Congratulations to all the medallists and award winners at SACC Regional Round of IPF National Nature Competition which took place on Sunday January 26th 2014 at The Amelian Theatre, Mallow, Co.Cork. The IPF National Nature Competition 2013/2014 is sponsored by Mahers Photographic.  Once again, we saw an increase in both the number of photographers and number of images entered. Thank you all for your continued support of this competition.

Special congratulations to David Barrie from Kilkenny Photographic Society who won the overall award for best image with his image “Herring Gull Feeding”

Thank you to the SACC Committee (Bill Power, John Doheny, John Hogan, Neily Curtin & Niamh Whitty) who organised the event and to Eileen Sykes, Peggy O’Brien and the rest of the enthusiastic team of helpers from Mallow Camera Club who helped the competition run so smoothly. Thanks to Cork Camera Group for the use of their lightbox, to Gerard Spillane caretaker of the theatre and to Geraldine Doheny and the team of ladies who kept us fed.  Thanks also to the judges; Jack Malins & Mark Sedgwick who provided invaluable feedback via their commentary on the day. Our thanks to the team at Picturk & to IPF Nature Co-ordinator Michael O’Sullivan for all their work before the event.  Last but not least, a big thank you to Mahers Photographic who travelled to the event and were on hand all day showing their equipment and answering questions.  Those wish lists have just got a little longer!

Results of all the winners available to view here along with a list of all qualified images. Your individual scores will be sent to you by Picturk in the next few days. Please note that if you presented an image for judging and it shows as score of zero, this indicates that the judges disqualified your image as it did not meet the requirements of nature photography (as defined by FIAP for the FIAP sections, or as defined by the rules of ‘The Natural World” section for images in its section).

We’d love to post up all the winning images, but as the competition is ongoing, it wouldn’t be appropriate to identify images with photographers until judging of finals is complete. You can view the award winners receiving their awards over in the gallery.

Cut off points as follows for qualification to national finals (max score per image – 18 points):

• Projected Open: 11 and above
• Projected Theme: 12 and above
• Projected Natural World: 11 and above
• Colour Open: 11 and above
• Colour Theme: 13 and above

The IPF National Nature Competition Final takes place on February 23rd at Hotel Kilkenny.

 SACC Regional Qualifier of IPF National Nature Competition 2014

For more information about this competition, please refer to this article.  Schedule for the day and directions are included below. While we’ll do our very best to ensure that we follow it as closely as possible, please bear in mind that we are a team of volunteers who have already put considerable time into planning and organising this event.  We are doing the best we can and we expect to be treated with courtesy at all times by everyone participating  in the competition.

The SACC Regional Qualifier of the IPF National Nature Competition 2014 in association with Mahers Photographic will be held on Sunday, January 26th @ Amelian Theatre, Mallow, Co.Cork.  Full schedule for the day will be released before event.

There are a couple of changes to the competition this year, including the introduction of a new projected category called ‘The Natural World’. Images in this category only do NOT need to meet the FIAP Nature requirements.  The other change relates to the introduction of advanced/intermediate levels at National Finals. Please read this article on IPF website for further information and refer to ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ at the end of this article for more info on how to enter.

Please note:

• Your images must be entered via online system (http://sacc-nature.picturk.com) by midnight on Friday January 24th.  Projected images must be registered and uploaded, while print entries need to have their titles entered.  There is also an option on the online entry form to enter on behalf of someone else (or have someone else register your entries if you aren’t comfortable using computers).
• Prints MUST be presented in 20″x16″ mount.
• Prints which do not qualify for finals may not be collected until released at the end of the competition day by SACC committee.
• It is your responsibility to read and understand the rules prior to entering. If you have any queries, please contact us via the contact page!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enter?

Entry & payment this is via online system which can be accessed here: http://sacc-nature.picturk.com

When is the closing date?

Midnight, Friday January 24th.

Do I need a Paypal account to enter?

No. You can use Paypal as a guest user without creating an account.

What type of cards can I use with Paypal?

PayPal accepts the following cards:

• Visa / Delta / Electron
• MasterCard / Eurocard
• PayPal Top Up Card
• Maestro
• American Express

Debit cards (also known as bank cards) are accepted if they have a Visa or MasterCard logo.

What do I need to do if I’m entering projected images?

As well as registering your details and paying the entry fee, you need to upload the images as part of the entry process and provide titles for the images in the boxes provided. Jpgs only, sized to 2400 pixels maximum on longest edge.  If you are entering projected images only and no prints, once you have finished this process and paid online, you are all set.

I’m only entering prints in the competition. Do I still need to enter online?

Yes. For print entries, you need to register  your details along with the titles for the images and pay the entry fee. You do not need to upload a copy of the file. You need to bring the prints on the morning of the competition to receive your competition ID. Your prints must be clearly labelled on the back with your name, image title, competition category, level (intermediate/advanced), camera club and the unique entry ID you will receive when you complete online entry. Minimum print size 10″x8″, however all prints must be mounted in a 20″x16″ mount. Your entry ID will look something like this “bfbrabaqybr-DPO-0000002508”. Please ensure this number is on the back of your print and bring along a copy of your entry form printed from website.

I’m not comfortable using computers or I don’t have internet access, can I get a friend/colleague to enter for me?

Yes. On the online entry form, there is an option to facilitate this.  Your friend/colleague must tick the box that says “Click here if you are entering photographs for another photographer” and fill out the details required.

I want to turn up and enter on the day of the competition. Can I do this?

No. All entries must be pre-registered by competition closing date.