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Salon Entrant Essentials

Essentials for Entrants to Exhibitions with FIAP Patronage

Finding Exhibitions to Enter

The full list of Exhibitions/Salon with FIAP Patronage can be found on the FIAP Patronage website.
https://www.myfiap.net/patronages
Many will also have approval from other organisations, so can also be found on the other organisations lists, eg PSA.  Other organisations such the Photographic Society of America (PSA) will have other Exhibitions you can enter but these cannot be counted for FIAP Distinctions. Both FIAP and PSA recognised salons, amongst some others, can be counted for APS Honours.

Be Consistent With Your Own Name

  1. Decide how you want your name to appear on a Distinctions Certificate should you achieve this. This is the way you should consistently present your name every time you enter an exhibition as this is how it will appear in the catalogue and how it will be recorded in the FIAP database.
  2. You cannot occasionally change to an abbreviation of your name, to use initials, nicknames or alternate names instead.
  3. Use of just an initial for the given name you choose to use when entering is not adequate.
  4. When you are ready to apply for Distinctions your name must again be consistent on every item in your Distinctions application, including the payment form, and must match the name under which you entered, as shown in the catalogues.

Images Titles

  1. All images MUST have a name/title or they cannot be accepted into salons with FIAP Patronage. An image titled “Untitled No 1” or left as it’s camera file number etc are deemed untitled and will be rejected by exhibitions.
  2. An image must retain the identical title (100% identical in words, spelling and grammar) throughout it’s exhibition history, ie every time you enter the image you must use the same title for it regardless of the salon or section in which it is entered.
  3. The title must also be unique amongst titles of your other images such that in effect it becomes the ID of the image.
  4. Salons use computer systems to record your titles and some titles get altered by the systems if don’t title your images carefully. Image titles being altered at salon level is problematic, especially if you then wish to use the result for a FIAP Distinctions application.

Pointers for titling images are as follows:

  • Keep it short – most salons have a character limit for the titles and you don’t want part of your title left out. This limit is often 27 characters (24 for a very small number of salons) and includes counting spaces between words. If you keep all your titles at or below 27 characters, you are unlikely to be limited in which salons your photos can be entered.
  • Avoid use of any characters other than letters and numbers, as some computer programs won’t accept them. This includes avoiding punctuation, eg hyphens, underscores, question marks, commas and apostrophes etc.
  • Keep it to a single sentence, so there is no full stop.
  • Avoid titles starting with “A”, “An” or “The” as it is easy to forget to include these words or to inadvertantly swap between these words when you enter, eg. "A Tree on a Hill" if changed to "The Tree on a Hill" is considered to be two titles for the same photo which is in breach of the rules.
  • Avoid using the same title with just a number different, eg Lonely Duck No 2 and Lonely Duck No 22. A simple single character typo is all it takes for images with such titles to have their results muddled. It is also easier for the entrant to get the different images mixed up when titles are so similar.
  • Take care when submitting your image title not to include any extra spaces at the start or between words as extra spaces will sort your title into a different place in a computer’s database.
  • Do not use a numeric number at the start of your title as salon computer systems can have problems with this.

Images Converted between Colour and Monochrome

FIAP rules stipulate that an image converted between Colour and Monochrome is deemed to be the same image. A Colour and Monochrome version of the same image are thus required to have the identical image title whenever either version is entered in a salon with FIAP Patronage. Once one version of an image has been “Accepted” in a particular salon, that has FIAP Patronage, the image cannot be re entered in that same salon regardless of whether it is the other version as they are deemed the same image. This rule is enforced by FIAP Regulations and can result in sanctions for an entrant if the rule is breached. This differs to rules for PSA honours that some people also seek. The safest way to avoid problems is to decide on your favourite version of the image and just campaign that one.

