2025 OCCC Interclub Open Challenge Competition Information

Deadline

The deadline for TDPC Member submission of digital images for the OCCC Open Challenge Competition is today Thursday April 24th, 2025 at 10:00 pm.

Digital File Specifications

• Format: File must be saved as jpeg (.jpg) using the sRGB color space
• Image Sizing: Either the width or the height must be exactly the maximum of 1920 pixels wide or 1080 pixels high; maximum file size 3 MB

Submitting Images

• To upload your images use the Image Upload form below
• Based on the # of images you uploaded, calculate the fees due ($2.00 per image, to a maximum of 12 images)
• Then, submit your payment using the PayPal payment form below the Image Upload form

Categories

There are 11 different categories this year, detailed below:

• As last year, there will not be a Print Category this year
• There is also no pure nature wildlife category this year
• There are 4 separate nature categories with substantially relaxed compositional/technical rules but the key is the image must fit the category. Hand of Man is permitted. This includes:
  • Nature Birds
  • Nature Animals
  • Nature Botany
  • Nature Landscape & Geology – does NOT permit Hand of Man
• The Expansive Views category provides for a range of landscape, seascape, geology, astronomy and cityscape images. Hand of Man is permitted.
• There are 5 pictorial categories comprising of:
  • People in Action – intended for sports photography with people substantially visible in the image
  • People
  • Architecture
  • Pictorial
  • Creative Vision
• The annual themed category for 2025 is “Canadiana”

Details about the various categories and explicit rules can be found on the O3C website here explaining what imagery is appropriate within each category and explains further limitations and exclusions. Awards, medals and certificates will be presented in these categories to individuals and clubs.

Assistance

Please make sure you read the rules carefully and place your entries in the correct category. If you are unsure about placement in a particular category, you can always request a review by submitting your image via email to o3c-review@tdpc.ca and our review team will respond.

Details

The OCCC Open Challenge is both a club and an individual competition. TDPC has performed well in this competition in recent years. Among over 35 competing clubs, TDPC garnered a 3rd place finish in 2018 and a 1st overall in 2017. One reason for this showing was the high level of participation by our members. We would like to see this trend continue and encourage you to submit your best photos again this year to help us in this quest.

Any image, as long as it, or one that is substantially the same, has not been submitted to the OCCC in the past, is eligible. There is no time limit on the creation date of submitted images (so, you could consider entering images that placed well in past internal TDPC competitions).

As indicated above, there are 11 categories and you can submit up to 12 entries in total since more than 1 entry per category is allowed. As stated, there is no restriction on how many of these entries can be entered in any single category. Once again, this year’s competition will include a Specialist Award for each category so submitting a high number of entries in one category may also give you a better chance at winning the specialist award for that category. In addition there is a Diversity Award for makers submitting to multiple categories

Rules and regulations for this competition can be accessed from the OCCC website here. This site includes a link so you can download a copy of the 2025 Rules and Guidelines.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

There is an increased focus on usage of AI tools:

• AI generated imagery that uses Text-to-Image or Image-to-Image Generative processes that draw from an external, cloud-based database of photographs – content not owned by the maker — is not allowed for any portion of a photo entry whatsoever (eg. Adobe’s ‘Generative AI’ features in Lightroom and Photoshop).   
• Programs that allow AI “Remove” and “Expand” Tools WITHOUT the use of Text-Prompts to remove elements (distractions, wires, people, etc.) or expand image area with either local or cloud based processing are acceptable so long as it represents no more than 10% of the final image, (the only exception being the Creative Vision category where there is no specified limit – however, all elements of the CV project must have been created by the maker and not using an cloud-based AI sources).

Entry Fees

The entry fee for the competition is $2.00 per image, to a maximum of $24.00 per entrant. The Toronto Digital Photography Club will collect each member’s entry fee using the Payment Form on the upload page and submit it to O3C on your behalf.

So if you plan to enter the OCCC Open Challenge Competition you will need to be logged in when visiting the calendar date of Thursday, April 24 2025.

Good luck!

TDPC Board of Directors

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