Registration, Deadlines, and Fees

• Judging will be held on March 21, 2023.
• Registration opens on February 20, 2023.
• All registration takes place at: www.printcompetition.com.
• Entry Deadline is 11:00pm CDT, March 20, 2023.
• TPPA is holding three competitions: Photographic Open Competition, Artist Competition, and Wedding Competition. Entrants may enter up to eight entries in each of the three competitions.
• The entry fee is $15 per individual entry.
• Entries include any combination of digital entries and digital album entries.
• $10 per image for image critiques. Please allow 4 weeks following the completion of the competition.

To download this document as a PDF, click here.

Registration, Deadlines, and Fees

• Judging will be held on March 21, 2023.
• Registration opens on February 20, 2023. All registration takes place at: www.printcompetition.com.
• Entry Deadline is 11:00pm CDT, March 20, 2023.
• TPPA is holding three competitions: Photographic Open Competition, Artist Competition, and Wedding Competition. Entrants may enter up to eight entries in each of the three competitions.
• The entry fee is $15 per individual entry.
• Entries include any combination of digital entries and digital album entries.
• $10 per image for image critiques. Please allow 4 weeks following the completion of the competition.

Judging Process

The TPPA Image Competition is designed to further both the technical craft and art of photography, in all its forms.

Images entered are judged against 4 equally weighted elements:
– Impact
– Technical Excellence
– Composition
– Creativity

Jurors use these 4 elements to deem whether an entry has met or exceeded the level of a high-quality professional image.

Images that meet or exceed will be accepted as a TPPA Approved Image.

All Approved Images will be judged in a second round of evaluation to recognize those images that are of superior level. These images will remain as approved or receive either an “Image of Distinction” or “Texcellence” designation. 

All Approved Images are eligible for our Photographic Awards. Awards will be decided upon by the panel of jurors in a head-to-head voting process.

All images that receive a TPPA Seal of Approval by the jury panel will also earn a Fellowship Point for TPPA members. 

Trophy and Ribbon Selection

Trophies and other awards will be selected for each category from the images that receive a Texcellence designation in a head to head comparison by the jury panel.  If there are no Texcellence winners in a given category, TPPA Seal of Approval images may be considered.

Judge’s Choice ribbons are awarded from each individual juror on the panel to their personal favorite image in the competition.

Medalists

• Bronze – 4 entries are Accepted in a single competition (Photographic Open, Artist, or Wedding)
• Silver  – 4 entries are Accepted and 1 of those accepted image receives a Texcellence designation in a single competition (Photographic Open, Artist, or Wedding)
• Gold – 4 entries are Accepted and 2 of those accepted  images receive a Texcellence designation in a single competition (Photographic Open, Artist, or Wedding)
• Platinum – 4 entries are Accepted and 3 of those accepted images receive a Texcellence designation in a single competition (Photographic Open, Artist, or Wedding)
• Diamond – 4 entries are Accepted and all 4 of those accepted images receive a Texcellence designation in a single competition (Photographic Open, Artist or Wedding)

Photographic Open Awards

Portrait

• Best Portrait of an Animal or group of animals (Pets)
• Best Portrait of a Child
• Best Portrait of a Group (People)
• Best Portrait of a Man
• Best Portrait of a Woman
• Best Artistically Enhanced Portrait
• Best Overall Portrait

Important Definitions

Man/Woman/Child/Group – Images where lighting, posing and highlighting the subjects’ NATURAL appearance, essence, personality and character is the key.  These subcategories are all for portrait images of people, including families, groups, couples, adults, children, relationships, models, and fashion portraits, as well as tastefully artistic figure studies. Post production techniques are not to be an essential part of the final story of the image.

Animal – Images where lighting, posing and highlighting the subjects’ NATURAL appearance, essence, personality and character is the key.  This sub-category captures an animal(s) portrait using structured lighting in a studio or outdoor environment, where the owner or photographer has control of the animal. Post production techniques are not to be an essential part of the final story of the image.

Artistically Enhanced Portrait – This sub-category is for any Portrait entry in which the overall visual appearance is achieved primarily through digital editing techniques.  This includes extensive painting or other highly manipulated techniques applied to the original image. Judges may take such things as style and technique under consideration during their evaluation of these images. Entries in this category would include images that have been highly manipulated or stylized as part of the story of the image.

Illustrative

• Best Aerial Image
• Best Architecture Image
• Best Commercial Image
• Best Fine Art/Still Life Image
• Best Scenic Image
• Best Sport/Reportage Image
• Best Wildlife Image
• Best Artistically Enhanced Illustrative
• Best Overall Illustrative

Important Definitions

Commercial – This sub-category is used when images are created for a commercial client to advertise a product and promote a brand or company. 

Aerial – This sub-category is for images created from an airborne vehicle, manned or unmanned. 

Scenic – This sub-category shares joy and adventures while expressing a sense of place. Flowers, seascapes, cityscapes, urban landscapes, and sunsets with or without people can be placed here.

Architecture – This subcategory can be an interior or exterior of a structure or within an industrial environment.

Wildlife – This sub-category is for wild animals in an uncontrolled lighting environment, including zoo animals.

Fine Art/Still Life – This sub-category is for entries not easily classified in one of the other categories. It may be with or without people. This subcategory can also be conceptual images that tell a story.

Sport/Reportage Image – This sub-category is for sports and non-wedding events (such as news events) where the maker does not have control over the action, environment, lighting, and other factors. These images have little or no digital enhancement applied. Entrant may be required to submit RAW, unprocessed file if requested by the TPPA Image Competition Committee.

Artistically Enhanced Illustrative – This sub-category is for any Illustrative entry in which the overall visual appearance is achieved primarily through digital editing techniques.  This includes extensive painting or other highly manipulated techniques applied to the original image. Judges may take such things as style and technique under consideration during their evaluation of these images. Entries in this category would include images that have been highly manipulated or stylized as part of the story of the image.

Photographic Open Album

• Best Photographic Open Album

Artist Awards

• Best Artist Creative
• Best Restoration Image
• Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Image

Wedding Awards

• Best Bride
• Best Couple or Group
• Best Groom
• Best Wedding Moment
• Best Wedding Still Life
• Best Wedding Album
• Best Multi-Maker Wedding Album
• Best Overall Wedding

Other Awards

• Best First Time Entry TPPA
• Judges Choice Ribbons. Each judge awards one ribbon.
• CPP Award for the best image by a Certified Professional Photographer
• ASP State Elite Award
• Best of Show (Chosen from the Best individual entries of all sub-categories)

Texas PPA holds three Image Competitions:  Photographic Open, Artist, and Wedding (each described below) The purpose of these competitions is to allow the entrant to measure their skills against a standard of excellence. TPPA judges use 4 elements– Impact, Technical Excellence, Composition and Creativity to determine whether an image meets the level of a High-Quality Professional Image.

Impact– Is the image compelling? Does it evoke a discernible emotion that is relevant to the story and category? Impact can be immediate, fleeting and/or lasting. 

Technical Excellence– Does the image excel in objective technical areas such as exposure, color balance, lighting, dynamic range as well as being absent of other technical flaws such as dust spots, moire, chromatic aberration, banding, clone tracks and the like. 

Composition- The visual elements of an image come together to express intent, whether that’s to please the viewer or otherwise. The viewer’s attention is captured and directed where the artist plans it to be. Jurors may also consider whether the subject matter is relevant and central to the story being told. 

Creativity – The image is original, fresh, and an external expression of the maker’s imagination. Jurors may also consider any techniques that are used to best express the story of the image.

Click here to download the complete set of competition rules.