PICTORIAL GUIDELINES
(Revised September 2019)
C A T E G O R I E S:
There are four (4) categories in the Pictorial Competitions:
- Creative:
- Altered Reality
- Enhanced Reality
- Photojournalism
- General
- Theme
Images submitted in the “Creative” category will be judged together, as will those in the “Photojournalism” category, distinct from the remaining Pictorial images which fall into the “General” category. Separate awards will be made in each of these three (3) categories.
CREATIVE:
Creative - Altered Reality
The "Altered Reality" subcategory promotes the manipulation of a photograph, or of several photographs, to create a fictional or conceptual image, or “photographic art.” The resulting photograph exhibits an evident use of a person’s imagination to alter reality. The change(s) should be evident in some fashion and are created using in-camera and/or post-processing techniques whether they be in colour, form, shape, or any combination of these three elements. Creative images are often a blend of multiple images or a manipulation of a single image through duplication, etc.
The original photographic content of an image should still be identifiable in the final creation, but it may also include artwork, or computer graphics generated by the photographer. Images that are created totally electronically with no photographic origin are prohibited.
Note: Contemporary practice also allows limited use of “selected” portions of a clearly identifiable artwork such as, Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam”, or a portion of an iconic (meaning universally known) photographic image, to be part of a multilayered creation. This is considered visual quoting.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) images without further changes are not considered Creative.
Judges score images based on evident creative elements, innovation, quality of execution, the WOW factor, as well as the usual emphasis on composition technique and subject matter.
The Montreal Camera Club guidelines incorporate the definitions of “Altered Reality” as found in the Canadian Association for Photographic Art and the Photographic Society of America.
Creative - Enhanced Reality
The “Enhanced Reality” subcategory promotes the manipulation of a photograph, or of several photographs, to create a fictional or conceptual image, or “photographic art.” The resulting photograph appears to be a photographic image created by a single shutter release but which has, in fact, been created using in-camera and/or post-processing techniques whether they be in colour, form, shape, or any combination of these three elements, and is usually a composite of several images.
Judges score images based on the believability of the image as a single shot, innovation, quality of execution, the WOW factor, as well as the usual emphasis on composition technique and subject matter, etc.
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Photojournalism relates to an image that tells a story, or documents people affected by an event or a situation. The image should clearly make a point or a message. Good composition would greatly enhance the conveying of the story.
Only basic post-processing is allowed such as cropping, tone adjustment and color. Selective adjustments or pixel changes are not allowed, items cannot be added or removed, and Dodging / Burning techniques, gradient filters, and vignetting are not allowed.
The title of the image should complement or contribute to the vision or message being presented in the image.
Judges will award their notes based on key elements such as composition, technique and subject. However, judges will have a strong emphasis on the creative message, the quality of execution, innovation and wow factor.
GENERAL
The "General" category covers everything not included in "Creative" or "Photojournalism."
THEME
There are two (2) Theme competitions during the Club competition year, held during Pictorial Competition #2, and Pictorial Competition #4. In each of these two competitions, members may submit a total of three (3) entries as follows: one (1) in Theme (TH) and two (2) in one (1) or two (2) of the other Pictorial categories.
ENTERING IMAGES IN COMPETITION
- A maximum of three images per competition in each of the five competitions are allowed for a total of 15 submissions over the year.
- Images should be digital and saved for best quality in “.jpg” format.
- Images should be submitted with a maximum width of 3840 pixels and a maximum height of 2160 pixels. Not adhering to the guidelines of size and colour space may negatively impact quality when projected.
- Images must be correctly titled—see “File Naming Rules” on the website under the "Membership/ Competitions" tab. Click on link to the Quick Reference Guide: Quick Reference Guide
Pictorial submissions for each competition are due by the Monday evening of the week before the competition presentation and should be sent to [email protected]
Three (3) judges will rate all the images in advance of their presentation. Images will be marked based on impact, composition, technique and technical correctness. At the presentation evening, the judges will provide comments on the images. Winner ribbons are awarded at each competition and annual trophies are handed out in the spring.
Please refer to the Club Trophies and Definitions page of the website to learn about eligibility for the trophies. If you have any questions concerning the Pictorial Division Competitions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]
Date Revised: September 09, 2019
SELECTING AND PREPARING IMAGES:
You are encouraged to take your time in selecting and preparing images for the competitions. Look at some of the excellent images submitted in past years or in other clubs and ask yourself “am I submitting a good image?” Have a checklist nearby and consider the following points:
You are encouraged to take your time in selecting and preparing images for the competitions. Look at some of the excellent images submitted in past years or in other clubs and ask yourself “am I submitting a good image?” Have a checklist nearby and consider the following points:
- Check basic composition, simplicity, balance, framing, background, use of lines and the Rule of Thirds. Does the image have impact? Will the judges say "Wow"?
- Check the subject’s position and focus (If you intend the subject to be in focus then it should be sharp. You may have intentionally softened the subject for a romantic effect or blurred the subject to show action and that may be perfectly fine.)
- Is the viewer’s eye drawn to the main subject or are there distractions such as over-exposed highlights or undesirable elements that can easily be eliminated
- using processing software? If your image is abstract or creative then different considerations may apply.
- Is the image correctly adjusted - appropriate sharpening, white balance, colour space (RGB or sRGB) and dimensions?
- Zoom into your image at least 100% to ensure there are no weird artifacts or sensor dust spots you might want to eliminate (clone out).
- Do not add frames around the image, nor include your name on the image.
- Images that are substantially modified in image editing software such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Corel Painter, etc., may do better in the Creative category.
ENTERING IMAGES IN COMPETITION:
Pictorial submissions for each competition are due by the Monday evening of the week before the competition presentation and should be sent to [email protected].
Three judges will rate all the images in advance of their presentation. Images will be marked based on impact, composition, technique and technical correctness. At the presentation evening, the judges will provide comments on the images. Winner ribbons are awarded at each competition and annual trophies are handed out in the spring.
Please refer to the "Club Trophies and definitions" page of the website to learn about eligibility for the trophies.
If you have any questions concerning the Pictorial Division Competitions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Date Revised: Jan. 25, 2018
Pictorial Email Address revised: May 29, 2019
- A maximum of three images per competition in each of the five competitions are allowed for a total of 15 submissions over the year.
- Images should be digital and saved for best quality in “.jpg” format.
- Images should be submitted with a maximum width of 3840 pixels and a maximum height of 2160 pixels. Not adhering to the guidelines of size and colour space may negatively impact quality when projected.
- Images must be correctly titled – see “File Naming Rules” on the website under the"Membership – Competitions" tab.
- Link: Quick Reference Guide
Pictorial submissions for each competition are due by the Monday evening of the week before the competition presentation and should be sent to [email protected].
Three judges will rate all the images in advance of their presentation. Images will be marked based on impact, composition, technique and technical correctness. At the presentation evening, the judges will provide comments on the images. Winner ribbons are awarded at each competition and annual trophies are handed out in the spring.
Please refer to the "Club Trophies and definitions" page of the website to learn about eligibility for the trophies.
If you have any questions concerning the Pictorial Division Competitions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Date Revised: Jan. 25, 2018
Pictorial Email Address revised: May 29, 2019
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