Becoming a member

Thanks for your interest in the Highland Glen Camera Club!

The easiest way to become an HGCC member is to attend one of our club meetings, fill out a registration form with your contact information, and pay your membership fee (the fee schedule can be found here).

Our club meetings are advertised on this website; in addition the complete club program in PDF is available for download. Meetings are usually the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, starting with the third Monday in September and go until the end of April, with the year-end awards banquet in May.

Meetings start at 7:30pm and end before 10:00pm, and are held at Keatsway Public School, 332 Keats Way, Waterloo.

Acquiring a HGCC web account

Once your membership has been processed, you can either signup for an account on the Highland Glen website, or the webmaster can setup an account for you. As a member, you'll then be able to take advantage of the services provided by the website, including being able to post and comment on images, place a classified ad, or start a blog.

To create an account, click on the Create New Account link on the left-hand sidebar of the main highlandglen.ca page. The User Account page, by default, displays the "Create New Account" tab as follows:

When filling out the new account form, please follow these guidelines:

• On the main Account Settings tab: For a user name, please use your given name, followed by a space, then your last name. This will permit the website to display your full name alongside any images that you submit to the site. Please upload an image of yourself, which will help existing members recognize you.
• In your Personal Information, include your photographic interests, the city where you live, a website URL if you have one, and your telephone number. Your telephone number and email address are inaccessible to anyone who does not have a HGCC website account.
• In your Notification settings, click on the radio button so that you are automatically notified of new website content via email - if you so choose.
• On the "My newsletters" tab - check the box for the "Highland Glen Camera Club Newsletter". This will permit you to receive mass mailings from the club in a "newsletter" format, which are archived on the website.

Specific duties of the Board

President

• Overall organizer of club operations.
• Chair each of the club meeting. Create agenda and ensure all announcements are made as required for that meeting (what is on for next meeting, guest speaker announcements, and overall club activities).
• Call executive meetings and chair these meetings.
• Provide agenda to executive meeting.
• Coordinate activities with other clubs via emails or meetings.
• Select a Board member for awarding of a CAPA Pewter Medal for service to the club (if warranted), must be done 60 days in advance.
• Solicit for additional Board members as required to maintain a high level of excellence within the board.
• Oversee Inter-Club competitions.
• Organize the club program. This may entail soliciting people from the board to manage this activity and ensure it completes. President may or may not be involved. Activities for planning the program are:
  • Gather information from the GTCCC speakers list, browse websites of other clubs in southern Ontario, browse the Contact program, and solicit input from other photographers and other clubs.
  • Select and book speakers for the forthcoming year.
  • Publish club program on the website (doc and pdf formats).
  • Publish brochure of club program and distribute to other clubs, camera stores, and other related organizations and businesses including the Waterloo Community Arts Centre.
  • Plan entire club activity schedule for the year, and ensure that meeting nights/weekends are booked at the Button Factory with WCAC staff.
• Send out reminders to speakers in advance of their talk.
  • Verify attendance, fee, equipment requirements.
  • Acquire short biography, description of presentation.
  • Advertise speakers on the website using their biography and presentation description.
  • Ensure the guest speakers are advertised in the WCAC weekly newsletter.
  • Meet speakers at the Button Factory on their presentation night to assist in setup and configuration.
• Arrange for payment of honorarium with the club Treasurer.
• Arrange for thank-you card with folder.
• Order card stock, imprinted HGCC folders as necessary.

Vice President

• Assist the President in coordinating club activities.
• Fill in for President when President is away.
• Pick up mail from the Button Factory and process as required.
• Work with President to coordinate Stag and Swan competition as required.
• Work with President to coordinate Inter-club competitions as required.
• VP is responsible for equipment maintenance, including slide and digital projectors.

Secretary

• Keep minutes at all executive meetings and provide minutes to all executive members.
• Coordinate production of the Club's newsletter, InFocus, and distribute via email to members with email access. Bring hard copies to the meetings for members who do have email access. Post a copy of InFocus on the club website.
• Assist in providing information to club members regarding events and special meetings.

Treasurer

• Maintain the club's financial records, bank accounts and chequing activity.
• Collect yearly dues from the members.
• Work with the executive to come up with a pay structure.
• Provide cheques when required for various club activities, speakers and judges.
• Oversee the Signing Authority changes as required.
• Maintain the club's membership list, and communicate changes to the membership to the President and to the website administrator.

