Virtually all types of photographic art, whether photochemical or photo electronic (digital) in origin, are acceptable for entry into NECCC Individual Print Competitions. Any size image can be entered providing the supporting mount is no smaller than 8” x 10”, and no larger than 16” x 20”. A maker may submit one print into the Color category, and one print into Monochrome. Mounting and Print Presentation are generally considered in the overall score by the judge.
Eligibility
The competition is open to all individuals belonging to NECCC member clubs.
All prints are eligible whether or not it has ever won an award at an NECCC interclub competition or conference competition.
If a print won an award in the Individual Print Competition, you may not enter it again in that same category (color or monochrome) in this competition, ever.
If a print won an award in a category (i.e., color) it cannot be converted to a monochrome version and entered in the same year, and vice versa. However, a converted print may be entered in a different year.
Prints entered in these competitions need not have been produced by the photographer; commercially made prints are accepted.
All original photography (negative, slide, or image file) from which the prints are made must be the work of the entrant only. More details follow.
Print Requirements
All types of photographic print art, whether photochemical or photo electronic (digital) in origin, are acceptable.
Permitted
Spotting of prints, where spotting is used to remove the small blemishes caused by dust or other minor imperfections in the original negative, slide, image file, or on the print.
Toning, complete, of prints using chemically reactive toners or non-reactive dyes (subject to the monochrome restrictions noted [prohibited] below).
Collages/paste-ups (of original photography), emulsion transfers and manipulations. Adding color with transparent oils, dyes, or digital editing, is permitted in the color division only.
Commercially made prints, either photochemical or photo-electronic, wherein the only manipulation performed by the non-entrant printer is like burning/dodging, and color/contrast adjustment and their electronic equivalents.
Any other form of manipulation of the print, negative, or image file by the entrant (burning, dodging, masking, printing through texture screens, digital enhancement, combining of images, etc.) not expressly prohibited below is considered acceptable.
Nature and Photo Travel Rules do not apply to this NECCC Print Competition as it is an open competition and not category speciic.
Prohibited
Complete opaquing of the print surface, such that the final result is virtually indistinguishable from a freehand drawing/painting. (i.e., portraits done in heavy oils).
Prints less than 8” x 10” or larger than 16” x 20” are not accepted. Prints may be of any size from 8” x 10” up to and including 16” x 20”.
The maker’s name, logo or watermark MUST NOT appear on the front of the print or matte.
Potentially harmful print substrate material. Since images can easily be printed out on material other than photo papers or canvas, makers should exercise due diligence and caution before submitting work printed on certain materials. The thickness must be comparable to conventional photo paper, and any sharp edges must be rendered incapable of damaging other prints with which they may come in contact. Images printed on or laminated onto glass, Plexiglas, Lucite, Masonite, sheet metal, or similar material, framed prints or stretch-mounted canvas wraps are not acceptable. Certain hard, heavy, or sharp-edged mounts have caused damage to other prints entered in previous competitions, and use of these will not be accepted.
All photography and artwork used in the assembly of the print must be the work of the entrant.
NECCC follows PSA Guidelines and does not allow images to 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 does NECCC 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. You cannot purchase stock photography, use free images from the internet, trade images with friends, or use any other source than your own, original photographs. NECCC takes copyright infringement, and outside sourcing very seriously and violations can result in photographers being barred from submitting to any NECCC competition. Therefore, all prints entered in any category must be entirely the work of the maker.
Monochrome Definition
Monochrome images may NOT contain any color components. An image is monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e., contains only shades of gray which can include pure black and pure white) OR it gives the impression of being a grayscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image. (For example, by sepia, red, gold, blue, etc.) A grayscale or multi-colored image modified, or giving the impression of having been modified, by partial toning, multi-toning, or by the inclusion of spot coloring does not meet the definition of monochrome and shall be classified as a Color Work.
Print Preparation
Mounted print size from 8” x 10” up to 16″ x 20″ is acceptable. Prints must be mounted, with the print backed completely by whatever mount medium is used.
