February 2006

In the third competition of the year BWPS finished in 7th Place out of 20 clubs in Class A. However, due to our First Place finish in December, on a Year to Date basis BWPS remains in Second Place (tied with Los Amigos) after 3 out of 4 competitions. The 4th and final competition will be held in April. Congratulations to Deb Guyer for her Award of Merit (AM) on Red Tailed Hawk. This means that Deb's image was one of the top 5 in the entire competition.

Many thanks to the makers who graciously allow BWPS to use their slides in PSA inter-club competitions. It is greatly appreciated.

Class A Cumulative Standings after February Competition

Class A February Rankings

BWPS Individual Scores

December 2005

In the second competition of the year BWPS finished in first place out of 20 clubs in Class A. Class A is the highest of 5 classes in this PSA International Color Slide Competition. Jim's Honorable Mention was among the top 15% of all slides, and Frank and Ed's Awards of Merit were two of the top 5 slides in the competition. Through 2 out of 4 competitions, BWPS is in Second Place Overall.

Given that this is BWPS's first year competing in PSA, this represents a tremendous accomplishment. It also is reflection of the high quality of work from the makers at BWPS, which makes us one of the leading camera clubs in the United States.

Class A Cumulative Standings after December Competition

Class A December Rankings

BWPS Individual Scores

October 2005

Boston West is a member of the Photographic Society of America, or PSA. Among the many activities that PSA sponsors are international slide competitions among PSA's various member clubs across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Boston West competes in both the Color Slide, or Open competition, and in the PSA Nature interclubs. In Color Slide there are 100 member clubs competing, organized into five classes of 20 clubs each (Classes A to E, with Class A being the highest). Each year the top 3 clubs in each class advance to the next highest class, and the bottom 3 clubs move down to the next lower class. Boston West, as a new club, would normally have started in Class E, the lowest class. But due to the record of PSA achievement of our makers as part of Gateway, PSA headquarters granted Boston West an exemption, and placed our club into Class A (in both Color Slide and Nature). This means that Boston West is competing at the very highest level of international camera club competitions.

In the October PSA Color Slide competition, Boston West finished in 8th place out of 20 clubs in Class A. Los Amigos, the traditional New York Yankees of PSA actually finished in second place. Maybe this is the year they are finally dethroned after many years of finishing first. Gateway CC was eligible to enter, but did not submit an entry. We were only 2 points behind Greater Lynn, who finished in 6th place. In recent years, the members of Boston West provided the majority of PSA entries for Gateway CC, and Gateway has finished as high as Third Place in this international competition.

Class A October Rankings

BWPS Individual Scores

There are four Color Slide competitions each year in October, December, February, and April. We will be looking for slides at our Boston West November slide competition to enter in the December PSA. Please bring in your very best images for us to consider for use in PSA and help Boston West make its mark of outstanding achievement at the very highest levels of international competition!

Many thanks to the makers who graciously allow BWPS to use their slides in PSA inter-club competitions. It is greatly appreciated.

Ed McGuirk, PSA Representative