Competition Coordinator

• Coordinate all internal club competitions. Competitions include:
  • In-Club competitions (currently 2 competitions per year)
  • Hepatica competition
  • Jack Battler Creative competition
  • Theme competitions
• Ensure website has correct details for the competitions (categories, number of images, types of images, etc.)
• Collect physical media (slides, prints, digital) at collection meeting.
• Collect electronic submissions via email with help from webmaster.
• Photograph physical images (slides, prints) and store their thumbnails in the competition database.
• Verify the categories used for submitted images, and adjust as necessary. Inform the photographer of category changes before judging, if possible.
• Enter the image metadata from submission forms into the competition database.
• Arrange for (a) a venue for judging, (b) 3 judges and (c) payment for judging night.
• Produce a running order for the images to be shown to the judges.
• Produce hardcopy listings of the entries for manual recording of scores.
• Compile results when the judging has been completed.
• Decide on winners; compute colour dot assignments and retain for subsequent competitions.
• At end of year: (a) arrange for trophies, folders, medallions for the various winners, (b) create an awards listing for the club president for the closing banquet, (c) generate a report for each member summarizing their entries, scores, and dots for the year
• Maintain a running list of scores on all competitions.

Web Site Administrator

• Maintain and develop website infrastructure.
• Develop new facilities as necessary.
• Customize website theme display to support new content as required.
• Coordinate site administration with hosting provider.
• Purchase/renew/administer hosting, domain contracts.
• Schedule and retain appropriate backups.
• Post new content: events, program items, etc.
• Add new website accounts, reconcile with Treasurer as necessary.
• Answer and maintain site email.
• Publish event/competition/workshop/exhibitions as they are sent in to the club's email account.
• Process HGCC competition submissions made through email to the submissions email account (submissions@highlandglen.ca).

Club Activities Coordinator

• Disposable Camera Challenge
  • Select theme
  • Arrange with BJ Photo for sale, processing of disposable cameras
  • Pick up CD of images on presentation night
  • Book presentation venue with screen
  • Distribute CDs on the evening, and arrange equipment for presentation
  • Run the show
• Second Cup Exhibits
  • coordinate installations at Second Cup with owner (Wendy Battler), and HGCC photographers
  • help with installation
  • solicit the membership for new exhibits
  • modify the website to update the exhibit list, include new digital thumbnails to advertise the exhibit.

Club Refreshment Coordinator

• For all club events where refreshments are required, acquire the refreshments and food for the activity.
• Deliver food and refreshments to the club and setup.
  • Refreshments are water, juice and coffee.
  • Food is usually finger foods, snacks and sweets.
  • Purchase and bring appropriate utensils and plates.
  • Coordinate with the Treasurer for cost reimbursement.

GTCCC Representative

• Coordinate with the treasurer to make annual dues payment with GTCCC treasurer, which are due each January (with Interclub submissions).
• Attend 4-5 meetings in Toronto each fall/winter meetings are held at either the North York Public Library or at the Toronto Camera Club.
• Distribute rules for Interclub competition.
• Collect Interclub submissions from the HGCC membership and transport them to Toronto on submission night. Assign competition numbers to each submission, collect entry fees as necessary, and verify submissions have the correct metadata before transport to Toronto.
• Recollect submitted images at the end of the Interclub exhibition from the Toronto Camera Club.

Outing Coordinator

• Organize the Hepatica shoot competition.
  • Solicit members to come and be part of the competition.
  • Ensure website is updated with the date and location of the outing.
  • Gather the names of everyone who has come out to the competition. Only these people will be allowed to enter the actual competition in the fall.
  • Solicit the people who participated to provide images for the competition.
  • Work with the Competition Coordinator to ensure competition runs smoothly.
• Organizing outings for shoots at different locations, perhaps two or three of these each year.
• Solicit members to come and be part of the outing. Post the outing on the club website, and manage the signup list.
• Choose a location and a theme if required for the outing.
• Organize a meeting where the results of the outing can be shown to the club members. Can be done on one of the usual Members' nights.

Inter-club Competition Coordinator

• Provide competition rules to other clubs, and to HGCC members, if HGCC is hosting the competition.
• Coordinate Stag and Swan competition with the Stratford Camera Club.
  • Solicit HGCC members for images.
  • Organize the selection of the images to be part of the Highland Glen entry
  • Contact the hosting club for submission details, advance delivery, and venue.
  • If HGCC is hosting it: solicit for volunteers, arrange for delivery of submissions, judging/show as for Competitions section above.
  • Ensure announcements of the competitions are made during club meetings and are present on the club website.
  • Organize collection of the images on a specific night.
  • Deliver images to the host club.
  • Attend the competition and return the club images to their owners.

  Goal is to have as many HGCC club members participate as possible.

