WAPF Policy and Procedures


WAPF Policy and Procedures are currently under review by the 2018 committee.  New additions, such as the Core Rules for Competitions can be identified by the date added/reviewed.

Policy and Procedures are contained within a living document that is edited and update to record decisions adopted by the Committee for management of the organisation and its activities. The contents of this document will evolve through updates and revisions and the content will be expanded as required over time.

The initial West Australian Photographic Federation (WAPF) Policy and Procedures were adopted by the WAPF committee on 25 May 2014.

Conflict of interest was discussed by the committee during 2014 Carl Fehlaur presented a document on the subject to the Committee for adoption, click here for a copy of this document

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Conflict of Interest 

Conflict of Interest - is any situation where there is, or may appear to be, a conflict between your personal interests and your duties and responsibilities.
One of the biggest issues with a conflict of interest is the perception that someone else has of the situation. So, whilst there may not be a conflict of interest as long as someone else thinks there is then this is where the problems start.

A conflict of interest does not prevent a committee member or any member of the WAPF or Club from providing a product or service for profit or otherwise to the WAPF or a club affiliated to the WAPF but what it does mean is that person must declare/advise that they have an interest and 'step back' from any discussion or decision making process to allow for the committee to make a fair and unbiased decision.

This declaration needs to be recorded in the WAPF Committee Meeting Minutes to maintain transparency in the workings of the organisation.

It should be noted that often the 'best person for the job' may well be a member of the committee or a club and should be encouraged to tender for product and services but for probity requirements they must not take part in any discussion or decision making. It is important that the entire decision-making process is transparent so that it removes any perception that an outsider may make.

Note - this also includes situations where it may also be a family member, relative or friend that is able to provide the product or service and in these situations, the committee must decide whether the member can take part in the decision making process or not.

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WAPF and Member Club Events

  1. Events managed by the WAPF may be circulated to clubs by the secretary and electronically through the WAPF website and or by the Event Adviser email newsletter.
  2. Events Managed by an affiliated club may be circulated to clubs by the secretary and electronically through the WAPF website or by the Event Adviser email newsletter.
  3. Events managed by a third party may only be promoted to clubs and club members by letter/email/event adviser or by word if that event complies with the following.
    1. There must be a direct financial benefit to members of clubs affiliated with the WAPF. In other words, a reasonable discount offered to WAPF members 10 to 15%.
    2. And or there must be a reasonable direct financial benefit to the WAPF by way of an advertising fee.(Currently $25 for Event Advisor adverts where there is a good discount and $75 where no discount is offered) 
  4. Non-WAPF members may attend all WAPF events usually with a fee premium of 10% this premium to be decided on an event by event basis by the Club running the event. WAPF members to be given preferential treatment when events have limited numbers.
  5. Club events promoted by the WAPF and managed through our payment gateway.
    1. Budget to be approved by the WAPF Treasurer
    2. Clubs to acknowledge that the WAPF charges a fee of 5% of funds collected to cover bank/PayPal fees and other costs
    3. Any account required to be paid by the WAPF must be presented to the treasurer with an invoice and should match with the budget if it falls outside the budget an explanation is required and possibly a review of the budget.
    4. At the conclusion of the event, the WAPF treasurer will calculate any profit from the event, forward to the club a copy of the Profit and Loss statement to be approved by the club before any surplus funds can be distributed preferably by direct deposit to the club account.

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Refund Policy 

  1. Refunds of entry fees to competitions will not be given.
  2. Refunds for events managed by the WAPF may be given provided the cancellation is made no less than 7 days prior to the event start time or.
  3. Refund Policy may be varied by the organisers of an event.
  4. Refund policy must be included on the booking form for each event.
  5. Edited Sept 2018, refund amount will be the amount paid less 5% to cover costs.

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 Competition Core Rules and Requirements

(As adopted 19 November 2017)

  1. The competition is open to amateur photographers who are financial members of a club affiliated with the WAPF. For the purpose of this competition, a professional photographer is considered to be either an AIPP member (Student or Full) or an individual whose photography is their prime source of income.
  2. All elements of an image need to be photographic in origin and captured/created by the author, including all developing/post-production, within the 12-month period before the closing date for entries.
  3. Images entered, regardless of category, must have been taken on different occasions and of a different subject matter, as the intent of our competitions is to showcase unique, content-diverse pictures.

