Boston Camera Club Competition Rules

(Last Updated September 2024)

1. GENERAL

The Boston Camera Club (BCC) holds regular print and digital photograph competitions for participation by its members. In addition, the club may choose to participate in interclub competitions with separate rules established by the sponsoring organization. Each year the names of the Chair of each Group hosting Competitions (Latimer Print and Digital Image) shall be announced at the first club meeting of the year and publicly posted at the BCC Website. “Group Chair(s)” in these Rules shall be interpreted as “Group Chair(s) or the designate(s) of the Group Chair(s).”

The schedule of all of the year’s competition dates shall be determined prior to the beginning of the club’s first competition. This schedule shall appear in an annual BCC calendar of events that will be included in the REFLECTOR, posted on the website and publicly announced at each club meeting. In some cases email reminders will also be sent.

In general, the BCC intends to operate its competitions under rules that comply with the current version of the Photographic Society of America’s (PSA’s) “Consolidated Exhibition Standards” and the rules for NECCC Inter-Club competitions. At the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Boston Camera Club, exceptions to these Standards may be allowed due to site or other resource limitations, or when the scope of a BCC competition has been designed to significantly differ from a PSA sanctioned competition. This provision is intended to maximize the BCC’s options to enter selected works from BCC competitions in PSA sanctioned National and International Exhibits.

These Rules take effect with the 2024-2025 Competition Year and shall remain in effect until revised with approval of the Executive Committee of the Boston Camera Club (see Section 7).

1.1. Ad Hoc Competitions
The club may choose to hold additional ad hoc competitions, outside of the series of regular print and digital competitions. Such ad hoc competitions may have their own rules, which will be announced when the competitions are announced. Awards given in ad hoc competitions will not count toward the annual Photographer of the Year and Photograph of the Year awards.

2. COMPETITION CLASSES

The “Open” and “Special” Latimer Print and Digital Image competition categories shall be divided into Class A and Class B. Classes are subject to review and revision by the BCC Executive Committee     .

The Classes are distinguished as follows.

2.1. Class A
This Class shall comprise advanced competitors. Anyone who comes in first or second place in the annual Photographer of the Year in Class B must compete in Class A beginning in the competition year following the year in which the award was won.

2.2. Class B
This Class shall comprise beginning and intermediate competitors, all new members who do not request placement in Class A, and anyone who does not qualify for Class A.

2.3. Voluntary Class Change
Any Class B member may elect to move to Class A at the beginning or in the middle of the competition year.

If a Class B member elects to move to Class A in mid-year, then all points previously accumulated by that member shall be forfeited.

Members may not move from Class A to Class B with the following exception:  A new member who requests placement in Class A will have a one-year grace period during which they can move from Class A to Class B upon request, as appropriate.

3. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Unless otherwise specified, BCC competition participants must be BCC members in good standing. Determination of good standing, including dues payment or renewal, and other factors, shall be established by the Group Chair of each competition. Any member may enter any or all of the competitions, subject to provisions specified later in these Rules.

An entry may be rejected when the Group Chair(s), in his or her reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to competition rules and conditions. Although an entrant may discuss the basis for rejection with the Group Chair(s), the final determination is the sole responsibility of the Group Chair(s); the final decision is not subject to appeal.

3.1. Responsibility for Entries
The Group Chairs shall see that all possible and reasonable care is given to entries in all competitions. However, the club assumes no responsibility for loss or damage of any entry in any club competition. It shall furthermore be the responsibility of each member to pick up his or her entries after each competition. After competitions, the Interclub Competition Chair may request to hold some entries for consideration as club entries in interclub competitions.

3.2. Selection of Categories for Entries
Entries in a particular category must meet all standards in these Rules for that category. When an entry fulfills all requirements for more than one category, it is solely up to the entrant’s judgment to decide the entry category.