• Coordinate Inter-club competitions.
  • Solicit members for suitable images.
  • Contact the hosting clubs for submission details, advance delivery, and venue.
  • If HGCC is hosting it: solicit for volunteers, arrange for delivery of submissions, judging/show as for Competitions section above.
  • Ensure announcements of the competitions are made during club meetings and are present on the club website.
  • Organize collection of the images on a specific night.
  • Organize the selection of the images to be part of the Highland Glen entry.
  • Deliver images to the host club.
  • Attend the competition and return the club images to their owners.

  Goal is to have as many HGCC club members participate as possible.

Jack Battler Creative Competition

In January of each year, the club holds a separate competition for the Jack Battler Creative Trophy. The idea behind the competition is to have members submit creative, rather than documentary, images. Subject matter, and type of media used, is open. Each photographer may submit up to two images to the competition; the trophy is awarded to the photographer with the highest single-image score, with ties broken by the scores for the second image.

Submit Online

Hepatica Shoot and Competition

The Hepatica Shoot and Competition is a four-day event held over two consecutive weekends in the early spring. The event was begun by long-time HGCC club members Merlin Becker and Norm Jarvis to encourage the club membership to get out and shoot during the early spring. As such, the competition caters to those members who enjoy nature photography.

Hepatica is a small but attractive woodland flower that grows in high-quality woodland areas. There are several species of hepatica, including the sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) and the round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana). Sharp-lobed and round-lobed refer to the shape of the three lobes of the leaves. The flowers themselves, usually only one-half to one inch in diameter, are typically blue to lavender, but can also be white or even pink. Hepatica can bloom as early as mid-March, but in Ontario they bloom later, from mid-April to mid-May depending on snow-cover and spring temperatures.

The Hepatica shoot is usually organized for the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May. The site of the shoot varies, but is typically within a one-hour drive from Kitchener-Waterloo, and sometimes takes place on a location near the Niagara Escarpment. Since the shoot takes place so near to the end of the club year, the competition part takes place the following fall; only those images taken the previous spring are eligible for entry. Each photographer may submit at most two images to the Hepatica competition.

Starting in 2009, the club has decided to change the Hepatica competition. Instead of the subject always being the Hepatica flower, each year a different wild flower will be the subject for the competition. The only stipulation, the images have to be created during the same year as the competition. Refer to the current club year program for the subject.

Subject by year:
2009/2010 Season - Trillium - Due Nov. 1, 2010
2010/2011 Season - Dandelion - Due Fall 2011 - see 2010/2011 schedule when available.

Submit Online

Photo essays

Periodically during the year, members are invited to present a photo essay on a topic of their choice during a regular club meeting.

A photo essay is a set or series of photographs that are intended to tell a story or evoke a series of emotions in the viewer. All photo essays are collections of photographs, but not all collections of photographs are photo essays. Photo essays often address a certain issue or attempt to capture the character of places and events.

In general, photo essays can range from purely photographic works to photographs with captions or small notes to full text essays with a few or many accompanying photographs. When presented at Highland Glen, a photo essay is typically a sequential presentation of still images whose display is limited to approximately 10 minutes. With slide or digital presentations, the essay constitutes a single montage or collage of photographic images, with text or other additions, intended to be viewed both as a whole and as individual photographs. With prints, an essay may be presented sequentially, or the prints may be viewed all at once by setting up an exhibition of the prints in advance.

Slide or digital photo essays are often set to music, though this is not a requirement. Various software packages support slide shows set to music, ProShow Gold being one of the most popular at the present time.

Second Cup Gallery

Members of the Highland Glen Camera Club have the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Second Cup Cafe located at the corner of Phillip St. and University Avenue in Waterloo, adjacent to the University of Waterloo.

The seating area at the rear of the cafe has four short (60 inch) walls suitable for framed prints. Exhibitors should note that:

• All prints must be framed.
• Each photographer should display at least two prints, and no more than eight. Four to six prints is optimal, though this obviously depends on the size. Because the walls have sconce lighting, it can be difficult to display very large prints.
• Exhibitors should be prepared to leave business cards with their name and contact information.
• Prints may be advertised as being for sale. Wendy Battler, the proprietor of the restaurant, is pleased to support the club and does not expect any commission from the sale of any work.
• Artwork will be rotated on a 6-to-8 week basis. Visit the club website to see images of those prints currently on display, and the list of forthcoming exhibitors.
• Scheduling of the exhibits and liaison with the restaurant are the responsibility of Glenn Paulley. The restaurant must be given appropriate notice when changeover is to occur. While set-up and take-down is the responsibility of both artists, changeover should be coordinated and arranged in advance, since tools/ladders may be required to hang the work. In particular, it is important that no art work is hung or removed from the walls without the artist(s) being present, and framed images must not be left at the cafe to minimize the possibility of damage.
• Second Cup staff reserve the right to refuse to display any artwork that they deem unacceptable.

