1.0 GENERAL
1. The General Rules apply to all competitions.
2. All competitions and exhibitions are open to all fully paid-up members of the Dublin Camera Club.
3. All prints must be window mounted on 20’’x16’’ or 40cm x 50cm boards. Boards are available in the club. Double-mounted images are discouraged and images mounted thus may not be accepted for competition. Images should be firmly stuck to the board with adhesive tape; masking tape is not acceptable as it may come loose and damage other prints.
4. All digital entries entered in competition should be submitted as JPEG files between 1MB and 3MB to ensure high quality. Cropping an image to 10" (3000 pixels) on the long side and saving as jpeg quality 8 will provide an image approximately 1.2MB.  Further information on sizing images is available here.  Particular care should be given to the naming convention – see below.
5. Prints and digital projected images may be from exposures made at any time by the club member and may be of any subject. The Council reserves the right to reject any entry that it considers unsuitable.
6. Digitally produced prints are allowed and may consist of more than one image as long as all the component parts were taken by the entrant.  Entries must originate as photographs made wholly by the entrant on film or acquired digitally. Images may not be constructed entirely with a computer. Council reserves the right to request the original file(s) for verification purposes
7. The re-use of an image in competition
There are 3 main competitions in DCC.
• Summer Competition (SC)
• Winter League (WL)
• Annual Exhibition (AE)

An image may be used only once in any of these competitions.
It can be entered as a Colour, Mono or Digital image in any of these competitions.
It can be entered in different formats in different competitions
e.g. Colour in SC, Mono in WL and Digital in AE – (or any variation of this)

Once it has been entered in a competition (SC, WL or AE) in any format, it cannot be entered in the same competition again, ever, even if in a different format.

The only exception to this is where the image is re-used as part of a composite, or a significantly different treatment, or re-interpretation of the image. In such cases, prior approval should be sought from the Competition Secretary, whose decision shall be final, before the submission of the image.

8. Monochrome prints and colour prints may be home or trade processed.

        The definition of Monochrome and Nature, as determined by FIAP,  can be found here:

9. Monochrome prints and colour prints are considered separate entries and should be packaged in separate cardboard folders with the entrant’s Nom-de-Plum, Grade and Category clearly indicated.
   10. All entries (Prints and Digital) must be with the Competition Secretary on, or before, the advertised closing date for the competition. In the case of Digital, entries received after midnight on the closing date will not be eligible.
   11. Judging of the competitions will be, as far as possible, carried out by a guest judge(s).
   12. Permission to reproduce, copy and/or project any submitted entry for the Club’s publicity purposes is assumed. The Club reserves the right to select and retain any entry to represent the club in National and/or International club competitions.
   13. Any breach of the Rules will disqualify the entry or entries involved in such breach. The decision of the Council on all matters relating to competitions, the Annual Exhibition and on the interpretation of the Rules shall be final.
   14. While every care will be taken with entries, they are accepted strictly at the entrant’s risk. Dublin Camera Club and the Competition Secretary cannot accept liability for any loss or damage.

2.0 COMPETITIONS
There are three official competitions at the Club every year:
• The Summer Competition, held in September,
• The Winter League and Finals, held from October to March,
• The Annual Exhibition, held in July.
At the discretion of the Council, a panels-based competition will be organised each year.  
At the discretion of the Council, other competitions will be organised throughout the year.  It is expected that in 2024 there will be a Nature Competition and a Street/Documentary Competition.

2.1 SECTIONS
There are 3 sections in each competition:
• Monochrome Prints
• Colour Prints
• Digital Entries.

2.2 GRADES

1. Members are encouraged to be officially graded. Grading is essential prior to entering a competition other than the Panels Competition.
2. There are three competition grades applicable to all competitions (except for the Panels Competition which is ungraded):
   • Advanced
   • Intermediate
   • Novice
3. A Gradings Panel (GP) of 7 to 9 members will be appointed by Council at its first meeting after the AGM. The GP shall make recommendations to Council in respect of all gradings. All grading decisions are for Council which shall endorse the recommendations coming to it unless it has relevant information that was not known to GP.
4. Non-graded members who wish their work to be officially graded as either novice or intermediate should either:

