Did you know ……….?
The L&CPU Competition Secretary runs four main competitions each year on behalf of the L&CPU and its member clubs, and these competitions rely on your support.
| Competition | Competition dates | |
| Annual Club Competition | print & PDI | Usually held the first weekend in March |
| Annual Individuals Competition | print & PDI | Usually held the first or second weekend in May |
| Young Photographer of the Year | Print & PDI | This competition has not run since 2024, due to a lack of young photographers; its future will depend on renewed interest and involvement |
| The Bob Robinson Trophy (formerly Novice Cup) | A4 unmounted print | Usually held in November, along with the Annual Club Knockout and the newer Bring a Print Competition |
| The Annual Club Knockout | PDI only | |
| Bring a Print Competition |
Each of these competitions has its own individual plan, outlining everything required to deliver the event successfully. This includes tasks such as:
- Booking the venue
- Contacting and confirming judges
- Booking accommodation for the judges
- Arranging refreshments for the competition days
- Collecting, engraving, and returning trophies and medals
- Issuing communications to the website, Focal Points, and—most importantly—clubs, to ensure they have sufficient time to prepare their print and PDI entries
- Not forgetting that the competitions must be delivered within the allocated budget
In addition, there is the administrative setup of the competition on the portal, follow-up communications, and ensuring that judges receive the correct rules and guidance—and the list goes on.
To avoid last-minute issues, it is also essential to ensure that all hardware is in place and functioning correctly, including laptops, projectors, print easels, barcode scanners, and associated equipment.
For each competition, we aim to allow approximately six weeks from the initial notification to the closing date for entries. This timeline has been used successfully for several years; however, as is often the case, many entrants work to the deadline, with the majority of entries submitted in the final few days. This can place additional pressure on the administrative workload immediately prior to the competition.
Outlined below is a summary of each competition which you will, hopefully, find useful.
If you have any questions, please contact the Competitions team at competitions@lcpu.org.uk
Annual Club Competition 7 & 8 March 2026
This is the L&CPU Annual Club event, where all member clubs are invited to showcase their members’ images across two sections:
- PDI (Projected Digital Images)
- Two categories:
- Open (including colour and monochrome)
- Nature
- Prints
Three categories:- Open Colour
- Open Monochrome
- Nature
The overall winning club will be named Club of the Year and will be awarded The French Cup.
There will also be a winning club in both the PDI and Print sections.
This competition also acts as the L&CPU qualifying event for the PAGB Inter-Club Projected Digital Image Championship, held each July in Warwick. Each Federation nominates two clubs to take part, alongside the finalists from the previous year.
As a result, the top two clubs from the PDI sections (Open & Nature) will be invited to represent the L&CPU.
This is an open event and clubs and their members are invited to attend and view the judging
If you are interested, you can view the results of the PAGB Inter-Club Projected Digital Image Championship at www.thepagb.org.uk
Annual Club Competition 9 & 10 May 2026
This is the L&CPU Annual Individual Competition, where all club members are invited to select and enter their own images.
- PDI (Projected Digital Images)
Two categories:- Open (including colour and monochrome)
- Nature
- Prints
Three categories:- Open Colour
- Open Monochrome
- Nature
The title of Photographer of the Year will be awarded to the individual achieving the highest cumulative score across all their images in the relevant sections.
PAGB Selection & Annual Exhibition
Print entries submitted to this competition are used to select the L&CPU entry for the PAGB Inter-Federation Championship, which is held annually in June.
In addition, the same print entries may be used for:
- The Folio Boxes
- Selection for the L&CPU Annual Exhibition
Important Information on the Return of Prints
Please note the following conditions regarding print returns:
- If your print is selected for the PAGB Inter-Federation Championship, it may be retained and included in the following year’s Folio and therefore may not be returned for up to 24 months.
- Prints selected for inclusion in the Folio Boxes will not be returned for at least 12 months.
- Prints chosen for the Annual Exhibition will also not be returned for a minimum of 12 months.
The Annual Club Knockout
The Bob Robinson Trophy
Bring a Print
The competitions will be held in November 2026, date to be confirmed.
The Annual Club Knockout
This competition is designed to bring L&CPU Federated Clubs together for a fun and engaging evening, with each club submitting up to eight images.
Images are eliminated over several rounds, with the judge ultimately selecting one winning image, which receives one additional point.
Awards
Two awards are presented:
- Club Award – awarded to the club achieving the highest total score across all its images
- Individual Award – the Judge’s Choice, selected from the images remaining in the final round
The Bob Robinson Trophy
This event is designed to encourage club members to print their images, particularly those who may not normally take part in the Federation’s annual competitions.
The competition is open to all L&CPU club members who do not currently hold any photographic qualifications or accreditations.
Entrants are asked to observe the spirit of the competition. Failure to do so undermines its purpose and may discourage genuine novices from taking part in future events.
Awards
Two awards are presented:
- Club Award – awarded to the club achieving the highest overall score
- Individual Award – awarded for the best image
Bring a Print
This is a relatively new competition, but it has already proven to be very popular.
Entry is £1 per print, with the total pot shared between the winner and runner-up— the more people who enter, the larger the prize fund.
This is a fun competition designed to bring printed images to the forefront of the competition arena.
The event is open to all L&CPU club members and features one open section for mounted prints.
There is no online entry requirement; simply bring your print on the day.
Prints must be delivered to the designated drop-off point on the morning of the competition.
Please note that, due to time constraints, judges can assess a maximum of 150 prints. Once this limit is reached,no further entries will be accepted.