Bowie-Crofton Camera Club
Throughout Central and Southern Maryland.
Competition Themes
Competitions are generally held on the first Monday club meeting 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, monochrome 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.
2024 - 2025 Competition Themes
| October 7 | Open | Anytime, anywhere, any topic |
| November 11 | Reflections | Images are to be composed with a reflection (person(s), animal(s),object, seen….) as the subject. The reflection may be sharp and mirrorlike, or wavy and distorted. Please use reflective surfaces (metal, glass, water…); Computer/AI generated reflections are not allowed. |
| December 2 | Doorways | Doorways are transition point marking the boundary of one area/ activity/function, and entry point to something new. Viewers of these images should contemplate where the doorway leads with a mixture of curiosity, anticipation, foreboding, relief…. (you lead the viewer, you decide). |
| January 6 | Dutch Angles | Dutch Angle (a.k.a.: Dutch Tilt, German/Canted/Oblique Angle) is a creative composition technique where the image maker rotates the dominant verticals (buildings, posts….), and dominant horizontals (floors, streets, horizon…) at an angle with the edges of the frame. The celebrated photographer Gary Winogrand often used this technique. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwDnOHdgSpc&t=259s • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weh4U6U5AzE&t=448s • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHYfsYQDr6M |
| February 3 | Travel | Travel Images should be taken greater than 50 miles from Bowie/home and should capture a place or time, land or culture. Show us your best images and have us long to go there. The Ernie Nagy Travel Award will be given to the best of show. |
| March 3 | Diptych Maximalism/Minimalism | Each entry must be a Diptych (two separate images are placed side by side); with the same theme. One image is to be a maximalist, the other minimalist both expressing the same theme. Example - Concert: Maximal (the crowd reacting to the performance), Minimal (a closeup of a pick strumming a guitar string) Diptych References: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlpwBFkXbu0 • Photoshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCSFh0rlKJE • Lightroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4fE_mmlabI Maximalism refers to a chaotic image, with a lot of elements competing with, and playing off of each other. However, within the chaos there is balance. This type of image is very hard to create in a balanced way, but when it works it can be a delight for the eyes that allows a viewer to explore through the scene. • https://amoralegria.com/2022/06/08/lens-artists-maximalism-vs-minimalism/ • https://digital-photography-school.com/a-new-photographers-guide-to-composition/ Minimalism refers to keeping a photograph very simple, such as an image with a single subject and a pleasing and calm background. This can create a very powerful and graphic design. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0umiEO-0c&t=20s • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih4lnLiYbiU |
| April 7 | Nature | Focus on nature and natural things. The rules say the photograph cannot depict any evidence of the “hand of man”. Simply put—no fences, cans, man-made structures, etc. The Novice Nature Trophy will be awarded during this competition for the best in show Novice nature image. |
| May 5 | Open | Any subject, anytime, anywhere. |
| July 19 | End of Year Competition | End of Year Competition |
The End of Year entries will be collected following the May competition. These may include any image that won a ribbon of any kind during the past year.