Monthly Competitions

All members of the Charlottesville Camera Club are encouraged to enter photos into our monthly competitions. For the purposes of judging, members are divided into "B" (beginner) and "A" (advanced) classes. Photos are evaluated on a five point scale.

Eleven months each year, members enter photos into two different categories: 1) Assigned (see topics below), and 2) Open (photographer's choice of subject). In these categories, A and B photographers are judged separately. Members can enter no more than one photo in each of these categories. For both the Assigned and Open categories, there are some limits on the extent of photo editing allowed, as described in the Rules of Competition.

In December, we recognize photographers whose work over the past year has been outstanding.

All entries must be uploaded to a server before the established deadline. See Uploading for more inormation.

A FEW THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE ENTERING A COMPETITION:

  1. Is my craftsmanship as good as it can be? (Is the image perfectly sharp, well exposed, not over-sharpened or over-saturated, etc.?)
  2. Are there any distracting or unnecessary objects in my image? (Remember: If something doesn’t help your image, it hurts it!)
  3. Is any part of the background brighter than my subject? (If so, find a way to eliminate or at least darken it.)
  4. Are any parts of my image too close to the edges of the frame?
  5. Is my subject or horizon right in the middle? Am I sure that’s the best place for it?
  6. Am I being objective about the subject’s appeal? (Your pet or grandchild or garden may mean everything to you, but a judge cares only about the quality of the image.)

 

This Year's Themes

January Architecture, Grand and Modest

Building interiors or exteriors, cityscapes, bridges and subway tunnels, archways and entryways: Any building or part of a building—down to the finest detail—that was artfully designed to look and function as it does.

Becky Witt
February Black and White

Any subject at all in monochrome--black and white, sepia, or cyanotype. In choosing a monochromatic subject, look for subjects where color doesn’t matter or even interferes, and where contrast, tone, shadow, shape, and texture prevail.

For some good ideas and good techniques go to https://gurushots.com/article/black-and-white-photography-guide

Also check out this PDF: http://cvillecameraclub.org/sites/default/files/Black%20and%20White%20Basics.pdf

Colleen Miniuk
March On the Street

Street photography is a visual documentation of everyday life in society, whether in a busy city or in a small town. Aim for candid shots of people in public places that tell a story or capture a sense of place. But don’t ignore street scenes without people, which also can be evocative. Remember to ask for permission if shooting a child. For adults, permission is not necessary unless the photo is to be used commercially.

Mark Buckler
April As Time Goes By

Living things show their age in many ways. Wrinkled faces, well-worn hands, tired eyes, gnarled trees, fading flowers—all can make powerful photos. Non-living subjects may include rusting cars, peeling paint, dilapidated homes, ancient ruins, and eroding landscapes. Even well-preserved things may qualify for this theme if they show their age in changing styles, fashions, and technology.

Phil Witt
May Spring Forward!

Yes, there are blooming flowers and singing birds and emerging butterflies, and all certainly qualify for this theme. But if these subjects are becoming a bit commonplace for you, what else can springing forward mean? Rebirth? Renewal? A fresh start? What do these concepts look like to you?

Jamie Konarski Davidson
June People in Their Environments

Photograph someone in one of their usual environments, such as their home, workplace, garden, gym, playing field, studio, or whatever.  Aim to portray the essence of the person’s experience. Photographs may be posed or candid.

Ian Plant
July Weather

From storm clouds to sunbeams, from downpours to rain puddles, from sunbathing to trudging through snowdrifts. Lightning, ice-covered trees, birds braving a ferocious wind—weather and its effects can be photographed in many fascinating ways. What aspect of weather can you reveal with your camera and creative vision?

Sandi Croan
August Peaks and Valleys

Peaks and valleys can be found everywhere. In landscapes, for sure, but also in everything from buildings to household objects, from living  bodies to the parts of a plant.  

Brian J. Zwit
September The Forest Floor

Focusing your attention on the ground when walking in the woods can be especially rewarding to a photographer. So, get down low and see what kinds of subjects or perspectives you can capture. Everything from super-wide angle to macro could work wonders. Can’t get yourself back up after getting down low? Try attaching your phone to a selfie stick and lowering it to the ground.

Andy Jezioro
October Abstracts and Altered Reality

Our ongoing theme of photographing “found” abstracts or creating works of art with our cameras and software. (See the full description of this theme on the CCC website.)

Mary Ann Setton
November The Shape of Things

Bring out the essence of an object or any other subject by emphasizing its basic form, using light and shadow, perspective, contrasting colors, or any other means. Consider hard, angular, geometric shapes to soft, flowing, organic ones.

