Competition Classes
Overview
The class system at MVCC allows members to compete on a fair and equitable basis with members of a similar experience level. Our goal is to help all members grow to be able to compete at the highest level, but allow them to compete at the level they feel comfortable with until they are ready to advance.
Currently classes are only implemented for Digital Competitions. Depending upon their success they may be extended to print competitions in future years.
There are two classes - A & B.
- Class A is the highest level of competition intended for all professional photographers, prior year-long competition category winners, and other experienced photographers.
- Class B is intended for newer photographers.
Rules
- Members must select the level of competition in which they want to compete prior to entering their first competition (either on their membership form or by emailing their choice to the Digital Committee).
- A member must remain in the same Class for the entire competition year.
- Judges are asked to use consistent scoring without regard to category or class of the image. For each category they will judge Class B and then Class A. For each class they will select awards based upon their scores within that class / category. The number of awards will depend upon the number of images in that class and category. There will be one Digital Image of the Month selected without respect to category.
- At the end of the year, the 3 members of Class B with the highest point totals will automatically be promoted to Class A for the next year. These people have just demonstrated that they are ready to compete at a higher level. Other members can choose to move up / down. The Digital Committee will review all downgrade requests to ensure fairness.
- New members are recommended to start in Class B unless they are highly confident they are experienced photographers or were already in the highest class in another camera club. You can consult with the Digital Committee to discuss which class is appropriate. If appropriate they may offer to review 8-10 of your representative images to help you decide.
Choosing Your Class
The biggest challenge is helping members select the correct class for the first year of implementation. To help you select your class we are providing the following guidance.
People should select Class A if they are:
- Members who were comfortable competing in Class A in prior years.
- Prior category winners from year-long competitions.
- Professional photographers (anyone with a significant amount of revenue ($500+) from photography).
- Members who were/are in another club's highest class.
- Among last year's top three cumulative scoring winners from Class B.
- Last year's Class B members who consistently placed high within their categories and feel ready to compete at a higher level of competition.
All others should choose Class B.
New members are recommended to start in Class B unless they are highly confident they are experienced photographers or were already in the highest class in another camera club. You can consult with the Digital Committee to discuss which class is appropriate. If appropriate they may offer to review 8-10 of your representative images to help you decide.
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