The Bird

Link to printable version

The Bird Rules - Modified June 2022

The Emily Guthrie Smith Award, affectionately referred to as "The BIRD", competition has been held each year since 1964 between the Dallas Camera Club and Fort Worth Camera Club.

The BIRD is a perpetual trophy that has each year's winner's name engraved on it. The competition is held in October or early November and rotated between the clubs each year. This is a great opportunity to meet our neighbor photographers.

Each club submits 15 color or monochrome prints and 15 projected images to be judged real-time at the meeting by a panel of judges. The club with the most points wins and will get to keep the trophy, affectionately known as "The BIRD" for the next year.

The following are the mutually agreed upon guidelines for the competition.

General

1. The location of the competition will alternate between clubs each year and will be held in October or early November.
2. The host club sets the date and time approximately two months prior to the event and notifies the visiting club.
3. The host club will provide facilities, necessary scoring and presentation equipment, score sheets and three judges for the competition.
4. Directions to the meeting (competition) site are given on the host's website or will be provided.
5. The prior year's winner will bring the Bird trophy to the competition with the engraving updated.

Preparation, delivery and presentation of images

1. Each club will submit 15 prints (monochrome or color) and 15 digital projected images.
2. No more than one print and one projected image may be entered by a single maker.
3. No image may have been entered in prior D/FW Interclub competitions.
4. The host club's regular competition rules for size, preparation and presentation of images, as found on its website, will govern except that prints may conform to either club's regular print size limits.
5. Labeling images

• Each print will be labeled on the back in the upper left corner identifying the club, order to be shown, maker and image title, e.g. FWCC3, My Name, Image Title.
• Each projected image's file name will include the club, order to be shown, maker and image title, e.g. DCC7_My Name_Image Title.jpg.

6. Lists, for both prints and projected images, with maker's names, image titles and presentation order will be provided to the host club prior to the meeting.
7. Delivery of images

• The visiting club will bring their prints to the competition.
• The visiting club's projected images will be provided to the host club several days prior to the meeting.

8. The host club's images will be randomly interspersed with the visiting club's entries maintaining the desired presentation order of each club.
9. The host club will make up score sheets with all images listed in the order to be shown. At least four copies will be provided to the visiting club.
10. The host club will provide a digital projector and screen for the digital projected images.
11. Displaying and judging print images
• The host club will provide a light stand for the prints.
• Judges will view the prints at no more than an arm’s length distance
• Simultaneously, digital images of the prints will be available to be viewed via Zoom.
• Judges will judge solely from the print.
• Winning images (at a minimum) will be displayed for the audience to view.

Judging and awards

1. The competition will be judged real-time. The host club will provide three judges who are not current or recent members of the host club.
2. Images will be introduced by title as they are presented to the judges.
3. The scores of each judge will be added together to determine the final score of each image. Judges may re-score images at their discretion prior to the end the competition.
4. The host club will provide the scoring system. Each club will provide one official scorekeeper. The club with the highest combined score for prints and projected images will be the winner of The Bird for the year.
5. The judges will select 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honorable Mention winners for both prints and projected images. The host club will provide awards for all winners.