Some Personal Thoughts on the Nature of the Annual Photographic Competition

Some history

Back in 1979 the fundamental rules were similar to today's, no professional photographers, a maximum size, unmounted photos, judgement on the basis of "appeal" etc., each entry to be judged independently. The maximum size was "7x5", a common, modest, commercially available one. At that time digital photography hadn't been dreamt of, very few people could develop or print their own pictures, particularly coloured ones, and relied on a local shop (usually a chemist) to arrange their prints for them - as much of the whole negative as could be fitted into the print format.

So, the competition was a fairly "low key" affair and presumably was there as an excuse to bring people together for a social evening.  Time has moved on, we've invited ladies to attend, and to compete.  We've oscillated between it being a National competition and a Provincial one.  We've considered whether to insist that competitors should be present, or at least be represented.  We've changed the size limit to 40 square inches (to accommodate the 10x4 panoramic size available for APS films, thus keeping the competition open to simple point-and-click photographers).  We introduced the "vox pop" prize, which helps to integrate the non-photographers attending. We also introduced the concept of Classes.

Here and now

We've circulated the rules annually, and exhorted Circle Secretaries to promulgate them to their Brothers. That this has not always been effective can be seen from the steady trickle of entries which are mounted, oversize, submitted as a set of three etc. And how many ladies of the province know that they are invited both to compete and to attend?

Significantly many of us now use digital cameras and are well versed in printing our own pictures and a good proportion also enjoy digitally enhancing our shots.  I've certainly chosen the best part of a picture and enlarged that bit to just fill the permitted area, whatever the shape of the rectangle.  I've modified brightness and contrast (possibly selectively) and "cloned out" unwanted background items.  At least once, years ago in fact, I included a part of a different picture of the same subject to complete a composition; I know others have done this sort of thing recently.

I am very well aware of other possibilities.  Automatic Exposure Bracketing and the consequent use of High Dynamic Range merging and the use of software to Stitch a group of photos into one whole possibly break the "one photograph" requirement of the rules.  On the other hand Continuous Shooting, which takes a series of photographs at intervals of a fraction of a second, allows the photographer to select the best frame from a series taken of a moving subject.

The judging criterion has always been stated as "appeal", however it is usual for the winners to be among the technically more polished, presumably this helps them to attract the attention of the judges but perhaps the judges are then swayed by the technical competence displayed.

Tomorrow?

During the 30 years that the evening has been running much has changed in the world of photography, and much in the structure of society.  How should the competition react to these changes?  The question boils down to how should we recognise the vast, but uneven, burgeoning of photographic talent whilst retaining the the popular appeal of the evening as a social event.  At the same time we must recognise the large difficulties of promulgating any changes.

Your comments

If you have comments on the above feel free to send them to jeg245@talktalk.net and I'll collate them for presentation to our Council.