SUBMITTING DIGITAL IMAGES
TO CHARTER OAK PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY (COPS) COMPETITIONS

November 2023 Revision.

All entries must conform to COPS Competition Rules.

These submission requirements and procedures apply to both digital and print images. Although physical prints are judged in a print box, their digital versions may be projected for the entire audience’s benefit.

Image Preparation

ParameterRequirementsRestrictions
Color spacesRGB for color
Gray Gamma 2.2 for untinted monochrome
Image size11400 x 1050No images larger than 2MB
Image resolution2Up to 300 dpiNo images larger than 2MB
File name / Submission title3Short title, 40 characters max.
Title contains only letters, numbers & spaces (e.g., South-Western Red Cactus).		No punctuation, special characters ($,?, etc.) or symbols.
No need for your name, date, or other data.
File extension.jpgCannot use .jpeg
NAT designation4If an image complies with PSA Nature Photography rules, include NAT at end of title.
  1. Image size rules are subject to change. As of August 2019, image sizing cannot exceed 1400 pixels horizontally or 1050 pixels vertically.
  2. Select a resolution that produces an image file size no larger than 2 MB.
  3. File name and submission title can (but need not) be identical.
  4. For PSA Nature Photography rules, see Competition Rules, Appendix D.

DIGITAL IMAGE SUBMISSION

Competitors can upload images using a Submission Form on the COPS website during designated submission periods. Those periods begin when a given month’s submission deadline is announced, and they end at mid-night on the deadline date, seven days before the competition.

1. Access & Use The Monthly Submission Form

a. Obtain a Username and Password

Each club member is assigned a unique username and password for competitions by the Competition Chair or the Webmaster. This requires that each member must have a unique email address. These login credentials are usually delivered to the user via email.

b. Login to the COPS Website

  • To log in, your browser must have cookies enabled.
  • Under the “Competitions” drop-down menu on the COPS website, click “Member Login.”
  • A screen will appear with two buttons: “Login” and “Members Area.” Click “Login.”
  • When the Login screen appears, enter your case-sensitive username and password. Then complete the arithmetic problem.
  • Click the “Log In” button.

c. The Members Area

After member login, this page provides access to materials available only to members, including the image submission forms for the monthly and year-end competitions.

d. The Monthly Competition Submission Form

Click the “Digital Submissions Form – Monthly” button to access the monthly submission form, an example of which appears below.

  • Image File: Click “Browse” to select an image file (.jpg) stored on your computer or phone.
  • Title: Enter a short title (maximum 40 characters) containing only letters, numbers, and spaces; no punctuation, special characters, or symbols. Note: If the image meets PSA Nature Photography criteria, include NAT at the end of the title (see Competition Rules, Appendix D).
  • File extension: The file extension must be “.jpg” (not “.jpeg”).
  • Category: Select the correct competition category for the image (see Competition Rules). Categories are Open, Wildlife, Monochrome, Specified Topic and Creative.
  • Sequence: Select “Image 1” for this month’s competition or “Makeup” if entering an image that should have run in last month’s competition.
  • Comments: If you want judges’ comments, select “Yes” for one, and only one, image.
  • Last step: Review your entries. Once all is correct, click “Submit” to upload the image and the information to the website.

2. What Happens Next?

  • The competition chair reviews uploaded images for adherence to club rules and appropriateness to the competition categories selected. If an image is incorrectly designated, the maker will be notified by email. The maker may resubmit the image in the proper category via the usual upload procedure (not verbally or through email). If re-entered before the competition deadline, the image will be judged that month. If not, it will be disqualified. Properly designated, however, that image may be entered in a future competition. Make-up entries for disqualified images must be entered in the next month’s competition.

    Note: During competitions, the rules committee reserves the right to deem an image “out-of-category.” Any such image will not be scored but can, in its proper category, be entered in a future competition. Make-up entries for ineligible images must be entered in the next month’s competition.

  • During the submission period, you can log in again and use the submission form to view, add, edit, or delete entries.

  • Upon submission, you will receive no immediate confirmation email. You will receive an email with your submission details shortly after a given submission period ends. Check it to confirm that your entries have been properly uploaded.

  • Address issues or questions regarding your submitted images to … competitionchair@charteroakphoto.org.

3. Year-End Competitions

Members who wish to compete may upload their images to the COPS website by logging in, entering the “Members Area”, and selecting the “Digital Competition Submission Form – Year End”, an example of which appears below.

IN MOST CASES (except in the Sibley Travel category), SUBMITTED IMAGES MUST HAVE BEEN ENTERED PREVIOUSLY IN THE SEASON’S MONTHLY COMPETITIONS. ALSO, SUBMITTED IMAGES AT YEAR-END MUST BE IDENTICAL TO THOSE ENTERED PREVIOUSLY – NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES (E.G. CROPPING, ENHANCEMENTS, ETC.) ARE ALLOWED.

The Year-End form looks similar to the Monthly version, with some exceptions:

  • There is a maximum of 24 submissions.
  • The drop-down list for Category contains the labels YE Digital Open, YE Digital Wildlife, YE Digital Monochrome, YE Digital Creative, YE Rich Nature, YE Sibley Travel.
  • There are no entries for Sequence and Comments.

The following additional rules apply:

YE Digital Open, YE Digital Wildlife, YE Digital Monochrome, YE Digital Creative: A maximum of 5 images may be submitted in any one digital category, not to exceed a total of 10 images. Each image must have been previously submitted during the monthly competitions of the season.

YE Rich Nature: A maximum of 5 images may be submitted. Each image must have been previously submitted during the monthly competitions of the season.

YE Sibley Travel: A maximum of 2 images may be submitted. Images may have been previously submitted during the monthly competitions of the season, or they can be new images (not previously submitted).

Please review your uploaded images after clicking the “Submit” button. If there is image data but no image(s), use the Add, Change, Delete button to upload the missing images, then click Submit. Recheck to make sure the images uploaded properly. If there is still an issue, contact the Competition Chair or the Webmaster.

Confirmation notices will be distributed via MailChimp email notification after the upload period expires.

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