Distinctions

Requirements and Procedures for entry into PAGB Distinctions

For RESUBMISSIONS click here to take you to a separate page


Applicants need to show that they have been regular supporters of their club/federation, or have provided photographic input to their club/federation, for the qualifying period.

The qualifying periods are as follows:

  • CPAGB 2 years
  • DPAGB 3 years
  • MPAGB 5 years, together with a DPAGB which has been held for at least 11 months.

A letter, confirming that the above requirements have been met, is required from the applicant’s associate committee.  Within this letter please include the following:

  • The applicant’s full postal address
  • Their telephone number
  • Their e-mail address

To be sent to the
KCPA Distinctions Officer (currently Dr John Bowsher) Bonner’s Field,
Northbourne Road,
Great Mongeham,
Deal, Kent,
CT14 0LD

If the letter is satisfactory, the KCPA Distinctions Officer will send an application form to the applicant, who then sends it to the PAGB Awards Secretary (name and address is on the application form) together with a cheque for appropriate fee, as indicated below.

Awards for Photographic Merit

(Updated 2 February 2010)

Awards.

The Awards are open to all members of clubs affiliated to the PAGB through their Federations, they are at three levels: Credit (CPAGB) Certificate and Blue Badge Distinction (DPAGB) Certificate and Red Badge Master (MPAGB) Certificate and Yellow Badge The Awards are held for life without any annual fee and holders are entitled to use the designated letters after their name.

Prints, Slides and Projected Digital Images (abbreviated to PDI)

Print, Slide and Projected Digital Image Adjudications will normally be held in April and November and the closing date for applications will be 31st January and 31st August respectively. This may be varied according to demand.

The minimum number of entrants for any one day is 30 and the minimum for each section is normally 5.

The maximum number of prints, slides and digitally projected images adjudicated on any one day will not normally exceed 650.

Prints, Slides and Projected Digital Images for use at future Adjudications, all successful entrants are required to donate an image scoring in the passing range and chosen by the Awards Chairman/Committee. This will be used to demonstrate the passing standard to assessors and audiences at future Adjudications. It may also be used for APM Workshops and to promote the Awards, including possibly by Recorded Lecture. Where the selected item is a Print it may be returned on request after two further Adjudications but the entrant will be responsible for the return arrangements including P & P if necessary. We would be grateful if you permit the PAGB to retain the image beyond this time and we will continue to use if for the above purposes. If the selected image is a Slide this will be copied and the original returned to you as soon as we can.

As the CD’s of DPI will not be returned, and because we need to build up a bank of images from scratch, the PAGB reserves the right to use more than one DPI for the above purposes.

Copyright of all of these images remains with the Originator.

Audio Visual.

Adjudications will normally be held in March each year with a closing date for applications of 31st January. This may be varied according to demand.

  • The minimum number of entrants for any one day is 10.
  • The maximum number is dependant on the length of the sequences.
  • Adjudication will be carried out by 3 persons selected from the PAGB AV Judges List. and each applicant’s sequences will be shown consecutively then scored as a whole by each adjudicator marking 2 to 5.
  • Only the total score will be announced.
  • The applicant’s name/s must not appear anywhere in the production. (See the guidance notes for Joint Applications).

Credit of The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (CPAGB)

  • The standard is that of ‘Good Club Photography’.
  • The entry fee is £60.00.
  • 10 Slides or 10 Prints or 10 PDI are required and the total score of 200 or more will gain the award.
  • For Audio Visual, 1 or more sequences with a total running time of 10 to 15 minutes are required or for a Joint Submission, 2 or more sequences with a running time of 20 to 30 minutes. A total score of 10 or more will gain the award.

Distinction of The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (DPAGB)

Subject to the pre-qualification, application can be made for the DPAGB Award without first gaining the CPAGB.

  • The standard is that of ‘Open Exhibition Photography’/Audio Visual Sequence.
  • The entry fee is £75.00.
  • 15 Slides or 15 Prints or 15 PDI are required and a total score of 300 or more will gain the Award
  • For Audio Visual, 2 or more sequences with a total running time of 15 to 20 minutes are required or for Joint Submission, 4 or more sequences with a running time of 30 to 40 minutes. A total score of 10 or more will gain the award.

Master of The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (MPAGB)

Applicants for MPAGB must have held DPAGB for a least 11 months on the date of the adjudication.

  • The standard is that of The Highest Standard of Amateur Photography’/Audio Visual Sequence.
  • The entry fee is £95.00.
  • 20 Slides or 20 Prints or 20 PDI are required and a total score of 450 or more will gain the award.
  • For Audio Visual 3 or more sequences with a total running time of 20 to 25 minutes are required or for a Joint Submission, 6 or more sequences with a running time of 40 to 50 minutes. A unanimous decision by the adjudicators with a total score of 12 or more will gain the award.

