52nd Smethwick International Exhibition of Photography

FIAP Patronage 2026/318

PAGB Patronage 2027-007

GPU Patronage L260072

The Exhibition of Prints and Projected Digital Images will be held at the

UK FIAP EXHIBITION CENTRE

The Old School House, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 2AS, UK

2nd to 10th January 2027

ENTER ELECTRONICALLY ONLINE via:

http://smethwickinternational.com

By entering this exhibition, you automatically agree to receive notifications of future exhibitions.

Software Provider: Photocompsoftware.com

All enquiries should be addressed to the Chairman:

Roger Parry ARPS, EFIAP, ESFIAP, MPAGB, HonPAGB,

25 Wentworth Park Avenue, Harborne, Birmingham, B17 9QY, United Kingdom

e-mail; Chairman@smethwickinternational.com

The Exhibition consists of SIX (6) sections:

Colour Prints, Mono Prints, Nature Prints, Digital Colour, Digital Mono, Digital Nature

with up to FOUR (4) entries allowed in each section.

With a total of 200 Medals and Ribbons will be Awarded

EACH ENTRANT WILL RECEIVE AN ONLINE DIGITAL CATALOGUE

PLUS EACH UK ENTRANT WILL RECEIVE A FULLY LLUSTRATED PRINTED COLOUR A4 CATLOGUE

SIX SECTIONS

Open Mono Prints, Open Colour Prints Nature Prints.

Open Mono Digital, Open Colour Digital, Nature Digital (ND)

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ENTRY FEES (per entrant per section)

UK	Overseas
1 Section £14 (GBP) Each additional section £3 (GBP) Includes Printed Catalogue	1 Section £14 (GBP) Each additional section £3 (GBP) Optional Printed Catalogue Available For £10 Includes Postage

PRINT ENTRIES: If you have elected to have your prints returned to you, return postage MUST BE ADDED as follows:

UK Flat Fee £7 PLUS 25p for EACH mounted print. 10p for each un-mounted print

Overseas Flat Fee £9 PLUS 25p for EACH mounted print. 10p for each un-mounted print

COMPLETE THE ONLINE ENTRY FORMS AND MAKE PAYMENT ELECTRONICALLY

PAYMENT CAN BE MADE ONLINE USING CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS THROUGH PAYPAL (PayPal account not required).

ALL ENTRANTS WILL RECEIVE AN ONLINE DIGITAL CATALOGUE

PLUS EACH UK ENTRANT WILL RECEIVE A FULLY ILLUSTRATED

COLOUR A4 CATLOGUE.

ENTRIES WITHOUT THE CORRECT FEES WILL NOT BE JUDGED AND NO CATALOGUE WILL BE SENT.

EXHIBITION CALENDAR

Closing Date	26th October 2026
Judging	6th to 8th November 2026
Notifications sent by:	14th November 2026
FIAP Report Submitted	19th December 2026
Exhibition Opens on	2nd January 2027
Awards Mailed	22nd January 2027
On-Line Gallery -Posted	11th January 2027
Catalogues Mailed	23nd January 2027

JUDGES

Rod Wheelans MPAGB, MFIAP, FRPS,FBPE, EFIAP, Hon PAGB, Hon SPF

Mike Sharples, MPAGB, MFIAP, ARPS, FBPE, EFIAP

Anne Greiner, MPAGB

AWARDS

In addition, there will be a total of over 140 Ribbons.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY ALL SECTIONS

IMAGE AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: This exhibition is open to anyone; however, an entry may be rejected when the Sponsor or the Exhibition Organizers, in their reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to exhibition rules. Membership in any photographic organization is not required.

Entries will not be accepted from any entrant who is on the FIAP Penalties List for Ethics Violation. Entry fees are not refundable in these circumstances.

Image creation and ownership

In all sections of the exhibition, images must originate as photographs made by the entrant. They may not incorporate identifiable images produced by anyone else (for example: clip art, replacement skies, or stock images). Images created in whole or in part by image creation software (frequently called ‘AI’ images) are not allowed. .

Reproduction: The entrant permits the sponsors to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the exhibition. This may include low resolution posting on a website.

Entries will not be accepted from entrants who indicate that their images may not be reproduced in materials related to the exhibition.  The exhibition assumes no liability for any misuse of copyright

Re-use of accepted images: Any image that has been accepted in this exhibition, past or present, may not be entered again in this exhibition but must always have the same title. Re-titling in another language is not allowed.

