Q – My cousin is on the TTPhotoSoc Executive Committee, can I still enter the competition?
A – Yep! Only immediate family members cannot enter – that means any spouses, siblings, children or parents of any executive committee member.
Q – Do I have to be a member of the TTPhotoSoc to enter?
A – No you don’t. This year we have changed the rules to allow any national or resident of Trinidad & Tobago regardless of membership status to enter the contest making it a truly national event. If you are interested in photography (I mean why else would you be reading this?) we strongly encourage you to join the society, but it’s not mandatory to enter the contest. Members do get a reduced entry fee as one of the benefits of membership. We will also be running a limited time special offer where 1-year Adult Membership sign-ups/renewals will receive one free contest entry at our regular adult membership price. See details under the Membership tab on our website..
Q – I took a picture of my dog on a skateboard, can I enter that photo into the competition?
A – Once it falls under any of the following categories, sure!
The categories for this year’s contest are:
- Landscape and The Environment
- Food and Still Life
- People and Portraits
- Nature
- Street and Documentary
- Abstract and Digital Art
You are free to enter any image into the category you think best suits the image. Depending on the image, a dog on a skateboard might fall under nature, or maybe documentary or even digital art, it really depends on the image. Also, there is nothing stopping you from entering the same image under more than one category. Our OFFICIAL RULES give you some guidelines to help you understand what the judges will be looking for in each category.
Make sure you enter your submission under the correct category. Submissions will not be judged under any category other than the category it’s entered under!
Q – My friend took a really cool picture but she’s not a photographer and doesn’t mind if I use her picture to enter. Can I enter her image?
A – Uhm…no. You can only enter the images that you have created.
Q – I have some old film pics I took that I really want to enter, do the images have to be taken within the last year?
A – Not at all! Once you took the images within the last 5 years and they were taken in Trinidad & Tobago, you can enter them. Just scan the film image and upload it according to the rules. Entries must not exceed 2MB. Also, make sure you have whatever permissions you need before submitting it. TTPhotoSoc will not be liable for any participants’ failure to obtain relevant approvals.
Q – How much editing is allowed?
A – It depends really. If you’re entering the image into the digital art category, you can do anything you want to the picture in whichever editing software you use.
If you’re entering an image into any other category except street & documentary, basic editing, including but not limited to, cropping, colour correction, cloning, dodging and burning is allowed. In the street and documentary category, cropping is allowed, but no adding or removing of any element(s) is permitted.
Q – I’m very proud of all my images and watermark all of my online work. Will a watermark be acceptable on my submissions?
A – We should all be proud of our work, but in this case, both stages of judging (shortlisting and final) are done anonymously, so any identifying marker of your work – watermarks, image file names with your name in it, even mentioning to a TTPhotoSoc Executive member or Judge to “lookout for a dog skateboarding” could all mean your image may be disqualified.
Q – Ok, you’ve told me everything I need to know except how to enter the competition?
A – We’ve made it really simple. Visit www.tt-ps.org to complete an entry form, upload your image(s) and pay your entry fee(s). You’re allowed a maximum of 10 visually distinct entries. Learning to cull and edit your work is an important and useful skill as a photographer. Please don’t waste your entrance fees entering fundamentally similar shots of the same subject.
Under 18 entrants must be under 18 years of age on or before 20th September 2020 and may be required to provide proof of age. Remember the closing date is 20th September 2020 at 5:00 pm and no late entries will be accepted.
Q – I don’t trust the judging process. Can you convince me that the process is fair and transparent?
A – Well we could certainly try!
We’ve included rules about anonymity for this very reason. Your images must not in any way divulge the identity of the photographer. Additionally, entries are to remain confidential. This means you can’t go on social media and post “Hey check out this cool image I just submitted to the TTPhotoSoc competition”.
The entire judging process is also conducted anonymously. This means at no point does any judge know who took which images.
Lastly, this year we have undertaken a further step to ensure greater transparency with the inclusion of a special guest judge from our fellow organization Photographers Guild of Trinidad and Tobago to participate in the preliminary judging.
We know not everyone is always happy with the results but believe us when we say we are trying really hard to earn your trust in us and in the judging process.
Q – You mentioned judging images on their merits, what are the judges looking for?
A – The judges use these criteria for judging each image. Your image can achieve a maximum of 50 points.
|
Impact |
maximum of 10 points |
|
Creativity |
maximum of 10 points |
|
Composition |
maximum of 10 point |
|
Lighting |
maximum of 10 points |
|
Story Telling |
maximum of 10 points |
An image must achieve a minimum of 25 points to be eligible for shortlisting. Use these guidelines when you’re trying to decide on which of your images to enter.
Q – So let me get this clear, if I enter, I’m responsible for:
- Uploading my entries under the correct category
- Ensuring my entries meet all the official rules
- Payment for my entries
- Submitting higher-res images and a short bio for the virtual exhibition if I’m shortlisted
- Growing as a photographer as I examine my work while preparing for the contest
A – Yep you got it! Oh yeah, don’t stress, and have some fun with it!
Q – I think my images are pretty fantastic so I expect I’ll win something. What are the prizes?
A – That’s good to hear! Every year we see the quality of submissions improve so you’ll be in good company!
This year we are offering over $20,000 in cash prizes to the category winners!
Our 1st place cash prizes are :
- The National Photograph of the Year will receive TTD $4000.
- The first-place winners in each adult category will receive TTD $2000.
- The first-place winners in each Under-18 category will receive TTD $1000.
For a full list of all our prizes be sure to check out our OFFICIAL RULES
Q – I signed up for your membership special offer and received one free bonus entry. Does that count against my maximum number of 10 entries?
A – Thanks for signing up or renewing your membership! No, that free bonus entry is our gift to you. It does not count towards your total number of entries. You can still choose to submit up to 10 more entries. We certainly hope you do!