This page provides answers to common questions about the competition.
When does the competition open?
The current competition is now closed. The next competition will open in early 2025. Please subscribe to our email list for notifications by filling in the form at the bottom of this page. Please also check our social media page and this website for updates.
When is the closing date?
The current competition is closed.
Who is allowed to enter?
The competition is open to anyone – either amateur or professional from the UK and overseas and young or adult photographers. Photographers entering the adult categories must be over 18 at the date the competition closes. Photographers entering the young photographer category must be under 18 at the date the competition closes. Those directly involved in the competition, sponsors and judges are not eligible.
Is the competition open to photographers from other countries?
Yes. Photographers from any country are eligible and welcome to enter.
How do I submit my images?
Images should be submitted via the competition portal. The link will be published when the competition next opens.
Can I send my images by post?
No. Images may be captured on digital, film or any alternative photographic process but must be submitted in digital format.
For the preliminary judging stages, all images should be submitted in JPG format, maximum 2000px on the long side, 72ppi Adobe profile.
For the final round judging stage, original RAW and/or original JPGs will be required.
What type of images are allowed?
Images must be of the Scottish mainland, Scottish coast or any of the Scottish Islands. Colour, black & white, digital or film images are allowed. Images must be submitted in jpg format only in the first instance. You may shoot on either digital or film. Scans of film should be converted to jpgs.
Can I enter images taken on a photographic workshop?
No – if you paid to take part in the workshop.
Yes – if you are the creator of the workshop.
When entering the competition, we require that your images are your own work and that you retain sole copyright – i.e. there are no 3rd party claims on your images.
Where workshops are concerned the issue arises of who actually owns the copyright and this is covered in UK Copyright law where different levels of copyright exist. These are:
1) creator and first author
2) joint author
3) part author
Copyright law states that “copyright ownership depends on the circumstances under which the images were created.” For example, in a song writing workshop, the melody may be created by one person and the lyrics created by another would be a joint copyright.
In the case of photographic workshops, the person who creates the workshop automatically becomes the “creator & first author” of that workshop. They own the copyright to that workshop.
Therefore, if you pay to attend a workshop and create new work (images) from it, the circumstance arises where your images may be deemed the work of “joint authors” or “part authors”. You may claim that you received no help at the workshop in capturing your images but you cannot prove this and the workshop you attended was still copyright. The workshop however owner can prove you took part in the workshop and may claim that your images were created jointly.
Aside from copyright, there is simply too much doubt about images captured on a workshop. We have seen numerous videos of workshops where the leader is setting up the camera, composing the image and the photographer only pressing the shutter. You may say that you received no help but you cannot prove this. Therefore, if you were to win the competition with images taken at a workshop, and this was later discovered, the owner of the workshop could challenge your award and say they helped you create the image. They may then make a claim against the competition for infringing their copyright or claim they are entitled to part of your prize money.
Are digital adjustments allowed?
Yes – limited digital adjustments are allowed in the landscape, seascape and urban categories. The creative category has no limit. Please see the relevant categories for details.
I have been shortlisted in the final round for a main category, but have realised that my image was a composite/cloned out/over-edited.
If your image has reached the final round, we don’t want to eliminate images. It will remain in the competition and be awarded in the creative category.
Can I use filters – ND filters, Grads, Polarisers etc.
Yes.
Is there a limit to when a photograph was taken?
Yes. Images should have been taken no earlier than 6 years from the competition closing date.
How many images can I enter
You can enter a maximum of 20 images.
Can I enter the same image in multiple categories?
No.
Can I enter images that I have entered in other competitions?
Yes, provided you have not signed away any copyright or assigned an exclusive use license to your images.
How is the Judging process is carried out?
SLPOTY uses a science base judging system based around the “triple blind” process. This means that judges do not have access to any details about the image and the judges never meet each other. This ensures that bias for or against any image cannot occur.
Please follow this link to read full details about the judging system.
Preliminary round:
- First Viewing for initial impression.
