Winchester National Exhibition 2024

WNE 2024 Introduction and Rules

Overview

2024 sees the ninth Winchester National Exhibition – an exhibition of projected digital images. The exhibition is organised by Winchester Photographic Society and is affiliated to British Photographic Exhibitions (BPE), with acceptances counting towards BPE Crown awards.

Winchester Photographic Society strives to provide a top-class exhibition attracting images from photographers across the UK.

We have again acquired the services of three respected judges, who will together determine acceptances and awards using the scoring system adopted by the majority of BPE exhibitions. Additionally, we have increased the number of acceptances, removing the previous limit of 3000. This is supported by the increase from three to four of the maximum number of images an author can enter per class.

Following our positive experiences of judging the exhibition remotely for the past three editions, we have decided to adopt this format in 2024.

Entries to the exhibition can be submitted from 1st May 2024, while the entry window closed at midnight on Wednesday 17 July 2024.

The exhibition is now available for viewing hosted by PhotoExhib.

We are now using their software to manage the Exhibition submission, judging and displaying the results.

See WNE 2024 Exhibition Results on PhotoExhib

The five Best WPS Winners are featured on this website at WNE 2024 Results

Who can enter

Winchester National Exhibition 2024 is open to any photographer, amateur or professional, who is resident in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or BFPO addresses.

Key Dates

Judges

Ann Healey FRPS DPAGB EFIAP/g BPE5*
Anthony Oliver ARPS, CPAGB, BPE5*
Sue Sibley ARPS EFIAP/S DPAGB BPE5*

Please refer to the statement regarding the use of AI, in Rules for Entry, below.

Fees

£1.50 per image; minimum fee of £6.00

Payment via a credit or debit card or PayPal at the time of submission. Regretfully we cannot accept cheques for this exhibition.

Further information and Enquiries

WNE Coordinator: Tim Lever: ku.co1732170399sotoh1732170399pniw@1732170399lanoi1732170399tanre1732170399tsehc1732170399niw1732170399

Quick summary of rules

• Up to four images allowed in each class, for a maximum of twenty images in total
• Images that have been accepted in a previous WNE may not be resubmitted
• Images must be in jpg format only
• Images must not exceed 1600 pixels wide and 1200 pixels high
• Entrants must own the copyright to all elements of their images.

Rules for Entry

1 The Organisers are Winchester Photographic Society (WPS).

2 Entrants:

Entry is open to any photographer, amateur or professional, who is resident in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, isle of Man, and also BFPO addresses.

3 Entry Method:

Entry is by digital upload only via Winchester Photographic Society’s website. Entries will be accepted between 1 May and 14 July 2024.

You do not have to complete your entire exhibition entry in one session. Our software allows you to upload images, save them and return at a later date (within the entry period as defined above) to amend/delete/add more images.

The entry system permits users to amend their entries after finalisation. You may do this by logging into the entry website, un-finalising your entry, and making your changes. You must then re-finalise your entry to ensure the entry is correct and will be accepted. However submissions that are correct and fully paid will be accepted even if not finalised.

Please take care to enter your image titles and personal details accurately, as these will be printed in the catalogue exactly as entered.

4 Entry Fee:

£1.50 per image; minimum fee of £6.00. Payment may be made online during the submission process using a credit or debit card, or a PayPal account if you have one. Using the ‘Payment’ button on the website takes you to the PayPal checkout facility.

5 Classes: There are five classes:

• Pictorial Colour: Colour Images on any subject and of any style will be judged on pictorial merit (i.e. the use of the photographic medium as an art form). The emphasis is on interest, visual impact, composition and technical excellence. Images may be manipulated in camera or on the computer, but ‘altered reality’ images that have been visibly manipulated should be submitted in the Creative section.
• Pictorial Monochrome: Monochrome Images (one colour plus white) on any subject and of any style will be judged on pictorial merit (i.e. the use of the photographic medium as an art form). The emphasis is on interest, visual impact, composition and technical excellence. Images may be manipulated in camera or on the computer, but ‘altered reality’ images that have been visibly manipulated should be submitted in the Creative section.
• Scapes: Land, sea or urban views. People or animals may be included but should not form the main subject of the image
• Nature: As defined by the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) and most recently published in their February 2024 Rules for Inter-Federation Competition and Exhibitions.
• Creative: Any subject, including abstract and ‘altered reality’ images

6 Number of Entries:

You may enter up to four images per class. During selection, your images will be distributed equally through the judging process so your images will not be seen one after another.

All entrants must use unique email addresses to avoid artificially constraining the number of images which can be submitted. Our system monitors entries per email address.

7 Images:

• The image must not exceed 1600 pixels wide by 1200 pixels high
• The file must be in JPEG format only
• An embedded colour profile is recommended, usually sRGB or Adobe 1998
• Titles are required and will accompany your image in the exhibition and in the catalogue; in view of this, please take time to check the accuracy of your title
• The system is able to store titles of up to 50 characters
• Identification of the photographer is not permitted anywhere in the image itself or in the title
• Please do not add any unnecessary borders to your image. Black borders serve no purpose for digital projection while white borders can distract the eye from the image. A thin stroke-border around the image is acceptable
• If your images do not meet the specification above, they may not display exactly as you would wish, or we may not be able to judge them.

