CAPA Black and White Competition

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Definition

CAPA reverted in 2023 to the traditional "black and white" from the "monochrome".  This year they are continuing with black and white.

A black and white image can range from black, or very dark gray, to white, or very light gray, with various shades of the grayscale in between.

There are four themes this year:

• Candid Person(s) - reveal the humour, irony and drama of the human experience.  Subjects should not appear posed but rather should appear as if caught acting naturally.  Note that images depicting individuals experiencing homelessness, infirmity or personal crisis will not be accepted.  CAPA considers the exploitation of misfortune and suffering for the sake of photography as a disregard for the well-being of others.

• Natural Surroundings - images featuring weather phenomena, geological formations, cityscapes, landscapes, seascapes and natural phenomena such as plants, stars and astronomical events are included.  Persons may be included as long as they enhance the view of the natural surroundings.

• Dramatic Contrast & Shadows - explore lighting effects to create bold, graphic images.  Low key, silhouette and selective lighting can all be used.  Shadows of everyday objects can be very dramatic.  

• Nostalgia - images that evoke echoes of the past or capture a bygone era are wanted in this theme.  Abandoned vehicles, buildings, still lives of antiques are allowed.  Composites contrasting old and new are permitted.

“Hand-of-man” is permitted in all theme categories.

Editing

Open editing is allowed: all in-camera, on-camera and post-capture techniques, including removing elements, cloning, double exposure, stacking, sky replacement, HDR, and ICM. As always, the photographer must have taken all the images used.   Triptychs are permitted.

Images converted to black and white from colour, and infrared images (provided they contain only black and white) ARE permitted in this competition.

Digital frames, pin-lines, borders and mats are not permitted.

Artificial intelligence (AI) renderings generated via text prompt may not be used in whole or part in the creation of a submitted image.  Please read the "Overview" page by clicking on the read button on the External Competition Overview page for the most comprehensive statement on CAPA rules for AI.

Submissions

VCC members may enter two images as Club images. The Club may enter only 6 images from 6 different photographers.  Identifying the theme in which your image should be entered is helpful to the Competition Committee.

The DEADLINE for submission of images to VCC in the Club category is October 15, 2024, midnight PDT.

Individual CAPA members may enter a maximum of 3 images, in one or more themes. The CAPA deadline for individual submissions is November 15 at midnight, Ontario ST.

Specifications

1. Images should be in JPEG format, maximum 1400 pixels on the horizontal x 1050 on the vertical in size.

2. Note: One of the dimensions must be exactly the maximum allowed size (either 1400 or 1050 pixels).

3. Portrait images will have a vertical height of 1050 pixels.  Square images will be 1050 pixels on all sides.

4. sRGB colour space is recommended by CAPA.  Images should have a maximum file size of 1.8 MB

5. Maximum number of submissions per VCC member is two.

6. Please preserve your image’s RAW formatted files, should CAPA request them.

See 2024 Black & White Competition for More Information

VCC Results

• 2024/25
  The results are in:  VCC won the Silver medal in the CAPA Black & White 2024 competition.  63 clubs submitted 370 images, and we came 2nd!  (Last year we came 26th.)  Congratulations to Richard Letourneau for "Making His Point", 27 points, Lori Moilanen for "Elegance at High Speed", 26.5 points, Steve Barber for "This Parade is Boring", 24.5 points, Bill Cubitt for "Candid Byron", 24.5 points, Kim Smith for "Return to Earth", 24 points, and Christy Grinton (Martin), 23 points.  Just to show you our depth, 9 members of VCC also entered the Individual B & W competition.  Kathryn Delany and Nick Delany each won Honourable Mention at 75.5 points (3 images) and Jerome Rozitis also won Honourable Mention at 73 points.  Wow, 3 Honours out of 259 entrants!  Tom Stewart, Jim Fowler, Christy Grinton (Martin), David Clow, Ron Charles and Alline Cormier also entered.  This is a very fine showing.  Well done, VCC.  Our members are definitely "figuring it out". See the gallery to the right


• 2023/24
  Results are in for the 2023 CAPA Black & White Competition. Out of 50 Club entries, VCC placed 26th. Alex Lee's Modern Cathedrals received 23 points, Daniel Rondeau's Battistero di Parma 22 points, John Clarke's Sturgeon Full Moon and Fisgard Lighthouse 22 points, Kathryn Delany's Neglected Old Ford 21.5 points, Ron Charles' Together in the Fog 22.5, and Bill Cubitt's Golfer John Daly 21.5.  On the Individual side of the competition, Tom Stewart, competing against 254 entrants, won an Honour Award for his 3 photos. All winning photos are on public display on the CAPA website. Well done Tom!  See the gallery
  
  
• 2022/23
  In the Fall CAPA Monochrome competition, the Victoria Camera Club at 142.0 points was just a point shy of the “Honours” position which was won by Lions Gate at 143.0.  Robert Benn won 3rd Merit in the “persons” category for his “Calm over Chaos” photo at 25.5 points.
  
  
  Daniel Rondeau won an Honour Award in the individual portion of the contest for his three photos,  In the Medieval Quarters, Asinelli Staircase, and Portico Shade, and Bill Cubitt, entering through the Foothills Camera Club, helped them win first place (Club) with his The Intense Cape Buffalo photo for which he received a First Merit Award. Click HERE to see their photos.
  

  
  The six photos selected for our Club entry were:

  Craigdarroch by Steve Sproston

  In the Maze by Steve Barber

  Twisted Tree in Ground Fog by Daniel Rondeau

  Calm Over Chaos by Robert Benn

  Himba Chief by Steve Lustig and

  His Hands by Kim Smith
  
  See the gallery
• 2021/22
  The Club did not compete this year.
• 2020/21
  In the CAPA Monochrome competition, Victoria Camera Club tied for 12th place among 56 clubs. Leah Gray won the first Merit Award in the Animal section. See the gallery.

• 2019/20
  This year the club tied for 18th place out of 52 clubs. See the gallery

• 2018/19

• 2017/18: 
  In 2018, this competition was restricted to black and white images, whereas in 2019 it will be changed to Monochrome as defined above. The VCC won a fourth place Honourable Mention in 2018. see the gallery
   

--to see a full image size slideshow, hover cursor over an image then click on the "Expand" icon on the right of the filmstrip--