    If two images are considered to be of the same subject, we will attempt to contact the photographer to discuss this, but if contact cannot be made before the closing date of the competition, the first received will be retained and the other/s disqualified.
  4. Images previously entered into ANY other WAPF Competition cannot be entered. Rule 3 will be applied to similar images entered in previous competitions.
  5. A Monochromatic image must be an image toned with a SINGLE hue or, Black & White
  6. A Colour image must contain 2 or more colours.
  7. Images cannot be watermarked or logo embedded.
  8. The image must not reflect any material that could constitute or encourage conduct which would be considered a criminal offence, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any law either of the Jurisdiction or any other country whose laws may apply to the entry (Evidence of licenses, permits, model release forms etc, must be provided on request or your image may be disqualified).
  9. Copyright remains with the entrant but the entrant agrees that the WAPF may have limited license to use any entered image for WAPF promotional purposes, either online or in print. If used, the photographer will be credited, though, no logos or watermarks will be applied.
  10. Entries that may not comply to the rules or topic will be considered by the Competition Coordinator and/or Review Committee before they are disqualified.
  11. Judges and Review Committee decisions will be final, no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
  12. There will be no refund of entry fees for entries deemed to be ineligible and disqualified.
  13. All Prizes must be taken as offered.
  14. The statement below is to be included on all WUFOO/Entry forms created for competitions, with a compulsory check box for the entrant to acknowledge compliance.
    By entering the Competition, I acknowledge that I have read and understood the rules of this competition and I warrant that:
    • My entry is my own original work;
    • All details provided with the entry are true and accurate;
    • I have all necessary rights and authorities to grant WAPF the rights to use my images as outlined in the Conditions of Entry;
    • Use of the entry by WAPF, in accordance with the Conditions of Entry, will not infringe the rights of any third party;
    • My entry does not breach ANY law, including but not limited to laws relating to the use of drones, minors and photographing people in public places

      Where it is a club competition, the wording will change to be 'Our' entries as the club is responsible for its members.
Digital Entries
  1. Files must contain full EXIF data so that the date of capture can be confirmed.
  2. File Specifications Digital Images
    1. Images to be sized no more than 1920 pixels wide AND no more than 1080 pixels high
    2. Resolution is 72 (ppi)
    3. Maximum file size shall be 1.5 MB
    4. The colour space for all entries to be sRGB
    5. The file format is to be JPEG
  3. The image files must be correctly labelled in line with the individual competition requirements but must include
    1. Entrant's first name and surname (in that order), plus the image title
    2. Each word is to be separated by an underscore
    3. A category or the competition name cannot be used as the title.
  4. Only entries uploaded and submitted via the WAPF online entry form will be accepted.
  5. High-Resolution Files are to be provided, on request, for images shortlisted as finalists.
Prints

Images are destined to be critically appraised by judges and hung in an exhibition. They need to be light and compact for ease of transportation and display, of a standard size and format for ease of handling and judging and be of materials that will not damage other entries. Furthermore, as judges, peers and the public will view images, both the content and the presentation must be of a high standard. With these requirements in mind, the following rules apply.

  1. Prints must be flush mounted on a single board or matted behind a window mount
  2. A window mount matte must be black or white
  3. The external size of the mount must be 40cm x 50cm
  4. The window mount matte and backing board must be the same size
  5. The maximum thickness of the matte, print and backing is 5mm
  6. The maximum visible print size is 40cm x 50cm
  7. The minimum visible print size is 400cm2
  8. All prints and mounts must be affixed permanently using methods and materials that are proven for long term adhesion. Prints that slip on the mount may be excluded from judging or removed from the exhibition.
  9. The matte and backing must be free of hooks, velcro, glue or sticky residue.
  10. Taping of matte edges is not acceptable.
  11. The print is to be labelled on the BACK, TOP LEFT, with the club, title, and photographers name (If previously a digital entry, then the label must contain the same detail as the digital entry)

These are core or common rules that provide a guideline for club's and their members. It is important to note that each competition is likely to have additional rules, specific to that competition.

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PrintWest Presentation Event

  1. To be run by the host club, but must include a WAPF committee member as liaison  
  2. Budget to be approved by the WAPF Treasurer and committee
  3. Print West competition to be managed by the WAPF and hung with the support of the host club.
  4. The finances of the Print West event should be managed as per WAPF events.
  5. Guidelines for running the event will be posted on the WAPF website.

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Guidelines for Clubs seeking Affiliation with WAPF

(Amended February 2018)

  1. Application to be made via our on line form on the affiliated clubs page.
    1. Club structure recommended by the WAPF for member clubs to adhere to, an individual may hold 2 positions..
      1. President
      2. Secretary
      3. Treasurer
      4. Competition / event director
    2. Hold regular meetings. with exhibitions and or workshops.
    3. Maintain membership records.
    4. Have a club bank account, with records kept by the treasurer this should have 2 to sign.
    5. Share a common goal of Fellowship in photography.
  2. Membership, Perth metropolitan or outer metropolitan clubs should have a minimum of 10 members and Regional clubs 5 members.
  3. Once the application is approved by the WAPF Committee the club will be required to pay the relevant club and member affiliation fee.
  4. On receipt of this payment, the club will officially become affiliated with the WAPF and added to the Insurance certificate of currency.
  5. While incorporation of your club is not a requirement, it is highly recommended as it provides some level of protection to club office bearers.

