Submitted by Andrew Macfarlane on Tue, 03/09/2010 - 20:49.
Hi everyone
I have been asked to take part in a exibit around the time of pentacost wich is sometime in May the theme is fire in Africa. I would be gratefull for some suggestions.You can email me or leasve a post you can contact me on tarmac100@new.co.za thanks
Regards
Andrew Macfarlane
Submitted by Claude Felbert on Sun, 02/21/2010 - 06:42.
Back on my hobby horse that I think is a serious situation that needs to be addressed urgently. The inconsistent results from some Judges at all levels within the system we mainly use in the Western Cape and as I understand elsewhere. If you review your own scores and the Clubs scores over the past 12 months they are all over the place. Some judges score high some low and some are just too subjective. It maybe that the Judges that score low are the correct ones but we all need to know where we stand! As far as the Judges that show inconsistancy are concerned they should just be left out for the future but some way should be found to level the playing fields so that members at a certain standard don't get a gold medal one week and a nothing the next for similar standard images.
My proposal for the current system is that we have a Club Moderator, or moderating pannel, that moves the graph that controls all scores either up or down, on block, for the entire months submission.
This will ensure an a more consistant set of results though it does require that the pannel is objective as we don't want to leave anyone with false ideas about their standards.
Submitted by markchipps on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 15:37.
Hi All
I have been at the club for 1 year now, and I really enjoy the judging sessions we have. I learn a lot specifically from the comments and the feedback. I often want to chat to the photographer or something to ask how they did something, but the way the judging works - we never know who's photo it is. Maybe with the way the new scoring program works we could get it to also show the photographers name at the bottom, or something... what does everyone feel about that - or do people prefer to stay annonomous? Sometimes I feel that people dont want others to know, which I find strange.. Why not?
I really like some of the work of some photographers and would like to see more, so I would also like to suggest that we add another section on this site for links to members work... like to their flickr accounts or blogs.. This is a nice way to get to know each others work. and get feedback and comments..
here is my flickr account - comments and crits are very appreciated!
Submitted by RobynFergus on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 16:03.
Hi Mark -
Agree with you about knowing who is shot which photograph. The judges comments are great and there is always something to learn. At times i agree with the score and other times not - at the end of the day no one person's opinion is the correct one. If you score low does not mean that your photography is bad - there could be things to improve on or you have a different taste level to the judge. And more often than not there may be other members that loved your shot - and those comments could be passed on to you.
What i've learnt about having my photos reviewed when doing courses at CTSP is that constructive criticism makes one a better photographer.
And have had a look at your work on flickr - some wonderful shots there - and of course recognize some of them. Inspiring...
Any suggestions for the judging application is welcome. So please do send them along. I want to try to automate as much of the manual work of the scoring process which is the main focus but any other additions I can try to work in.
Submitted by Claude Felbert on Sun, 01/17/2010 - 08:37.
See Previous Comment for Parts 1 & 2
Below is a list of criteria and the points allocated to each category. This will form the basis for the suggested Judging system that I am proposing. The criteria and short points are courtesy of the Paarl Photographic Club but the explanations of each of the criteria are mine. Prior to judging an image the Acceptance Panel / Convener must ensure that the image is relevant to the rules of the competition, where such rules are applicable, and that the image fits the subject if one has been designated for the group of images being assessed. My proposal does not follow exactly how Paarl judge images but it is close. First lets look at the different criteria:- LEFT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO SEE THE CRITERIA To return to the previous page left click on your browsers back function http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j310/WineO_2006/PhotoScoreSheetAmended... Focus – 0 to 3 points: Is the Image Sharp / Look out for Soft Focus Filters Explanation: Sharpness and contrast go hand in hand but not all images are meant to be sharp or corner to corner sharp. The main subject is usually what one expects to be sharp but even that depends on the type of photograph. Some images are intentionally made soft focus either with filters or some form of blur. One expects landscapes to be reasonably sharp unless there is some mist in the picture. People and animals, forming the main subject, almost always require the eyes to be in sharp focus. Macro photography does not lend itself to great depth of focus. Blur to indicate speed is often desirable and some abstracts do not require being sharp. One can go on an on with examples but the main thing is to look at the image and judge whether there is appropriate sharpness for the type of image it is. The photographer must have had something in mind and does it work with the sharpness levels that it has. Using your experience as a photographic judge and without being rule bound you will allocate between 0 and three for this aspect. Have some reason as to why you give the points you give don’t just pick a number on gut feel. Exposure – 0 to 3 points: Be careful of High Key and Low Key images, as they may be intentional Explanation: Are there any