What is a clinic?

The clinics the Saskatoon Camera Club hold (six times a year) give the members a chance to select a couple slides/prints to be evaluated by a panel of three judges, rated, and given constructive comments. That is why the word "clinic" is used. The clinic provides a forum to have work evaluated and have constructive comments made.

Who are the judges?
Two club members and one external photographer.


Why select topics?
You need a common topic to aim at. So topics are selected to give you a goal to achieve in your photograph. Of the 6 clinics each year two major themes are there - General and Nature.

2008-09 Clinics
"Photographer's Choice" - Sept. 24 - general
"Open Nature" - Oct. 21 - nature
"Back Alleys" - Nov. 18 - general
"Nature Backlit" - Dec. 9 - nature
"Chaos" - Jan. 20 - general
"Peaceful" - Feb. 17 - nature

Treasure Hunt Topics
P the letter
Purple the colour
Playing verb
Pottery object
Peacock bird

How is your Photograph Judged?

The photographs are judges on three levels:

Technical

Here you measure the skill the photographer has shown handling equipment. Depth of Field; Focus; Shutter Speed; Lighting; panning. For prints the following are included: Mounting, Spotting, Appropriate Paper (for contrast and tonal range)
A score of 10 points.

Interpretation

Here you evaluate how well the photographer has interpreted the topic photographically. Consider "Is the subject matter appropriate?" Has it been chosen carefully? Has it been captured in an interesting and/or original way? Visual Communication is important. Does the subject communicate itself clearly without distractions? NOTE: Since each entry must be titled - does the title assist in this process?
A score of 10 points

Pictorial (Artistic) Merit

This is a measure of the success of the composition. Factors include the "Rules of Composition", Lead-in Lines, Rule of Thirds, Balance, Quality of Lighting, Framing, Tonal Range and Texture, Pattern and Rhythm. Or, was a Rule of Composition broken to aid in the success of the photo. This is often called the "Wow Factor". How do these elements come together to create impact.
A score of 10 points.

Add them up and you get a score out of 30.

What does the scoring reflect?

30/30 Unique; outstanding; stunning; flawless (rarely awarded)
27/20 Outstanding; dramatic; beautiful; technically superb; very strong impact
24/30 Excellent' worthy of Honorable Mention - minor flaws only. Demonstrates photography mastery; a memorable picture.
21/30 Very good, but falls short of excellent rating.
18/30 Good. Competent: technically satisfactory, but lacking in impact, interest, strength of composition, etc.
15/30 Average, undistinguished; unmemorable. Shows minor faults. Lots of room for improvement in composition, interpretation, etc.
12/30 Below standard; lacking in some essential quality or definable way. One or more specific faults which really spoon the picture