Ann Arbor Camera Club - Information

COVID-19 Policy
Monthly Photo Assignments
Meeting Format
Image Submission Guidelines
Annual Events Timeline

AACC Covid-19 Policy

The AACC board of directors has decided to resume with in-person meetings. Given the current conditions in Washtenaw County, we have implemented the following safety measures for our meetings:

1. Require attendees to show proof of vaccination against the COVID-19 virus
2. Require attendees to wear face coverings while in attendance at the meetings
3. Provide seating at the appropriate level of social distanceing during the meetings

These measures are based on the the CDC Guidance for fully vaccinated people in accordance with COVID-19 community level in Washtenaw County, which is currently classified as "High" by the CDC. The AACC board will continue to monitor the situation and is prepared to make any necessary adjustments as the risk level in our community changes.

Monthly Photo Assignments

2022-23 Season

• April - Pure Michigan
• May - Light And Shadow
• June - Intentional Camera Movement
• September - Abstracts
• October - Backroads
• November - Hands Or Feet
• December - Sand Dunes
• January - Birds In Flight
• February - City Lights At Night
• March - What Is It?

(Click here for portable version)

Historical List of Assignments

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Meeting Format (except in April)

Announcements:
Meetings begin with brief announcements of Club business and events of interest. New members are also welcomed and introduced at this time.  All meetings are open to the public and visitors are encouraged.

Program:
Various programs are planned throughout the year (see meeting schedule for details).  The programs are typically educational and may include a guest speaker. Programs are presented at the start of the meetings and typically last 30-40 minutes.

Display/Presentation of Member Photos:
For each meeting, a monthly theme or assignment is named with the goal of challenging members to create new and compelling images. On the first Tuesday meeting of each month, projected digital images are presented.  On the third Tuesday, printed images are displayed and presented. Submission guidelines are provided below.

The member presentations may include a mix of images from digital cameras, 35mm slides or even large format film. For projected images, digital processing and printing techniques are often discussed.

These presentations are in the spirit of sharing and learning. Discussion of images and composition is encouraged. Critique is meant to be helpful and constructive. The photos may be presented for a variety of purposes, including discussing new approaches or techniques, soliciting suggestions for improvement or sharing new locations.  

Annual Competition/April Meeting Format:
A competition for best projected images and prints of the year is held in April. At these meetings selected projected images (1st Tuesday) and prints (3rd Tuesday) are re-shown to the group by the members and voted upon by all members. Awards are made in four photographer categories (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Gallery/Pro). Awards are presented at the annual AACC banquet.

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Image Submission Guidelines

• At each meeting members may present up to three (3) entries. These may be any combination of the monthly theme (assigned) or of any subject (open).
• Members may choose to present entries in one of four levels (these levels are also used for the Annual Competition in April):
  • Novice [N] - Near the beginning of your photography journey. Learning how to make photographs rather than take snapshots. You recognize the importance of composition and light, but still have much to learn about the technical and creative aspects of photography.
  • Intermediate [I] - Comfortable with camera settings and the photographic process. Beginning to understand how to use light more effectively. Have a basic understanding of what it takes to produce a quality image and some photographs are recognized as excellent.
  • Advanced [A] - Have mastered many of the technical aspects of photography. Your ability to produce compelling images has more to do with skill than chance. Photographs show creativity and have an impact on the viewer.
  • Professional or Gallery Exhibitor [P] - Consistently produces professional quality work. Photographs have been displayed in galleries and/or appear in publications. Recognized as an expert in one or more photographic genres.
• Film negatives or slides may be digitized or printed and presented in accordance with the projected/print guidelines below.

Digital Images:

• AACC Digital Submission Guidelines
• SUBMIT up to three (3) JPG images by 6:00pm on the Monday evening before the meeting to the e-mail address: slidenight@gmail.com
• SIZE of image should be no larger than 1920 pixels on the long edge at 80% JPG quality (Use 1920x1080 to display in full HD)
• FILENAME should include this information: your name, level, date, open or assign, title and indicate it is submitted for critique in the following format:
  • Name-Level-MonthYear-(ASSN or OPEN)-Title(-CRIT).jpg
    (Add -CRIT if you wish to have the image critiqued by the panel)
• EXAMPLES
  • AdamsA-N-Oct2021-OPEN-Big Mountain-CRIT.jpg
  • BressonHC-P-Oct2021-ASSN-Street Life.jpg
  • LangeD-I-Oct2021-OPEN-Dust Bowl Blues.jpg
• During the presentation photographers may provide explanation and commentary as their images are shown.

Printed Images:

• Submit up to three (3) prints.
• There is no restriction on size, mounting or commercial processing.
• Prints are brought to the meeting and placed on tables for viewing before and after the program presentation.
• Members must also list their photos on the signup sheet, which is used to determine the order of presentation.
• During the presentation portion of the meeting, each photographer will present their photo(s) to the group, providing explanation and comments.

(Note: Starting in September 2021, we are resuming in-person meetings and digital version of prints will not longer be accepted.)

Annual Competition:

• The guidelines above also apply to the annual competition with the exception that if you choose to use an assigned image in the open category, please include OPEN in the file name. See the Rules page for more details on the annual competition.

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Annual Events Timeline

The typical timeline of scheduled club events is shown below. See Meetings page for current schedule.

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