• Submit 8 to 10 digital images (mono, colour, or both), which are reflective of their work, (JPEG files not exceeding 3MB) to the GP by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The GP will assess the images and recommend a grade based on the majority decision of the available members (minimum 3) resulting in the grade of Novice or of Intermediate.
  OR
  • Bring 8 to 10 (7”x 5” or larger) prints (mono, colour, or both) which are reflective of their work to the regular Tuesday meeting and give them to a member of the Council. The GP will assess the images and recommend a grade based on the majority decision of the available members (minimum 3), resulting in the grade of Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced. 
  Note: A member can be only graded as Advanced through the submission of prints.
  5. A person joining the club holding a recognised distinction will be graded as follows:
• Licentiate level (LIPF) or equivalent will be automatically graded as Intermediate, 
  • Associate level (AIPF) or equivalent will be considered by the GP for grading as either Intermediate or Advanced, based on a submission of their work which must not be confined to their A panel. Such submission can be digital or prints (prints required for consideration as Advanced)
  • Fellowship level (FIPF) or equivalent will be automatically graded as Advanced.
  .
  6. The competition year is considered to start with the Summer Competition in September and end with the Annual Exhibition in July.

7. Members may, if they wish, choose to compete at a grade higher than that in which they have been officially graded. However, they may not subsequently demote to a lower grade without the Council’s prior approval. Members must compete at the same grade throughout the competition year.
8. Regradings:
   • Regradings are made by Council based on performance in club competitions, on the receipt by the member of any distinction during the year and/or prints submitted to the GP.
   • Members may apply to the GP for an upgrade, stating their case for the upgrade, application to be made by the first Tuesday in August. 
   • The GP shall also consider, and reassess where appropriate, the grading of competition winners and of members who have significant competition and other achievements over the previous year.

• Receipt of LIPF will result in regrading to at least Intermediate; Receipt of AIPF will be evaluated by the GP. This evaluation will be based their work submitted which must not be confined to their A panel; receipt of FIPF will result in regrading to Advanced.

• The GP may consider downward regrading only on the request of the member concerned.
• Grading changes will be announced in July/August prior to the commencement of the competition year i.e. prior to entry to the Summer Competition.

.

2.3 NOM DE PLUME
Each entrant must register a word of not more than four letters as a Nom-de-Plum. This must not be in use by any other club member. This Nom-de-Plum must be used for all entries, prints and/or digital files, in any one year.

2.4 ENTRY FORM

A fully completed official Entry Form must accompany every entry for the Summer Competition, Annual Exhibition and at least the first submission to the Winter League competition.

Section ‘a’ of the Entry Form must be completed for all competitions.

For the Summer Competition and the Winter League, sections ‘a’ and ‘b’ of the Entry Form must be completed.

For the Annual Exhibition, sections ‘a’ and ‘c’ of the Entry Form must be completed.

Digital entries should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2.5 ENTRY LABEL
A fully completed official Entry Label must accompany every print for all competitions.
The Entry Label must be placed and displayed on the back of the print mount in the same orientation and the print is to be displayed.
The same Entry Label must be used for all competitions. Do not replace the entry label.
When the label is full, the image is no longer eligible for Camera Club competitions.

2.6 EMAIL of DIGITAL ENTRIES

Digital entries for all competitions should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please make sure that the subject title of the mail gives the name of the name and month of the competition (example - entries for October Winter League)

2.7 NAMING DIGITAL ENTRIES

Digital image files for digital competitions will be saved as JPEG files using the following convention:

         AB_MMMYY_X_ABCD_Y_Title of Image

Images will be deleted from the club’s computers at the end of the competition year.

3.0 SUMMER COMPETITION RULES

           Each year, the Summer Competition will take place in September and the closing date for entries will be the first Tuesday in September, unless otherwise advertised by the Council.

• This year the competition will include printed and digital images.

  Each member may enter up to two prints and two digital images. These can be either mono or colour or one of each. Mono images will be judged together and colour images will be judged together, each in the respective grades. If a member submits more, all entries will be disqualified.

  All digital entries entered in competition must be submitted as JPEG files between 1MB and 3MB to ensure high quality and must follow the Naming Convention below. Cropping an image to 10" (3000 pixels) on the long side and saving as jpeg quality 8 will provide an image approximately 1.2MB. Further information on sizing images is available here.  Send your images to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  SC_Sep24_G_NdP_Title of Image

          G = Grade
                 A Advanced
                 B Intermediate
                 C Novice
          NdP = Nom de Plume

  Trophies
  A medal will be awarded to the best image in Advanced, Intermediate and novice grades for digital and print.

  The McElheron Cup               Best Monochrome print from the Advanced, Intermediate and Novice grades.
  The Allshire Cup                    Best Monochrome digital image from the Advanced, Intermediate and Novice grades.
  The Hugh Marshall Trophy    Best Colour print from the Advanced, Intermediate and Novice grades.
  The Peter Donovan Shield     Best Colour digital image from the Advanced, Intermediate and Novice grades.

