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.