Introduction
- The purpose of competitions within the Manassas Warrenton Camera
Club (MWCC) is to improve the photographic skills of the members and to allow
them to display their creative work.
- The Club’s competition year is comprised of a series of monthly
competitions starting in September and ending in May.
- A Competition Committee will be formed to assist the Vice President for
Competitions. The Committee’s duties are to assist the Vice President in running
the monthly competitions and carrying out all other matters as outlined in the
Rules of Competition.
- The Vice President for Competitions serves as Chairperson of the Competition Committee.
- All amendments to the Rules of Competition will be presented and
implemented in accordance with the MWCC Bylaws and Constitution.
Eligibility
- Competitors must be members of the Manassas-Warrenton Camera Club
in good standing.
- While no age restriction for the entries is applicable, photographers are
encouraged to enter photographs that are indicative of their current work. The
Competition Committee may establish special competitions for which the age
restrictions are modified.
- An image that has won first, second, or third place once or an honorable
mention award twice may never be resubmitted in another MWCC monthly
competition.
- It is the competitor’s responsibility to bring all questionable entries to the
attention of the Vice-President of Competitions PRIOR to the start of the
competition. Failure to do so may result in the disqualification of the applicable
entry.
Competition
- A competition will be held every month from September through May in each class.
- Competitions canceled due to inclement weather will be rescheduled.
- Competition subjects will be established prior to the start of the
competition year. Subject definitions will be published in the first newsletter of
each Club year and be available at club meetings.
- A maximum of three (3) images may be entered by each competitor in
each class. This number may be reduced for a specific competition at the
discretion of the Vice-President for Competitions.
- Entries will not be accepted after the cut off time established by the Vice
President of Competitions. This time will be determined prior to the beginning of
the competition year and included in the monthly newsletters.
- Competitions will be divided into the following three (3) divisions, each of
which includes three (3) classes for the entry of images (see section 3.8 below).
Members entering competition for the first time are encouraged to consult with
the Vice-President of Competition, or other club officer, to aide in determining
which division is applicable to their entry.
- Novice
- Any individual new to photography who is learning basic
photographic principles and concepts such as metering, composition,
mastering the camera’s manual operation.
- Intermediate
- Any individual who has competed in the Novice Division the previous
year or who has mastered the basic photographic skills and is at a skill
level above that expected of a novice.
- Advanced
- Any individual who has been named Photographer of
the Year at the Intermediate Level or who has demonstrated photographic
skills that consistently maintain an exemplar quality.
- An individual can be promoted under the following conditions:
- An individual who has competed in the Novice Division is
automatically advanced to the Intermediate Division effective the following
year. Anyone who has competed in four or less competitions may appeal
to the Competition Committee to stay at the Novice Division level for one
additional year only.
- An individual named Photographer of the Year in the Intermediate
Division classes is automatically promoted to the Advanced Division
effective the following year.
- Any individual may voluntarily move up a division level at any time
within the club year; however, once the move has been made, the
individual cannot move back down a level without an appeal to and
approval by the Competition Committee. In the event of a mid-year self
promotion (or voluntary promotion), an individual may retain one-half (1/2)
of their points earned prior to the promotion. Said points are not to exceed
the points earned by the highest scorer in the next higher division to which
the transfer culminates.
- The Competition Committee may determine, at any time within the
club year, that the quality of an individual’s work supports promoting that
individual to the next higher division level. If such promotion occurs, one half
(1/2) of the points earned while competing in the lower division shall
be carried to the next higher division. Said points are not to exceed the
points earned by the highest scorer in the division to which the transfer
culminates.
- Images will be entered into the following classes within each of the three
divisions:
- Color Prints
- All color and monochromatic prints, including those
printed by the photographer or a commercial lab.
- Black and White Prints
- All black and white prints, including those
printed by the photographer or a commercial lab.
- Color and Black and White Slides
- Images specifically captured in film cameras and developed for slide presentation.
