Padre Trails Camera Club

Competitions

Scroll down or select one of the following.

Pictorial	Photo-journalism	Image of the Year
Nature	23 and Me!	Field Trips
Travel	Judging methodology
Competition & Submission Rules	How to submit digital images	How to submit color slides

Throughout the year the Club conducts a variety of competitions which are open to all Club members. Members in good standing may submit up to four slides for each. The Calendar page of this site lists the turn-in and results returns dates for each. Points are awarded for winning slides as the competition progresses with overall awards being presented at year end. Winning entries from each competition are eligible for Slide of the Year competition.

The comments of the judges, while we may not always agree with them completely, do provide valuable insights that help us create images that are personally satisfying and critically acclaimed.

Our goal is better photography. Our competitions are a proven tool.

Padre Trails Camera Club - Monterey Peninsula, California

Pictorial Competition: Either having an assigned subject, such as "Halloween" or "Children", or open to the photographer's imagination, slides submitted in the Pictorial category may be of any subject not in black and white 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. Pictorial Competition entries are judged on the basis of composition, creative technique and overall impact.

Nature: Padre Trails Camera Club follows the Photographic Society of America, PSA, definition of "Nature." Images submitted in the Nature category are judged by their technical merit and how well they adhere to the PSA guidelines. The complete PSA definition of "Nature" in this context is as follows (Quoted from the 2007 PSA International Exhibition of Photographic Information and Instructions for Nature.):

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.

Photo-Journalism: Subject matter consists of storytelling pictures 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 photo-journalism entries.

Travel: 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. Entries need not be foreign travel images.

Image of the Year: At year-end, a final competition is conducted to award the Slide of the Year. With the exception of 23 and Me! (see below), winning entries from the various competitions throughout the year are eligible for entry.

How Images are Judged: Based on the recommendation of our competition committee which have been approved by the membership, each member may submit up to four (4) slides or four (4) digital images for each competition judging. The images are sent to an independent judge, usually a PSA member, where the slides and digital images are judged separately. The top three, plus at least one honorable mention, are awarded for each image type. The images are returned to the Club along with the judge's written or recorded comments. Win or lose, the process provides an invaluable learning experience for future competitions and helps everyone create more satisfying and enjoyable images.

23 and Me! Once a year, members participate in an exciting, and often maddening, competition known as "23 and Me!" As the name implies, each participating member makes 23 specific subject exposures and one self portrait. The kicker is that the pictures are submitted on a single undeveloped roll of film. No picking or choosing here--what you take is what you turn in. Makes you think before hitting the shutter, that's for sure!

Each member turns in one undeveloped roll of 24 exposures along with a pre-paid processing envelope. The slides are developed and sent for judging. When the results are in, the awards presentation is a surprise to everyone, including the individual photographers.

Field Trips: At least once a year, the club takes a photographic field trip. Though working independently, each participating member works from a common list of subjects. Unlike 23 & Me!, however, members may make as many exposures as they choose for each subject. One slide per category is submitted for judging. Past field trips have included Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf, the charming San Juan Bautista area and the Moss Landing waterfront, Carmel by the Sea, Pacific Grove, and beautiful Capitola.