- 7 day wait period
- Second viewing – each image given a Yes/No vote.
- Yes votes go through to next round.
- No votes – deleted
Secondary round (shortlist)
- Images viewed anonymously by all judges
- Each image given score by judges.
- Highest scoring images through to final round.
- Lowest scoring images rejected but
- Request for Hi Res files and descriptions.
Final round
- Request for RAW/Original files and checked for compliance with the rules.
- All images that satisfy rules put forward for prize or commendation.
- Files that do not follow rules are eliminated and/or deleted.
Note: RAW/Original files are required for authenticity. We check the raws to ensure the images are within the rules for each category.
When will I know if I have been successful?
Only category winners and runners up are notified by email approximately 4-6 weeks after the submission stage is closed. Due to the anti-spam measures put in place by various email providers, we no longer send out indivdual emails to every commended and highly commended entrant. We instead publish a full list of commendations on the website when the officiaal results are announced. If your name is in the list then you have been successful in gaining a commendation.
Which images go into the Exhibition?
All commended and winning images earn a place at official exhibitions. The majority of images will be published in print and the remainder on digital displays.
When are the prizes allocated to the winners?
Prize allocations: All cash and book prizes for the main categories are presented at the opening night exhibition. If any prize winner is unable to make the exhibition, they may collect it at the exhibition thereafter or it will be posted within 14 days.
Cash Prizes: In line with UK money laundering regulations, prize winners must present confirmation of their identity before prize money is transferred. Identification must be presented either in person at an exhibition or via email upon request. If a prize winner is supplying identity information by email, we may ask for additional information.
When identity checks have been completed, prize money is transferred to the prize winner’s Paypal account. Please note: We cannot stress enough that prize winners must ensure the Paypal information they supply is with is accurate (i.e. no typos). If incorrect details are provided and money is transferred to someone else’s account, the Organisers cannot be held responsible or provide additional prize money to cover such errors.
Sponsor prizes: Prizes provided by sponsors will be handed over at the exhibition or sent by direct post from the sponsor.
Will there be an awards ceremony/exhibition?
We have plans for an opening night at our sponsors venue Bonnie & Wild, James centre, Edinburgh. Dates TBA
Which images go into the competition book?
Approx 170 images make the book, comprising the Overall winner’s portfolio, overall runner up’s portfolio, category winners, highly commended and commended images. Sponsor award category winners also win a place in the book.
If in your notification email, it states “book” your image will be included in the book, If it states “ebook” your image will be included in the ebook. If it states “Book + ebook + exhibition” it will be included in all 3.
Why does my image on the website look different/desaturated to my original image?
When you upload your images to the entry portal, we require images at 2000px in highest quality. Typically, files are 2-3mb in size, and these are specifically for judging – not general internet browsing or high traffic. When we transfer your images to the website, we have to comply with accessibility, internet standards etc, so we convert them to low resolution images such as WEBp format. The file sizes reduce from 3mb to 300k which means they use less energy which is better for the environment and they download faster for the general public or when there is high traffic. If we served every image as 3mb then pages would download very slowly.
Advantages of WebP files – better for the environment and faster-loading webpages offer a better user experience. In contrast, websites with slow-loading images might encourage users to look leave or use up their allowance if on mobile. The WebP format is recommended with modern browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.
Disadvantages of WebP files. A small amount of compression can reduce the quality of an image, desaturation or colour balance.
Please note: Your images will still be displayed at Hi Res, uncompressed in the book, ebook and exhibition
Why do you charge a fee to enter?
SLPOTY is a not for profit organisation run by volunteers and exists to promote photographers via the book and exhibitions. The proceeds from fees are used to fund the cost of the book, provide prizes and produce prints for the exhibitions. However, the entry fees only cover around 10-20% of those costs. The Competition’s founder meets the shortfall and is repayed when the books have sold. The competition has running costs for the website and storage for the books.
How do I pay?
All payments are online and via Paypal. If you do not have a paypal account, you can pay by debit or credit card.