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.