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Competition Rules

The information contained in these rules cover the following competitions.

Monthly Prints, PDI Championship, Versatility Challenge, Print of the Year and PDI of the Year.

The aim of competitions is to provide a means for members to improve their work and to get the maximum enjoyment from their photography. The competitions also provide the Club with some of the most popular events on the programme. All members are encouraged to participate.

New members need not feel nervous about entering because Duston Camera Club has a tradition of friendly co-operation between its members who are only too happy to help and advise. Above all competitions are for fun and enjoyment. Ribbons are awarded monthly and Trophies annually with the presentation at the Club’s annual dinner.

General Competition Rules

  1. Prints must be titled but must not bear the author’s name.
  2. Prints must be mounted; the minimum mount size is 80 square inches. There is no maximum.
  3. All competitions to be entered by “Photoentry” where possible, at least 1 week before the competition in all cases unless stated otherwise. Prints to be handed in preferably 1 week before the competition date and by 7.40pm on the night.  Members must collect their entries after each competition.
  4. Entries can be home or trade processed.
  5. All images entered must be the sole copyright of the author.
  6. All trophies awarded remain the property of Duston Camera Club.
  7. Images entered into a Club competition cannot be identical to or significantly similar to work which has been entered into that competition previously.
  8. All images or parts of images submitted for entry to Club Competitions must have been photographed by the author. Images or elements of an image that are generated by software via written prompts or developed from work of others are not allowed. Content-aware fill or similar processes which utilise pixels in the original image are allowed.  

Monthly Prints & PDI Championship scoring

1. Judging – Judges will select the top six and marks will be awarded thus:

1st = 10pts, 2nd = 8pts, 3rd = 6pts, 4th = 5pts, 5th = 4pts, 6th = 3pts, rest = 1pt.
If the number of entries in any section is ten or fewer, then the judge will, for the section concerned, select the top 3 places. The marks will be awarded as follows:  1st = 5pts, 2nd = 4pts, 3rd = 3pts, rest = 1pt.

2. Only the highest score for each section entered will go towards the year’s accumulation of points for the annual trophy

Rules for Specific Competitions

Monthly Prints

  1. Monthly prints shall consist of two groups. The “Focus” group and the “Aperture” group. The Aperture group will only operate if sufficient numbers allow.
  2. New members may enter either group at any point during the season. At the beginning of any subsequent new season a member from the Aperture Group may opt go into the Focus Group but once in the focus group may not go back into the Aperture Group.
  3. The person with the highest total score at the end of the competition year from the Aperture Group will automatically be promoted to the Focus Group.
  4. Each member may enter a maximum of two prints per Open competition and 2 for set subject.
  5. No print may be entered into more than one monthly competition.
  6. There shall be ten monthly competitions per year, 5 Open & 5 Set subjects. The number of competitions may be reduced at the discretion of the Committee; any such reduction will be notified in advance.
  7. The member with the highest total score over all 10 rounds will be awarded the Championship Trophy to be held for 1 year.
  8. Only the higher score for each section entered will be entered in the year’s accumulation of points. And each member’s nine best scores shall be counted towards the annual trophy awarded to the winner of each section.
  9. In addition to the annual trophy, a ribbon will be awarded each month for the winner of each section.

PDI Championship

  1. The Competition to be held over 4 rounds over 2 nights, 1 “Open” and 1 “Set subject” each night.
  2. Images or significantly similar Images that have been used in any previous Club competitions including in the form of print or slide are not eligible for this competition. Images once entered cannot be entered in any future Club competition except PDI of the Year.
  3. The member with the highest total score over 4 rounds will be awarded the Championship Trophy to be held for 1 year.

Versatility Challenge.

  • 1. Each member shall enter four prints which shall be one of each of the following subjects:Landscape, Action, Nature & Human Portrait.
  • 2. Work must not have been entered in any previous Club competition.
  • 3. Judging will be by an external judge who will mark each print out of 20.
  • 4. The winner will be the entrant with the highest total score.

Print of the year.

  1. Each member may enter a maximum of 2 prints and indicate which section each print is for Co – Colour, Mo – Monochrome, Cr – Creative.
  2. The photograph must have been taken no earlier than October 1st in the previous year and must not have been entered in the previous year’s competition but may have been entered in any of the other Club print competitions.
  3. Judging will be by an external judge who will select a Winner, plus a highly commended in each of the 3 sections.

PDI of the Year.

  1. Each member may enter a maximum of 2 PDI and indicate which section each is for Co – Colour, Mo – Monochrome, Cr – Creative
  2. The image must have been taken no earlier than July 1st in the previous year and must not have been entered in the previous year’s competition but may have been entered in the PDI championships.
  3. Judging will be by an external judge who will select a Winner, plus a highly commended in each of the 3 sections