2025 PPAM PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION
Monday, February 10, 2025 at 9am EST till judging is complete Digital Image Entries Only (no prints)
Registration/Digital File upload deadline: 11pm EST, Saturday, February 8, 2025
Co-Chairpersons:
Stephen Sedman and Cathy Broderick
competition@ppam.com
DEADLINES AND FEES
The Entry fee is $15 per image, with no cap on the number of entries per maker.
This competition will be held virtually. PPAM will NOT be accepting prints. Digital Image entries only will be accepted for the 2025 Competition.
Entry fee must be paid, and images uploaded by 11pm EST on Saturday, February 08, 2025. No changes to your entry are permitted once the entry deadline has passed. No refunds will be issued after the entry fee is paid.
To register for the PPAM Competition, go to https://printcompetition.com/, create an account (*There is a $14 fee to printcompetition.com to create an account with standard access, or you can pay more for premium features), log on with your account, then choose PPAM from the list of upcoming Photographic Competitions, and follow directions to register, upload your image files and pay the entry fee.
Registration/Digital File Upload deadline: 11pm EST on Saturday, February 08, 2025.
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION RULES
This competition is a photographic competition where digital entries are evaluated against a standard of excellence using the 12 Elements of a Merit Image. For more information, go to https://www.ppa.com/events/photo- competitions/the-12-elements-of-a-merit-image
These rules pertain to images originally created by traditional and electronic photographic processes.
ELIGIBILITY
Entrant must have captured and created the original exposure.
Images created by means of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, are not permitted in this competition.
It is permissible to use AI technology to remove items (ie using content aware fill tool to remove a dust or sensor spot), but it is NOT permissible to use AI technology to add elements or replace backgrounds.
As this is a Photographic Competition, the photographic component shall be dominant in all entries.
All processing, manipulation, and rendering were done by the entrant or under their direct supervision.
The entrant’s name must not be visible on the entry, or in the file title.
No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment during a workshop or seminar.
For the Artist category only, entries may be created using existing photographs, portraits, graphics or any other artwork (excluding AI generated content) so long as the entrant is prepared to provide appropriate written documentation indicating permission for usage. This documentation may be requested by PPAM before, during or after the competition. If an entry, in the good-faith opinion of the PPAM Photographic Competition co-chairs, violates copyright, trademark or any other applicable law and cannot be proven otherwise, that entry shall be disqualified.
An Entrant may use the same individual in multiple images as long as the images contain entirely different concepts (i.e. different lighting, wardrobe, background, session).
Entries previously awarded or merited at any PPAM or PPA/IPC Competition are not eligible. Images merited during PPA’s Merit Image Review (MIR) 2024 are eligible.
PPAM reserves the right to request the original/raw file for any entry.
If an image has been awarded an 80 or above score in any category of PPAM competition, it may not be entered in a PPAM competition again in any other category, at any time by any entrant. No image that receives an 80 or above may be entered more than once under any condition.
To qualify for PPAM Member awards, the entrant must claim PPAM as their Home Association and have a paid PPAM membership as of February 08, 2025. The entrant agrees to not claim any other PPA Community Network as their Home (in-state) Association.
The Highest Scoring Image by a Certified Professional
Photographer (CPP) will receive the CPP Award from the Professional Photographic Certification Commission. To qualify you must be a current member of PPAM (and claim PPAM as your Home Association) and a PPA member, as well as a CPP in good standing as of February 08, 2025.
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE CATEGORIES
You must designate one of the below categories for each entry when uploading your entries:
Portraits: Images that depict the natural beauty of a subject. Lighting and posing should portray and enhance the personality and character of the subject. Images that use extensive makeup or props to transform the natural appearance, must be entered in Illustrative Portrait or Illustration/Digital Art categories. Post-production techniques are not to be an essential part of the final photograph.
- Portrait of 1 or 2 Adults
- Family Portraits (3 or more people)
- Newborn Portraits
- Children’s Portraits
- High School Senior Portraits
- Boudoir, Glamour, Fashion
- Pet Portraits
Illustrative:
- Landscape/Cityscape
- Nature (flowers, insects, wild animals, zoo animals)
- Commercial (includes real estate, architecture, still life and product photography)
- Reportage: Images that illustrate an actual public or non-public event, life, an area of human interest, telling news that have meaning on the context or record of events, high impact and/or lasting emotional response, sporting events. ONLY basic color and brightness adjustments, cropping, dodging, and burning are allowed; no composites. The original captured image (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by the committee. No addition or removal or objects int the photo is permitted.
- Wedding – Documentary
- Wedding – Posed
- Artist - This category is judged with emphasis on the creative use of manipulation through any means of imaging. This is the appropriate category for composites, and photo restorations should be placed in this category. Entries in the Artist category may include any subject and may have additional elements not created by the maker. No elements created by AI are permitted. All processing, manipulation, artwork, or rendering must be done by the entrant. Guide images must be included on the submitted digital image. The photographic component needs to be dominant.
- Stylized Portrait (people or animals): Images that include extensive styling, creative photo techniques such as painting, specialized makeup, or props are allowed. Post-production techniques are encouraged and may be an essential part of the final story in the photograph. Composite and non-composite images and highly manipulated images (Photoshop or similar) are allowed in this category as long as the photographic component is dominant.
Albums: Portraits, storytelling, weddings, events.
Registration/Digital File Upload deadline: 11pm EST on Saturday, February 08, 2025.
DIGITAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- Files must be sized so the longest dimension is 4,000 pixels.
- Each file must contain an embedded color profile of sRGB and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 10.
