KirkintillochCamera Club

MEMBERS GUIDE

K I R K I N T I L L O C H C A M E R A C L U B

About The Club

Kirkintilloch Camera Club was first formed in 1951. The Club is affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) through the Scottish Photographic Federation (SPF) and is a member of the Glasgow District Photographic Union (GDPU).

Kirkintilloch Camera Club has its own clubrooms at 34-36 Eastside, Kirkintilloch, G66 1QH. Members are responsible for the upkeep of the premises.

As well as running its own internal competitions, we regularly take part in external competitions run by the SPF and GDPU, and compete annually, in separate ‘local derbies’, with our near neighbours Bearsden and Milngavie Camera Club and Airdrie and Coatbridge Camera Club. The Club also competes for the Williamson trophy with Falkirk CC and Stirling CC.

The club also displays a selection of its Members’ work each summer at Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch Libraries.

Constitution And Governance

The business of the Club is conducted by a Committee consisting of a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and not less than 5 other members, plus immediate Past president, if still a member of the Club. The Committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting of Members held at the end of each season.

The full Constitution and Rules are issued to Members separately.

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Funding And Subscriptions

The Club is principally funded by annual subscription at a rate set by Members at the AGM. Payment of the annual subscription is due at the commencement of each new season. Potential new Members are welcome to attend a few meetings free of charge whilst deciding whether or not to join the Club.

Club funds are supplemented by donations, raffles and a voluntary collection to meet the cost of tea and coffee on club nights.

Meetings

The club meets at 7.30pm each Monday night from September through to April (excluding holidays), and aims to finish around 9.30pm. A typical evening will start with an update on current Club business followed by the scheduled event for that evening (see Syllabus). The Club attracts a wide range of interesting speakers catering for a variety of interests and levels of expertise. Prints and digital images can be displayed with ease, and most evenings include the opportunity to speak to our guests informally over a cup of tea as well as a more formal Question and Answer Session.

Tea and coffee making facilities are available on Club nights with Members sharing duties on a rota basis. The rota will be compiled annually by the Club Secretary. A Member should arrange to swop duties with one another if they become unable to be present on their designated night.

Syllabus

The Club will appoint a Syllabus Secretary who will compile the annual programme. Members will receive a printed copy of the Syllabus at the start of a new season and this also serves as a receipt for payment of membership fees. Typically the programme will consist of a range of external speakers, competition judging nights, an out and about opportunity and internal Club Member events.

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Internal Club Competitions

Each year features monthly league and annual competitions, as well as a “Summer Portfolio” challenge for the close season. The club appoints an Internal Competitions Secretary who will liaise with the external judge and is available to advise Members.

Members are encouraged to submit entries for Competitions which are held from October to March. Entering the competition not only provides the opportunity to receive feedback on Members’ own photography but also provides material for the club to enter external competitions and to stage its annual exhibition.

There are two sections for the competitions, an A and a B Section. These sections apply to the Monthly PRINT category of competition only. For Monochrome and Digital images a ‘Combined Competition’ applies (see below for further details)

The following are guidelines for selecting the appropriate Section in which to enter images. It is for Members themselves to elect which section they wish to enter at the beginning of a season and having selected, will remain a Member of that section for the season.

Section AGenerally more experienced photographers and long standing Members of the Club.

Section BGenerally, new or less experienced Members may enter Section B.

Members unsure of which Section to enter should consult the Internal Competitions Secretary as to the Section most appropriate to their abilities.

Methods of ‘Promotion’Normally, promotion from Section B to Section A is decided on the basis of performance in the Monthly or Annual Competitions. The annual winner of the B Section League and the B Section Annual Print Competition is available for promotion to the A Section for the following season.

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Internal – Summer Portfolio

CategoriesThis is a ‘Combined’ Section competition. Six subjects will be chosen by the Club Committee and announced at the Club’s A.G.M.

The Committee will determine each year the mode of presentation of images whether by Digital Projected Images or Prints.