Blown Highlights or Plugged Shadows that adversely affect the image. With wide dynamic range images there can be Blown Highlights or Plugged Shadows but does it detract from the image by drawing the eye away from the main subject. Was there intentional use of High or Low Key and if so does it work? Check shadow areas for excessive noise as indication of initial bad exposure. Composition – 0 to 3 points: Does it work even if the rules like the rule of thirds is broken Explanation: The elements of good composition are image dependent and the following can be used as guides for composition. Rule of Thirds, Golden Mean, Golden Triangle and Golden Spiral Point of Interest – 0 to 3 points: Just one / if more than one is there a story Explanation: Decide if there is just one center of interest or if it is a story telling picture. Both are legitimate and must be given a score. For one point of interest: Image shows a clear center of interest No distractions from the main subject Use of depth of field Framing the subject using foreground objects For a story telling picture: Is there a clear story Does the story have a main subject Are there outside distractions that detract from the story Lead In – 0 to 3 points: Is it necessary in this image – if not award the points Explanation: There are many ways to lead the eye into an image and the mechanisms listed below are some of the devices that can be used in different ways to do this. Use of Shape or Texture Vertical lines emphasize power, strength, and height Horizontal lines express stability and width Diagonal lines express dynamic energy Curving lines express sensuality Filling the frame does not usually require a Lead In. Colour Harmony – 0 to 2 points: Does the colour help the image Explanation: Colour harmony would be strictly defined as the use of colours that go well together. In photography dominant colours and contrasting colours can also add impact to an image. Some images look better in Black and White than in colour. The use of one colour in a black and white image can have either negative or positive impact. The elements of Composition mentioned above can all be used to evaluate composition as a whole but the ultimate question is does what the photographer has captured work whether it follows the guidelines or not. Mood – 0 to 3 points: Does the image induce emotion Explanation: It does not mater what the emotion is as long as it has evoked some reaction. e.g. Joy, hate, horror, passion, desire, tranquility, peace, interest or curiosity to name a few. Impact – 1 to 3 points: Would you look at the image twice / Would you remember it / How well does it fit the subject. Explanation: Is the image memorable – is there something that makes it stand out from other images of similar relevant subject matter and / or the other images that you are viewing alongside it. Is this impact positive or negative – do not misinterpret subject dislike for negative impact. Technique – 1 to 3 points: Correct use of light / Time of Day / Depth of Field etc. Explanation: Does the photographer understand light and when the light is best to take photographs? If photographing at a less than ideal time does the person know how to make best use of the light? Does the person use Depth of Field correctly for the type of image? Was the shutter speed right for the type of image? Creativity – 1 to 4 points: Does it have artistic value / If the image is a Record, Journalistic or Nature shot – award the points Explanation: Where the image is a Record, Journalistic or Nature shot there may not be any creative or artistic scope – award points if the image achieves its purpose. Where the image shows creative flair and goes beyond the mundane this must also be recognized. Likes and dislikes in art are subjective so guard against projecting dislikes on what is considered a legitimate art form. Judges should give the points that they consider to be fair in each category. Recommended Judging System: The following ideas are my proposal and what I believe would be an improvement on the current judging system. There may be better ways to achieve this and if this proposal leads to such a system it will have achieved its purpose. I do ask every member to consider this proposal and for next years committee to give it a try. Whatever system the club uses should endeavor to teach members what their own images should look like in order to score well and what makes an image be considered excellent. In doing so it should help improve the ability of each person to take better photographs. I think that the current system often only gives the member an insight as to what a particular judge thinks of their image by the score that it is given. This often leaves the photographer discouraged and disheartened because too few Judges give useful or encouraging feedback and sometimes the feedback is so off-putting as to drive people away from the pastime. The system I am about to propose will develop skills amongst members at all levels as long as they are prepared to participate. LEFT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO SEE THE CRITERIA To return to the previous page left click on your browsers back function http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j310/WineO_2006/PhotoScoreSheetAmended... The Proposed System: Outline: A panel of three Judges would each score the images as they are shown out of 30. They would convey the scores by holding up a scorecard for the score master to record and take an average. The score would be based on the system and points allocated on the score sheet shown earlier and repeated immediately above. The panel would comprise at least two Club Members and a guest Judge if one was available otherwise the third Judge would also come from the club. Each image would be commented on after the three scores were recorded by the Judges. One Judge would be selected to comment for the evening – usually the guest Judge if there is one. The Judge that comments would be selected for an ability to make intelligent, insightful and useful comments.
