Print Competition Guidelines for 2026
All dues paid members of the HSVCC are eligible to participate in the annual print competition. Each member is encouraged to submit up to two (2) photographs.
Prints MUST be delivered to the designated exhibit site for displaying the photographs. If you are not delivering your own photos you must insure they have been properly labeled on the back—ready for display at the time of delivery to be accepted.
Although the entrant selects the category for each entered photograph, the final decision will be the Print Coordinator if it appears a more appropriate category should be selected, and the entrant will be notified of any change. Judging will be done by an outside judge (non-member, expert/professional).
If the HSVCC decides to include People Choice Awards, voting by the public will be held during the designated period to be decided. Winning photographs from the judge and People’s Choice Awards will be identified and acknowledged at the designated time and place decided by HSVCC.
All reasonable care will be taken in the handling of the submitted photographs; however, the HSVCC takes no responsibility for any damage or loss of the prints.
Rules for Entry:
2026 PRINT COMPETITION:
Entry Categories: Photographer will need to complete information on link to register for label information. Select two in any combination from the drop- down list for each print being registered.
Important Dates
All dues paid members of the HSVCC are eligible to participate in the annual print competition. Each member is encouraged to submit up to two (2) photographs.
Prints MUST be delivered to the designated exhibit site for displaying the photographs. If you are not delivering your own photos you must insure they have been properly labeled on the back—ready for display at the time of delivery to be accepted.
Although the entrant selects the category for each entered photograph, the final decision will be the Print Coordinator if it appears a more appropriate category should be selected, and the entrant will be notified of any change. Judging will be done by an outside judge (non-member, expert/professional).
If the HSVCC decides to include People Choice Awards, voting by the public will be held during the designated period to be decided. Winning photographs from the judge and People’s Choice Awards will be identified and acknowledged at the designated time and place decided by HSVCC.
All reasonable care will be taken in the handling of the submitted photographs; however, the HSVCC takes no responsibility for any damage or loss of the prints.
Rules for Entry:
- A maximum of two(2) photographs (or the quantity decided upon for the particular competition) in any combination of categories can be entered. All submissions must be brought to the designated exhibit site for display for the full exhibition period.
- Entries must be the original work of the entrant. The photographer may not incorporate images produced by anyone else (for example: clipart, replacement skies, stock images).
- Photographer may not enter the same or substantially similar image in the same competition (for example, multiple images of the same bird captured with burst shooting, images of the same subject with only slight changes in pose; nearly identical compositions with minor differences as in cropping or color conversion).
- Entries must not have been awarded prizes or honorable mentions in previous annual print competitions. Any digital entries from previous years’ competitions may be used for print entries; however, prints of current year digital competition entries will be disqualified.
- Any medium may be used for prints and may be framed with or without mat and/or glass. Maximum area within a framed print including mat (whether glass is used or not) cannot exceed 480 square inches (length x width), AND the longest total side cannot exceed 36 inches. The area of the oval is calculated by: length x width x 0.8. (Note that if a mat is added to the photograph, this may affect the overall size of the print allowed.)
- Entries must be ready to hang from taught wire across the back of the frame. Notched metal hangers are unacceptable.
- Each entry must have the category and title of the entry on the back of the print.
- The photographer’s name/watermark cannot appear on the front of the picture.
- The same point criteria will be used relative to the Photographer of the Year competition judging.
- There will be an entry fee of $5 for each print, payable at the time of photograph delivery. This will allow for a higher payment to the judge, attract more experienced judges, and help with travel expenses if the judge is not local.
2026 PRINT COMPETITION:
Entry Categories: Photographer will need to complete information on link to register for label information. Select two in any combination from the drop- down list for each print being registered.
- Open – Color
- Open – Monochrome
- Mobile Phone Capture
Important Dates
- 10/1 Hanging at Coronado Center between 8:30 and 9:30 AM
- 10/13 6:30 PM – Meeting with judge at Coronado Center
- 10/15 2:00-4:00 PM – Reception at Coronado Center
- 10/30 Take down pictures between 8:30 and 9:30 AM
- The prints will be judged by the contracted judge the day of the Club meeting and will be giving scores but no written critiques on the forms. After the judging is completed, labels will be changed out that will reveal the photographer’s name. The meeting will be held at the Coronado Center lobby and/or meeting room with the judge presiding over the meeting. The judge will present award ribbons and will give oral critiques for those, pointing out why those were chosen. Ribbons will be given to 20% of the entries.
- The Coronado Center lobby is reserved for a reception opened to the community between 2:00 and 4:00 PM. There will be advertising for the reception, but it is suggested that you also personally invite your friends, perhaps via emails or texts. The reception is planned by the Social Committee, who will be asking for help with refreshments.
- If you have any questions about the 2026 Print Competition, please call or text Shirley Pohlman at 501-915-2935 or email [email protected].
