DPI-SIG Competitions
DPI-SIG photography competitions are held 3 times annually, in January, April and August. The competition will generally include 4 photography categories:
- Color
- Monochrome
- Creative
- A special category which changes for each competition
A maximum of 3 entries per category, and a maximum of 4 entries per competition
Why Have Competitions?
- We get feedback on our work in a consistent way
- We see what other members are up to
- We see how to increase our skills (or, at least, what increased skills look like)
Here’s a video on how to enter
FCCC Competitions
Members in good standing of DPI-SIG are eligible to enter Florida Camera Club Council Competitions.
Click here to visit the FCCC competition page
August 2024 Competition
Competition Opens August 1 – Closes August 30 Judging will be Sep 2 – Sep 9
The Competition Blogs
Competition topics, info about winning images and the winners
Enter Images Here for August Competition
August Special Category: Macro
Why Macro Photography?
- Anybody can do it
- It’s a bit unusual compared to what we normally do
- It can be simple or exotic
- It produces fascinating images
- That what the committee voted for.
Some rules specific to our Street Photography competition:
- Images can be color, monochrome, or creative
Macro Photography Resources
Definitions
“Macro photography (or photomacrography or macrography, and sometimes macrophotography) is extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects and living organisms like insects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life-size” — Wikipedia
Typically, macro photography utilizes a macro lens, one that allows very close focusing. But there are other options: Extension tubes reduces the fosusing distance of any lens; Telephoto lenses can be used to capture enlarged images at their minimum focusing distances; Lens reversing rings alter the optics of a lens to focus closer.
Subjects include insects, flowers, lizards, eyeballs, watch movements, frogs, water drops, soap bubbles, hardware… lots!
Smartphone Macro. Many newer smartphones can take captivating closeups. Give it a try with yours!
Focus Stacking is a method of combining images focused from front to back over an image to overcome shallow depth of field in close up images. The images can be automatically or manually focused and processed in some cameras, or in Photoshop or Helicon as a stack.
Lighting can be key in capturing dramatic macro photos. Overpowering ambient light with a flash near the subject will often produce a black background, rendering the subject more dramatically.
Ring lights, macro lights, and steady handheld lights with modifiers can create sharp, flat, or soft light. But natural light near a window works, too.
When shooting outdoors, reflectors can add impact to lighting and adjust color, too.
Web Resources:
- Macro at Home with One Light shows focus stacking setup, lighting, and postprocessing in Lightroom and Helicon
- Here’s why you don’t need a macro lens offers a variety of ways to get closer: extension tubes, close up lenses, or just cropping
- 10 Minute Macro Basics Offers basic setups, including a simple diffuser
Competition General Rules
Any member in good standing may enter up to FOUR (4) images.
You may enter 4 images as long as they are not all entered into a single category. That is, up to THREE (3) images in any ne category and ONE (1) image in any other category, or any combination thereof.
You may change any image until the cutoff date has passed.
Any member in good standing of DPI-SIG shall be eligible to enter any DPI-SIG Competition.
No image that has previously received a ribbon in a DPI-IG competition may be re-entered in any future competition.
Entries into the annual Year-End Judging shall be limited to only images that have received an award during the season. They will be automatically entered.
Eligibility of entries will be confirmed by the Competition Director or designate prior to publication on the website and acceptance for judging. This may take a day or two. When confirmed, the image will be published on the Current Competition website. If an image is not confirmed, the photographer will be notified by email, and the image will be deleted from the website. The member may enter another image for consideration.
Only images that are totally the work of the individual photographer may be submitted. Work that is not completely your own is not allowed. Clip art and photographs obtained online or from other sources are not allowed.
Another person’s artwork, such as a painting, sculpture, street art, etc. may be included in an image as long as there is evidence that the maker used the artwork as only a part of their own image in an effort to tell a story or to create an interesting visual.
Images that are sexually suggestive beyond normally acceptable boundaries or sexually explicit are not allowed. Acceptance to the competition will be determined by the DPI-SIG Competition Director and Competition Committee, whose decision is final.