Competition Categories
Categories
This category is open to any subject that doesn't violate club rules or the law. There are no restrictions on digital manipulation.
The nature category is strictly photos of the natural world untouched by the hand of man. There should be no signs of humanity's influence in the photo. Some frequent 'gotchas' that are off limits in nature photos: contrails, domesticated flowers, zoo animals, small bits of litter, cut grass, sawed wood. Exceptions include bird bands or other wildlife tags or monitoring devices.
Photos must not be altered beyond basic exposure and color correction and cropping. Removing or adding anything in the photo (aside from items on the edge removed via cropping) is not allowed.
See updated Nature rules for a full list of what is and isn't allowed.
This category normally includes both portraits and human interest images.
- A Portrait is likeness of a person especially of, but not limited to the face, and must be staged.
- Human Interest is an un-posed image of a person/people engaged in an activity.
If a particular competition limits images to one or the other, it will be indicated in the subcategory.
Creative/Altered Reality Images must represent altered reality, meaning they are noticeably different from a scene viewed through a camera lens. Generally, an image does not qualify in this category simply because the maker has cropped it, rendered it black and white, or adjusted the exposure. Images whose sole creativity is infrared, monochrome, High Dynamic Range (HDR), use of wide angle or fish-eye lenses, or long exposure are not eligible in this category. Techniques such as panning/zooming or unique staging ALONE are NOT considered creative UNLESS they are used to create an abstract effect. There is no requirement that the final Creative/Altered Reality image be recognizable or representative of any specific thing or person (i.e., an abstract image is eligible in this category).
Creative images must have been obviously manipulated or modified during or after exposure with experimental, digital, in-camera, or darkroom techniques. Composite or merged multiple images and collages are acceptable for creativity even if each component is not altered reality if the end image is clearly not a single image and represents altered reality.
Images should display imaginative skill and originality. Images are evaluated based on their overall photographic impact, not the amount of manipulation required to achieve the effect.
Text should not be added to images.
The print category is for entering physical prints. Images may be personally or commercially printed. A digital copy of the image is submitted to the website for display in the gallery but the actual print is judged. Judges will take into account the mounting and matting, which isn't represented in the digital image. See Submitting Prints for more information preparing the physical print.
The subcategory will indicate whether the images should be in Color or Black and White for this competition.
This is kept for historical purposes as there are a few competitions early on when challenge was a category on its own, not connected with any of the other categories. Challenges are now subcategories under the main category such as "Sunsets" under "Nature".
Subcategories
General - Images can have been made at any time
Images must be monochromatic but there are no restrictions on image content. Sepia or other tints are accepted; no special or selective color treatment is allowed.
Images should be in color but there are no restrictions on image content
Challenge - Images must have been made after the 2nd Tuesday last May
Minimalist photography is a form of photography that is distinguished by extreme, austere simplicity. It emphasizes spareness and focuses solely on the smallest number of objects in the composition process. Minimalist photographers usually focus solely on one particular subject, rather than an abundance of color, patterns and information. (Source: Wikipedia)
Qualifying events: Youth Outdoor Fest (July), Erikson Bowl (October), Youth Volleyball Game Days (Saturdays in October), Polar Plunge (March), Figure Skating Show (March).
Archived Subcategories
View archived subcategories
A composite image is two or more different images combined to create a single new image.
While the people element is still very important, the story is the center of interest. People should be doing something in the photo rather than simply sitting and smiling at the camera.
Frozen liquid.
Photos should have a theme of machinery.
This is your typical human portrait. The subject does not need to be posed but is very much the center of interest in the photo. What the person is doing is secondary to how well the person has been captured.
Photos should have a theme of street photography. Street photography is a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. The very publicness of the setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge. Street photographers do not necessarily have a social purpose in mind, but they prefer to isolate and capture moments which might otherwise go unnoticed. Because the images are captured in public places, many photographers try not to shoot people who are obviously weak, particularly vulnerable or otherwise compromised. Perhaps a useful guide to the ethics of street photography would to empathetically imagine the positions as being reversed: “How would I feel in this person’s shoes?” If the photographer would be upset about having an image of him/herself captured and published, that photo opportunity would best be let go.
Photo should convey a subject's strong emotion.
Photos should have a theme of sunrise or sunset.
Photos should have a theme of transportation.