Eight regular competitions are held during the camera club season.  These are the 4^th Monday of each month (Sept. - May) with the following exceptions:  There is no competition in December. The May competition is held on the 2^nd Monday in May.

Competitions allow members to display their photography and earn recognition for it. The slides and prints also receive constructive criticism from the judges so that the photographer can improve his work.

The following is a summary of NHCC competition rules:  For details refer to the CONTEST RULES listed at the back of this handbook.

Each paid club member may enter 2 slides into the regular slide competition. These may be of ANY SUBJECT. Members compete in one of three classes: B, A, & AA. New members are normally placed in Class B. They are promoted based on yearly point totals.

A panel of 3 Judges (2 from outside the club, 1 from the NHCC) awards each slide a number of points. Each judge may give between 4 and 10 points so a particular slide may receive a maximum of 30 points.

The judges will comment on half of the slides in each class, pointing out what has been done well and what can use improvement. A member should mark with a "C" the one slide he would like critiqued.

Ribbons are awarded as follows: Class B, A, & AA are each awarded a First, Second, Honorable Mention. Ties are not broken, so several ribbons may be awarded.

After the regular competition has been conducted in each class, the "Category" competition is conducted. Here all members compete together.

Each member may enter 3 slides which fit the assigned category. The categories are announced at the beginning of the season.

Category slides are simply judged IN or OUT. The judges will pick first place, second place and third place. These slides will then be given points as follows: 1st - 3 points, 2nd - 2 points, 3d - 1 point. The points will count toward an award given at the end of the year to the member with the most points.

Slides for our regular competition are due at the meeting preceding the competition (2nd Monday of the month) to allow the contest chairperson time to organize the entries. A box is set out at the meeting for this purpose.

The slides are normally returned at the next meeting after the competition unless they are held to be sent out to an interclub competition.

Eight print competitions (one each month) are held during the camera club season.

All prints, black & white and color, will be judged together. These may be of any subject. The prints should be between 8" x 10" and 16" x 20", mounted but not framed. Developing and printing may be done by the photographer or may be done commercially.

Each paid member may submit 2 prints into competition. (2 Color, 2 black & white, or 1 of each)

Prints are judged and critiqued. Awards are given for First and Honorable Mention.

In order to have a contest, at least two members must participate. Prints should be brought in on the night of the competition and taken home that same night.

Eight snapshot competitions (one each month) are held during the season. These may be up to 4" x 6" and are not mounted.

Snapshots are judged and awards of first, second, and third are given. Snapshots are brought in on competition night and taken home that same night.

At the Awards Banquet in June, various year end awards are given. A plaque is awarded for the highest cumulative point total in each class: B, A, and AA. To be eligible, a member must have entered 16 slides during the year. The lowest 4 are dropped, so the cumulative total is based on 12 slides.

There is also an award for cumulative point total in prints. There is a year end award for the member who has earned the greatest number of points in Category Competitions.

The Everett S. Wilson Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Class B photographer who has shown the greatest improvement from the previous year. To be eligible, a member must have entered at least 8 slides in the Class B the previous year. He must have entered 16 slides this year, also in Class B. The winner is the member whose average shows the greatest improvement. An individual can win the award more than once. Everett Wilson was a longtime member of the New Haven Camera Club. He was known for sharing his photographic skills and providing encouragement to new members. This award honors his memory.

Held at the Annual Awards Banquet in June, the slide of the year competition is open to a club members. Each member may enter up to 5 slides. These must have been entered into our regular competition (not category competition) during the season. They do not, however, have to be award winners.

Judging (by three outside judges) is by In - Out system. First, second, and third place ribbons are awarded in each class: B, A, and AA. The three First Place Winners are then judged to determine the Slide of the Year.

This is also held at the Annual Banquet. Each member may enter 3 prints which have previously been entered into that season's competitions. Judging is also by In - Out system. A plaque is awarded.

Each year the NHCC holds a Mini Slide Show Competition, usually in November or December. Any member is welcome to participate.

The programs may be on any topic: travel, nature, humor, etc. Each slide show should consist of 20 - 40 slides, with or without narration, with or without music, and no longer than 5 minutes.

The members in attendance vote on their favorite program. The winner receives the Ruth Sprague Memorial Award. This award honors the memory of the late Ruth Sprague, a longtime club member.

The New Haven Camera Club is affiliated with the Photographic Society of America (PSA), the New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) and the Connecticut Association of Photographers (CAP). Each of these organizations sponsors competitions in which the club participates. In interclub competitions, individuals can win ribbons or awards, but the club is ranked against other clubs rather than the individuals being ranked.

Our Vice President for Outside Competitions is in charge of selecting and sending slides to these competitions. The competition schedule is as follows:

PSA - October, December, February, April

NECCC - Fall, Winter, Spring

CAP – January

The slides which we send to these competitions are normally taken from the winning slides from our competitions.