CENTRAL NEW JERSEY CAMERA CLUB

COMPETITION GUIDELINES - ADOPTED NOV. 20, 2003

 

 

 

Competition Levels - All competitions shall be divided into the following levels:

 

  1. Advanced - A member shall be considered advanced if he/she meets the following requirements:

1.      The member has demonstrated abilities beyond what would be considered an intermediate, i.e., the member has a consistently high average of points scored.

2.      The member has a professional photography background.

3.      The member has self-promoted him/herself to the advanced level.

 

  1. Intermediate - A member shall be considered intermediate if he/she meets the following requirements:

1.      The member has demonstrated abilities beyond that of a novice and yet not as extensive as advanced, i.e., the member has a consistently high average of points scored.

2.      The member has limited practical or technical experience.

3.      The member has taken college level or related courses in photography.

4.      The member has self-promoted him/herself to the intermediate group.

 

  1. Novice - A member shall be considered a novice if he/she meets the following requirements:

1.      The member is new to photography.

2.      The member has minimal practical or technical experience.

3.      The competition committee determines that the member should start in the novice group.

 

Competition Entrants and Entries

 

  1. Each entrant shall indicate in which group he/she plans to compete before the first competition. Placement will be approved by the Competition Committee.
  2. Each entrant in each group shall compete in that group until they wish to advance or are promoted to the next group.
  3. At the end of the year, the Competition Committee will meet to determine which members shall be moved to different levels. Movement will be based on total points and percentage of wins against number of entries.
  4. If a member spends a year in a higher level, and does not win, he may choose to revert to a lower level after discussion with the Competition Committee, and approval of the executive board.
  5. There will be three divisions in each category, except special subjects,  regardless of the number of entries.
  6. Each entrant can submit three [3] entries per division in the regular competition. [Up to 3 color prints, 3 monochrome prints and 3 slides]
  7. Each entrant shall submit a completed entry form for each entry night.
  8. All entries must have a title. No entry may be submitted titled "No Title".
  9. All entries must be submitted no later than 7:45 PM. Entries submitted later than 7:45 PM will be disqualified.
  10. An entrant must be a member in good standing; an entry is each print or slide submitted into competition.
  11. If doubt arises about any entry, the final decision will be made by the Competition Committee providing the decision is not in conflict with the Competition Guidelines.

 

Resubmitting Entries

 

  1. Prints or slides that do not win any awards in their first competition may be submitted two [2] additional times.
  2. Prints or slides that have won an award may not be resubmitted in any other medium, [i.e., slide made into a print].
  3. Prints or slides that are identical or nearly identical to previous winning entries are ineligible.
  4. Winning entries in any special subject competition, which does not award points in the regular competition levels, may be entered in any open competition. Winning entries in open competition may be entered in any Special Subject Competition which does not award points in the regular competition levels.
  5. Entries will be disqualified from a competition and points will not be awarded if the above rules are violated.

 

Judges

 

  1. Judges for each competition night shall be invited from outside the club membership.
  2. In the event that the outside, invited judge does not attend the scheduled meeting and a substitute cannot be found, a panel of up to three [3] members may be appointed to serve as judges by the President or the Competition Chairperson. The use of fewer than three judges shall be approved for that competition by the members entered in the competition. A club member may not judge any categories in which he/she has an entry.

 

Scoring and Awards

 

  1. All entries submitted for competition will be judged solely on the merit of the entry according to the following scale:

         • 9 = Honor Award

         • 8 = Merit Award

         • 7 = Honorable Mention, an award

         • 6 = Better than average, not an award

         • 5 = Average

         • 4 = Below average

         • 3 = Below average

  1. There is no restriction on the amount of prints or slides that can receive each score.

 

 

  1. The judge has the option to hold any print/slide during the judging. He/she may then look at the held print or slide again before giving it a score.
  2. There are no restrictions on the amount of awards that can be given in each category.
  3. There will be a print and slide of the month chosen from the top photos in each category. No points will be awarded for this honor. However, in the case of a tie for Year End Awards, the number of Prints or Slides of the Month will be tabulated to break the tie.
  4. Special subject winners are not eligible to participate in the year-end competition.
  5. Points assigned toward the end of the year totals are as follows:

         • Each entry                           1 point

         • Honor Award                   10 points

         • Merit Award                       7 points

         • Honorable Mention 5 points

  1. End of the Year Awards will be given to the members accumulating the highest total of award points in the divisions of each level at the end of each competition year.
  2. Winners of any awards may submit these prints or slides in the End of the Year Competition. Winning entries may not be altered or reworked until after the End of the Year Competition.

 

End of the Year Competition

 

  1. All winners of Honor Awards, Merit Awards and Honorable Mentions in the open competitions shall be eligible for the End of the Year Competition.
  2. Appropriate awards will be presented as soon as possible after the End of the Year Competition held in December.
  3. There will be one [1] judge and the in/out method will be used to select a Print and Slide of the Year plus a runner up in each category. From those final awards will be given to one [1] color print winner, one [1] monochrome print winner and one [1] slide winner. These will be deemed Slide and Prints of the Year.

 

Special Subject Competition

 

  1. All members in any level may compete in the Special Subject Competition.
  2. All Special Subject Competitions to be held will be published in the calendar. The subjects will be defined to avoid confusion.
  3. There will be only one level for Special Subject Competition.
  4. Each entrant is limited to the submission of two [2] slides and two [2] prints for the Special Subject Competition.
  5. Points will be awarded for Special Competition winners. However, these do not count for year end competition or count in standings within the levels.

 

Competition Committee

 

  1. There is a Competition Committee appointed by the Executive Board.

 

  1. The committee shall include at least two members and the Vice President, if one is presently serving.

 

Competition Divisions

 

  1. Color Print Division
    1. There will be no restrictions on trade processed or digital prints.
    2. Prints can be either with or without a border.
    3. All prints shall be mounted for all competitions. There shall be no restrictions as to color, type or method of mounting.
    4. Prints can be flush mounted or with a border. Maximum mount size shall be 16" x 20". All 16" x 20" prints must be flush mounted. There shall be no minimum size restrictions.
    5. Prints may not be mounted behind glass or plastic or on any type of frame.
    6. Prints with more than one image shall be scored as one print entry.
    7. Name of maker, title of print and arrow indicting “Top of Print" shall be placed on the rear of the mount in the upper left hand comer and shall not appear on the front of the print or mount. Please see example at the bottom of this page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Monochrome Print Division
    1. The term monochrome shall be used in place of black and white. Monochrome prints shall include black and white prints, prints done on colored black and white papers, plus one toned prints and prints that have been selectively toned to produce one tone on a print. Monochrome prints may include one other color.
    2. All regulations applying to the Color Print division as to size, Mounting and labeling shall be applied to all Monochrome prints.
    3. There will be no restrictions on trade processed or digital prints.

 

  1. Slide Division
    1. Slides submitted for competition must be marked and identified as follows and as shown in the example on the back of this page:

i.         All slides must be correctly spotted. Look at the slide as you wish it to appear on the screen and put a spot in the lower left hand comer of the mount. About a 1/4" diameter spot will be fine.

ii.       Place your name and title on the mount as shown in the diagram below.

    1. Both monochrome and color slides shall be grouped together under the Slide Division.
    2. Slides should be mounted in 2" x 2" mounts to fit in our projector.
    3. Slides not fitting or jamming the projector will be disqualified.
    4. Slides with more than one image shall be scored as one slide entry.
    5. All processes such as montages, sandwiches, contemporary, digital, etc. are eligible. There shall be no restrictions as to photographic process used.