- Name files: Image Title.jpg IE, “See Spot Run.jpg”. Do NOT put the maker’s name in the title, and do not put a name, watermark or logo on the image.
- Digital Files will be viewed with the following Monitor Settings: D65, 120cd/m2, 2.20 gamma
- All page/spread files must have the longest file dimension at 4000 pixels, have the embedded color profile sRGB , and saved at a JPEG quality setting of 10.
- Each page/spread file may contain as many images as you desire.
- An entry shall contain a minimum of 5 pages/spread files up to 36 pages/spread files.
- Files are to be numbered in viewing order using two digits, i.e., 01 jpg, 02 jpg, 03 jpg, etc.
- All individual files must be compressed into a single ZIP file. ZIP file must be named: Album Title.zip (e.g., Summer Wedding.zip).
- Studio identification or entrant's name cannot appear on any file within the album entry.
- MULTI-MAKER ALBUM: Images in the album must be the work of two entrants, with a minimum of 20 images per entrant. Each entrant must individually enter the competition and pay appropriate entry fees. Multi- maker albums will be judged as one entry. Each entrant must use the same title when entering a multi-maker album.
Registration/Digital File Upload deadline: 11PM EST, Saturday, February 08, 2025.
Entry fee is $15 per image. Each entry MUST be paid AND uploaded to PrintCompetition.com before the deadline of 11pm EST on Saturday, February 08, 2025. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification of entry. The decisions of the Photographic Competition Committee and the Competition Co-Chairs are final. By entering, you agree that Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts can use your images for publication and for promotion of PPAM.
PPAM gives awards to qualifying members of our organization that declare PPAM as their Home Association, and are a member in good standing as of February 08, 2025.
PHOTOGRAPHIC EXCELLENCE AWARD: The Judges of the competition will select the recipient of this award from the Top 10 cases (based on scores) that had at least 6 images that scored 80 or above. The Judges will look at the top 6 images that scored 80 or above in each case and reward the maker’s body of work based on the variety, impact, and technical expertise of the images. The recipient will receive a trophy.
SILVER EVOLVE AWARD: The Judges of the competition will select the recipient of this award from the Top 10 cases (based on scores) that had at least 6 images that scored 80 or above. The Judges will look at the top 6 images that scored 80 or above in each case and reward the maker’s body of work based on the variety, impact, and technical expertise of the images. The recipient will receive a trophy.
BRONZE EVOLVE AWARD: The Judges of the competition will select the recipient of this award from the Top 10 cases (based on scores) that had at least 6 images that scored 80 or above. The Judges will look at the top 6 images that scored 80 or above in each case and reward the maker’s body of work based on the variety, impact, and technical expertise of the images. The recipient will receive a trophy.
COURT OF HONORS
The Court of Honors are selected by the judges from images that score 80 or above. There are a total of five awards, one in each category:
Portraits: Image can include children, families, groups, couples, pets, models, and boudoir, fashion, and glamour portraits.
Wedding/Event: Image can portray a subject or subjects from all aspects of a wedding or event including traditional portraits, candids or detail work.
Illustrative: Capturing the beauty of nature, wildlife, industry, and architectural areas are considered illustrative, as well as the storytelling of Reportage.
Artist: A conceptual image altered or manipulated from its original condition. Creations can be a subtle application using post-processing techniques, or a dramatic combination of details to suggest a larger story. The artist is responsible for the idea behind the image and all work done to create the finished art piece.
Album: Wedding/Events and Portrait and Storytelling albums Each recipient of a Court of Honor will receive a plaque. OTHER AWARDS
The Highest Scoring Case: The Top 4 images that scored 80 or above in each eligible case will be averaged, and the individual with the highest average will receive this award. The individual must be a qualifying PPAM Member**. Winner receives a plaque and a $200 lab credit with American Color Imaging. (ACILAB)
The Highest Scoring Image by a First Time Entrant will receive a $100 cash award and a plaque given by PPAM. This award is given to a current qualifying PPAM member** who has never entered any other PPA or PPA-affiliate competition before until now.
The Highest Scoring Image by a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) will receive the CPP Award from the Professional Photographic Certification Commission. To be eligible for this award, you must be a qualifying PPAM member**, as well as a current PPA member and a CPP in good standing as of February 08, 2025.
Highest Scoring Image by a Non-Member will receive a certificate.
PPAM SPECIALTY AWARDS
One image in each of the following categories is chosen by the judges to receive the Specialty Award:
- Portrait of 1 or 2 Adults
- Family Portraits (3 or more subjects)
- Newborn Portraits
- Children’s Portraits
- Illustrative/Painted Portrait
- High School Senior Portrait
- Boudoir, Glamour, Fashion
- Pet Portraits
- Landscape/Cityscape
- Nature (flowers, insects, wild animals, zoo animals)
- Commercial (real estate, architecture, still life and product photography)
- Reportage (Photojournalism, Documentary, Sports Action)
- Wedding – Documentary
- Wedding – Posed
- “Creative Theme” TBD: The Creative Theme category, which will be determined by the PPAM President and will be announced Fall/Winter 2024, is one entry per person at no charge, if accompanied by at least one paid entry.
Each recipient of a Specialty Award will receive a Pin and a Certificate.
**Qualifying PPAM Member Guidelines:
Declare PPAM as your Home Association (check the box when registering on the printcompetition.com website)
DO NOT declare any other state as your Home Association
Current Paid membership as of February 08, 2025
Please contact the 2025 Image Competition Co-Chairpersons if you have any questions!
Stephen Sedman and Cathy Broderick
competition@ppam.com