Images (L to R) by Sian Davies, Jan Wilson-Chalon & Matt Morrow

NWPA Handbook

PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN NORTH WALES

This document is intended to provide information on most aspects of club photography

THE NORTH WALES PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION

(www.nwpa.co.uk or www.cffgc.co.uk)

Member of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain

The NWPA was formed in 1981 to represent the photographic clubs of North Wales within the structure of the PAGB (the national body which co-ordinates club activities in the UK). It was founded by Ken Worthy, Margaret Salisbury and others to be a separate entity from the Welsh Photographic Federation, which operates mainly in the South of Wales. There are at present twenty-four clubs in the Federation. Clubs should include the phrase “Affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain through the North Wales Photographic Association” in their printed programmes.

The activities of our Federation are overseen by an Executive Committee, which meets four times a year. The EC consists of:- President; Vice President; Immediate Past President; General Secretary; Treasurer; Exhibition Secretary; Competition Secretary; PAGB Delegate; Lecturers & Judges Organiser; Awards Officer, Website Editor & Newsletter Editor plus a delegate from each club. The role of the delegate is to liaise between their club and the Committee, i.e. to raise any matters of concern to their club; to seek help or advice; to distribute information and to deliver or collect prints in connection with folios or selections.

Officers of the EC are elected annually at the AGM, which is held in December. In addition to looking after our interests on the wider scene, what else does the NWPA do for us in exchange for the annual fees we pay ? Well, let‟s have a look at these in turn.

NWPA Directory

This is available via the website and provides a list of contacts for every North Wales club and also shows the Judges & Lecturers available to visit your club. It is essential that the Judges & Lecturers Organiser, as well as the NWPA Secretary, is advised of all new appointments & changes. There is always a demand for more lecturers and judges so, if you would like your name to be included, please contact our Judges & Lecturers Organiser. Judges & Lecturers listed in the Directory may claim expenses from the clubs they visit. These should be agreed beforehand and paid on the night. Confirmation letters/e-mails should always be sent by the clubs, as well as reminders shortly before the event.

The Exhibition

The Exhibition is held annually and has mostly been held at the Electric Mountain, Llanberis. It‟s your main chance to show your images to other photographers throughout North Wales. Whilst it is true that the only person that you really have to please with your pictures is yourself, it can be very encouraging and rewarding to find that others also like your work. Having your work accepted in exhibitions and, possibly even winning awards, is very good indeed for the ego, and encourages you to go out and take more pictures.

There are trophies for: Best Monochrome Print. Best Colour Print, Best Projected Image, etc. With the aid of a Lottery Grant, NWPA now has frames (and storage boxes) and this means that only mounts sized at 50mm x 40mm can be accepted. These frames are available for clubs to hire.

The Annual Battle

Known originally as the “Llanrwst Battle”, this event has been a firm favourite among clubs for many years. All affiliated clubs in North Wales may enter work for this competition, which is judged by a well known and respected judge. This event is usually held in Llandudno and takes place around the end of March/beginning of April each year.

The Battle usually takes place around the end of March/beginning of April and the top 2 clubs are invited to represent the NWPA at the PAGB Inter-Club Print Championship at the end of October

There are trophies for the winning club and for the best print. Make sure that your club is represented.

PDI Challenge

The Challenge is held around October/November and the top 2 clubs are invited to represent the NWPA at the PAGB Inter-Club PDI Championship in July at Warwick University.

Entry  details are publicised in the Newsletter.

NWPA Newsletters

Newsletters are circulated to advertise events, give news of members, provide reports of club activities and any other general information.

From the list above, you will see that there are many people beavering away in the background to ensure that your Federation runs smoothly and successfully. However, no matter how hard these people work, the final responsibility for the success or failure of the NWPA lies squarely on the shoulders of the clubs and their members. Unless we, as photographers, produce work for the various events organised, they will at best be mediocre or at worst will fail.

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ALLIANCE OF GREAT BRITAIN (PAGB)

(www.thepagb.org.uk)

The PAGB is the „umbrella‟ organisation for just under 1000 camera clubs. These clubs are organised into fifteen Federations, one of which is our own NWPA. Like the NWPA, the PAGB is run by an Executive Committee which meets three times a year. These meetings are attended by a delegate from each of the Federations.

The PAGB publishes a Handbook biennially, which gives details of all the Federations & their Judges and Lecturers, as well as a great deal of helpful information and advice. Each club receives a free copy, as does each Judge and Lecturer. Programme Secretaries find it useful.

