These are photographs that are originally, or have been converted to, black and white. It is suggested that they be strong compositions with a broad range of tones from black to white as well as the appropriate contrast to emphasize the various elements.

The nature category is restricted to nature subjects only. A nature photograph must not show “the hand of man”, such as a road, fence, or people. The subject must be taken in its natural environment. Nature photographs taken at zoos, game farms, etc., should be shown in the pictorial category. No manipulation or modification is permitted except sharpening, resizing, selective lightening or darkening, and saturation to restore the original color to the scene. No elements may be moved, cloned, added, deleted. rearranged, or combined. Any adjustments must appear natural. The story-telling value of a nature photograph is more important than just a beautiful scene.

Each competition has an assigned topic chosen by club members. The assignments are designed to diversify and broaden our understanding of topics we would not ordinarily “see”. The current list of assignments is given below.

• September – “Found” Litter (not created). This could vary between discarded items, trash, throw-aways, etc.
• November – Rusted Metal.
• January – Old Buildings. This could be historic buildings, churches, old barns, sheds, etc.
• March – Faceless Human Portraits. The goal is a portrait that is obviously a face, but can’t be identified or is mostly disguised.
• May – Distorted Images Using a Wide Angle Lens. (No fisheye lens) You can have a lot of fun with this one. Get down low and shoot up or shoot as close as a the lens will let you. A point and shoot lens at it’s widest aperture should create some distortion.

Entries in the pictorial category are varied. They may include people, pets, structures, events, or any other subject. Nature subjects with people, or other artifacts such as a barn or truck, are frequently shown. Again, photos that tell a story are likely to score higher than a scene. A child licking a dripping ice cream cone with a dog waiting for a drop tells a full story, for example.

All photography is creative but this category takes creativity further. In this category there is no technique that is forbidden, and the photographer is free to utilize any Photoshop feature or other means at his/her disposal. Abstracts, composites, flights of fancy, or highly manipulated photos fit this category. A photograph that shows an artist painting a picture belongs in the pictorial category, not creative.

The purpose of photojournalism is to capture the real world as it is happening. Therefore, no manipulation or modifying of the elements in the image should occur. As in the nature category, no elements may be moved, cloned, added, deleted. rearranged, or combined. The photo must be kept exactly as it was shot, to be true to the moment.

This category is for photographs taken on trips, whether they are a short distance away or across an ocean. The subject of the photograph should clearly illustrate the location in which it was shot.