Competitions

Competition Upload Page

Use the link on the right for the Competition Scores.

Competition Rules

Many of our members take active part in slide, digital and print competitions. Here is an outline of how we organize our competitions since many new members often find the rules confusing. The Blue Book has full details about competing including how to prepare images for competition.

Important Information About Changes for 2009-2010 Competition

PSA

  • The Guild will compete in four PSA print categories this year, including Colour – Large (Up to 16×20″) and small (up to 8×12″ or 96 sq. in) prints as well as Monochrome – Large (Up to 16×20″) and small (up to 8×12″ or 96 sq. in) prints. It does not matter if the prints entered are commercially printed or if you print them yourself at home or at work. It should also be noted that the monochrome print category allows a single colour or tone in the image, ie: an overall sepia tone or a single selective colour highlight such as a red rose in a bouquet. If there is more than one colour, the print must be entered into the colour category.
  • A total of four prints per member can be submitted with no more than two per category in each PSA print competition at the Guild. Only one print per maker can be selected to go away to competition.
  • With the exception of a separate Nature Slide category, all other PSA competition categories are digital.
  • Note the first PSA Competition is September 14th and all entry titles and digital images need to be submitted two days in advance ie by midnight on Saturday September 12th.

More Updates for 2009-2010

This post has the complete information about rule updates for this season.

Information for New Members

  • A summary page of information and tips for new members, including an overview on competition rules, is being developed and will be made available in the near future. In the meantime please refer to the Blue Book available on our website and never hesitate to contact the executive with questions.

Tropy Competition

April 12th, 2010 is the deadline for entries in the annual trophy competition. Enter your best images from this season for opportunity to win one of the trophies. Download the Trophy Competition Entry Form for more information on all the categories.

The Tropy Entry Form is setup as a PDF form. Just hit tab to go to the first field (Name). You can type all your info on your computer and then print the form.

General Competition Rules

Categories

The following slide and digital categories are open for competition during the year:

  1. Pictorial / Colour Slide: An open category which may include any subject. Digital images may be entered in this category provided that all portions of the image, or combined images, are the work of the entrant.
  2. Nature: This category is restricted to use of the photographic process to depict observations from all branches of natural history, except antrophology and archeology, in such a fashion that a well informed person will be able to identify the subject material and to certify to its honest presentation. The story telling impact of the photograph must be weighted more than the pictorial value. Human elements shall not be present, unless those human elements enhance the nature story. The presence of scientific bands on wild animals is acceptable. Photographs of artificially produced hybrid plants or animals, mounted specimens, or obviously set arrangements are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.
  3. Creative (Contemporary): This category depicts a departure from realism often through the use of derivations, montages, motion blur, patterns, selective focus, zoom exposures and other techniques. The purpose of such techniques is to alter reality to the point that the picture is essentially surreal or abstract.
  4. Photo-Travel: Contains slides that capture the feeling of a time and place and portrays a land, a people or a culture in its natural state. Ultra close-ups that lose their identity, model shots or manipulated slides do not qualify. Photo-Travel slides have no geographical limitations.
  5. Photojournalism: Contains slides that consist of pictures or sequences with informative content and emotional impact, including human interest, documentary and sport news. The journalistic value of the photograph shall be considered over the pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, photographic manipulations which misrepresent the truth of situations which are set for the purpose of photography are unacceptable in the Photojournalism category.
  6. Portraiture: The Guild portrait category was created to encourage members to improve their portrait images. The category, which includes figure studies, shows a planned portrayal of the subject including the use of creative techniques. The photographer must be in control of all aspects of the setting. Images made in situations where another individual controlled any aspect of the setting are ineligible.
  7. Humour: Contains slides which tend to make the viewer laugh. Slide titles are an integral component of this category as they are read loud just before the slide is projected for judging. A slide in which there is an attempt to embarrass any individual will not be accepted.
  8. Theme: This category contains slides which fit the description of the particular theme as specified by CAPA or by the Guild. Portrayal of the theme is an integral aspect of judging in this category. CAPA does not accept digital images for club comeptitions at this time.

Types

Each member in good standing may submit slides to any of our regular Guild, CAPA (Canadian Association for Photographic Art) or PSA (Photographic Society of America) competitions.

Scoring

Entries are usually judged by a panel of three judges, using a scoring system where each judge awards a score of 5 (exceptional image), 4 (very good), 3 (good to average, still technically sound) or 2 (poor) points. The total score (6 to 15) is recorded against each entry. A record of photographer’s individual scores is kept, and the member with highest number of points at year end in named Guild Photographer of the Year. In addition, during the first two years of membership in the Guild, the photographer is eligible to win the Novice of the Year Award (presented to the new member with the highest number of accumulated points).

Number Of Entries

In case of Guild competitions, member may enter a maximum of two images in any one category (Pictorial, Nature, Photojournalism, Photo-Travel, Contemporary, Portrait, and Humor) up to a maximum of seven images in any one competition. Under our present rules, all entries in Guild competitions (please note only Guild competitions), must not be entered in any of previous Guild, PSA or CAPA competitions. In the case of PSA or CAPA competitions, member may submit two images in each category (Pictorial, Nature, Photojournalism, Contemporary or Theme). Please note that no individual image, or closely similar image, can be used for competition on more than four occasions in one season, regardless of category.

Please note: No slide or image that has been sent away to an external competition, i.e. CAPA Pictorial, can be re-entered in that category. However, the same slide can be entered in PSA pictorial or even CAPA Nature, if appropriate. Also, images for the Guild Theme competitions must be taken within the time limit (after September 1st of the current Guild year).

Time

All images to be submitted for competition must be received by the Guild Chairperson no later than 7:20 pm on the date of judging. Digital images must be submitted two days before the competition. Any exceptions to this regulation will be as determined by the Guild Executive.

