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Suzanne Ricker
(top left) Kay White (top right) |
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The club's purpose is "to promote...friendly relations between persons interested in photography and kindred subjects and for the advancement of knowledge in the science and art of photography."
Meetings are held on the first four Mondays of the month, from September through May, at the American Legion Hall (Stewart P. Morrill Post), 413 Broadway, South Portland (click here for directions). Ample parking is available in the parking lot on the east side of the building. Handicap access: The hall has an entrance ramp with handicap access on the west side of the building. There is a driveway leading straight up to the ramp. Please note that the bathrooms have not been upgraded to be handicapped accessible yet. Meetings start at 7:00 PM. Winter cancellations: The club makes every effort to contact its members
in the event that a meeting must be canceled. The announcement will
be made on the PCC_connect forum (our Yahoo! group), communicated via e-mail, a "telephone tree," and local television
stations.
Visitors are always welcome. Anyone may participate, at no charge, in meetings (including competitions) during September and October. To continue participation in club activities, individuals must pay their annual dues by the end of the first meeting in November. Dues payments may be made with a check or money order for $45 per person, made payable to "Portland Camera Club" or made via our Paypal page (click here for the Paypal Payments page). Cash is not accepted. If you choose to mail in your check, please mail it to Portland Camera Club, P.O. Box 2526, South Portland, ME 04116.
Executive Board 2009-2010 Executive Committee:
Contact General Questions: Mike Leonard click here for email. Mailing address:
Members' Online Forum (PCC_Connect Yahoo Group) We have our own Yahoo Group called PCC_Connect. It's a free and easy way to stay in touch with other club members. Anyone can post a message to the forum and it is automatically sent to all members that have joined the group. The messages are also archived on the group web site for future reference. The forum is designed to be a tool for members' use and mutual benefit. Topics for posting to the forum include meeting changes or weather cancellations, a member looking for help with an equipment problem, advice on time of day or year to shoot a particular location, or any other club or photography related subject. To visit the PCC_Connect home page and join the forum, click here
Mentor Program The Mentor pool is made up of Club Member volunteers who are experienced photographers willing to share their time, knowledge, and contact information. Mentees are those Members (typically more novice photographers) who feel they would benefit from working with one or more Mentors from the pool. A Mentee is not assigned to an individual Mentor – every Mentor in the pool is available to every Mentee. Group outings facilitate interaction and exchange of ideas, skills, techniques, information. The Mentor Program is available only to paid Members of the Portland Camera Club. To enroll in the Program, contact Mark Stevens at MStevens@metrocast.net.
Competitions Scoring Competitions are one of the club's major activities. They provide a way for members to learn and grow as photographers, by providing a fair means for members to have their work evaluated objectively, as well as the opportunity to observe the work of fellow members. Participation in club competitions is optional, and non-participating members and guests are welcome to attend. Competitions are judged by three volunteering club members. Prize ribbons of 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place and Honorable Mention are awarded based on the scores given by the judges. In addition, scores are recorded throughout the club year. In May, total points determine the winners for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for the year, with special prizes awarded at the club banquet. Please refer to the club calendar for a complete listing of competition dates. Competition Scoring During a competition, each judge scores the image with a range of 2 to 10. A higher score reflects the judge's' opinion that the image is outstanding. The total score from all 3 judges combined can range from 6 to 30. Judges look for:
Projected Image Night – Rules and Guidelines The first Monday of every month from October through May will be Projected Image Night. Slide transparencies and .jpg image files may be submitted. Four of the Mondays will be discussion nights (Oct 5, Dec 7, Feb 1, Apr 5); the other four will be competition nights (Nov 2, Jan 4, Mar 1, May 3).
How to Prepare a Slide for Competition Slides must be handed in not later than 6:45 PM for registration (meetings start at 7:00). Slides are submitted on the same night as the slide competition. A slide may be entered in slide competition only once (exception: any slide from a One Shot Competition may be entered in a regular slide competition). You are also allowed to make a print from a slide and enter that print in a print competition. Standard mounted slides as well as glass mounted slides may be entered (glass mounts must meet the standard thickness requirement).
