SACC Qualifying Round of IPF Nature Photographer of the Year now open!

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Mahers Logo IPF copyWe’re pleased to announce that the SACC regional qualifying round of the IPF Nature Photographer of the Year 2015/2016 in association with Mahers Photographic is now open for entries. Please note that this is the competition formerly known as the IPF National Nature Competition.

To read more about this competition, the themes for this year, cost of entry etc please read this article.

To enter, you must be a member of an SACC affiliated club.

The competition takes place on Sunday January 24th at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery, West Cork and is being hosted by Clonakilty Camera Club.  Why not make a weekend of it in a beautiful part of the country?  The Celtic Ross have a limited number of rooms left on Saturday night for €45 PPS for bed and breakfast and €65 PPS for dinner, bed and breakfast! First come, first served!

Closing date for entries is Friday, January 22nd.

Please note this year:

  • You must use the new colour coded labels on the back of your prints – please print them in colour and attach securely to the back of your prints
  • You must upload a digital copy of all prints at time of entry
  • Make sure you enter the correct level as defined in the rules
  • For sections under FIAP nature definitions, please ensure you comply!

Rules

The updated rules for the 2015/2016 are available to view on IPF website.

Labels

Labels can be downloaded from the IPF website. Prints without these labels will not be accepted. Please print the labels in colour and attach securely to your prints.

To Enter

Entry must be completed online via the online entry system. If you experience any issues with the entry system, please contact the IPF webmaster via their contact page. Please, first check that your system meets the requirements for using this software.

Judges

We are delighted to welcome the following judges for this years event:

  • Gerry Kerr AIPF AFIAP, Celbridge Camera Club
  • Kevin Murphy FIPF ARPS, Mayo

Schedule (note that times are approximate)

10.00am-11.00am Handover of print entries.
Prints for Nature Photographer of the Year must have been pre-registered via online system.
Prints that have not been pre-registered will not be accepted.
11.45am Judging starts at 11.45am and will continue in the sequence outlined below. There will be a lunch break at approximately 1pm.

Prints (open & themed)

Projected Images (open,  themed & natural world)

Awards ceremony (likely 4.30pm onwards)

Images that do not qualify for national finals can be collected AFTER awards ceremony.
Qualifying prints will be retained and forwarded to IPF for National Finals.

 

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SACC Photographer of the Year competition – Regional Round Report and Results

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Canon_WEB_logoPhotographer of the Year (PotY) 2015/16 SACC Regional Round

Congratulations to Bill Power from Cork Camera Group who was the overall winner and recipient of the Seamus Scullane Memorial Trophy for his image ‘Lady in a Gothic Door’ at this year’s SACC Photographer of the Year which is also the Regional Qualifying Round of the IPF Photographer of the Year competition 2015 / 2016. This was formerly know as the Print & Projected Image competition (PPI). This competition is held in association with Canon.

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Please note that we are unable to show you the winning images as these have gone on to the national final of the IPF Photographer of the Year (PotY) which will take place in new year.

The competition was held at the Horse & Jockey Hotel in Co.Tipperary on Sunday Nov 22nd 2015 and was again well attended this year.  While the number of photographers who submitted images was the same as last year, the overall number of images had increased by almost 10%. We wish all those who qualified from the SACC region the very best of luck in the IPF finals.

We’d like to thank all involved in helping out on the day and particularly our team of judges: Carl Cutland FIPF AFIAP, Judy Boyle FIPF FRPS EFIAP and Tony McDonnell AIPF EFIAP – Platinum who did a great job staying focused while judging hundreds of images. We’d also like to thank all those who entered the competition and those who travelled to the event from the region to lend their support.

