Monticello Bird Club invites its members to submit photographs to the Spring 2019 Bird Photography Contest.
This year’s contest is based on the theme “Those Amazing Birds.” Photographs can be from anywhere in the world and must have been taken within the twelve months April 2018 through March 2019.
Judging will take place on Wednesday, April 3, in the Education Building at Ivy Creek Natural Area. Judging will be by Emily Carter Mitchell, an accomplished outdoor photographer. Emily judged last year’s Photo Contest, which was sponsored jointly by Monticello Bird Club and Charlottesville Camera Club. You can learn more about Emily at her website: https://www.emilymitchellphotography.com/ To see last year’s winning photographs, visit https://www.piedmontvirginiabirdclub.org/2018/05/17/bird-photography-contest-2018/
You must be a member of the Monticello Bird Club to enter the contest. You can become a member of MBC at https://www.piedmontvirginiabirdclub.org/membership/
Each contestant may enter up to four photographs in the contest. Photographers should provide a title for each entry. The photographer should refrain from marking the photograph in any way, e.g. with an autograph.
There will be two skill levels in the contest: A – Advanced, or B – Beginner/Intermediate. Entrants self-select their skill level and identify the category when they submit their photographs. The skill level choice is subject to review by the Photo Contest Committee.
The April 3 judging session will be based on twelve photographs pre-selected by Emily Mitchell from the entry pool: six level A and six level B. Emily Mitchell will discuss these twelve finalists, with particular attention to the following parameters:
1. Use of light
2. Composition
3.How interesting?
Scores will range from 1-5, as follows:
5. exceptional
4. very good
3. good to average
2. room for improvement
1. needing substantial improvement
Within each skill level, there will be one First Prize winner, one Second Prize, and one Third Prize. Prizes will be worth $75 (First Prize), $50 (Second Prize), and $25 (Third Prize). The winning photographers will choose among the following prizes: 1) a gift certificate to Bryan Parsons Photography, 2) a gift certificate to Wild Birds Unlimited, or 3) reimbursement for the purchase of Lands’ End merchandise with Monticello Bird Club logo, https://business.landsend.com/store/monticellobirdclub/
All winning photographs will be professionally mounted at Monticello Bird Club cost. Photographs remain the property of the photographer, but MBC retains rights to post the photos on the club’s website, exhibit the photos, and use the photos in the club’s promotional materials, with attribution. Photographs may be released by MBC to the press for publicity.
This is the third annual Photo Contest, and winning photos from past contests have been exhibited in area libraries and coffee houses. Mounted photographs will be returned to the photographer after eighteen months.
Photographs may be taken with any type of equipment, including smart phones and tablets. All photographs should be photo-realistic, i.e. they should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Only minimal processing of photographs is allowed, such as spot removal, adjustments to exposure, color balance, contrast, and cropping. No major changes to the image are allowed. No text can be added to the photograph, e.g. an autograph.
All photo submissions must be in .jpeg format as an attachment to an email to Maynard Davis, [email protected]. Maynard will process the entries for review by the judge. Note that the size of your photograph may be reduced in the contest processing.
The deadline for contest submissions is Wednesday, March 27.
Contact any of the following with any questions you may have:
• Guy Babineau, [email protected]
• Maynard Davis, [email protected]
• Doug Rogers, [email protected]
Thank you for your interest in the 2019 Bird Photography Contest.
