Dorking Camera Club est.1955

‘Guidance, Education, Enjoyment’

SPECIAL PDI COMPETITION (PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGE)

ADVANCED GROUP WINNER WILL RECEIVE THE LOMAS TROPHY

CLUB GROUP WINNER WILL RECEIVE THE CHAIRMAN'S TROPHY

PREMIER GROUP WINNER WILL RECEIVE  . . . .

                                                SPECIAL PDI - Set Subject: Macro & Close-Up  (By Class)

SPECIAL PDI

A set subject PDI competition - the subjects for this and successor years are listed below

Judged by class, The Judge will decide on a Winner, a Runner Up and a number of Highly Commended to award for this competition.

To prepare you for the Special PDI competition on the subject of “Macro and close up” photography there will be a training session with Annie Healey on the “Magical World of Insects”. Annie is a prize winning photographer and an assessor on the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) Natural History Associate & Fellowship Panel

Enter up to TWO PDI images, colour, or monochrome depicting the subject:  Macro/Clouse-Up

The Judge will decide a winner and a runner-up and may also recommend the award of up to three Highly Commended Certificates in each Class.

Macro (Inc Close-up) — Dorking Camera Club Competition Set Subject Definition

A photograph in this category should show a small subject or a detailed part of a subject photographed at close range, with the emphasis on detail, texture, form, pattern or structure.

The category includes both true (1:1) macro photography and close-up photography.

Eligible subjects

Examples include:

  • Insects, spiders and other small creatures

  • Flowers, leaves, plants and fungi

  • Small objects and manufactured items

  • Jewellery, coins and collectibles

  • Textures, patterns and surface details

  • Parts of larger objects, where the close-up view is the main subject

  • Water droplets, frost, ice and similar details

  • Focus-stacked macro images

  • Abstract images created from close-up details

Magnification

There is no requirement for a specific reproduction ratio, such as 1:1.

A photograph does not have to be technically classified as "macro" by the lens manufacturer. A close-up photograph taken with a telephoto, zoom or macro lens is eligible provided that the image meets the spirit of the category.

What matters

Judging should concentrate on:

  1. Quality of the subject and detail

  2. Composition

  3. Sharpness and focus

  4. Lighting

  5. Background and distractions

  6. Colour, tone and contrast

  7. Overall visual impact

Close-up interpretation

A photograph of a larger subject can qualify if the image is principally about a small area or detail of that subject.

For example:

Yes

  • ✔ Close-up of the eye of an animal

  • ✔ Detail of a flower

  • ✔ Close-up of the mechanism of a watch

  • ✔ Texture of a tree trunk

No

  • ✘ A normal portrait of a person

  • ✘ A normal landscape photograph

  • ✘ A whole animal photographed from a normal distance

Post-processing

Normal photographic processing is permitted, including:

  • Exposure and white-balance adjustments

  • Cropping

  • Colour and tonal adjustments

  • Sharpening

  • Noise reduction

  • Focus stacking

  • Removal of dust spots

  • Local adjustments

Any additional manipulation must comply with the Dorking camera club's general competition rules.