Photo Casino

Photo Casino is a social evening that includes dinner at a local restaurant.

Usually held in October, the event is designed as a fun event to permit members to display their work taken over the previous summer. Subject category is completely open.

To participate, HGCC members may bring 1 or 2 unmounted 8x10 prints (colour or black-and-white). The entry fee for participating photographers is $2; spectators may also participate, again for an entry fee of $2.

Each participant at the casino will receive a number of playing cards. The total number of cards dealt will be dependent on the number of prints entered (5 cards per print). Cards will be dealt to participants equally, though because of numbers some participants may receive one less card than others.

Following dinner, all of the prints will be laid out to accept the placement of cards. The basic idea is for participants to vote for their favorite images with their cards, placing at most one card on any one print, face down. Participants should keep in mind that poker values are used for individual cards. If an image already has five cards, then a different image must be selected. Card placement will proceed in round-robin fashion until all participants have placed their cards. At the end of this process each image will have exactly five cards.

Once all of the cards have been played, two additional cards are drawn from the deck. With these two cards, and the five played on each of the pictures, the best five-card poker hand will be created for each picture. The picture with the best poker hand will be declared the winner, with corresponding second and third place prizes.

Disposable Camera Challenge

The "Disposable Camera Challenge" is a non-competitive event. The idea is to challenge participating photographers by "leveling the playing field" so that all the participants utilize the same equipment: a 12- or 14-shot 35mm disposable camera.

At the last club meeting in January, photographers will be invited to enter the challenge and pick up a disposable camera from BJ Photo Labs in Waterloo (located at the corner of Phillip and Albert Streets next to the Parkdale Animal Hospital). The challenge is a theme contest: to photograph a number of specific subjects utilizing that disposable camera. The challenge theme will remain secret until the challenge period begins.

Once the camera’s film is exhausted, the photographer will return the camera to BJ Photo for processing. All of the images will be digitally displayed at a social evening to be held on Monday, 9 February 2009.

There are no prizes or awards for this event.

In-club competition entry form

The In-club competition entry form must accompany images.

Deciding the best category

The idea for choosing a category is to pick the `best fit' for the image. Lots of images will certainly fall on the blurry lines between two (or more) categories. If that happens, look at the main idea or most dominant theme of the image and use that to determine the category. For example, consider a shot of a beach with a sunset, a small starfish in the corner, and a building in the background. While it might be possible to see elements of Nature, Landscape, Urban, and Fine Art, if the dominant theme is the sunset then the category should be Landscape.

The in-club competition co-ordinator(s) have final say over whether an image may be used in a certain category, so if unsure, check first. Even if the co-ordinator(s) allow an image, the judges may use their discretion to penalize the score of any image they feel is not in the appropriate category. If it seems that the category you have picked is a bit of a reach, then you should reconsider your choice.

Ineligible images

The in-club competition co-ordinator(s) may disqualify any image deemed to not be in the most appropriate category. Images rejected for this reason may be re-submitted in a later round in the appropriate category.

The same image, or nearly-identical (to the point of being difficult to distinguish as different) images of the same subject, should not be submitted more than once. The in-club competition co-ordinator(s) may disqualify any image they deem to be too similar, and the judges will be instructed to mark down any images they feel they have seen before.

Image category - LANDSCAPE

This category is for natural scenic vistas, sunsets, seascapes, skyscapes, weather, suburban or rural scenes, sea coast, and other panoramic images. Panoramic cityscapes should be entered in this category, while city images whose main subject is not the skyline belong in the Urban category.

Image category - NATURE

HGCC follows the rules set by CAPA for Nature photographs.

In 2008, CAPA adopted the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) nature definition. CAPA's Nature Category rules are as follows:

Nature photography depicts living, untamed animals and uncultivated plants in a natural habitat, geology and the wide diversity of natural phenomena, from insects to icebergs. Photographs of animals that are domesticated, caged or under any form of restraint, as well as photographs of cultivated plants are ineligible. Minimal evidence of humans is acceptable for nature subjects, such as barn owls or storks adapting to an environment modified by humans, or natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves, reclaiming it.

The original image must have been taken by the photographer, whatever photographic medium is used.

Any manipulation or modification to the original image is limited to minor retouching of blemishes and must not alter the content of the original scene.

After satisfying the above requirements, every effort should be made to use the highest level of artistic skill in all nature photographs. No composites. HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques are acceptable as long as the result is what the eye naturally sees.

