Throughout the autumn and winter months the club run a series of exciting internal and external competitions which we encourage all members, of all abilities to enter :
INTERNAL COMPETITIONS – 2025/26 Season
*Please note dates may change at committees discretion if there are unforeseen circumstances*
MONTHLY COMPETITION (One competition of six rounds in each class)
The Monthly competition for Printed and Digitally Projected Images is run over the indoor programme period (September to April) – this is held over six monthly competitions for both printed and digitally projected images with the monthly submissions being marked by an external judge. The scores awarded to a member over the year will count towards the overall monthly competition result.
QUARTET COMPETITION
The Quartet competition for Printed and Digitally Projected Images consists of a panel of 4 separate images on a readily recognisable common theme. The theme is at the discretion of the entrant.
GEORGE DELLAR TROPHY
The George Dellar Trophy for Digitally Projected Images is held annually for images that depict one, or a combination of, a recognisable Landscape, Building or Landmark, People or events within Cambridgeshire (including Peterborough).
PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE TROPHY
The President’s Challenge Trophy for Digitally Projected Images is held annually based on a theme/subject decided by the President and notified to the members at the beginning of each club season.
For the season 2025/26, the theme for the President’s Challenge will be SHADOW(s)
ANNUAL COMPETITION
The Annual Competition for Print and Digitally Projected Images is held annually based on 4 images taken from six categories. Each year there will 3 core categories and 3 additional categories to choose from. The categories will be chosen from a set pool by the Competition Secretary and notified to the members at the beginning of each club season.
For the 2025/26 season the Annual Competition Core Categories are : Creative, Landscape and Natural History, the additional Categories are Architecture, Macro and Street.
MONOCHROME TROPHY
Any monochrome image entered in either class of the monthly competitions or in either class of the annual competitions, scoring 9 or over, shall also be eligible for the monochrome trophy.
EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS – 2024/25 Season
As well as the internal competitions open to all members, some of the best images are also taken forward to represent St Ives in External Competitions against other clubs.
The friendly competition against Swavesey usually kicks off the External competitions and is hosted in rotation by St Ives and Swavesey. This year, in early 2026 St Ives will be hosting it.
The 4 Way Battle involves a competition against March, St Neots, Ely and St Ives.
The Cambridge Digital and A45’s involve more clubs and these are hosted by Cambridge, and Bury St Edmunds respectively.
The East Anglian Federation has two large competitions, one digital and one print and these are held at Fulbourn.
Our own Interprint competition is hosted in the Free Church in late February each year – this year’s event is on Saturday 28th February 2026. This involves much effort from our committee and members, and we are always looking for willing helpers over the event itself and in the planning stages.
Tickets to many of these events are available to members, so please keep an eye out for newsletters and emails which will give further information nearer to the time. It is always inspiring to see the best images put forward by other clubs.
2024-2025 External Competitions (25/26 information coming soon)
