A resounding success! Those are the comments from all those connected with the first year of our annual Photographer of the Year Competition.

Over 1, 100 entries across all categories and age groups, thank you to all who have entered.

The judges for this year's competition are Editor of the Cambridge News, Paul Brackley, Ann Miles from Cambridge Camera Club and myself. Judging will commence within in the next few days, with the results announced, along with details of the prize presentations, in the paper and online.

It has been really interesting over the weeks to see entrant's technical capability, eye for an image and the range of equipment used. In my view we have received potential winning entries from everything capable of taking an image from high end DSLR cameras to basic compact cameras and Smartphones.

I'm reminded, therefore, of a quote I use when invariably on assignments the question will be asked what equipment I use, - 'I tell them my eyes' - you see an image with your eyes, you capture what your eyes see with a camera.

One of the things I will just pick up on, which was highlighted during the competition, is sending photographs. Even though we asked for only JPEG files we received all manner of different file formats.

No matter what device you use to capture your photographs, set them for the highest quality and highest resolution possible. If you have it use high jpg setting.

JPEG files are used just about everywhere and are easily accepted into software applications, cross platform. This format compress the file to reduce the space allocated to it. Because of this compression it loses quality; hence use the highest quality setting.

When you are sending photographs via email try to avoid dragging the file onto the document use the option for attaching a file. If you have a very large file or number of files, use something like www.wetransfer.com which allows you to send up to a 2gig file on one go.

If you want to be able to access your files easily from other devices and locations using something like www.Dropbox.com or www.Box.net . Many of the photo apps on Smartphones have options to set locations like these as an automatic location for your files.

Be aware of storing images on Facebook and also take a VERY close look at their terms and conditions, all 14,000 words.

Here is the warning posted on www.dpreview.com from the American Society of Media Photographers sent to its members. 'Beware' Facebook's proposed new terms of service, which - it claims - would allow the social media giant to 'exploit your name, likeness, content, images, private information, and personal brand by using it in advertising and in commercial and sponsored content - without any compensation to you'.

Although the photography world lost its annual Photographic Exhibition, Focus on Imaging earlier this year, there are still places to see some of the latest innovations. The International Broadcasting Convention, more commonly known by its acronym IBC has concluded this week with lots of new ideas and gadgets.

For those interested in filming video with traditional video cameras or DSLR's, Steadicam have a really clever solution which was first seen at NAB in Las Vegas and has been showcased at IBC. It's the Steadicam Solo, a monopod and steadicam in one unit.

Source: Cambridge-news