MWCC Club Competition

The 2026-2027 competition, beginning in September will remain in person with digital images and prints! Competition meetings are held the third Thursday of the month and held at:

The Manassas Church of the Brethren
10047 Nokesville Rd, Manassas, VA 20110
Click for Directions

Click Here for the Competition Site

All members in good standing are authorized to enter the competitions. Members can enter up to four images in total into the three categories – Color Prints, Black and White Prints and Digital – subject to a maximum of two entries in any one category. Each month’s competition has a theme and we invite an experienced judge to comment and score each image during the evening.

If you are an MWCC Club Member* and wish to compete in the monthly photographic competitions, please go to the competition website and request an account. All members will be entered in the NOVICE competition category unless you notify the Vice President for Competitions that you wish to advance to a different category. * Only members in good standing are authorized to compete.

The Master Competition level introduced in 2024-2025 year will continue!

MWCC Master Competition level rules

MWCC Master Competition theme requirements

MWCC Competition Rules:

Prints: Digital copy must be submitted, refer to the submission date in schedule. Bring your matted prints to the competition meeting. Any print (digital copy) not submitted to the competition website, will not be qualified for the competition and any score will not be recorded. You will record each entry with maker name and title on the appropriate entry form depending on the type of print (B&W or Color) and your competition class (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced). Prints should have the longest visible edge of the image between 6 and 16 inches and the mat should not exceed 20 inches on the longest side. Panoramic prints shall be matted to not exceed 12 inches on the shortest side and 40 inches on the longest side. Please see the 2026-2027 Member Handbook for full rules.

Digital Entries: Please submit your digital entries to the competition website, with maximum dimensions of 1400 x 1050 pixels, refer to the submission date in the schedule.

Full competition details and rules can be found in our Members Handbook and Constitution.

2026-2027 Themes
Theme & Judge Competition Meeting Open Date Close Date Description Master Division Wrinkle
September
Open
Sandi Croan		 September 17, 2026 August 20, 2026 September 7, 2026 Any subject, Abstract or photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
October
Man vs Nature
Jeff Johnson		 October 15, 2026 September 17, 2026 September 28, 2026 Images documenting the complex, often conflicting relationship between humans and the natural world. Composite - Use of composite to create dramatic effect
November
Open
Elaine Parker Starr		 November 19, 2026 October 22, 2026 November 2, 2026 Any subject, Abstract or photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
December
Travel
Ginger Werz-Petricka		 December 3, 2026 November 5, 2026 November 16, 2026 Images that document a location's landscape, people, cultures, customs, or history. Birds Eye View - Images created from an elevated perspective
January
Open
Alan DeFelice		 January 21, 2027 December 24, 2026 January 4, 2027 Any subject, Abstract or photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
February
Churches / Graveyards
Samantha Marshall		 February 18, 2027 January 21, 2027 February 1, 2027 The main subject of the image is of churches and/or graveyards Night Photography - Images must be captured after sunset
March
Open
Andy Sentipal		 March 18, 2027 February 18, 2027 March 1, 2027 Any subject, Abstract or photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
April
Negative Space
Maryellen Stone*		 April 15, 2027 March 18, 2027 March 29, 2027 A minimalist composition style that surrounds the main subject with a large area of un-detailed space. Portrait of a person
May
Nature
Brian Zwit		 May 6, 2027 April 8, 2027 April 19, 2027 Images of natural scenes, animals and plants. Human elements shall not be present – this includes, but is not limited to: people, objects constructed by humans, and evidence of human activity. Images of hybrid and cultivated plants and trees, or captive or domesticated animals, are allowed as long as human elements are absent. Geometry - Image produces a clear geometric shape(s)
Theme Submit By Date Competition Meeting Definition
2025-2026 Themes
OPEN September 8, 2025 September 18, 2025 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Trees (live or dead) September 29, 2025 October 16, 2025 The main subject of the image is of tree(s)
OPEN November 3, 2025 November 20, 2025 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Unusual Point of View Nobember 17, 2025 December 4, 2025 Point of View refers to the position from which the camera sees the "scene." This is important to consider since this directly changes the position from which the viewer sees the scene as well. Changing the point of view can drastically change the look of a photograph. It can add drama and interest to an other wise ordinary scene, or can convey deeper meaning to your images.
OPEN December 29, 2025 January 15, 2026 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Cars February 2, 2026 February 19, 2026 A four-wheeled road vehicle that is powered by an engine and is able to carry a small number of people.
OPEN March 2, 2026 March 19, 2026 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Street Photgraphy March 30, 2026 April 16, 2026 Street photography, a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. The very publicness of the setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers.
Nature April 20, 2026 May 7, 2026 Nature photography is defined as photographic images of natural scenes, animals and plants. Human elements shall not be present – this includes, but is not limited to: people, objects constructed by humans (buildings, vehicles, roads, bridges, etc.), and evidence of human activity (obviously plowed or cultivated fields, obvious garden or park scenes, etc.). Images of hybrid and cultivated plants and trees, or captive or domesticated animals, are allowed as long as human elements are absent. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible or may be cloned out.
 
2024-2025 Themes
OPEN September 2, 2024 September 19, 2024 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Domestic Animals September 30, 2024 October 17, 2024 Domestic animal photography is a photograph of an animal, such as the horse or cat, that has been tamed and kept by humans as a work animal, food source, or pet. Domesticated animals are those that were ultimately genetically modified from their wild ancestors by artificial selection for use by humans. This means cats, dogs, horses, cows, chickens, farm goats, farm sheep, etc. are possible subjects. This also means that eagles, hawks, owls, wolves, wild goats, zoo animals, etc. are not acceptable subjects even if the animal is a permanent resident at a recuse facility or zoo.
OPEN November 4, 2024 November 21, 2024 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Nightscape November 18, 2024 December 5, 2024 Nightscapes are landscape photographs taken at night. A key component is capturing an aspect of the night sky (i.e., stars, the milky way, the moon, star trails, auroras, comet, meteors, etc.). Blended and composite images are accepted as long as all images were taken by the photographers around the same time frame. It is OK to take the foreground image during the blue hour and blend that with the night sky taken in the same evening. Hand of man is allowed.
OPEN December 30, 2025 January 16, 2025 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Lines and Patterns February 3, 2025 February 20, 2025 Lines and patterns photography simply refers to the repetition of similar shapes, lines or objects within the photo. The repetition of lines, shapes, tones or color can create interesting images. The images may contain just lines, just patterns, or both.
OPEN March 3, 2025 March 20, 2025 Any Subject. Abstracts and photo art are welcome but must have originated from a photograph.
Landscape March 31, 2025 April 17, 2025 Landscape photography is the art of capturing pictures of nature and the outdoors in a way that makes the scene feel meaningful for the viewer. While landscape photography is based in nature, hand of man is allowed as long as the image was taken in nature.
Nature April 14, 2025 May 1, 2025 Nature photography is defined as photographic images of natural scenes, animals and plants. Human elements shall not be present – this includes, but is not limited to: people, objects constructed by humans (buildings, vehicles, roads, bridges, etc.), and evidence of human activity (obviously plowed or cultivated fields, obvious garden or park scenes, etc.). Images of hybrid and cultivated plants and trees, or captive or domesticated animals, are allowed as long as human elements are absent. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible or may be cloned out.