General

Competitions are a great way for club members to share their work and get ideas on how to improve their images. Judges are encouraged to provide comments and suggestions, providing an enhanced learning experience for the photographer. Anyone is welcome to attend club meetings but only paid members may enter the competitions.

There are two competitions at each competition meeting each season:

• Projected Digital Image competition - Open Subject
• Projected Digital Image competition - Assigned Subject

Members may choose which group they wish to compete in based on their level of skill. Once a member determines which group is best, they must enter all competition images within that group. Members may choose to move up to the next level during the season.

• Class B: Beginners
• Class A: Intermediate
• Salon: Advanced

For the Projected Image Assigned Subject competition, the A and B group will compete as one group and the Salon photographers will be judged separately.

Seven competitions are held each year with the year end final held in June.

Scoring System

Images will be scored on a scale of 5-9. About 20% of the images with the top scores will be awarded either Equal Merits (3) or Honorable Mentions. All award winning images will be eligible for the year end competition.

Entry Rules

Up to two (2) digital images may be entered in the Open category and up to two (2) in an Assigned category.

All entries must depict observations from all branches of natural history, except Anthropology and Archeology. Images shall be judged on pictorial quality first. If all elements are judged to be the same, then the story-telling aspect shall take precedence. Human elements shall not be present, except on the rare occasion where those human elements enhance the nature story. The presence of scientific bands on wild animals is acceptable. Photographs of domesticated animals, mounted specimens, obviously set arrangements, and any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement, are not acceptable. Any live plant and subjects photographed in a zoo or game farm are acceptable as long as the subject is photographed in a natural setting.

Digital Submissions:

Size your images to 1050 pixels on the long side for optimal display quality.

We suggest adding a thin white border (or stroke) on the outside edge of your photo if you wish it to separate from the black background. Click here for Photoshop instructions.

Resolution (pixels per inch) is irrelevant. 100 ppi is fine.

Set your color space to sRGB.

Save your image as a JPEG.

Once you have prepared your images, go to http://www.photocontestpro.com/ to upload your entries. Read the instructions for the competition and be sure to select your assigned group (B, A or Salon).