[singlepic=448,250,,right]Regional and national events such as this bring together IPF members who share a common interest in photography and are prepared to support each other in the pursuit of their hobby. However this shared interest has evolved into a community of people that are prepared to support each other in a much broader social context. The common interest in photography is the initial bonding catalyst, however, this evolves into a support structure that goes beyond the sharing of image making ideas; morphing into a community based on mutual respect for each other as individuals and artists. This was abundantly evident on Sunday last when those present showed their delight to see Morgan O’Neill and his family in attendance. Most IPF members will be aware that Morgan has had to battle serious health issues for the past 18 months, so all were delighted to see him at the event on Sunday. Morgan, who was awarded an honourable mention certificate for one of his images, received a standing ovation when he walked forward to accept his prize. It was a very emotional moment and the highlight of the day.

[singlepic=413,200,,left]Another demonstration of this camaraderie and support was the Get Well Soon message for John Doheny, former secretary of the SACC, which was held up by audience members, and photographed, during the event. John has also been fighting against illness this year and was delighted to get the photo. He hopes to be back among us very soon. We wish both Morgan and John continued recovery and look forward to seeing both fully active in photography very soon.

Individual report cards will be sent by the end of the week.

Click to view Results

Gallery:

SACC Qualifying Round of IPF Photographer of the Year now Open!

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Canon_WEB_logoWe’re pleased to announce that the SACC regional qualifying round of the IPF Photographer of the Year 2015/2016in association with Canon Ireland is now open for entries. Please note that this is the competition formerly known as the IPF Print & Projected Image Competition.

To read more about this competition, the themes for this year, cost of entry etc please read this article.

To enter, you must be a member of an SACC affiliated club.

The competition takes place on Sunday November 22nd at the Horse & Jockey Hotel in Tipperary.

Closing date for entries is Friday November 20th.

Please note this year:

  • You must use the new colour coded labels on the back of your prints – please print them in colour and attach securely to the back of your prints
  • You must upload a digital copy of all prints at time of entry
  • Make sure you enter the correct level as defined in the rules

Rules

The updated rules for the 2015/2016 are available to view on IPF website.

Labels

Labels can be downloaded from the IPF website. Prints without these labels will not be accepted. Please print the labels in colour and attach securely to your prints.

To Enter

Entry must be completed online via the online entry system. If you experience any issues with the entry system, please contact the IPF webmaster via their contact page. Please, first check that your system meets the requirements for using this software.

Judges

We are delighted to welcome the following judges for this years event:

  • Carl Cutland FIPF AFIAP, Portlaoise Camera Club
  • Judy Boyle FIPF FRPS EFIAP, Drogheda Photographic Club
  • Tony Mc Donnell AIPF EFIAP/p, Dundalk Photographic Society

Schedule (note that times are approximate)

9.00am-10.00am Handover of print entries.
Prints for Photographer of the Year must have been pre-registered via online system.
Prints that have not been pre-registered will not be accepted.
10.45am Judging starts at 10.45am and will continue in the sequence outlined below. There will be a lunch break at approximately 1pm.Colour Prints (open & themed)

Monochrome prints (open & themed)

Projected Images (open & themed)

Awards ceremony (likely 4.30pm onwards)

Images that do not qualify for national finals can be collected AFTER awards ceremony.
Qualifying prints will be retained and forwarded to IPF for National Finals.

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SACC Creative Photography Competition 2015 – Report

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The SACC Creative Photography Competition 2015 was held in the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, on Saturday October 31st 2015 and was hosted by Carlow Photographic Society.  Entries were up 10% on last year and, despite competing with a televised major international sports event, attendance was also up considerably on last year. Since it was revived in 2014 the competition has continued to attract an increasing number of entries as interest in this photography genre finds increasing favour with new participants. We were delighted to see photographers from all around the country taking part as this event is a national competition and is open to members from all IPF affiliated clubs. Additionally the top scoring 35% count as Irish qualifiers for those going for AFIAP distinctions. (See Related Links below for AFIAP qualifiers)