- Image Format
- Slides
- There is no size restriction for an image; however, all slides must
be mounted in 2x2 inch mounts. Slides must have the maker’s name and image
title on the mount with a dot in the upper right corner as placed in the projector
tray.
- Prints
- The longest edge of the visible portion of the of the image must
be between 6 inches and 16 inches, except for the longest edge of a Polaroid
transfer which may be less than 6 inches. All prints must be mounted on a
backing at least 1/16 inch thick to ensure that the photograph is adequately
supported and protected. Over mats may be used without color restrictions.
Mounts and mats shall not exceed 20 inches along the longest side. Prints may
not be framed. No multiple print images are allowed. Prints shall have the
maker’s name and print title on the back with an arrow indicating the top of the
print.
Awards
- In every monthly competition, ribbons will be awarded in each class as
follows:
1-4 entries 1st place only
5-8 entries 1st and 2nd places
9-12 entries 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places
13-16 entries 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 1 honorable mention
17-20 entries 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 2 honorable mentions
21-24 entries 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3 honorable mentions
25-28 entries 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4 honorable mentions
29-32 entries 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5 honorable mentions
33-36 entries 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6 honorable mentions
37 and more entries 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7 honorable mentions
In addition to ribbons for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and honorable mentions, competitors will
receive points for each entry as follows:
1st place 10 points
2nd place 8 points
3rd place 6 points
Honorable Mention 4 points
Entry not receiving an award 1 point
- End of Year Awards:
- Photographer of The Year
- At the end of the competition year,
the Club will recognize the Photographer of The Year in each class.
These awards will be made to the competitors with the highest point totals
in each class during the competition year. Points are not transferable
between classes. In addition, to be eligible for Photographer of the Year,
the competitor must have entered at least five of the monthly competitions
within a given class.
- The Top Ten Prints, Top Ten Slides, Print of the Year, and Slide of
the Year will be selected after the end of the competition year. All images
that win an award during the year may be submitted for consideration, and
there will not be any division distinctions for these awards. Judging will be
conducted by a judge(s) who has not participated in any of the current
year’s monthly competitions. The Vice president for Competitions is
responsible for selecting the judge(s).
- The Competition Committee may recognize other photographers
from time to time based upon the merit, quality, and consistency of their
photographic work.
Judging
- Selection of Judges: Judges will be selected from within the Club, other
area camera clubs, local professional photographers, and photo-educators based
upon their knowledge and skill as photographers and their experience critiquing
others’ work. For special subject competitions, an effort will be made to find a
judge with a background in the subject to be judged. The Vice President for
Competitions is responsible for selecting judges.
- Judging Criteria: Judges will judge all images based upon the emotional
impact of the image and the ability of the photographer to execute the theme.
While cropping and composition affect the overall impact of the image, the use of ‘text book” composition is not an item of judging but is considered as part of the
overall impact of the image.
- Print Quality: The Club encourages each photographer to make the best
quality image possible, including the production of the highest quality prints to be
entered into competition. The print quality will not be a separate item of judging;
however, it will be considered as part of the overall impact of the photograph.
- Judge’s Discretion: The judge may remove from competition any image
that is believed to be in poor taste or that does not meet the requirements of a
special subject competition.
How to Label Your Slides
Hold your slide in front of you as it should be viewed. Put a red dot in the lower left
corner. Invert the slide so that the dot is now in the upper right corner and place it in the
projector tray. The dot should be next to the outside of the tray. Please avoid using the
name of “untitled” as this is confusing when recording awards. Competition Category Definitions
Unless otherwise defined for a specific competition these definitions shall be used.
- Abstract
- Blends of color, texture, shape, form, and light to create a design-patterned
image.
- Architecture
- Buildings, interiors, ruins, bridges, statues, sculptures, monuments, memorials,
or anything where manmade structures are the principal interest.
- Close-up
- Images that result from the use of close-up lenses, or macro lenses, where the
magnification of the subject exceeds that obtained with a standard lens at a
minimum focusing distance.
