Competition Rules

 

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ALSAGER CAMERA CLUB RULES (30-4-19)

INTERNAL COMPETITIONS (between club members)

GENERAL

  1. Competitions are only available to paid up members who have been given a membership number.
  2. The Photographer must have taken the images submitted and own the full copyright.
  3. Prints may be produced by the photographer or by a commercial print organisation.
  4. It is a condition of entry that submissions for the Internal competitions are available for selection to represent the club in External competitions and for display on the club web site. The copyright remains with the photographer at all times.
  5. There is no restriction on the amount of manipulation of images but the original image(s) must have been taken by the photographer and not be constructed from royalty free or copyright free images.
  6. Competitions are “Open” i.e. unspecified subjects unless members are notified otherwise.
  7. Monochrome means a black and white image (and all tones of grey between) and may also include an image toned in a single colour. An image that is partially toned or has “colour popping” is treated as a colour image.
  8. An image that has been entered into an internal competition cannot be converted to colour or monochrome and then resubmitted.
  9. Images taken in the same location at different times can be submitted at the discretion of the committee.
  10. In the interests of healthy competition members are requested not to submit multiple images that are similar to each other. The committee reserves the right to make the final decision about whether images are sufficiently different from each other.
  11. In a composite image the subject or dominant feature cannot be used again in another image. The committee reserve the right to review the content of composite images.
  12. An author may re-submit an image into one further competition provided that:
  • It wasn’t placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly commended or commended
  • It must be re-entered into the same section (i.e. colour print must be re-entered as a colour print),
  • The image can only be re-submitted once.
  • Only one re-submission per section is allowed (making it possible to re-submit four images per internal competition)
  • Editing of the original image is allowed.

JUDGING

Judges will be asked to award 1 first place, 1 second place, 1 third place, 1 highly commended and 1 commended. No scores will be given.

In the event that less than 10 entries are submitted in any competition, the number of places will be reduced as follows:

  • 8-9 images 4 places
  • 6-7 images 3 places

If less than 6 images are received, the competition will not proceed.

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR/BILL DUFFIN TROPHY

Images entered into the internal print and open PDI competitions will count towards the Photographer of the Year Award.  Images entered into the Bill Duffin Trophy competitions (for less advanced workers) will count towards a separate Bill Duffin Trophy Award.  For the purposes of these awards points will be allocated as follows:

1st 20 points

2nd 19 points

3rd 18 points

HC 17 points

C 16 points

Images which are held but not subsequently placed score 15 points

All others score 14 points.

Points will be totalled and the authors with the highest score at the end of the year will be declared Photographer of the Year/Bill Duffin Trophy winner.

PRINTS

  1. There will be one print competition on each of the internal competition nights open to all paid up members. The maximum number of prints that may be entered is four, one of which must be nominated as the reserve image.  The reserve images will not be used in the event of a large number of entries (to be determined by the Competition Secretary to ensure that there is a full evening with sufficient time for the judge to critique each image).
  2. Prints may be either monochrome or colour but competitors entering more than 2 images must include at least one monochrome print. If only one monochrome print is entered it may not be the reserve.
  3. It is recommended that prints entered for competitions should be at least A4 size, on the longest side.
  4. Prints should be mounted and titled clearly on the back in the top left corner. The membership number should be on the back in the top right hand corner. The members name should be on the packaging only.
  5. All prints (regardless of size) are required to be mounted on 50cm x 40cm mounts.  The colour is at the discretion of the photographer.
  6. Photographs are required in advance of the competition night. Advance notice of the required hand in date will be given. Prints should be handed to the Competition Secretary on club night. Late entries may not be accepted.
  7. Prints must not have Velcro or other material (tape, masking tape etc.) on the back, which may damage the adjacent prints.

PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGES (PDI)

  1. There will be three PDI competitions on each of the internal competition nights:
    Open Monochrome
    Open Colour
    Bill Duffin Trophy

     

    The Open colour and monochrome competitions are open to all paid up members and count towards the Photographer of the Year competition.

    Images entered in the Bill Duffin Trophy competition may be colour or monochrome.   Members who finished in the top 5 places in the previous year’s Photographer of the Year competition may not enter this competition.

