South Shields Photographic Society

​​The Annual Competition:

This is the main competitive event organised by the NCPF and has a long tradition dating back to the early days of the Federation. It is usually held in April, with the Awards Ceremony held in November.
 

The Competition has changed over the years to reflect changes in photography, but its ethos remains essentially the same and many of the Trophies awarded each year reflect the long history of the Federation.
 

The Annual is a free competition aimed at individual camera club members within the Federation. Although clubs can also win awards for the cumulative performances of their individual members.

 

There are three Sections:

• Colour Prints

• Monochrome Prints

• Projected Digital Images (PDIs), colour or monochrome

Within each Section there are two Classes:

• Open (which can include beginners)

• Beginners* (only)

Beginner Competitions – Prints

Each entrant may submit up to 3 Print Images into the Beginner Section.

This is an OPEN Competition and covers ALL Categories of Subject.

Beginner Competitions – Electronic Images (PDI’s)

Each entrant may submit up to 3 Electronic Images into the Beginner Section.

This is an OPEN Competition and covers all Categories of Subject.
 

*Definition of a Beginner:
A Beginner is someone who, at the time of entry, is classified as such by their own club.

They will have NEVER held:
 

• Awards or certificates from any NCPF/PAGB-affiliated competition.

• Accreditation from photographic bodies like the RPS, FIAP, PSA, PAGB, BPE.

All members may enter up to 3 images in each of the three Sections of the Open Class.
Therefore, the maximum number of entries per member is NINE.
 

Further Rules & Regulations will be available to Clubs at the time of entry.
 

Judging:

The Open Classes are judged by a panel of three experienced Judges.

Two from outside the Federation and one from our own Judges’ List.
The Beginners Classes are judged by an NCPF Judge.
 

Awards and Trophies:

Trophies are awarded in each section for the best club entries, as well as for the best entries submitted by individual members. There are several trophies and many Highly Commended Certificates presented for the top individual entries in various categories, including Portrait, Landscape, Nature, and Creative.

Finally, there is a trophy, “The Joan Rooker Centenary Trophy” for the best photograph of the entire competition.
 

• ALLIANCE SELECTION
  Once the main competitions have taken place a separate panel of NCPF Listed Judges takes a fresh look at the most successful entries and selects from them the Federation’s entries into the Inter-Federation Competitions organised by the PAGB, known generally as the Alliance Competitions. 

• SELECTORS CHOICE PORTFOLIO
  After the Alliance entry has been chosen a further panel of NCPF Judges look at the remainder and select a portfolio of prints and PDI images designed to reflect the work of the Northern Counties Federation members.

• PORTFOLIOS
  After the Competitions have been completed the Portfolio Secretary prepares two separate portfolios that are available on CD for individual clubs to book for their club night programmes.

  • The Awards Portfolio: This features all the award-winning images, highly commended work, and images selected for the PAGB (Photographic Alliance of Great Britain) inter-federation competitions.

  • The "Selectors' Choice" Portfolio: Features images selected to represent the exceptional quality of members' work that were not included in the main "Awards Portfolio". This section allows individual judges to choose and comment on their favorite dozen or so images from the larger collection of high-scoring entries in the Annual NCPF Competition.