(updated October 2020)
General Rules
- We do not break ties so all images scoring the same will receive the same placements.
- Placements will be awarded in each division in each category.
- For the five digital and three print competitions, there will be First, Second and Third place awards and Honourable Mentions (HMs) for images with sufficiently high scores to warrant placements. HMs will be awarded for scores with a minimum score of 23.0 for the Novice & Intermediate divisions and 23.5 for the Advanced & Masters divisions, providing those images are no lower than 5th place. Any images scoring a minimum of 24 points, that do not receive a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, will be awarded an HM, independent of the overall ranking in the division.
- Note: The number of placements is contingent on sufficient entries in each division and category. The competition team has the authority to reduce the number of placements or combine divisions for awarding placements if there are insufficient submissions in a division or category.
- For the nature competition, there will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awarded in each division plus HMs for placements for 10% of the entries in a division (rounded up), subject to the number of entries. Awards are based on the aggregate score of 4 images from each maker. The trophy is awarded to the highest overall aggregate score.
The policies for earning achievement points for advancements to higher skill levels in the club can be found on Skill Levels page.
(Note that the rules have changed slightly from year to year, so all winners listed here did not necessarily conform to the currently stated rules.)
Awards for the 2019-2020 Season are posted here.
Due to Covid-19, we have removed the Print Competitions for the 2020-21 season. This change affects the criteria for the year-end awards for this season.
The awards for the Assigned, Natural Things, and Pictorial Photographer of the Year will be based on the highest total, based on the top 12 scores out a possible of 18 digital entries.
For the Photographer of the Year, based on skill level, the three members with the highest totals, based on their top 18 scores out of a possible 24 digital entries will be awarded appropriate recognition. There must be at least one score in each of the three categories (assigned, pictorial, natural things).
Please note that awards are based on the absolute scores. They are not based on placement points.
Photographer of the Year – Assigned Topics
Winners
2013: B Dass
2014: Ron Goodlin
2015: Larry Rezka
2016: Luba Citrin
2017: Rhonda Starr
2018: Isabel Kelly
2019: Rhonda Starr
2020: Rhonda Starr
Photographer of the Year – Pictorial Category
Winners
2013: Larry Rezka
2014: Ron Goodlin
2015: Ron Goodlin
2016: Rob Kline
2017: Josie Stauffer
2018: Claude Sassoon
2019: Claude Sassoon
2020: Betty Chan
Photographer of the Year – Natural Things
The member with the highest total, based on their top 12 scores out of a possible 18 entries, regardless of skill level, will be awarded the Ron Goodlin Trophy: Photographer of the Year – Natural Things. The three members with the highest total in each skill level will be awarded appropriate recognition. (new trophy for 2016-2017)
Winners
2017: Bruce Carmody
2018: Ron Goodlin
2019: Margaret Krzepkowski
2020: Kevin Kwong
Printmaker of the Year
Winners
2013: Larry Rezka
2014: Ron Goodlin
2015: Ron Goodlin
2016: Kathy Constantinou
2017: Kala Lakhani
2018: Margaret Krzepkowski
2019: Margaret Krzepkowski
2020: Margaret Krzepkowski
Photographer of the Year – By Skill Level
The trophy for Photographer of the Year for each skill level will be awarded to the member of that skill level with the highest total, based on their top 24 scores, from images entered in the eight club competitions, regardless of format (digital or print) or category.
[in 2015-16 and 2016-17 only the score for a photoessay is 40% of the total score, based on a scoring model of scores out of 100 by each of 3 judges. The photoessay scores will be considered the equivalent of 4 images for purposes of calculating POTY awards.]
New for 2017-18: Photo Essays no longer count towards Photographer of the Year Awards.
New for 2020-21: The three members with the highest totals, based on their top 18 scores out of a possible 24 entries will be awarded appropriate recognition. There must be at least one score in each of the three categories (assigned, pictorial, natural things).
