RULES FOR COMPETITION

In any month, two images* may be entered by a member in each category judged that month, except that in Photojournalism, a sequence of not more than three (3) images may be entered instead of an individual image. Two prints (no category restrictions) may be entered in months when prints are judged.

Any image/print that has not been accepted may be entered in a later competition. The image/prints are returned to their owners after the program meeting.

In preparing slides for entry in the club competitions, the slides may be in any type of mount as long as they will fit the projector. The slides must show the name of the member entering, the title of the slide, have a thumb mark in the lower left hand corner as the slide is viewed and be marked N, T, R, C, or PJ for the category in which it is entered.

Digital entries must be in a .jpg format on a CD and cannot exceed 8 mg in size. The CD must be available at the meeting by 6:30 pm on the evening of the competition. A "D" must be written on the entry form, and the digital entry files need to follow the naming standard:
Category_FirstandLastNameofPhotographer_ImageTitle.

Each print entered shall include the maker's name and print title positioned upright in the upper right corner on the back of the print when the print is correctly positioned for viewing.

An entry form with the same image* or print information must be submitted with the slides or prints in each competition.

*image denotes either a slide or digital file

PICTURE QUALIFICATIONS

The members selected to judge each month's competitions and the year-end judges have some criteria they use to choose winning pictures. The photographic/artistic characteristics they typically seek are:

Impact The excitement that is created by subject matter, unusual lighting, color/color contrasts, unusual points of view, arrangement of the elements selected, etc.

Technical Quality Appropriate sharpness, exposure, and depth of field for the subject selected.

Composition The proper selection and arrangement of the pictorial elements included in the picture. The elements selected should express a theme or story, provide harmony in form. color, mass, line, etc. and be pleasingly arranged.

RULES FOR JUDGING

Each month the senior judge picks a panel of five judges plus a moderator for the month's competition. Each slide, slide sequence, or print is given a score of one (1) to five (5) by each judge. One highest score and one lowest score is dropped and the remaining three scores are added together to obtain the total score. A score of ten (10) is required for acceptance.

The point system for judging is as follows:

1. point is used only when the judge votes on his or her own picture.

2. points if the picture shows poor composition, uninteresting subject matter, is technically weak (over or under exposed, is not sharp, or has poor color.).

3 points if the picture is reasonably good in the areas mentioned under "2 points" above, but could still have been substantially improved in one or more of those areas.

4 points if the picture shows good overall quality, but the judge feels that some aspect of the picture could have been further improved by closer attention to subject selection, artistic and/or technical detail.

5 points when the picture is of very high quality in all areas of subject interest, composition, color fidelity and harmony, and technically well executed.