2013 HSPA Foundation Better Newspaper Contest Digital Entry Rules for Photography

Transcription

1 2013 HSPA Foundation Better Newspaper Contest Digital Entry Rules for Photography These rules model those of the Indiana News Photographers Association. James W. Brown, executive associate dean emeritus, Indiana University School of Journalism at Indianapolis, provided the guide format. HSPA Foundation appreciates the pioneering work of Keith Hitchens and other INPA members in developing these guidelines. The Hoosier State Press Association Foundation encourages and recognizes excellence in photojournalism through the Better Newspaper Contest. The following guidelines will assist you in preparing digital entries. Ensure that you have the correct category code, especially if you have prepared images for another competition. Special requirements for image format and data must be attached to the image. Check spelling and grammar on all information. There will be no paper trail. All entries will be sorted electronically by entering through our contest website. We recommend using Adobe Photoshop to prepare your images, although it is not required. All photos not baseline JPEG format or with missing or incorrect category codes will be placed in an error file. Failure to meet the set digital standards could lead to disqualification. For technical questions on digital photo entries, please Darron Cummings, Associated Press-Indianapolis: Mike Fender, The Indianapolis Star: PREPARING IMAGES The image orientation must read in normal viewing position. We will not rotate photographs. For Category 21 Best Still Photo Story With Audio or Video Story please submit a URL where judges can find your entry. If your newspaper website has a paywall, please list a username and password in the comments box. 1

2 Attach required data to each image for Categories Enter required information in Photoshop under File/File Info. All contest entrants MUST fill out the following fields in Photoshop or another product to caption their photos. (See the following Photoshop examples.) Under the Description window, enter the following information: A. Document title B. Author C. Description D. Copyright notice File name (See Pages 5-6 for naming information.) Photographer s name Cutline Newspaper name > A B C D 2

3 Attach data continued E. Category Under the Categories window, enter the following information: Short category code (example: gn is General News). This same code is used at the beginning of each of the file names. (Please use these codes in lower case.) gn = General News sn = Spot News sa = Sports Action sf = Sports Feature fe = Feature mpg = Multiple Picture Group (picture story, picture essay or picture sequence) avs = Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story Category Definitions General News - Photo of a scheduled news event where some planning was possible. Spot News Photo of an unscheduled news event where no previous planning was possible. Sports Action Action photo of an athletic event. Sports Feature Sports-related photo which is not action (reaction, sidelines, coaches, cheerleaders, crowds, etc.) Feature Photo of general human interest. Multiple Picture Group Picture story, picture essay or picture sequence. Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story Soundslides or Video story, any topic. > E 3

4 Attach data continued Under the Origin window, enter the following information: F. Date created G. City H. Credit I. Source Date photo was created. City of newspaper. Name of newspaper. Full name of category (example: spot news) > F G I H 4

5 NAMING FILES SINGLE CATEGORY Each SINGLE category entry must have a unique slug. No duplicate slug names are allowed per category. Each single-category file must be named as follows: Example: gn_jwbi_dump.jpg Category, underline, photographer s three initials, first letter of newspaper s city, underline, short slug (photo name), ending with a.jpg. All file names must be in lower case. Category Short category code (example: gn is General News). This same code is used at the beginning of each of the file names. (Please use these codes in lower case.) gn = General News sn = Spot News sa = Sports Action sf = Sports Feature fe = Feature mpg = Multiple Picture Group (picture story, picture essay or picture sequence) Initials/City jwbi = photographer s initials and first letter of newspaper s city (in this case, i is the letter of the city). Short Slug dump = short slug chosen by the photographer. Extension.jpg = is the mandatory suffix to be placed at the end of the name to designate it as a JPEG format photo. photographer s 3 initials underline short slug (photo name) category code gn_jwbi_dump.jpg extension underline city initial 5

