Weymouth Camera Club Competitions
About our competitions
Weymouth Camera Club holds regular competitions. Club members can enter both print and digital images, and a different external judge is invited to judge each competition. Entries are scored and the more experienced photographers enter the league rounds to compete for the title of Photographer of the Year. However many members enter simply to get a critique and invaluable feedback from the judges in order to improve their photographic skills. There is no pressure on members to enter competitions. All photographs are judged anonymously.
List of club competitions for 2011/2012
| 18 October 2011 | Open - Gallery | League Round 1 |
| 15 November 2011 | Close Up - Gallery | League Round 2 |
| 15 November 2011 | Six of a Kind - Gallery | Non League |
| 06 December 2011 | Knock Out Competition (Open) | Non League |
| 06 December 2011 | Summer Outings Competition | Non League |
| 17 January 2012 | Creative - Gallery | League Round 3 |
| 21 February 2012 | Open | League Round 4 |
| 20 March 2012 | Nature | League Round 5 |
| 17 April 2012 | Open | League Round 6 |
| 01 may 2012 | Annual Competition |
Definitions and rules for club competitions
Open - Any photograph on any subject can be entered for an open competition including creative photographs which have been digitally manipulated and photographs of captive animals or cultivated plants which are unsuitable for the nature competition.
Close Up - Photographs showing the closest position possible although you do not need to use a special macro lens or a camera with a macro setting. Photographs taken using a telephoto or zoom lens are acceptable.
Six of a Kind - 6 separate prints (no larger than 7" by 5") on a common theme mounted on single board. Note: Six of a Kind is now prints only.
Creative - TBA.
Nature - Photographs showing the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilisation. This category can include photographs of natural scenery such as mountains, trees, seas, rivers and geological formations, as well as photographs of wild birds, plants and animals. Only wild animals or birds photographed in the wild are acceptable. Photographs taken in zoos and safari parks are not acceptable even if wires and jesses are not showing. Similarly, only uncultivated plants and trees are acceptable. Photographs showing captive or domestic animals or birds may be entered in an open competition. Photographs entered into Nature Competitions should not be digitally manipulated.
The Annual Competition for 2012
The Annual Competition is your chance to enter your best prints and digital images of the year into an open competition. You are welcome to enter new work - it does not have to have been entered into a monthly league competition but be aware that you will not be able to enter these images into future competitions should they win. The Annual Competition for 2012 is divided into four categories:
- Colour prints (Open) - up to two prints
- Monochrome prints (Open) - up to two prints. Monochrome entries are two colours only but they do not need to be black and white.
- Digital images (Open) - up to two images
- Set subject - Something Beginning with 'G' - up to a total of two colour or monochrome prints
- Set subject - Humour - up to two prints
All print entries must be handed in to Ted Toop on or before TBA. Your digital images must be with Polly by TBA. The results of the Annual Competition will be announced at the club meeting on TBA.
All entries to the annual competition will go on display in the Mulberry Gallery, Weymouth Library. The date for the 2010/2011 Annual Exhibition is 3 - 8 October 2011.
Please note:
Prints - For all competitions, unless stated otherwise, members may enter two prints. They may be colour or monochrome. Prints can be any size but must be mounted on a board. Mounts must have the photographer's name and the title of the image written on the back.
Club members are always happy to show new members how to mount their photographs.
Digital images - For all competitions, unless stated otherwise, members may enter two digital images, in jpeg format. These may be colour or monochrome. Landscape images must be no more than 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high, and portrait images no more than 768 pixels high. Files must be compressed to so that the size of each file does not exceed 350kbytes.
The competition secretary will accept digital images by email in advance or on a CD/memory stick at the meeting prior to the competition. Images cannot be accepted on competition night. Images must be named and titled.
Full instructions for the sizing and submission of digital images is included in the membership programme given to everyone at the start of each season, or on joining the club.
Eligibility - Only full members who have paid to join the club prior to February 2012 are entitled to enter competitions for the 2011-2012 season.
Resubmitting Images - No picture may be entered more than once in a season for a scoring competition. No picture which has won an award (a place or highly commended) may be entered again in any scoring competition; they can however be entered in the annual and external competitions. Pictures forming part of a Six of a Kind panel may also be entered for a scoring competition.
Own Work - Photographs must be the photographer's own work.
Fractals - The use of fractals is banned in accordance with the Western Counties Photographic Federation rules.
External competitions
The Club enters external competitions such as the Wessex Colour Group Competition, The Kingswood Salver and the Digital Projected Image Competition run annually by the Western Counties Photographic Competition. Selection of images for these competitions are made by the club members themselves and all members are welcome to attend these selection meetings and to have their say.
Polly Dinwoodie
Competitions Secretary
(Contact for further information on any competition)