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Speakers' Fund 

1. $3000 to be allocated annually from the WAPF budget. Increased to $4000 in 2015

2. $1000 of this to be applied to the WAPF interclub event . Increased to $2000 in 2015

3. $2000 to be available to clubs

4. The primary goal of this fund is to enable clubs to run workshops with quality speakers at lower costs to attendees.

5. Helping clubs obtain speakers for events

6. To be a $400 cap per club may be extended under special circumstances.

7. Preference will be given to those Clubs who have not received the funding previously.

8. Clubs wanting to avail themselves of this support to apply in writing to the WAPF via an on line form with full details of the event planned, a budget for the event expenses and income. The budget should aim for a breakeven point at around60% of expected attendees.

9. The applications will be reviewed by the WAPF committee, conditions may apply.

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Managing WAPF Club Events for the benefit of the whole WAPF Community 

This Policy is to ensure that all clubs running events where the WAPF is assisting with funding support, the collection of entry fees, and promotion via our website and or the Event Advisor are aware of these policies.

  1. The WAPF offers support to clubs wishing to run events that allow for attendance by any WAPF affiliated club member.
  2. Clubs to make application by email with documentation to president@wapf.org.au .
  3. If the WAPF are collecting entries and fees then the WAPF will retain 5% of the revenue for that event to cover the fees costs of credit card payment, the use of forms web costs and other costs associated with the running of the event.
  4. Any request from Clubs to the WAPF to managing the finance for an event, clubs will submit a budget for the event to the Treasurer as part of this process. The budget should show break even at approximately 60% or realistic numbers expected.
  5. Attendance of non WAPF affiliated club members to not only be allowed but to be encouraged all be it at a premium fee at the discretion of the Club running the event, this is an important part of the membership funnel for all our clubs, non WAPF attendees should be encouraged by follow up to attend and join an affiliated club.
  6. The WAPF policy on refunds is to allow refunds if a cancellation is no less than 7 days prior to the event, Clubs are free to amend this policy however the refund policy should always be on the entry form for the event.
  7. Clubs are to acknowledge this policy as part of the agreement with the WAPF to help manage, and collect entries or fees.
  8. Club treasurer or other office bearers will sign off on the final Profit and Loss statement for the event before being paid out any surplus.
  9. All funds, less the 5% WAPF fee will be paid to the respective clubs on receipt of an invoice for the full amount collected and the club will be responsible for reconciling all income and expenses relating to the event the funds were collected for.
  10. At the completion of the club event, a profit and loss statement is to be provided to the WAPF treasurer for presentation to the WAPF committee.

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Provision of Training

a) Support clubs by assisting with the provision of or sourcing workshop presenters.

b) Support by managing the event through our existing payment gateways and order forms with the usual 5% fee retained by the WAPF as per other events.

c) Where the WAPF sees a need for the provision of training the WAPF should encourage a club to take on such a project with WAPF support rather than run the training.

d) The WAPF has carried over funds from previous years that needs to be invested in projects that have longer than one year lifespans and deliver strong member benefits, the development of the original photography 101 course was one of these projects where the benefit to clubs is long term and ongoing.

        a. The WAPF will regularly review this course to maintain its relevance.

        b. The WAPF will regularly look to identify new course opportunities.

       e) The WAPF will look to clubs currently providing excellent training to their members and encourage these clubs to extend this training beyond their own club members to members of other WAPF affiliated clubs.

                   a. This way we the WAPF would be able to help those smaller clubs with less resources and available skills to provide training to their members.

      f) WAPF Committee to appoint a committee person as training Education coordinator who will be charged with identifying ways to deliver the above and assisting in its delivery.

      g) A web page calendar to display available training opportunities

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Sponsorship

(January 2018)

The WAPF welcomes the support of all sponsors and commits to work with sponsors who enhance the activities of the WAPF and or its member clubs.

The WAPF recognise that some sponsors may be competitors but believe these competitive pressures cannot influence our working relationships with any of our sponsors. The WAPF as the principal Amateur Photographic body in Western Australia will not favour one sponsor over another nor exclude one sponsor because of the commercial influence or wishes of another in line with the Competition and Consumer Act.

THE WAPF POLICY IN RELATION TO SPONSORS

  1. Encourage trade and service providers to support the development of amateur photographers in Western Australia via active involvement and financial support of the WAPF.
  2. Ensure that sponsors of the WAPF are aware and support the overall objectives and policies of the WAPF.
  3. Find areas of sponsorship involvement which complement WAPF activities and at the same time add value to the sponsors’ area of business.

SPECIFIC POLICY OF THE WAPF IN RELATION TO WORKING WITH SPONSORS INCLUDES

  1. To provide trade show opportunities in conjunction with all WAPF events where possible and offer this opportunity to all WAPF sponsors.
  2. To utilise the skill, knowledge and areas of expertise of sponsors to help deliver practical help, education content and hands on training for our members.
  3. To work with all our sponsors to help them promote their own workshops and training programs, separately or in conjunction with WAPF events.
  4. To allow sponsors to communicate with our members through the WAPF Event Advisor promotions, events and offers.
  5. All events where sponsorship is involved a Sponsorship Agreement will be entered into.