UPCOMING EVENTS
Scroll down past the Calendar to see individual descriptions…
June Meeting: Club Competition - Lines, Patterns, and Shapes
Must be a Club Member to enter Club Competitions!
We get caught up in the literals. This month we are encouraging you to “see” as if it were the first time. The subject may be the same but how we see it is different. Experiment with different angles, tilt, and turn your camera. Stretch your imagination. Examples: skylines, geometric designs and architecture. Cracks int he sidewalk, rungs on your kitchen chairs, items in your toolbox. Keep in mind patterns, lines, and shapes.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in:
Novice- little to no experience
Amateur- some photography experience
Advanced Amateur -A significant amount of experience but not making a living at photography (or having won too many competitions and been bumped up)
Experienced/PRO- Making a living selling your photography or having had a significant amount of experience (many years – or won too many competitions).
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Aug Meeting: Club Competition - Close up and Extremely Close Up
Must be a Club Member to enter Club Competitions!
Sometime thinking we don’t have the “right” camera, lens, or other equipment makes us believe we can’t take good photos. Any camera with a lens (including your phone camera) will be just find to get started in this category. Use natural light, if at all possible. You may even amaze yourself. For experienced photographers, show us your best work. Some potential subjects are flowers, faces, soap suds, insects, textiles, ornaments, woodgrain, stacks of paper, or a tiny still life. The options are boundless.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in:
Novice- little to no experience
Amateur- some photography experience
Advanced Amateur -A significant amount of experience but not making a living at photography (or having won too many competitions and been bumped up)
Experienced/PRO- Making a living selling your photography or having had a significant amount of experience (many years – or won too many competitions).
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Oct Meeting: Club Competition - Old and Forgotten in Black and White or Sepia
Must be a Club Member to enter Club Competitions!
Check your attic for an old suitcase with treasures from days gone by. Look for faces that show the emotion of being forgotten. Or capture that derelict house (stay safe now) or abandoned old vehicle. Take us back to times that tell a story of a past we have forgotten about. Strive for emotion in your photographs.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in:
Novice- little to no experience
Amateur- some photography experience
Advanced Amateur -A significant amount of experience but not making a living at photography (or having won too many competitions and been bumped up)
Experienced/PRO- Making a living selling your photography or having had a significant amount of experience (many years – or won too many competitions).
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Apr Meeting: Club Competition - One Word and the Picture Says It All
Must be a Club Member to enter Club Competitions!
We are looking for images that perfectly illustrate 1 word. For example:
1) A mother looking lovingly into a baby’s eyes – the 1 word = LOVE
2) A car speeding past – the 1 word = FAST
3) A run-down house – the 1 word = FORGOTTEN
4) Two old men playing chess- the 1 word = FRIENDS
We will try to give you even more examples or answer any questions that you have about this competition - it is intended to be very open. Be creative BUT the picture MUST exemplify your chosen 1 word. ( Yes, you chose the word). Also the title of your image must be that 1 word only when you submit.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in:
Novice- little to no experience
Amateur- some photography experience
Advanced Amateur -A significant amount of experience but not making a living at photography (or having won too many competitions and been bumped up)
Experienced/PRO- Making a living selling your photography or having had a significant amount of experience (many years – or won too many competitions).
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Feb Meeting: Club Competition - The Eyes Have It
This month we are looking for images of eyes- human eyes, animal eyes, even a needle’s eye. Looking for eyes that demand our attention and compel us to feel something (that will be tough with the needle’s eye). The image can include more of the face, but EYE/EYES need to be the focus of the image.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in:
Novice- little to no experience
Amateur- some photography experience
Advanced Amateur -A significant amount of experience but not making a living at photography (or having won too many competitions and been bumped up)
Experienced/PRO- Making a living selling your photography or having had a significant amount of experience (many years – or won too many competitions).
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Oct Meeting: Club Competition - Small Wildlife
Wildlife images limited to Coyote size critters and smaller. Includes bugs, birds, lizards, snakes, small mammals... bacteria if you want to go microscopic.
This time we are hunting for small game.
No big game allowed.
Reality based competition.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in. Novice, Amateur, Advanced Amateur or Experienced/PRO
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Aug Meeting: Club Competition - Man-made Transportation
Trains, Planes and Automobiles and everything else that gets us from here to there.
This competition is aimed at the machines that we use to go from one place to another.
Let’s leave the animals at home this time and focus on man-made transportation.
All post processing techniques/filters allowed.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in. Novice, Amateur, Advanced Amateur or Experienced/PRO
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
June Meeting: Club Competition - Natural Framing
A bit of a compositional competition. Natural framing is when you use an element within your image to frame the subject.
This draws the eye into the photo and highlights the actual subject.
This internal frame can be constructed using a multitude of things you’ll find anywhere – branches, archways, tunnels, door frames etc., as well as things that aren’t solid like light, shadows, rain, fog, etc.
This is a challenging technique that can produce some wonderful images.
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in. Novice, Amateur, Advanced Amateur or Experienced/PRO
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Apr Meeting: Club Competition - Sports Events
March madness will have ended. Wrestling will have been pinned down. Gymnastics will have done flipped.