Mounting
Any print submitted for competition, regardless of size or material upon which it is printed, must be mounted, with the print backed completely by whatever mount medium is used. The use of an over-mat alone is not sufficient. Prints may be of any size from 8” x 10” up to and including 16” x 20”.
The use of any mount with an open back is not permitted. These include several types of over-mats that come with a large die-cut hole in the mount board. The print must be backed completely by whatever mount medium is used. Prints need to have a backer board of either cardboard, foam core, or similar product. Please DO NOT just tape your print to the back of the matte board. This ensures that the tape you use does not come off during handling and damage the print it is placed on top of.
Caution: While conducting print competitions, entries are stacked, placed into, and removed from shipping cases…and otherwise receive a fair amount of handling. Please ensure that there is nothing on the corners or back of the print that could conceivably cause damage if contact is made with the image side of another print!!! This includes sharp plastic photo corners, items or material for hanging a print such as Velcro, exposed tape adhesive, and a variety of glues and spray adhesives. In past competitions, prints have been damaged by the image side coming into contact with the back of another print.
Title /Labels
The print must have a title (“Untitled” is not a title). The title and the maker’s name, corresponding to the online entry form, must appear on the back of the print on your own label. Judging labels for scoring and entry information will be generated by the organizing committee based on the information submitted on the online entry form and will be affixed on the print for you at the time of submission.
Great care is taken to ensure that prints are returned to their makers in the condition they were submitted, but accidents can, and do, happen on occasion. While care is taken in the handling and storage of submitted material, NECCC, Inc. assumes no liability for the loss or damage to prints. If an image is believed to have market value or is irreplaceable for sentimental or other reasons, please submit a duplicate instead.
Print Entry
Please see the schedule for entry form submission deadlines and due dates for print delivery.
Online Entry Form
An online entry form must be submitted prior to the submission of the prints, or the prints will not be accepted. The entry form for each competition with your name, address, Camera Club affiliation, email, phone, and print title must be filled out at least one week prior to the competition. Late entry forms past the due date of one week prior to the judging will not be accepted. The entry form information is used to generate the scoring chart, print labels, and awards. Instructions for the online entry form are located in the Individual Print Comp menu.
Print Entry by Mail
See Schedule for shipping deadlines. If an entrant wishes their prints submitted by mail to be returned, they must include in the print package with their prints a postal return fee of $15 (check made out to NECCC) or a return prepaid shipping label for Fed Ex or UPS. There is no fee if you do not want your prints returned.
It is strongly recommended that prints be mailed in standard salon fiber or polypropylene cases. This not only provides maximum protection for the prints but makes the task of handling easier for the competition managers. If there are multiple members of your club who want to enter, we recommend that you mail all the prints in one package. Mono and Color prints from the same entrant should be mailed together.
Contact the Individual Print Competition Co-Directors for the mailing address to submit prints by mail.
Print Submission in Person
Prints may be dropped off from 9:30 to 10:30am the morning of the judging at the Greater Lynn headquarters. All prints submitted that morning will be returned to the makers at the end of the judging.
By The Way
If you have a question about whether a print meets the rules and you will be dropping the prints off directly, please bring a backup print with you. For mailed prints, all efforts will be made to notify you and give you time to submit another print should the Director decide it does not meet the rules/requirements for Mono Prints, Color Prints or Mounting.
We encourage you to attend the judging and drop off your prints the day of the judging/critique. This is being done at your request for an individual competition with critique so we hope that there will be an audience in attendance.
Individual Print Competition Co-Directors
Larry Dunn, MNEC
neccc-prints@neccc.org
Dana Patch, MNEC
neccc-prints@neccc.org
To get further information about the Individual Print competitions, please go to the Competitions pull-down menu at the top of this page and click on Individual Print Comp. This will bring you further options for the Description, Schedule, Rules, Entry Form Instructions and the Entry Form.