2009 Calendar Contest is now open for entries

[SteveColes]

This is the official announcement and start of our 3rd Annual Calender Contest:eusa_danc The Contest starts now, start submitting your pictures. This year we will do things different that we have in the past. We want to achieve some additional goals with this year's calendar.

• Get More sales
• Get more pictures in the calendar.
• Get more people to provide entries for the contest.
• Recoup some of the costs of production and prizes.
• Get more variety in the type of projects depicted and make sure we have pictures from as many different types of WWing as we can.

• So we will have 2 pictures on each page.
• That's 24 pictures.
• We have divided the contest into 8 categories, that's 3 winners per category.
• Instead of the at random prizes that I usually collect, we are offering something more concrete, up front.

Per category, payable as either cash or gift certificate to popular WWing retailers:
​

• 1st Place = $100
• 2nd Place = $50
• 3rd Place = $25

In the past, very few people have entered the Cover Category. In the hope that we can encourage more entries.

• Cover = $150

In the past the prime goal of the cover was to promote the website, this year, the goal is to promote the sales of the calendar. It needs to be a cover that will catch the eye of a potential buyer, either members or other people.

​

These are the categories for this year's calendar:

• Turning:
  • Spindle Turning (grain
    parallel​
    to the axis of rotation)
  • Face plate turning (grain
    perpendicular​
    to the axis of rotation)
  • Pen Turning
• "Flat" work
  • Small - jewelery boxes, etc.
  • Chairs/Rockers
  • Large - Furniture, built-ins, etc.
• Scroll Sawing
• Other - Items that do not fit into any of the other categories or an initial place to store your picture, if you are not sure where to put it.
  

Submissions:

Please remember that this is primarily a Photo Contest, therefore, only photos that can be made to fit within the size and resolution requirements will be accepted. [STRIKE]This year, all photos will be tested to make sure that they will fit and display on a calendar page properly. If the picture does not work, the submitter will be notified and given a chance to make the proper corrections.[/STRIKE] At the end of the submission period, I will reformat all submissions into the same form as they will be in the calendar. It will be these final images that will used for voting purposes.

During this period of calendar composition, it may be found that certain pictures do not work at all. If the picture does not work, the submitter will be notified and given a chance to make the proper corrections. But the period will be short. Additionally, if there are not enough individual submissions in a category to have a vote have meaning, then some categories may be combined. This decision will be made by myself (SteveColes) on the basis of what I think is best for the calendar. In some cases, depending on the degree of consolidation of categories, I may make the prize structure deeper od more shallow as is necessary.

SUBMISSION RULES:

• All pictures must be submitted with a description that is suitable for inclusion in the calendar.
• Each picture must be capable of being re-sized and/or cropped into a picture that is 8 1/4" high and 5 3/4" wide and maintain at least a resolution of 200 dpi but 300 dpi would be considered ideal. At that size, there must be 1/2" border that could be trimmed off without cutting off any of the project image.
• Do not lower the resolution of your images, please submit them at the highest resolution that you can.
• Do not upconvert your pictures resolution.
• You may submit as many pictures as you want in as many categories as you wish.

However, after voting has ended, if you have won more than 1 prize, only one prize will be awarded, in one category, and only that picture will be published. You will receive the prize money for the highest level prize you have won. But the Webmaster in consultation with those staff members who have NOT entered the contest will decide which winning pictures are shown in which categories.
​

• The staff reserves the right to move entries into what they feel is the proper category
• COVER SUBMISSIONS - The entries will be the same as other years. They must cover a 9" high by 11.5" wide area at, at least 200 DPI, but 300 DPI would be better. The cover should composited so that a 1/4" border will NOT be displayed due to full bleed printing.

Sales:

Because, we will be producing the calendar in bulk lots, to keep costs down and to encourage the purchase of the calendar before the calendars have to be ordered. And to have enough information to make a reasonable predication of the total sales, so we can make decisions as to which vendor and production lot size will be the best for our needs, sales will be divided into 2 selling periods:

Early Sales:

These will be sales made before the end of voting (see schedule below). The number sold in this period will help determine the lot size in which to produce the calendar. ALL early sales will be guaranteed to be delivered at a price of $16.50/calendar. All orders will be filled. If the there are sufficient orders to lower the price, the difference will be refunded.
​

Later Sales:

These sales are conditional on inventory and may not be filled. Orders will be held until we have enough to make a bulk order. Depending on order quantities, we may use a different vendor with lower minimums in which case the price may higher than those sold under Early sales. However, this price will be announced before accepting orders.If we do not have enough orders to justify a production run, the orders will be canceled and the money refunded.
​

Schedule:
9/1/2008

• Contest Ends No more submissions
• Start of Organization Period

9/6/2008

End of Organization Period
​

9/7/2008

• Final Cats announced and any prize structure changes announced.
• Voting begins

9/22/2008

Voting ends
​

9/22/2008

Start of Editing of actual Calendar Pages
​

10/2/2008

• Actual Calendar Pages displayed in Photo Gallery
• Calendar to production
• Early Sales Closed

10/3/2008

• Official winners Announced
• Later Sales Period opened

10/8/2008

Prizes mailed
​

10/31/2008

• Calendars available
• Winners and Early Sales calendars shipped.

10/31/2008 - ?????

Depending on minimum order for production, Later Sale calendars will be ordered when size of order is sufficient. Later Sale orders that can not be shipped will have their money refunded.
​

 

[SteveColes]

Wow, not even any questions??????:swoon::swoon:

Anyway, I left out some important info. How do you submit your entries. Go to the Photo Gallery and scroll down to category named 2009 Calendar contest. then upload your photo to category that corresponds to contest category.

Also, you'll that entries and winners and actual calendar pages from past years are also there and you can see the type of things that have been submitted and won before.

