Power of Photography®

Judging, Categories, Special Awards

How POP Works

All images entered in the POP contest go through three judging Phases:

Phase One

Our three Judges independently assign a “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” to each photo. Any image receiving two “No” votes in Phase One is automatically removed from the competition without being scored. All remaining images are then advanced to Phase Two.

Phase Two

In Phase Two, images are scored for:

• Subject
• Lighting
• Composition
• Originality
• Post Processing

Each criteria is worth up to 10 points for a total of 50 points per judge — possibly resulting in a maximum score of 150 points per image. At the end of the judging, a cut-off score is assigned to the top 325 photos. Images falling below the cut-off score are removed from the competition. Entrants must login and return to their dashboard after September 15, 2025, to review POP Contest Entries where they will see a green banner with “In the Show” on the submitted photos.

Phase Three

Depending on the total number of entries, approximately 325 images are admitted for exhibition to the current year’s POP Show. Judges will view the printed photographs to determine a “Best in Show” award from the scored entries and any sponsored special award as requested.

Judging

1. Any entered photograph found not to meet stated requirements will not be judged or hung in the POP Show; the entry fee will not be refunded.
2. Three independent, qualified judges will review and select the top 325 submissions to be scored on a 10-point scale for Subject, Composition, Light/Exposure, Impact/Originality, and Post Processing (Effective use of editing tools).
3. Winning photographs for categories and special awards will be exhibited by Noon at the Friday opening of the show. The People’s Choice Award will be announced before closing on Sunday.

Categories

All entries, regardless of the category, should exhibit one or more of the following elements:

• Balance (Symmetrical or Asymmetrical)
• Contrast
• Creative use of space
• Leading Lines
• Rhythm (repeated shapes)
• Simplification

Choosing the appropriate category for your photograph can be difficult in some cases. Please use the following guidelines to help with your selection. When choosing a specific category, be sure to answer, “What is the subject or focal point of the photograph, and is it obvious to others?” Note: Judges may mark down photographs they feel are submitted in an inappropriate category.

Animals (Mammals)

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should have mammals as the subject. Images of pets, wildlife, zoo life, and farm animals.

Animals (EXCEPT Mammals)

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should have any living creature except for mammals as the subject (i.e. birds, insects, reptiles, sea life not classified as mammals).

Art-Abstract-Creative

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should have an artistic, abstract, or creative approach toward a piece of original work or concept belonging to the artist. Entries can include dramatically altered photos via post-processing, practical photographic techniques, or a mix of the two. They may consist of any subject matter.

Architecture-CityScapes

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
This category will focus on the design and style of the man-made environment. It includes everything from the small details that make up a structure to entire skyline panoramas.

Aviation

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should have air-based subjects that move people or goods across any distances. This category will focus on any type of vehicle that flies.

Composition Elements

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should emphasize either one or a combination of the following concepts: lines, shapes, forms, spacing, textures, tones, and colors. Entries can include natural settings; man-made structures; or product/tabletop photography; and more.

Flowers & Plants

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should have flowers, plants, or trees as the subject.

Landscapes

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entry into this category should embody the spirit of the outdoors including sunrises, sunsets, seascapes, night skies, and panoramas which showcase outdoor natural beauty. Photos predominantly depicting animals or plants DO NOT BELONG in this category.

Macro-Close Ups

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
This category combines two closely related types of photography. First, entries for close-up photography should have subjects either zoomed in tightly or photographed from a short distance or an enlarged portion of a photograph. Overall, this photography zooms in on a much larger subject. Second, entries for macro photography should take every day small subjects and enlarging them into larger-than-life proportions.

Portraits (Formal)

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should capture a person’s identity, attitude, beauty, and uniqueness. For these entries, the artist should have control of the entire situation from location/environment, model, wardrobe, posing and lighting. NO NUDES PLEASE

Portraits (Informal – People at Work or Play)

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should capture a person or group working or playing in their natural environment. This category can include a person/group playing sports or working in their profession/occupation and people in street photography.

Still Life

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Images depicting inanimate subject matter; typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (bottles, books, vases, jewelry, pipes, etc.)

Transportation

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should have land or sea-based subjects that move people or goods across any distance. Entries may include bicycles, boats, cars, trucks, trains, and more.

Traveling & Exploring

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Entries into this category should embody the spirit of exploring and traveling. These entries should include scenes of travel showcasing a famous place; a unique experience at a unique location; or a people, place, or thing that celebrates a culture.

Youth

Category Prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25, Two Honorable Mentions
Budding artists under the age of 18 years as of 6/1/2024 may submit entries of any subject into this category.

Special Awards

Special Awards are made from the highest-scoring 325 exhibited photographs. Specialty Awards may be added in the months before the show. The 2024 Specialty Awards List:

• Best of Show
• President’s Award
• People’s Choice Award
• Best Gulf Coast Camera Printed Photo
• Best Musical
• Most Humorous
• Top Dog Award
• Best Civil War Image
• Best of the U.S. Navy
• Sustainability of Man
• Sue Straughn Award
• See it, Shoot it, Send it
• Best of Pensacola
• Best Laser Images Award
• Best Marine Photo
• Best Street Photography
• Best Black & White
• Judi Purcell Memorial Award
• Best Black & White
• Margret Hildreth Award
• MOAB Paper Award