In the event of disagreement regarding the qualification of an entry for a particular Category, the Group Chair’s decision shall be final. If an entry is disqualified from one category, it may be entered in a different category for which it qualifies with the approval of the Group Chair. If the Group Chair determines there is a significant risk of “no competition” (see Section 5) in a Category, the Group Chair may request entrants to switch their entries to the deficient category, if they have entries that qualify for the deficient category as well as another Category. In this instance, the Group Chair can waive limitations on total entries by an individual if that individual can contribute an additional entry that will create competition in the deficient category. Entrants are not obligated to make a switch requested by the Group Chair, however.

3.3. Number of Entries
In order to hold a competition in any Category and Class, at least three members must compete. Entries so excluded may be submitted for comment only.

For Latimer Print competitions, each member may enter a maximum of three images total, with no more than two in any one category. For Digital Image competitions, each member may enter a maximum of two images total, which can be entered in different categories or both in the same category. If a member is found to have entered more than the allowed number of images after the competition has been completed, the appropriate Group Chair will randomly choose and disqualify the minimum number of images needed to bring the member into compliance. Any ribbon awards that may have been given out to images thus disqualified will not be retracted, but any points that would ordinarily go toward the year-end scoring will be forfeited.

3.4. Timing: Delivery of Entries and Voting

3.4.1. Latimer Print Group: Delivery of Entries and Voting
Each member is required to submit entries via the club's online entry system by 11:30 pm on the Saturday that is three (3) days before the respective competition night. The submitted .jpg image must be an electronic version of the physical print to be exhibited at the respective competition. 

Major modifications to the photograph are NOT permitted between the .jpg submission deadline and the competition event. Major modifications include manipulations such as compositing, recoloring from/to color/monochrome, cropping, or other such modifications to render the photograph to look like an entirely different photograph from the submitted .jpg. The Latimer Print Chair has the final discretion on whether the physical print differs from the submitted .jpg to warrant its disqualification from the competition. The judge’s critique of submitted images is based on the physical print displayed on the competition night. Judges do not get access to the .jpg images prior to the competition.

Any photograph not entered into the competition via the web site by the designated date and time will not be eligible for voting or judging on the competition night. Any entry submitted via the web site that is not physically displayed on the competition night is not eligible for voting or judging and will be marked as disqualified.

On the competition night, the Group Chair will use the Table in Attachment 1 to determine the number of entries that will receive votes for each Category and will post these numbers above the entries for each Category. Voting starts when the number of entries to be voted for each category have been posted. After this posting, no change in the numbers shall be allowed unless an error is discovered. At least 5 minutes will be allowed to vote.

Each member is responsible for making prior arrangements to ensure his or her entries submitted via the web site are displayed on a competition night from which the member will be absent. 

3.4.2. Digital Image Photographs: Delivery of Entries and Voting
Each member must submit entries via the Club’s online entry system by 11:30 pm on the Saturday that is ten (10) days before the respective competition night. Entries are scored by the judge(s) prior to the competition. Members may also vote in electronic image competitions; the results will be announced the evening of the competition, but they will not count towards any year-end annual awards.

3.5. Resubmission of Entries

3.5.1. Non-Winning Entries
An image may be entered in a competition no more than two times, be it Latimer or Digital Image. If re-entered, an image must be submitted in a different category than the first time. 

3.5.2. Winning Entries
Any entry winning any award (1st-3rd and HM) in any club regular competition Category may henceforth never be reentered in another competition, be it Latimer or Digital Image. For purposes of clarification, a file that produced a winning image may not be entered again as a differently altered image (for example, a winning color image may not be entered again as a monochrome image and vice versa). Any entry bearing marked similarity to a previous award winner by the same member may be considered identical to it for the purposes of these rules, with the final judgment of similarity being reserved for the Group Chair.

3.5.3 Ad Hoc Competitions
An entry (whether or not winning any award) in a regular (Print and Digital Image) competition may be entered in any club ad hoc competition and any image entered into an ad-hoc competition (whether or not winning any award) may be entered into a regular competition.

3.6. Authorship and Rights
By entering BCC competitions, entrants give BCC (and by extension, NECCC when BCC is referenced in this Section 3.6) permission to reproduce entries in connection with the activities and publicity of the BCC including display on the BCC Internet site. The entrant also gives BCC permission to use entries in inter-club competitions. The copyright, however, remains with the photographer and the photographer will receive credit when their photograph is used. The entered image must have been conceived and exposed by the member, regardless of the capture medium. Image output and presentation may be performed by the member or someone else.