CAPA Suggestions for Nature Photographers

The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality, but there must be an emphasis on the aesthetic value of the photograph, ie the creation of art and appreciation of beauty - all this within the confines of an accurate record of the subject and the natural environment.

Nature images with an interpretative or pictorial treatment should be submitted in the Other category, and heavily manipulated digital images are not eligible. Scenic vistas, land and seascapes, although natural, belong in the Landscape category. However, the Nature category also includes astrophotographic images where the primary subject is one or more celestial body. Images of pets and other domesticated animals do not belong in the Nature category, and should instead be submitted to the Other category.

Images in the Nature category will be judged not only on composition and technique, but on the specimen(s).

Image category - OTHER (Photographer's choice)

Only images that do not better fit into one of the other categories. For example, pet, sports, night images, advertising, humour, and vintage are conveyable themes that may not easily fit into the other categories. If it seems awkward or a stretch to put the image in any other category, it belongs here.

Image category - PORTRAITURE

The Portraiture category is for people pictures. While some other categories may include people, this category should be used if the primary subject is classic portrait, environmental portrait, fashion, glamour, swimsuit, wedding, children, stage, family, and candid images.

Image category - URBAN

Urban images should reflect city life, including architecture, street photography, industrial themes, vehicles and transportation.

Submission standards

In order to simplify the handling of competition entries, the club has adopted the following submission standards. These standards will help ensure consistent judging conditions, allow for consistent identification of the entries, and assist in image handling to ensure the safe return of the images to the photographer. The competition coordinator(s) will do their best to ensure that submissions are handled with utmost care and are returned undamaged; however, accidents can and do occur and members should safeguard sensitive, important images by retaining duplicates if at all possible.
To catalogue image submissions for any particular round, club members should accompany their images with the standard HGCC in-club submission form. Scoring results for each round will be returned to members using a computer-generated report. The submission form is downloadable below and will also be made available to members at club meetings.

Judging

Submitted images will be judged by category, so that all of the images in a category, regardless of media, will be evaluated together in the hope of providing greater consistency in scoring. In all cases, the judges’ score is final. The judges are instructed to mark down images they deem inappropriate for the category, even if the image has been accepted by the competition co-ordinator. Poor presentation (improperly matted print, scratched slide, shifted slide mount) will also result in lesser scores.

Ordinarily, each image will be judged only once, by secret ballot. The club owns an electro-mechanical scoring machine expressly for this purpose. However, any of the judges, or the competition coordinator(s), may spontaneously request a re-scoring of an image should there be, in their view, a serious discrepancy in the individual scores. In this circumstance, the judges will be asked to discuss the characteristics of the particular image and acknowledge, or refute, their individual points of view. Subsequent to the discussion, the image will be re-scored, again by secret ballot. There is no requirement that any judge alter their score from the first attempt.

The judges are also asked to provide brief comments on the images they score, with the aim being to give participants helpful feedback. However, due to the sheer number of submissions it will likely be impossible to provide comments on each and every image.

Scoring

Three judges each give an image a score out of 10, so the final score for an image is a number out of 30. Scoring guidelines are as follows:

• 1-2-3: not normally used
• 4-5: poor quality
• 6-7: average
• 8: above average
• 9-10: exceptional

The Colour Dot System

When a member joins the club, they start in the bottom colour category for scoring, which is yellow. Each colour category requires a certain number of images that have a minimum score before the photographer moves up to the next category.

• Yellow: 6 images scoring 18 or more
• Red: 6 images scoring 20 or more
• Green: 10 images scoring 22 or more
• Blue: 15 images scoring 24 or more
• Silver: 15 images scoring 26 or more
• Gold: 20 images scoring 28 or more

So, a new member must earn six yellow dot stickers (each from an image scoring 18 points or more) before beginning to earn red colour dots.

Examples

Gail, a fictitious new club member, enters five images into the first in-club competition of the year. For simplicity, let’s label her images A-E. In order, the scores she receives from the judges for this first round of in-club competition are 15, 18, 20, 15, and 25. In this case, two of her images (A and D) are below the score of 18 Gail needs to collect a yellow dot for that image. However, the other three all have scores greater than 18, so Gail has earned 3 yellow dots in this one round of competition. Note that the very good score of 25 with image E still earns Gail a yellow dot. Gail must continue to collect yellows until she acquires a complete set of six, after which she can begin collecting dots of the next higher value (red).

Anouk, another fictitious club member with some experience, already has completed collecting her yellow dots and has accumulated five red dots, needing only one more to advance to green. Her images in this in-club competition round, again labelled A-E, are awarded respective scores of 23, 18, 20, 23, and 28. In her case, the score of 18 is thrown out because it fails to meet the standard for red (a score of 20 or higher). The image with the least score that earns a red dot is image C; this image earns Anouk her last red, as she now has a total of six red dots. The other images (A, D, and E) all have scores that meet the standard for green, so Anouk earns 3 green dots with these images.