At the same time each member would have a score sheet where they could write down their own score for an image and later compare it to the official judges scores. This would tell the scorer if they were on the right track or if they needed to reevaluate how they went about scoring. Details: Judges would be drawn from the more experienced Club members who are willing to participate as well as less experienced members who wanted to learn and they would only be used after they have attended a Judging Workshop. This could be run internally or with the help of more experienced Clubs or individuals. The Judges would always comprise two of the more experienced judges and one less experienced judge. The judging team leader for the evening would have to make sure that all judges were scoring to the system and using approximately the same scale. Any Judge that consistently scored more than three points different from the other two should adjust their scoring scale. This could be achieved, before the session starts, by taking three images from the previous month and the three judges discussing, in private, how they would score them according to the proposed system. The points allocated by the Judges and then averaged for each image would be published on the Website as is already done with the published images remaining in the sequence they were shown in. This gives each individual Club member the opportunity to score according to a system and then compare the results to the official ones. Score sheets would be provided for those that want to do their own scoring. This provides an excellent learning opportunity not only for the general membership but also gives those interested a chance to develop their judging skills and to later perhaps to be invited to judge at other clubs and so be able to pay back for all the people that have judged for the Creative Camera Club. Points to Consider:
1. The current system produces a vastly different scoring standard from one month to the next. If the photographer applies what a Judge has said at one meeting there is no guarantee that the next months Judge sees things the same way or uses the same judging criteria. This leads to newer photographers becoming confused about how and what to present as photo submissions.
2. Just because a proposed judge is a professional photographer it does not necessarily mean that they are good judges of other peoples work – remember a good judge not only scores fairly but also tries to leave the image photographer with a positive experience.
3. When scoring an image it may be best to start by allocating each image the full 30 points and then deciding, according to the listed categories, what points to deduct. This could help beginner judges to consider each category in arriving at their scores.
4. There is sometimes a feeling amongst learner judges that they do not wish to offend anyone so they score a higher score than the image actually achieves. By using a system and being compared to how others score should give everyone the incentive to get the scores correct.
5. Scoring images too high will not do the photographer any good and only give them a false sense of their images worth and by doing so stifle their development.
6. As long as there is reasonable consistency between the judges and from month to month it does not really matter what the scoring level is but experience will tell whether the points level for beginners, intermediate and advanced groups are correct or if they need adjustment.
7. The time allocated to each image would have to be carefully monitored with this system as in the beginning people tend to need more time to get used to how to use the system.
8. If one can foster a feeling of camaraderie within the club, which promotes open discussion, then members will see that the scores their images achieve are a genuine attempt by the Judges to be fair within the system. I must reiterate that this should be considered a starting point of a judging discussion that is intended to help everyone learn and improve.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009
9 December 2009 to 13 March 2010
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition
is an international showcase for the very best
photography featuring natural subjects.
The competition is owned by two UK institutions
that pride themselves on revealing and
championing the diversity of life on Earth
– the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife
Magazine – and is brought to South Africa by
NHU AFRICA.
Being placed in this competition is something
that wildlife photographers, worldwide, aspire
to. Professionals win many of the prizes, but
amateurs succeed too. And that’s because
achieving the perfect picture combines skill,
vision, originality, knowledge of nature, and luck.
Each year thousands of entries are received and judged by a specially selected expert panel. From vivid, colourful landscapes to intimate portraits of animal behaviour, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition offers an extraordinary insight into the beauty, drama and diversity of the natural world.
Submitted by Claude Felbert on Wed, 11/25/2009 - 07:37.
I went to see last years exhibition and it was very inspiring. Many marvilous images and lots of patience on the part of the photographers to get the shots also many had used technology in order to obtain pictures in difficult circumstances. Plenty of ideas and if any negative one comes away questioning your own standards -- perhaps thats not a bad thing. All in all a must visit exhibition for anyone interested in Photography.
Hi All - found this online. Might be worth popping into the Gardens Centre if you're in the vicinity.
Sue
View Top local South African Photography at Gardens Centre
Chris Saunders is a top South African photographer and director, and is based in Johannesburg and Cape Town. His work is strongly influenced by social diversity and African questions which are posed on a day to day basis in our divergent country to one of its patrons.
Creating self-propelled projects through the recycling of personal funds is part of his mission and belief as a visual artist.
Chris has worked with some of South Africa’s top and emerging performance artists as well as collaborated with some of the country’s fine artists such as Athi-Patra Rugga, Anthea Moys, Xander Ferreira and Kudzanai Chiurai.
He has exhibited in the “What if the World” gallery in CT, as well as Art Extra in Jo’burg.
Chris has also worked for the country’s top fashion and portrait editorial clients, publishing in magazines such as GQ, Glamour, FHM, Design Indaba and many European magazines.
The Chris Saunders Exhibition is currently running at the Gardens Centre, look out for the 16 original portrait images suspended all over the Centre.
Chris Saunders Exhibition
Venue: Gardens Shopping Centre
Location: Mill Street | Gardens
Price: Free
Phone: +27 (0)21 465 1842
Submitted by Claude Felbert on Sat, 11/14/2009 - 17:55.
