2026 Image Competition Updates

SAVE THE DATES:

• Submissions Open: July 20, 2027

• Submission Closes Oct 5, 2027 @ 11:59 pm

• Judging in Centennial: Oct 11, 2027 9:00 am 

• Image Review on Zoom: Oct 12, 2027 Start time TBD

• Awards in Monument: Nov 7, 2027 3:30 - 6:30 pm - We are planning an optional pay your own way dinner out to celebrate after, more details to come. 

• In the coming weeks the website will be updated!

What's New in PPC Image Competition for 2026

After nearly two years of collaboration, committee discussions, General Board input, Executive Board review, and countless hours of volunteer effort, PPC is excited to introduce our updated Image Competition for 2026.

These changes were made with several goals in mind:

• Make the competition easier to understand.

• Modernize categories and rules.

• Better align PPC with today's photography industry and PPA's International Photographic Competition (IPC).

• Create additional opportunities for member recognition.

• Preserve the integrity and prestige of PPC's highest awards.

• Continue providing one of the strongest educational image competitions in the region.

  
  

For decades, PPC Image Competition has served as a learning environment where photographers receive valuable feedback while preparing images for higher levels of competition. As PPA has modernized its own competition system, we've taken the opportunity to modernize ours as well. 

NEW! Enter Up to 10 Images

Previous: Up to 8 entries

New: Up to 10 entries

Members now have additional opportunities to showcase their work while Photographer of the Year continues to be calculated from each maker's highest six scoring eligible images.

NEW! No Presentation Borders

Presentation mats and decorative borders have been removed (with the exception of simple guide-image mats in the Artist category).

This allows judging to focus on what matters most:

The image itself.

UPDATED! Modernized Categories

Several categories have been completely reorganized and rewritten to better reflect today's photographic industry and current PPA IPC category structure. Note that our rules may vary from PPA's IPC, read all rules carefully for each competition.

New and updated portrait categories include:

• Children & Teens

• High School Senior / Teen

• Newborn & Maternity

• Natural Portrait - where the beauty of the subject is the story

• Illustrative Portrait - where we can use more styling or manipulation & painting processes

• Day of Wedding

Illustrative and commercial categories have also been modernized:

• Illustrative Landscape, Nature & Wildlife - where we can use more manipulation and painting processes

• Landscape / Nature

• Commercial

• Drone / Aerial

Animal categories have been simplified into:

• Pets & Domestic Animals

• Wildlife

• 
  

The Artist category remains the same as it has historically been.

These updates are intended to make category placement easier while continuing PPC's long-standing tradition of preparing members for PPA's International Photographic Competition whenever possible. While some PPC categories remain unique to our organization, many now closely mirror IPC categories and judging philosophy of the Elements of a Merit Image.

UPDATED! PPA Merit & Imaging Excellence Eligibility

PPC now recognizes changes made within PPA's competition system. Beginning in 2026:

✅ PPA Merit Images earned through today's Merit Image Review are eligible.

✅ PPA Imaging Excellence (IE) images earned through today's Merit Image Review are eligible.

Images that earned Bronze Medal (or higher) at the International Photographic Competition (IPC/GIA) remain ineligible.

Images that scored 80 or higher under the former IPC system (2022 and earlier) also remain ineligible.

UPDATED! Clearer Rules

The entire rule book has been reorganized and rewritten to improve readability and answer common questions before members enter.

New sections now include:

• Category placement guidance

• AI policy

• Image ownership

• Ethical wildlife practices

• Drone compliance

• Presentation requirements

• Prior competition eligibility

• Rule enforcement explanations 

• Allowance of Master Photographers to enter General Artist category

Our goal was to create a rule book that's easier to navigate while reducing confusion.

NEW! Category Awards

One of the most significant updates for 2026 involves category placement awards.

Whenever possible:

🥇 First Place

🥈 Second Place

🥉 Third Place

will now be awarded to three different makers within each category. The highest scoring eligible image receives First Place. The next highest scoring image by a different maker receives Second Place. The next highest scoring image by a third maker receives Third Place.

Why the change?

PPC has continued expanding opportunities for recognition over the years.