8 Similar Images:

You may not enter identical images or images so similar as to be deemed identical. You may not enter an image accepted in a previous Winchester National Exhibition (even in a different class) or one so similar as to be almost identical.

Monochrome and colour versions of the same image are considered ‘so similar’ in this context.

9 Manipulation of Images and Use of AI

(see specific exceptions for each class above)

All types of creative in-camera and post-production editing and manipulation are allowed. This includes panoramic stitching, HDR, filters, multiple images or layers, artwork and computer graphics, as long as the original photographic content predominates and is the work solely of the photographer. No third-party clip-art images, textures or overlays are permitted.

We accept that the use of “AI-based” editing tools in image editors such as Photoshop is becoming increasingly prevalent in photographers’ workflows. As a result, we do allow the use of these tools in Photoshop, Lightroom, and similar editing programs, including noise reduction and sharpening, but with limitations outlined below.

The use of tools like (but not limited to) Photoshop’s Remove and Generative Fill must be limited to a small area of the final image (no more than around 10% total area) and the resultant product of such tools must be akin to manipulating the image with a clone/stamp tool. It is acceptable to remove minor distractions and/or extend the canvas in any direction by a small amount, filling the blank area sympathetically with the existing background.

The use of any tool which introduces a significant visual element which is not in your own source photographs is forbidden.

10 Copyright:

Entrants must own the copyright of all elements of their images and may be asked to provide suitable evidence – failure to do so may result in disqualification. By entering an image, the photographer gives permission for the organisers to reproduce their image, without fee, for publication and/or display in any media in connection with the exhibition, for example in the catalogue, on the Society’s website or for publicity in subsequent years’ exhibitions.

Copyright of the entered images remains with the photographer. He/she must accept that his/her work could be downloaded from the organisers’ website; the organisers will do their best to protect the copyright of the image when viewed on the website by making the image file size as small as possible.

11 Good Faith:

All entries are accepted in good faith. The entrant agrees to indemnify the judges, exhibition organisers and other related parties against any litigation that may arise if entered images do not have the necessary permissions to be published in exhibition-related documents or on any website associated with the exhibition.

12 Judges:

The team of three experienced exhibition judges will assess the images and jointly select the winner in each class and, at their discretion, award a number of certificates of merit and other awards. The judges’ decisions are final.

13 Awards:

In each class, in addition to the award of first, second and third and various certificates of merit, there will also be awarded three Judges’ Commendations, and ‘Best Image from a WPS Member’.

14 Results:

Entrants will be notified of their results by email at the end of July 2024. It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that his/her contact details are kept up to date.

15 Acceptances:

Entrants whose images are accepted for exhibition will have the ability to download an acceptance card per image. Winners of awards above Certificate of Merit will be invited to the Winchester Photographic Society’s Presentation & Awards Evening, at which they will receive personalised certificates and awards as appropriate. Winners who are unable to attend will receive their certificates and awards by post.

16 Catalogue:

An electronic catalogue in CD format will be available to all entrants prior to the Presentation & Awards Evening. Entrants will have the opportunity to opt out of receiving a CD when registering for the exhibition.

17 Exhibition of Images:

A selection of the accepted images will be projected at the Presentation & Awards Evening at Winchester Photographic Society in September 2024, and the full exhibition will be viewable online via Winchester Photographic Society’s website (this website) winphotosoc.uk from September to December 2024.

18 Data Protection:

Entrants’ contact details will be kept on file for future mailing of exhibition information and for no other purpose.

19 Acceptance of Rules of Entry:

The submission of entries will be taken as acceptance of these Rules of Entry. The decision of the Organisers on all matters relating to the Exhibition is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

20 Application of Rules:

It is the responsibility of the Entrant to ensure that entries meet the conditions for entry for the class entered. The Organisers are unable to check all entries for eligibility before selection.

The organisers or judges may decide to exclude from the exhibition, at any stage, any images that, in their opinion, appear not to comply with these rules or that are deemed to be offensive. Where images are rejected under these circumstances, entry fees will not be refunded.

Enquiries ku.co1732170399sotoh1732170399pniw@1732170399lanoi1732170399tanre1732170399tsehc1732170399niw1732170399

Exhibition of Images

Presentation & Awards Evening (by invitation) – September 2024

A Presentation & Awards Evening will take place at Winchester Photographic Society in September 2024, when all entrants who have won awards above Certificate of Merit will be invited, with guests, to view a selection of images from the exhibition and to receive their awards. The date will be announced on completion of the society’s 2024-25 events programme.

Online – August to December 2024

The full exhibition will be viewable via Winchester Photographic Society’s website galleries page, from September to December 2024.

Catalogue

Following the Presentation & Awards Evening, an electronic catalogue in CD format will be posted to all entrants except those who have opted out.

29 July 2024