An analysis of judging

[rcarca]

I was intrigued by this article from 1992: http://www.monolandscapes.talktalk.net/judging.htm

Interestingly I found it after googling our judge for our upcoming session this Thursday - it was the only Google entry connected to his name. Does that make it a Googlewhack???

But the arguments in the article are interesting!

I would be very interested in comments!

Best

Richard

[colin C]

Re: An analysis of judging

Thanks for that Richard.

As an ex Judge, I wish he lived in Dorset, because with that clarity of thinking I would definitely book him to judge our competitions. I would be interested in your opinion of his performance.

[rcarca]

Re: An analysis of judging

Thanks for that Richard.

As an ex Judge, I wish he lived in Dorset, because with that clarity of thinking I would definitely book him to judge our competitions. I would be interested in your opinion of his performance.

Colin - the guy who wrote it is dead. The judge on Thursday merely linked to it! So I am hoping in the absence of a ouija board that if he thinks it is a good article, he will be influenced by it!!!

I will let you know!

Richard

[GORDH]

Re: An analysis of judging

Very interesting and intelligent reasoning behind the criteria for the judging of photographic merit and his suggestion of the points system,similarly to that of ice skating is a very good idea, marking of different areas which would make the clarity and reasoning behind the judges decisions more understandable than just personal preference, I've seen brilliant images that to me were astounding but the one judge wasn't happy because the "bokeh" wasnt nice enough, sometimes it just looks like nit picking, not trying to look at how good an image is but trying to find fault with it, but this guy seems to have a good slant on whats required

Kind Regards
Gordon

[ST-EOS]

Re: An analysis of judging

Thanks for posting this Richard it certainly made interesting reading. I've bookmarked it for future reading

[Muscat]

Re: An analysis of judging

Another thanks for posting it certainly made interesting reading and as Colin has said he would have been a great person to book at the club

[Treff]

Re: An analysis of judging

If only all judges showed the same broadness of thinking. That place is called Paradise and has you said he's there (tongue in cheek).

[antoeknee]

Re: An analysis of judging

Interesting read, I've not read all in detail but writer makes some well observed points.

Personally I gave up with comps ages ago after bizarre judging decisions/comments for both my own work and other camera club members.

One of best for me was a shot I took in Orkney where in the summer it doesn't go fully dark and I taken an image with moon reflected in an estuary. Judge basically threw it out as he said obviously taken during the day with a filter! Spoke to him later and he came up with lots of reasons why it couldn't be as I said, nothing would convince him. Now if he'd accepted my description and said he'd made a mistake I would have accepted that but basically he said I was lying.

Judging is a difficult job and you can't please everyone. But some judges seem to go power mad.

Sorry for rant.

[colin C]

Re: An analysis of judging

But some judges seem to go power mad.


My weirdest was a "female" judge, exaggerated hand movements, far too much costume jewellery and a rather odd "Camp" accent.

She loved the composition with the diagonal of the land, the exposure, the eye contact with the Wolf and the differential focussing, but ............. I am a confirmed cat person and "Wolfs's" are really doggies, so .............. 7½.



I was a little surprised after all of the positive comment and mentioned to my friend that I thought it odd.

Odd he said? You noticed the Adam's Apple didn't you? Last time she judged here she was still a man!

I think Stan may know who I am talking about.

[antoeknee]

Re: An analysis of judging

Well Colin you've managed to make smile when thinking about judges, well done:-)

[Stan]

Re: An analysis of judging

I think Stan may know who I am talking about.

well having given your description to Dee, neither of us can place her/him at the moment

Stan

[colin C]

Re: An analysis of judging

well having given your description to Dee, neither of us can place her/him at the moment

Stan

Stephan/ Stephanie Penrose. Taught Photography at Bournemouth University, died about two years ago?

[rcarca]

Re: An analysis of judging

Well anyway, the judge did not live up to the link he posted! He claimed he worked to four letters: WWH and another I cannot remember: wow (does it have the wow factor), what, how and some other question. He then proceeded to tell us the background to photographs that he knew nothing about, he described one photograph (which he then held back) as a toilet photograph - not for the paper, but because that is where you would hang it... and I learned that there is something called a competition photograph - he went on to explain that a photograph should only have one point of focus. Oh, and he hated empty space: it isn't needed. Hmmm! I think he needs to re-read the article!!!

As you may have gathered I was less than impressed and it is all entirely personal as he only gave me two 17s and a 16!

Best

Richard

[Stan]

Re: An analysis of judging

Stephan/ Stephanie Penrose. Taught Photography at Bournemouth University, died about two years ago?

I dont think we ever had the pleasure of her judging

Stan