Adjudication Method

  • Adjudication will be carried out by 6 persons selected from the PAGB Judges list.
  • Each print, slide or PDI will be scored electronically (2 to 5 by each adjudicator) but only the total score for each photograph will be announced.
  • Pictures will not be presented as panels but will be mixed and judged as individual images.
  • Prints may be mounted or unmounted but not framed.
  • The maximum size including mount is 50cm x 40cm.
  • Mounts to be lightweight of a type that will not damage other prints when stacked.
  • Velcro or any similar material must not be on either side of prints.
  • The title may be on the front of the print but not the applicant’s name.
  • Slide mounts should normally be 5 cm x 5 cm. Superslides are acceptable.
  • Larger formats suitable for projection will be accepted if there is sufficient demand.
  • Digitally Projected Images must be submitted on CD-R prior to the Adjudication and will not be returned after it.
  • The final date for submissions will be advised to you in your Entry Pack.
  • Please see the separate “Guidance Notes for PDI” leaflet available from your Federation Awards Officer or the Awards Secretary.
  • Mixed Print, Slide and/or Digitally Projected Image entries are not permitted.

Withdrawal of Entry

If an Applicant has reason to withdraw from an adjudication they will be offered the following alternatives:-

A refund of their fee less a £10.00 Administration charge and the Applicant may not enter again for 12 months.

OR

Subject to a space being available, and payment of any balance due (if the entry fees are increased in the interim), their application will be transferred to the next Adjudication plus one. If the applicant accepts this route and subsequently withdraws a second time their total fee will be forfeited.

Adjudications

Adjudications are open to spectators. Applicants receive one free ticket. Further tickets may be purchased from the organising federation.

Entries

  • Entries for the Print and Slide sections may be sent in advance or can be delivered and collected on the Adjudication Day.
  • Projected Digital Image entries have to be submitted prior to the Adjudication.
  • The final date and address where to send them will be issued with the Entry Information Pack.
  • All reasonable care will be taken with entries, but no liability is accepted for loss or damage.

Re-submission all sections

Entrants who fail to gain the award may make further applications at the same level for a fee of

  • £50.00 at Credit level,
  • £65.00 at Distinction level,
  • £80.00 at Master level.

Appointed Chairman of Adjudicators

The Chairman (non-voting) will brief the adjudicators beforehand and observe throughout to ensure a degree of consistency. He is authorised to review ‘near misses’ on the day and if appropriate, re-mark individual pictures which may result in a pass score

Review Procedure

In addition to the review of ‘near miss entrants’ by the Appointed Chairman of the Adjudicators on the Adjudication Day, applicants who did not achieve the minimum number of marks necessary to gain the award may ask for further re-examination. Requests will be considered in the light of the analysis of all the marks awarded on all of the adjudication days. If it is considered that the level of marking for the particular adjudication was inconsistent with the standards laid down, then a panel will be appointed to reassess all those who wish it. Applicants will bear all the postal costs involved.

Guidance Notes for Joint AV Applications

Joint applications are permitted in Audio Visual and the ideal would be for both partners to contribute equally to all aspects of the programmes submitted. This seldom happens in practice, applicants have to decide whether the divergence from the ideal is so great that instead of working jointly, the true situation is that one partner is acting as an assistant to the other.

Applications will still be considered to be joint where:

One partner does more work than the other. The absolute limit would be two thirds/one third, but the Adjudication Panel would view such a large proportion with disfavour. An application cannot be considered to be joint where one partner is clearly dominant.

The roles of the two partners are more clearly defined. No general rules can be laid down, but examples from joint workers include:

  • Conception worked out jointly, one partner takes all the photographs, the other writes the script, both are involved in the sound recording and the presentation.
  • Conception by one partner, both take the photographs, first partner does the recording, other partner writes the script, both work on the presentation.
  • Where one partner is involved in only one of the component parts of the entry this is considered to be Assistance or Collaboration and cannot be a joint submission.

The Adjudication will require details of all these matters. Applicants would do well to remember that it is generally harder to gain an award through joint rather than individual applications, in the case of joint applications both partners will pay the full entry fee.

Footnote

The PAGB Awards are proving very popular with many Adjudications being oversubscribed well before the closing dates specified above. With the introduction of Projected Digital Images in November 2009, this is likely to continue. The PAGB will continue to monitor the situation to ensure entrants do not have to wait too long for an Adjudication but, in the meantime, you should plan well ahead to avoid disappointment. If you have applied and been accepted the Entry Packs are normally issued six weeks before the actual Adjudication, earlier if possible, and a timetable for making submissions is included.