10th September 2018 Section 3.b General Conditions and Rules (Applying to all Federation Competitions) Unless specifically defined otherwise in the regulations issued for a particular competition in one year, the following applies to all Federation competitions. There is no restriction on the subject matter within the limits of English law. (Photographers are reminded that these limits include considerations of invasion of privacy, restrictions whilst on private property, and protection of copyright. Photographers should also have complied with the legal restrictions applicable for location shots in other countries.) The prime image content for a print, or projected digital image should be captured “photographically” and may be recorded on any sensor, film or sensitised material. (Note: “Photographic” capture may be by any means which employs light, and includes, for example, the use of cameras, scanners and solar prints. It excludes, also for example, images in which the essential pictorial content is entirely or substantially originated and generated by computer graphic programs.) The image, and all substantive image elements within it, must be the work of the entrant, who must own the copyright. Technical manipulation to enhance the image and produce the final print or projected digital image is permitted. (Note: The boundary between photography and graphic art is difficult to define. Examples of acceptable manipulation are the use of filters, textures and layer patterns. The use of software to build pattern pictures is not acceptable. Photographers should always be prepared to provide original files, preferably with camera metadata, if challenged.) Prints and projected digital images may be third party processed or be processed by the entrant. In both the inter-club and open competitions, individual images are eligible for use in one season only and in one discipline only. However, an image which has been included in a panel solely as a tie-breaker (whether judged in a tie-break or not) is permitted to be used in an inter-club panel in a subsequent season, but not again as a tie-breaker. Images used in a panel may not be used as tie-breakers in a subsequent season. (Note: The Federation’s aim is to promote the showing of new and varied work in it’s competitions. It is, therefore, recommended that the use of near duplicate images is avoided in both the inter-club and open competitions.) Examples of acceptable and unacceptable re-use of images: *An image used purely as a tie-breaker can be re-used in one inter-club panel in a subsequent season in any discipline (but not again as a tie-breaker). *An image that has been in an inter-club panel and not gained a certificate can be entered into one open competition in the same or a subsequent season in the same or a different discipline (providing it has not been in an open competition before). * An image that has been entered into an open competition can be used in one inter-club panel in a subsequent season in the same or a different discipline. * With the exception of tie-break images (as detailed above), an image from an inter-club panel cannot be included in another inter-club panel in any season or any other discipline. * An image from an open competition cannot be entered into another open competition in any season or any other discipline. Societies must obtain permission from authors to use their prints and projected digital images in Federation competitions. No print or projected digital image submitted by a society, nor any copy thereof, may at any time be submitted by any other society of which the author is, or has been, a member. A member may represent one society only in the Federation competitions of any one season. The term “monochrome print” describes a print produced in varying densities of a single hue. Conventionally that hue would be a neutral grey, with densities from white to black. However, the neutral grey could be replaced by any single hue. Examples of acceptable and unacceptable prints: * A “black and white” print, uniformly printed or toned with one tone or hue, would be acceptable as a monochrome print. It would not be acceptable as a colour print in the colour print competition. * A “black and white” print, partially toned with a single hue in addition to the base hue, is not acceptable as “monochrome”, and is regarded as a “colour” print. * A print wholly or partially toned with two or more hues is a colour print. * A monochrome print which has had another hue added to one element is a colour print, and is not acceptable in a monochrome competition. (e.g. coloured lips on an otherwise black and white portrait) Projected Digital Images may be colour or monochrome. Queries about the acceptability of an image should be made to the SLF Competition Secretary well before the date that print titles/PDIs have to reach the host club. Prints must be mounted on 40 x 50 cm card and presented unframed. The print title, photographer’s name and society should be clearly marked on the reverse of the mount. In all inter-club print panels, a Federation competition label must be fixed to the back of the mount. The print in each panel which is designated as the “tie breaker” shall carry a standard label, but this will be annotated as “Tie breaker”. If in subsequent rounds (either that year or a later year) the same print is used as one of the eight within the panel it shall then carry an additional, and standard, label. The Federation reserves the right to disqualify any print that may cause damage to other entries. Any society entering a print or projected image which upon investigation is proved to contravene the rules will be liable to disqualification from the match in which the work appears, and the match may be awarded to their opponents. Any society wishing to object to an entry must do so to the Federation’s competition secretary within ten days of the relevant competition. (Clubs are strongly encouraged to resolve any disputes on the night, preferably before the judging, and in a good spirit. However the judge should not be asked to make the decision.) The Federation reserves the right to retain a digital archive of all competition entries for use in disputes etc. In the event of any question of the interpretation of the competition rules the decision of the Federation committee shall be final. THE TROPHIES The name of the winner shall be engraved on each trophy at the Federation’s expense. The trophies are to be returned to the Competition Secretary on a notified date prior to the next competitions.