Competition Rules


Throughout the season there will be 14 internal Club competition evenings as follows:
6 Monthly (3 each for Prints and Projected Digital Images (P.D.I.) alternating).
2 Annual Pictorial (Prints and P.D.I.)
2 Annual Set Subjects each comprising Sections for Natural History, Portrait,and Record (Prints and P.D.I.)
1 Dave Addiscott Trophy for P.D.I. only
1 President’s Cup for P.D.I. only
1 Whitcombe Trophy for Prints only
1 Sequence Cup for Audio-Visual Sequences

PRESENTATION OF WORK

PRINTS
The image must be the photographer’s own original work but may be third party processed
All prints entered must be mounted on board. The size of mount MUST be 50cm x 40cm with a maximum depth of 4 mm. There is no restriction on image size within the mount.
The title of the print and name of the photographer, together with Maidstone Camera Club should be clearly indicated on the reverse of the mount.
A digital image of each print should also be supplied (details as P.D.I. below) for projection during the judging of the print.

PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGES
All image files must be presented in jpg format with sRGB colour space on a disc or portable storage device or by email to the Competition Secretary
The maximum size for images is 1400 pixels wide x 1050 pixels high. Smaller images will be projected with a black background.
The image file name may be in any combination of upper and lowercase letters and digits but must be in the following format:
Sequence number 01, 02 or 03 followed by a space followed by the title.jpg
Avoid punctuation marks and special symbols. Spaces, hyphens and parentheses are permitted:- (see following six examples)

01 Brighton Pier at Dusk.jpg

02 Early Morning Steam.jpg

03 HMS Victory.jpg

01 Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum).jpg

02 NOT OUT.jpg

03 Strangers by the shore.jpg

An image entered as a Print cannot then be entered as a P.D.I. (or vice-versa) in any other internal Club competition
All competition entries must be accompanied with the appropriate paper entry form (see page 4) duly completed. Emailed entry forms are not normally acceptable.

SUBMISSION OF PDI ENTRIES
All image files must be enclosed in a folder with the entrants name and distinctions (if any) as the folder name. Example: Fred Bloggs FRPS CPAGB
Entries must be submitted to the relevant competition secretary, together with a completed paper entry form, by the date specified in the Club programme, unless otherwise stated. Entry forms submitted digitally are not acceptable.
Entries submitted as a email attachment may need the folder to zipped (compressed); instructions on how to do this can be seen at: http://www.wikihow.com/Add-a-Folder-As-an-Attachment

MONTHLY COMPETITION ENTRIES
Three monthly projected digital image and three monthly print competitions will be held within any one season. The subject for all will be Open. All subject types (i.e. portrait, record etc.) in either colour or monochrome will compete equally within the competitions.
The image (Print or Projected Digital Image) may be entered once only in Monthly club competition. Recognisable variations of a previously entered image will not be accepted as new work.
Each competition will normally be divided into two classes, advanced (Class 1) and preliminary (Class 2)
To determine eligibility for class all members will initially, in the 2016-2017 season, compete equally in one class. For the next season (2017-2018) and onwards, the 30 highest aggregate scoring  members will compete in Class 1 and the remaining members will compete in Class 2
MONTHLY COMPETITION JUDGING & MARKING
Every entry shall be awarded points on a scale of 1 to 20.
The two highest marks will be added to the author’s total for that season in the relevant class and section
Certificates will be awarded to first, second and third places as designated by the judge.
In each monthly competition a certificate will be awarded to the entry judged to be the “Best in the Competition.
In each monthly competition a  “Certificate of Merit for Imagination” may be awarded to one entry as designated by the judge.
At the end of the year, the member gaining the most points within each class and section will be awarded a Liz Glenn Trophy. These trophies remain the property of the member.