Think ahead and go photograph all those wonderful sports events happening this winter and spring (or pull some shots from previous seasons).
These images can include family events as well. Get out and challenge yourself to try to catch some of the drama and fun.
(Please, no rodeo shots as we just did that competition last year).
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in. Novice, Amateur, Advanced Amateur or Experienced/PRO
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
Feb Meeting: Club Competition - Reflections
At the start of the new year we often find ourselves reflecting on life in general. This competition will be open to 2 interpretations:
1) people reflecting (we’vegot to see it) OR
2) images with reflections in smooth objects (lakes, mirrors, windows, ice...)
All the images (people or surfaces reflecting) will be judged together by level.
This competition is reality based.
For some tips and a start you may find this helpful:
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/discover/reflection-photography.html
How to submit your photography:
-Please use the Month + Club Competition as the subject for your email
-Everyone can submit 2 photos.
-Please submit images at 300 DPI. 1920 pixels on the longest edge
-Please give your images names.
-Include names in the jpeg name.
-Send images as attachments (not in the body of the email)
-Please list your name, titles of each image, and which competition level you are competing in. Novice, Amateur, Advanced Amateur or Experienced/PRO
-Please email submissions by 9:00PM Friday night the weekend before each contest to
October Meeting: Club Competition - Ride ‘Em Cowboy
Ride ‘Em Cowboy - Reality Based Category
We live in the land of cowboys and cowgirls, (and hopefully the club will be able to organize some workshops/fieldtrips to capture horses and western action ). Add in the rodeos and round-ups - don’t forget the Mutton-Bustin events at the state fairs - and well there is no excuse for not having an entry for this competition.
Entries can include whatever a cowboy/cowgirl can ride – WITH or WITHOUT the rider. It does NOT exclude machines or hobby horses. YEE HAW!
August Meeting: Club Competition - Family Portraits
Family Portraits - Open Category
Many of us need to be encouraged to do some portraiture. (I know that I do.) Because our families change sooo fast, I want you to consider this competition the “kick in the pants” for making the time to capture the images of those you love.
Your entry can be your entire family, any part or portion of that family (i.e. an individual portrait or just the kids) or even the family pets. Now that you have the reason, how are you going to take that photograph?
June Meeting: Club Competition - Joy
JOY- Open Category
What brings you Joy? Do you have a photo of someone else feeling true joy? This is our category of the month. It can be everyday little joys or something momentous. This month our competition is an opportunity to share the joy around our club.
April Meeting: Club Competition - US National Parks & Monuments
US National Parks & Monuments - Reality Based Category
Enter up to 2 photos that were taken in one of the US National Parks or Monuments. It can be a landscape, a macro, a wildlife, or a historical photo. It doesn’t matter when you took the photo or with what equipment.
Don’t forget that the Badlands is a National Park and Devil’s Tower is a National Monument. Use this category to justify a trip to one of our Parks or Monuments, or a jaunt down memory lane.
Please do include the name of the park in your photo name.
October Meeting: Club Competition - Trees (Due Oct 9)
TREES – October – Photos Due October 9
Let’s look at some trees. Pine, willow, oak, sequoia, birch, palm, cottonwood, etc. A single tree, a forest of trees, or the details of trees. Trunk, bark, leaves, needles, or roots. Look at the life of the tree or the life IN the tree while still focusing on the elements of the tree.
Reality Based Category
Please submit photos to competition@blackhillsphotographyclub.com
See here for submission rules: Club Competitions
August Club Meeting: Club Competition - Red (Due Aug 7)
RED – August – Photos Due August 7
Images must depict red…the color at the end of the spectrum next to orange and opposite violet. Fall leaves, wine, rubies, hotrods, or flowers. Challenge yourself to show the energy red provokes. For example, red is used for both the devil and cupid. Because this is an open category, you can enhance images to bring out your colors.
Open Category
June Meeting: Club Competition - A Day In The Life (Due June 4)
A DAY IN THE LIFE – June – Photos Due June 4
Show us a glimpse into your life, day or night. This theme is open to interpretation. City living full of street photography and buildings or country living surrounded by nature and wildlife. A dewy sunrise with a cup of coffee, a cloudy sunset in the hills, or a starry night sky over a fire. Think about everyday life: work, music, driving, emotions, art, cooking, clothes, the moments of peace, or the moments of chaos. Portraits of family, friends, coworkers, or pets. Photos may be taken on your cell phone. Single photo and photo collage welcome.
Reality Based Category
April Meeting: Club Competition - Shapes (Due April 10)
SHAPES – April – Photos Due April 10
Shape is defined as an area that stands out from its surroundings because of a defined or implied boundary or because of differences of value, color, or texture. Entries can show 2D or 3D shapes. Geometric shapes such as circles, triangles, or pentagrams can be found in architecture, machinery, and technologies. Irregular shapes such as human form, shapes that suggest living organisms, or shapes with flowing qualities can be found in nature.
Reality Based Category
February Meeting: Club Competition - Favorite Photo from 2020
FAVORITE PHOTO FROM 2020 – February – Photos Due February 6
2020 was a unique year. I hope you made time for photography. In this competition share your favorite photo from 2020. This theme is open to any subject matter as long as it was taken in 2020.
Open Category