Newark & District Photographic Society

Photographer of the Year Judging Change

18/09/2016

Peter Jones ARPS, CPAGB can no longer be here for the Photographer of the Year Heat 1 Projected Digital Images on the 3rd of October and shall instead judge the Photographer of the Year Heat 2 Prints on the 17th of October.

Sue Hartley, who was to judge the Photographer of the Year Heat 2 Prints, shall now be judging the Photographer of the Year Heat 1 Projected Digital Images on the 3rd of October.

Advanced Notification of 2017–2018 themes for Photographer of the Year Themed Sections

05/09/2016

While authors are free to explore any ideas these themes invoke for them, it is worth noting that judges will take into account how well they believe the author has interpreted the brief. As such, subtle and fringe interpretations may not fare as well in judging as obvious ones ? even where the less obvious image would have won in an open section. Having said that, more obvious interpretations may suggest themselves to multiple authors, so, try to be creative.

For those struggling to interpret these catchy theme titles, the following non-prescriptive and non-exhaustive definitions may help.

Heat 1: Shadows and Silhouettes
A classic subject for photography emphasising lines and shapes. As well as simple shadows and silhouettes, expect to see contre-jour (against the light) images where the light source is present and plays as important a part as the silhouette it creates.

Heat 2: Domesticated Animals
While Nature competitions allow captive animals (unlike Wildlife competitions), domestic animals are excluded and so this is your opportunity to test yourself against other members' animal photography ? whether pets or livestock.

Heat 3: Letters, Numbers, and Signs
Another staple of photography lessons and many a first foray into photography. Don't just think literal letters, numbers, or signs ? think about scenes representative of letters (perhaps using a play on words), multiples, and anything that signifies something.

Heat 4: Doors, Windows, and Arches
Yet another classic, architectural details have been photographed since Fox Talbot's first experiments. Don't ignore what nature has to offer though, with arches and openings that provide a window onto another scene being regularly formed by the action of water on stone or by the way trees and plants twist and contort to follow the light or under the pressure of the wind.

Heat 5: Detail (close-ups of a part, not the whole)
Micro photography (photography through a microscope), Macro photography (at least 1:1), and other Close Focus techniques/technologies, can all result in the capture of some small detail that would normally escape the naked eye and are commonly used in nature photography to capture small insects and fungi. For this heat we aren't however just looking for macro photography of the small, or of typical macro subjects, but rather for interesting imagery of some small detail. Even if you don't have the equipment to tackle micro/macro photography, you can still take (or isolate from your capture) some small detail of a larger whole. Please remember though that we are looking for a detail ? so no complete items and, to further level the playing field, no nature allowed.

Heat 6: A Celebration of Summer
Whether celebrating the natural beauty of summer or recording people or animals enjoying summer, this is one theme you won't want to tackle over the winter months.

Reminder of Themes for 2016–2017 POY Themed Section

20/08/2016

Just a reminder that the themes for the coming season's POY Themed section are:

Heat 1: Landscapes, Seascapes, and Riverside
An opportunity to champion the more natural environment; no urban landscapes allowed although that does not mean you cannot include buildings or evidence of man shaping the rural landscape.

Heat 2: Vintage and Retro (to include, fashion, portraits, transport, etc from those eras)
Not just re-enactments, if it's not just the photographer but what's in front of them (or just perhaps the style of photography) that's old then this is the heat.

Heat 3: Architecture and City Scenes
The urban environment, buildings, and architectural details; an opportunity to champion the man made environment we see around us every day, whether on a grand scale or isolating some specific feature.

Heat 4: Sport, Action, and People at Play
The full gamut of Sport, Action, and People at Play images – not just people playing games or sports. Please note, this is not the same as last year's People and Play theme which allowed Portraits, figure studies, and groups as well as anything playing, or theatre. Nor does it include the broader concept of Movement unless it is part of illustrating Sport, Action, or People at Play.

Heat 5: Woodland (to include flora and fauna)
An opportunity to show off your more pictorial images of trees, plants, animals, etc. FIAP's Nature (and Wildlife) rules do not apply here so don't worry about making the image recognisable, simply let your creativity (and not just the birds) fly.

Heat 6: Still Life (to include textures and patterns)
An old classic, whether an arrangement of objects, including fruit and flowers, objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware, or simply textures or patterns. Hint: don't limit yourself to patterns in the artistic sense, any form of arrangement of the elements in a season can imply a pattern but the key think most judges will be lucking for is the inanimate made interesting.