Scoring in each category will be based on the overall quality of work submitted. Each image is judged on its own merit, not against other entries.

Eligibility

A member must submit a minimum of twelve images throughout the year to qualify for year-end recognition—any combination of Assigned and General images (within monthly limits).

A member must submit at least one image in at least six of the eleven Assignments to qualify for year-end recognition. They can submit up to two images for each Assignment.

Monthly Submission Limits

Each current member can submit a maximum of two images per month. Therefore, one Assigned and one General or two Assigned or two General.

Scoring

Images will be judged by a three-judge panel.  

Judges may not judge their own entries, entries from immediate family members, and certain other entries dependent upon circumstances where a conflict of interest may be perceived. In these instances, a judge will enter a score of 0. The remaining judge’s scores will be averaged and used as the score in place of the 0 value for accumulating the total point score.

All images will be scored on the same basis of 9 points maximum per judge.  There will be no rounding of the raw decimal score. 

Only the total raw score will be announced when each image is presented. 

To continue to encourage more Assignment submissions – All assigned entries will have one additional point added to the total raw score from the judges. In the example above, for a General submission, the score announced and recorded for the raw score would be 23.5. For an Assigned submission, the score announced and recorded for the raw score would be 24.5. (23.5 +1).

Annual Awards

The members’ top twelve raw scores will be added together to determine the total annual scores for the year-end recognition.

The members with the top six annual scores will receive recognition at the annual Awards and Holiday Party in December. 

All Exhibition/Comment Night meetings and image scores are recorded and posted on the TBCC website. 

Submission Guidelines

Digital file size should be high resolution, up to 40MB in JPG, TIF, PSD, or DNG format unless an assignment specifies otherwise. Entries are only accepted via email at mytbcc@gmail.com.  They must be submitted by 10 PM (wherever you are), the 2nd Thursday of the month or they will not be included in the competition.

Digital files should be named with the image title preceded by the letter “A” indicating assigned, “G” indicating general, and additionally “AR” to indicate if it is to be considered as Altered Reality for judging purposes.

Examples:
A – Red canoe
G – Cat in a box
A- AR – Flying pigs
G- AR – Hell frozen over

Definition of Altered Reality (AR): For purposes of entry and judging, consider any image that may appear to the judges to be manipulated way beyond normal exposure correction, color correction, contrast adjustment, and retouching, as a candidate for this category.  Additionally, composites, multiple exposures, replaced skies or backgrounds or added textures would be considered AR.  Any additions to the original image via AI( Artificial Intelligence) would make it AR.   The key to deciding whether or not to enter an image in the Altered Reality category is if anything has been ADDED to your original photograph then it should be designated as AR. 

ICM  and Infrared are NOT AR as they are in-camera effects

Fully AI-Generated images are not eligible for TBCC Exhibits or Comments. 

An AR image is judged as a work of art.  There is no penalty if it is designated as AR but if it is AR and not so designated then there will be a penalty in the scoring.

Disclaimer: The Tampa Bay Camera Club shall not be responsible for the loss of or damage to any entry. Any member who submits an entry assumes the risk of loss or damage and the Tampa Bay Camera Club disclaims any liability.

Entries that violate exhibition rules, do not comply with the assigned subject definition, are in bad taste, or fall below commonly accepted standards shall be disqualified. The decision to disqualify an entry shall be made by the judges with the advice and consent of the Board who will explain the reason for disqualification.

Exhibit categories and other information are here: https://mytbcc.com/about/