Competition Format & Guidelines

 Competition Format

Effective January 1, 2024

Eligibility

Competitions are open to all members in good standing. All entries must have been taken by the competing member. Members do not have to be present at the competition for their work to be judged. Any print or digital image is eligible for competition if it has not been previously entered in any format in a Spring Hill Camera Club competition.

Class of Members

There are three classifications of entrants: Master, Salon and Studio. New members will be placed in the Studio or the Salon class based on their previous experience.

At the end of the competition year, any Studio member who accumulates 160 or more points in any digital category will move into the Salon Class for all digital categories at the beginning of the next year. Any Studio member who accumulates 160 or more points in any print category will move into the Salon Class for all print categories at the beginning of the next year. 

At the end of the competition year, any Salon member who accumulates 170 or more points in any digital category will move into the Master Class for all digital categories at the beginning of the next year. Any Salon member who accumulates 170 or more points in any print category will move into the Master Class for all print categories at the beginning of the next year. 

Once a member has moved into a higher class, they will not move down regardless of scores.

Competition Categories

Monochrome Prints – Master, Salon, and Studio entrants

Color Prints – Master, Salon, and Studio entrants

Creative Prints – All one class, color or monochrome

Digital Monochrome – Master, Salon and Studio entrants

Digital Color – Master, Salon, and Studio entrants

Digital Creative – All one class, color or monochrome

Digital Documentary – All one class, color or monochrome
For a detailed description of these categories, especially for documentary images, please review the Florida Camera Club Council Rules and Regulations at https://f3c.org/competition/rules-and-regulations/

General Rules

A member may enter a maximum of one entry in each category for each monthly competition. An image or a similar image may only be entered in one category. I.e. an image that has been entered previously as a color print cannot be converted and entered as a monochrome image, nor can it be entered as a digital image.

The entry can be photographically or digitally processed.

All images used in a composite image must have been taken by the entrant. E.g., replacement of a sky in an image must use a sky image taken by the entrant. And elements created by artificial intelligence tools, such as Photoshop “Generative Fill” technology are not allowed.

Print Entry Rules

A completed competition card must accompany each entry. Print titles can be no more than six words. The minimum print size is 8 x 10 inches. Prints must be affixed to a mat board not to exceed 16 x 20 inches. No framed prints will be allowed. Prints cannot have a title or the creator’s name on the front of the image or the mount. Prints must be securely mounted on the mat board or they may be disqualified from competition. A completed SHCC competition label must be affixed to the upper left corner on the back of the mat board. On the night of the competition, members will submit their prints no later than 6:45 pm. Sorters will not begin to sort prints until 6:45 pm.

Digital Entry Rules

Images must be in jpeg format and should be sized to a maximum of 2160 pixels on the vertical dimension; the horizontal dimension can be any value according to your cropping. Titles can be no longer than six words. Images should be named with the title in capital letters, followed by a space and the word “by”, followed by a space and your first name and last name. Your last name will be followed by .jpg without a space. EXAMPLE: "TULIPS by John Doe.jpg". Creative images will start with a capital letter “C-“ followed by the title as above. EXAMPLE: "C-THE CASTLE by Mike Eckstein.jpg". Documentary images will start with a capital letter "D-" followed by the title as above. Completed images must be be emailed to the competition chairperson and sent no later than 10:00 pm on the Saturday preceding the competition. However, entries may be sent any time between the previous competition and the deadline. Entries received after the deadline will be entered in the following month’s competition. Titles or the creator’s name cannot be embedded in the image.

Competition Judging

Competition judging will usually be performed by three judges. A “0-9” scoring system will be used. Club members who serve as judges will score a “0” on their own entries or images they have seen prior to competition. The three scores will be added to reach a final score. After scores have been recorded, the judges will alternate critiquing the images.. Once the critquing is finished, the score and the makers name will be announced. Selection of judges and and/or critiquers is at the discretion of the Competition Chairperson. The Competition Chairperson may also select specially qualified outside guests to serve as judges or critiquers.