3.7. Image Source
Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion, acquired electronically such as on a digital sensor, or scanned.

3.7.1. Artificial Intelligence Images
Images fully generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) or that contain a significant portion generated by AI (as determined by the Group Chair(s) or judge(s)) are not allowed unless submitted into categories that explicitly allow AI.

3.8. Image Output
Prints may include images made on any photographic paper, photographic film, or other essentially two-dimensional media, if the presented image is composed of, or printed on, one sheet of this media. Collages of multiple sheets of paper, film, or other media are prohibited. Digital images will be submitted as digital files as specified by the Digital Competition Chair.

3.9. Manipulation
Modification to images as allowed in section 3.7, if any, are specified for each competition Category. Subject to category restrictions, artwork, text, or computer graphics created by the entrant, or AI content may be incorporated if the photographic content predominates.

Content added to the original picture, whether of photographic or electronic origin, must be created entirely by the entrant. In an Open category, there are no limitations for subject matter or method of producing the image except general requirements that images are photographically produced, and all elements of the image are the work of the entrant.    

Commercial clip art, parts of commercial photographic collections, or the work of another photographer may not be included. Artwork or computer graphics created by the entrant may be incorporated as long as the photographic content predominates. Keep in mind that adding elements such as clouds, moons, frames, or fractals generated by image editing programs, plug-ins, or other software is considered the same as using commercial clip art and, thus, is not allowed. However clouds, frames, or moons photographed or drawn by the entrant may be combined with other photographs.

The line between the entrant’s digital art and clip art is a gray one in many cases. A good rule to follow is that anything that changes an element the entrant drew or photographed is allowed, but any action that adds an element other than from of one of the entrant’s own photographs, drawings, or digital art probably is not. Note that adding a mat or frame using the image editor drawing capabilities will normally be considered digital art by the entrant and, thus, is allowed.

The judges will be asked to judge the photographs for overall photographic quality and interest, not the amount of manipulation required to achieve the effect.    

Unless a Category specifies accurate documentation as a goal of the images in that category, any computer- or darkroom-based image manipulation is acceptable so long as it conforms to the constraints specified above in this Section. Specific categories may add further limitations regarding subject matter and permissible manipulation (electronic or otherwise).

3.10. Competition Types (Categories) 
The only restrictions on the subject matter or photographic technique used for competition entries are specified in individual Category descriptions. However, the Competition Chair shall make the final decision whether an image qualifies for a particular Category. Each Category, and/or Class must be judged and shown individually. 

3.11. Latimer Print Requirements
Any member who participates in the Latimer Print competition, must meet the online submission requirements as noted above (See 3.4.1) to display prints at the competition. Prints are entered at the entrant’s risk, and damage to prints will not be the responsibility of the BCC. 

Photographic prints may not exceed 16 inches x 20 inches. Additionally, overall size, including mount, may not exceed 16 inches x 20 inches. These size limits may be overridden for a specific Category if so specified by the Group Chair.

Prints must be mounted and preferably matted. Mounting and matting a print provides protection in addition to enhancing the print presentation, reducing the risk of damage to unmounted prints. 

Photographs printed on media other than paper are allowed as long as they can be displayed on the night of the competition using the print hanging system for the competition. The Competition Chair has the final determination on whether a photograph printed on other media is eligible for competition. Framed pictures are not allowed due to practical limits for hanging entries. 

There shall be no writing of any kind on the front of the mount except for a possible caption in the Photojournalism category. The back must carry the title of the print, the category in which the print is entered, and the print maker’s full name. Any photographic print displaying a watermark and/or the member's name will be automatically disqualified from the competition.

3.12. Digital Image Requirements
Each member submits entries via the BCC’s online submission form, with the same delineation of members into Open A and Open B as with Latimer. It is strongly suggested that all photographs be converted to the sRGB color space. That color space most closely approximates the capability of monitors and projectors to display color and usually results in the best presentation of an image. 

The maximum resolution for submitted images will be specified in the Category definition on the BCC website. Generally, the website software will downsize larger images so that they fit within the specified limits. The presentation software will further downsize images, as needed, to match the capabilities of display devices. It is recommended, but not required, that submitted images be at least 1080 pixels high, or 1920 pixels wide in the case of an image whose proportions are wider than a ratio of 16 to 9. Any photograph displaying a watermark and/or the member's name will be automatically disqualified from the competition.

To submit images: Click on Competitions>Submit Images to a Competition

Note that the website will allow submission of images according to the club rules regarding the size and maximum number of images allowed.

4. COMPETITION TYPES (CATEGORIES)

Latimer Print Group competition categories include six types:  Open A, Open B, and two Special categories for both Class A and Class B. Any of these categories may be repeated without limit during one competition season     .

Digital Image competitions categories include six types: Open A, Open B, and two Special categories for both Class A and Class B as outlined above.

Each Special category that is included in a competition (Latimer or Digital) shall be defined by a written definition that is provided by the Group Chair when the competition is announced.

5. JUDGING, SCORING, AND AWARDS

Judges for each competition shall be selected in advance. The Executive Committee shall establish the procedure for selecting judges. Each Category and Class shall be judged separately. The judges must be given instructions just prior to the commencement of judging regarding any pertinent restriction or requirement, including information on ribbons and other awards. Instruction shall include a reading of the definition for Categories and Classes being judged and an explanation of the method of judging to be used. If the Group Chair has imposed any subject or other restrictions on the competition other than those that normally apply, the Group Chair shall inform the judges of those restrictions.

NO COMPETITION:  A minimum of three members must compete in any Category and Class of any competition. In addition, in any print competition, a minimum of three entries must be submitted. Entries so excluded may still be submitted for comment only, and are furthermore exempt from the rules that would otherwise apply to resubmitting entries when a competition is actually held (see Section 3.5).

5.1. Latimer Print Group
Judging shall be made by a combination of 1) the popular vote of the club members present, and 2) one judge. The Group Chair shall insure that all prints are sufficiently identified with a number to enable voting members and the judge to easily cast a vote by number for any print in the competition.

5.1.1. Popular Vote
The Competition Chair determines the number of votes for each Category and Class according to the Table in Attachment 1 and announces the number of votes per category. Each member in good standing may cast the specified number of votes for entries (one vote per selected entry) in each Category and Class. Members may vote for as many images in any one category as s/he chooses up to the limit ascribed for that category in that competition. Members are not allowed to vote for their own image(s).

If paper ballots are used, ballots may be invalidated in one or all categories for the following reasons: illegibility, votes in incorrect category, or any characteristic that makes the ballot difficult to interpret. All votes within a category must be interpretable and correct, or all the votes for that category on the ballot in question will be excluded. If a ballot is called into question, the Group Chair makes the final decision to accept or exclude the votes. For scoring purposes, each member’s vote has the same weight (= “1”); members do not vote on the placing within a category.    

If a digital or online voting system is used, the voting member should take care to enter the votes into the proper categories, and avoid exceeding the allowed number of votes posted for each category.  Members should be aware that image tags in the incorrect category, and excess votes, will be automatically discarded by the system.

5.1.2. Judge's Vote and Tally
The judge’s ballot shall be marked and counted separately. In each Category and Class, the judge shall vote for the same numbers of prints as the members, but each of the judge’s votes will count as three points instead of one (example: if four votes are to be cast, each of the 4 will receive 3 points from the judge’s ballot when the voting is tallied). The judge's votes shall be added to the total popular scores in each Category and Class, and the sums shall determine the award winners. 

5.2. Digital Image Competition
The Competition Chair(s) shall collect all entries and make them available to the judge(s) prior to the night of competition. The judge(s) will review and score the entries prior to the competition. During the competition, the scores are displayed and the judge(s) individually critique the images. The titles and makers of the images shall be displayed during the review.

5.3. Members Serving as Judges
Where these rules so permit, any club member who serves as a judge for any competition Category and Class may not compete in that Category and Class.

