By Joel Goldstein

Special to the Globe

Several times a year, Laguna Woods Camera Club members enjoy the benefit of having a professional judge review and comment on their photos.

But the Year-End Competition is a special event. It usually takes place as a dinner with awards presented in person, but things being how they are, the 2021 announcement of awards was done virtually on Jan. 12.

Club members entered 145 images for the competition in three categories.

Pictorial photos could include any subject matter or technique if the result was an image that could have existed in reality. There were 64 entries in the Pictorial category.

Monochrome photos may be black and white or any single tone used throughout the photo. Members submitted 40 photos in this category.

Special Subjects was the third category. Special Subjects had to be one of the themes featured in photo evaluations during the year, such as curves, photojournalism, altered reality, abstract, architecture or nature (fauna/wildlife). In this category, 41 images were entered.

Every photo entered in the competition was rated independently by three professional judges.

A successful photograph distinguishes itself not just by what the photographer chooses to shoot, but by how well the photographer handles the editing and processing of the captured image. A lot of factors go into creating a winning image besides composition; they include cropping, brightening or darkening, placement of the focal point of the image, sharpening, adding a border, etc.

The judges scored the photos on a rating scale from 6 to 9 points in half-point steps. Thus, a perfect score for an image would be a 9 from each judge, or 27 points. Just as in the Olympics, where gold medalists often win by a fraction of a second over their competition, there was bunching among the top scorers in the Year-End Competition, resulting in ties in the categories.

In the Pictorial category, there was one clear first-place winner, George Harper, with 26.5 points. Second place was shared by four entrants with 26 points each: Ken Furuta, Larry Goodman, Russ Lazar and Pat Wilkinson. Six entrants tied for third place with 25.5 points each: Lawrie Bau, Mike Bray, Susan Brown Matsumoto, Arnold Silverman, Rick Silverman and Louise Stuart.

Rick Silverman took first place in the Monochrome category with 27 points, while Goodman and Bau tied for second place with 26.5 points. Matsumoto earned third place with 25.5 points.

In the Special Subject category, Harper earned another perfect score, 27 points, for his photo. Patricia Patti was in second place with 26 points, and Lazar earned third place with 25.5 points.

In addition to the three categories, there was another award. Rick Silverman won the judges’ consensus as Best in Show with his monochrome photo titled “The Astoria Bridge.”

All the entries and the winning designations may be seen at lhcameraclub.com.

The Camera Club has about 280 members and is one of the oldest clubs in the Village, having been established in 1966. The membership is made up of experienced photographers as well as those new to photography who enjoy the feedback and learning that come from participating in club events. Members use both cameras and cellphones to shoot photographs.

Regular monthly events (currently on Zoom) include showcases and the judging of digital photos. Classes taught by professionals and members are offered throughout the year.