Photography Club of Greater Cincinnati, 2018 Competition Topics

Month / Type / Subject / Details
January / Print / Transportation / Cars, trucks, trains, planes, boats/ships, buses, bikes –50% or more of subject must fill the image
Digital / Open
February / Print / Cemeteries / Anything in a cemetery, must be easy to see that it is in a cemetery.
Digital / Architecture – detail! / Only a portion of the whole structure. Do not show the entire structure. Highlight one portion.
March / Print / Open
Digital / Threes – in Nature / A group of 3 of anything in nature: Plants, Animals, etc.
Examples: 3 birds, 3 bears, 3 flowers, 3 trees
April / Print / Perspective / Differentiate your image by taking it from an unusual perspective. Get down low and look up, changes how the viewer feels about your subject. Using an unexpected angle can add interest and provide a different perspective.
Digital / Steps or Stairs / The subject here must feature steps, stairs, a ladder etc.
Add interest to your image by finding an interesting angle, or someone or thing on the stairs.
  • You can of course use the steps as leading lines, but the stairs / steps must be our major subject.

May / Print / Open – B&W / Not every color photograph translates into a good B&W. Often the best B&W photos result when the photographer “thinks” in B&W. The 3 most important aspects in B&W are contrast, shape, and texture.
Try going through some of your own work to identify pictures that convert well.
Watch conversion from color shots, consider increasing contrast, and using free programs like Nik’s Silver Effex

Digital / Construction / These images should convey some aspect of the construction of something physical by something animate. Building a house, decorating a cake, etc.
June / Print / Shoes /
  • Smart, stylish, old, worn, in groups, lines, pairs, or piles.
  • Try close-up or abstract of a shoe or a boot
  • Image of shoes with a purpose or an artistic arrangement.
  • Shoe store display or the messy floor of a closet.
  • Try googling “shoes in photography” for ideas.

Digital / Emotion / Subject must be living! /human or animal.
Ensure “portrait” shows a “strong” emotion in the subject.
Month / Type / Subject / Details
July / Print / An Event / The image needs to show the event - focus on the overall rather than a small detail.
Subjects may include a parade, show, sporting event, etc. including part of the crowd.
Digital / Carousel in Smale Riverfront park / All members photograph the same object – the Carousel inSmale Riverfront.
  • Try for something “different”.
  • The Carousel must be the main subject, shoot from outside or inside!
  • Note – Carousel is closed January 29th – February 8th for Yearly Park Maintenance

August / Print / Graffiti / Must be painted with brush or can, can be on a structure or a moving object
Digital / Panorama / Must include at least 3 images stitched together.
Any subject acceptable. A demonstration will be scheduled at a future meeting.
Some cameras create Panoramas, which is totally acceptable.
  • Free Panorama Software is discussed at this link:

September / Print / Open
Digital / Birds / Zoo birds are not permitted. Birds must be alive.
October / Print / Color Orange / Orange must take up at least 1/3rdof the image.
No flowers
Digital / Open – Color / Must be color image, no B&W.
November / Print / The Power of One / Photograph a subject or design element so it stands out.
Avoid distractions, a clean background (free of clutter) allows a subject to stand out. If you can’t avoid background clutter, use wide aperture to achieve shallow depth of field, blur the background.
A subject will stand out if it is distinctly different from its surroundings. A difference in shape, color, texture, or tonal value.
Digital / Show Motion / Show something in motion. The image should not stop the object with a high shutter speed, but rather use slow shutter speeds.
  • Consider panning (slow shutter speed 1/15th, 1/30th and follow subject with the camera. This will blur the background and keep the object relatively sharp). This takes practice!
  • Allow the object to blur while the background remains sharp. Again, use slow shutter speed but blur needs to be controlled so subject is still recognizable.
Other techniques that achieve the objective are permissible.
December / Print / Bridge / Bridge must clearly be the subject of your image.
Show whole bridge or portion.
Digital / Open