---

The results of the 2006 photo contest surprised us. We started out thinking we were simply requesting the "best" shots from anyone and everywhere; what we got was a global collection of croquet snapshots illustrating the great diversity of croquet as the sport - and the game - shows up all around the globe in diverse local cultures. Building on the gratifying results of our 2006 Photo Contest, we're opening the gates wider this year to allow not just "snapshots" but processed photos as well. Our intention is to collect the best images - by our standards, naturally - and make them available online permanently (in low resolution form, suitable for the web) for interested individuals and publications and thus to more effectively promote our sport through the media. Here are the broadly interpreted rules and lenient guidelines of our new contest.

---

Ownership and rights

All the photographs entered in this contest are understood to be either owned by the person submitting or being submitted with the permission of the owner/photographer. Credits are given for each photograph. Croquet World's publication rights extend only to one-time publication of the contest results. When we receive requests for any of the contest photos, we routinely refer those requests to the person(s) who submitted the photo to us, and who undoubtedly will have the original high-resolution image needed for print publication. This is similar to the procedure used by CroquetAmerica.com and other websites which host croquet photo pages.

Email up to four photographic entries!

Our 2006 contest drew 300 photographs, out of which 100 finalists were chosen and 40 were featured in the final awards article. For each year of the contest, all 100 finalists will remain permanently online, as well as featured in the "final forty". The photos will be judged by Croquet World Online co-editors James Hawkins and Bob Alman with the assistance of Reuben Edwards, layout editor. Email your entry to Croquet World Online's American co-editor: BobAlman@aol.com.

What subject matter is eligible?

Last year we decided not to pre-announce discrete categories, but to divide all the photos we received into categories after receipt in order to judge them fairly, and appropriately acknowledge the photographers. This worked very well, so we're doing it again. This contest is for "croquet photos", and if you're not sure what ground that covers, just check out the 2006 contest results. And please: Don't avoid the temptation to try to broaden even further these loosely-defined categories!

All the "before" and "after" images in this article were photographed at the National Croquet Center in January 2007 by West Palm Beach amateur photographer Joe Camosy, who says of his extensive bag of tricks: "A long lens is essential to avoid disturbing the players. And Photoshop is a must for anyone serious about producing the most effective images from raw photographs."

As for the subject matter: You decide. It could be a playing shot, a spectator shot, a reaction shot from the crowd or from the doubles pair watching from the bleachers, the gazebo or courtside. It could be a hazard shot, including troublesome weather or invasive elements running onto the court like dogs or nude streakers from the sidelines. Best of all, it could be a combination of all the above - the definitive, ultimate shot of croquet-in-action! Don't be shy, but do exercise some discretion. If your picture is judged not suitable or if we already have too many pictures of that type, it simply won't appear.

Photographs from any era and any place are eligible - including the many photos that were submitted last year after the deadline had passed! We will accept entries until March 15 in order to have sufficient time to judge the photos and announce the contest results, illustrated by the 100 finalists and forty placers.

What kind of caption or descriptive information should be included?

It's very important to include "the story" of each photograph, sufficient at least to provide caption material by citing names, events, places; and at most to give the reader a full appreciation of why you like the photo or why it is significant. Notes on camera types, lens, and processing might also be useful to readers and other aspiring croquet photographers. Please be aware that terms used in the local croquet culture of South Australia may not be understood by members of the members of the New York Croquet Club, or by the editors of this magazine.

What are the technical guidelines for entry?

Last year, we disallowed "processing" and accepted only "snapshots." This year we are allowing - in addition, of course, to cropping - processing of many types intended to improve the impact of a photographic subject. The medium must be entirely photographic, and multiple photographic images combined in the same frame is still not allowed, but contest entrants may do whatever processing they wish on a single photographic image to produce the best result. The illustration for this article consists entirely of "before" and "after" versions of photos taken and processed by Joe Camosy.

This final guideline is most important: PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR IMAGES IN A FAIRLY LOW RESOLUTION FORMAT suitable for Web reproduction - no more than 100 kilobytes - so the editors who don't have broadband connections will not have to spend countless hours downloading. (And incidentally: this guideline protects your photograph from being stolen and reproduced in a print publication without your permission!)

How many images may be submitted?

No more than four, please! Last year, many people sent ten and said, "You decide on the best," but this year, we're not being so polite. If more than four entrants are sent, they will all be rejected and we will ask the submitter to reduce the selection to a maximum of four. This is both fair and unfair. We know photographers who would probably deserve 10 or 20 places in the final 100 on the basis of photographic merit alone; but we've decided to err on the side of a democratic bias.

E-mail a maximum of four entries in low-resolution format to BobAlman@aol.com. And send your questions to the same place.