Submission Rules for Challenges

Here at the halfway point in our season and in case you've forgotten or can't find the Challenge rules, here they are again.

The subject in your photo should clearly indicate the theme of the Challenge - for example, in the Action Challenge there should clearly be some action. Without that, the reviewer may comment that this image wasn't made for this show.

This is not a Showcase, where you can submit anything you want us to see. There are rules to follow for a Challenge and the reviewer is likely to follow those rules - you should, too.

You can submit 1 to 3 JPEG images taken by you between the announcement date of the Challenge (usually done at the previous Challenge) and the Monday at midnight one week prior to the date of the current Challenge. So you generally have five weeks to shoot. For the March 8 "Odd Angles" Challenge, we've extended the shooting time by two weeks, generally because of the snow outs and the deadline will be March 1.

If you don't make the midnight deadline, your photo won't be shown - that's only fair to those who watched the schedule. Maybe it would go in a Showcase later.

Any image size in pixels is acceptable; best ~1200 px on the long side, because it will fill our presentation screen. Larger images will be downsized by the presentation computer to fit the screen, and smaller ones may be upsized but may show small on the screen or pixellated and possibly blurry. If you crop your original down, take a look at the image size that remains. You may want to upsize it yourself, in say, Photoshop Elements.

The file size is best to be under 1 MB. They will transfer and show faster, and will take less storage space on our computer and the website. The file size is adjustable by the size of the image, the resolution you choose, and how much JPG compression is used. Images straight from your camera may have files up to 5 MB, but all that data can't be used on our screen and a 1MB JPG will show fine.

You can downsize your images and their file size with several free programs, including Irfanview, Picasa, Faststone and Lightroom. I find Faststone (Windows only) easiest to use. If you use "Save for Web" in Adobe products it will strip off the EXIF date and we won't be able to see your camera's settings. Not a disaster, but we'll miss that info so don't use Save For Web.

Rename the files with your name and your priority numbers (e.g., john smith 1, john smith 2, john smith 3). Please don't put a caption or description in the filename - it just has to be renamed without it. On Windows, select the filename and press the key "F2" to highlight the filename. This generally will make the name accessible in text mode (typing) for your change, then press Enter.

Then email them to: challenge@digitalphotoclub.net

Sometimes you want to avoid any possibility that they would be shown or used somewhere without your knowledge. If you don’t want them posted, say so in the email: "Please don't post these on the Club's website" and we'll show them but not post them.

The presentation will be reviewed at the meeting by a non-member expert in art or photography with some experience in shooting that kind of photograph. It's always interesting to hear what others think of what you've tried to express with your camera.

Thanks for following the rules - it makes less work here in preparing the show, and the images will look their best.

DKD - Pres.

Annapolis Arts and Crafts Festival notice

Hi, members - The Club has received information about the Annapolis Arts and Crafts Festival to be held at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium on the weekend of June 12-13, 2010.

If you would like to join the ranks of those that sell their photos in booths at shows, this is likely a very good opportunity. DPCA won't be participating as an organization, but you can give it your personal best. The organizer of the event said that up to two people may join forces to share a booth. You can of course present yourselves as a member of DPCA, and we can give you cards to hand out that identify our Club URL. But participation is entirely on your own.

Before you jump in, read the rules in the brochure carefully: http://www.annapolisartsandcraftsfestival.com. Take notice that the submission date for your booth application is coming soon - March 1.

Please keep Robbie and me informed if you decide to present your wares. I'm sure many of us will attend - see you there.

DKD - Pres.

The coming MFA National Photo Show

Hi, Members - As another venue to show your artistic photo wares, the Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) here in Annapolis is sponsoring a photo show, called the "Maryland Federation of Art's Juried National Artful Photography Show." Their brochure is here: http://www.mdfedart.org/pdf/Prospectus_ArtfulPhotoShow2010.pdf

They say:

"The Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) invites all artists residing in the United States to enter its first annual Artful Photography exhibition, an open-juried competition of images created in any form of photography. Our objectives are to assemble an extraordinary selection of photographic art and to add another element to the cultural forum already offered by our organization. In addition, we hope to encourage excellence among photographic artists and to provide a rich new forum for the exhibition and sale their work. The works
selected will be on exhibit in the MFA’s Circle Gallery, 18 State Circle, Annapolis, Maryland from May 19 through June 13, 2010.

Images created via any form of photography will be accepted for consideration (i.e. shot on film, shot digitally, unaltered shots, alternative process, mixed media, digital manipulations, montages, photograms, etc.), so long as part of the image is photographically based."

You can offer up to six JPGs for the selection process. Note that their submission deadline for these is March 12.

This is a fine gallery. Several of our members belong, have shown and lectured there, and have won several cash prizes as well as selling their works. We're all pleased that they have turned greater attention to photography as a fine-art medium.

Hope you'll participate !!

DKD - Pres.

DPCA Challenge delayed

Hi, members - With the various delays in everything we're up to, it looks like we should delay the current "Odd Angles" Challenge as well. We'll review it on March 8th instead of next Monday evening.

So that means that you have another two weeks to get your images in to challenge@digitalphotoclub.net. The deadline for submissions will be midnight March 1, 2010.

Still looking forward to seeing what your angles are. Please participate - we'd love to see what you think an odd angle is. Thanks in advance, as they say.

DKD Pres.

Feb 8th meeting canceled

Hi, all - as expected, MD Hall is closed today, Feb 8th, so we will not hold our scheduled meeting. See you next time on the 22d. In the meantime, check out Mike Kellogg's blog when we get our schedule reprogrammed. Thanks and keep warm, while thinking about what to show in the Odd Angles Challenge coming up.

DKD - Pres.

Feb 8th meeting

Here on Friday afternoon watching the weather and hearing the predictions for a lot of snow, it doesn't look good for our meeting as scheduled for Monday Feb 8th.

We'll be looking at the MD Hall open/close declaration for Monday and at least go by that. But if it looks like streets are not cleared for people to move around, we'll cancel the meeting and postpone the meeting's program to the next time, Feb 22.

There will be an email about it from me on Sunday afternoon. Happy shoveling -

DKD - Pres.