Rachel Wilson
December Holiday Potluck Dinner and Awards

Next Year's Themes

January
January Abandoned, Forgotten, Left Behind

There is something magical about exploring and photographing old, derelict, forlorn, and abandoned buildings and other objects. So put that inspiration to work in capturing the essence of age or decay andthe emotion of abandonment. Think about what characterizes something being left behind. Broken windows? Dilapidated furniture? Long forgotten dolls and other toys? Consider focusing on textures, particularly those created by light striking a subject at an angle. New things tend to be shiny and smooth; older things are often weathered and worn, with mottled surfaces. Another way is to use juxtaposition. If you contrast the new with the old, you heighten the sense of age.

February Cold

Capturing winter scenes to include snow, frost, frozen ponds or streams, or people and animals outside experiencing the cold is a good way to pursue this theme. Beautiful landscapes in winter are always a worthwhile goal. But so are photos of damage and suffering from the elements. Both happiness (kids in a snowball fight?) or sadness (a homeless person on a bench?) would work for this theme. Whichever way you go, try to make your viewer feel thecold.

March New Perspective

As the subject of your photo, choose something that you see every day. Then, rather than framing and photographing it as you usually see it, experiment with shooting from several different positions and with several different lenses. You should find that when you get above, below, or closer to the level of your subject, rather than simply shooting it straight on or from a standing position, you can create interesting photos from a perspective most don’t regularly experience. Using lenses of different focal lengths can also help you create something fresh.

April Minimalism

Minimalism is a style or technique characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity and involves composing a photo with a minimal number of components. It embodies the idea of “less is more.” The goal is to convey a concept or an idea to provoke an emotional response or provide a unique visual experience. This ensures that all the attention is focused on the photo’s subject without elements in the photo that would distract from the subject.

May Leading Lines

This theme encourages you to use a compositional technique rather than to capture a specific subject. Fences, roads, bridges, and shorelines are commonly used to lead a viewer’s eye through a photo and toward the prime subject. But don’t forget the leading lines to be discovered in more intimate scenes—even on a macro scale. One key suggestion: Be sure your leading lines lead to something worth looking at! 

June Bees, Butterflies, and Dragonflies, Oh My!

Bees and butterflies are beautiful in addition to being important pollinators. Dragonflies are also very colorful and are predators of mosquitoes, flies, and other small insects. The easiest places to photograph bees and butterflies are in flower gardens or open meadows of wildflowers. Dragonflies are often found perched on vegetation around ponds or streams—but are you able to capture a sharp photo of one in flight? You will need a lot of patience and perhaps a fast shutter speed to capture sharp images of any of these beautiful insects. Early morning or late afternoon are usually the best times to find and photograph them. And, on a cool morning, you may even find a subject completely still and covered with dew.

July The Natural Frame

Natural frames can be any number of things that seem to wrap around or partially enclose your subject.  Doorways, windows, low hanging branches, building arches, and fences are just a few objects that can create natural frames, all of which can be used effectively to emphasize your subject. They can add depth, contrast, structure, and even a sense of mystery to your photos.

August Tools

Our species and our ancestors have long depended on tools for our survival. Today, everyone uses tools in many ways every day, often without even being aware of it. Your challenge, then, is to make a compelling photo of someone using a tool, any tool—from a tooth pick to a tennis racket to a spectrophotometer. Your emphasis should be on the use of the tool rather than the tool itself. And if your photo can tell a story of some sort, all the better

September Sharp Subject, Soft Background

Busy, distracting backgrounds can ruin a photo, no matter how strong the subject. And one good way to avoid this pitfall is to create an out-of-focus (“soft”) background. This is easily achieved by using a large lens aperture (for shallow depth of focus), a long focal length (telephoto rather than wide-angle), and keeping some distance between your subject and the background. Your challenge, then, is to photograph a tack-sharp subject against a completely out-of-focus background. Portraits of people and animals are especially beautiful in this format, but what else can you imagine? A close-up shot with just a tiny part of a flower sharp and the rest of the flower blurred, perhaps?

October Abstracts and Altered Reality

Our ongoing theme of “found” abstracts or creating works of art with our cameras and software.  See full description of this theme on our website.

November A Splash of Light

Aim for a scene where a small portion is lit by a splash of light and the rest is in shadow. Seek out a deep forest or a darkened room for a compelling composition. The beginning or end of a sunny day, when the sun is close to the horizon and is casting long shadows, may offer good opportunities. Nighttime is also a great time to find shadows and bits of light waiting for you to compose into a photo. You may also be able to manipulate your own lighting to create a beautiful photo, either outdoors or indoors. Look at light and shadow as the main subject, and use your imagination to do something special with them.

December End-of-year activities.