Competition Rules for 2011 - 2012

Please note there are a large number of changes from last season.

Many of the changes arise from members' feedback. There have also been discussions among committee members on a number of occasions, and we have taken account of comments made by visiting judges, and of changes in practice elsewhere in the Chilterns Association of Camera Clubs, to which we belong.

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COMPETITION NOTES

Competition entries are accepted only from fully paid up members. Membership fees must be paid before you enter any competitions.

All images must be assigned a title for identification purposes. “Untitled” is no longer classified as a valid title.

Reading out of titles is optional. If you would like your title read out as the judge is critiquing your picture, please put the title part of your Projected Image File in BLOCK CAPITALs ie

joe blogs-development-another pic.jpeg will not be read out

joe blogs-development-ANOTHER PIC.jpeg will be read out

If you do not receive a confirmation email for your image entry within 1 day of the closing date please contact the Projected Image Secretary ASAP, in case your emailed entry has not been received by the Secretary.

Any substantially identical image, whether print or projected, may be entered ONCE only - either in a 'General Competition' or once in an 'Annual Competition'. This does not apply to external competitions and exhibitions.

Since members' photos may be shown at exhibitions or on the club's website, care should be taken to avoid direct reproduction of any art or graphics which may be protected by copyright. It is also not in the spirit of the club's competitions to simply enter photographs of other people's art.

High scoring pictures will be placed on the Camera Club's web-site under Competition Images. If you do not wish to have your work published in this way please let the Competition Secretaries know. Submitting a file to a Club Competition implies consent to publish a version at computer screen resolution unless the relevant secretary has been notified otherwise.

GENERAL (Open-Subject) PRINT & GENERAL (Open-Subject) PROJECTED IMAGE COMPETITIONS.

Each format has four competitions per season.

There are three classes – ADVANCED, INTERMEDIATE & DEVELOPMENT.

The ADVANCED Class - anyone may enter; a high standard is expected. Judges will be expected to assess and score pictures as the work of experienced and competent photographers.

The INTERMEDIATE Class – for those members who have grasped the basics of club photography but still need to hone their skills before moving up to the OPEN Class

The DEVELOPMENT Class is intended for members who are developing their skills in photography. This includes new members unfamiliar with club photography, who are recommended to enter the Development Class. Judges will be asked to review aspects of personal & technical development in their assessments and to score on a more sympathetic basis.

A member can only enter one of the three classes of ADVANCED, INTERMEDIATE or DEVELOPMENT class during the season. Those entrants in any DEVELOPMENT or INTERMEDIATE class who have been successful in club competitions are invited to move up a class the following season.

The number of entries allowed per member for each General Competition will be decided nearer the time, as we gauge membership size and participation, but will be either 1 or 2 per member, per night.

For all General Competitions, marks out of 20 will be awarded for each picture entered. At the end of the year, for each class of both print and projected image competitions, the scores for each photographer in each class will be totalled to determine the winners of the six trophies.

PRINT COMPETITIONS

All entries for all print competitions must be handed in 7 days before the competition takes place. If you are entering a print please also send a 1400 x 1050 copy (just like PDI) of the file used to produce the PRINT to digicomp@maidenhead.cc to be used for parallel projection during the print comp, which must also be sent in 7 days before the competition.

File naming for these must be different in order to distinguish them from the PDI entries. Please use the format, Print-Susan Smith-Intermediate-Ben Nevis.jpg. If your print is not digital (i.e. you don’t have a digital file) please photograph it digitally and send a copy of that. This is purely for audience viewing and will not influence the judging.

For print competitions the print size may be chosen to fall within a maximum mount size of 50cm by 40cm. or 20" x 16" (either is acceptable) if you are entering the ADVANCED or INTERMEDIATE Class. For the DEVELOPMENT Class, the maximum mount size is 14” x 12” incorporating a print no larger than A4. Note that smaller formats are fully acceptable in all competitions and in any class. The arrangement of print(s) within the mount size is entirely the choice of the author.

Entries may be home or trade processed, digitally or chemically printed. All prints must be mounted and clearly labelled on the back with the authors name and a title for identification and, if necessary, a mark to show which way up it is to be displayed. Please do not use velcro mounting pads or 'easy peel' tape as these cause damage to adjacent prints when stacked.

PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGE COMPETITIONS

Maidenhead Camera Club no longer accepts slides (film transparencies) in competitions. Projected Digital Images work best to a maximum size of 1400 pixels in width and 1050 pixels in height - see the web site for details.

Members are required to submit entries for Projected Digital Image competitions well in advance, no later than 7 days before the competition takes place, and by e-mail to digicomp@maidenhead.cc or if not possible by USB stick or CD to the Projected Image Secretary at least 7 days before the competition. Preferred formats are published on the Camera Club web site under 'For Members/Digital Competition Entry Instructions'. Put the Category (Annual/Open), Competition and competition date in the Subject line.

Entries must be titled in the following format:- Susan Smith-Advanced-Ben Nevis.jpg.

The Competition Secretary will not accept entries that are handed in late.

The author will retain copyright of the image and be credited where possible. If you do not want a particular digital image of yours to be used for an external competition please let Mark Russell know.

ANNUAL COMPETITION GUIDELINES

No more than one print AND/OR one projected image, may be entered in each Annual Competition, though this may be subject to change as the season unfolds, and active membership numbers are determined.

There will be separate competitions for Prints and for Projected Digital Images, except for the Annual Monochrome Competition, which will be for Prints only.

A high quality image is expected in Annual Competitions, but this is not intended to inhibit imaginative and creative photography.

Unless otherwise stated all print entries may be chosen to fall within a maximum mount size of 50cm by 40cm or 20" x 16"

Digital Images must be formatted as follows for Annuals:- Print-Susan Smith-Landscape-Ben Nevis.jpg for print files & Susan Smith-Landscape-Ben Nevis.jpg for DPI entries

The title of the Annual Competition is used rather than the class (Development/Intermediate/Advanced) as you would do for the general Open Subject Rounds.

Visual Art

[For images which would previously have been entered in Creative or Pictorial genres.]

Unusual pictures in real or abstract form using technique or special effect. Any picture which has an artistic interpretation or appeals to the emotions. Abstract and experimental subjects which fit these overall criteria are included. Any number of images may be used to create the picture but all of the original images must have been produced by the entrant with a camera. For the VISUAL ART Competition there will be no restriction on size of print or mount or indeed media on which your picture is printed.

People

Any picture whose principal subject is one or more people, including formal portraits, crowds, candid shots, sport and action scenes or reportage

Natural History

Birds, animals, fish, insects, plants & flowers, rock & mineral formations etc. In recording nature the absence of man-made artefacts will enhance the picture; in all environments the context should be appropriate to the subject.

Landscape

Views of land, sea or sky. Landscape is interpreted widely and included seascapes, urban and industrial scenes. Wide area subjects drawn from geology or physical geography may well fit better here than in Natural History.

Monochrome

This is an open subject competition (for prints only) expressed in black-and-white or other monochrome treatments.

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If you would prefer to download this page and print out for future reference please click on the link below for a PDF file.

• Competition_Rules_for_2011.pdf: