The purpose of our competitions is to encourage you to take pictures, show them to the Club and gain feedback on your images. We encourage all members to get involved.
Monthly Competitions
Requires colour and / or monochrome images covering any subject / genre unless otherwise specified by the rules of the competition.
- 2 Open Print and 1 Print Theme: Monochrome
- 2 Open PDI and 1 PDI Theme: 3 selected themes selected by the Committee and announced prior when the next seasons programme is released (typically at the AGM)
Photographer of the Year
This competition is aimed at encouraging the photographer to demonstrate their skill in the use of lighting, composition, and varying subject matter, akin to a 'portfolio of work'. All of these will be taken into account when choosing the winner. This does not mean however that six individual genres will be required to do well, so long as you have demonstrated differences elsewhere e.g. a wide vista at sunset and an intimate woodland scene taken one foggy morning.
Portrait Photographer of the Year
This competition is aimed at encouraging the photographer to demonstrate their skill in the use of lighting, composition, and varying subject matter, akin to a 'portfolio of work'. All of these will be taken into account when choosing the winner. You are encouraged to provide a portfolio which shows a variety of lighting (ie studio or natural), group or individual, candid or posed, head and full body shots for example.
Jim Lucas Award for Print of the Year
All images entered into Photographer of the Year competition will automatically be considered for the Jim Lucas Award for Print of the Year. The best print can be selected from any portfolio, regardless of whether where the portfolio was placed i.e. it does not have to come from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly Commended or Commended portfolios.
PDI of the Year
This is an Open Competition for which authors can enter up to 3 PDIs. The judge will then select their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly Commended and Commended
Nature Image of the Year
This is an Nature Competition for which authors can enter up to 4 PDIs. The judge will then select their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly Commended and Commended
Chris Pike Memorial Trophy
The competition will alternate each year between a Creative Composite Print Competition and a Theme PDI Competition, which is announced when the new seasons programme is released (typically at the AGM). Chris Pike was known for his creative composite prints, and also for introducing a fun competition based on a random inanimate object for which creative images scored highly. Previous themes have included White Teapot, Cutlery and Wheels.
Panel Competition
The panel competition aims to present a coherent panel of work, somewhat similar to an ARPS panel. The judge will be looking for a good choice of theme, excellent technical presentation of all prints and a pleasing presentation / arrangement of the prints within the panel such that the panel holds together well as an entity in its own right. Panels that evoke some emotional response or are highly original also tend to score well.