Rules and Judging The guidelines and rules outlined below apply to all WPS Pop-Up competitions: 1. A WPS fully paid up member may enter ONE image into a Pop-Up Competition. 2. The image you submit must have been taken during the month of the competition - you cannot submit images from your back catalogue. 3. EXIF data indicating the date the image was captured must be present in your entry. (This is created automatically by a camera so shouldn't be a problem but check in case processing software removes it.) 4. Any specific requirements specified for an individual Pop-Up Competition must be adhered to but it is up to you to interpret the theme in any way you choose - serious or light-hearted. 5. Entries are submitted via the dedicated page of the WPS web site and should follow the 1600 x 1200 rule as for PDI submissions. 6. Images entered into Pop-Up Competitions may also be used in WPS Points Series Competitions if desired. They cannot be used in any other WPS competition. 7. Image titles are not required nor will they be used as part of the judging process. 8. Your image should not contain anything that directly identifies you as the photographer. Your name will be requested at the time of electronic entry but this will not be revealed to the Judge. All judging will be anonymous. 9. Each Pop-Up Competition will be judged by the winner of the previous competition. If they so wish, the Judge may take part in the competition in which they are judging but their entry must not be considered as a potential winner or runner-up. 10. Judging will be carried out to a set marking scheme as follows: a. Technical Quality: 5 marks b. Composition: 5 marks c. Photography: 4 marks d. Wow! factor: 6 marks TOTAL: 20 marks 11. Entries which are considered by the Judge not to be within the spirit of the theme will not be considered. 12. The Judge's decision is final. 13. Entries submitted to a Pop-Up competition will be available for viewing on the WPS web site after the competition has closed. No scores will be published - only the Winner, Highly Commended and Commended will be identified.

Notes on the Marking Scheme To provide some structure and as an aid to our member judges, marks are awarded according to a marking scheme and the notes below outline how it is used to award scores. The are four criteria: 1. Technical quality: the first consideration is to the technical quality of the image and its processing. Is it in focus where it should be, does it have an appropriate range of tones and are there any processing errors such as over-sharpening, strange colours, weird patterns or tones? Can one judge it to be technically competent? If an image does not fit the theme or fails to meet any conditions which have been set then no marks should be awarded for technical quality. 2. Composition: is the image composed well such that it shows its subject at its best? Elements of composition can be patterns, texture, symmetry, asymmetry, depth of field, lines, curves, frames, contrast, colour, viewpoint, depth, negative space, filled space, foreground, background, visual tension, shapes. Are these used well to create a pleasing or impressive image? 3. Photography: a good photograph is the ability of the image to communicate with the viewer. It should be able to evoke an emotion through its composition, lighting, and most importantly its subject matter. That emotion might be strong or mild, soft or hard, endearing or repulsive. Is the image being judged deemed to be a 'good' photograph? 4. Wow! Factor: essentially, does the judge like the photo and would it make it to their living room wall? Is it better or worse than other entries to the competition? These marks are for the judge's own discretion. This marking scheme will be reviewed over time if needed.