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RDNHS Photographic Competition Rules

Christmas Party, Tuesday 19th December 2023

Rules for exhibitors

  1. The competition is open to all members of the Reading & District Natural History Society.
  2. Each photograph should show some aspect of natural history, in one of the nine categories defined below.
  3. Members can enter at most 2 photos per category in a maximum of six of the nine categories.
  4. Each photo must have a maximum side length of 7 inches (178mm). Please write your name on the back.
  5. Only minor editing, such as cropping and resizing, lightening or darkening or sharpening, is permitted.
  6. Photographs may have been taken at any time, but must not have been entered in a previous RDNHS competition.

Rules for judging

  1. Each member attending the exhibition is allowed one vote per category and two votes for the overall best in show.
  2. Votes must be written on the voting forms, and submitted in time for the final count.
  3. Winners will be announced at the end of the evening; the winner of each category will be the photograph with the most votes.
  4. In the event of a tie the President will be invited to choose a winner.

Categories

1. Small is Beautiful: something small.

2. Three of a Kind: three related subjects, on the same photo.

3. Nature in Action.

4. Colour Prejudice: anything brightly coloured.

5. Pattern Perfect: pattern rather than colour is important here.

6. Something to Make You Smile: connected to natural history, of course!

7. Nature on your doorstep: any natural history subject close to your home.

         Photographs in categories 1-7 must have been taken in the British Isles.

8. Any flora or fungi, photographed in the UK or overseas.

9. Any fauna, photographed in the UK or overseas.

In addition a prize will be awarded for the overall best photograph.

Exhibitor’s Rule 2 “Some Aspect of Natural History”

Photographs should be of flora, fauna or fungi living in the wild.

Animals in zoos, aquaria, butterfly houses and similar are excluded. Farm animals are excluded. Domestic pets are excluded.

Birds kept for hunting or display purposes are excluded

In game reserves, deer parks and similar, native/naturalised species are allowed, but other species are excluded.

Museum specimens and manufactured artefacts are excluded.

Flower displays, cacti and decorative trees and shrubs in parks and gardens are excluded, but native species which occur there are not excluded, whether they were planted or occur naturally (which is often impossible to know).

“Living” can be interpreted as “which have lived” so can include plants and animals that have died naturally or accidentally, and even long dead things like bog oak or fossils as long as these are encountered naturally.

If, alongside excluded items, a photo includes non-excluded items as a significant part of its topic (not just as background) then it is allowed (for example a bird sitting on a cow).

If in doubt the photo competition organiser will decide (before voting begins), with the Society President being the final arbiter.