Staged with the patronage of British Photographic Exhibitions, Crown Awards & Distinctions, and the patronage of the Photographic Alliance GB.
The PAGB Certificate of Patronage is No 2025-0010.
As a member of British Photographic Exhibitions, acceptances gained will count towards the BPE Crown awards, see www.britishphotographicexhibitions.org.uk for further details.
Welcome to the 78th Annual National Exhibition of Photography organised by Southport Photographic Society. Once again the selection process will be ‘live’ with all the three selectors in the same room viewing a single image. Following its success during the Covid period we are introducing a seventh class this year, Scapes PDI.
We shall be displaying our Exhibition at The Atkinson, Lord St, Southport from 15th to 29th March 2025. We look forward to receiving your Print and PDI entries across all seven classes and wish you every success.
Penny Price LRPS CPAGB
If you have any queries regarding an entry or any other aspect of the exhibition please contact: exhibition@southportphotographic.co.uk
Table of Contents
Ralph Duckett MPAGB EFIAP APAGB
Nick Hilton DPAGB FIAP/B BPE5
Carol McNivenYoung FRPS EFIAP/g ABPE EPAGB AWPF
Sandie Cox ARPS DPAGB EFIAP/s
Ralph Snook EFIAP/s DPAGB ARPS
Ian Whiston DPAGB EFIAP/p FBPE MPSA
The selections will be “live”, with all three selectors together, using a 2-5 scoring system.
Our preferred method of payment is by PayPal.
Cheques, made payable to SPS Exhibition, are acceptable and should be posted to the Exhibition Administrator at the address below (see Print Delivery). If sent with prints, the Packing List should be endorsed ‘Cheque Enclosed’.
Fees are per entrant. Entry fee for the Open Exhibition is £8.00 for the first four entries, in any mix. Each additional image is £1.50.
Please read our terms and conditions.
We will only accept unmounted prints and they must be on A3 size paper (420m x 297m) in any orientation with the image any size. Prints may be returned, if requested, for a fee of £7.50.
(Please also see the notes under ‘Prints and PDIs)
Prints that are not returned will be destroyed after the exhibition.
The title on the back of the print must match the title on the Entry Form, using only a pressure sensitive (small self-adhesive) label placed in the bottom left hand corner.
Remember to print out your entry form from PhotoExhib software and enclose it with your print package.
Prints should be posted to our Exhibition Administrator to arrive no later than 04th January 2025:
Mr Kit Robinson LRPS
12 Dunes Drive
Formby
Liverpool L37 1PF
Arrangements have been made with Wilkinson Cameras who will receive boxed prints for forwarding to Kit Robinson up to and including 30th December 2024 from any of their stores. Please see their website, https://www.wilkinson.co.uk/stores/ for locations.
Please note: entries without the correct fees will not be judged and a catalogue will not be sent.
Open for entries | 1st November 2024 |
Entries close | 3rd January 2025 |
Selection days | 25th January, 1st and 2nd February 2025 |
Results sent by email | 7th February 2025 |
Awarded Print Exhibition Opens | 15th March 2025 |
Award Ceremony | 17th March 2025 |
PDI Exhibition Projection | 17th March 2025 |
Catalogues posted | 17th March 2025 |
Awarded Print Exhibition Closes | 29th March 2025 |
Medals Posted | 31st March 2025 |
The Opening Ceremony and Presentation of Prizes will be held at:
New Hall
Emmanuel Church
Cambridge Road
Southport
Merseyside
PR9 9PR
On Monday 17th March 2025. Doors open at 19:15 for prompt start of 19:45
Please note that due to size of entry we may have to show the classes over two evenings. The second evening will be via zoom on Wednesday 19th March 2025. Zoom will open at 19:30 for prompt start at 19:45. This will be advised on our website, www.southportphotographic.co.uk.
Projection of the accepted images will be made available at selected venues, to be advised.
Prints awarded Gold, Silver, Bronze, Selectors’ Medals, PAGB and BPE Ribbons and SPS Certificates will be displayed at:
The Atkinson
Lord Street
Southport
PR8 1DB
Accepted prints will also be displayed in a portfolio at the Atkinson.
Slideshows of the PDI Exhibition will also be displayed on TV screens at the Atkinson.
The Exhibition opens on 15th March 2025 and will be open until 29th March 2025. Please refer to the Atkinson’s website for opening times, www.theatkinson.co.uk.
