Evaluation and Competition Guidelines

Evaluations

Periodically, a guest judge from outside the club evaluates the entered images in front of the group so the members can learn from the judge's comments. You can enter up to four images. Each image is rated on its own merits and is given a score of 8 to 12, the higher the score, the better the image. We don't keep track of scores for our evaluations. Each image is rated on its own merits. Any images that receives a score of 9 can be re-entered at a later date, edited or not. No image (unless re-worked) can be re-entered in the same category. If you have 2 or more closely related images taken from the same location it is advised that you spread them out over the year.

• 12 - Excellent
• 11 - Almost there
• 10 - Good
• 9 - Needs work
• 8 - Try again

Assigned Theme Evaluations

The theme is assigned for each theme evaluation, which is held during meetings other than those of our other category evaluations. Due to our large membership, you can enter one photo. Creative interpretation of the assigned theme is highly encouraged. You may make only basic adjustments to your image - brightness, contrast, color correction, dodging, burning, sharpening and cropping. Adding or removing objects in the darkroom (digital or wet) is not acceptable in this category. Adjustments must not alter the truth of the photographic statement. Sharpening must appear natural. Monochrome images are acceptable.

Annual Competition

Every June we have our annual competition. The images, which are submitted in May, are judged outside our meeting to select the best in a category. Two entries can be submitted in each category. They must have been shown and evaluated during the current year.

We give awards for 1st place, 2nd place and honorable mentions in each of the division/category groups.

Who Can Enter

Current club members may enter images into an evaluation or the annual competition. Visitors are always welcome to attend the meetings, but are not eligible to enter these events.

What To Enter

We have two Divisions.

1. Projected Media
   • Digital
   • Slides
2. Print Media

You must place each of your entries in one of the two divisions listed above and one of the seven categories listed below. Staying within the maximum allowed entries, you can submit any number of entries in a division/category combination. You may submit Photo Journalism category photos only in the Projected Media division. You may submit Monochrome category photos only in the Print Media division. For photo evaluations, you can enter a total of up to four pictures in any combination of Print or Projected division as long as you enter a total of four or less.

A couple of examples will help clear up any confusion. The Print division is simple. You can submit up to four entries in the Print division. For the Projected Media division, you can submit a total of four entries even though this division covers both Digital and Slide pictures. However, the total combined number of slides, digital and print entries you can enter is four.

Although we have a separate Monochrome category, we accept monochrome prints in any category.

No matter what division or category an image is placed in, it will stand on its own merit for judging purposes. It will not be judged against the other images entered into the competition.

We have seven Categories.

1. Open - Creative
   
   The Open category is the catch-all category. There are no limitations on subject matter for images entered in this category. You can enter any type of picture here, manipulated or not. If your photo does not fit in another category, this is where it belongs. Strong emphasis is placed on composition, lighting, impact, artistic expression and technical excellence. Creative photography is producing an image through the use of imaginative skill or originality of thought, including the altering of reality.
   
   Image manipulation beyond the basic is allowed in this category, whether in the darkroom in the camera or on the computer. This is where the former Artistically Enhanced entries would go. Advanced manipulation such as addition or removal of individual objects is only allowed in the Open category.
   
   
2. People
   
   The Open category is for images that include people - crowd images, portraits, children playing, any image that includes people.
   
   You may make only basic adjustments to your image. Brightness, contrast, color correction, dodging, burning sharpening and cropping are allowed for this category. Adjustments must not alter the truth of the photographic statement. Sharpening must appear natural. Monochrome images are acceptable.
   
   
3. Travel
   
   A travel photograph must express the feeling of a time and recognizable place. It should portray a land, its people or culture. There are no geographical limitations. Ultra close-ups that lose their identity, studio type model shots or photographic manipulations that misrepresent the true situation or which alter the content of the image are not acceptable.
   
   You may make only basic adjustments to your image. Brightness, contrast, color correction, dodging, burning sharpening and cropping are allowed for this category. Adjustments must not alter the truth of the photographic statement. Sharpening must appear natural. Monochrome images are acceptable.
   
   Examples of Good Images - A picture of the Golden Gate Bridge or Half Dome depicts a recognizable location. An ocean sunset taken through recognizable parts of the Golden Gate Bridge would be a travel photo. A person in their native country in indigenous dress is a travel subject.
   
   Examples of Bad Images - An ocean sunset containing only waves, rocks and water could have been taken anywhere and should be entered in Open. A performer at the county fair wearing the costume of an exotic destination is not a travel subject.
   
   
4. Photo Journalism (projected category only)
   
   A photo journalism image should tell a story and should have informative content and emotional impact. Examples are human interest, documentary spot news and sports action. Generally, they include people doing things, generate news or emotion. Images that misrepresent the truth such as manipulation to alter the subject matter are not acceptable. Set-up situations are not acceptable.
   
