Like most clubs, we hold print and slide competitions throughout the season, with the aim of encouraging members to produce new work, and to learn from the comments and constructive criticism of external judges. Members can enter work in either the Beginners or the Advanced sections, within which there are categories for Monochrome Prints, Colour Prints and Colour Slides. Digital prints are welcome; a majority of prints in the club are now printed via computer even if they originated on film, but most members now seem to have made the move to shoot digital.

Marks are awarded to each competition entry, to add a little spice to the occasion, though we try not to take the competitive aspects too seriously!  But there are some Competition Rules to try to keep everything in order. At the end of the season, trophies are awarded to Members with the highest total marks in each section:

Advanced Class		2009 winners	2010 winners
Thompson Tankard	colour prints	Caroline Bailey	Caroline Bailey
The Dennis Cup	monochrome prints	Mike Pole	Caroline Bailey
Beginners' Class
The Bluecoat Cup	colour prints	Annette Robinson	Paul Carter
The Inglis Cup	monochrome prints	Annette Robinson	Paul Carter / Rachel Hutchings
Projected Images
The Horlington Cup	colour slides	John King	Mike Pole
The Kitching Cup	digital	Caroline Bailey	Paul Carter
Members: the full results are available in the Members' Area

 
In addition to the above point-scoring competitions through the year, members may also be awarded the following trophies:

The Bob MacKay Trophy
Slide of the Year Competition. Submissions by invitation of the Competition Secretary, based on scores gained in the previous season.

The Malcolm Unwin Trophy
Annual Slide Knock-Out Competition. Up to three slides which have not been entered in this competition before.

The Colorscope Trophy
The Small Print Competition. Up to three prints, each with a maximum area of 300 square cm.

The Elsden Trophy
Prints or slides of Hertford. Up to six prints on a board 40x50cm, or a set of six slides. Any number of entries.
To be given to the Hertford Museum archive after the competition. Photos to have been taken during the previous two years.

The Merlin Trophy
The Set Subject Competition. Up to three prints and/or slides. The subject to be chosen by the Competition judge.

The Hertfordshire Trophy
Prints and/or slides of Hertfordshire and/or its people. Prints to be mounted on card 40x50cm. Any number of entries.

The John Wiseman Progress Shield  
To be awarded to a member who has made the most progress during the year, in the opinion of the Committee.