Padre Trails Camera Club

COMPETITION RULES
COLOR SLIDE & DIGITAL SUBMISSION

Printable PDF Copy of these rules

NOTE: Color Slide and Digital entries will be judged separately within same competition.

1. ELIGIBILITY Competition is limited to members in good standing. Members may enter up to four images taken within 24 months prior to each competition.

2. PLACEMENT Members will be divided by experience into separate groups so that members compete with members of equal experience.

3. ADVANCEMENT A member moves into the higher Group when he/she accumulates 20 points (see # 5 "Points" below). Points are accumulated separately for pictorial and nature competitions. When moving from one group to another in pictorial, the member is also moved in nature and vice versa. Images winning points in pictorial may not be entered in subsequent nature competition and vice versa.

4. ENTRIES

     4-A Digital Images

Image Modification: For all categories except creative pictorial, the reality of the subject must not be altered. Slight adjustments to exposure and color balance elements, and minor noise elimination to enhance image quality without distorting the reality of the subject is permitted.

Image Preparation: Digital images must be 8-bit sRGB jpeg files with a maximum pixel width of 1024 and a maximum pixel height of 768. Vertical images must be no larger than 768 pixels high. The 1024 image width for vertical images is achieved by adjusting canvas dimensions to 1024 pixel width. Canvas color is optional, but black is highly recommended. Once your final image has been sized to submission format specifications, careful sharpening is recommended.

Image Naming Convention: Digital images submitted for competition should be named in accordance with the following standard naming convention:

title_maker_type_date.filetype

Parts of the name:

     Title = Title of the image, just like slides.
     Maker = First initial and last name separated by a dash (a-einstein)
     Notice-no caps.
     Type = p for pictorial, n for nature pj for photojournalism, etc.
     Date = Turn-in date for the competition
     File Type = jpg
     The parts of the filename should be separated by an underline "_."
     Separations within the parts, if needed, should be made by a dash "-."

Example: toy-boat_a-einstein_p_7-07

Submission: Digital submissions should be received via e-mail at our digital mailbox by midnight of the Friday prior to turn-in date. This allows ample time to process, organize, and assemble the submitted digitals prior to meeting night. It also facilitates showing submitted images on turn-in night, and it allows time for correcting any problems with naming or formatting. Submit as attachments to an e-mail to: ptccdigital@comcast.net.

Important: The subject line of the carrying e-mail should include the name and turn-in date of the competition for which the images are being submitted. Example: Subj: August 7 Nature.

     4-B Slides

Preparation: Slides must be titled on the front. A thumb spot must be made in the lower left-hand corner when the slide is held for hand viewing. The maker's name must appear on the back.

Slide Front Slide Front must have a Thumbnail Spot in the lower left-hand corner AND the Title of the Slide.

Slide Back Slide Back must have the Maker's Name and may include a short note about the slide.

Submission: Slides are usually brought the night of the turn in and placed in a provided carossel.

5. POINTS Competition points are awarded based on the number of images entered by the total club in Group Competition. Entries winning points may not be entered again. Individuals winning points are eligible for Slide/Digital Image of the Year Competition.

                         Number of entries for any given competition

Place    20+ Images      15 - 19 Images      9 - 14 Images      8 or Fewer Images

 1st        4 points             4 points               4 points               4 points           

 2nd       3 points             3 points               3 points               No points

 3rd        2 points             2 points               No points             No points

 HM         1 point              No points            No points             No points

6. DEFINITIONS

Pictorial Images May be any subject such as a landscape, a portrait, a pattern shot, a mood shot, an abstraction, even a nature subject if presented in an interesting manner with good pictorial qualities and technique.

Nature Images: Are restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict observations from all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a well informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify as to its honest presentation. The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality. Human elements shall not be present, except on the rare occasion where those elements enhance the nature story. The presence of scientific bands on wild animals is acceptable. Photographs of artificially produced hybrid plants or animals, mounted specimens, or obviously set arrangements are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement. (Quoted from the 2007 PSA International Exhibition of Photographic Information and Instructions for Nature.)

Photojournalism Images Have story-telling images as seen in the news media and may include documentary, contemporary life, spot news, illustrative and human interest. Special emphasis should be given to life in our world. Titles are an important part of photojournalism.

Photo Travel Images Should capture the feeling of a time and place and portray a land, a people or a culture in its natural state. Do not include studio-type model shots or obviously manipulated slides. Does not have to be a foreign travel shot.