the Trinidad and Tobago Photographic Society. Entrants will retain the copyright to their images but by submitting their images they are granting consent to Trinidad and Tobago Photographic Society to use the images in print or electronic form (along with a name credit) in connection with the contest and for the purposes of promoting the Trinidad & Tobago Photographic Society and its work, this contest and future contests organized by the Trinidad and Tobago Photographic Society.
Collection of unsold entries
Entrants whose short-listed images are not sold by 8th September 2019 will be notified by e-mail. Unsold pieces must be collected from ASTT by 9th September 2019 between 12 PM and 4 PM. The TTPS shall not be responsible for the safe-keeping or payment of any piece that is left at ASTT after that date.
For a full list of our sponsors and for special offers on printing and framing, please visit:
www.tt-ps.org or www.facebook.com/TTphotosoc.