Similar Photos

Photos that could be considered 'similar' to one another must not be entered in the same salon. This is regardless of whether the photos are in the same or different sections of the salon. Determining what is considered to be 'similar' is a subjective assessment, but in instances such as consecutive photos of the same subject/scene, the level of similarity is significant. Salons will be enforcing this more and can disqualify photos from the competition if an entrant enters images that are deemed similar. Salons have the option to ask the entrant to change their entry but are under no obligation to do so and are often too short of time to contact multiple entrants. Images that are too similar might also not be noticed until seen during the judging. It is the entrants responsibility to ensure the photos they enter could not be considered to be similar. If you think there is a chance two photos you are planning to enter in the same salon could be considered similar, choose a different photo to replace one of these in your entry.

In the event that another entrant enters a similar photo to you, such as one from a group photography workshop, both are entitled to be entered and both can be accepted but only one can be given an award if they are in the same section of the salon.

Entry Rules and Red List

All salons with FIAP Patronage are governed by the Conditions and Regulations for FIAP Patronage and the Sanctions For Breaching FIAP Regulations and “Red List”. These rules cover the obligations of the salons and entrants. Many of the clauses you will find in a salon’s regulations are required by these FIAP regulations.

There are very strict rules governing some Exhibition sections that forbid image manipulation of any kind. The most common sections this applies to are Nature, Wildlife, Photo Travel, Photo Journalism and Traditional. It is extremely important that entrants read and adhere strictly to these rules, which can always be found in the exhibition’s conditions of entry. Images are often closely scrutinised by salons, judges, other entrants and via a salons website. Suspected breaches of rules are regularly reported.

Pictures created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not allowed in salons that have FIAP Patronage or PSA approval. ALL parts of an image have to be photographed by the photographer who holds the copyright of all the photos used in the final picture.

As of 2018, when you enter a Salon/Exhibition with FIAP Patronage you will be required you to acknowledge and accept that you can be Sanctioned by FIAP if you do not comply with FIAP’s rules. Ensure that you read an Exhibitions Conditions of Entry carefully and comply with them. Sanctions can range from short term bans on entrants entering or judging a salon to lifetime bans. It can also result in the loss of any Distinctions you hold. The Red List of Sanctioned people is circulated to all salons around the world. It is not a list you want to be on!

You can find and read the two FIAP regulations documents on the “Other FIAP Docs and Forms” page.

Retain Original Camera Image Files

If you are entering Salons/Exhibitions that have FIAP Patronage, it is essential that you retain the Raw File or original untouched camera file, plus the original camera files either side, of any image you enter. The entrant must have photographed all elements of the final image and own the copyright on all these images. As above there are also very strict rules banning image manipulation in certain sections. If an image is under suspicion, these original files may be called upon by the exhibition and/or FIAP.

Record Keeping

  1. Always check that your exhibition results notification (report card) matches the website and/or catalogue listing asap. Contact the Exhibition’s Chairman immediately if you find a discrepancy. The salon should be asked to notify FIAP and PSA of corrections. Request an official letter detailing your results if amendments have not been made in time for the official catalogue.
  2. Carefully store all your exhibition catalogues. These will be required at the time of lodging an application for FIAP Distinctions for verifying/proving the results you list on your application if the salon was held prior to 2014 or if there are discrepancies between the catalogue and the FIAP database of salon results.
  3. Exhibition catalogues that are only available as a website catalogue should be downloaded, and backed up, as soon as possible as these may only be available for a short time. It is essential that you read the "Verification Information” document GGA1, available in APS Honours and FIAP Distinctions Downloads, regarding downloading and use of website catalogues for exhibition results verification.
  4. It is recommended that you maintain your results on a spreadsheet as you receive your results. Some people opt to use the FIAP Distinctions application form. This file can then be copied and the copy culled of unneeded results ready to apply for FIAP Distinctions. This will make completion of your Distinctions application quicker and easier. It is essential that whatever record keeping method you use, you ensure that images accepted in a salon are not entered in that particular salon again in the future.