image competition

Image Competition is the most intense photographic education you can get. Through this process, you will learn to see and view your work more objectively while developing a more refined skill set that carries over into your everyday work. We welcome everyone to participate in Image Competition. Newcomers or seasoned veterans, we all have something to offer and something to learn.

this is a digital only competition

ENTER IMAGE COMPETITION

Competition date: July 8, 2024

Entry opens: April 1, 2024

Deadline date: July 1, 2024

All images MUST be pre-registered and uploaded to PrintCompetition.com.

2024 MOPPA Image Competition Judges

Deadline date to enter the next print competition: 2024

MOPPA DEVELOP PRINT COMPETITION

Image Competition Scoring

Image competition through our State Affiliate, MOPPA, is based on the 12 Elements of a Merit Image established by the Professional Photographers of America.

While PPA merits are NOT earned from our competition, MOPPA does offer its own awards to be given to Missouri members of the Missouri Professional Photographers Association. Fellowship Points are also awarded based on the above-mentioned awards and honors. You can read more about those here MOPPA Fellowship.

The image chair(s) has/have the right to question/reassign the category of any entry. The judges also have the right to question the category of any entry. Entries that do not fit the category or abide by the category rules may be reassigned.

Cost

Member: $15 per image

Non-Member: $20 per image

Photo Credit: MOPPA Member - Angela Hughes

COMPETITION CATEGORIES

Portrait

Images can portray a subject or subjects from all walks of life and should reflect the subject's personality. The human or animal should be the main subject. 

Portrait Subcategories 

Children/Newborn: This sub-category must contain a child or children from birth to age 16.

Senior: This sub-category portrays a male or female aged 17 to 18.

Family/Group: Consists of portrait images of groups and/or families.

 Woman: Consists of a portrait image of a woman. 

Man: Consists of a portrait image of a man.

Domestic Animal: Animals under controlled/structured lighting. The animal should be the main subject. 

*AI: It is acceptable to modify and edit your original image using AI tools such as  denoise, object removal, and content aware, for example. Images cannot be sourced from AI/CGI. 

Illustrative

Consists of commercial/industrial images, scenic, and similar subject matter. Capturing the beauty of nature, wildlife, industry, and architectural areas is considered illustrative. 

Illustrative Subcategories 
Scenic Landscape: This sub-category shares joy and adventures while expressing a sense of place. 

Wild Animal: Wild animals in an uncontrolled lighting environment, zoo animals, and insects. 

Still Life: Still Life (flowers, products, objects, etc.) should be the main subject. 

Cityscape: Images in this category are architecture, an interior or exterior of a structure, or within an industrial environment.

Commercial: Images created for a commercial client to advertise a product and/or promote a brand or company.

*AI: It is acceptable to modify and edit your original image using AI tools such as denoise, object removal, and content aware, for example. Images cannot be sourced from AI/CGI. 

Reportage

An image that captures a moment in time and tells a story. Only single-capture images will be accepted. ONLY basic color and brightness adjustments, cropping, and dodging/burning editing is allowed with the exception for straight-out-of-camera. Composite and multiple-exposure images will not be accepted. The originally captured image (in RAW/DNG or JPEG) must be available if the committee requests. 

Reportage Subcategories 
Reportage: Images that illustrate an actual public or non-public event, life, an area of human interest, telling news that have meaning in the context or record of events, high impact, and/or lasting emotional response. 

Sports: Images that illustrate sporting events. 

Straight-Out-of-Camera: No adjustments, RAW format only. 

*AI: It is NOT acceptable to modify and edit your original image with AI/CGI. 

Wedding

The entrant must have captured and created the original exposure or exposures during the time constraints of the wedding. Images should include some kind of visual wedding reference(s). (Non-wedding day photos can go in portrait or illustrative, etc.) 

Wedding Subcategory
Wedding: Images can portray a subject or subjects from all aspects of a wedding, including traditional portraits, candid, or detail work. 

*AI: It is acceptable to modify and edit your original image using AI tools such as denoise, object removal, and content aware, for example. Images cannot be sourced from AI/CGI. 

Artist

With composite entries, the artist is allowed to use any media to create their vision. The vision and final piece should be the artists vision and should NOT represent a piece or vision created from another artist. The art piece needs to be unique. Art can include the following media: drawings, painted art, photography, stock images, AI/CGI, and must be displayed as thumbnails. Stock images must have proper licensing. 