The following activities are organised by the PAGB:

Public Liability Insurance.

Public Liability Insurance cover is arranged annually through the PAGB‟s brokers, Darwin Clayton. The reasonably priced premiums are collected by the NWPA Treasurer each year, together with the club subscriptions.

Trustee Indemnity Insurance

Trustee Liability Insurance is also arranged through Darwin Clayton and all North Wales clubs are covered.

Equipment Insurance

This can be arranged independently through the same brokers, Darwin Clayton.

Recorded Lectures

The PAGB runs the Recorded Lecture Service to provide lectures on CD/DVD by well-known photographers on a variety of subjects and also of the Inter-Federations Exhibitions. Full details can be found in the centre of the Handbook. With the increased costs of travelling expenses for visitors, these lectures provide a relatively cheap evening for the programme. Under no circumstances may these CDs/DVDs be copied. If they are down-loaded into your computer for the evening, they must be deleted afterwards.

The Inter-Federation Print Exhibition & Competition/Projected Image Exhibition & Competition

Each year the PAGB puts on an exhibition of the very best of amateur photography in Great Britain. Federations select work from their member clubs, which is then submitted for selection for the exhibition itself. The NWPA selection committee meets in early May to choose the entry to be forwarded to the PAGB by 1st June each year. There is now a Natural History section also.

The Inter-Club Projected Digital Image Championship

This competition is held annually in July at the Warwick University Arts Centre. Two clubs are invited to represent each Federation. The Federations must nominate their clubs and submit these names to the PAGB by the end of April. The winner & runner-up of the PDI Challenge are given first refusal to go. (Round 1 : 8 images, Round 2 ; 8 images, Final(top 8 clubs) ; 20 images or Plate : 8 images). A bank of 40 images has to be sent on a CD with the entry form beforehand.

The Inter-Club Print Championship

Similar to the PDI Championship, except that it is held at the end of October/ This used to be held at Deeside College, Connah‟s Quay, but has now move to Ormskirk. Again, two clubs represent each federation. The winner & runner-up of the print section of the NWPA Battle are given first refusal to go. (Round 1 ; 12 prints, Final (top 8 clubs); 15 prints or Plate ; 5 prints) If you consider that your club would like to represent the NWPA in either of the two championships, then please tell the EC – via your club delegate – at the March meeting, because the Battle winners don‟t always wish to compete.

GB cups

The GB Cups for Projected Images are held each January. Clubs enter directly, without any pre-qualification. Awards are made to the winning Clubs. A number of awards are declared for individual images and groups of images.

• Any Club may enter either the Open Cup or the Small Clubs Cup. ‘Small Clubs’ refers to the number of entries a Club wishes to submit and not to the number of members in a Club.
• Any Club may enter the Nature Cup.

GB TrophyCup

The GB Trophies for Prints are held each November. Clubs enter directly, without any pre-qualification. Clubs may enter the Open Trophy, and may also enter the Nature Trophy. Awards are made to the winning Clubs. A number of awards are declared for individual images. A significant selection of prints are placed in albums for display at PAGB events.

PAGB Awards

The PAGB makes Awards for Photographic Merit (for individuals) at three levels:-

CPAGB

Credit of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain

The standard for this award is that of "good club photography‟. A submission for this award consists of ten prints or ten PDIs which, are judged individually. See below for judging details.

DPAGB

Distinction of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain

The standard here is that of "national exhibitions‟. The submission this time consists of fifteen prints or fifteen PDIs, again judged individually.

MPAGB

The MASTER Award (MPAGB) seeks to recognise the HIGHEST STANDARD OF UK AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY.

PAGB – Master of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain

This is the highest PAGB award for photographic merit. The standard is now that of “the highest quality of UK amateur photography”. Twenty PDIs or twenty prints are submitted for this award and are again judged individually. To be eligible for this award, entrants must have held the DPAGB for at least one year.

See Appendices for the North Wales holders of these Awards.

The Judging System

The adjudication panel for the above awards consists of six experienced selectors. For presentation before the panel, entries are mixed up so that the pictures by one worker do not follow each other. As the pictures appear before the panel, each judge will award a mark between 2 and 5. The minimum mark is therefore 12 and the maximum is 30. These scores are shown electronically and are totalled and recorded by a marker.

In order to gain the CPAGB, an entrant must gain a minimum total of 200 marks, which represents an average of 20 marks per image.