Congratulations to all those who won awards. (See Gallery below) in particular to Michael O’Sullivan from Cork Camera Group who took home the top prize of best image with ‘Death of Giselle’. We were treated to a diverse and really creative set of images on Saturday, both in the print and the projected sections of the competition. Individual scores will be emailed by the end of the week.  (See Related Links below for Overall Results)

Our thanks to all involved in making this competition a success:

  • The SACC Committee.
  • Carlow Photographic Society (in particular Nuala Grogan, Chairperson, and Gilbert Smith for taking photographs during the event. )
  • Our judges, Ray Spence and Bríd Coakley who provided excellent commentary & feedback throughout the judging.
  • All who entered and all who attended.

At 11:00am on Saturday, prior to the competition, Carlow Photographic Society played host to a lecture by Ray Spence. The title was “A Personal Focus” during which Ray presented and discussed the photographic art he has created over the past thirty years. This included an extremely interesting and diverse range of work including some stunning creative images which he did in the years prior to the advent of digital imaging and post-processing. There was a large attendance for Ray’s lecture and he presented it again in Wexford on Sunday and in Cork on Monday evening.

Gallery:

 

Related Links:

List of AFIAP qualifiers – pdf

Results

Change of Venue for Ray Spence’s talk in Cork

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Due to unforeseen circumstances, the venue for Ray Spence’s talk in Cork on Tuesday November 3rd has moved to the Whitechurch Suite at the Imperial Hotel in Cork City. Start time remains 7.30pm and we aim to start promptly.

Ray’s talks in Carlow and Wexford over the last few days were inspiring to say the least and we know that Cork are in for a treat again tonight.  The talk is being hosted by Cork Camera Group and is open to other clubs also. Entry fee is €5.

 

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SACC Creative Photography Competition 2015 – Schedule

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Thank you for your entries. The competition is now closed for entry with judging taking place on Saturday 31st October at the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow.

As part of the day, we are delighted to host a lecture by one of our judges, Ray Spence at 11am. Full details and schedule below. There is a €5 entry fee to the talk as a cover charge. Full details of this not to be missed talk are available over here.

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SACC Creative Photography Competition 2015 – Now Open

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creative 2015The SACC Committee is delighted to announce that the 2015 SACC Creative Photography Competition will be held on Saturday 31st October at the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow.

The competition is open to members of all clubs affiliated to the IPF.

For those collecting Irish qualifiers for AFIAP applications, the top 35% of images in this competition qualify from this year onwards.

The rules of the competition, which was formally known as the SACC Creative Digital Competition, have been revised and updated and the competition will open for online entries at the start of October. Please refer to Rules for full details. The competition will be judged by Ray Spence FRPS and Brid Coakley AIPF ARPS.

There are two sections; prints and projected images, each catering for intermediate and advanced photographers. Entry fee is €8 for one section and €12 for two.  The definition to work to is:

“Creative Photography means different things to different people. To some, it means manipulation of images using image editing software and to others, it means breaking the rules/conventions using creative techniques in-camera such as slow shutter speeds, panning, creative compositions etc. Photographic content should predominate. For the purposes of this competition, anything goes.

The inclusion of stock images/clip art is not permitted. For example, if you wish to add a sunflower to your image, then you need to photograph a sunflower!”

To Enter: Enter Competition Here

System requirements are listed here.

Should you experience any issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our ‘contact page‘.

Closing Date: Midnight, October 28th.

Celtic Challenge 2015 – Results and Thank You

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Celtic_Challenge_Kilkenny_2015_Logo

Our regular site visitors will be aware that the 2015 Celtic Challenge was held in Kilkenny on the weekend of Sept 18th – 20th. The Celtic Challenge, when held in Ireland in recent years, has been hosted by SACC, in conjunction with the IPF (Irish Photographic Federation).