Most improved photographer awards

The colour dot system helps to provide an increasing challenge for members as they advance in skill, and is used to determine the Most Improved awards. For these awards, the dot categories are combined in pairs to form Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced:

• Beginner: photographers collecting either yellow or red dots at the beginning of the club year;
• Intermediate: photographers collecting green or blue dots; and
• Advanced: photographers collecting silver or gold dots.

The photographer in each of the three categories who collect the most dots (that is, are awarded the most number dots for images that meet or exceed the point level of their category in the club’s in-club competitions) are awarded a medal at the end of the year.

Trophies and awards

Photographer of the Year.

This award, acknowledged with the Baker Memorial Cup, is meant to reflect both well-rounded and consistent photographic skill. Members must submit at least two images in four distinct categories to qualify for Photographer of the Year.

The winner of the award is the photographer with the highest cumulative score of each of their possible 12 in-club category submissions. Images entered in Theme competitions or inter-club competitions do not count towards Photographer of the Year. In the case of ties, consideration will be given to the photographer with the highest score of any eligible image, followed by the second-highest, and so on, until the tie has been broken.

The winner of Photographer of the Year is ineligible for any ‘Best Of Category Awards’ in the same year.

Best of Category.

Available for each of the six categories, this award is meant to reflect the best and most consistent skill within the category. Members must submit at least three images in a category to qualify for the category award. The total score of the best three images in that category will be computed for each photographer, and the photographer with the highest total score will win the award for that category. Ties will be broken, first, by considering the highest score of any image in that category, and second, by considering the second-highest score in that category. If two or more photographers are still tied, the tie will be broken by considering the fourth (and then fifth, etc.) highest scoring image in that category, if more than three images have been submitted to that category by each of the photographers. Finally, if still tied, the tie will be broken by the photographers’ total scores in the Photographer of the Year competition.

Most Improved Photographer.

This award is given out based on the number of coloured dots gained during the year’s in-club competition. There are three categories, and the photographer’s category is determined by the color level they start the club season in. Beginner is for those who begin the year in yellow or red, intermediate is for those who begin the year in green or blue, and advanced is for those who begin the year in silver or gold.

Grand Valley Image Battle

The Grand Valley Image Battle competition is held once a year as an inter-club competition with other clubs in South-Western Ontario. Participating clubs include the Highland Glen, Grand River, Orangeville, Stratford, Halton Hills, Brantford, Fergus, and Woodstock camera clubs. Each club enters 20 images and each photographer is restricted to at most three images. A club's entry can be a mix of digital images or prints, in any proportion. Print submissions must adhere to the same submission guidelines as that for the Highland Glen in-club competition.

This year, the Highland Glen entry will be chosen by the membership at a special meeting in October, just prior to the "Battle". Typically, images are chosen from those that received the highest scores in in-club or theme competitions earlier in the year, or from the year before.

GTCCC Interclub Competition

One of the primary functions of the Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs (GTCCC) is to organize a friendly competition and exhibition for the many photographers amongst its 24 member clubs. Certificates and ribbons are awarded to both individuals and winning clubs. Submissions are organized at the club level, and are typically due in mid-January, with the judging occurring in late January and the exhibition in early February.

All original images (negatives, transparencies, and digital files) submitted to this competition must have been taken/created after December 31, 2002 (five-year limitation). The competition is open to slide, print, and digital media in the following categories:

1. Projected Nature Images: The following Nature Definition will be used:

   Nature Photography depicts Nature subjects, such as animals, birds, plants, geology and phenomena not produced by man. Evidence of the ‘hand of man’ and man’s specialized environment is to be avoided. The accurate record of the subject is the primary objective; however, every effort should be made to use the highest levels of artistic skill in Nature photographs. Photographs of cultivated plants, domesticated and/or obviously controlled specimens, mounted specimens and museum groups are ineligible. Zoo and game farm specimens, butterfly conservatory specimens etc. are acceptable if there is no visible evidence of the hand of man in the photograph.

   The photographer, whatever photographic medium is used (slides or digital), must have taken the original image. Any manipulation or modification to the original image is limited to minor retouching and must not alter the content of the original scene.

