URL/Contact

Comments

Philip Stapleton, member of Marlow CC (CACC)

You can see full details at www.PhotoCompViewer.co.uk

Competitors can package their entries without worrying about screen resolution, image size, zipping etc., and submit them by e-mail or on compact flash, memory stick or CD.

The organiser can receive entries at the click of a mouse and send e-mail acknowledgements automatically

You can have different classes in your competitions, with rules about which classes competitors can enter. You can even run portfolio competitions, where sets of images are shown simultaneously.

The competition results are immediately available and can be e-mailed to competitors automatically or turned into HTML pages for your web site.

Inter-club competitions can be run very easily, if all the clubs use the software.

Denzil Ellis, chairman of Backwell CC (WCPF)

I have been co-opted onto the WCPF Executive with the brief of “investigating the introduction of an Inter Club Projected Image Competition in 2006”.

Technically I am looking to evaluate two software packages PhotoCompViewer and Imagine and will let you know how I get on in due course.

These packages have been chosen because they are the only ones we know of at present and I would appreciate feedback on any others worth considering.

Terry Redman, Chairman of Farnborough CC (SPA)

One further element is necessary for a successful competition: a suitable competition program. We initially purchased a program called DigiCompViewer from a member of Marlow CC for £30. We found it acceptable, but felt it could be more flexible and user-friendly. Accordingly one of our members has offered to write a replacement program which is now in development, and this promises to be very flexible, intuitive and user-friendly. Once tested and released, we believe this will provide clubs with a better option for both internal and external competitions. We will be able to provide more details in the near future if required.

When I contacted you originally, I mentioned that we were developing our own software for digital projection competitions called Digital Competition Presenter. This has been completed for some time now and we have successfully used it in a number of internal competitions. The author, Hien Quan, one of our members is now making the software available to other clubs and has received some positive feedback – information about the program’s functionality can be accessed via the following link http://www.somefotos.com/DCP The program was written with the intention of providing a user-friendly intuitive program which adopts the same processes used in club competitions in the existing formats of slides and prints. The link also enables a download of a trial version which I hope you will take a few moments to view. As proven software, we would welcome its inclusion in the report, if possible at this stage.

Roy Moore, Maidstone CC (KCPA)

IMAGECOMP PRO is a sophisticated software package designed by a club photographer specifically for managing photoclub digital imaging competitions.

Although it does not replace the judge (yet!) it does ensure your images are displayed and judged in a slick and professional manner - culminating with an on-screen results table.  A multitude of presets and other options, together with a proven track record, make this software invaluable.

For more info and a limited demo copy contact Roy Moore DPAGB Tel: 01622 727634 or by e-mail to roy_moore@maidstone32.freeserve.co.uk  or check out the ImageCompPro web page at www.maidstone32.freeserve.co.uk/ICPro.htm

Steve Brabner, Amersham PS (CACC)

At Amersham PS we selected ImageComp Pro in 2004 for PDI competitions. I have been in regular contact with its author Roy Moore, and the program now exceeds all of our requirements and can cope with all methods of judging that we encounter. The recent addition of sRGB and Adobe 1998 profiles put the icing on the cake for us. Lessons learnt have been that many members cannot cope with requests to name a file 'Title by Author.JPG' nor resize to 1024 by 768 pixels. Furthermore members will tend to blame any loss of quality on the projector even though it is profiled and their home system is not. Because of the radical difference in image projection characteristics between 35mm and digital projectors we have taken the decision not to project both media in competition on the same evening. The number of PDI competitions at Amersham is increasing from two in 2004/5 to three in 2005/6 and the number of contributing authors already far exceeds those for conventional 35mm slides.

John Bowsher, Deal CC (KCPA)

[Oct 06]:  KCPA is happy with ImageCompPro (see above), which has been used to score Federation competitions. In addition, Pictures2exe is very suitable for showing an exhibition or prejudged competition where the only requirement is a straight through viewing with no tagging to hold back images.

Ian Hooker, XRR PS (CACC)

[Oct 06]: XRR PS is using a competitions programme written by one of their members, Ian Hooker, called CCComp. The program is written in VB and should run on current PCs. Oversize files are scaled to fit the display area, and dual monitors may be feasible. Program is freeware with an invited donation to clear sponsorship flags. Information at  www.cccomp.org.uk   XRR PS has compared using 1024x768 format for competitions with using 768x768, and may prefer the latter.

www.zapplication.org

Site is a web server allowing authors to submit electronically and for organisers to run their events.  Authors can submit to multiple events running on the same server.  Includes recommended method of preparing files so that all images are laid on a square black matte and both portrait and landscape images occupy similar areas on screen.

Steve Wilbur, Beckenham CC (KCPA)

Has written DiCentra intended to support Club events, and used by RPS for International Projected Images 2007. DiCentra requires MS.NET framework v1.1, and should run on PCs from WinXP. Trial version download free. Licence key is £35.