 

[TracyP]

But you explained it so well, Why would there be questions:icon_thum:icon_thum

 

[b4man]

Steve,
I was thinking about how beneficial an original NCWW tip/trick of the month might be in addition to photo's on each page. Especially if it could be co-ordinated with a specific project pictured. Maybe that could be voted on too or even just chosen by the Board?:dontknow:

 

[JackLeg]

I like Barb's idea. I KNOW there are tips and opinions out there!!

 

[FredP]

I like Barb's idea. I KNOW there are tips and opinions out there!!

:rotflm: i like the idea of tips but as far as opinions go welllll.......... I'm married and therefore have no opinion!:gar-La;

 

[JackLeg]

:rotflm: i like the idea of tips but as far as opinions go welllll.......... I'm married and therefore have no opinion!:gar-La;

I stand corrected!!:gar-La;

 

[SteveColes]

Steve,
I was thinking about how beneficial an original NCWW tip/trick of the month might be in addition to photo's on each page. Especially if it could be co-ordinated with a specific project pictured. Maybe that could be voted on too or even just chosen by the Board?:dontknow:

Barbara, there just wouldn't be enough pages, if we want to put 24 pictures in the cal. If the calendar printer, gives extra pages then we might want to try something like that.

 

[PeteQuad]

What's the deadline? At the speed I work, I have to start making stuff for the 2010 calendar.

Edit - nm I just saw the schedule.

 

[SteveColes]

But you explained it so well, Why would there be questions:icon_thum:icon_thum

Well, I obviously didn't explain it well enough.:rotflm::rotflm::rotflm:
Not to pick on you, but picture will be disqualified. I'm leaving it up as a demonstration of what is wrong.

• The resolution is not high enough.
• The orientation is landscape and and if you look at the requirements, it describes a portrait orientation.
• The picture has a time stamp, which should not be in the calendar.

A rule of thumb is that the picture should be taken in potrait mode with a camera that is at least 1.5 MB, but depending on the picture, might not work. a 2MB or greater camera i s really needed. A picture with a time stamp may be able to work, if I can Photoshop it out, without reducing the quality of the picture.

If you go back to the size and resolution requirements listed under submissions, you will see the picture must be at LEAST 1650 pixels high and 1150 pixels wide, which is 1.9 MB. Your picture is 800 wide and 600 high, which is less than 0.5 MB

Here is your Picture as submitted:

Now here is the best that I can do to make it fit and have the minimal resolution:

rhett your beautiful chair has the same problems but even worse.

I'm really sorry, but there is not much I can do.

 

[TracyP]

Thanks Steve. I will retake the photos without the time stamp, change to portrait and get rid of the time stamp. You explained it very well, Guess I did not read it very well:gar-Cr:rotflm:

 

[SteveColes]

Thanks Steve. I will retake the photos without the time stamp, change to portrait and get rid of the time stamp. You explained it very well, Guess I did not read it very well:gar-Cr:rotflm:

Don't forget to take them a much higher resolution. The Photo Gallery will accept them very large.

 

[TracyP]

Thank You!!!:notworthy:
Shall I delete the ones I have in there now or leave them up for example?

 

[SteveColes]

Thank You!!!:notworthy:
Shall I delete the ones I have in there now or leave them up for example?

Leave them for now. I'll delete them later, I may copy to then a category giving examples of what works and what doesn't

 

[FredP]

um.... how does that relate to pixels?:dontknow: I am no computer wiz here but it appears that the software on this machine works with pixels. not inches? I have 5 different programs to resize pics but they all resize with pixels. color me stoopid but I'm lost already.:gar-La;

 

[DaveO]

"the size and resolution requirements listed under submissions, you will see the picture must be at LEAST 1650 pixels high and 1150 pixels wide, which is 1.9 MB.

um.... how does that relate to pixels?:dontknow: I am no computer wiz here but it appears that the software on this machine works with pixels. not inches? I have 5 different programs to resize pics but they all resize with pixels. color me stoopid but I'm lost already.:gar-La;

:gar-up::gar-up::gar-up:
HTH,
Dave

 

[FredP]

:gar-up::gar-up::gar-up:
HTH,
Dave

did i mention I'm BLIND too?:rotflm:

 

[FredP]

I still dont get it on sizing the pics. if I take a pic of a coffee table that is short and wide I only see 2 options.
1. turn the pic 90 degrees which dont look right or
2. have a pic that is 75% background which also dont look right.
I dont see a way to turn a landscape pic into a portrait pic and have it look right. what am i missing here?:dontknow:

 

[DaveO]

You might have to start with the ideal orientation when the picture is taken. I think that trying to have two pictures per pages is really going to lend itself to taller objects (or images).

Dave

 

[SteveColes]

I still dont get it on sizing the pics. if I take a pic of a coffee table that is short and wide I only see 2 options.
1. turn the pic 90 degrees which dont look right or
2. have a pic that is 75% background which also dont look right.
I dont see a way to turn a landscape pic into a portrait pic and have it look right. what am i missing here?:dontknow:

Fred, you are essentially correct. Last year we had several pictures thta basically portait views, but were formatted by the submitter as landscape. We made them work. But that was partially becuase the photographer did a good of making the best of a bad situation. And we did the rest.

Since we are going to print 2 up this year, the portrait view is necessary. do the best you can with framing and please leave as much border as you can. Also, remember that the 1650 x 1150 is the minimum. you can make it bigger, so long as I can get the above ratio with the picture in it. The more pixels, the better chance i have of getting it to work.

Oh, another approach is to put 2 landscape pictures, one above the other. They could be the same project oe 2 different ones as long as the both are in the same category. Last year Chris Mathes, made a single picture of 9 seperate pictures of different pens