This year the competition was judged by three members from Cork Camera Group, Vincent Kelly, Martin Duggan, & Danny Foley. The competition was open to four different forms of media, Colour Print, Mono Print, Digital Projection & Colour Slide. Awards were for Overall Photographer of the year, Novice Photographer of the Year & Mono Photographer of the year. Members were allowed to enter up to 15 images of any media but only their five highest scoring images were counted for the final tally.

Of the 298 images submitted, over 50%  were for digital projection. Club Chairman John Hogan, thanked the judges and complimented them on their consistent scoring throughout the night. David Lavery, Competition Secretary thanked all for their help in organising the event.

When the final count was done the results were as follows :

Photographer of the year

1. SEAN MURPHY 134 PTS
2. JOHN HOOTON 132 PTS
3. MORGAN O’NEILL 132 PTS

NOVICE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

1. JOHN FLYNN 110PTS
2. BARRY LINEHAN 105 PTS
3. PADDY FENNESSY 103 PTS

MONO PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

1. JOHN HOOTON 80 PTS
2. BRÍD COAKLEY 71 PTS
3. MORGAN O’NEILL 67 PTS

Well done to all members who participated in the competition.

The club is now in recess until September 2008.

The highlight of the final day was Sean Murphy’s silver medal in the Monochrome print section. The three distinguished judges from Northern Ireland, the UK & Turkey spoke highly of Sean’s image which portrayed difficult rural living conditions in Ireland.
All panels will be displayed at the next club meeting on 28 April 2008.

John Hogan gained his Licentiateship of the Irish Photographic Federation (LIPF) with a panel of ten colour images, representing a variety of themes and styles.

Bríd Coakley presented a panel of fifteen superb seascapes, for which she was awarded an Associateship (AIPF), the second level grade of distinction awarded by the IPF.

Morgan O’Neill’s panel of fifteen shots of old and decaying cottage interiors, giving a glimpse into forgotten Ireland, was also awarded an Associateship (AIPF). All awards were unanimous, voted on by a panel of expert judges who already hold IPF distinctions.

All three panels will be shown in the club on Monday night, 28 April.

Congratulations and well done to all.

Mallow Camera Club Photographer of the Year 2008
COMPETITION RULES

1. The Photographer of the Year competition will be held on 19 May 2008, and is open to all Mallow Camera Club members of good standing.
2. The competition consists two levels – Advanced and Non-Advanced.
3. Images may be entered in the following four categories
   1. Black & White (Monochrome) Print
   2. Colour Print
   3. Slide
   4. Digital Projected Image
4. Each club member may enter up to 15 (fifteen) images. There is no entry fee.
5. Images may be in one category or a mixture of categories.
6. Images may be any subject matter.
7. Images used in previous Photographer of the Year competitions may not be entered. Images used in club competitions since September 2007 may be entered.
8. Images may originate on film or digital media, and must be the original work of the member (third party/commercial printing of images is allowable).
9. Prints may be mounted or unmounted, and must include the author’s name on the back.
10. Maximum print size, including mount, is 400 mm X 500 mm (16” X 20”). Minimum print size is 125 mm X 175 mm (5” X 7”).
11. Slides must be standard 50 mm X 50 mm (2” X 2”) size, in glassless mounts, and include the author’s name. Slides must be spotted on the bottom left hand corner, as viewed.
12. Print and slide entries will not be taken on the night. Entries must be with the Competition Secretary, David Lavery (087 6259311 , 022 50098 ) on or before Tuesday 13 May. Late entries (received after this date) are not guaranteed inclusion in the final judging.
13. Digital images (for projection) must be in JPG, TIFF, or PSD format and be with the Competition Secretary, David Lavery on or before Tuesday 13 May 2007, to facilitate preparation for projection on the night. Images must be written to a suitable digital media – CD, Compact Flash Card, Memory Stick, or USB device. Please include your name with the images.
14. Judges (maximum three) will be appointed from an adjoining club and will be required to judge and mark each image individually on the night.
15. Each judge will award marks out of ten (10) for each image. The total aggregate marks for each image will be noted by the Competition Secretary.
16. The member with the highest aggregate marks for their best five images will be deemed Photographer of the Year 2008 or Non-Advanced Photographer of the Year 2008.
17. In the event of a tie after aggregating the marks for the best five images, the next highest marked image (image six) will determine the result. If there is still a tie the next highest image will be checked, and so on, until a result is achieved.
18. If the marks allocated to the Non-Advanced Photographer of the Year 2008 exceed the marks allocated to the highest Advanced member, the Non-Advanced member will also be awarded the title Mallow Camera Club Photographer of the Year 2008.
19. The Black & White Print Photographer of the Year Trophy will be awarded to the photographer with the highest aggregate marks for her/his best three Monochrome prints. In the event of a tie, the next highest marked mono print (image four) will determine the result. If there is still a tie the next highest mono print will be checked, and so on, until a result is achieved.
20. Entry to the competition is deemed to be acceptance of these rules. Any issues that arise on the night concerning the running of the competition, or the interpretation of these rules, will be resolved by the Club Chairperson, Secretary and Competition Secretary jointly.
21. Commissioned images are not allowed. ( images that the photographer has been paid to carryout)

