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.
2018 - 2019 Competition Themes
| October 1 | Open | Anytime, anywhere, any topic |
| October 29 | The Magic Hour | That time, in and around sunset or sunrise, when the light is distinctly different—almost magical. Any subject during that time frame, but the light, or atmosphere, must feel that way, and be a dominant factor. |
| December 3 | Insides of Anything | Cars, houses, stores, nuts, a sandwich, a tunnel—just so it is clear to all that the subject of the photograph is an interior, not an exterior. Examples: the nut, not the shell; a window from the inside, not the outside; the rings of a great tree, when sliced; a flower, cut in half; a dashboard on a car. And, of course, a great photo! |
| January 7 | Repetitions | The photo shows the same form, repeated again and again. Windows, doors, trees, candies, carrots, all seeming to echo each other as the subject of the photo. |
| February 4 | Travel | Any object, anytime, anywhere, as long as it is obvious to the judge that the subject matter was photographed while traveling more than 50 miles from Bowie; an image that captures the feeling of a time and place, and portrays a land, a people, or a culture in its natural state. The judge will award the travel trophy to his/her favorite first place image, across categories. |
| March 4 | People, Not Portraits | This topic encourages the photographer to explore not only people's faces but also the hands and other symbols of the subject's essence (e.g., the hands and gloves of a construction worker, a violinist's hand holding a bow or a baseball player holding a bat, the feet of a ballet dancer, etc) The primary emphasis should be on the people (e.g.,on the raised hands of several basketball players, but not on the basketball). Formal portraits, indoors or outdoors, are not permissible, but a “staged candid “ is acceptable, meaning people who know you are photographing them, and they may be posing, but not for remuneration—a child doing something interesting; a worker's face as he puts it all into what he's working on; not a wedding photo. |
| April 1 | 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 6 | Open | Anytime, anywhere, any topic |
| May 14 | End of Year Competition | End of Year Competition - Digital Winners Only |
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.