Competition topics, info about winning images and the winners
DPI-SIG Competitions
DPI-SIG photography competitions are held 3 times annually, in January, April and August. The competition will generally include 4 photography categories:
A maximum of 3 entries per category, and a maximum of 4 entries per competition
Why Have Competitions?
- We get feedback on our work in a consistent way
- We see what other members are up to
- We see how to increase our skills (or, at least, what increased skills look like)
Here’s a video on how to enter
Sample Judging
Want to try judging a sample DPI-SIG Competition?
We have a set of sample images and the judging program set up so you can see how it works, and actually score the images
Click here to judge the samples
Click HELP in the program for instructions
FCCC Competitions
Members in good standing of DPI-SIG are eligible to enter Florida Camera Club Council Competitions.
Click here to visit the FCCC competition page
Spring 2026 Competition
Competition opens 4/15 & closes 5/15. Judging will be from 5/17 – 5/23.
Color, Monochrome and Creative, plus special category- Wildlife
PLEASE NOTE: Accepted image size has been increased to 2048 x 2048
Enter Images Here for Spring 2026 Competition
Spring Special Category:
Category Title: Wildlife
Description: From the stillness of a great blue heron at dawn to the explosive energy of a leaping tarpon, Florida’s layered ecosystems — mangroves, sawgrass prairies, scrub forests, and coastal shallows — offer encounters that can’t be staged or repeated. Whether a morning frog or a gopher tortoise pausing at the edge of the light, this category celebrates images that honour the animals on their own terms — their behaviour, their habitat.
All forms of wild animals, excluding domestic animals, such as pet dogs, cats and typical farm animals. Wildlife can include subjects from zoos, preserves and sanctuaries. This category can include mammals, birds, sea life, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates (tiny stuff).
Default limit: 3 entries per member
Share your amazing photos with us and the judges!
PLEASE NOTE: Accepted image size has been increased to 2048 x 2048
Updated AI Statement: Every part of an image must be the maker’s own work. Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be used to add elements to an image that were not taken by the maker. AI functions such as denoising, healing, sharpening, expanding canvas are permitted, as long as AI generated objects, people or other elements are not introduced to the image. Makers may be asked to submit original images prior to approval.
(This statement has been adopted from the FCCC rules pertaining to AI.)
Competition General Rules
Any member in good standing may enter up to FOUR (4) images.
You may enter 4 images as long as they are not all entered into a single category. That is, up to THREE (3) images in any one category and ONE (1) image in any other category, or any combination thereof.
You may change any image until the cutoff date has passed.
Any member in good standing of DPI-SIG shall be eligible to enter any DPI-SIG Competition.
No image that has previously received a ribbon in a DPI-SIG competition may be re-entered in any future competition.
Entries into the annual Year-End Judging shall be limited to only images that have received an award during the season. They will be automatically entered.
Eligibility of entries will be confirmed by the Competition Director or designate prior to publication on the website and acceptance for judging. This may take a day or two. When confirmed, the image will be published on the Current Competition website. If an image is not confirmed, the photographer will be notified by email, and the image will be deleted from the website. The member may enter another image for consideration.
Only images that are totally the work of the individual photographer may be submitted. Work that is not completely your own is not allowed. Clip art and photographs obtained online or from other sources are not allowed.
Another person’s artwork, such as a painting, sculpture, street art, etc. may be included in an image as long as there is evidence that the maker used the artwork as only a part of their own image in an effort to tell a story or to create an interesting visual.
Images that are sexually suggestive beyond normally acceptable boundaries or sexually explicit are not allowed. Acceptance to the competition will be determined by the DPI-SIG Competition Director and Competition Committee, whose decision is final.
Updated AI Statement: Every part of an image must be the maker’s own work. Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be used to add elements to an image that were not taken by the maker. AI functions such as denoising, healing, sharpening, expanding canvas are permitted, as long as AI generated objects, people or other elements are not introduced to the image. Makers may be asked to submit original images prior to approval.
(This statement has been adopted from the FCCC rules pertaining to AI.)
Category Definitions
Traditional Color: Color images compete in this category, except for those in the Creative category. Any adjustment or enhancement is allowed while keeping the image’s appearance realistic and natural. High Dynamic Range (HDR) images are allowed as these images differ only by a greater range of luminosity, or dynamic range. Images in this category cannot appear obviously manipulated. The key to this category is to maintain an image’s natural appearance.
Traditional Mono: Monochromatic images, which are either completely desaturated or contain only a single-color tone (e.g. sepia, red, blue, etc.), are eligible for this category. Any adjustment or enhancement is allowed while keeping the image realistic. Naturally-appearing, High Dynamic Range (HDR) images are allowed, as these images differ only by exposure. Images in this category cannot be obviously manipulated, or they belong in Creative.
Creative: DPI-SIG defines a creative image as a color or monochromatic image that is recognizably altered by manipulating a composite of more than one unique image or by an obvious change in natural color, form, shape or any combination of the three. The original image, any alterations, and all incorporated elements must be created by the entrant. The original photographic content predominates and must be identifiable. However, the creative alteration must be apparent. Obvious High Dynamic Range (HDR) images are considered creative images. If any supplementary images are found to have been taken from another source belonging to someone else, the submitted image will be disqualified. The committee has the right to request the original images if questioned. The key to this category is that the image must appear obviously manipulated.
Exception – Infrared images are permitted in the Traditional Color and Monochrome categories, as long as they appear as natural and realistic as possible, and meet the requirements otherwise for either category. Any submission of an obviously manipulated infrared image should be entered in the Creative category.
Theme: when so indicated, images will be accepted into a theme category. A descriptive specification for the theme will be included on the competition web page to provide guidance on creating or selecting theme images. Themes may be topical, such as “fog” or “silhouettes” or “pure Florida”, or may be technical, such as “high key / low key”. Unless otherwise noted in the theme specification, theme images may be color, monochrome or creative. As with other categories, entries in the theme category are limited to 3 entries.