ANNUAL COMPETITIONS
Separate Annual print and digital projected image competitions for the Pictorial, Natural History, Record and Portrait sections will be held during the Club season
DEFINITION OF SECTIONS
Both print and digital projected image competitions will be divided into four sections, Portrait, Record, Pictorial and Natural History and should conform to the following definitions:-

  • Portrait – A likeness of an individual, especially of the human face, a vivid description of someone having existence
    Record – In photography it means that the building or article being photographed could be reproduced exactly using only the detail in the photograph. In architecture the uprights must not be converging and there must be detail in the shadows and highlights. When the photograph is of a piece of machinery or an artefact, the technical quality of the photograph must be first class. Titles must impart the correct information as to what and where it is.
    Pictorial – In general it means landscapes, seascapes or the type of picture that abounds in striking or original, figurative or richly graphic imagery. To most photographic clubs it means that the image has been composed and processed, or printed, to put over an idea, a mood or a thought and has a title that would convey that feeling.
    Nature photography depicts living, untamed animals and uncultivated plants in a natural habitat, geology and the wide diversity of natural phenomena, from insects to icebergs. Photographs of animals which are domesticated, caged or under any form of restraint, as well as photographs of cultivated plants are ineligible. Minimal evidence of humans is acceptable for nature subjects, such as barn owls or storks adapting to an environment modified by humans, or natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves, reclaiming it. The photographer, whatever photographic medium is used, must have taken the original image. Any manipulation or modification to the original image is limited to minor retouching of blemishes and must not alter the content of the original scene. After satisfying the above requirements, every effort should be made to use the highest level of artistic skill in all nature photographs. The foregoing is in accordance with the Federation Internationale de L’Art Photographique Nature Photography Definition INFO 2001/341 July 2001 (in use by P.A.G.B.)
    Members shall be eligible to compete in any of the sections, regardless of their class in Monthly Competitions.

MONOCHROME AND COLOUR PRINTS – With the exception of the pictorial section, where colour and monochrome will be judged separately, monochrome and colour prints will compete equally in all other sections.

NUMBER OF ENTRIES
PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGE – SET SUBJECT – Each member may submit a total of 3 entries for each of the 3 Set Subjects (Record/Portrait/Natural History)
PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGE – PICTORIAL – Each member may submit a total of 3 images.
PRINTS – SET SUBJECT – Each member may submit a total of 3 entries for each of the 3 Set Subjects. (Record/Portrait/Natural History)
PRINTS – PICTORIAL – Colour and Monochrome – Each member may submit 3 entries to be spread over, or all in one of, either of the two sections.
Entries may have previously been entered in one Monthly club competition.

JUDGING AND AWARDS
With the exception of Pictorial prints, the winning entry in each section, as designated by the judge, will be awarded the appropriate trophy plus a certificate. In addition to the premier awards in each section, certificates for 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded.
In the case of Pictorial prints, colour and monochrome sections will be judged separately with the winning entry in each section being awarded the appropriate trophy plus a certificate. Certificates will also be awarded to 2nd and 3rd places in each section.

AUDIO-VISUAL COMPETITION
ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to all members who will compete equally irrespective of the class in which they compete during the monthly competitions.
ENTRIES
An entry should consist of a series of digital images projected in synchronisation with a pre-recorded sound-track. No sequences may exceed 10 minutes in length.
A member may enter more than one sequence except where there are more entries than can be judged in the time available. In these circumstances, entrants will be asked to indicate which sequences should automatically be withdrawn.
It is the responsibility of the entrant to obtain copyright clearance and hold the appropriate licence.
PRESENTATION
All image files used in the sequence should in jpg format with sRGB colour space.
The native image size of the club projector is 1400 pixels wide by 1050 pixels high. Images should preferably conform to this size.
Digital sequences supplied on a disk or portable storage device will be projected via a laptop computer and data projector
JUDGING AND AWARDS
The winning entry as designated by the judge will be awarded the Sequence Cup plus a certificate. In addition, certificates for 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded.

The content of this leaflet is an abridged extract from the Maidstone Camera Club 2014 Handbook. A full copy of this and all competition entry forms may be downloaded in pdf format from the Club website at http://www.maidstonecameraclub.org.uk/downloads.htm

For further advice and/or assistance relating to Club competitions please contact the Competition Secretary or any Committee Member.