New 'Portrait' Category for the 2017-18 Season

At the recent AGM there was general support for a proposal to move ‘Portraits’ from the Open category into a separate, additional category.  The Committee proposes to adopt the proposal for the 2017-18 season, and will review the success or otherwise of the move before adopting the new category long term.  

In the coming season there will therefore be three categories for each competition - both Print and Projected. An overall limit of four images across the categories per competition applies as previously, with a maximum three images in any one category:

Set Subject: - there is no change to this category.

Portrait:  This covers any image where the main subject is a person or people who are posing or otherwise acting under the general direction and control of the photographer, whether in a studio or location, lit or otherwise.   ‘Street’ Photography and similar observational/candid images of people are not included in this category, and would remain in the ’Open’ category.

Open: This category includes any image other than those covered by the Portrait category, including ‘Street’ Photography or similar observational/candid images of people where they are not under the direction or control of the photographer.

The decision relating to the appropriate category for ‘People’ pictures is left to the author, based on the guidelines above.  However, should a judge feel that an image has been entered into an inappropriate category they may, at their discretion, mark down the image.