Monthly Competitions

Competitions will be held on the second meeting of each month starting in January and continue through October for a total of up to 10 competitions. Variations in the schedule may be needed to allow for holidays or other unforeseen occasions when the competition cannot be held. The maximum number of entries in each category for the year will be 10. Only 7 scores will count toward the final score for the year. After 7 scores have been recorded, any additional scores, if higher, will replace the lowest score from a prior competition. Only members who have submitted 7 or more entries in any given category will be allowed to compete for awards at the end of the year. At that time, awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers in each class and category. Should there be a tie in any of the first, second or third place finishers, that tie will be broken by whoever has the highest sum of their single highest and lowest recorded scores. If there’s still a tie, the sum of the next highest and lowest scores will be compared up to two additional times. If there’s still a tie, whoever has the highest individual score or scores will win that place.

Year-End Competition

A year-end competition will be held using outside judges to determine the best images in each category. Members may submit up to two entries in each category from images previously submitted during the year’s monthly competitions. Entries cannot be altered from their original submission. Print entries must bear the original label on the back of the mat board. By process of elimination, the judges will vote to keep (in) or reject (out) each image. The images will be presented one at a time in complete rounds to determine which images are kept or rejected. Should a round yield less than three images, all rejected images from the previous round will be reentered into the round, with instructions to the judges to confer on the top three. Once three images are remaining, the judges will again confer on the first, second and third place winners.

Please contact Steve Zimic with any questions regarding our competitions: SteveWZG@gmail.com

 Judging Guidelines

To provide additional clarity to members submitting competition images, the written descriptions of the judging criteria have been changed effective January 1, 2023 to match the criteria used by the Florida Camera Club Council, excerpted below: 

"Judging criteria are intended to give makers and judges common ground for what constitutes a high-quality photographic image. Factors to consider are grouped into three main categories, 1) Overall Impact, 2) Composition of Elements, and 3) Technical Aspects. Although an image can sometimes defy specific factors, its impact, composition and technical aspects should still work together to create a compelling result. Criteria should be given serious consideration but it is acknowledged that subjectivity will also play a role.

"Overall Impact

"The image evokes emotion in the viewer. It compels the viewer to return to the main subject again and again. A mood may be projected and the image may make a statement or tell a story. Impact can also be achieved through an original presentation using unique lighting, use of color, interesting perspective or by featuring an unusual subject.

"Composition of Elements

"The main subject or subject area is clearly presented by thoughtful placement in the frame. The maker might use the rule of thirds, golden ratio, or less often, center-placement to achieve his or her intent for the image. Leading lines, interesting lighting and well-done cropping contribute to a cohesive image that leads the viewer’s eye to the main subject. Other elements in the image support the main subject and invite the eye to move around the image and back to the main subject without detracting from the subject. Artful use of these techniques create dimension and depth in the image.

"Technical Aspects

"The image is in focus, although selective focus may be used to create a mood. Exposure, contrast and color balance (white balance) are suited to the subject and inviting to the eye. Color combinations may suggest a color scheme that is exciting or restful, warm or cool. Post-processing succeeds in enhancing the image without unwanted artifacts, such as haloes, noise, etc.

"Additional, for Print Competition

Translating an image to print can be a challenging and worthwhile process. The maker might consider calibrating the computer to the printing equipment they are using in order to match the colors and tones accurately. Because a digital image can show more depth and contrast than print paper, the maker might also enhance the image prior to printing or work with the printer in order to achieve the desired results. Minimizing scratches and fingerprints on the print will contribute to the print’s overall presentation. Makers can prepare their print with a border and/or a narrow stroke line in post-processing to create a frame if they wish. See print guidelines for preparing prints for competition."

Scoring

• Images that partially satisfy some of the criteria can score 4 or below.

• Images that satisfy some of the criteria will score between 5 and 7.

• Images that stand out in all three categories will score between 8 and 9.