Competitions
Newbury Photography Club runs several internal competitions during the year and we also participate in external league and inter-club competitions.
We have external judges for our competitions and it is always interesting to hear the comments of the various judges. By seeing other people's work and entering competitions, members often find that their general standard of photography steadily improves.
Internal
Internal Print League
Internal League Competition with 4 rounds runs across the year. (5 rounds in a ‘normal’ year).
The Print competition accepts prints of a general subject nature and members may enter up to 3 prints per round.
Scoring process – Judges will be asked to ‘hold back’ approx. 20% of entries from each round to then select a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place with any highly commended images as they see appropriate.
Scoring points: 1st 6pts; 2nd 5pts; 3rd 4pts; HC 3pts held back 2pts; unplaced 1pt
The winner will be the member who gains the highest accumulated score.
Best Colour Print - Travel Competition
Images that express a feeling of a time and place, portraying a land, its people, or a culture, in its natural state. Entries will be restricted to two per person unless otherwise stated.
Most Improved Photographer of the Year
Most Improved photographer over the last year in the opinion of the Committee.
Internal PDI League
Internal League Competition with 4 rounds runs across the year,
members can enter up to 3 PDI’s in each round.
PDI competitions have a specified theme for each of the four Rounds (one of which is Open). The winner will be the member who gains the highest accumulated score. The themes for the forthcoming season will be announced in the Club’s Programme each year. The Judge for the evening will be given the responsibility for determining the Author's interpretation of the stated theme.
Scoring process- same as the Print League.
Best Colour PDI - Macro & Close-up Competition
Macro photography is extreme close-up work often of very small subjects in which the size of the subject on the negative or image sensor and then on the photograph is equal to or greater than life size. There are a number of techniques to achieve this and the image does not necessarily have to be taken with a dedicated macro lens. Entries will be restricted to two per person.
Best Colour Print - Flora
The best colour print of a CLOSE-UP detailed study showing the colour, form and texture of a single or group of flowers, leaves, or plants (including fungi) with minimal editing but allowing for adjustments to levels, curves and cropping. Entries will be restricted to two per person.
Best Black & White Print Competition
A black and white print of any subject. Entries will be restricted to two per person unless otherwise stated.
External
SCPF
The club is a member of the Southern Counties Photographic Federation (SCPF) and during the course of the year, we take part in competitions with other clubs in the Federation. Also, the SCPF organise an annual exhibition, which is held in Salisbury during January and our Club enters this event.
Challenge Plate
A competition between up to nine clubs from the Southern Counties Photographic Federation
Rules
2021-2022 season.
Image files will be transferred to the Competition Secretary either via email or a file transfer and storage system.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1 GENERAL
Internal club competitions are open to all paid-up members of the club, including honorary life members should they wish to participate. During a season, members may enter as many competitions as they wish, with the constraint that a member cannot enter both the Group 1 and Group 2 leagues in a single season. A member's initial entry into either Group 1 or 2 will determine their Group entry for that season. Unless otherwise stated in the rules for a specific competition, images may be in colour or black and white. Certificates will be awarded to the winner of each competition and to the runner-up for each league competition.
Authorship: The content of a print or digital image should be entirely the work and copyright of the author. Where parties other than the photographer have made a significant creative or technical contribution to the image, we encourage the photographer to consider whether their own contribution is sufficient enough to claim the image as their own work. These decisions are taken on trust by the club and are not ‘policed’.
Entries can be recorded either by means of a camera or by the action of light on a photosensitive medium. They may be processed by either photographic or digital means and can be home or trade printed.
Judges: The committee shall appoint an external judge to assess and mark competitions and the judge's decision will be final.
Prints: Images can be presented in any size, unless otherwise stated in the rules for a specific competition. It is preferable that prints are mounted to allow them to be handled more easily. However, it should be noted that external competitions have now standardized on a 400mm x 500mm mounted size. This is also the size that will fit the Club's pre-formed frames for exhibition purposes. Glazed frames are not acceptable for safety reasons.
Identification labels should be used by all entrants - these should be completed and attached to the bottom right hand corner of the reverse of the print – no titles or identification on the front of the print are permitted.
Prints are to be handed to the Internal Competition Secretary at least 1 WEEK prior to the evening of the competition along with the title and an exact .jpg copy of the print.
The PDI copy must be presented in JPEG format, using the sRGB colour space. Images shall be sized to a maximum of 1600x1200 pixels, this being the resolution of the Club's projector. N.B. For portrait-oriented images the longest side is restricted to 1200 pixels. Where the chosen image ratio is not 4:3 and hence not exactly matching the above, a border (black is best) should be added by the author to create an overall image of these specified dimensions. The file size must not exceed 2Mb. The image file must consist of: Title_ Author’s name
Projected Digital Images (PDIs): Images must be provided to the Internal Competition Secretary at least 1 WEEK prior to the evening of the competition. Images must be presented in JPEG format, using the sRGB colour space. Images shall be sized to a maximum of 1600x1200 pixels, this being the resolution of the Club's projector. N.B. For portrait-oriented images the longest side is restricted to 1200 pixels. Where the chosen image ratio is not 4:3 and hence not exactly matching the above, a border (black is best) should be added by the author to create an overall image of these specified dimensions. The file size must not exceed 2 Mb.
The image file must consist of: Member No_ Author Name_Title Words,jpg
Tables & Results - Season 2021-2022
Group 1
Group 2
Open & Themed
Travel Competition
1st - Norway Morning by Rob Carpenter
2nd - Bryce Canyon South Ridge by Alan Teece
3rd - Arctic Adventure by Jenny Bailey
Highly Commended - Budapest Sunset by Steve Hearn
Highly Commended - Golden Hour Milford Sound by Richard Pike
Highly Commended - What is Hiding in There by Andrew Buchanan
Macro Competition
1st - Busy Bee on Thyme by Rob Carpenter
2nd= - Carnivorous Plants Dinner by Ken Lane
2nd= - Busy Bee by Jenny Bailey
Highly Commended - Nasty Surprise by Mick Snaith
Highly Commended - You Want a Fight Then Put Them Up by Richard Pike
Gaston Alziary Competition
1st - Menai Suspension Bridge by Robert Carpenter
2nd - Vestrahorn by Ray Hems
3rd - That's a good laugh by Andrew Buchanan
Highly Commended - Look How Far We've Come by Jenny Seculer
Highly Commended - Misty Viana Do Castelo by Paul Holdaway
Tudor Competition
1st= - Gods by Alvin Webb
1st= - Bowdown Woods by Richard Pike
3rd - Winter Trees by Ray Hems
Highly Commended - Red Kites by Jenny Bailey
Highly Commended - Arctic Wolf by Robert Carpenter
Commended - Outdoor Enjoyment by Alan Teece
Quarry Wood Competition
1st - Tulips by Richard Pike
2nd - James Grieve Apple Blossom by Paul Sievers
3rd - Unfurling Bracken by Rick Atkins
Highly Commended - Poppies by Mick Snaith
Highly Commended - Budding Rose by Mike Stevenson