PSA Competitions, anyone?

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Photographic Society of America (PSA) sponsors International 
Stereo Slide Competitions through the year.  Anyone (PSA member or 
not) can enter these competitions.  All that is usually required is to 
fill an entry form, pay an entry fee (usually $6) and send up to 4 
slides to be entered in the competition.  The slides do not need to be 
mounted in glass.  Anything in a standard Realist, 7-p, etc., stiff 
frame will do.  The slides are judged by an experienced panel of 
judges and are either accepted or not accepted.  A report card is 
mailed back soon after judging, indicating the slides that were 
accepted.  Every accepted slide earns one acceptance, which is an 
honor.  In addition to acceptances, the best slides receive 1st, 2nd, 
3d places, HMs and various other awards.  The accepted slides are then 
shown in a couple of public presentations and are finally returned to 
the maker.  A catalog listing all the accepted slides usually follows.

PSA maintains a rating system for the stereo workers.  For every 18 
acceptances from at least 6 different slides, the stereo photographer 
earns a star.  A list of the rating status of each and every stereo 
photographer is published once a year in the PSA Journal.

This is a brief description of how the competitions work.  I know that 
many people do not care to compete while others don't like it.  Some 
people are afraid of rejection, others don't like to have their work 
judged and others don't like the kind of work that gets accepted.  I 
personally thrive on competition and do my best to do well.  Last year 
for the first time I entered PSA competitions and won 19 acceptances 
from 17 different slides, which should earn me one star.  I enjoyed it 
but I have one problem.  I feel isolated.  I send my slides in, then 
silence, then I get a report card and that's the end.  I would like to 
change that...

So, I propose:

Let's form a PSA-Competition subgroup in Photo-3d.  Members of this 
group should try to enter as many PSA competitions as possible during 
the next year.  A minimum of one is a requirement to be part of the 
group.  Members of the group will share general information regarding 
these competitions (feedback from people attending the shows, etc.) 
and personal information regarding their performance.  I am willing to 
keep a list of members with number of slides entered and number of 
acceptances.  I will update and distribute the list internally with 
the group once a month and list information on upcoming PSA 
competitions.  Perhaps someone can set up a web page with this 
information.  At the end of the year we can publish the list, or part 
of it (top scores) in photo-3d.  This kind of sharing of information 
will make the process more fun, I believe.  Feel free to suggest ideas 
to make this work better.

Let's start with September.  That will be the beginning of our new 
year.  First competition is the Detroit one.  To get an entry form, 
write to:

- DETROIT PSA Stereo Slide Competition
  Loretta Williams, 1027 S. Washington, Royal Oak, MI 48067
  Deadline: Sept. 21, 1996 (Hurry!) - Entry fee: $6

Also, coming up soon, we have:

- POTOMAC, Robert J. Leonard, 5895 Rockhold Creek Dr., Deale, MD 20751
  Deadline: Sept. 28 - Entry fee: $6

- DGS RUHRGEBIET, Gunter Ziegenhain, Byknjer Strasse 137, D-45888 
  Gelsenkirchen, Germany.  Oct. 12, $10 or DM 15.

Please write to these addresses to get entry forms.  After you've 
entered once, you will receive the entry forms automatically the 
following year.  I will be able to attend the first public showing in 
Detroit and I can post impressions from that one.

PLEASE contact me if you want to join this group and make entering 
these competitions a more exciting and less isolated process.  Let's 
use email for a quick update and reminder, for sharing experiences and 
facts faster.  If you have not entered a PSA competition before, this 
is your chance to try it with the support and guidance of the group.  
If you are a seasoned competitor, join the group to share your 
experiences with the rest of us.

Please respond promptly.  I am waiting to hear from you!

George Themelis, DrT-3D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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