External Rules

General Rules for SCPF Championship Competitions

November 2025

  1. All participating clubs must be paid-up members of the Southern Counties Photographic Federation (SCPF).
  2. There will separate Championships for Prints and Projected Digital Images (PDI) The top two clubs in each will be invited to represent the SCPF at the PAGB Inter Club Print and PDI Championships respectively. 
  3. Images, including composite images, must be entirely the work of the photographer. PAGB guidelines apply: https://thepagb.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/guidance_ai.pdf
  4. A club may submit no more than 4 Nature images in each class. The PAGB definition of nature will apply: https://thepagb.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/nature_eligibility.pdf
  5. There must be no indication of the photographer or club visible on any PDI image or the front of any Print.
  6. No image or image so similar as to deemed to be the same, must have been previously entered in any SCPF Championship in any format Print or PDI.
  7. A member may represent more than one club but may not submit images that are the same or so similar as to be deemed to be the same.
  8. There will be three judges scoring electronically in a range of 2 to 5.
  9. Each club’s images will be shown in the order that they have been uploaded. The order of clubs will be randomised and all clubs’ first images, then second, etc. will be judged.
  10. The Council reserve the right to host the PDI competition remotely; in which case each judge will provide their own equipment to view PDIs. This may or may not be “projected”.
  11. All sections of the Championship will be run as a straight battle between participating clubs with all images contributing to the final score.
  12. The winning club in each section will be determined by the highest total score. In the event of a tie a count-back will be applied to all placings.
  13. In the event of a photographer being a member of both the first and second placed clubs, pre-qualified club or a member of another federation, the photographer must declare which club or federation they will represent. A photographer cannot represent more than one club or federation at the PAGB Championship.
  14. A club representing the SCPF at the PAGB Championship must abide in full with the PAGB rules. 
  15. The SCPF Council reserves the right to amend the rules. In the event of a dispute the decision of the SCPF Council will be final.
  16. Entries will not be accepted after the closing date determined by the SCPF Council.
  17. The SCPF cannot accept any liability for loss or damage to any image.
  18. Any breach of these rules may lead to disqualification at the discretion of the SCPF Council.
  19. The SCPF Council reserves the right to use any digital image submitted to any SCPF competition in publicity material, such as newsletters, catalogues, slideshows available for download by participating clubs, showing over Zoom or for public view on a web gallery. Any submitted image may also be considered for a SCPF entry into PAGB competitions on behalf of the Federation unless otherwise stated. If the photographer does not wish to allow their work to be used, they must state on the club’s uploaded submission prior to the competition. The photographer’s copyright will be always observed.
  20. By entering any image to a Federation competition or Exhibition, photographers will be deemed to have authorised the Federation to retain the image and the associated photographer’s details in the Federation’s records, and likewise for the PAGB should the image be used to represent the Federation in any PAGB competition or Exhibition. Clubs entering images must confirm explicit consent for the Federation to hold the relevant personal data of the photographers whose images are entered.
  21. The Championships qualify for PAGB Patronage. As a condition of the patronage, clubs and the entrant photographers permit copies of all images to be submitted to the PAGB for their records shortly after the event.
  22. The highest placed clubs in each class will be invited to represent the SCPF at the relevant PAGB Inter club Championship in accordance with the prevailing PAGB qualification rule, unless pre-qualified or they decline to take part, in which case the next highest scoring club will be invited to represent the SCPF.

Print Championship Rules 

  • Clubs will submit up to 15 prints but no more than 3 prints per photographer.
  • The mounts must be 50cm by 40cm, + or – 2mm. Any protective sleeves, Velcro, or fixings must be removed to avoid damage to other prints.
  • Prints must be presented at the venue on the day and registered by 10:30am.
  • Titles of prints, photographer’s name and distinctions, along with a digital image of the print must be uploaded on the Championships uploader page of the website before the closing date. Images must be in JPEG format only and 8bit. Images must not exceed 1600 wide by 1200 pixels high and should be in sRGB colour space as in all other competitions. Labels will made available, which must be printed in colour and attached to the rear of the prints at the top right-hand corner. 
  • The winning club and runner-up will each receive a certificate. 
  • There will be a “Gold” medal award for the best individual image and “Silver” medal awards from each of the judges. The judges may also choose any number of Highly Commended images and the photographers will receive a certificate. 

PDI Championship Rules 

  • Clubs will submit up to 15 PDIs but no more than 3 PDIs per photographer.
  • Titles of images, photographer’s name and distinctions, along with the PDI must be uploaded on the Championships uploader page of the website before the closing date. 
  • Images must be in JPEG format only and 8bit. Images must not exceed 1600 wide by 1200 pixels high and should be in sRGB colour space as in all other competitions.
  • The winning club and runner-up will each receive a certificate. 
  • There will be a “Gold” medal award for the best individual image and

“Silver” medal awards from each of the judges. The judges may also choose

any number of Highly Commended images and the photographers will receive a certificate.

General Rules covering all Competitions 

All entries must also be in compliance with the SCPF’s General Rules covering all Competitions. These can be found on the SCPF website.

The Championship image uploader can be found on the website in the SCPF online directory. Competition Secretaries must be registered on that system by their club secretaries in order to upload their club’s images.

For any general web or upload problems: directory-support@southerncountiespf.org.uk

Should you have another problem: championships@southerncountiespf.org.uk 

Dates for 2026 Championships

The closing date for uploading both Print and PDI Championship is 23:59 on Sunday 1st March 2026. 

The SCPF Championships will be held on Sunday 22nd March 2026 hosted by Winchester Photographic Society at: 

Littleton Memorial Hall,

The Hall Way

Littleton

Winchester

Hampshire

SO22 6QL

There is free parking on site.

Doors open at 9:45am. Timetable to be confirmed.

Updated November 2025