   You may make only basic adjustments to your image - brightness, contrast, color correction, sharpening and cropping. Adding or removing objects in the darkroom (digital or wet) is not acceptable in this category. Adjustments must not alter the truth of the photographic statement. Sharpening must appear natural. Monochrome images are acceptable.
   
   Examples - An auto accident, a fire, a sporting event that catches peak action. A picture of the stadium crowd isn't strong unless a brawl or action is going on. A party or celebration, etc.
   
   
5. Monochrome (print category only)
   
   Monochrome images can be black and white with shades of gray or can be tone based on a single color (shades of color, sepia, etc.). Emphasis is placed on composition, lighting, contrast, artistic expression and technical excellence. Any subject matter is acceptable. Images may be manipulated (or not) in the darkroom, on the computer or in camera.
   
   
6. Wild Nature
   
   In this category, the story-telling value of the subject is weighed more than pictorial quality. It's the story of wild nature. A nature image is an image that captures an animal, bird, plant, organism or natural process from any branch of natural history except anthropology or archeology.
   
   Human elements, the hand of man, should not be a part of the image. Subjects should exist in the natural world by its own volition.
   
   Examples of Good Images - The presence of scientific bands or tags on a wild animal is acceptable. A photo of a tomato plant is not nature, a photo of a worm (if the worm is the main subject) on a tomato plant is nature.
   
   Examples of Bad Images - Domesticated animals and cultivated plants are not acceptable. Subjects should exist in the natural world by its own volition. Mounted specimens, obviously set arrangements and any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the natural photographic statement is not allowed.
   
   You may make only basic adjustments to your image - brightness, contrast, color correction, dodging, burning, sharpening and cropping. Adding or removing objects in the darkroom (digital or wet) is not acceptable in this category. Adjustments must not alter the truth of the photographic statement. Sharpening must appear natural. Monochrome images are acceptable.
   
   Titles should be factual and descriptive. Scientific names are encouraged but not used as a basis for judging. Creative titles should not be used in this category.
   
   
7. Domestic Nature
   
   In this category, the story-telling value of the subject is weighed more than pictorial quality. It's the story of wild nature. A nature image is an image that captures an animal, bird, plant, organism or natural process from any branch of natural history. This category is for those nature images that don’t qualify for the Wild Nature category. Domestic animals, flowers and the hand of man are acceptable
   
   You may make only basic adjustments to your image - brightness, contrast, color correction, dodging, burning, sharpening and cropping. Adding or removing objects in the darkroom (digital or wet) is not acceptable in this category. Adjustments must not alter the truth of the photographic statement. Sharpening must appear natural. Monochrome images are acceptable.

How To Enter

For print entries, please see Judy Hooper before the competition to register your entries.

Titles may be read for all photographs in all categories. The judge usually decides whether to hear the titles in each category before evaluating the photos. Titles can make a difference if read prior to the evaluation. Creative titles should be reserved for the open and people categories. Nature, Travel and Photo Journalism titles should reflect the image in a pragmatic manner.

Digital Entries

Size each digital entry to 1024 x 768 or as close as possible. The long side of 1024 is the important one as the other side may not turn out to be 768. Thus, for a vertical image, size the vertical side to 1024. For a horizontal image, size the horizontal side to 1024.

Save each digital entry file as a jpg. You'll want to use the srgb color space since that is the color space of our projector. Do not use high jpg compression since that degrades the image. Dpi does not matter. However, saving your image using a medium compression setting is usually adequate for digital files. That will probably size your file in the 100 - 500 KB range.

Name each digital entry file using the first two initials of the category (Op, Wn, Dn, Pe, Tr or Pj) followed by a dash followed by the name of the image followed by a dash followed by the initial of your first name followed by a dash and finally followed by your name. For example, a photo called House entered by Mike Schumacher in the Open category would be given a file name of "Op-House-MikeSchumacher.jpg".

Submit your digital entries by e-mailing them to placercameraclub@gmail.com by the Monday before the day of the meeting so they can be pre-loaded onto the club laptop. Entries sent after noon on the day of the meeting will be rejected.

Slide Entries

View your slide as it will be shown in competition. On the front side of the slide mount, place a dot in the lower left corner to aid with slide placement for the projector. Write the title of the image legibly next to the dot. The title should written on the long side of the slide mount. Add the first letter of the category into which the slide is being entered (Op, Wn, Dn, Pe, Tr or Mo) following the title. On the reverse side of the slide mount, write your name.

Print Entries

Printed pictures will be evaluated under the light conditions present in the club's light box. The only mounting requirement is that each picture be able to stand up in the light box and that the photo is not in a frame. Please do not bring framed photos.

Name each print by placing a label on its back. The label must include your name, the entry category, and title of the image.

Questions

If you have any questions about the competition, please call Mike Schumacher at 530-367-4505 or e-mail him at radioman@sebastiancorp.net.