PSRI Competition Rules

General Rules

PSRI holds multiple competitions each season. For specific details and key dates please refer to the PSRI Calendar. You can download a PDF of the general rules here. Please review the rules as they have been updated to reflect current competitions and standards.

PSRI conducts two types of competition each year: Open and Nature.

Nature Competition. There are two competition nights where each member can enter four images following the PSA Guide for Nature Photographers and Judges . The top scoring images in each category are selected for first, second and third place ribbons as well as honorable mentions. The sole nature competition category is digital projection. Images that do not adhere to the definition for Nature images may be disqualified by the judge and assigned a very low score.
Open Competition. There are five competition nights where each member can enter two images of any subject on each competition night. The top scoring images in each category are selected for first, second and third place ribbons as well as honorable mentions. Scores are added together to determine the winners for each year. Open competition categories include digital projection, slides, color and B&W prints.

Occasionally PSRI conducts a Special Competition for specific genres such as portrait, creative imaging, photojournalism, street photograph, etc. Specific rules will be promulgated for these Special Competitions.

A judge’s decision, or any perceived violation of the following rules, can be appealed to the competition chairperson and will be reviewed by three club members assigned by the President.

These Rules Apply to all Competitions and Categories.

Competitions are open to paid members in good standing.
A maximum of two images may be submitted in each competition category; however, four images may be entered in each Nature competition.
There should be no information or watermark in the viewed image that identifies the name of the maker.
Images must meet the specific criteria outlined in the respective category rules below.
An image that places 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd in a PSRI competition is retired and can never be entered in the same PSRI competition category again.
Any winning or non-winning image in one category (digital projection, print, slide) can be entered in a different category in the same year. For example, an image entered as a projected image can be entered as a print and vice versa, or a color print can also be entered as a B&W print.
An image can only be entered once in each category (digital projection, print, slide) in any competition year. For example, a color print of an image can only be entered once in the Color Prints competition for that year (meaning the club meeting year, not calendar year).
Make-up submissions are allowed per the specific category rules. There are no make ups allowed in the Nature competition.
Images that place 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd or receive 30 points in regular competitions are eligible for the “Image of the Year” competition at the end of the competition year.

A Note on Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Images

PSRI is following NECCC, which follows the PSA Guidelines; images may not be submitted that contain any elements not created/shot by the submitting photographer. This includes layers, textures, additional elements, AI generated images or components, etc. Nor do they allow watermarks, logos, titles or author’s names to appear in the photograph in any way. If a photographer is combining different elements/layers, ALL of these must be from original photographs taken by the photographer themselves. You cannot purchase stock photography, use free images off the internet, trade images with friends nor use any other source than your own, original photographs. Therefore, all images entered in any category must be entirely the work of the maker.

In order to provide a fair competition for PSRI members, classes are established so that more experienced photographers compete with others of similar skills, and novice photographers compete among themselves.

Competition classes

Digital projection (Open and Nature competitions) There are three classes: AA, A and B
Slide Transparency There is only one class
Color Prints There are two classes: A and B
Black and White Prints: There is only one class

New competitors typically start in the lower class of each category. However, members may request entry in another class by consulting with the appropriate competition Chairperson prior to the start of the competition year. Members advance to the next competition class by receiving the most points in your class (first place for the year) or by winning four ribbons (1st, 2nd or 3rd) in one year.