The BCG End of Year Competitions and Awards celebrate the best images of the year across a number of categories.
The format has been revamped to incorporate two sets of end-of-year competitions (the traditional Annual Awards, last held in 2021, and the new 'Best of the Best').
The End Of Year Photographic Awards are to be judged at a daytime gala judging event in November and are open to all members. Judging is impact style by a panel of three judges, who are encouraged to offer feedback on their final choices. This event recognises the traditions of live and impact judging.
General rules
- Entries from the current year’s Monthly Competitions may be edited (for example, to incorporate a Judge’s critique or to explore different processing methods).
- A single image that meets the criteria for multiple awards i.e. Best of the Best and any of the Set Subjects may not be used more than once.
- Entries which have previously been entered in an End of Year competition, in any medium, are not eligible for entry in the same competition.
- An image that has been submitted as a DPI as opposed to Print in the monthly competitions through the year may only be presented as a DPI in the Best of the Best and vice versa, a print may only be submitted as print for Best of the Best.
- Medium may be changed if submitting in set subject competition
- Members must upload their own entries via the BCG website.
BEST OF THE BEST COMPETITION
- Open DPI of the Year - graded A, AB, B
Eligible images: Any DPI entered in Monthly DPI Competitions in the current calendar year. Limit of three entries per person.This competition is graded, with all grade winners receiving a certificate. Trophy winner is to be determined from the three Grade winners.
- Open Print of the Year - graded A, AB, B
Eligible images: Any print entered in Monthly Print Competitions in the current calendar year. Limit of three entries per person.This competition is graded, with all grade winners receiving a certificate. Trophy winner is to determined from the three Grade winners.
END OF YEAR SET SUBJECT COMPETITION
Eligible images: Open Colour image that:
- has been entered in a Monthly Competition in the current calendar year in any medium, or
- is a new image.
Non graded. Limit of three entries per person.
Judging medium: Print. See Notes below.
- Monochrome Image of the Year
Eligible images: Open Monochrome image complying with the definition below that:
- has been entered in a Monthly Competition in the current calendar year in any medium, or
- is a new image.
Non graded. Limit of three entries per person.
Judging medium: Print. See Notes below.
- People/Portrait Image of the Year Award
Eligible images: Any Portrait or image of People complying with the definition below that:
- has been entered in a monthly Competition in the current calendar year, in any medium or
- is a new image.
Non graded. Limit of three entries per person.
Judging medium: Print. See Notes below.
- Social Documentary Image of the Year
Eligible images: Any Social Documentary image which is to include Photojournalism and Street (see definitions below) that:
- has been entered in a Monthly Competition in the current calendar year in any medium, or
- is a new image.
Non graded. Limit of three entries per person.
Judging medium: DPI. See Notes below.
- Creative/Experimental Image of the Year
Eligible images: Any Creative image complying with the definition below that:
- has been entered in a Monthly Competition in the current calendar year in any medium, or
- is a new image.
Non graded. Limit of three entries per person.
Judging medium: DPI. See Notes below.
Eligible images: Any Nature image complying with the definition set out below that:
- has been entered in a Monthly Competition in the current calendar year in any medium, or
- is a new image.
Non graded. Limit of three entries per person.
Judging medium: DPI See Notes below.
END OF YEAR SET SUBJECT DEFINITIONS
Open Monochrome
“A monochrome image is a black and white image that can include tones from pure black, through various tones of grey and to pure white. This same black and white image toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome image. However, this same black and white image modified by partial toning or the spot addition of a colour will not meet the definition of monochrome. Open includes all subject matter.”
Open Colour
Any image that is not monochrome. It includes a monochrome image that has been partially toned or had colour added. Open includes any subject matter.
People/Portrait
A photograph of a person or persons that may range from a head study to full body length. Both formal portraits and candid photographs are acceptable. The image must be a live human being. Mannikins, statues or ornaments are not acceptable.
Social Documentary (to include Photojournalism and Street)
Concerned with the portrayal and interpretation of society encompassing both human and non-human subject matter. Photojournalism images are story telling images of an event. Street photography is largely concerned with capturing decisive moments in public places.
Creative/Experimental
Creative/Experimental images may display a novel effect because of an unusual combination of objects and/or an unusual viewpoint. Creative/Experimental images may have resulted from the artistic use of exposure and focus as well as a myriad of post-production digital manipulation techniques Creative/Experimental images, in the main, are those that are not normally observed by the human eye. May include ICM, altered reality, abstract, composites.
Nature
Nature photography depicts living untamed animals and uncultivated plants in a natural habitat, geology and a wide diversity of natural phenomena, from insects to icebergs. Photographs of animals that are domesticated, caged or under any form of restraint, as well as photographs of cultivated plants are ineligible. Minimal evidence of humans is acceptable for nature subjects such as barn owls or storks adapting to an environment modified by humans, or natural forces such as hurricanes or tidal waves reclaiming it. Any manipulation or modification to the original image is limited to minor retouching of blemishes (eg dust spots, digital noise) and must not alter the contents of the original scene.
Additional Notes
Images which have been entered in a Monthly Competition during the year
- Whether the Monthly Competition entry was a Print or a DPI, for the Year End Awards it must be entered as the medium specified. Additional post-processing to optimise the image for a different medium is allowed (e.g different sharpening, cropping)
- For example, a portrait entered in a BCG monthly competition as a DPI may be entered in Portrait of the Year which is a Print competition, but the image must be printed.
- A new image is an image which has never previously been entered in any BCG Monthly or End of Year competition.
Submission
Any print or DPI entry which has been accepted into a previous annual competition cannot be submitted again into another annual competition.
Any Non-acceptances from a previous annual competition, can be re-submitted into one further annual competition.
Monthly Competition images are eligible to be entered into the Annual Competition, as long as they have not been entered into a previous Annual Competition.
Competition entries may be made as Prints or Digital Projected Images (DPIs).
Prints are to be submitted to the Print Manager at or before the advertised due date. Note that a DPI of the print entry must also be submitted through the competition portal.
DPI entries and copies of Print entries, must be submitted via this website by 11:30 pm on the advertised due date. DPIs must be in the correct format (within maximum image dimensions, file size, filename etc) otherwise the system will reject the entry. Also, late entries will be rejected by the system. See Quick Tips #1 Upload Images Directly to a Competition and Quick Tip #3 Add Images to a Competition from My Image Gallery (both also available at Documents and Files to Download > Website Quick Tips) as well as the Visual Pursuits Help Video “Uploading Images” to assist in submission of images. For detailed instructions, please see BCG Competition Guideline #4 - Submitting Images to the Annual Competition (also available at Documents and Files to Download > Website How-to Instructions).
Image Formats
Prints
All prints must be mounted in mats. There is no minimum mat or print size, but mats must not exceed 40.6 x 50.8 cm (16 x 20 inches).
Labels are to be attached to the back of the mat.
Digital Projected Images (DPIs)
The maximum allowable dimensions for DPIs are 1920 pixels wide x 1080 pixels high, with a maximum file size of 2 MB (2048 kilobytes). DPIs should be in 8-bit sRGB colour space and be .jpg files.