The PPA of PA 2026 Capture Image Competition is open to everyone — members in good standing are eligible for awards and trophies. Entries are submitted virtually through PrintCompetition.com and judged by a panel using a standardized numeric scoring system. Download the full rules below before entering.
Who Can Enter The Capture Image Competition is open to all photographers. PPA of PA members whose dues are paid at least 30 days prior to the competition are eligible for awards and trophies. There is no limit to the number of images you may submit. Images that have previously received a merit (score of 80 or higher) in a prior PPA of PA Inspire or Capture competition are not eligible for future awards.
Entry Fees & Submission Entry fees are $20 per image for PPA of PA members and $25 per image for non-members, with an early bird rate of $20 available before June 1. Individual critiques can be added for $10 per image. All entries must be uploaded through PrintCompetition.com. Files should be sized to 4,000 pixels on the longest dimension, saved as JPEG quality 10, with an embedded sRGB or Adobe RGB 1998 color profile.
Competition Categories The competition is divided into three sections. The Photographic Competition includes Portrait, Illustrative, and Reportage categories, and requires all image elements to have been captured or created by the entrant — AI is not permitted except in the dedicated AI Fusion category within the Artist section. The Wedding Competition is for images captured during an actual wedding event. The Artist Competition recognizes digital artistry and creative manipulation, including the AI Fusion and Creative categories.
Scoring & Merits Images are scored on a scale from 69 and below (Below Exhibition Standards) up to 100 (Exceptional). A score of 80 or higher earns a merit. Each member may earn up to eight exhibition merits per category per calendar year, based on their top eight highest-scoring images across Inspire and Capture combined. Trophies are awarded by jury panel and are honorary — they do not add additional merits.
Annual Top Awards Following both the Inspire and Capture events, annual top awards are presented to members who have earned at least one service merit and attended a qualifying PPA of PA event during the calendar year. The top awards — Photographer of the Year, Wedding Photographer of the Year, and Artist of the Year — are determined by the combined cumulative scores of each member's top eight merited images across both competitions.