Competition Requirements
All S4C competitions consist of digital entries only. S4C conducts competitions within four Divisions: Pictorial, Nature, Photojournalism and Photo Travel World in Focus (new for 2026-2027). Six competition a year are held between October and April, inclusive (see Meetings & Schedules)
Within each Division there are one or more Sections. A Competition is held within each Section, each with its own rules and requirements. See Definitions.
Each submission by an entrant into a single S4C Section Competition in a given month is termed an Entry. Each digital entry consists of up to 2 images.
General Requirements below apply to all Divisions and Sections. Each Division/Section has specific requirements (see Definitions). Entries must conform to these Requirements and Definitions; entries that do not conform may be disqualified the Judges.
Entrants are assigned Skill Levels Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Masters. A section does not necessarily support all 4 skill levels. Although judging in a competition occurs without regard to skill levels, Awards and Honorable Mentions are assigned separately to the higher scoring images within each skill level. The S4C Board decides in June of each year which entrant skill levels should be changed for the following competition year. This is based on performance from the previous year.
Entering
Eligibility
To enter an S4C competition, an entrant must be a current member of a club that is a member of S4C. Please be sure to check with your club president as to whether your club is a current member of S4C.
Schedule
General Requirements
· (apply to all Divisions/Sections)
- IMPORTANT NOTIFICATIONS (must be read by all entrants)
- General
- Skill Levels
- Titles
- File sizes, Fileformats & Filenames
Digital entries should be in jpeg format dimensioned so that the width does not exceed 1,920 pixels and the height does not exceed 1.080 pixels.
- Judging
- Awards and HMs
- Standings & Reports
- Entry Submission Agreement
- Progressions (formerly called Sequences)
The following applies to all Divisions and Sections:
An image may consist of 2, 3, or 4 separated images demonstrating a progression in time of a single event. Borders must follow division policies.
Note: Progressions may not be allowed by PSA Exhibitions.
- Borders (Reality Divisions only Nature, Photojournalism, Travel World in Focus) single white or grey borders of 3, 4, or 5 pixels in width are permitted. Larger, smaller, black, or color borders are not permitted. Entrants are, however, advised that borders of less than 5 pixels may appear incomplete in the smaller images used in the final Catalog due to jpeg artifacts. In toned images entered into Pictorial Monochrome any borders must be toned the same as the body of the image.
· (Interclub Competition (discontinued) About Interclub - Interclub Entries Interclub Makeups)
Division/Section Definitions
Each section of each Division has specific requirements that must be followed by entrants.
Disqualifications
Images that do not conform to any of the above requirements are subject to being disqualified (DQed) from competition. If this occurs after the judging of that Competition, the term Revoke is used.
EOY Competition & High Points