Definitions of Club Competition Subjects

Note that for 2023 any presented images must have been taken in the four years prior to the month of the competition.

JANUARY – Open:

Any subject that is treated pictorially, embodying the elements of good design, arrangement or composition, which reflects the personal interpretation of the photographer

FEBRUARY – On the Beach :

An image in which the main subject [s] is on the beach with sufficient visual evidence to show the nature of the location and its features.

MARCH – Portrait :

An image of a living person that accurately represents their anatomical features in which the face is predominant.

The intent is to meaningfully reproduce the recognisable appearance, personality, character, mood or qualities of the person or group of people.

It is not just a recording or ‘snapshot’ and its purpose is to memorialise an image of someone for the future.

There are essentially four approaches to portraiture:

1. Constructionist (Maybe studio based where the photographer builds an idea or theme around the portrait to communicate about the person, for example, a musician in action)

2. Candid (These are observational images of the moment, rely on ambient light and the person is unaware the image is being made)

3. Environmental (Shows the surrounding living conditions and reveals a lot about the person)

4. Inventive (Imaginative but true to reality where post-production manipulation is used)

Experimental, as distinct to inventive, where human features are not distinguishable such as a disguise, pretence, simulation or fabrication of a human face do not qualify as portraits.

APRIL – Night Scene:

Any photograph made out of doors at night providing that flash or any assisted lighting is not used.

MAY – Action :

An image depicting a person or people doing something in a non-leisurely manner e.g., sport, an emergency, at play or at work

JUNE – Landscape :

Is a photograph of natural scenery with land and sky-based elements displayed in a pictorial fashion. It may include evidence of man, people, animals, even part of the sea provided that none of these additional elements dominate the photograph.

JULY – Through a Frame :

A Frame is defined as an opening on a wall, doorway, fencing, rock, archway, etc.

In all cases, evidence of the opening surround must be included in the picture.

Views through shop windows are excluded.

AUGUST –  Symmetry:

Refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance.

In photography symmetry appears when parts of your composition mirror other parts.

It is created when two halves of your scene look the same and balance each other out.

Symmetry defines something being clean, proportional and balanced and will make pictures appear neat, tidy and clinical.

SEPTEMBER – Nature :

Photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation.

Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans.

Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible.

Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.

Zoo animals are permitted.

No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted.

Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content, or without altering the content of the original scene, are permitted including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning.

All allowed adjustments must appear natural.

Colour images can be converted to grey-scale monochrome.

Infrared images are not allowed.

OCTOBER – Photo Journalism :

A record of any event which tells a story of what has happened, is happening or is about to happen, the visual sight of which excites or stimulates one of the many human emotions

COMPETITION SOFTWARE:

The club is currently evaluating software to make competition digital entry easier.

More details coming in the near future.