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Definition
This year CAPA wishes to showcase the varied landscapes of Canada, as well as the diversity of people across the nation. Old traditions and new diverse beginnings are all welcome.
There are five regional themes corresponding to the Atlantic Zone (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island), the Pacific Zone (British Columbia and the Yukon), the Prairie Zone (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territory), the Ontario Zone (includes Nunavut Territory) and the Quebec Zone. You may enter your image in any theme, either as a resident or as a visitor, provided your photo is from that zone. Images will only be accepted if they were captured within the geographical boundaries of Canada. For this competition, Canadian cemeteries, embassies and military bases outside of Canada will not be accepted.
VCC members submitting images to VCC should be sure to indicate which Zone each photo illustrates.
Photographers must treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Images depicting individuals experiencing homelessness, infirmity, or people in crisis will not be accepted. CAPA feels that exploiting the misfortunes of others for the sake of photography demonstrates a disregard for others.
Open Editing
All different in-camera, on-camera and post-processing techniques can be used except those using AI generative technology. All elements contained in the submitted images including replacement skies, textures and added elements must have been taken by the submitting photographer. Elements contained in an image can be removed. No digital frames or mats are permitted. Triptychs are permitted.
CAPA's permitted machine learning AI rules continue to evolve. As of July 2, 2024, CAPA has identified 8 post-capture processors which use AI generative technology: Canva, Lightroom, Luminar Neo, Photoroom, Photoshop, Picsart, Pixlr, and Stylar AI. The generative features in these applications are not permitted.
AI machine learning features which ARE permitted include (as of May 28, 2024): Luminar Neo's "AI Structure", "AI Sky Replacement", and "AI Skin Enhancer"; ON1 Photo Raw's "AI Auto Enhance", "AI Match Batch Processing", and "AI No-Noise"; DxO PhotoLab's "DeepPRIME denoising, sharpening and PRIME deblurring"; Topaz Labs AI's "Gigapixel AI", "DeNoise AI", and "Sharpen AI"; and Photoshop 2024 tools that DO NOT trigger the Firefly algorithm, including "Spot Healing Brush", "Remove Tool", "Healing Brush Tool", "Patch Tool", "Content-Aware Move Tool", "Re-eye Tool", "Clone Stamp Tool" and "Pattern Stamp Tool". If in doubt, review CAPA's updated web site.
The latest Lightroom Classic release (13.3.1) now has a "generative remove" tool where there was once the "Heal" Tool, and which is now called the "Remove" Tool. As a "generative" AI tool that uses Adobe Firefly, it falls into the list of Disallowed tools. Also in the latest Lightroom Classic, the new "Lens Blur" is permitted as it is not an AI generative tool.
Images created totally electronically with no photographic origin, including renderings generated via text prompts, are prohibited. Images must be captured in either British Columbia or the Yukon, by a light-sensitive device or surface and recorded on paper, film or in a digital format. Post capture treatments using artificial intelligence and third party pre-sets may not add or generate textures or elements not captured by the photographer. The original RAW or JPEG of Potential winning images may be requested. CAPA uses a variety of techniques and proprietary algorithms to detect generative AI.
Submissions
Club members may submit up to two photos by March 30, 2025 for consideration for the VC Club entry of 6 images by different members. Individual CAPA members may submit up to 3 images to CAPA for the Individual portion of this competition, which closes April 30, 2025.
Images can include wild, feral or domestic animals, and hand of man. All in-camera, on-camera and post-capture processing techniques are allowed, providing all elements were taken by the artist. Sky replacement is allowed, provided the sky used was also taken by the artist. Images must have a photographic origin. Colour, black and white and monochrome are permitted. No digital frames or borders are permitted.
Artificial intelligence renderings generated via text prompt may NOT be used in whole or in part in the creation of a submitted image.
Submissions
To VCC, no later than March 30, 2025, and to CAPA, no later than April 30, 2025.
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Specifications
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Images should be in JPEG format, maximum 1400 pixels on the horizontal x 1050 on the vertical in size
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Note: One of the dimensions must be exactly the maximum allowed size (either 1400 or 1050 pixels)
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sRGB colour space and have a maximum file size of 1.8 MB
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Maximum number of submissions per VCC member is two
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Please preserve your image’s RAW formatted files, should CAPA request them.
See 2025 Canada: My Country Competition for More Information
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2024/25
We congratulate the six members whose images were selected for the VCC entry. Image titles and names of photographers, in no particular order, are as follows:
"The Banff Springs Hotel" by Bill Cubitt,
"Barred Owlet in the Maple Leaves" by Christy Grinton (Martin),
"Canada Jay" by Graeme Weir,
"Lest She Forget" by Mike Burns,
"Victoria Inner Harbour" by Doug Bright, and
"Winter Skeleton" by Kim Passmore. See gallery at right.
2023/24
Victoria Camera Club tied for 9th place (out of 49) with the Shuswap Club. The only other BC club to place was Cowichan Valley. VCC received an Honour Award at 138.5 points. Congratulations to Alec Lee, Kathryn Delany, Nick Delany, Michelle O'Shea, Christy Grinton (Martin) and Bill Cubitt. On the Individual side of the Competition, David Clow won the Bronze Medal, and BOTH the Delanys (Nick & Kathryn) won Honour awards. (See the gallery).
2022/23
Victoria Camera Club tied for 11th place (out of 42 club entries) with 140.0 points. The only B.C. clubs to place were North Shore and Osoyoos who tied at 6th place. Richmond Hill won Gold at 154.5 points, North Shore and Osoyoos scored 142.0 each, so we were not far behind. Four VCC Club members, Daniel Rondeau, Kathryn Delany, Nicholas Delany and Tom Stewart, entered individually, and Daniel Rondeau won an Honour Award with 74 points (out of 90), and also won 2nd Merit, Pacific Theme, for his “The Beached Stump” photo. Daniel’s winning photos are available to the public on the CAPA website: go to capacanada.ca, Competitions, Winners, and choose “Canada: My Country”, “Individual Results. (See the gallery).
2019/20
The Victoria Camera Club placed 17th out of 35 clubs. (See the gallery).
2018/19
The images that were originally selected from 2017/18 were submitted for this year with the addition of 2 new images to take the place of two that were withdrawn. We placed 16th this year out of 38 clubs (See the gallery).
2017/18
Unfortunately in 2018, due to a mix-up regarding the closing date of the competition, we were late with our submission to CAPA, and did not enter.
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