Novice Division
Winners
2013: Margaret Krzepkowski
2014: Guy St. Louis
2015: Luz Elena Espinosa
2016: Rodolfo Luciani
2017: Isabel Kelly
2018: Betty Chan
2019: Iulian Ursache
2020: Hans Leung
Intermediate Division – “Bud Newton Trophy”
Winners
2013: John Kot
2014: Marina Leyderman
2015: Margaret Krzepkowski
2016: Bruce Carmody
2017: Kala Lakhani
2018: Katie Mak
2019: Debbie Gottdenker
2020: Qing Li
Advanced Division – “Joseph Leduc Trophy”
Winners
2013: Kathy Constantinou
2014: John Kot
2015: Yung Niem
2016: Luba Citrin & Marie Algieri-Goldgrub
2017: Bruce Carmody
2018: Isabel Kelly
2019: George Cates
2020: Betty Chan
Masters Division – “Gitter Family Trophy”
Winners
2013: Larry Rezka
2014: Ron Goodlin
2015: Ron Goodlin
2016: Ron Goodlin
2017: Ron Goodlin
2018: Margaret Krzepkowski
2019: Margaret Krzepkowski
2020: Margaret Krzepkowski
Breakthrough Award (Rising Star)
Each eligible member’s 10 best individual scores, encompassing at least 5 competitions from the current season, are totaled. The member with the highest total receives the award. If the member is the trophy winner in either Pictorial, Assigned, Natural Things, Printmaker of the year, or a Division Photographer of the Year he/she would not be eligible for this award.
Winners
2013: Rob Kline
2014: Marie Algieri-Goldgrub
2015: Luba Citrin
2016: Rhonda Starr
2017: Katie Mak
2018: Katherine Wong
2019: Helena Chu
2020: Philip Wong
President’s Award
Awarded for the most outstanding contribution to the club in the current season, irrespective of competitions. The recipient or recipients are determined by the President.
Winners
2013: Joe Leduc, Lance Gitter, Kathy Constantinou, B Dass, Larry Rezka, Mark Girard
2014: Judi Martin
2015: Ron Goodlin
2016: Lil Shneidman
2017: Mark Girard, Lance Gitter, Judi Martin, Josie Stauffer
2018: Fern Gitter, Lance Gitter
2019: George Cates, Ron Mantay
2020: Debbie Gottdenker, Isabel Kelly
Digital Image of the Year Trophy
Winners
2014: Arjuna Somaskandan
2015: Jeff O’Brien
2016: Josie Stauffer
2017: Ed Orendorff
2018: Luba Citrin
2019: Frankie Chan
2020: John Kot
Print of the Year Trophy
Winners
2014: Ron Goodlin
2015: Rob Kline
2016: Luba Citrin
2017: Isabel Kelly
2018: Margaret Krzepkowski
2019: George Cates
2020: No “Print of the Year” awarded due to COVID-19 constraints
Phoenix Trophy
* Note: 2020-no prints eligible due to no live judging due to the COVID-19 constraints.
Winners
2014: Luz-Elena Espinosa
2015: Josie Stauffer
2016: Judi Martin
2017: Ken Alexander
2018: Luba Citrin
2019: Rhonda Starr
2020: Peter To
Nature Trophy Competition
The Nature trophy will be awarded for the best aggregate score of five nature images. The concept is for the entrant to demonstrate proficiency and knowledge as a nature photographer for this trophy competition. An entry requires variety in subject matter. Specifically, only one image may be in any category of the eight categories. Winner and Runner Up placements will be awarded for each skill level. HM’s may be awarded at the committee’s discretion.
Winners
2013: Kathy Constantinou and Lance Gitter
2014: Rob Kine
2015: June D’Souza
2016: Ron Goodlin
2017: Nicholas Tian
2018: Nicholas Tian
2019: Rob Kline
2020: Rob Kline
PhotoEssay Trophy
A Photo Essay is a presentation of a selection of images on a topic, and it may have an audio track. Photo essays may use any number of still images, and, while the emphasis is on still images, video clips are permitted. The sound track may include narration, music and sound effects. A single photo essay represents many hours of work, so RHCC has one such competition each year.
Winners
2013: Lance Gitter
2014: Sunchie Yang
2015: Mark Girard
2016: Ron Goodlin
2017: Isabel Kelly
2018: Ron Goodlin
2019: Ron Mantay
2020: Ron Mantay