• Google Reader is a feed reader where you can subscribe to websites that have a feed. See the video below for an explanation of what an RSS feed is and what you can do with it.
• Photonotes
• Boards.ie Photography forum
• Photo.net
• Photography Ireland forums
• Photodoto
• Photojojo
• Strobist
• DIY Photography
• Photosig
• Digital Photography School
• 2 minute Photoshop tricks
• Alkos
• George Barr
• Chromasia
• Camera Porn
• Flak Photo
• JMG Galleries
• Photo Attorney
• Mark Hancock
• Digital Journalist
• Online Photographer
• Fine art photo blog
• Rymus
• Pana Vision
• Inphotos dot org
• Latchiko
• Flickr is a huge photography site with social aspects to it. I’m a member there.
• Redbubble where you can sell your photos. Here’s my gallery there.

And of course, Luminous Landscape.

Reminder for all club members, the upcoming Photographer of the year is fast approaching. This is the first year that the club has introduced a closing date. All mono prints, colour prints, digital files and slides must be delivered to David Lavery competition secretary by Tuesday 13th may. Please note images accepted after this date may not be guaranteed a place in the final. Images accepted on the night of the competition (May 19) will not be accepted.

Max Print size is 16inx12in
Max mount size is 16inx20in
Smallest size print is 5inx7in

Please note it is not compulsory to have images mounted. Images used in previous photographer of the year competitions are not allowed. Images that have been commissioned (been paid to carry out) are also exempt from the competition.

The next big event is the National Photographic Finals Thurles Co.Tiopperary april 26/27th

For further details and a map, take a look at the Photowalking around The Lough post on my blog. Unfortunately it does clash with a few other events (who’d have thought a Sunday was so busy?) but hopefully we’ll see a few members there.

An alternative item will be included in the club programme. 

The Irish Examiner has teamed up with Ford to give amateur photographers the chance to win a new model Ford Mondeo Ghia.
There are also prizes for under 12 years of age category, and 12 to 18 years of age category.

Simply take a photo of anywhere, anything or anyone that you think captures the theme -
‘Today’s Ireland - its people, culture, landscape, or architecture’

How To Enter: Send your digital photo along with a caption explaining your photo (less than 30 words) to fordphotocompetition@examiner.ie or post your entry to: Ford Photo Competition, Irish Examiner, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork.Closing Date: Friday, March 7th, 2008

THE PRIZE:  2008 Ford Mondeo Ghia With greater levels of quality, style and equipment, the new Ford Mondeo redefines standards in its class. Its crisp exterior lines are now accentuated by deep new bumpers, elegant front grille and dynamic alloy wheels. Inside, premium materials and textures emphasise refined craftsmanship and elegance.
Under 18 Prize Categories: Winners in the under 12 years of age category and 12 to 18 years of age category will both win a top of the range digital camera and printing system.
Closing Date: Friday March 7th, 2008
The Results: A special Irish Examiner feature on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, will announce the winner and show a selection of the best photos submitted.
The competition is open to amateur photographers only. For a full list of terms and conditions see the Irish Examiner newspaper.

Note:  The inclusion of details of any photographic competition on this website should not be taken to imply that Mallow Camera Club supports that competition.
At the time of writing MCC has not seen the full terms and conditions of entry for this competition.  It is up to each entrant to satisfy himself/herself that the terms and conditions of entry are acceptable to him/her.

Seán has produced photobooks of his images and supplied photographs to the trust for use in publicity, Christmas cards etc.

Niall Mellon is travelling to New York this weekend to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu. During their meeting Niall will present the Archbishop with one of Seán’s photographs (above) overprinted with the pledge to build 7,000 homes in 2008.

Congratulation and well done to Seán.

Click for more information on the Niall Mellon Township trust.

Seán is travelling to South Africa again later this year. If you want to sponsor him he can be contacted at 086 2579830 or via email at sean@NOSPAMrota.ie (remove “NOSPAM” to email him).

All photographs in Mallow Camera Club’s Annual Exhibition held last September were donated by members for sale in aid of the Niall Mellon Trust, raising over €3,000 - Approximately the cost of building one house.