Paignton Photographic Club

Diploma Rules and Information

You are strongly advised to seek assistance from the Club’s Adviser on Diploma submissions in the preparation of a Diploma. The name of the Adviser for any given year will be printed in the yearly handbook. A Diploma is an ongoing task and not confined to any one year. Start as soon as you feel competent and add to your folio following advice from the Club’s selected Adviser.

There are two types of Diploma - the General Diploma and the Specialised Diploma. A member may not submit for the latter unless he/she has gained the former.

Apart from the award of a Diploma no letters such as CPAGB are ascribed to the successful applicant. Despite this lack of an outward show of success, the gaining of a General Diploma is generally considered a big mark of success within the club and members should consider the gaining of such an award as a high priority. Any successful Section B member will be promoted to Section A in the following season.

Titles and sequence or print layout numbers should be added to individual images. Print submissions will be viewed as a panel. A folio of images should be numbered in the order they are to be shown. A panel of prints should be accompanied by a placement plan where a number on the back of the print is shown on the plan.

Images can be used in any Trophy competitions. If the diploma is successful, the panel of judges will award a Pass, Credit, or Distinction.

General Diplomas.  This is a folio of ten images of your own selection and must follow the guidelines for competition submission. All submissions should show competency in dealing with ‘Depth of Field’, ‘Exposure’, ‘Composition’ and ‘Use of Light’.
 
Specialised Diplomas.  A member who has attained a General Diploma is eligible to submit a folio of 15 images in the following year. When submitting a specialised diploma the photographer will be asked to provide a statement of intent of no more than 50 words as to why the images were taken. A specialised Diploma can be one of the following subjects:

a. Architecture. The folio should show competence with exposure, format, and where applicable the use of foregrounds for framing or enhancing the subject. Architectural detail is permissible.

b. Landscapes including Seascapes. The folio should show competence with the use of appropriate format, exposure, composition and quality of light.

c. Portraiture. The folio should show competence in photographing human subjects, both indoors and out. Domestic animals only (not birds) will be considered as a complete set but any Diploma would be specified ‘Portraiture (Animals)’.

d. Natural History. The folio should show competence in photographing wildlife, insects, vegetation, geological and other natural history subjects to give them identifiable factual representation. They should be in their natural environment. Images taken in zoos, wildlife parks, and humans or their work should not be included. Cultivated plants or domesticated animals or birds are not permissible.

e. Creative Techniques. The folio should show imagination in manipulating reality to show an eye-catching image. Techniques (either at the taking stage or using computer software) can embrace the use of filters, sandwiched images, slow shutter blur, double exposure, bas relief, solarisation, zoom etc. It will be an advantage to submit a varied folio.

f. Sport. The folio should show competence in capturing the range of movements, expressions and exertions of the participants.

g. Audio Visual. Only one Diploma award is allowed but it is possible to gain another award at a higher level via the Mason Trophy or later modified sequences.

h. Themes/Contemporary. The folio must portray a subject of interesting photographic substance. Prior consent of Committee is required for each Theme regarding its suitability as a subject.