Note: A Competition Committee was formed to review and update the Competition Rules and Regulations. The committee was asked to determine what improvements should be made to keep the FCCC competitions rules as current with technological knowledge as possible. The wording of these rules can only be modified or changed by a vote of the FCCC Executive Board.
The primary objective of these instructions is to provide uniform procedures for conducting FCCC competitions. It is the sole guide for entrants to our competitions, for FCCC host clubs conducting competitions, and for all FCCC officers.
The principal purposes of FCCC competitions are:
There shall be two (2) Competition Classes in the Color category only. There shall be one (1) competition class in all other categories. For the Color category only, , there is a Beginner and an Advanced class. The primary purpose of competing in a class is to have your work compared to those with similar skill levels. As a first time competitor you may rate yourself as an A (Advanced photographer) or B (Beginner photographer). Once you have accumulated a total of 3 blue or red ribbons (in any combination) in triannual competitions OR won any award ribbon in a Year-End judging you will automatically be moved from Class B to Class A for all future competitions.
There are four categories, each judged separately. In all categories, only images that are totally the work of the individual photographer may be submitted. Work that is not completely your own is not allowed.
The only exception is a multi-colored infrared image whose color may not be realistic or natural. It is allowed in this category as long as all the other requirements for this category are met.
An image taken with very narrow depth of field creating bokeh in the background and/or foreground is allowed in Color as long as the image looks realistic and natural except for the intentional blur. Natural looking HDR (High Dynamic Range) images are also allowed in this category.
Images that have been altered by in-camera processes, such as shaking, zooming, double exposure, excessive blurring, etc. belong in the Creative category if they do not appear realistic and natural.
A stroke, outline or border of any color is allowed but it must be limited to a solid thin line around the perimeter of the image.
Monochromatic means that the image is in black and white, often having shades of grey, or is toned overall in one single color such as sepia, blue, purple, etc. Digital enhancement in post-processing is allowed but the resulting image must maintain a realistic and natural appearance.
The only exception is Monochromatic infrared image. It is allowed in this category as long as all the other requirements for this category are met.
An image taken with very narrow depth of field creating bokeh in the background and/or foreground is allowed in Mono as long as the image looks realistic and natural except for the intentional blur. Natural looking HDR (High Dynamic Range) images are also allowed in this category.
A stroke, outline or border around the perimeter of the image is allowed but must be limited to a solid thin line in black or white or in the same monochrome tone (e.g. sepia, blue, etc.) as the image.
NOT ALLOWED: Corrections in selected areas; Monochrome; filters on camera or in post-processing; Infrared; set-up situations or studio captures; HDR processing or blending images; vignettes, frames or borders.
Each image entered on the Submit Images page will be reviewed by members of the FCCC Competition Approval Committee to ensure that it meets all Rules and Regulations prior to its being accepted for competition. If there is an issue with an entry, the maker will receive an email noting changes needed. Makers are responsible for checking their email for such notices. Makers must also check the Competition Gallery frequently after submitting images to ensure that all their images have been approved. The Competition Approval Committee will make every effort to approve images quickly. However, approval is not automated and may take a few days to complete.
If an image is not approved, the maker may make the required changes or submit another image for approval if there is time before the end of the submission period. If the maker does not respond in a timely manner, the image will be excluded from competition.
The primary objective of these instructions is to provide uniform procedures for conducting FCCC competitions. It is the sole guide for entrants to our competitions, for FCCC host clubs conducting competitions, and for all FCCC officers.
The principal purposes of FCCC competitions are:
There shall be two (2) Competition Classes in the Color category only. There shall be one (1) competition class in all other categories. For the Color category only, , there is a Beginner and an Advanced class. The primary purpose of competing in a class is to have your work compared to those with similar skill levels. As a first time competitor you may rate yourself as an A (Advanced photographer) or B (Beginner photographer). Once you have accumulated a total of 3 blue or red ribbons (in any combination) in triannual competitions OR won any award ribbon in a Year-End judging you will automatically be moved from Class B to Class A for all future competitions.
There are four categories, each judged separately. In all categories, only images that are totally the work of the individual photographer may be submitted. Work that is not completely your own is not allowed.
The only exception is a multi-colored infrared image whose color may not be realistic or natural. It is allowed in this category as long as all the other requirements for this category are met.
An image taken with very narrow depth of field creating bokeh in the background and/or foreground is allowed in Color as long as the image looks realistic and natural except for the intentional blur. Natural looking HDR (High Dynamic Range) images are also allowed in this category.
Images that have been altered by in-camera processes, such as shaking, zooming, double exposure, excessive blurring, etc. belong in the Creative category if they do not appear realistic and natural.
A stroke, outline or border of any color is allowed but it must be limited to a solid thin line around the perimeter of the image.
Monochromatic means that the image is in black and white, often having shades of grey, or is toned overall in one single color such as sepia, blue, purple, etc. Digital enhancement in post-processing is allowed but the resulting image must maintain a realistic and natural appearance.
The only exception is Monochromatic infrared image. It is allowed in this category as long as all the other requirements for this category are met.
An image taken with very narrow depth of field creating bokeh in the background and/or foreground is allowed in Mono as long as the image looks realistic and natural except for the intentional blur. Natural looking HDR (High Dynamic Range) images are also allowed in this category.
A stroke, outline or border around the perimeter of the image is allowed but must be limited to a solid thin line in black or white or in the same monochrome tone (e.g. sepia, blue, etc.) as the image.
NOT ALLOWED: Corrections in selected areas; Monochrome; filters on camera or in post-processing; Infrared; set-up situations or studio captures; HDR processing or blending images; vignettes, frames or borders.
Each image entered on the Submit Images page will be reviewed by members of the FCCC Competition Approval Committee to ensure that it meets all Rules and Regulations prior to its being accepted for competition. If there is an issue with an entry, the maker will receive an email noting changes needed. Makers are responsible for checking their email for such notices. Makers must also check the Competition Gallery frequently after submitting images to ensure that all their images have been approved. The Competition Approval Committee will make every effort to approve images quickly. However, approval is not automated and may take a few days to complete.
If an image is not approved, the maker may make the required changes or submit another image for approval if there is time before the end of the submission period. If the maker does not respond in a timely manner, the image will be excluded from competition.