Summer Entry Rules and Guidance

• Images can be entered only if taken between the date of the A.G.M. and the competition.

• An entry will consist of four images in the mode determined covering 4 of the 6 subjects and the winner will be the one with the highest aggregate score.

• A member may enter more than one set of images and the images entered will be eligible for entry in any further Club competition.

Summer Certificates and Trophies

• The Tom Dickson Shield - The author the best score for all four images

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Internal – Monthly

Categories

There are 3 categories, all of which are judged and scored separately. Members can enter any or all of the categories. The categories and numbers of entries for each monthly competition are as follows;

• Open Print – 2 prints (A Section and B Section)• Monochrome Print – 1 print (Combined Competition)• Digital – 2 digital images (Combined Competition)

Note: The Monochrome Print and Digital Leagues will operate as one Combined Section. This competition will be open to all those members who submit one monochrome print and/or two Digital Images in each of the four monthly competitions during the year.

Print and projected image entries will be marked out of 20 and will be commented on by the Judge on Competition Night. The marks for each category will be totalled and the total score will identify the monthly winner for each category.

The scores will be totalled for the four monthly competitions and the competitor with the highest score will win the ‘A’ section or ‘B’ section League for the Print category and the ‘Combined’ Section for the Monochrome and Digital categories.

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Monthly Entry Rules and Guidance

• Entries for one monthly competition will not be eligible for further monthly competitions, but will be eligible for entry in the Annual competition.

• Previous Season’s entries will not be eligible for the current season.• All prints must be mounted on board with the maximum size of board

being 50cm x 40 cm. • Projected Digital Images should be sized to 1400px by 1050px with

portrait images being sized to 1050px height. Please do not submit images larger than this. It is recommended that you use the sRGB profile. Images should be in jpeg format and saved to a CD, with the Member’s name as the title of a folder on the CD and images individually titled in the folder.

• All Prints entered should be titled, and be accompanied by a completed Entry Form (available from the Competition Secretary on ‘hand-in’ night).

• The Member’s name should not be shown on the Print. Members are asked to submit their entries in an appropriate bag or cover, entitled with the Member’s name.

While the Club will make every effort to ensure the safekeeping of prints submitted for competitions or exhibitions the Club can accept no liability for any loss or damage.

Monthly Certificates and Trophies

The Monthly winners for each category and each section will receive a Club certificate. At the Club’s end of season AGM the league winners will receive the relevant trophy as follows;

• The Coronation Cup - A Section Print League competition winner• The Kirkintilloch Trophy – B Section Print League competition winner• President’s Trophy – ‘Combined’ Section Monochrome Print

competition winner• The Blair Plate – ‘Combined’ Section Digital Image competition

winner

K I R K I N T I L L O C H C A M E R A C L U B

Internal – Annual

CategoriesThere are three categories for the annual competition, as follows;

• Print – 4 prints (A Section and B Section)• Digital – 4 digital images (‘Combined’ Competition)• Print Panel – 4 Prints of Member’s choice (‘Combined’ Competition)

Annual Entry Rules and Guidance• The existing A Section and B sections will apply to the annual Print

competition.• The Members with the highest total score for each category in each

section will be the winners.• Prints and PDIs entered to the season’s Monthly competitions may be

entered in the Annual Competition.• Same rules as to size of mounts/boards (max 50cmx40cm) and DPI

resolution (max 1400px) apply.• Previous season’s entries will not be eligible for the same category in the

current season.

Annual Certificates and TrophiesThe winners for each category and each section will receive a Club certificate. At the Club’s end of season AGM the winners will receive the relevant trophy as follows;

• The Kilsyth Cup - A Section Annual Print competition winner

• The Beginner’s Trophy – B Section Annual Print competition winner

• The Turner Cup - The author of the best Print, Judge’s choice

• The Andrew Grainger Trophy - The author of the best panel of Prints

• The Caurnie Cup – ‘Combined’ Section Annual Digital Image competition winner

• The Henderson Quaich - The author of the best Digital Image, Judge’s choice

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External Competitions - Introduction

The Club appoints an External Competitions Secretary who will liaise with external bodies and is available to advise Members.