Entry: An Entry consists of, up to and including, four (4) images entered by a single entrant into the same Section. An entrant may only enter a specific Section once. Entrants may not enter identical or similar images into the same section or different sections of the same exhibition. Similar is defined as almost identical in subject, composition, props, lighting, or technique so that a reasonable person viewing the entries together would decide the entrant has duplicated the previous image except for minor changes.

Titles: Each image must have a unique title that relates to the content of the image. That unique title must be used for entry of that image or of an identical Image into any and all FIAP-Recognized exhibitions. Titles must be 35 characters or fewer. No titles may be visible to the judges, and nothing in the image may identify the entrant. Titles may not include file extensions such as .jpg or .jpeg (or any other camera capture filenames such as IMG 471). Titles may not consist of personal identifiers possibly augmented by a number; or include words such as “untitled” or “no title”. Titles may not consist solely of numbers unless those numbers are prominently contained within the image, such as a contestant number in a race.

Color and Monochrome:

Color and Monochrome images from the same capture that share substantial pictorial content in common will be considered the same image and must be given the same title.

ENTRIES AND IMAGE SIZE

Digital Files

All entries must be made online through the entry system on the website

www.smethwickinternational.com

Projected Digital Images: Three Sections:

Open Colour, Open Mono, Nature,

Up to four Images may be submitted in each section.

• Images must be in JPEG format with preferred Colour Space sRGB.

• Images will be judged by Projection on a Canon Exceed Projector. Native resolution 1900×1200.

• Required image size: Maximum 1600 pixels horizontal and/or 1200 pixels vertical.

• Image File Name: The online entry system does not require you to change an images filename.

• Image Title: The title must be as you would wish it to appear in the catalogue therefore no other information, special characters or separators should be included in the Title Window.

• Our projection background is black please DO NOT fill empty space or add large borders.

Prints: Three (3) Sections:

Colour – Monochrome & Nature

Up to four prints, maximum size – 50cm x 40cm, (20”x16”) may be entered in each section.

• Prints can be submitted either un-mounted or mounted (Overseas prints should be sent un-mounted).

• The entrants’ name and print title should be on the back of each print.

• Entrants must tick the relevant disposal box on the online entry system (Forward. Mail Collect or Destroy).

A Digital File of all prints must be uploaded with the print title.

The title on the backs of prints must match the titles on the Entry Form.

Only pressure sensitive (self-adhesive) labels may be used on the back of unmounted prints.

All prints should carry the Authors name and a title.

A full identity label will be produced and attached by the software at the print un-packing.

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ORGANISATION

The Exhibition will be conducted in accordance with the rules of FIAP

An entrant’s images will not be presented to the judges consecutively. An entrant’s four images will be distributed throughout four rounds of judging in that section. The distribution of images will be in the same round order as submitted by the entrant. At no stage will a judge be able to view all the entrant’s images together.

JUDGING METHOD

Judging will be conducted on site by the jury viewing the images together and marking using electronic means. Digital images will be projected using a fully calibrated Epson Laser projector Resolution 1900×1200 at 100% of their image resolution. Prints will be judged on an illuminated colour corrected print stand.

Target Acceptance Range 30%

DATA PROTECTION

By entering this exhibition, you are explicitly consenting to the personal details you have supplied, including physical addresses, email addresses being held, processed and used by the exhibition organizers for purposes associated with this exhibition. You also explicitly consent to such information being sent to organizations that have accorded official recognition, patronage or accreditation to this exhibition. You acknowledge, agree and accept that by entering this exhibition, your participation status which includes your first and last name, name of the country used during registration at the exhibition, number of sections entered, and number of photos entered in those sections will be made public in a published status list and that the results of your entry shall be made public in exhibition gallery, exhibition catalog. You also agree and accept the policies regarding non-compliance to the Rules of the FIAP

SUBJECT MATTER AND SECTION DEFINITIONS

Statement on Subject Matter – applicable to all sections

The fundamental rule that must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in exhibitions with FIAP recognition is that the welfare of living creatures is more important than any photograph. This means that practices such as baiting of subjects with a living creature and removal of birds from nests, for the purpose of obtaining a photograph, are highly unethical, and such photographs are not allowed in any exhibition with PSA recognition.  Under no circumstances may a living creature be placed in a situation where it will be killed, injured or stressed for the purpose of obtaining a photograph. Images that show live creatures being fed to captive animals, birds or reptiles are not permitted under any circumstances.

