WPS Competition Specifications:

4th Quarter Competition is open from December 1st – December 15th.

Please read the rules below BEFORE submitting your image.

Click here to submit your image.  Please note, beginning March 15th, 2011, there will be a small fee for each category submission.  Additional details and pricing information are on the submissions page.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

- Image must be photographed AFTER December 1st, 2010 (1 year ago from competition start date).
- Competition image must be submitted by the photographer who originally captured the image.
- Images must be of actual clients in the context of their wedding, engagement session, bridal session, or portrait session. Images taken at workshops, seminars, or conventions may not be used and will be disqualified if submitted.
- Image must have no identifying watermarks. Exif data is allowed, just nothing visible, to insure judge impartiality.
- Each WPS member (aspiring or pro) is allowed one image per category.  Re-submissions are allowed however only the last submitted image will be judged.
- Each image may be entered into only one category.
- Images may be resubmitted to the next contest if submitted photograph does not receive points in a previous competition.

IMAGE SPECIFICATIONS

- 800px on the longest side
- Finished off for viewing on a calibrated LCD monitor
- sRGB color space

POST PROCESSING

- For the PJ category, only light color/exposure, dodging & burning allowed.
- All other categories are artistically unlimited

VARIOUS

- Judging will be performed after the image deadline and, once judging is complete, the images will be posted in a private WPS forum for viewing. Winners will have a watermarked version showing the WPS “Award” for recognition on our blog.  We will happily make a copy of that photo available to you upon request.
- Any image not meeting the above specifications may be disqualified from the competition.
- Q4 2011 Judges:

TBD
TBD
TBD
Competition Administrator – Brian Mullins
Backup Judge* – TBD

* If a photographers image is known by a judge prior to the competition judging, and deemed by that judge to “place” (for points) in a category, that judge will defer the judging of that category alone to the backup judge.  This will help keep an impartial panel and provide a mechanism to defer the competition scoring to an impartial entity.

RELEASE

- By submitting an image into the WPS image competition, you agree you are the photographer who originally captured the image and current copyright holder. You also agree to allow the WPS and it’s board members post your image on the WPS website/forum/blog for viewing & judging. You agree the WPS can use your image on the WPS website to announce the competition winners.

SUBMIT YOUR IMAGE HERE

PERMANENT CATEGORIES

PHOTOJOURNALISM
Images in this category may not be setup, directed, or prompted by the photographer. Minor Photoshop enhancements such as cropping, levels, curves, white balance adjustments are allowed. Color or B/W only. The lead judge will move the image to the appropriate category of he/she deems the image is setup, directed, or if excessive Photoshop enhancements are utilized.

ARTISTIC
These images have no restrictions on Photoshop enhancements. Textures, layers, heavy vignetting, vintage tones, are allowed. Portraits are also allowed in this category. In other words…go crazy! The lead judge will have the authority to move the image to the appropriate category if he/she deems the image does not fall within the category.

CAROUSEL CATEGORIES

The categories below will change quarterly to diversify the competition. These categories will always be unique and never will be duplicated during the year.  Unless otherwise specified, no artistic limitations apply to any of these categories.

FLASH/STROBE – Some people love em, others hate em, but now is your chance to show them off!  Bring out your flah/strobe inspired photos.  This is a loosely judged category, just make sure there is a flash or strobe somehow involved!

WEATHER – While everyone hopes for good weather, sometimes we just don’t get it for a wedding or portrait session.   Now is the time to show your artistic lemonade you made from those weather lemons.

BOUQUET/GARTER TOSS – Self explanatory – enter your funny, serious and, well, all out flower brawls!

The judges may reassign images to the appropriate category if he/she deems necessary. This may occur of he/she determines that the image was entered into the wrong category.

Prizes & Points
- Points will accrued throughout the year from each quarterly competition. The overall winner at the end of the year will be recognized and named the WPS Photographer of the year!  This title comes with a nifty trophy (seriously, this thing is awesome!), speaking opportunities for WPS events (and possibly others) and a key to the executive washroom.

- Please post any questions in a separate topic in this forum