4.0 WINTER LEAGUE RULES

Each year the Monthly League will commence in October and run for five consecutive months until the following February.

The league finals will take place in March.
The closing date for entries will be the first Tuesday of every month (October to February), unless otherwise advertised by the Council - but see here for up-to-date news.

Each member may enter a maximum of two prints and two digital images per month. These can be both Colour, both Mono or one of each.  There will be two different judges who will judge and comment on the entries.  The Digital Images will be judged on one evening with the Prints judged on a different evening. 

Prints and digital projected images, which in the opinion of the Competition Secretary are very similar to entries shown in a previous Winter League, or in an earlier month of the ongoing competition, will not be eligible.

Marks, up to a maximum of 50, will be awarded to each print and digital projected image by the judge on the night. All entrants will be ranked according to their best-of-two entry. The highest ranked entrant will then be awarded 20 points, the second 19 points, etc. Equal ranked marks will be awarded points equally. The minimum points awarded will be 10. The resulting points each month will be carried forward. At the end of the league, the lowest monthly score for each entrant will be discounted and the remaining four scores will be added up to the total aggregate points. The entrant, in each section and grade, with the highest aggregate points will be declared the winner.

Each month the top 20% of highest marks for each section and grade are retained for the finals. A minimum of three entries will be retained each month from each section and grade.

At the end of the five months, all the retained prints and digital files will be judged and awards will be presented.

Monochrome Prints:
• A medal will be awarded to the winner of the Monochrome Section of the Winter League in Advanced, in Intermediate and in Novice grades.
• A medal will be awarded to the author of the best print in Advanced, in Intermediate and in Novice in the Winter League Finals.
• The O’Shaughnessy Cup will be awarded to the author of the Best Monochrome Print in the Winter League Finals.

Colour Prints:
• A medal will be awarded to the winner of the Colour Section of the Winter League in Advanced, in Intermediate and in Novice grades.
• A medal will be awarded to the author of the best print in Advanced, in Intermediate and in Novice in the Winter League Finals.
• The Colour Print Trophy will be awarded to the author of the Best Colour Print in the Winter League Finals

Digital Projected:
• A medal will be awarded to the winner of the Digital Section of the Winter League in Advanced, in Intermediate and in Novice grades in both Monochrome and Colour.
• A medal will be awarded to the author of the best image in Advanced, in Intermediate and in Novice in the Winter League Finals grades in both Monochrome and Colour.
•Trophies will be awarded to each of the authors of the Best Mono Digital Image and the Best Colour Digital Image in the Winter League Finals.

• The Peter Donovan Trophy will also be awarded to the individual who attained the highest overall score over the five months.

5.0    ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2023

See Website - Competitions - Club Competitions - Photo '23 Annual Exhibition

5.1    ANNUAL EXHIBITION RULES
The closing date for entries in 2024 TBA
Each member may enter up to ten monochrome and ten colour images.
Images that have not been accepted in previous annual exhibitions can be entered in this exhibition.
It is expected that Prints and Digital Images will be accepted this year.
All awarded images will be shown in the exhibition.
Each entrant will be guaranteed to have at least one image shown in the exhibition. If you have not received an award for any of your images, then you will be asked to nominate which of your entries you want to have exhibited.

5.2    SUBMITTING ENTRIES
We will ask you to register on the Club website and pay your €5 submission fee.
Entrants then need to send their images to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by email or WeTransfer
All digital entries entered in competition should be submitted as JPEG files between 1MB and 3MB to ensure high quality. Cropping an image to 10" (3000 pixels) on the long side and saving as jpeg quality 8 will provide an image approximately 1.2MB.  Further information on sizing images is available here.  .                                 

6.0 BRENDAN WALKIN COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL

Each year, the Club photographer who is considered, by previous Brendan Walkin Commemorative Medal winners, to be the most improved and consistent will be awarded the Brendan Walkin Commemorative Medal.
The performance of the members during the year from the Summer Competition to the Annual Exhibition will determine the recipient of the Brendan Walkin
Commemorative Medal. Therefore, it is recommended that members compete in all competitions. The Brendan Walkin Commemorative Medal is awarded only once to each recipient and is presented at the Annual Exhibition.

7.0 ARTHUR MURRELL'S PANELS COMPETITION RULES
At the discretion of the Council, a panels-based competition will be organised each year.
Each panel will comprise of five images, either monochrome or colour, and should be on a related theme.  Club announcements will advise whether this is print-based or digital.
Each club member may submit one panel for the competition. Information on preparing the panel can be found here. 
The Bermingham’s Trophy will be awarded to the panel judged best following a secret ballot of those present on the night.