6 NAMING FILES - continued Multiple entries in the MULTIPLE PICTURE GROUP Category Each Multiple Picture Group entry must be named as follows: mpg_mefi1_01hope.jpg Thus the name code is: Category, underline, photographer s three initials, first letter of newspaper s city, entry number in multi-photo category (for Multiple Picture Group only, for single photo entries this number is not to be used), underline, number of this entry in the group, short slug (photo name), ending with a.jpg. All file names are to be in lower case. Note: Each entry in the Multiple Picture Group has the same slug (photo name). Only the number in front of it (_01, _02, _03, etc) should change. In the Multiple Picture Group category, note the entry group number to the right of the photographer s initials The number of the group entry is placed to the right of the four letters designating the photographer s three initials and city. A sample entry would look like this: ENTRY GROUP No. 1 - placed in an entry called mpg_mefi1_hope mpg_mefi1_01hope.jpg mpg_mefi1_02hope.jpg mpg_mefi1_03hope.jpg mpg_mefi1_04hope.jpg photographer s 3 initials Note the short slug remains the same for all photos in the same Multiple Picture Group. ENTRY GROUP No. 2 - placed in an entry called mpg_mefi2_fear mpg_mefi2_01fear.jpg mpg_mefi2_02fear.jpg mpg_mefi2_03fear.jpg mpg_mefi2_04fear.jpg ENTRY GROUP No. 3 - placed in an entry called mpg_mefi3_retire mpg_mefi3_01retire.jpg mpg_mefi3_02retire.jpg mpg_mefi3_03retire.jpg mpg_mefi3_04retire.jpg Note the entry number to the right of the photographer s initials. mpg entry number (used in mpg only) short slug (photo name same for each entry in group) mpg_mefi1_01hope.jpg extension category code number of entry in group underline city initial underline 6

7 FORMAT Pictures may be shot with either film or digital cameras, but entries must be digital. Newspapers using film will have to scan it. All entries MUST be in RGB mode. Size MUST be between 500 KB and 1 MB after JPEG compression. Files must be baseline JPEG format with captions attached. They should be saved using Photoshop or a plug-in that offers baseline JPEG compression. (Progressive JPEGs will be disqualified) The compression quality must be set to 8/HIGH. The committee reserves the right to downsize and recompress any image found to be oversize. Note: This will affect your photo quality, so please follow instructions. Any electronic image that does not meet these standards or does not have the proper information electronically attached will be disqualified. (See Photoshop example windows.) ENTRY PREPARATION RGB mode 500 KB - 1 MG after JPEG compression Note: Multiple images saved as one JPEG photo are not allowed. Set under: Image>Mode>RGB Color Set under: File>Save As>JPEG>Quality-8>Baseline-Standard Enter single entries online under appropriate category DO NOT make a folder for any digital contest category. All images in single-entry categories are to be entered online separately. Place each Multiple Picture Group in its own entry. All photos in same group are uploaded into same entry. To upload photos for a Multiple Picture Group entry, follow these instructions: 1. In Headline or Title of Entry, name your entry by using the category code, photographer s initials, the first letter of the newspaper s city, number of multiple picture group, and the group slug name as shown on Page 6. (Example: mpg_ mefi1_hope would be the entry name for the diagram example on Page 6.) 2. Upload images individually in order you want them viewed (which should match the entry number immediately before the slug in the photo file name). 3. Continue entering images separately until all are uploaded. (Example: If you have seven photos in the group, you will upload seven JPGs separately in the same entry.) Note: Limit 10 photos per Multiple Picture Group. 4. After uploading all images, make any comment you may want (optional). 5. Add name(s) of photographer to be credited for the entry. 6. Hit submit button. You will see an official confirmation entry label. Print for your records if desired. For more than one Multiple Picture Group entry, group slug names must change, and you begin a new entry. Example: mpg_ktbi1_birth could be the entry name for a series on childbirth, and mpg_ktbi2_dance could be the name for a series on square dancing. 7

8 RULES SUMMARY A. All General Rules and Photography Award sections of the Better Newspaper Contest Rules apply as well as instructions in this Digital Entry packet. All divisions may submit three entries without additional charge. B. Photographs must have been published either in paper or online during the contest period. C. A picture may be entered in only one category. If a photo is part of a series, it may not be entered singly in another category. D. Classification is the responsibility of the entrant. Contest officials will not reclassify entries during the contest judging. E. Each entry must contain the file information specified on Pages 2, 3 and 4 of this guide. F. HSPA Foundation will take every precaution in handling entries but cannot be responsible for loss, damage or nonreceipt of entries. 8