1. Submissions and Application
1.1 Ethical Production and Consent:
Applicants are required to ensure that their submissions have been produced ethically, upholding the dignity and rights of individuals and locations featured. This includes obtaining explicit consent where necessary. Submissions must not compromise the safety or well-being of any individual.
1.2 Right to Inquiry and Rejection:
The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) reserves the right to inquire further about any submitted work. The RPS may, at its sole discretion, decide not to consider work submitted for assessment. Furthermore, the RPS retains the absolute right to reject any application, submission, or image based on its judgment.
1.3 Verification of Authenticity:
The RPS may request the submission of original files for the purpose of verifying the authenticity of the work submitted.
1.4 Content Suitability:
The RPS reserves the right to exclude submissions that are deemed potentially offensive or in violation of UK laws and regulations.
2. Personal Data Management
2.1 Data Usage:
Personal information collected in connection with the Distinctions Processes will be used for communication regarding the status and proceedings of the Assessment process. This includes, but is not limited to, the applicant’s name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. Such data will be collected, processed, stored, and used in accordance with the RPS’s privacy policy. The RPS shares applicants' information with our volunteers to ensure our processes can be completed.
2.2 Data Sharing with Third Parties:
Personal data may be shared with third-party entities, including Awards Force for submission management and Think Publishing for RPS Journal publication, strictly for purposes related to the Distinctions Processes.
2.3 Restriction on Data Sharing:
Personal data will not be shared with third parties for purposes unrelated to the Distinctions Processes.
3. Copyright and Reproduction
3.1 Intellectual Property Rights:
All intellectual property rights of submissions remain with the photographer. Submissions for distinction or qualification assessments must not violate any third-party copyright or intellectual property rights.
3.2 Usage License to RPS:
Applicants grant the RPS a royalty-free license to reproduce submitted images for purposes related to publicity and promotion of the Distinctions and RPS activities. This includes use in the RPS Journal, website, and social media platforms. The RPS exists to educate members of the public by increasing their knowledge and understanding of Photography and, in doing so, to promote the highest achievement standards in Photography to encourage public appreciation of Photography. We can do this by promoting successful Distinctions; this includes, but is not limited to, social media; if you would prefer, we don't use any of your images, please contact distinctions@rps.org within 7 days of your successful email.
3.3 Photographer Credit:
In cases where the RPS uses an image, the photographer will be credited accordingly.
4. General Terms & Conditions
4.1 Appeals:
The RPS works hard to ensure a fair and open process for awarding Distinctions and that all applicants are treated fairly. However, we recognise that in all assessment processes, it is important that the assessment body can be held accountable if a mistake is made. Any applicant may make an appeal against their result on the basis that there has been an error in the process. Please note that no appeal is possible against the individual or collective assessment of the assessors, which is final.
4.2 Assessor Opinions:
Opinions provided by individual assessors are an integral part of the artistic evaluation process and are measured against established criteria.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
5.1 Artificial Intelligence:
The purpose of the RPS Distinctions is to assess and recognise the achievement of a
photographer not the ability of an artificial intelligence (AI) application to mimic a
photograph or to contribute to the work of a photographer.
Consequently, any image or any element of an image made using a generative AI
application is not permitted in any portfolio submitted for a Distinctions assessment. If an
image or any element of an image is conclusively proved to have been made using a
generative AI application, the entire submission of images will be disqualified from
assessment. If this is subsequent to the award of a Distinction for that submission of
images, the Distinction shall be revoked and the certificate and emblem must be returned
to the RPS.
If the use of generative AI by an applicant is proved beyond reasonable doubt, the
applicant will be barred from submitting any further work for assessment for a Distinction
for a period of not less than five years from the date upon which the use of generative AI
was proved. The RPS Distinctions Manager reserves the right to request, at any time, a
copy of any original or intermediate image files, including but not limited to camera RAW
files, if deemed necessary by the assessors.