How to Prepare a .jpg Image File for Competition Competition ID Every photographer submitting an image file needs a competition ID. Competition IDs are 4 characters: the first letter of your first name followed by three numbers assigned by the club. For example, Ansel Adams' competition ID might be A212, Scott Kelby's competition ID might be S345, and so on. In 2009, the club will assign every member their own competition ID. Click here to view the member list and find your name/competition ID. Newcomers are welcome to send an email to the Projected Image Coordinator pic@portlandcameraclub.org requesting a competition ID (be sure to include your full name). Please note that anyone can enter club competitions in October, however, after the first week of November only members who have paid their annual dues can enter competitions. Note: Your competition ID is yours for life! Use the same ID year after year. Class A and Class B Photographers will enter competition images in either Class A or Class B. New or less experienced members are encouraged to enter in Class B, so they are not put at a disadvantage in competing with more experienced members. However, each member is free to choose which class to compete in, A or B. Note: members are not allowed to switch classes during the year (September-May). At the end of the club year (May), there will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place awards in Class A and Class B, for the photographers in each class who have the highest total scores for the year. By tradition, the winner of 1st Place in Class B is expected to "move up" and begin competing in Class A in the following year. Entering a .jpg Image File Please make sure your .jpg file meets all of the following requirements before submitting:
If you have a question about Projected Image Competitions send an email to John Bald, the PIC coordinator, at pic@portlandcameraclub.org
Print Competitions For print competitions, any subject matter is allowed (there are no assigned categories). Prints can be from any source: negatives, transparencies, or a digital camera or scanner. Print processing can be done by the photographer or a commercial lab. Four of the Print Nights will be competitions (Oct 12, Dec 14, Feb 8, Apr 12); the other four Print Nights will be for critiques and discussion (Nov 9, Jan 11, Mar 8, May 19). On discussion nights, there will not be any judging. Members are invited to submit one print each. Prints will be discussed and critiqued. This will be a question, answer and constructive criticism forum. No time limit will be imposed on discussion of any image, therefore, it cannot be guaranteed that every image submitted will be discussed. How to Prepare for a Print Competition Beginning in the fall of 2009, Print Night will be the second Monday of the month from October through May. A maximum of two prints per person are allowed in a print competition. The entries can be any combination of color or black and white (for example, 2 color entries, or 1 color and 1 black and white, etc.). The two scores are counted toward the photographer's yearly total. Note: Because of the predjudging system that the club is using, prints must be submitted the week before Print Night. Submissions will not be accepted on the night of the print competition.
If you want the judges to discuss (critique) your print, include a red C on the back of your print. Only one of your prints (per competition) can have a red C to request a critique. Photographers will enter prints in either Class A or Class B. New or less experienced members are encouraged to enter in Class B, so they are not put at a disadvantage in competing with more experienced members. However, each member is free to choose which class to compete in, A or B. Note: members are not allowed to switch classes during the year (September-May). At the end of the club year (May), there will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place awards in Class A and Class B, for the photographers in each class who have the 1st, 2nd and 3rd highest total scores for the year (note that color and black and white scores are totalled together for each photographer). By tradition, the winner of 1st Place in Class B is expected to "move up" and begin competing in Class A in the following year.
Frames and glass are not permitted. Also, names must not appear on the front of a print (please cover your name if it appears on the front). A print may be entered in print competition only once; however, if you make a print from a slide that you entered in a slide competition, that print may be entered in a print competition.
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Each slide needs to be labeled.
The back of the print should show the following information: Your name, the title of the image, Class A or Class B, and an arrow pointing straight up to indicate the top of the image. If possible, use the free stickers that the club offers. As shown in the image at right, the sticker is a convenient way to identify your print. Point the arrow on the sticker toward the top of the print, and fill in the first 4 lines. Maker: your name, Title: image title (a title is required), Date: the date of the competition, Class: either A or B. Score and Place should be left blank.
Prints can be of any size up to a maximum of 18"x24" including
the mat. There is no minimum size. A mat is not mandatory--prints can be borderless, but each
must be mounted so that it will stand upright for display in the
light box (see photo at left). The color of any mat is at the option
of the maker.©Portland Camera Club. Note: each photograph displayed on this web site is copyrighted by the photographer, and may not be used or reproduced without specific, written permission from the photographer.