Info for new members

During meetings, members are requested to ensure that their mobile phones remain silent and, if it is absolutely necessary to remain in contact, that any conversation is conducted outside the room. It would be greatly appreciated if members could help to wash up after refreshments and help to put away chairs etc. at the end of each evening.

PRACTICAL NIGHT

Usually, there is a designated Practical Night about 3 times in the season. This can take the form of a still life photo shoot, a product shoot or a portrait night using a model.

In the case of a portrait shoot, the Studio Secretary arranges for a model to attend in exchange for a set of photographs (it is expected that each photographer donates two A4 (approx) prints (unmounted), as soon as is practicable after the shoot).

The studio – lighting and background are set up at the beginning of the evening and the lights are metered ready for use. A pair of infra red triggers is provided by the club and these fit onto the hot-shoe of each photographer’s own camera. Each member is allowed to take a certain number of frames before passing the trigger to the next in line. There will be times in the evening when the lighting set up is changed and the model changes costume.

At the end of the evening, all members are expected to help with the dismantling and storage of the equipment.

COMPETITION NIGHT

Each month, usually on the last Monday, we enjoy a competition evening, when members have the opportunity to submit their photos to be judged (usually, by an external judge) and to have them criticised in a constructive and informative way. Hopefully, this will help to improve the standard of each member’s photography.(The Club’s competition year runs from January to December).

The rules of the Monthly Competition are detailed below:

There are 6 categories :-

Print Sections:

Mounted (flush or window mounted) colour or mono print, trade/home processed or digitally printed - any size to a maximum 50x40cm. Maximum mount size 50x40cm.

Monthly subjects:

Anything Goes – One mounted or unmounted photograph of any subject – minimum size 4 x 6” and maximum A4.

Practical Night - any interpretation of monthly studio subject.

Monthly theme - Photograph depicting monthly subject (see list of monthly themes). N.B. entries must be relevant to set subject - points may be deducted or print disqualified from competition for failure to depict theme.

Monochrome - black, white and one other colour or a toned image e.g. sepia etc.

Open - any subject - monochrome or colour.

Nature - flora or fauna, weather etc.

No member shall be entitled to take part in any Club competition or exhibition or other activity unless his/her subscriptions have been paid.

This means that, if you wish to submit pictures for a monthly competition, and will be absent on the night, you must arrange for the person who brings your photos to pay your subs for that night.

Monthly Competition - Judging

Each month, usually on the last Monday, we enjoy a competition evening, when members have the opportunity to submit their photos to be judged – we invite an independent judge to give opinions on the images and criticise them in a constructive and informative way. Hopefully, this will help to improve the standard of each member’s photography. (The Club’s competition year runs from January to December)

Points to consider are :-

a) Does it depict the subject (if themed)?

b) Is it sharp – where it should be sharp?

c) Is it well exposed?

d) Is the composition good?

e) Is it well presented?

First Place photos are awarded 5 points, 2nd place = 3 points 3rd place= 2 points and all other entries are awarded 1 point. The points accrued by each entrant are recorded and used to establish the trophy winner for each section and for the ‘Photographer of the Year Cup’ which will be presented at the Annual Awards Evening – usually held in April.

Prints awarded 1st, 2nd or 3rd place are eligible for consideration for display on the club’s website. Winners are encouraged to let the webmaster have a jpeg file (Maximum size 5MB) of their winning entries.

The Club also has an Annual Competition which follows a slightly different format and the rules are as follows:-

Only prints which have not previously won classes in the Annual Competition will be eligible.

Categories

Pictorial/Atmospheric – should be a picture rather than a strict representation of a subject. The portrayal of the effects of light and atmosphere is more important than the subject itself.

Portrait – this can be a single person, group.

Record – the principal aim is the accurate representation of the subject - so that, if the subject were to be destroyed, it could be rebuilt using the photograph.

Open –any subject matter in either colour or monochrome.

Monochrome means black, white and one other colour, or a toned image e.g. sepia etc.

Natural History -Flora or fauna, weather etc.

Each competitor may enter up to 3 prints in each category minimum photograph size = 25 x 20 cm including mount, maximum size = 50x40cm including mount.

Members will be issued with an entry form on which to enter their name and to list the category and title of each photograph. The title ONLY should appear on the rear of the mount. There must not be any sticky tape or velcro or any other material on the back of the mount which may damage other prints.

The Annual Competition Entries are generally required early in February. They are collated and forwarded to the judge who will return with them the following month to give his criticisms and adjudication. Trophies are awarded to the winners of each category, and certificates are awarded to 2nd and 3rd place, and to those whose images have been Very Highly Commended, Highly Commended or Commended by the judge. The Annual Awards evening generally takes place in April.

OTHER EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS occur during the year, and each has its own set of rules which will be made available at the time.

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