NCC Competition Rules

Every month (Sept - June), usually on the fourth Monday, NCC conducts a competition at Earthplace in Westport, Connecticut. Only club members whose dues are paid-in-full are eligible to compete. The monthly competitions provide members with the opportunity to share their images with other photographers and to receive evaluations and comments from judges who are experienced photographers and artists. Judges are encouraged to provide constructive comments.

Each monthly competition includes the following seven categories for both general and assigned subjects. A list of assigned subjects for each upcoming season is provided to the members and is printed in the FOCUS newsletter. Members are allowed to submit one entry per category.

Black & White prints - one class
Color prints - two classes, A and AA
Color slides - one class
Digitally Projected - two classes, A and AA

Color prints - one class
Color slides - one class
Digitally Projected - one class

1. All print and slide images must be the member's own work. Processing and mounting may be done commercially.

2. A member may submit one entry in each of the seven competition categories each month. Any single print or slide may be entered only once in the open monthly competitions.

3. For the assigned subject, entries must adhere to a specific subject which has been preassigned for that month's contest. Judges are asked to evaluate images based on their interpretation of the assigned subject.

4. All entries must be submitted between 7:00 - 7:30 PM on the night of competition to permit recording by the competition committee before the judging. Arrangements may be made to have entries submitted in advance. General category entries may be as “make ups” in subsequent monthly competitions. Assigned subject entries may not be made up.

5. Make-ups must be entered within two months of the missed competition and will not be included in the evening's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize designations. A member may submit only one make-up per category per month. Their score will be included in the score accumulation totals. No make-ups are permitted in the “Assigned Subject" category, since all entries must be judged within assigned subject theme for proper comparison judging.

6. Only members of the Norwalk Camera Club, whose annual dues are paid, may compete.

Only 35MM color slides are permitted. Slides must be mounted in standard 2" x 2" mounts. Cardboard or plastic mounts are acceptable. Slides may be cropped to improve composition. To properly identify a slide, the following procedure must be followed:

1. Hold the slide so that you view the photograph as it would appear on the screen.
2. Put a conspicuous circle, "thumb-spot" in the lower left comer of the mount.
3. Print the title of the slide at the top of the mount.
4. Print your name at the bottom of the mount.
5. Print the class in which you are competing on the right hand side of the mount, i.e.‘A’, or ‘AA’.
6. To prevent projector jamming, be sure that no tape or label projects from the mount.

B. Prints (Black & White and Color)

All prints should be mounted on a stiff mounting board and may be matted. The maximum size mounting board that will be accepted is 16” x 20”. Prints may vary in size from a minimum of 8” x 10” to a maximum of 16” x 20” outside dimensions which includes the matte. Prints may not be framed. The title and maker's name must appear on the back of the mount in the upper left corner printed neatly in large letters.

C. Entry of Digitally Projected Images

Digital files must be received by the Wednesday (3:30p.m.) prior to the competition night as follows:

E-Mail: paulcook@yourcompanystore.net
Standard Mail: Your Company Store, 10 Fitch Street, Norwalk, CT 06855
A return e-mail will be sent to you to confirm receipt of your entry. If you do not receive an e-mail, please call
203-838-0490 during business hours.

Digital File Specifications:
    File Name:
         Assigned Subject: YearMonthDP-AS-1stNameInitialLastName.jpg. For example, an Assigned Subject entry for Paul
            Cook in October of 2006 would be: 0611DP-AS-PCook.jpg
        General Subject: YearMonthDP-Class-Title-Name.jpg. For example, a General Subject entry in Class AA titled
           " GreatPicture" submitted by Paul Cook in February of 2007 would be: 0702DP-AA-GreatPicture-PCook.jpg
Makeup:
       Add “MU” after the makers name if the image is a “make-up” such as 0702DP-AA-GreatPicture-PCookMU.jpg
File Type:
       Jpeg
Maximum File Size:
       1,200 pixels wide x 1,000 pixels high

Black & White prints - one class
Color prints - two classes, A and AA
Color slides - one class
Digitally Projected - two classes, A and AA

Color prints - one class
Color slides - one class
Digitally Projected - one class

1. For Color Prints and Digitally Projected photos (General category), two classes,"A", and "AA" are established. A member's class will be the same throughout the year in both general and assigned subject competitions.

2. All new members begin competition in Class "A", (beginner) unless another class is assigned by unanimous approval of the Executive Board.

3. Competitors in Class A may be selected by the Executive Board for advancement to the next higher class for the following year.

1. Judges are asked to evaluate each entry on the basis of impact, creativity, composition, and craftsmanship (technical aspects).

2. Three judges will score each entry from 6 to 9 (9 being high) which will be displayed on a scoring panel in the front of the room. The total score, from 18 to 27, will be read from the scoring table and recorded. Entries (except make-ups) receiving the 3 highest scores will be identified as 1st, 2nd or 3rd place winners. Tie scores will not be broken in monthly competition. One judge will comment on each entry. Traditionally, the 1st place winners are encouraged to comment briefly about their entries.

3. Scores accumulate monthly toward a final total at the close of the club year. Standings of the members are published monthly in FOCUS, the club newsletter and the club's website (norwalkcameraclub.org) in the Member's section.

NCC members also compete in interclub competitions among Connecticut and New England Camera Clubs. To properly prepare for interclub competitions, members who win in the monthly competitions are requested not to take their winning entries home after the monthly competitions but to leave them for the chairman of the competitions committee for use in interclub competition.

In September, an awards meeting is held. Certificates of accomplishment are awarded for First, Second and Third place in each category based on cumulative scores for the year. At this time, the John Sonoda Award is presented to the Class A member who, in the opinion of the Executive Board, has shown the most progress during the year's competitions. Also, the Ethel & Milt Bruchac Photographer of the Year Award is presented to the member who achieves the highest cumulative score in any one category.

*Norwalk Camera Club*