2. Projected Pictorial Images: There are no subject/context limitations. Note that the entrant should enter images that qualify as ‘Nature’ in the Projected Nature Images category.
3. Colour Prints: There are no subject/context limitations. Both entrant-made and commercial prints are eligible. For digital entries, see item (5) below.
4. Monochrome Prints: There are no subject/context limitations. Prints may be toned, hand tinted, or coloured with a single colour. Both entrant-made and commercial prints are eligible. Prints must be mounted. The entrant must choose between two standardized mount sizes for this competition: for smaller prints, a size of 8 1/2 inches by 12 inches; and for larger prints, 16 inches by twenty inches. For digital entries, see item (5) below.

An entry fee of $1 per image is charged for the GTCCC Interclub competition. Each entrant may submit a maximum of eight (8) images, with no more than two (2) entries in any one of the categories.

All images are eligible for Individual Awards and will be used to determine Club Awards. Additional awards are granted for winning images in specific subject categories (‘botany’ and ‘architecture’ are two examples). However, categories may change from year to year. No individual photographer may receive more than one of the top five awards in any category.

Detailed rules surrounding the Interclub competition change from year to year. The current documents for the competition are attached, but they are likely to change in the coming weeks, immediately prior to the image submission date.

Stag and Swan Competition

The Stag and Swan Competition, begun in 1998, is held annually each spring with the Stratford Camera Club. The clubs take turns hosting the event each year. Each club enters 30 images (any combination of slides and prints). Highland Glen images are chosen by the membership. To encourage broad participation, the usual rule is that any photographer can contribute at most three images to the club’s entry.

Judging is performed by a set of three independent judges, organized by the host club. The winner of the competition is the club with the highest cumulative score.

This year’s Stag and Swan competition will be hosted by the Highland Glen Camera Club on March 15, 2010 at the Granite Club. Additional details to be announced.

Baker Memorial Trophy

The Baker Memorial Trophy was instituted as a tribute to two long-time members of the Highland Glen Camera Club, Ray and Marg Baker. The Bakers served the club in many positions during their membership; they are especially remembered for their leadership in helping others develop their own photographic skills.

Ray Baker was employed for many years at Schneider’s in Kitchener, and soon after beginning a well-earned retirement traveled to Nepal with his wife Marg to begin what was to be a lengthy photographic holiday. Unfortunately they both became very ill shortly after their arrival in Asia and Ray quickly succumbed to his illness. Marg Baker was eventually able to return to Canada, but never recovered.

The Baker Memorial Trophy is awarded to the HGCC Photographer of the Year. Prior winners of this trophy are listed below:

Karl Glockemann Nature Trophy

The Karl Glockemann Nature Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Nature Category of the HGCC in-club competitions. This trophy was presented to the club by Karl Glockemann, an avid hiker and nature photographer. Karl was born in Hanover, Germany in 1931, emigrated to Canada in 1957, and joined the Highland Glen Camera Club in 1968. He was HGCC President in 1972 and 1973 and assisted with growing the club’s membership to over 50. Karl helped start the annual community slide show to generate funds and new members.

Karl's keen eye for frogs and nature earned him recognition worldwide, with over 200 competition acceptances and numerous ribbons and medals from CAPA, FIAP, as well as other competitions in Europe, South America, China, Japan and Russia. Karl holds a 4-Star Award at the Photographic Society of America. After his retirement from active employment in 1990 he has continued to shoot, and present slide shows and nature lectures, in and around Kitchener-Waterloo.

Previous winners of the Karl Glockemann Nature Trophy are listed below:

Art Hiller Memorial Cup

The Art Hiller Memorial Cup is awarded to the winner of the Landscape category in the HGCC in-club competitions.

Art Hiller was a long-time director of the Highland Glen Camera Club who produced the club’s newsletter for many years. Art donated this trophy to encourage and reward club photographers for exhibited ability in pictorial images. Few HGCC members have submitted as many slides for competitions and other club activities as Art Hiller. His images covered a wide variety of travel locations, but Waterloo County received the focus of his attention. Season after season, Art freely produced scores of images with distinction.

Prior winners of the Art Hiller Memorial Cup are listed below.

Don Ross Memorial Cup

The Don Ross Memorial Cup is awarded to the winner of the Photographer’s Choice (other) category in the HGCC in-club competitions.

Don Ross provided the club with this trophy to acknowledge and reward those photographers that may have taken interesting images that do not fit neatly within any specific category. Don served as HGCC President and held various other positions on the club’s Board of Directors, as well as serving as newsletter editor for many years.

Don Ross’s enthusiasm for photography was immense. His images covered a variety of subjects, but architecture was arguably his favorite subject. Architectural images seemed to take on new dimensions through Don’s lens, and his architectural outings were always well attended. Don Ross is remembered as a friendly, helpful individual who made significant contributions to the Highland Glen Camera Club.

Past winners of the Don Ross Memorial Cup are listed below.

