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NCPF's Annual Competition

​​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)

Each entrant may submit up to 3 Print Images into the Mono, Colour AND PDI sections- 9 in total.

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  • Beginners* (only)

Prints

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

Electronic Images (PDI’s)

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

*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 regular member is NINE.
NOTE: Beginners may enter 9 in the Open section in addition to 6 in the Beginners section.
 

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

Judging:

  • Open Classes
    judged by a panel of three experienced Judges. 
    Two from outside the Federation, and one  from the NCPF Judges’ List.

  • Beginners Classes
    judged by a Judge from the NCPF Judges’ List
     

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.

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Club Awards

These trophies are awarded to the club with the highest aggregate marks in specific sections. 

  • Bewick Trophy:
    Best Club Entry of Colour Prints.

  • Corder Trophy:
    Best Club Entry of Monochrome Prints.

  • Myles Audas Memorial Trophy:
    Best Club Entry of Projected Digital Images (PDI). 

    ​

Individual Section & Category Awards

The individual and category awards are divided into three main sections:

  • Monochrome Prints

  • Colour Prints

  • Projected Digital Images (PDI)

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Premier Individual Award

  • Joan Rooker Centenary Trophy:
    This is the top individual honour, awarded to the Overall Best Photograph across all sections of the competition. 

 

Section-Specific - Best Individual Awards

  • Federation Challenge Cup:
    Awarded for the Best Monochrome Print.

  • Weir Trophy:
    Awarded for the Best Colour Print.

  • Diamond Trophy:
    Awarded for the Best Projected Digital Image (PDI). 

    ​

Categorical Subject Awards

Trophies are further designated for specific genres within each section:
 

  • Galloway Rose Bowl:
    Landscape Colour Print

  • Norman Jeffcoat Trophy:
    Landscape Mono Print

  • Thomas Bates Trophy:
    Landscape PDI

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  • Pinkney Trophy:
    Human Portrait Colour Print

  • Ken Henderson Trophy:
    Human Portrait Mono Print

  • Bryan Gilbert Trophy:
    Human Portrait PDI
     

  • Alf Shoebottom Trophy:
    Nature  Colour OR Mono Print

  • Vickers Trophy:
    Nature PDI
     

  • Grier Trophy:
    Creative Colour OR Mono Print

  • Hilton Trophy:
    Creative PDI
     

  • PAGB World Cup:
    Sport Colour OR Mono Print

  • Eagle Trophy:
    Sport PDI
     

Beginner Awards

These awards celebrate the best entries from members classified as beginners. 
 

  • Jane Black Trophy: Best Beginners PDI.

  • Robert Chalmers Trophy: Best Beginners Print. 


Further Selections
 

  • ALLIANCE 
    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
    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. Once complete the Portfolio Secretary prepares two separate portfolios, 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.

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