Bird Photography Contest

Announcing the Bird Photography Contest – Spring 2017, sponsored by Monticello Bird Club and Charlottesville Camera Club.

The Monticello Bird Club (MBC) and Charlottesville Camera Club (CCC) invite their members to submit photographs to the Spring 2017 Bird Photography Contest.  The contest planning committee is comprised of four members– Myrlene Staten (MBC), Gerry Bishop (CCC), Peter Clark (MBC & CCC) and Richard Teig (MBC)   The contest submission rules and judging categories are presented below.

There will be four categories for submission. Three of the categories will be limited to photos of birds and their habitat in the mid-Atlantic region. The fourth category is for bird photographs from outside the local region, including international destinations.

• Backyard birds—intended for photographs of birds commonly seen in our neighborhoods, including bird that frequent feeders.
• Birds in their natural habitat—Photographs that highlight the habitat that support our local birds. These photographs must include at least one bird and must be from the mid-Atlantic region.
• Bird portraits—Close-up photographs of a bird or a part of a bird that is endemic to our region.
• Non-endemic bird photographs—open to any type of photograph of a bird anywhere in the world.

Each member will be asked to enter the competition at a skill level of either beginner/intermediate (B) or advanced (A).

Rules:

1. All submissions must be the entrant’s own work and submitted by a member in good standing of MBC or CCC. Photographs remain the property of the photographer, but  MBC and CCC retain rights to post the photos on the clubs’ websites, exhibit the photos, and use the photos in the clubs’ promotional materials, with attribution. Photographs may be released to the press for publicity for the clubs. No remuneration will be made, although credit to the photographer will be given whenever possible.
2. All photographs must have been taken no more than one year before April 24, 2017.
3. Any member may enter only one photo per category, up to a total of three photos for the entire competition. The choice of entering either as beginner/intermediate (B) or advanced (A) is left up to the entrant.
4. Photographs can be taken with any type of equipment, including smart phones and tablets.
5. Only minimal processing of photographs is allowed, including adjustments to exposure, color balance, contrast, and cropping. No major changes to the image are allowed.

Submission:  We prefer that all submissions be made electronically. However, members may bring a print of any size to the judging meeting on May 3.

For Electronic Submission:

1. All entries must be uploaded to the PhotoContest Pro (PCP) website (http://photocontestpro.com).
2. To upload, you must first be registered with PCP. To be registered, notify Gerry Bishop at [email protected]. Full instructions for preparing and uploading your images will be provided at that time.
3. You must be registered by  April 1, 2017, and you may upload your  entries at that time.

The deadline for submission is April 24, 2017. No entries will be allowed after midnight of that date.

For Prints:

1. All prints must be submitted unframed. No writing is permitted on the front other than an optional title. Photographers may submit prints of any reasonable size, but not so large that they cannot be handled easily during display. They must be matted and/or mounted on a firm substrate (e.g.: foam core).
2. On the back, in the upper left corner, add a label with your name, the category you are entering, and either an A for advanced or a B for beginner/intermediate. Also include a title for the image and an arrow indicating vertical.
3. Bring your matted print to the judging meeting and place it on the appropriate table before the club meeting is called to order.

Judging:

Judging will be held on May 3, beginning at 7 PM at the Education Building at Ivy Creek Natural Area. The judge will be an independent expert photographer who is not a member of CCC or MBC. All photos will be rated on a 5-point scale:

• 5 – exceptional
• 4 -very good
• 3 -good to average
• 2 -room for improvement
• 1 -needing substantial improvement

The best of each skill level category will be chosen.  That means there will be eight top photos selected, one in each of the four categories, at both the Advanced and Beginner/intermediate skill levels.

Question and Answer Session:  An optional pre-contest education session will be available in January or February if there is sufficient interest.    Please send an email to [email protected] if you are interested in participating.