Grant Greenfield Trophy

The Grant Greenfield Trophy was donated to the club in 2006 in honour of Grant Greenfield’s 25th anniversary of membership in the HGCC. In the following two years, this trophy was awarded to the winner of the Travel category in the HGCC in-club competitions. With the demise of the Travel category, the trophy will be awarded to the winner of a yet-unknown competition.

Grant’s introduction to photography was a Kodak 116 box camera that produced a 2 1/2 × 4 1/4 inch print. Over the years, Grant has collected a variety of cameras and has been a member of several camera clubs in both the United States and Canada. Grant’s favorite photography subjects are the landscapes and landmarks he discovers on holiday around North America. During his association with the Highland Glen Camera Club, Grant has held a variety of positions and has served twice as club President. Grant's volunteer efforts are greatly appreciated by all members of the club.

Past winners of the Grant Greenfield Trophy are listed below.

Lorne J. Hymers Theme Plaque

The Lorne J. Hymers Theme Plaque is awarded to the photographer with the highest cumulative score in the two theme competitions held in conjunction with the in-club category competitions in a given year. Each photographer can contribute up to two images to each theme competition, in addition to the six in-club category images that are submitted at that time.

Lorne Hymers donated this plaque as a tribute to those members entering a competition in which the subject was predetermined. Lorne, employed as an architectural designer, was an avid railway buff in addition to being an accomplished photographer and long-time member of the Highland Glen Camera Club. Lorne continually promoted the idea of theme competitions as a valuable photographic exercise, and theme competitions remain a significant part of the HGCC program from year to year.

Prior winners of the Lorne J. Hymers Theme Plaque are listed below.

Jack Battler Creative Trophy

The Jack Battler Creative Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Jack Battler Creative Competition.

Jack Battler, born in the Plattsville area, was an amateur watercolour artist who then discovered photography and never looked back. His artistry in nature shots and creativity earned him an enviable reputation in creative photography. To establish greater interest in this type of photography he donated this trophy, which has been a stimulus for the membership’s continued interests in being creative with camera, subject, and light. Jack’s tenacity and ability to visualize alternatives was not limited to photography, but served him well in his career in the Accounting department at a local tire manufacturer, as well as with his volunteer position with the John Howard Society. Jack is fondly remembered for his photographic skills and his contributions to the Highland Glen Camera Club. He passed away of heart failure in March 1997.

Previous winners of the Jack Battler Creative Trophy are listed below.

Hepatica Cup

The Hepatica Cup, donated to the club by long-time members Merlin Becker and Norm Jarvis, is awarded to the winner of the Hepatica Shoot, a competition held over two successive weekends in the spring. This trophy was the first of the Highland Glen Camera Club’s in-club competition awards.

Norm Jarvis and Merlin Becker donated the Cup to stimulate club members to break out of their winter inertia with an early spring shoot. The idea was well received and has become an annual event ever since, with the trophy going to the best image of a hepatica, shot on the designated dates. The challenge with this flower is due to its small size, sensitivity to the sun’s warming rays, its unique color, and a two week blooming window.

Norm Jarvis and Merlin Becker are widely known for their love of nature and photography. They both joined the club in 1986 where their skills in photographing difficult nature subjects was overshadowed only by their enthusiasm for nature photography. They eagerly shared their photographic expertise as well as their wealth of botanical knowledge about their subjects. Over the years both men have held the position of club President and almost all other director positions in the HGCC. Both actively competed in HGCC, as well as nationally in nature categories, generating a highly respected name for the Highland Glen Camera Club within CAPA.

Norm Jarvis became national President of the Canadian Photographic Association of Canada (CPAC) in the early 1990’s, during the challenges involved in crafting a merger with the equally reputable National Association for Photographic Art (NAPA) into today’s Canadian Association for Photographic Art (CAPA). Upon retirement in 2003 Norm relocated to Whitney, Ontario, where he resides, with his wife Pat, a short two kilometers from Algonquin Park.

Previous winners of this trophy are listed below.

Other Awards

A second or third-place standing in the in-club and theme competitions also merits the awarding of a certificate/ribbon combination, mounted in an embossed folder, to document the photographer’s accomplishment.

In addition, ribbon/certificate combinations are also awarded to individuals for other accomplishments over the year, as follows:

• The top-scoring slide, print, or digital image submitted to the in-club category competitions;
• The top slide (and runner-up) entered by an HGCC member in the Grand Valley Slide Battle;
• Best image entered by an HGCC member in the Stag and Swan competition with the Stratford Camera Club.

The most advanced photographer in the four rounds of the in-club category competitions, for each of Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced standing, receive a medallion.