Club Night Entry Guidelines

PRINTS AND DIGITAL ENTRY GUIDELINES AS OF 1 OCTOBER 2009

During October 2009 we implemented a new digital entry automation system that enables us to accept more entries and calculate the club scoring much faster. This requires strict controls on the file names and entry times.

For every club night's entries you will have to complete the Excel entry form that can be downloaded from the Home Page of this website (just below the meeting date). The entry form can also be requested from Riaan van den Berg. You need a MEMBERSHIP NUMBER (LIDNOMMER) to complete the Excel entry form. Please request your MEMBERSHIP NUMBER (LIDNOMMER) from Riaan van den Berg as well at Riaan.vandenBerg@gijima.com This completed entry form must accompany the entries.

Both Print and Digital entries are subject to a completed Excel entry form that you must forward to the competition secretary at klubaand@afo.co.za at least 24 to 48 hours before the club night to make sure that the delivery is not delayed by the internet mail servers.

You will receive an e-mail stating that the server received your entries. This return email must list the names of your images submitted. Please do not assume submission of your entries if you do not get a mail from the server stating the names of your images. Remember the 1024x768 pixel limit as well as the 500kb size limit per image. It means the horizontal axis of an image, including the frame, cannot be longer than 1024 pixels. Likewise, the vertical length of an image, landscape or portrait, can never be taller than 768 pixels. That is because at club evenings, when digital photos are displayed on the projector, we are limited to a display size of 1024x768 NOT 768x1024.

Big files are needed for printing but serve no purpose if the files are bigger than the output media can handle. To make it easier to e-mail and not to burden the workflow with big files we request that files be downsized to a level that is sufficient for projection. The projector and monitors we use have a maximum resolution of 1024X768 pixels (width x height ). Most cameras and scanners can record far more than that (remember not 768x1024).

A good idea is to create a folder on your C-Drive and call it something like ClubPhotos. Now you choose the "Save As" command and use this opportunity to rename the photo as well and save your image to be no bigger than 500kb. In Photoshop and many other programs a dialog box will come up asking how you want to compress the photo. You may choose an average option but if your program shows you the file size, as you choose the compression ratio, it would be good to get the compressed file down to about 300-500 Kb (if it is more than 500kb it will be rejected).

The naming convention is as follows for normal entries nm_membership number_name of image, for example nm_010200001_Impala flight.jpg Make sure the option is chosen to save as Jpg and then you save it in your ClubPhotos folder. The naming convention for a set subject (voorgeskrewe onderwerp) is ss_010200001_Impala flight.jpg and for a mini series (minireeks) is ms_010200001_Impala flight 01.jpg You will always be submitting three normal entries and in some months four of which one will be a set subject image. Please click on Jaarprogram 2010 in the lefthand margin to see the set subjects for 2010.

Although all effort is made to make sense of any other naming convention, the system will give you consistant feedback and results if you use this naming convention and not something else. If your file is in another format like Tiff or PSD you can save it as a Jpg by just choosing the option of Jpg when saving.

When that is done you may e-mail the photos to the competition secretary at klubaand@afo.co.za together with you Excel entry form.

All that the competition secretary needs to do is start the server software and the rest is done by the software.

Please make sure you e-mail your entry at least 24 to 48 hours prior to the club evening, this will ensure that you receive an acknowledgement. If you email your entires and entry form, say a week before the club night, you are bound to receive acknowledgement only when the server is started in that 24 to 48 hour period before the club night.

No digital entries will be accepted on the club evening. Prints, off course, must be brought with you to the club evening.

Contact Riaan van den Berg via e-mail should you have any questions at pixelarrie@gmail.com or Riaan.vandenBerg@gijima.com