EPS Competitions
Tips & General Information 2020-2021
The 5 x competition dates and themes for each are aligned to the Northern Ireland Photographic Association (NIPA) calendar. Our winning entries are sent to them for inclusion in their all-NI clubs judging.
Our participation in competitions is designed to encourage members to:
- print your images
- view different work and ideas on a theme
- receive constructive ideas for image and technique improvement
- jump the hurdle/nervousness of publicly displaying work
- and for the club to be active in the NI photographic scene
Themes
The themes this year are:
Sept 24th – ‘Open’ (ie. any subject)
Oct 22nd – ‘Abstract’
Dec 3rd – ‘Open’
Jan 21st – ‘Emotion’
Feb 18th – ‘Open’
Classes
Novice: Any member who has not won a category/class at the Society annual exhibition.
Advanced: Any member who has won a category/class at the Society annual exhibition, or members whose work is considered by the Committee to be clearly of an advanced standard.
Email committee at enniskillenphotosociety@gmail.com if you would like you are new to our club and would like us to see if you fit in the advanced category.
Categories & Numbers
COVID-19 UPDATE – we will still have these categories but only digital images will be entered into each one. If images are successful under a print category title then they will need to be printed if they receive a STAR in the NIPA competition. You will be informed if that’s the case.
Mono/Black & White Print
– you may enter a maximum of 2 images into this category
Colour Print
– you may enter a maximum of 2 images into this category
DPI (Digital Projected Image) Mono and/or Colour
- you may enter a maximum of 2 images into this category
So, as an example, you can enter a maximum of 6 images if you wanted, 2 x Mono prints, 2 x Colour prints and 2 x DPI COVID-19 update these are all submitted digitally as DPIs
Presentation – Photographic Digital Images PDI’s: COVID-19 UPDATE – All images are to be submitted as DPI
- There is a maximum size for digital images and some other criteria to meet according to NIPA rules:
(a) Be in jpeg format and sRGB colour space
(b) Be sized to a maximum of 1600 pixels wide and a maximum of 1200 pixels high.
If your image is portrait orientation (vertical) then you are limited to 1200pixels for height. If your image is landscape orientation (horizontal) then you are limited to 1600 pixels for width.
- Give a title to each image along with your name and class.
COVID UPDATE – all images are submitted as DPI so you will need to identify which class as part of the title now too.
For example:
DPI_Racing Cars_Dave McDonald_Advanced or
BWPRINT_ Racing Cars_Dave McDonald_Advanced or
CPRINT_ Racing Cars_Dave McDonald_Advanced
- Email your images to
NB this is a separate email to where the messages come from so use this one please for all competition entries
by 5pm on the Tuesday before the competition.
Resizing images – software
GIMP – editing software, free – https://www.gimp.org
Canva – very basic editing software, free – https://www.canva.com/photo-editor/
IrfanView – editing software, free – https://www.irfanview.com
ResizeImage – only for resizing, free – https://resizeimage.net
PicResize – only for resizing, free – https://picresize.com
Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity – not free, all editing software.
Presentation – Prints:
COVID-19 UPDATE – Do not supply prints unless YOUR IMAGE IS STARRED in the NIPA competition – Dave McDonald will contact you asking you to print your image.
- Prints must be placed into a cardboard mount.
The mount outside dimensions must be maximum 400 x 300mm and be white/off-white or black only. Square images are acceptable as long as the maximum mount does not exceed the 300mm dimension above (eg. 400 x 400mm is not acceptable).
- The print can be any size within the mount.
It’s always a good idea to place a backing board onto the rear of your photos before attaching them to the mounts, a piece of cereal box or other light cardboard is more than suitable for this.
Specialist photo tape is available for sticking photos to the backing board or mount, but if you don’t a have any, white masking tape is an ok alternative as it can be removed and repositioned without too much drama. Try to avoid brown packing tape as once it’s on it’s pretty impossible to move or remove.
Mounts aren’t that costly when you consider you can re-use them over and over again throughout each (and subsequent) years if you’re careful with them.
- Clearly write the title of the picture, your name and the class on the back of the mounted print.
Resources:
Image printing and the sale of mounts (please give them sufficient notice!)
Justin
Enniskillen PhotoShop, 5 Regal Pass, Enniskillen – https://enniskillenphotoshop.com
Ph: 028 6632 5687
Order online for cheaper prints. Mounts (made by Marcus) in store with white, off-white and black available, 8×12 inch and 8×10 inch print size openings. £3 each
Photo Mounts
Marcus McCurry
MJM Picture Framing, Kesh
Ph: 07841 514155
Mounts by Marcus can be made to any size. Call him to discuss further. The mounts can be delivered to Enniskillen PhotoShop.