On Friday the visiting federation representatives, members of the SACC committee and Kilkenny Photographic Society (KPS) visited Hook Head peninsula in Co Wexford in the morning. The highlight of the visit was a tour of Hook Head lighthouse which is one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world, dating back some 800 years. Many on the tour availed of the photographic opportunities afforded by the visit. Following lunch there was a visit to Woodstock estate near Inistioge village where many took further advantage of the great photo opportunities in this historic estate. On returning to Kilkenny, the visitors and their local hosts enjoyed a social evening in Bollards traditional Irish pub in Kilkenny.

On Saturday morning the visitors were taken to see and tour some of Kilkenny’s historical sites, including, Kilkenny Castle, Rothe House, St Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower and the Black Abbey. The competition and judging took place on Saturday afternoon and there was a large attendance.  This year’s judge was Peter McCloskey FRPS APAGB who was very thorough in his analysis and gave feedback and commented on all the images submitted. The results were announced by IPF President Michael O’Sullivan during a celebratory dinner that evening in the Pembroke Hotel. Congratulations go to Scotland on again winning this year’s Celtic Challenge competition, successfully defending their title. Congratulations also to the winners of the three individual awards, all of whom were from Ireland:

  • Judy Boyle won the best monochrome print title,
  • Gabriel O’Shaughnessy receiving best colour print and
  • Chris Ducker claiming best projected image.

You can find the full results and some of the winning images over on the IPF website:

Thanks and appreciation must go to the SACC Committee for organising a super event. The organising committee members were Niamh Whitty from the Cork Camera Group,  Richie Dwyer (SACC chairman), David Barrie, Liam Cahill,  Ned Mahon, and Eamon Wall from Kilkenny Photographic Society. A special word of thanks goes to Andy Magan, Kilkenny Photographic Society, for his great work in helping to make the weekend the success that it was. Also thanks to John Cuddihy who acted os our liaison with the IPF prior to and during the competition.

All who attended the competition during the weekend were complementary and positive in their comments and considered the event to be a resounding success.

Our thanks also goes to the following, in no particular order!  :

  • Peter McCloskey for judging and providing insightful comments on all the images during the judging.
  • The representatives who travelled from the competing federations.
  • SACC committee members who organised and ran the event.
  • The IPF for assistance and sponsoring content for our ‘goodie bags’ for the visitors.
  • Members of the Kilkenny Photographic Society for their assistance with the Hook Head trip and throughout the weekend.
  • Alan Doheny from Proof Brand and Design Agency for the gorgeous logo he produced for this year’s Kilkenny based event – check it out above!
  • The management and staff of the Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny, who provided top class facilities and served up a great meal for the celebratory dinner on Saturday evening
  • Thanks also to everyone who attended from near and far, including members from other IPF affiliated camera clubs, including Blarney, Waterford, Carrick-on-Suir, Mallow and Dublin.

If we’ve forgotten anyone, please accept our apologies and drop us a note to let us know; we’ll be happy to update this article!

Take a look at the successful Irish individual images and the Irish Panels on the IPF website.

Below is our gallery of images from the weekend, including the presentation of trophies at the awards dinner.

Ray Spence Lecture Tour

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Siren 1 A3We are delighted to announce that Ray Spence FRPS will be conducting a lecture tour in the SACC region this autumn.  There will be a €5 cover charge for each talk.

Rough details below with further details, times and venues to follow.

  • Saturday, October 31st in Carlow (morning)
  • Monday, November 2nd in Wexford (evening)
  • Tuesday, November 3rd in Cork (evening)

Ray is a fine art photographer, author and lecturer.
He is the co author of five books on photographic technique and has exhibited extensively at many venues including The Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry,
La Manege in St Petersburgh, The Royal Albert Hall in London and the Royal Photographic Society in Bath.

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He has lectured for many academic and private institutions including Warwickshire College and Birmingham City University.
His work spans all photographic genre from digital to wet plate collodion.
In 2013 he was awarded the honour of the Fenton Medal from the Royal Photographic Society.

www.rayspence.co.uk