Artist Subcategories 
Artist Open: Entries will be judged for their digital, artistic, and technical proficiency. 

Artist Restoration: Entries will be judged for the digital, artistic, and technical proficiency of a restored image. 

*AI: Images may be generated/sourced using AI/CGI, but they must be displayed as part of the composite entry and shown as thumbnail image(s). 

Click on categories to view subcategories and awards available.

ready to join?

Click here to become a member

Photo Credit: MOPPA Member - Roy Nierdieck

Image Specifications

Files must be sized so the longest dimension is 4,000 pixels to include matting/border and keyline.* 
Resolution at least 200 pixels per inch.* 
Each file must contain an embedded color profile of either sRGB or Adobe RGB 1998.* 
Save each file as JPEG format, quality setting 10 (Photoshop) 80 (Lightroom) or equivalent.* 
Image titles are part of the entrant’s total presentation and must be announced. 
Image title and image file name must NOT contain the Maker’s name. 
Suggest using simple file name for images i.e. image1.jpg, image2.jpg, image3.jpg, etc.

*EXEMPTION to Image Specifications for Reportage – Straight-Out-Of-Camera category:  Raw image formats are required. Do not resize or save to JPEG format.

How to Submit Images

Each image should be prepared to the specifications outlined below. 
If you don’t already have one, create an account at www.printcompetition.com , using the ‘register’ button on the right side of the top menu. There is now a nominal fee for creating an account on www.printcompetition.com. Be sure to select MOPPA (Missouri) as your organization. You must accurately complete all the information requested during this process, to include organizational memberships (PPA, ASP...) and levels of achievement, as applicable (CPP, Master Photographer...). Also be sure to provide a good USPS mail address. 
Select MOPPA (Missouri) as the image competition being entered, then follow the prompts for the appropriate member category and whether this is your first time entering ANY competition (PPA, PPA Districts, other PPA affiliate...).  
Each image will be entered and uploaded one at a time. Begin this process by selecting ‘Create New Image Entry’. Ensure you enter a Title and Category as well as certify that all effects were done by the image maker (yourself) or under the direct supervision and guidance of the image maker.  
You’ll then be prompted to upload the image file.  
Repeat this process until all images have been entered for the event. 
Once the process is completed, you may review, edit, and remove an image. 
Pay the images fee(s) for your submitted images. 
The image chair(s) has/have the right to question/reassign the category of any entry. The judges also have the right to question the category of any entry. Entries that do not fit the category or abide by the category rules may be reassigned.

Make sure your PrintCompetition profile is current. Check all achievements that you have acquired. Be sure to record your PPA member number, and that you are a member of PPA. This includes ASP and CPP designations. You will not be eligible for those awards if you have not indicated you have those degrees/certifications. Finally, please verify the USPS address is current. 

Photo Credit: MOPPA Member - Molly Beale

Photo Credit: MOPPA Member - Jan Seals

Rules

All processing, manipulation, printing, or rendering must have been done by the entrant or under their direct supervision.  
All entrants must have obtained and have access to all necessary releases (model or property) and agree to hold MOPPA harmless against all claims and liabilities arising out of MOPPA's display, publication and promotion or other use of each image submitted to MOPPA.  
No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed. Images created in an educational environment under direct supervision from an instructor are ineligible.  
Any entry that has been created from an existing photograph, portrait, graphic or any other artwork produced by another person is a violation of the competition rules and will not be judged, accepted, or displayed.  
If an entry, in the good-faith opinion of the MOPPA, violates copyright, trademark or any other applicable law, that entry shall be disqualified.  
Entries of the same subject in multiple images will be allowed, as long as the images are entirely different concepts.
Entries previously merited at any MOPPA Competition are not eligible. 
Entries previously merited in PPA’s Merit Image Review are eligible for MOPPA Competition. 
Images awarded in IPC ranked 32 or higher are not eligible for MOPPA Image Competition. 
No refunds will be issued after the entry fee is paid. 
No changes to your entry are permitted once the entry deadline has passed. 
The entrant retains all rights to any image submitted, including ownership, if applicable. By submitting any image(s) for entry, you grant MOPPA a nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to archive and use your image(s) and name in all MOPPA promotions, publications, slide shows, audiovisual presentations, and any other format that may arise for MOPPA marketing. 
Only MOPPA members are eligible for awards, except for the “Non-Member Award”.
Artificial Intelligence: Read each category description to learn where and how AI/CGI may be used.

