West Oakland Camera Club

Digital Competition

Images will only be accepted from members in good standing. Images must be submitted one week prior to competition.

We compete in 4 different categories on the 2nd Thursday of each month. During this competition the photographers are broken into five categories based on their expertise.

The 4 categories are:

Nature	Any color digital image that contains "Nature", where "Nature" is defined as, Nature in all its forms, including the many facets of Botany, Geology, and Zoology. Human elements, if present, should be unobtrusive and enhance the nature story. The presence of scientific bands on wild animals is acceptable. Zoo shots and Game Farm shots are eligible provided the artificial habitat is not apparent in the image. The photographer may perform enhancements and modifications that improve the presentation of the image that could have been done at the time the image was taken but that does not change the truth of the original nature story. Cropping and horizontal flipping (equivalent to reversing a slide), straightening, keystone, noise removal, dodging and burning, exposure adjustment, color balance, color correction, white balance, saturation, and sharpening, “HDR” (High Dynamic Range), are examples of acceptable modifications. A border may be added to the image. Photos of cultivated plants, domestic animals or pets, still-life studies, mounted specimens, museum pieces or groupings, or similar subjects are NOT eligible. Photographs of artificially produced hybrid plants or animals, mounted specimens, or obviously set arrangements, are ineligible, as are some forms of manipulation manual or digital (see below) that alters the truth of the photographic statement. Adding elements to your images, combining separate images or rearranging and/or cloning elements in your image, removing major elements from your image other than by cropping, are not acceptable and will lead to disqualification of your image. Stitched Panoramas are NOT allowed.
Color General	Any color digital image except those images in which a wild animal, bird or insect fills more than one-third (1/3) of the frame and there are no factors that prevent that image from being accepted in the Nature Digital Projection Division. Those color digital images that are NOT acceptable in the Nature Digital Projection Division may be acceptable as Color General Digital Projection images. The photographer may perform enhancements and modifications that improve the presentation of the image. Any modification to an image that results in an image that still appears to a casual viewer to be un-manipulated is acceptable. Examples of acceptable modifications include: Cropping and horizontal flipping (equivalent to reversing a slide), straightening, keystone, noise removal, dodging and burning, exposure adjustment, color balance, color correction, white balance, saturation, and sharpening, “HDR” (High Dynamic Range), are examples of acceptable modifications. A border may be added to the image. Stitched Panoramas are allowed.
Monochrome	Images that are black and white with shades of gray or "toned" with up to 1 additional color are acceptable. The images may be manipulated.
Color Creative	(Anything Goes). Any color/nature digital image that contains "Any Subject", that is not eligible in another category. This includes images where all or part of the image is manipulated, created, edited, fixed, duplicated, or imported from another image (see below). All the components of the image must be original work created by the photographer and all manipulation must have been performed by the photographer. The image should appear to be a manipulated image to the casual viewer. Cropping and horizontal flipping (equivalent to reversing a slide), straightening, keystone, noise removal, dodging and burning, exposure adjustment, color removal, adding one color, white balance, saturation, and sharpening, “HDR” (High Dynamic Range), are examples of acceptable modifications. A border may be added to the image. Images are not limited to only these modifications. Adding elements to your images combining separate images or rearranging and/or cloning elements in your image, removing major elements from your image, are examples of acceptable modifications. Stitched Panoramas are allowed.

Print Competition

(Print Competition Rules)

The names of your prints must be e-mailed to the address in the rules document by noon on the Tuesday before the competition.

There are only two categories in the print competitions.

These are:

Color General	Anything that is not monochrome.
Monochrome	Images that are black and white with shades of gray or "toned" with up to 1 additional color are acceptable. The images may be manipulated.

Photographer Levels

The photographers are broken into 5 levels, based on their experience, for both the digital and print competitions.

One point is earned for each 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place earned in a competition. The numbers shown below are the number of points that must be earned in each level before being promoted to the next level.

	Points required to advance
	Digital	Prints
Beginner	20	10
Advanced	35	15
Salon	50	20
Star	75	25
Galaxy	You have reached the top

Assignments

Images subjects are from the published assignment list.

Any digital image that contains the "Assignment Subject". This includes images where all or part of the image is manipulated, created, edited, fixed, duplicated, or imported from another image (see below). All the components of the image must be original work created by the photographer and all manipulation must have been performed by the photographer.

Cropping and horizontal flipping (equivalent to reversing a slide), straightening, keystone, noise removal, dodging and burning, exposure adjustment, color removal, adding one color, white balance, saturation, and sharpening, “HDR” (High Dynamic Range), are examples of acceptable modifications. Images are not limited to only these modifications. A border may be added to the image. Stitched Panoramas are allowed.

Adding elements to your images combining separate images or rearranging and/or cloning elements in your image, removing major elements from your image, are examples of acceptable modifications.

During the assignment competitions all the photographers compete against each other (there are no levels).