Only a few years ago, First Place received a trophy while Second and Third Place received ribbons. Today, all three placements receive trophies.

This year's update continues that philosophy by creating more opportunities for members to be recognized while preserving the integrity of PPC's highest competitive honors.

Can I still earn multiple trophies?

Absolutely.

The opportunity to earn multiple trophies remains, in fact we encourage you to try for multiple trophies. 

The strategy simply shifts from earning multiple placement trophies within a single category to showcasing outstanding work across multiple categories.

The Path to Overall Excellence Remains Intact

One of the questions we've already received is whether these changes affect PPC's most prestigious awards.

They do not. The updates affect category placement awards only.

All overall awards continue to recognize photographic excellence exactly as they always have.

Photographer of the Year

No Change

Photographer of the Year (General and Master) continues to be determined solely by each maker's six highest scoring eligible images.

Category trophies do not affect Photographer of the Year calculations.

In the rare event that two makers finish with identical cumulative scores, both makers will be recognized as Photographer of the Year.

Court of Honor

No Change

Court of Honor continues to recognize the Top 10 makers based upon the cumulative score of their six highest scoring eligible images.

Best in Show

No Change

Best in Show continues to recognize the single highest scoring image of the competition.

If multiple images tie for the highest score, the judging panel will review those images following public judging and determine Best in Show through discussion and majority vote.

ASP Award

No Change

The ASP Award continues to recognize the highest scoring image created by a current ASP member.

If multiple eligible ASP members tie, the judges will determine the recipient following public judging.

CPP Award

No Change

The CPP Award continues to recognize the highest scoring image created by a Certified Professional Photographer.

If multiple eligible CPP holders tie, the judges will determine the recipient following public judging.

14er Pins

No Change

Makers continue to earn recognition for consistent excellence through:

• 6 for 6

• 5 for 6

• 4 for 6

In short...

✅ The path to earning multiple trophies still exists.

✅ The path to Photographer of the Year has not changed.

✅ The path to Court of Honor has not changed.

✅ The path to Best in Show has not changed.

✅ The path to ASP & CPP Awards has not changed.

The path to overall excellence remains exactly the same.

NEW! Colorado Award Framework

Beginning in 2026, PPC is introducing an updated framework for earning the Colorado Award: the organization's highest individual honor.

The Colorado Award recognizes members whose sustained contributions have helped strengthen PPC through artistic growth, education, leadership, and service. The goal is to recognize members who don't simply participate, but who actively help build the organization and invest in the success of others.

Rather than being based primarily on attendance or selected through informal nomination, the Colorado Award now follows a transparent, measurable framework. To be eligible, members must be in good standing, have earned both a Columbine Pin and at least one PPC Fellowship, meet a minimum point threshold, and demonstrate meaningful contribution across at least three of four key areas:

• Artistic Growth & Competition

• Education & Teaching

• Leadership & Initiative

• Service & Community Impact

This updated structure recognizes broad, sustained excellence while encouraging members to grow in multiple areas of PPC. It also creates a clearer pathway for future leaders and helps preserve the prestige of one of the organization's highest honors.

A complete Colorado Award guide, including eligibility requirements, point values, and frequently asked questions, will be published separately on the website in the coming weeks. 

Looking Ahead: Image Competition Moves to Spring in 2027

Beginning in 2027, PPC's annual Image Competition will move from the fall to the spring.

For many years, PPC Image Competition has served as an educational stepping stone for photographers preparing images for PPA's International Photographic Competition (IPC). By moving our competition earlier in the year, members will have the opportunity to receive judges' feedback while there is still time to refine and prepare images for IPC, if they choose.

This schedule change also allows PPC to celebrate our makers in a bigger way. Beginning with Elevate 2027, Photographer of the Year, category winners, Best in Show, Court of Honor, and our other annual competition awards will be presented during the conference, giving members the opportunity to celebrate together at our flagship event.

Our goal is to make Image Competition not only a meaningful educational experience, but also a celebration of the outstanding work being created by photographers across Colorado.

Happy to help.

If you have questions or need help with anything at all feel free to email Jessica at president.ppcolorado@gmail.com or Jeff Johnson at jj@soulroadtrips.com