Frequently Asked Questions

A case is a specified number of images by a single maker. The number of images per case is determined by the competition committee. TNPPA considers a "case" as four images.

If a maker submits more than four images, their "case" is considered to be the four that score highest.

Examples:

Maker "B" submits 8 images to the competition. The image scores are: 80, 79, 79, 82, 85, 79, 79, 83.

The images that are considered the maker's case would be: 85, 83, 82, 80, resulting in a case score* of 330

Maker "C" submits 8 images to the competition and scores: 89, 79, 79, 82, 79, 80, 79, 80. The maker's case is: 89, 82, 80, 80 for a case score of 331

*Case scores are used to determine awards such as Tennessee Top Ten and Photographer of the Year.

This is often one of the biggest struggles (besides titles!) those new to competition face.

All competition images are required to have an appropriate mat that works in harmony with the image for a complete and professional-looking presentation.

Mats are composed of a border and a keyline. The border is the area around the perimeter of the image extending outward. The keyline is the thin stroke that encircles the outermost edge of your image between the image and the mat.

Remember: Less is more! Be sure your mat is color-balanced and enhances your image. Pay careful attention to matching color themes and limit the use of strong textures or contrasting colors.

A keyline should be no more than 5 pixels maximum (and many judges prefer 3 or fewer). The keyline should serve as a border and is best kept subtle and unobtrusive.

View a helpful video here that shows an example of how to add a simple presentation mat to your images.

A guide image is a small representation included on your mat that shows the judges image elements used in the creation of the image. Makers sometimes use stock images for elements in a finished piece.

For Photographic Open categories, any elements that you did not create must be referenced with a guide image. This includes such items as sky replacement or graphic elements added to enhance the image.

For Master Artist entries all mats must include guide images for each element used in the composition regardless of its origin.

Note about Copyright

If you use an image element that you did not create that is not stock or fair use, you MUST HAVE a RELEASE/PERMISSION from the maker. No exceptions.

You may not copy and paste images from outside sources such as social media to include in your image unless you have obtained appropriate and legal usage rights.

The Short Answer: YES!

Why does it matter?

Titles are sometimes called "The 13th Element" because they provide an avenue to enhance storytelling, demonstrate creativity, and lend impact to your overall presentation when the title is announced. A great image with a poorly chosen title may not score as high as it otherwise might have. 

Quick tips for titling your images:

• Alliteration Always Attracts Attention!
• Don't underestimate the power of a good play on words or phrases.
• Keep it short & sweet. (Remember: Your titles will be read aloud when your image is displayed for the judges!) "The Bees Knees" is going to present better than "Beehive in the country with a lot of flowers surrounding it in a pretty meadow."
• Don't be too esoteric, if a judge feels confused about how the title relates to the image, you may lose impact.
• If you can make a judge laugh, cry, smile, giggle, or gasp with your title, you've got impact covered!
• Remember that competitions usually mean over one hundred images to score. Imagine yours is near the end of the list. How can you title your image to get the judge's attention for "Bear in the Forest" instead consider: "Furr-ocious" or "Bear-ly There" (thanks to ChatGPT for the title examples!)

For detailed information. visit the image preparation section of our info page here.

All images submitted for competition must be saved as high-quality jpg with a color profile embedded (sRGB). Finished dimensions (including mat) are 4000 pixels on the longest edge. 

It is important to review image specifications for every competition to ensure you are submitting an image with the proper dimensions.

Note about dpi: DPI is a term used for print specifications and is not relevant to digital-only images. A high-quality jpg with the appropriate pixel dimension of 4000 on the long edge will yield the proper result.

TNPPA Competitions:

If you previously entered an image and received a score of 79 or below, you may rework the image at your discretion and reenter a subsequent competition. 

Images scoring 80 or above earn full merit toward a TNPPA degree, are eligible for all awards, and therefore may not be reworked and reentered. 

Merit Image Review (PPA/MIR)

If you have entered an image to PPA's Merit Image Review you may enter it into TNPPA competition regardless of merits received from PPA. (Note that MIR size requirements are different from TNPPA Competition. Be sure to check your file size before submitting!)

International Photographic Competition (IPC)

If you have entered an image to IPC and earned a medal, then that image is not eligible to be entered into competition at the state level (TNPPA).

Please visit our TNPPA Degrees and Awards page for information about earning your TNPPA Service, Certified, or Artist degrees and to view a list of awards.

Besides Category Bests, Overall Highest Scoring Image, and Photographer of the Year, TNPPA presents several specialty awards each year. A detailed list of awards is included on the Degrees and Awards page linked above.

The biggest win:

Education that helps YOU reach your goals and master the art and science of photography.

The Tank Award is bestowed upon the local community network with the highest aggregate total of image scores from all participating members! Every image entered is counted toward the total score for each community network.

It is a supremely high honor to have your local bring home The Tank and earn bragging rights for an entire year!

The more people who enter from your local, the better chance you have to bring it home!

As of this writing, Tank lives with the Professional Photographers of Middle Tennessee and they are expecting a run for their money in 2025 from the Professional Photographers of East Tennessee!

Support your local community networks! They are counting on you!

A vast amount of work goes on behind the scenes to prepare for an image competition. The use of the platform at printcompetition.com helps to streamline the management of every aspect of a competition including setup, judging and spectator apps, and accepting payments for entries. 

We require each participant to register for a basic account at a modest rate that is typically between $15 and $20 per year. If you plan to participate in Merit Image Review or wish to compete in other state competitions we highly encourage purchasing a premium account ($71 annually). A premium subscription offers a wealth of information such as access to archived image competitions from all areas, judges' audio (if available), access to scoring, and much, much more. It is a superb learning tool for anyone interested in competition.

The platform is free to use for organizations and its operating expenses are covered by participant subscriptions. TNPPA appreciates the use of this robust platform and all of the hard work that goes into creation and development. We also appreciate those who have subscribed to premium! Your contribution helps to keep costs down and encourages the development of new tools for future competitions.

Entering an image competition should never be taken on with the idea of besting another person. This is a fine art and always subjective! Some competitions may go your way, some can make you question your very existence! 

The goal of any great image competition is first, to educate. You can learn so much just by participating. We aren't competing for Facebook "likes." Let's face it, we've all seen even the worst images get "likes" on social media (thanks Mom!!)

Participation is about putting yourself in front of a panel and learning where you can improve to take your craft to the next level. Disagree with the judges? Get a critique or ask for advice from a colleague. You may be amazed at the small details that can make or break an image. When you start thinking about these things during image creation, your work begins to shine and you will find your voice as an artist.

So the answer to Who are you competing against?...

You!