Latimer Print Competitions

The BCC’s Latimer Print Competition promotes the art of printed photography and aims to help photographers at all skill levels improve their craft.  The BCC has named its print competition the “Latimer Print Competition” to honor Horace A. Latimer (1860-1931), an early BCC club member, a talented photographer in his own right, and a major benefactor to the Club. 

In a Latimer Print Competition, Club members display their printed photographs for evaluation and feedback from professional photographers in our meeting hall. Members will also need to submit a digital representation of their print on the BCC website in a process similar to the BCC’s Digital Image Competitions. The judge will go through all prints one by one and will comment on them accordingly. For each competition, first through third places as well as honorable mentions will be awarded by popular vote.

Each Latimer competition features three categories, Open and two “Special” Categories, which are chosen by the Latimer Print Competition committee. Each category has an A level and a B level competition.

Rules and guidelines for each Special category are included on the BCC website under “Competitions” / “Submit Images to a Competition” and in email announcements about upcoming competitions. 

For additional information on how to print and mount photographs for the Latimer Print Competition, please click here for the BCC’s “Latimer for Dummies” guide.

Competition Guidelines - see Rules link below for complete rules:

• Images can be captured digitally or on film; prints can be produced by inkjet printing or in a darkroom and the prints can be created by the member or can be printed via commercial printers.
• All prints for the Latimer competition must be mounted on a stiff board / mat and should include front matting.
• Maximum overall size for print and mount may not exceed 16 inches x 20 inches.
• Number of Prints Allowed Per Competition
  Each member can enter a total of three prints each competition night. A member cannot enter more than two prints per competition type (category).
• Click here for complete information about the Print competition and other competition rules.

A typical Latimer Print Competition starts with an informal social period, during which members hang their prints and view other prints on display.  Prints must be hung by 7:10pm the night of the competition to be considered for judging.  Materials to hang the prints will be provided by the Club.

Voting: 

Ballots are distributed the night of the competition. Club members and the judge for the competition vote for a designated number of prints in each category, which is a function of the number of entries in each category. 

Prints are awarded 1 point for each member vote, and 3 points for the judge’s vote. While the ballots are being tallied, each print is critiqued by the judge. Our judges have many styles, interests, and backgrounds, offering members the opportunity to have their work evaluated from a range of different perspectives over the course of the year. After the critiques, winners are announced and ribbons awarded. Most judges complete the evening with a presentation of their work and discussion. Cumulative point totals determine Annual Awards that are presented at the June Annual Meeting.

Winning prints in BCC competitions may be borrowed and submitted as part of Club entries to New England Camera Club Council Inter-Club Competitions. In the past year, prints produced by BCC members were selected as “Image of the Year” by the NECCC at its Annual Meeting.

Who Was Horace A. Latimer?

The Competition is named in honor of Club benefactor Horace Latimer (1860-1931) who provided a bequest to the Club in 1931. An accomplished photographer and printmaker, Mr. Latimer was a world traveler and advanced amateur photographer. The Club has several his original prints in its archives.