Sept. 1999
President's
Message
Rocky Mountain High
Portrait of ...
Print Competition 2000
Print Competition 1999/2000
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Bill Talarowski, Print Chairman
As Print Chairman for the 1999/2000 season,
I would like to welcome all to the coming year of competition and honing
of skills. It is hard to believe but this will be our 68th year and we're
still going strong.
We only have a very few changes from last year to go over but they are important none the less. First, because of the study courses Ray Firmani is putting on and requests for more competition by others, including me, there will be nine nights of competition versus the seven we have had in the recent past. That means competition every month from September through to May.
The second change will be the consolidation of the Commercial group into one happy group. That makes Monochrome with two classes, Class A and Salon, and color with three, with class A and Salon and finally class B which will be for the commercial prints. A complete copy of all rules can be picked up at the print meeting.
A word on Assigned Subjects. Over the many years I have been competing, the biggest discussions were always prompted about whether a print qualified for the assigned subject. Some of the fault was due because the chairman wasn't specific enough in the description of the subject, some was the fault of the exhibitor who really didn't have anything on the subject but was trying to get by with a print that was border line. And lastly, some fault was due to the judges. I have never seen a judge throw out a print because it didn't fit the subject. Most times they would give it a lower score, say three. That's nine points more than the print is worth but nine is better than nothing for the total point race. If you think any judge is going to throw out a print you must be an eternal optimist. I have decided that this is going to be my crusade this year. I hope I get no one angry at me if I disqualify a print. What happened on a few occasions last year is not fair to those who really had prints that fit the subject. If you take exception with my ruling, please lets discuss it but in a friendly, constructive manner. And if we still disagree there will be nothing lost...we'll still be friends and I'll still love you.
We start out with an easy one I hope…Night Photography. That means no sunsets when its almost dark or when the sun is just about to rise. Its got to be dark with secondary lighting used such as flash, tungsten lighting from existing structures or just plain long, long exposures. Let's have a great year and may the best prints always win.
Bill Talarowski, Print Chairman