Projected Image Competitions 2010/2011 Season

Slide Workers

Hand in slides just as before. These will be scanned and the digital files used in the competition and the slides then returned to the authors. If requested the scans could be copied to the author’s SCC Pen Drive for future use. A fair proportion of the images digitally projected at the recent Club Exhibition were derived from slides and those who attended will have seen how good the images looked. A small added bonus is that B & W and Colour negatives can also be accepted (if “in date”). Only basic scanning adjustments will be undertaken. Slide workers who prefer to arrange the scanning of slides themselves are of course free to do so and should submit their entries on their SCC Pen Drive as described below.

Digital Workers without access to a computer

Images will be accepted on a CD provided by a Photo Lab or on the memory card used in the camera. Even images taken on a mobile phone could be submitted. Please make it very clear which images are to be used. The images will be resized to the projection requirements – no other modification of the images will be made. The images used can also be copied to the author’s SCC Pen Drive if requested.

Digital Workers with a computer

Small improvements to the software used in running our PI Competitions require slight changes to be made in the way PIs are prepared. The revised routine is given below.

1. Images should be in the sRGB colour space. Crop & manipulate the image to your artistic satisfaction.
2. If you use Photoshop – install Martin’s Actions, run the appropriate one & the work in paras 3 & 4 below is done automatically.
3. If you do not use the Actions then use Photoshop/Elements etc. & Image/Image size to set one dimension. If your image is in landscape format set the width to 1400 pixels, if in portrait format set the height to 1050 pixels, set only one dimension this way.

4. If necessary use Image/mode to change from 16 to 8 bit. At this stage sharpen to taste.

5. Save the image as a JPG file – maximum quality.
6. Add Author’s name & Image Title. The preferred way is by using Photoshop, Elements etc., via File/File info. It can also be done via Windows Explorer (right click the filename and then left click Properties/Summary/Simple (not advanced). Please do not add any other information, just your name & Image title in the appropriate boxes. Short titles look better than long when projected or printed in score sheets etc.
7. File Names (the things that end in .jpg). Please rename your files as follows: – Code number-Competition number-image number. For example, my 3 entries (my Code 55) for the 3rd comp of the season would be named 55-3-1.jpg, 55-3-2.jpg & 55-3-3.jpg. Please note no spaces and that separators are hyphens not underscores. It does not matter which image you call 1, 2 & 3 as all the entries are randomised before projection. This naming convention greatly simplifies the handling of our large number of PI competition entries.
  

8. Save to your computer & then copy the image files to the relevant competition folder in your SCC Pen Drive. Please then access the Pen Drive & check that images & metadata are correctly recorded.

   Code numbers are already included in the root folder of the Pen Drive (and also on a label on the outside) so do not need to be entered in the image info. Authors’ names will not be revealed until judging is complete, as stipulated in the Club Rules.

Check List

Download and print the Projected Image Competition checklist and tick the boxes as you go, here is a summary of what you need to have done.

1. Set dimensions using Photoshop & Droplets or Photoshop/Elements etc., 1st dimension with Image/Image size & 2nd dimension with Image/Canvas size, extension colour black (paras 3 & 4 above). Overall dimensions must be 1400 pxls wide & 1050 pxls high.
2. Save as max quality jpg.
3. Add Author name & Image title only. Brief titles please.
4. Change the File name according to para 8 above.
5. In your Pen Drive create a folder called PI Comps 2008–09 and copy the prepared images to it. Make sure you keep a backup copy on your computer!

Downloads

You can automate part of the above process using these Photoshop droplets and/or the Photoshop Lightroom export template.

• If you aren't using the droplets then download and print the Projected Image Competition checklist. Tick the boxes as you go so you don't forget anything.
• Lightroom export template – this will export selected images at the correct resolution but not size, there is no way to add the black fillers. I suggest you export from Lightroom using this template and then drop the files onto the relevant droplet. Put this file in the Lightroom explort templates folder which can be found by opening the export dialog and there is an entry in the list of export types to open Windows Explorer at the templates folder.
• Photoshop actions for landscape and portrait images. Download the file and open it, Photoshop will start up and the actions will be loaded. On the Window menu make sure that Actions is ticked, if it isn't click on it in the menu. Find the Actions panel, you should now have a 'PI Portrait' and 'PI Landscape' action in a 'Club Competition Actions' group.