ANNUAL COMPETITION

This material is an attempt to clarify what the content should be in each of the classes in the Club’s Annual Competition and provide some advice as to what the judge would be looking for. If there is any doubt in your mind about the correct classification then seek advice from the Competition Secretary prior to the Annual Competition entry dates. The advice given here is general and is not intended to be prescriptive

a) OPEN

Typically this would be a land, sea or cloud scape but it includes everything that does not fit in with the other categories e.g. a figure study, a wide angle view of a building or a hybrid rose. Any print arrived at by substantial digital manipulation will have to be included in this section.
The details of the picture should make a pleasing pattern and the quality of the light should enhance the picture. Where colour is used colour harmonies and patterns are important aspects. Lighting, atmosphere and mood are all important, as is composition.
A carefully chosen title can often enhance a picture by clarifying the photographer’s intentions in taking the picture. The judge will try to “read” the picture hence the need for an appropriate title.
Most introductory books in photography cover the key ingredients of what helps to make a good picture and visits to Art Galleries to see the works of well-known painters will offer further insights. Entering competitions and listening to the judge’s comments on your and other’s work should also be useful.
NB. What is important is that you like the picture that you have created but do listen to the judge …you might be able to improve on your masterpiece!

b) PEOPLE

'People' includes studio portraits, candid portraits, street photography where the human presence is the dominant element, etc. Pet portraits should go in the Open section. The portrait can be candid or posed, taken with or without flash or taken inside or outside.

The eyes are the most important part of a portrait and it is normally essential that they are well defined and sharp. Skin tones should look realistic. A more dynamic image can result if the subject’s head is slightly tilted. Try to avoid the subject merging with the background particularly a dark haired subject with a dark background. Care also needs to be taken with the background to avoid distractions such as unwanted highlights or colour clashes. A large aperture [or small f number] may well render a messy background out of focus and create a 3 D effect. Conversely a small aperture [or large f number] will render more of the subject sharp.

c) NATURE

'Nature' is wildlife, flora and fauna in their natural setting, and natural phenomena. Garden plants, farm animals and creatures obviously in captivity should go in the Open section.

We follow the PAGB guidelines on what constitutes a Nature shot, so no doctoring of images.  Removing extraneous out-of-focus bits from the image and general 'tidying' is fine, so long as it does not detract from the truthfulness of the final image.  Removing a creature and putting it in a more photogenic environment is not - if you do this, the final result should be entered in the Open section.

Nature means wildlife and plants in their natural environments. Wild animals taken in captivity are allowed, as long as there is nothing obvious to suggest that they are in a zoo or wildlife park, e.g. cages, fences, pens etc.  Rings on birds’ legs are perfectly acceptable

Pets, farm animals, garden or other cultivated flowers are not wildlife, and should be entered either in the Open section.  Rocks, clouds and weather phenomenon are all classed as Nature, but if you present an image of a nature reserve as a landscape, it should be entered in the Open section.

Nature can also include fungi, wild plants (not garden plants) in their natural habitat, rocks, fossils, even clouds (scientifically labelled, naturally). 

Nature depicts untamed animals and uncultivated plants in their natural habitat, geology and phenomena not produced by man. The accurate record of the subject and natural environment is the prime factor. Evidence of man, his manipulations or his environment in any part of the picture is undesirable and should be avoided.

After satisfying the above requirements every effort should be made to use the highest level of artistic skill in all natural history photographs. The subject should be sharp and not so large in the frame that no sense of environment is provided. Correct titling is necessary but scientific names are not required if the subject possesses a common English name.
Photographs of cultivated plants, formal flower arrangements, domestic and caged animals, mounted specimens, museum groups or man and his specialised environment are not acceptable.

d) CREATIVE

Altered images to present an unreal reality.  This is where you should enter montages, strange effects with textures and colours and the like.  As with all the work you enter, all the components of the image must be your own work, not acquired from the internet or generated by AI.

e) MONOCHROME

Monochromes do not have to be black and white, toning is fine, but if they have any colour in them other than the tone and white, they must be entered as colour. As we have a monochrome section in dpi, that is where the digital monochromes should be entered; the monochrome dpi section is ‘open’.