- Earthscape
- An expressive portrayal of a landscape or waterscape , not necessarily a literal
recording of a scene but rather expresses the photographer's personal vision or
emotion. An Earthscape does not show the hand of man.
- Macro
- Images taken at a very close range with the use of a specially designed lens, extension tubes, diopters, etc., where the magnification exceeds that of a standard lens at minimum focusing distance.
- Montage
- An image created outside the camera by layering two or more separately
captured images (e.g. placing two or more frames of slide film in one slide mount, printing two or more negatives over top of each other on the same piece of paper, or layering two or more images in a digital darkroom).
- Multiple Exposure
- An image created in the camera by placing more than one exposure on a single frame (e.g. one film frame or one digital image).
- Nature
- Images that illustrate the natural features of land, sea, or sky, or that reveal
certain natural phenomena such as cloud formations, precipitation, frost, fire, etc., but do not show the hand of man.
- Open
- Any subject including those listed herein.
- Photojournalism
- Storytelling pictures where the activity itself is the center of interest.
- Portraiture
- An individual, or group of individuals, where the subject rather than the activity is the main interest.
- Plants and Flowers
- Images where plants and flowers are the principal interest.
- Reflections
- Images reproduced on a reflective surface such as clouds on water, or structures on window glass.
- Shadows
- Darkness cast upon a surface by a body, human, animal, or structure,
intercepting the light rays.
- Still Life
- Small inanimate objects such as fruit, flowers, glassware, structures, etc., as the center of interest.
- Transportation
- An image showing the process of moving an object from one place to another and/or the equipment necessary to do so.
- Wide Angle
- An image which was produced with a 35mm lens or wider and exploiting the
properties of the wide angle lens including different angles of view and
perspective rather than just including more of the scene in the image.
Merit Prints - Most Important Elements
Judging photography is a subjective act, with personal preferences supported by a
Judge‘s knowledge. Attempting to discern a particular judge’s personal preferences is
futile. It is possible, however, to codify the standards judges use to formulate their
opinions.
The photographic Exhibit Committee established the 12 critical elements of a meritquality
photograph. These elements are endorsed by the committee for use by
International Print Competition judges. In order of importance these elements, with brief
definitions, are:
- Impact
- Invokes a first-impression opinion from a judge. It is the aspect of the photograph that holds a judge’s attention and commands him to look further.
Impact stands at the top of this list because of its umbrella coverage; many other elements have the opportunity to create impact.
- Creativity
- Photographer’s invention and design skills at work. It is the element that
transfers imagination and feeling from the creator to the viewer, lifting the
photograph into the realm of art.
- Style
- Distinguishes one photo from another in a manner that is real, not contrived. It expresses a photographer’s individuality.
- Composition
- Divides a photograph into a successful arrangement of subject matter. It creates a harmonious rhythm in the photograph through symmetry and repetition.
- Print Presentation
- Addresses the choices made in cropping, matting, and mounting that enhance a photograph. It dares a photographer to be different in either a dynamic or traditional format.
- Color Balance
- Weighs the use of complementary colors (dark against light, strong against
weak) and how these are incorporated into the subject matter of the photograph.
- Center of Interest
- Leads the viewer’s eyes through a photograph without unnecessary distraction. It identifies a dominant component that gives strength and definition to a photograph. The center of interest should always be the focal point of, and
supported by, secondary objects.
- Lighting
- Illuminates the characteristics, mood and statement of the subject matter. The
correct quality of light stems from proper exposure.
- Subject Matter
- Is the appropriateness of the subject for the total interpretation of the photograph.
- Print Quality
- Comprises the levels of contrast, color, lighting, angles, and other elements that
make a statement for the photo.
- Technique
- Is the foundation of photography which intermingles with a photographer’s
knowledge of art principles. It takes abstract ideas and makes them concrete.
- Storytelling
- Achieves the photo’s narrative purpose. It builds an emotional response that
challenges a viewer’s imagination.
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Reprinted from “Professional Photographer,” January 1992. |