The club holds monthly competitions that are contests between individual members of the club. There are seven monthly competitions throughout the season (five open and two theme), with collections usually around the first Monday of the month and judging usually around the last Monday of the month from September to May. Additionally we hold landscape, three on a theme and mono competitions. Finally there is an end of season image of the year competition. For all competitions there are two separate formats, one for prints and one for digital projected images. Details for the 2025/2026 season are below. The judging dates are also listed in the programme and information on how to submit prints and images can be found here.

Members may submit up to two prints and two digital images per month for the monthly competitions. An image should be entered only once, either in the print or digital section (i.e. once used in one section, the image should not be entered in the other section for a later month). Digital entries whether for the DPI or the Print section are to be submitted to the Competition Secretary via email to intcompsec@bridgendcameraclub.co.uk prior to the notified closing date and time (usually 6pm on the closing date). Prints can be delivered to the Competition Secretary at any club meeting up to and including the closing date.

During the judging evenings, each piece of work will be awarded a mark out of 20 and be commented on in a constructive manner.

September 2025

Chairman's Challenge

Last submission: 25 Aug 2025

Judging: 1 Sep 2025

Critique only

See additional notes in the panel below

Open competition #1

Last submission: 8 Sep 2025

Judging: 29 Sep 2025

October 2025

Summer outings

Last submission: 15 Sep 2025

Judging: 6 Oct 2025

Critique only

Open competition #2

Last submission: 6 Oct 2025

Judging: 27 Oct 2025

November 2025

Theme competition #1: Something beginning with B

Last submission: 3 Nov 2025

Judging: 24 Nov 2025

December 2025

Landscape competition

Last submission: 24 Nov 2025

Judging: 15 Dec 2025

Winner to be awarded the Mike Stokes Trophy

January 2026

Open competition #3

Last submission: 5 Jan 2026

Judging: 26 Jan 2026

February 2026

Open competition #4

Last submission: 26 Jan 2026

Judging: 16 Feb 2026

March 2026

Three on a theme competition

Last submission: 9 Feb 2026

Judging: 2 Mar 2026

Theme competition #2: Macro

Last submission: 2 Mar 2026

Judging: 23 Mar 2026

April 2026

Open competition #5

Last submission: 23 Mar 2026

Judging: 13 Apr 2026

Amended entries allowed

Mono competition

Last submission: 13 Apr 2026

Judging: 27 Apr 2026

May 2026

Image of the year

Last submission: 27 Apr 2026

Judging: 18 May 2026

Winner to be awarded the Terry Gardiner Trophy

More information

More information

Chairman's Challenge

Held on the first night of the new season, with images taken over the summer break.

For 2025....

Using your phone, take photographs of dogs.

Images must be taken between 2 June 2025 and 25 August 2025. Use minimalistic editing and size the image to competition sizes, max width 1600 pixels, max height 1200 pixels.

Submit a maximum of 4 digital images per member (no prints) to
intcompsec@bridgendcameraclub.co.uk.

Last hand-in date is 5pm on 25 August 2025.

Thanks to our very own "Dog Whisperer" Gerald Henry who will critique the images of our first meeting of the season, 1 September.

Annual Mono Competition

This competition is held towards the end of the programme year. Members may enter up to two monochrome prints and two monochrome digital images with the definition of monochrome being that of the WPF at the time. Each piece of work will be commented on in a constructive manner. No theme is intended nor should any marks be awarded for any theme.

Note: You may enter images that have been entered in a regular monthly competition during the same competition year (either exactly as previously entered, or modified after comments from a previous judging).

Three on a Theme Competition

This competition is held annually. More information can be found here.

Note: As part of your set of images you may include images that have been entered in a regular monthly competition during the previous 12 months (either exactly as previously entered, or modified after comments from a previous judging).

The Mike Stokes Trophy

The Mike Stokes Trophy is a landscape and seascape competition held in memory of Mike Stokes. Mike served the club as a committee member holding several posts over many years. He also inspired and entertained members in equal amounts over those years. The competition is in print and digital projected image sections with an overall winner from the two sections.

Note: You may enter images that have been entered in a regular monthly competition during the previous 12 months (either exactly as previously entered, or modified after comments from a previous judging).

Image of the Year - The Terry Gardner Trophies

At the end of the season members may submit their favourite previously submitted images for an Image of the Year competition. Entries are scored by members or an external judge. The top scoring print and projected image are named as the "Image of the Year" for that season. The winning photographers are awarded the Terry Gardner Trophy, named in memory of a well respected former committee member.

Note: Images must have been entered in a monthly competition during the season and can be any image you may have entered previously, regardless of the score awarded in the monthly competition.

Review of Summer Evening Outings

During June and July club members meet on a Monday evening in the local area to take photographs. One evening in the programme for the following season, usually around October, is devoted to a review of images taken during these evenings with a winning image selected from those submitted.

Other Internal Competitions

Whilst planning that seasons programme the committee may decide on one or two more competitions, whose format will vary. The idea will be to provide a fresh and interesting challenge to club members. As much advance warning on the competitions rules as possible will be given, typically around the time of the previous years AGM.

Trophies and Awards

Trophies and Awards

There are currently fourteen competition winners announced at the end of the season (end of May / start of June):

  • Open - Print
  • Open - Digital
  • Themed - Print
  • Themed - Digital
  • Mono - Print
  • Mono - Digital
  • Three on a Theme - Print
  • Three on a Theme - Digital
  • Mike Stokes Landscape - Print
  • Mike Stokes Landscape - Digital
  • Mike Stokes Landscape - Shield
  • Terry Gardiner Memorial Trophy - Print
  • Terry Gardiner Memorial Trophy - Digital
  • Novice of the Year

The Open winners, print and digital, will be decided by taking the highest seven scores over all five Open competitions.

The Themed winners, print and digital, will be the members with the highest four scores in the two Themed competitions.

All trophies are held for one year and are to be returned to the club at the end of that period for engraving and passing to the next winner.

Results from previous season can be found by scrolling through the News page.

Monthly competition theme subjects for years gone by

For the record here are the theme subjects of past seasons...

Season Theme subjects
2024-25 Curves
Wild
2023-24 Still life / Table top
Low viewpoint
2022-23 People at work
Weather
2021-22 Two or a pair
Openings
2020-21 Framed
Journeys
2019-20 Danger
Crooked
2018-19 Life on the street
In the garden
2017-18 Something new
2016-17 T.V. programme title
Transport
2015-16 Lightweight
Man's influence on the landscape
2014-15 Footwear
Toys
2013-14 Creative
Dereliction
Emotion
Macro
Night photography
Shadows
Welsh
2012-13 At night
Childhood
Only small
Speed
Still life
Urban life
Wildlife and nature
2011-12 Action
At work
Creative / altered reality
In the kitchen
Lines
Song title
Weather
2010-11 Coast
Close up
Dilapidation
Grabshot (Street life/candid)
RGB
Seasons
Something different