Participation Requirements

1. Any amateur or professional photographer may participate.
2. Wide Angle Photo Club membership is not required for entry.
3. All photos must be original work from the artist. Reverse image search engines such as Google Images, Tineye, etc. will be used to monitor and deter plagiarism. Plagiarizing will be disqualified with no refund to the artist.
4. Artists legally owning any tools, resources, devices, or software have the right to use them when creating a POP entry. For example, artists may use all transforming and healing tools.
5. All added elements used for compositing or replacing parts of the POP entry must be the artist’s original work. Use of any 3^rd party stock photo, template, or artificial intelligence (AI) regardless of the artist owning legal rights to it is prohibited. For example, if the artist wants to replace a background or sky, the replacement must be the artist’s original work.
6. It is the artist’s responsibility to designate the best appropriate category from the drop-down menu. Artists submitting the same photograph in multiple categories will be disqualified with no refund.
7. Entries found with a watermark will be disqualified with no refund.
8. Photographs must be the photographer’s original work in its entirety and not previously exhibited at a POP Show. Photographs previously submitted for POP judging but not accepted for display may be re-entered.
9. All participants agree that their images may be used by the Wide Angle Photo Club for publicity purposes. Winning photographs may be displayed on the Club’s website, Facebook page, or used in any other future POP or Wide Angle Photo Club advertising.
10. All entries chosen for the show must have the provided POP labels attached to the reverse side of the photograph. The labels are found by selecting DOWNLOAD next to your POP entry. It contains the artist’s name, entry title, category, photo location, and if desired the photo price and/or a URL where the photo can be purchased. Additionally, it contains an area to choose if you printed at Gulf Coast Camera or if you used MOAB paper when you printed. Marking these items COULD result in a prize if your photo is chosen by the sponsor.
11. If your photograph is available for sale, there is a field on the entry form for its price and/or URL where that image can be purchased online. It is the photographer’s responsibility to provide correct information. All sales transactions of POP Show photographs will be between the photographer and the customer. Photographers will be given the customer’s contact information at the close of the show. The photographer is responsible for all applicable taxes.
12. To be eligible for the Youth (Age 18 and under Category), artists must be 18 as of June 01, 2024. The photographer’s date of birth must be listed on the entry form and the signature of a parent or guardian must be included on the POP label for entrants under 18.
13. Youths must have their own individual POP account and email address.

Photograph Submission

1. The Entry Fee is $10 per photograph from June 01 to Jul 15 (Early Entry) and $15 per photograph from Jul 16 to Aug 18 (Late Entry)
2. Submit photos electronically for judging. Images must be 72 dpi, sRGB, jpg, JPG, jpeg, png or PNG format and no larger than 3 MB.
3. Be sure to save your original file size; if your images are accepted to the show, the online entry at 72 dpi will not be large enough to print.
4. An unlimited number of images may be submitted by each photographer, but please only 10 at one time.
5. Submit images between June 01 and August 18. No images will be accepted after 11:59 PM on August 18.
6. Entries with watermarks WILL be disqualified.
7.  A photograph can be entered in only ONE category and that category must be specified.
8. There is no limitation on the amount of post-processing for any particular category. The effective use of post processing tools will be scored.
9. A photograph entered in an inappropriate category will be excluded from judging (e.g. an image of a dog entered in the People at Work and Play category).
10.  If a photograph is selected for exhibition and a printed copy is not submitted for the live show, all prize money will be forfeited.
11. Digital images must be submitted without a digital border or frame.
12. Photographs selected for a live exhibition may have a single matted border or a single digital border.
13. Photographs selected for a live exhibition must have the photo’s information taped to the back of the finished product. When viewing your POP Contest Entries, the information can be found by selecting DOWNLOAD which is next to the photo.

Exhibit Preparation

1. Return to the website and log in to your account to see if photos are selected for exhibition. The photo will have a green banner with white text stating “IN THE SHOW”. This is your notification that will appear after September 15, 2025. Selected images must be printed, matted, and delivered by October 25, 2025.
2. Photos IN THE SHOW will have a DOWNLOAD button next to them. This is your entry information. Download, print, and tape it to the back of your finished matted entry.
3. Any photograph depicting identifiable children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a completed Parental Minor Model Release Form (PDF)
4. Images shall be no smaller than 8” x 10” and no larger than 16” x 20”. Panoramic images are allowed but must be at least 8” tall, but no taller than 12”, and no wider than 28”.
5. All photographs must be single-matted by an outer board mat (either white or black), with or without a single color (either white or black) digital mat.
6. The mat must not be smaller than 11” x 14”, nor larger than 20” x 24”.  Panoramic mats must not be larger than 16” x 32”.
7. All photos must have a rigid backing of the same size as the mat. The backing must be rigid enough such that the photograph can stand without buckling.
8. No frames or glass are allowed.
9. There must be no added writing on the mat or on the photograph. No names or titles.
10. PLEASE don’t use plastic sleeves when dropping off your photographs. There is a very short timeframe to get photographs displayed and returning the plastic sleeves to the owner is not guaranteed.

Local Printers

If desired, the following local retailers can print, mat, and deliver your high-resolution images for the POP exhibition. Please drop off your photos at either Gulf Coast Camera in Pensacola, The Stackhouse Fine Art Printery, or Marty Campbell Gallery & Frame Shop in Gulf Breeze by October 25, 2024. For Mobile/Fairhope/Spanish Fort/Daphne artists please drop your photos at Calagaz Photo in Mobile by October 21, 2025.