5.4. Awards

5.4.1. Regular Competition Awards

5.4.1.1. Levels
In all regular club competitions, a maximum of four levels of awards shall be presented in each Class and Category of each competition: First Place, Second Place, Third Place, and Honorable Mention (HM).

5.4.1.2. Number of Awards
The number of Awards in a category is limited, based on the number of images that were entered into the category. Use the Table in Attachment 1 to determine the number of Awards.

In the event of ties, lower awards will be affected: 

• If two images/prints tie for First Place, there are two First Place awards and there is no Second Place award. If three or more images/prints tie for First Place, there will be no Second Place or Third Place award.

• If two or more images/prints tie for Second Place, there is no Third Place award.      

• The total number of awards (First, Second, and Third Place, plus HM) must not exceed the total number of awards specified in Attachment 1, except that if there is a tie for First, Second, or Third Place, the limit may be exceeded to the extent needed to give awards to all the tied images/prints that qualify for the last permissible place award.

Judges in Digital Image competitions are strongly encouraged to break ties among images that have the same numerical score so as to give only one First, Second, and Third Place award in each Class and Category.

5.4.2. Annual Awards

The nature of the Annual Awards shall be determined by the club's Executive Committee. 

There are two sets of Annual Awards.

5.4.2.1. Photographer of the Year Awards

This is an award given to photographers based on the cumulative tally of awards given during the competition season. Images in Open and Special categories are considered together. Images in levels A and B are considered separately. Scores for awards are tallied as follows:

1st place:                      4 points

2nd place:                    3 points

3rd place:                     2 points

Honorable Mention:     1 point

If there are ties, each award winner is given the full point score of that award. For example, if there are two first place winners, each person gets 4 points. 

Awards:

Latimer: First, second and third place winners, Levels A and B (6 awards).

Digital: First, second and third place winners, Levels A and B (6 awards).

In the event of tie scores, duplicate awards will be given.

5.4.2.2 Image of the Year

This is an award given to one image each in the digital and Latimer divisions.

5.4.2.2.1 Latimer Print of the Year

Step 1: All prints winning first or second place during the competition year will automatically be entered into the competition. Levels A and B are displayed and voted on separately. Members must bring their original print or arrange for it to be displayed at the annual meeting for voting. Alterations to the print      based on judge feedback are not permitted.  Prints will be separated into groups by competition level, but not by category.

Step 2: When voting is completed, the six prints which rank first, and second and third by live voting in each level (A and B) at the annual meeting become the finalists and are submitted to the judge. Ties are handled as in other competitions. (This voting tally does not result directly in an award).

Step 3: The judge reviews the 6 finalists as a group, without identification of levels A or B. The judge chooses a single Print image of the year.

5.4.2.2.2 Digital Image of the Year

Step 1: All images winning first or second place during the competition year will automatically be entered into the competition. Only first and second place images awarded by the judge are considered, not members’ popular votes. 

Step 2: Voting is completed online prior to the annual meeting. The six images which rank first, second and third by online voting in each level become the finalists and are submitted to the judge. Ties are handled as in other competitions. (The vote tally does not result directly in an award).

Step 3:  The judge reviews the images as a group, without identification of levels A or B. The judge chooses a single Digital image of the year.

6. OTHER COMPETITIONS

6.1. Additional BCC Competitions
The club may, on a regular or ad hoc basis, hold additional print and/or digital competitions. If a competition is held on a regular basis, decision to hold the competition must be made, and the competition dates announced, prior to the start of the club year, in accordance with Part 1 of these Rules.

6.2. Interclub Competitions
Inter-Club Competitions may be added at any time by the Executive Committee.

7. AMENDMENT OF THE RULES

These rules may be amended at any time by the Executive Committee of the Boston Camera Club. However, all amendments shall take effect prior to the start of the next upcoming club competition year, shall last for at least one full competition year, and shall be properly announced to the club prior to the first competition. 

ATTACHMENT 1
Table for Determining Number of Votes and Awards in BCC Competitions
(Latimer Print and Digital Image)

Note: Need at least 3 entrants/category to hold competition

Number of Votes Allowed Per Category

Number of Awards Presented Per Category