The Western (Isle of Man) Photographic Society

 

 

Celtic Challenge 2008

 

The details below are from Ruth Nicholls:

Links: Celtic Challenge Rules,   Celtic Challenge Digital File Rules

The crucial message is that I need you to give me prospective entries THIS COMING WEEK, PLEASE - by the 8th August. This is much earlier than usual, sorry, due to circumstances beyond my control.

 
The Celtic Challenge is a competition between the Celtic countries, N&S Wales, N&S Ireland, Scotland, IOM, and Cornwall. Each country takes a turn hosting it, this year it is in Dumfries, Scotland. The date is 20-21st September. Each country sends in 10 images in each of 3 categories, colour prints, mono prints, and digital. (Previously it was slides, now digital). There is no size requirement for the prints, which should be mounted, but the box for transporting them will not hold anything larger than 16 x 20 mounts. I really do appreciate your participation, especially as we can only choose 10 in each category, so there are a lot of rejects. Several people get together to try to make the final choice democratic.
I have been organising the IOM entry for the past few years. It is not a club thing, it is open to all IOM photographers. The images have to be top-knotch, with some kind of wow factor. They are judged by marking out of 20. Scotland always wins, and we, the IOM, are by far the smallest country, but have moved up from bottom to not quite bottom in some of the categories. The event is always good fun, any of us are welcome to attend. Chris and I will be going.
 
Below are the details that Rod Wheelans, the Scottish organiser, has sent me.
 
The links above are to documents telling you more, including the instructions about the size of digital images. Note this is NOT THE SAME SIZING as we use for club projection or for the L&CPU entry, so you would need to go back to a bigger version and make a new file, jpg or tiff, the correct resolution. Don't try to upsize a small jpg, too much loss of quality. I will send, in a separate email to the Western members, your L&CPU entry, so you can remind yourself which of your images went to that. I have them at home, (except any retained ones, which you might like to re-print) so you can just tell me which ones to pull out for the choosing night, which will be 14th August.
 
The Celtic Challenge will be in Dumfries on the weekend of 20/21 September with the competition on Sunday at 10.30am.
 
Glasgow is 80 miles (2 hours) away.  Edinburgh & Newcastle are about the same.
 
The best deal I can get is £80 per night per room B&B at the Station Hotel which we used last time the Celtic was in Dumfries.  This price is dependant on me booking a number of rooms.  Is this acceptable?  |Dumfries has lots of guesthouses and I could provide phone numbers.  In addition there are two Travel Inn type establishments on the outskirts of town.
 
The event will be held in the Gracefield Studios, Edinburgh Road, Dumfries and Dinner will be central.  Nothing in Dumfries is very far from the centre!
 
On the Saturday we can offer a wide range of activities.  Please let me know what you would like and I'll make the necessary arrangements.  Choose from
 
1  A guide to take you to local photo opportunities.
2  A guided tour (probably with Edmund Fellowes) of the Caerlaverock wild fowl sanctuary - well worth visiting.
3  A Photoshop workshop with Libby Smith.
4  A studio session with Simon Allen - there might be a small charge for a model/s.
5  A visit to our local Air Museum - small, informal but interesting.
6  Anything else you might like?
 
 
We have offered a number of options (above) for the Saturday and I await your responses.  I have arranged that you can book direct with the Station Hotel.  £80 per room per night B&B but you can get a slightly better deal if you are staying 2 or 3 nights. 
Station Hotel 49 Lovers Walk, Dumfries, Dumfries-shire, DG1 1LT (01387) 254316
 
The programme for the weekend -
 
Sat 20 September 2008.  12.00 - 16.00 Gracefield Art Centre Studio 2. 
The prints will be received  and they, and the digital images, will be assessed (privately) by Richard Spiers DPAGB from Carlisle who is an excellent and very experienced international judge.
 
Sat 20 September 2008.  19.00 - 20.00 Gracefield Art Centre Studio 2. 
Lecture by Richard Spiers followed by Dinner (details tba).
 
Sun 21 September 2008.  10.30- 14.30 Gracefield Art Centre Studio 2.
Richard will present the results and there will be a buffet lunch.