Scotland Magazine Photographic Challenge

The Scotland Magazine Photographic Challenge is the annual photographic competition, leading to publication of the winning photographs in one issue each year along with a selection of short-listed images published in future editions as selected by the editor.

Class

• Amateur
• Professional

Categories

Nature

• Animals and plant life
• Landscape
• Water
• Other

History

• Castles
• Historic houses
• Monuments
• Other

Contemporary

• City life
• Country life
• Other

Schedule

• Call for entries: 1st August 2011
• Entry deadline: 31st December 2011
• Results announced: April 2012 in Issue 62
• Calendar published: October 2012

Judges

• The editorial panel of Scotland Magazine

Judging criteria

• Focus. The image should be sharp unless blur is an intentional effect.
• Light. The use of light is key ta good photograph and the most important thing is that the light is appropriate tthe image. There are many different types of ‘good’ light; stormy, early morning, dusk.
• Composition. When editing your images for entry, make sure you stand back from them and view them as a whole. Is there a hedgerow appearing from the back of a castle? Is the image on a slant? Should you move tthe left or take a step tthe right? Or hold the camera nearer tthe ground? There are many factors contributing tthe overall composition of an image.
• Impact. This is very subjective. A great photograph will include a combination of the emotion the photographer was feeling at the time it was taken, the time of day, the subject, the light and much more. All this can lift a picture above the ordinary.
• Originality. The angle of the photograph or indeed the subject – whatever the end result the judges will be impressed by your originality of thought and execution.

Photographic format

• Photographs must be taken in digital format, and must be 300 dpi and should allow the image tbe reproduced at A4 size or above. Please ensure that your camera is on its highest-quality setting.
• Each photograph must include the following information;
  • Name of location
  • Time of day
  • Make and model of camera used
  • Category being entered

• SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS