21st September 2021
One of our members Dave Burton opened discussions around photo editing, preparing for PDI (Projected Digital Image) competitions, and competition judging. It was evident that members use a variety of editing software, which was discussed at length, however the handouts that Dave had already circulated can be widely used for most types.
Dave explained the PDI competition rules, general requirements, and the re-sizing of images in preparation for the competitions. The standard format for images is a maximum of 1600 wide by 1200 high pixels. There are many ways of re-sizing a document, and members discussed what methods they used, giving hints and tips on how this can be achieved. If any members have difficulty in re-sizing please contact the Committee who will be able to help.
The scoring of competitions was explained as well as the differences between the Merit competitions, and the Set Subject and Annual competitions. Although it may be daunting to enter a competition, in which you find yourself competing against those in the Advanced class, it was very encouraging to remember that one of our Beginners won the Annual Competition last year.
We are one of the few clubs who still have three member classes, i.e. Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced, and we feel that this gives members a greater opportunity to enhance their skills. Those members who attain a high score in each class are usually invited to join the next class according to their ability, and when they feel comfortable to move. This is also the case if a member feels they would benefit from going back to a former group in order to build up their confidence.
Dave had also prepared and circulated a handout on Competition Judging. This was also a very interesting topic and was discussed at length. Judges are always looking for something unusual, something that inspires and catches the attention straight away, and sometimes emotions and feelings from an image can have a higher mark than technical skills. Checking detail in the image is paramount especially backgrounds, light spots, distractions, noise, etc. etc. It was not possible to cover all topics this evening and members were advised to read the handout, which covers all aspects of judging.
This was a very informative and inspiring evening and grateful thanks goes to Dave for preparing and circulating the handouts, which were invaluable for inviting such a variety of discussions. Members had a very good evening interacting and sharing ideas from their own experiences, which were also extremely useful.
Dave will be preparing more topics for discussion, and if there is anything you would like to see covered within these sessions, please contact the Committee and put your suggestions forward.
Thank you.