Point System

Entries will be judged by the PPA “12 Elements of a Merit Image”.
Click this link for a detailed description of each element or use your web search engine to find the article. 

Impact
 Creativity
 Style
 Composition
 Print Presentation
 Color Harmony
 Center of Interest
 Lighting
 Subject Matter
 Technical Excellence/Print Quality 
 Technique 
 Story telling

 
Scoring shall be based on the following standards: 

Exceptional 100-95
Superior 94-90
Excellent 89-85
Deserving of a Merit 84-80
Above Average 79-75
Average 74-70
Below Exhibition Standards 69-65

Images scoring 80-100 will earn a virtual ribbon within PrintCompetition.com. 

Blue: 100 - 95
Red:  94 - 90
White: 89 - 85
Green: 84 - 80

Photo Credit: MOPPA Member - Terry Gray

Awards

Only MOPPA members are eligible for awards except for the Non-Member award. NOTE: Trophies will not be mailed. Due to shipping costs, MOPPA will not mail trophies unless the winner decides to help offset the cost. Ribbons and/or certificates will be mailed.   Trophies, ribbons, and certificates will be awarded during MOPPA's Annual Develop Conference Award Banquet.

Master Criteria 
Only those entrants who are members of MOPPA and holding a PPA Master's Degree are eligible to enter the Masters Competition. Must be selected in your user profile for PrintCompetition.com 

Non-Master Criteria 
Entrants who are members of MOPPA and who do not hold a PPA Master degree.  

For both Master and Non-Master criteria 
1st Place - Trophy, 2nd Place - Red Ribbon, 3rd Place - White Ribbon 

Portrait: 1st, 2nd, 3rd 

Illustrative: 1st, 2nd, 3rd 

Reportage: 1st, 2nd, 3rd 

Wedding: 1st, 2nd, 3rd 

Artist: 1st, 2nd, 3rd 

Photographer of the Year, Master and Non-Master 
Trophy awarded to the MOPPA member with the highest cumulative top 4 case score. (In the case of a tie, the winner will be the highest individual scoring image). 

Best In Show, Master and Non-Master 
Trophy awarded to the MOPPA member with the highest-scoring image. (In the case of a tie, the winner will be the highest individual score from a judge.) 

The Rookie Award (Certificate & Blue Ribbon & gift card for 1 free MOPPA entry to the next print comp) 
Will be awarded to the MOPPA member who is entering the competition for the first time and with the highest-scoring image. 

Non-Member Award (Certificate & Blue Ribbon & gift card for 1 free MOPPA entry to the next print comp) 
Will be awarded to the entrant who is not an active member of MOPPA, with the highest-scoring image. 

Top 10 Photographers Trophies 
Will be awarded and ranked to the ten MOPPA members with the highest cumulative top 4 case score. (In the case of a tie, the winner will be the highest individual scoring image). 

4/4 Pin 
Awarded to everyone whose 4 images that merit i.e. earning 80 or above.

Judges Choice Award Ribbon 
Each judge will choose one image from a MOPPA member to give an award to. The image does not have to merit. 

CPP Trophy 
The Certified Professional Photographers award is granted to a MOPPA member with the top-scoring merit image by a CPP. In the case of a tie, the image with the second-highest individual score will be selected. CPP designation must be selected in the profile for PrintCompetition.com. 

ASP Trophy 
The Advanced American Society of Photographers award is granted to a MOPPA member with the top-scoring merit image of all members who hold both their Master Degrees and is a members of the Advanced American Society of Photographers.  (In the case of a tie, the image with the second-highest individual score will be selected). ASP must be designated in the profile for PrintCompetition.com. 

BEST OF SUB-CATEGORY AWARDS Certificates Ribbons 
To qualify, one must have scored at least an 80 or above on an image and must be a MOPPA member. The judges participate in a head-to-head discussion in each category, determining, by a majority vote, the winner of each subcategory.