Competitions are held on the first Monday of the month, October through May. Please arrive early for competition nights as the lines for entry are long and entries will not be accepted after 7:25 PM. Members are encouraged to enter the 8 monthly intra-club competitions, competing with peers at their own skill level (Novice or Advanced) in one or more of their chosen media (digital, slide, monochrome print, or color print). Digital entries must be filed on the club website no later than midnight of the Tuesday prior to competition. Login and password is required for digital entry submission.
Each competition provides expert, constructive criticism of each picture by outside judges, thus becoming a teaching tool for improving photographic results and personal satisfaction. We are also affiliated with regional organizations through which B-CCC members are eligible to participate in several competitions outside of the club.
| October | Open | Any Subject, any time |
| November | Trees | One tree, a part of a tree, a whole woods, a reflection of a tree. If you choose to have, for example, a bird in the tree, be sure it does not become the subject. You will find that photographing a tree is more challenging than you imagine. |
| December | Experimental | Use any of the tools at your disposal to create an image that is anything but a normal straight on shot. The more unbelievable, the better. The work can be made entirely in camera or created/manipulated in the computer. |
| January | A Touch of Red | As the photographer said of the surfer riding a great blue, gray and white wave with a gray shark, mouth open and ready to strike, "If only that surfer had worn red shorts!!" It's true: just a point of red in a scene where there is none can stand out dramatically. |
| February | Travel | Rules #1 and 2: the photograph must be taken more than 50 miles from Bowie and within the past three years. A stronger picture would be one that suggests a different culture or geography. The Ernie Nagy Memorial Travel Trophy will be awarded to the entry judged Best in Show. |
| March | Old | Old people or parts of people such as gnarled hands, old buildings with bleached wood and broken window, old clothes in a heap on the floor, ancient cars in full or in part. There is much drama in the "has been" aspects of life. |
| April | Nature | More rules: all objects must be naturally occurring; no hand of man is allowed; and no domesticated plants/animals. Examples of "hand of man" would be such things as fences, wires, stone paths, vases, etc. The Novice Nature Trophy will be awarded to that judged best of all the Novice entries. |
| May | Open | Any subject, any time. |
| June | End of Year Competition | All 2009-2010 club year award (1st, 2nd, 3rd, HM) winning photos are eligible for this End of Year Competition. |