Awards

The Guild recognizes member’s success in a number of ways. The maker of any image or print given a score of 11 or more points is awarded a Merit (11 points) or Honour (12 or more points) certificate. Special awards are also presented annually to members gaining the highest cumulative points in each category. In the spring of each year, the Guild holds the Annual Trophy Competitionentries here are restricted to images or prints which obtained 10 or more points in one of the season’s competitions. Special trophies are awarded in each category.

Nova Scotia Bird Society Competition Rules

This is an annual competition open only to members of the Photographic Guild of Nova Scotia. Excerpt from the Blue Book.

  1. Up to two colour transparencies, or digital images, may be submitted by each photographer. See Section 11.2 for digital file specifications.
  2. The image of a wild bird must be have been photographed in Nova Scotia. The bird must not have been caged or otherwise restrained when photographed.
  3. Species winning in previous years are not eligible for this trophy.
  4. Images must not have been submitted in any other Nova Scotia Bird Society Competition.
  5. Images will be judged on technical excellence, but also on originality, scientific interest, aesthetic appeal and artistic composition. At least one of the judges will be a member of the Nova Scotia Bird Society. There will be one winner declared with no runners-up.
  6. The Nova Scotia Bird Society may copy all of the entries and use them for educational purposes, publish them in its newsletter, and display them at meetings of the Society, with credit being given to the photographer. Copyright remains with the photographer.
  7. A brief account should be enclosed with each entry, giving the circumstances in which each photograph was obtained, technical details (focal length, exposure, make of camera and film), locality, and date. The photographer’s name and address should also appear on each slide mount or be included in the FileInfo for each digital image.
  8. Digital Entrants must provide with their entry a CD, labelled with their name and address, containing both a high resolution file and a low resolution file of their image(s).
    • a) The high resolution file should be at the maximum resolution supported by your digital camera or scanner. ie a 6MP camera will be approximately 3000×2000 pixels. The dpi setting does not matter as this will be determined when the image is used for printing. Colour space should be sRGB or AdobeRGB 98 and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved. (The maximum resolution should not exceed 4096 x 2730 (11MP) pixels as this is the maximum resolution used by a film recorder.)
    • b) A low resolution version of the file should also be included for use with a digital projector. The image should be a maximum of 1024 x768 pixels (Width x Height). The dpi setting does not matter when an image is projected. Colour space should be converted to sRGB and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved.
  9. Entries are submitted at the photographer’s risk.
  10. Entry of an image in this competition indicates agreement by the maker to abide by these rules.

Judging

  1. Entries are accepted only on the above conditions.
  2. Slides will be judged on technical excellence, but also on originality, scientific interest, aesthetic appeal and artistic composition.
  3. At least one of the judges will be a member of the Nova Scotia Bird Society. There will be one winner declared with no runners-up.

Previous Winners

  • 1989 Common Tern – Pat Wall
  • 1990 Red-Tailed Hawk – Fred Greene
  • 1991 Great Black-Backed Gull – Pat Wall
  • 1992 Common Loon – Lorris Keizer
  • 1993 Flicker – Lorris Keizer
  • 1994 Piliated Woodpecker – Lorris Keizer
  • 1995 Bald Eagle – Lorris Keizer
  • 1996 Osprey – Lorris Keizer
  • 1997 Pheasant – Pat Wall
  • 1998 Junco – Lorris Keizer
  • 1999 Robin – Lorris Keizer
  • 2000 Yellow Warbler – Lorris Keizer
  • 2001 Evening Grosbeak – Lorris Keizer
  • 2002 American Goldfinch – Lorris Keizer
  • 2003 Magnolia Warbler – Lorris Keizer
  • 2004 Immature Saw Whet Owls – Lorris Keizer
  • 2005 White Throated Warbler – Lorris Keizer
  • 2006 Great Blue Heron – Lorris Keizer
  • 2007 Cedar Waxwing – Lorris Keizer
  • 2008 Palm Warbler – Jen Fried
  • 2009 Red-breasted Nuthatch – Ken Renton

Atlantic Geoscience Society Competition

  1. This is an annual competition open only to members of the Photographic Guild of Nova Scotia.
  2. Geological subjects can include rocks, sediments, geological processes (rivers, glaciers, landslides, etc), minerals and fossils, as well as landscapes. Clouds and other meteorological phenomena are not considered geological, nor are human artifacts, though other aspects of archeological sites may be appropriate. Appropriate human interest in the image is encouraged (e.g. people as scales, quarrying activity, associated buildings). The title of each slide should reflect the geological feature that the photographer has in mind.
  3. Up to two colour transparencies may be submitted by each photographer.
  4. As a minimum, each entry should have a title, a specific location, and photographer’s name and address. The date (month-year) of the image would also be useful.
  5. Images must not have been submitted in any previous AGS competition.
  6. Images will be judged primarily on scientific interest and technical excellence, but originality, aesthetic appeal and artistic composition will also be important considerations. At least one of the judges will be a member of the AGS. The top scoring geological image will receive the Atlantic Geoscience Trophy. The best image from the Atlantic Provinces will be awarded the “Last Billion Years Award”. (If the best overall image is from the Atlantic Provinces, it will be the winner of both awards.)
  7. The AGS may duplicate all entries and return the originals through The Guild. The AGS may use them for educational purposes, publish them in its newsletter, place them on one of its educational websites and display them at meetings of the Society, with credit given to the photographer. Copyright remains with the photographer.
  8. Entries are submitted at the photographer’s risk. The AGS will take all reasonable care of the images while in its possession.
  9. Entry of an image in this competition indicates agreement by the maker to abide by these rules