Competition and Submission Guidelines for Members
All photos must be submitted through the website by two Sundays before competition.
1. Sign in using your personal log in name/password here: http://www.castlecraigcamera.org/log-in-page/.
2. Simply upload your properly sized images, enter your title, choose your competition category, and whether you would like judges’ comments on your photo. The website will automatically recognize your name and competition class.
3. Again, for judging, statistical and organizational purposes please follow this same process for Print entries!
4. After your entries are uploaded, please review and if satisfied, hit SUBMIT button. You will be able to log in and return to make changes up until the closing deadline (midnight Friday prior to “Competition Tuesday”).
5. After the competition chairperson closes the competition, you will receive a confirmation email with an attached PDF file previewing all of your entries. (Note: Thumbnail previews for vertical photos may appear cropped but rest assured they will be displayed in full for the competition.)
Digital Entries
Digital Sizing
The website will NOT ACCEPT submissions larger than 1MB and/or 1400 x 1050 pixels !!
Horizontal pictures should be sized no larger than 1400 pixels in width
Vertical photos should be sized to 1050 pixels in height. (the width of the vertical photo will likely be smaller than 1400 pixels, do not worry.)
For example, using Photoshop, this is under “Image” scroll down and hit “resize”.
Suggestion: change resolution to 300 DPI first and then re-size. Lower than 300 DPI may be required to get under 1MB. Again, do your best to get as close as you can.
Digital Competition Categories
You can submit up to 2 digital images in each of the following categories:
1. Special Category: Unique subject matter of the month…please see http://www.castlecraigcamera.org/calendar/ for schedule of categories.
2. Out-of-the-Camera Category: Note this exciting change for 2020-21! Requires submission of photos exactly as shot, no cropping, no editing. The only adjustment allowed is reducing the file resize to 1MB to fit the judging software program.
3. Creative Imagery: Creative Imagery goes beyond basic photo adjustments.
This is often accomplished by applying any applications found in Photoshop or other photography programs. This can include adding subjects to the image: such as the sun, birds, flowers, people. However an actual photo must be the foundation for the Creative Imagery submission. The end result creates a different visual from the original photo.
4. Open Category: Open digital can be any subject. Color or Monochrome. These are photos that are not heavily altered and have had nothing added to the photo (e.g. a bird, boat, person). Basic enhancements are acceptable such as color, contrast and the removal of unwanted objects.
5. Black and white photos: Black and white, (or more properly, grayscale) photos represent an object’s spatial variation of radiance without regard to wavelength (or frequency) of the light. Monotone photos are also acceptable. The definition of monochrome is an image displaying a single colour or different shades of a single color. For example, Sepia images. Photos which contain one additional color, (besides the black and white) are also acceptable.
Print Sizing
Depending on the number of Print submissions, prints from both A & B makers may be judged as one group. (Fear not, awards will still be presented in both A & B categories.) Prints, including your mat or foam board should not be smaller than 8×10 inches and no larger than 16X20 inches. All prints must mounted on foam board or matted for competition.
Print Competition Categories and Labels
Note: The print competition is currently suspended. We hope to return to print competition soon!
1. Color Salon Prints: Can be any subject the maker chooses. These are prints that are not heavily altered and have had nothing added to the photo (e.g. a bird, boat, person). Basic enhancements are acceptable such as color, contrast and the removal of unwanted object.
2. Monochrome Salon Prints: Black and white, any subject. Black and White prints with one added color are permitted.
Be sure to print your photos at your preferred large file size for best quality, but submit via the web resized to the same (smaller) standards used for digital submissions. To post your intended prints for competition, you must resize a copy to the digital standard of 1024 x 768 or smaller before submitting on the website for judging.
Labels for your prints will be printed prior to the competition by the competition chairperson. When you arrive at the club, simply find your label and attach to the upper left hand corner of your prints paying attention to the arrow to ensure proper display during competition. Then place your entry in the stack of photos by category (A or B, Color or B&W).
Important. On competition nights, prints need to properly mounted and ready for the label upon arrival. Prints should be in the appropriate competition pile by 7:00pm! Thank you!!
ALL JUDGES’ DECISIONS ARE FINAL!
Additional comments/rules:
1. Please – no nude photography (our competitions take place in a church facility).
2. Photos must have been taken by you! Duh.
3. Photo must have been taken within the past 10 years.
4. Once an image wins 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in a competition, it cannot be entered again (except for the appropriate category during end-of-year competition).
5. Please click here for a few more clarifications!