The club holds regular competitions and discussion nights. For a competition, three judges go through the submitted images and assign a score to each image. Images with the highest scores are the winners of that night's competition. On discussion night, a facilitator moderates a discussion of each submitted image. There are no judges or scores on discussion night.

Participation in competitions and discussion nights is optional.

The sections below describe how competitions and discussions work, and how you can prepare your images for submission.

Projected Image Competitions and How To Submit

Club members submit one image in .jpg format for PI competitions. As a member, you may choose to enter images in Class A or Class B. More experienced photographers compete in Class A. Less experienced photographers compete in Class B. Once you choose a class, you are required to stay in that class for the year (i.e., September through May).

When a judge views and scores each image, the name of the photographer is hidden from the judge.

Image scores are recorded and tallied, and Competition Standings for Class A and B are updated through the year. At the end of the club year in May, the top three highest scoring members in Class A, and the top three in Class B will receive an award. The highest scoring member in Class B is required to compete in Class A from then on.

Competition Deadlines: the deadline for submitting images is midnight on Thursday, eleven days before the competition. The eleven-day lead time is needed for the images to be scored by judges, scores to be entered into the scoring spreadsheet, and images prepared to be shown at the meeting. Images submitted after the deadline will automatically be added to the next competition, where the late images will be shown judged separately from that month's images. The scores earned from late images will be added to the maker's year-end points total. EXCEPTION: late images will not be accepted after the deadline for the last competition of the Club season, which happens in either April or May.

Preparing a JPG file for PI Competition

Members submit one image in a Projected Image Competition.

• Maximum image dimensions are 1920 pixels (width) and 1080 pixels (height). The image's PPI can be set to any value.
• Click here for details about new rules regarding AI-generated content.
• Images may be in color or black and white.
• Image color space should be sRGB.
• Images with a vertical (portrait) orientation may be entered. A vertical image will have a smaller width (for example, 720 px wide by 1080 px high). The projector will automatically center the image.
• The image must saved as a JPG file (.jpg or .jpeg).
• Image files must be named in the following format:
  name-B-title-of-the-image.jpg
   
  For example, a member named Kim Hughes is in Class B and she submits an image titled "Portrait of Jamie." Kim names her file:
  Kim-Hughes-B-Portrait-of-Jamie.jpg
   

When you're ready to submit your images, go to www.portlandcameraclub.org/upload.html

There is a handy guide for uploading your images for competitions, slideshows, critiques, and any other projected image event. The guide includes specific instructions for Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Topaz Studio 2, ON1, PaintShop Pro, and Photos and Preview for macOS. Click here to call up the image uploading guide (a PDF).

Projected Image Discussions and How To Submit

On PI discussion night, submitted images will be projected and discussed. A facilitator/moderator guides the group discussion with the goal of exploring each image in a positive, constructive, respectful manner in a non-competitive environment. Images are not be "judged" or scored. See the club calendar for PI discussion dates.

Entries must be submitted online in advance of the meeting. Please see the Club Calendar for specific dates.

Members may submit one image on Discussion Night.

The steps for submitting an image for discussion night are the same as for competition night: see Preparing a JPG File for PI Competition above.

There is a handy guide for uploading your images for competitions, slideshows, critiques, and any other projected image event. The guide includes specific instructions for Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Topaz Studio 2, ON1, PaintShop Pro, and Photos and Preview for macOS. Click here to call up the image uploading guide (a PDF).

Print Competitions and How To Submit

Special Note:  COVID required us to suspend Print Competitions. In the 2023-24 season, there will be Print Discussion Nights and, possibly in the spring of 2024, the return of Print Competitions.

Preparing a Print for Print Competition

Special Note:  After a hiatus during COVID, Print Competitions are tentatively planned for the spring of 2024. Details to be announced.

Print Discussions and How To Submit

On print discussion night, submitted images are displayed in the light box for the audience to see. A facilitator/moderator guides the group in an informal discussion with the goal of exploring each print in a positive, constructive, respectful manner in a non-competitive environment. Prints are not judged or scored. See the club calendar for print discussion dates.

Members may submit one print on discussion night. Bring your print to the meeting.

Stickers are not necessary for print discussion night.

Prints can be of any size up to a maximum of 18"x24" including the mat. There is no minimum size. Prints can be matted or mounted (but no frames). Prints can also have no mounting (just the print itself); these prints will be displayed by use of magnets in the viewing station. Metal prints are also welcome.

Frames and glass are not permitted.

Your name should not appear on the front of a print. Watermarks are not necessary and may detract from the image.

Light Box