There are also concerns about the use of aerial photography, drones, helicopters, low flying aircraft. These should not cause any interference with other individuals or animals which causes a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment. 

FIAP definition of Monochrome

A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category; such a work can be reproduced in black and white in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage. On the other hand a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one colour becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category; such a work requires colour reproduction in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage

FIAP Nature definition

Content Guidelines

Nature photography records all branches of natural history except anthropology and archaeology. This includes all aspects of the physical world, both over water and underwater.

Nature images must convey the truth of the scene. A well-informed person should be able to identify the subject of the image and be satisfied that it has been presented honestly and that no unethical practices have been used to control the subject or capture the image. Images that directly or indirectly show any human activity threatening a living organism’s life or welfare are not allowed.

The most important part of a Nature image is the nature story it tells. High technical standards are expected, and the image must look natural.

• Objects created by humans, and evidence of human activity, are allowed in Nature images only when they are a necessary part of the Nature story.

• Photographs of human-created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domesticated animals, human-created hybrid animals, and mounted or preserved zoological specimens are not allowed.

• Photographs made where the scene is natural and the animal is unharmed in a carefully managed environment, such as Zoo, rescue centres, and ethically managed natural environment farms are permitted.

• Attracting or controlling subjects through the use of food or sound for the purpose of photographing them is not allowed. Maintained situations such as provided supplemental food due to hardship caused by weather conditions or other conditions beyond the animals’ control, where photography is incidental to the feeding of the animal does not fall under this provision.

• Controlling live subjects by chilling, anaesthetic, or any other method of restricting natural movement for a photograph is not allowed.

• Human-made elements shall be permitted under the following circumstances:

a) When they are an integral part of the nature story, such as a songbird singing atop a fence post a manmade object used as nest material, or a weather phenomenon destroying a man-made structure.

b) When they are a small but unavoidable part of the scene, such as an unobtrusive footprint or track in the background.

c) Scientific tags, collars, and bands are specifically allowed.

When photographing at a zoo, sanctuary, or rehabilitation centre, it would be construed that the photographer ensured that it’s properly accredited and conforms to best practices.

Allowed editing techniques:

• Cropping, straightening and perspective correction.

• Removal or correction of elements added by the camera or lens, such as dust spots, noise, chromatic aberration and lens distortion.

• Global and selective adjustments such as brightness, hue, saturation and contrast to restore the appearance of the original scene.

• Complete conversion of color images to grayscale monochrome.

• Blending of multiple images of the same subject and combining them in camera or with software (exposure blending or focus stacking);

• Image stitching – combining multiple images with overlapping fields of view that are taken consecutively (panoramas);

Editing techniques that are not allowed:

• Removing, adding to, moving or changing any part of an image, except for cropping and straightening.

• Adding a vignette during processing.

• Blurring parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene.

• Darkening parts of the image during processing hide elements in the original scene.

• All conversions other than to complete grayscale monochrome.

• Conversion of parts of an image to monochrome, or partial toning, desaturation or over-saturation of color

Breaches of Rules

FIAP:

The mention that by the sole act of submitting his/her images or files to a salon under FIAP Patronage, the entrant accepts without exception and with no objection the following terms: – that the submitted images can be investigated by FIAP to establish if these obey to FIAP regulations and definitions even if the entrant is not a member of FIAP, – that FIAP will use any means at its disposal for this undertaking, – that any refusal to cooperate with FIAP or any refusal to submit the original files as captured by the camera, or failure to provide sufficient evidence, will be sanctioned by FIAP, – that in case of sanctions following the non compliance with FIAP regulations, the name of the entrant will be released in any form useful to inform the breaches of the rules. It is recommended to leave the EXIF data in the submitted files intact in order to ease eventual investigations. If, at any time, it is determined in the reasonable discretion of the exhibition organizer or the judges before, during, or after the judging of an exhibition that an entrant has submitted entries where one or more images may fail to comply with these Conditions of Entry, including the stated definitions, the exhibition organizers reserve the right to delete the entry from the exhibition and void any or all acceptances or awards in connection with the exhibition. Fees may be forfeited or refunded in these circumstances. The entrant acknowledges that the decision of the exhibition organizers or the judges is final