The Society will award PAGB Medals, PAGB Ribbons, BPE Ribbons, Selector’s Medals and SPS Certificates in each class as follows:
First Place | PAGB Gold Medal |
Second Place | PAGB Silver Medal |
Third Place | PAGB Bronze Medal |
Three | Selectors’ Medals |
Three | PAGB Ribbons |
Three | BPE Ribbons |
Six | SPS Certificates |
There will be a minimum of 126 awards
Awarded for the highest aggregate score of acceptances by any one entrant in the National Open Exhibition across all classes. This is open to entrants who are not members of Southport Photographic Society.
Winifred Lorch Trophy | Awarded for the highest aggregate score of acceptances by any one SPS member in the National Open Exhibition across all classes. |
Gwynne Lloyd Shield | Best Print from the Open Monochrome and Colour classes. |
Rimmer Shield | Best Print or PDI from Nature classes. |
Sandgrounder Shield | Best PDI from the Open Monochrome and Colour classes. |
The trophies will be engraved with the winner’s name and presented at the Exhibition Opening Ceremony. The Margaret Suddaby Memorial Trophy awarded to a non-Southport Photographic Society member will be retained by the Society after the Opening Ceremony unless special arrangements are made. Please contact the Exhibition Adminstrator for further details if required: email: exhibition@southportphotographic.co.uk
Please note we have changed and added new conditions and rules this year.
Please read and understand all the conditions of entry, particularly if you are entering images in the Nature class. If you have any query or require further clarification please contact the Exhibition Administrator: exhibition@southportphotographic.co.uk.
The 78th Southport Photographic Society Exhibition has patronage from the British Photographic Exhibitions (BPE) and the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) (2025-010). Any reference to the Society or SPS refers to Southport Photographic Society.
Monochrome images include:
Nature means images where living organisms are the primary subject matter. The story telling value of an image will normally be weighed more than the pictorial quality.
Nature includes:
Nature excludes:
Processing of the captured image, by cropping, exposure adjustment, colour correction, noise minimisation, dodging/burning, HDR, focus stacking and sharpening is permitted, as is cloning of image defects and minor distractions including overlapping elements.
An image appearing to meet these criteria will be accepted as Nature. The Judges will normally assume that any image presented to them is eligible.
Access to some biological subjects may be restricted. Where that is relevant, then photographers warrant that they have followed relevant codes of practice and hold any necessary licences.
Any image depicting our physical environment - land, sea, sky, urban, rural - is acceptable. Images may range from scenic views of wild country to inner city.
People and animals may be included in the scene as long as they are ancillary to and/or supportive of the main subject.
Entries to this class are required to be from a ‘single image’. This means the entered image should be from a single exposure, or from multiple exposures taken at the same time and merged to work round camera limitations. Specifically, HDR, focus stacking and stitched panorama techniques are allowed. In-camera multiple exposures are also allowed.
All types of creative-in-camera and post-production editing and manipulation is allowed. This includes panoramic stitching, HDR, filters, multiple images or layers, artwork and computer graphics, as long as the original photographic content predominates and is the work solely of the photographer. No third party clip-art images, textures or overlays are permitted.
We accept that the use of ‘AI-based’ editing tools in image editors such as Photoshop is becoming increasingly prevalent in photographers’ workflows. As a result, we do allow the use of these tools in Photoshop, Lightroom and similar editing programs, including noise reduction and sharpening, but with the following limitations.
The use of tools like (but not limited to) Photoshop’s Remove and Generative Fill must be limited to a small area of the final image (no more than around 10% total area) and the resultant product of such tools much be akin to manipulating the image with a clone/stamp tool. It is acceptable to remove minor distractions and/or extend the canvas in any direction by a small amount, filling the blank area sympathetically with the existing background. The use of any tool which introduces a significant visual element which is not in your own source photographs is forbidden.
Results will be notified by email.
The Exhibition Catalogue will be available for downloading online and also in a printed version which will be posted to entrants. A large number of previous entrants have expressed their wish not to receive a hard copy. With this in mind we have incorporated into the registration process a tick box for all entrants to opt-out of receiving a hard copy. If you would be happy not to have a hard copy of the Exhibition Catalogue, please choose this option at registration.
Whilst copyright rests with the author, the Society reserves the right to use any entry, without fee, for publication and/or display in any media related to the exhibition. The submission of an entry implies acceptance of the above condition.
Southport Photographic Society will hold the personal information provided by you to manage your entries and provide information to you about future events. The Society does not pass this information to any third parties. Please contact the Exhibition Administrator (email: exhibition@southportphotographic.co.uk) if you do not want this information to be retained after the end of the competition.
Southport Photographic Society will hold the personal information provided by you during the registration process. This information will be used by the Society and its authorised agents to:
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