To gain the DPAGB, a minimum total of 300 marks is required, again an average of 20 marks per image.

For the MPAGB, the minimum qualifying total is 440 marks. This time it is an average score of 22 marks per image.

Adjudications are normally held twice a year in April and November and are hosted by a different federation on each occasion. In November 2011 it was hosted by the NWPA. Anyone may attend an adjudication, subject to the availability of tickets. Indeed, you are positively encouraged to go along and see the standard of work. These Awards, once achieved, are held for life.

Details of how to enter may be obtained from the NWPA Awards Officer.

APAGB

The PAGB also presents one other award – the APAGB. This is for outstanding service to a club or a federation. (more information in the PAGB Handbook) Prospective recipients of this award are nominated by their club or their federation in confidence. It is an honour not lightly given, and rewards the recipients for their long and outstanding contribution to their club or federation or both. So far 11 of these Meritorious Awards have been presented in North Wales (see Appendices)

e-news

The e-news (free) is issued periodically by Rod Wheelans to circulate all manner of photographic information relating not only to the PAGB, but also giving details of other events, exhibitions, etc.

To receive a free copy register at www.pagbnews.co.uk

OTHER EVENTS & ORGANISATIONS

FIAP (www.fiap.net)

The Federation Internationale de l‟Art Photographique operates on a world-wide basis in the same way as the PAGB operates in the UK. It is the global overseer for national bodies in scores of countries all over the world. Like the PAGB, it organises events and activities and makes awards for photographic merit - AFIAP, EFIAP, etc. For more details, see the PAGB Handbook. FIAP also gives its accreditation to very many international exhibitions world-wide, at which it awards medals and other trophies.

Photographic Society of America (PSA)

This is another organisation which runs exhibitions and gives accreditation to international exhibitions.

The Royal Photographic Society (www.rps.org) – North Wales Region

The RPS has a North Wales Region, which organises events at which all are welcome whether RPS members or not.

British Photographic Exhibitions (www.britishphotographicexhibitions.org.uk)

Collection of currently 22 national exhibitions each year, all giving awards.

United Photographic Postfolios (www.uppofgb.co.uk)

The United Photographic Postfolios of Great Britain (UPP) is affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) through the Surrey Photographic Association. The UPP is a Photographic Club that comes to your door or online at regular intervals. It does not matter whether your images are prints or PDIs; whether the results are produced on a computer, in a darkroom or by a third party, you will find something in the UPP for you.

The Celtic Challenge

This is a competition between the Celtic nations of Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, South Wales, Cornwall, North Wales. Hosted in rotation by the participating countries, this is very much a social occasion, accompanied by a good humoured but seriously contested competition. Each region enters 10 monochrome prints / 10 colour prints / 10 projected digital images. It takes place in the Autumn and is judged by one impartial judge.

North Wales Monochrome Group

Regular meetings are organised (usually at Capel Curig) by Geoff Leah (01745 730714)

North Wales & Wirral AV Group

Marion Waine organises regular meetings and workshops (usually in Capel Curig)

The Welsh Photographic Federation (WPF)

Based in South Wales runs an annual Convention in Lampeter. NWPA members are invited to enter the Welsh Salon each year, which also has a section for club entries. They also offer a distinction (Associate of the Welsh Photographic Federation)

GENERAL ADVICE TO CLUBS

Presentation of Work - All prints entered for NWPA events should be on mounts of 50 cm x 40 cms and bear the Title, name of Author and the name of the Club. Specifications for entering projected digital images will be provided on the entry forms of the various competitions/exhibitions.
Please put your email address on the back of images so that the NWPA competition secretary can contact you if the image is chosen to represent the NWPA in an external competition as a PDI of the image will be needed.

Help with your Programme

Recorded lectures and showing of national and international exhibitions are available on CD/DVDs through the PAGB Handbook. Many exhibitions distribute CD/DVDs to their entrants. Persuade your members to enter exhibitions and gain a free evening !

Co-ordination

Because of the number of events and the problems of geography, clubs are urged to be aware of the various closing dates and deadlines and to plan well in advance. Club Representation - Where a member belongs to more than one club, it is strongly recommended that they decide at the beginning of the club season (probably September) which club will be able to use their work in battles/competitions for the forthcoming season.

If you require any other information or advice, consult the PAGB Handbook, or one of the Association Officers listed in the NWPA Directory.

Christine Langford

Up-dated March 2017