  2. The maximum number of entries for each competition is two in each category – 2 Colour PDIs and 2 Monochrome PDIs and 2 PDIs in the Bill Duffin Trophy competition.
  3. Sizing – maximum 1600 (width) x maximum 1200 (height) pixels. Note – this does not mean that they should be 1600 pixels on the longest side – a portrait oriented entry must be no longer than 1200 pixels on the longest side.
  4. Format – files must be in jpeg format
  5. Colour space – sRGB
  6. File name format:  entry number_title_authors membership number.jpg. Where entry number is 1 or 2. Membership number is the three-digit number from your membership card, e.g.017. Only use the underscore as indicated below and not to separate words in the title.

Example:        2_Pirates of the Med_017.jpg

  1.   Images are required in advance of the competition night for preparation. Advance notice will be given of the required hand in date. PDI images should be provided to the Competition Secretary preferably by email or alternatively by “wetransfer”, “dropbox” or on a memory stick labelled with the author’s name, which will be returned. Late entries may not be accepted.

INTERCLUB or EXTERNAL  COMPETITIONS (between other clubs or club entry to National competitions.)

GENERAL

  1.   The Competition secretary is responsible for arranging external competitions.
  2.   All entries for the internal competitions automatically become available for selection in the external competitions.
  3.   Entries for external competitions must not have been entered before in a competition against the same club.
  4.   Entries for external competitions do not necessarily need to have to been entered in internal competitions.
  5. The competition secretary will assemble a small committee for the purpose of selecting images for external competitions. The membership of this committee should vary to ensure fairness and transparency in the selection process. In the unforeseen circumstance that the ad hoc Competition Selection Committee cannot come to a consensus over any particular image being included in the selection, as a last resort, having exhausted all other avenues of discussion, the Competition Secretary shall have the casting vote. This vote will take place during the committee meeting and all selections will be resolved before the meeting closes. It is expected that this ruling is used sparingly to avoid any possible upset within the selection committee or the wider club. All decisions and details of those on the committee will then be shared with the members as soon as possible following the meeting.

 

PRINTS

Prints that conform to the requirements for internal competitions are likely to be suitable for external competitions. The L&CPU have defined a maximum mount size of 50cm X 40cm. The Competition Secretary will notify any other specific changes for external competitions.

PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGES (PDI)

Projected Digital images that conform to the requirements for internal competitions are likely to be suitable for external competitions. One exception may be the file size. Not all clubs will have adopted 1600 x 1200 and it may therefore be necessary to submit images for competitions hosted by other clubs in 1400 x 1050 size.

LIST OF COMPETITIONS

INTERNAL  

There are 4 competitions during the season in which members compete between themselves. On each competition night there will be 1 print competition, 2 Open PDI competitions and 1 “Bill Duffin” PDI competition – see above.

Prints and Projected Digital Images placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly Commended or Commended in the internal competitions (except the Bill Duffin Trophy) are eligible for entry into the Annual Competition (members will be notified prior to the Annual Competition).

PRIZES

Photographer of the Year Trophy – for highest overall total in internal competitions

Bill Duffin Trophy – for highest overall total in “Bill Duffin” PDI competitions.

Best Newcomer – decided by committee vote

Annual Competition

Bill Wainwright Trophy – for the best mono print

Les Davis Trophy – for the best colour print

Projected Digital Image plate – for the best Colour Projected Digital Image

Projected Digital Image plate – for the best Monochrome Projected Digital Image

INTERCLUB

There are usually 4 competitions during the season in which Alsager club competes head-to-head with another club in the area. There are print and PDI sections in each of these competitions.  The subject is usually “Open”.

In addition we compete in the following competitions:

NEWCASTLE MILLENNIUM – This is an annual competition with 4 other local clubs hosted by Newcastle P.S. It is prints only.

ALLAN CHALLINOR TROPHY – This is an annual competition, currently with 3 other local clubs. It is for Monochrome prints only.

L&CPU – Individual and Club Competitions – members will be advised of details when released by L&CPU.