Guidance for Club Competition Secretaries and Photographers
1 All L&CPU competitions include the principle that an image, once entered into a competition, is not eligible to be entered into the same competition
2 The definitions and boundaries of each competition are stated in the respective rules
3 The L&CPU are building an archive of entries made via its on line system, with validation software which will identify possible eligibility errors. This check is based on a combination of the image title and the photographers name
4 The same title by a different photographer is always a different image
5 Any change between competitions in typing either the title or the photographers name and distinctions may mean that a warning is not given
6 The system may give a false warning where two photographers share the same name or have very similar names
7 Best practice and highly desirable is for the author of an image to give each image a unique title and for that title never to be changed. A different title by the same author will be assumed to be a different image; however, it is the image which matters and a review of image files will reveal an ineligible entry
8 An image, which is sufficiently similar to another previously entered into a competition by the same photographer, will be ruled ineligible as being effectively the same image
9 Colour and monochrome versions from one original image are likely to be considered the same image, unless the artistic treatment is significantly different
10 Similarity may also arise where elements are repeated in different composite images
11 The L&CPU delegates any decisions on eligibility to the discretion of each event organizer
12 Photographers and Club Competition Secretaries should be aware of the similarity issue, even if two entries have been given different titles