The Club aims to take part in a number of external events annually. A Selection Committee, comprising the President, External Competition Secretary and four club Members choose the Club’s entries from images previously entered into the Club’s internal competitions. This is why it is very important that Members take part in Internal Competitions both to gain experience and to increase the range of images available to the Selection Committee.

Scottish Photographic Federation(http://www.scottish-photographic-federation.org/)

The Scottish Photographic Federation (SPF) runs several competitions throughout the year and camera clubs throughout Scotland participate. The Club will endeavour to submit an entry to SPF Competitions where practical. Entries will normally be drawn from the previous year’s Club Competitions. The cost of entry is met from Club funds.

Note that Members are free to submit individual entries to certain SPF competitions, which must be submitted through the External Competition Secretary. In such cases the cost of entry must be met by the individual Member.

Glasgow District Photographic Union(http://www.gdpu-uk.org/)

The Glasgow District Photographic Union (GDPU) consists of those clubs located more or less in the West of Scotland and holds Competitions such as the DPI Competition. Clubs are organised in mini groups/leagues

Local Club Competitions

There are local arrangements whereby the Club competes annually with Airdrie and Coatbridge Camera Club usually in January, and Milngavie and Bearsden Camera Club in April, and in mid March with Stirling and Falkirk for the Williamson Trophy. The Competitions cover both Prints and DPIs.

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External Competitions Listing

SPF North Central Area – “5 Way Competition”.Held mid November in rotation between – Kirkintilloch, Stirling, Falkirk, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth and Airdrie & Coatbridge. Entry is 5 Prints (either Mono or Colour) and 5 Digital Projected Images. A Maximum of 2 pieces of work from the same author is allowed in each section.

SPF Annual DPIAround November the SPF run a competition for clubs in DPI’s

SPF Annual PrintIn January/February the SPF have their major Print Competition in Scotland covering both Colour and Monochrome Prints. Kirkintilloch usually enters about 50 Prints and the top scoring 10 prints in Colour and the top scoring 10 Prints in Monochrome are added together to give a Club score and ranking.

SPF Annual PortfolioIn May/June the SPF organise the Print and DPI Portfolio Competition covering both Colour and Monochrome Prints and DPI’s. The Club entry consists of 4 Colour, 4 Monochrome Prints and 6 DPI’s. Individual Member entries are accepted via the camera clubs. The top images are accepted for the Portfolio which is copied on CD and

made available to the Clubs who enter. The top scoring entries go forward to National Competitions (i.e. UK wide PAGB competitions).

GDPU John DuffyThe GDPU runs a Competition known as the John Duffy Portfolio and Clubs submit 4 Prints which are judged and the top 50 comprise the Portfolio and are exhibited in GDPU affiliated Camera Clubs.

GDPU Annual Print ExhibitionEvery year the GDPU holds a Print Competition and Exhibition. The Club submits an entry of 4 Prints and individual Member entries are accepted via the Club at the Member’s expense.

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Preparing for Competition

Whether for Digital Images or Print, Members are advised to ensure that their monitors are properly calibrated using one of the many devices commercially available.

For print competitions Members can either use a home printer or have their work commercially printed. At the time of publication the Club have a small discount arrangement with Loxley Colour, a high quality print lab based near Cumbernauld. Prints are displayed to their best effect when mounted and at least a reasonable quality paper is used.

Competition Judging

The Club invites an independent person to judge all of its competitions and those with other clubs. External bodies will similarly appoint independent judges for their competitions. All judges are drawn from approved SPF and GDPU lists. Both the SPF and GDPU organise training courses for Judges.

Club Website( http://kirkintillochcameraclub.org.uk)

The Club has its own dedicated website administered by a Club Member. Members are encouraged to make full use of the valuable resource.

All Member information, latest news and useful links are included here. In addition the facility exists to showcase Members’ work and links to their own websites where applicable.