Do you criticize Rugby Referees, Cricket Umpires and Photographic Judges? I do but I don’t really know all the Rugby and Cricket rules and am not prepared to invest the time and effort to learn them. I also don’t have the experience of the active officials in these sports. I guess my uninformed criticism makes me a whinger!
Photographic Judging is a bit different you don’t have to make decisions on what you saw in a split second but you still have to know what you are about. There are rules and while they are not necessarily ridged I would rather say that there are criteria that should be followed when judging and a good judge not only knows what the judging criteria are but has the knowledge and experience to evaluate images. When the judge has the ability to leave the photographer with a positive experience but also knowing where they stand with the image being judged then they have what it takes to be a good judge.
In watching judging in the Creative Camera Club and some other Photographic Clubs it is clear to me that there are only a few really good Judges and as a Photographic Community we need to develop more Judges so that the burden of Judging does not fall to only a few.
I do not consider myself to be an experienced Photographic Judge but I have been taking Photographs for many years and have published a number of Clivia flower books for the Clivia Society where I run an international Photographic Competition. Paarl Photographic Club recently held a Judging Workshop that I attended and was impressed with their approach. I encourage all Photographers to learn more of the Judging Process as this will help them, not only to judge other peoples images, but how to improve their own. I am also an accredited Professional Wine Judge who has been judging wine for more than 35 years – so I do know something about what it takes to be a judge.
I believe that any Photographic Judge must have the following attributes:
· Knowledge
· Experience
· Consistency
· No Bias
· Ability to see what the photographer was aiming for
· Ability to evaluate outside of their own comfort zone
· Ability to express criticism positively and to leave the Photographer feeling that they have learned something
· When in a panel of Judges individuals must recuse themselves if they know whose image is being judged
I invite everyone who has anything to say on Judging, some of whom will be far more experienced and capable on the subject than I am to express their views and ideas. My intention is to get everyone in the club to think about the Judging process and to voice opinions. I will write two follow-up articles on this subject about a week to ten days apart – both to stimulate more thought and comment. The first will deal with different Judging Systems and how I see their strengths and weaknesses plus a reply to any comments that have been posted where such a reply is necessary. The second will be a detailed proposal on how we could run Judging within the Club. This proposal will hinge around, at very least, a component of judging input from Club Members. While these views are my own and have no official status my hope is that they will stimulate debate and lead to an improved situation for next year.
Submitted by Claude Felbert on Thu, 11/19/2009 - 10:09.
Judging Practices There are many different approaches to judging photographs that range from the overall points that are used for scoring to the categories and amount of points allocated to each of these categories and the decision criteria for the allocation of points. I will look at some of these systems and try and point out their strengths and weaknesses as I see them. Before I get on to that I want to discuss the eight attributes that Judges should have as mentioned in part 1 of the discussion.
Knowledge that can be split into two parts:
Technical which relates to areas like Focus, Exposure and to some extent Technique.
Principles of the Visual Arts / Design which relates to areas like Composition, Creativity and Impact and for a Photographic Judge means at least a working knowledge of the so called rules and to recognize that when broken they can often work in favour of an image.
Experience: We all require experience but have to start somewhere. If you are new to Photography and have no background in the Visual Arts then you probably have a long way to go but by scoring to a system when experienced judges are giving their scores and critiques you will be able to see if you are on the right track.
Consistency is perhaps one of the more important attributes but it is difficult to go through a large number of images and remain evenhanded with your scores throughout. I have noticed that even with experienced Judges there is often a tendency to either start strict and get more lenient or visa versa. This is one of the reasons why I believe that more than one Judge should be used and that the ideal number is three although I concede that this is not always practical.
No Bias or personal preference: This point may be controversial as I am sure no Judge is consciously biased. It is Human Nature to favour what you know and like. The important point here is for Judges to guard against bias.
The Ability to see what the Photographer was aiming for: I believe a Judge should be looking to see if the photographer achieved his objective. By this I mean if the image was meant to be, for example, a record shot, a journalistic shot or a soft focus image – did it achieve its objective? If it did it should not be penalized because it either did not follow the so-called photographic rules such as the rule of thirds or because it had too many points of interest or was not in focus.
Ability to evaluate outside of their own comfort zone:
A wildlife photographer must be able to judge wedding images objectively as must a wedding photographer be able to judge food photography. Ability to express criticism positively and leave the photographer feeling that they have learned something: This is one of the most difficult aspects and should, in my opinion, be the main objective of judging. It must be accepted that nobody will have a 100% record in this attribute. Besides peoples emotional commitment to their own images the Judge can’t always find the words to give a positive learning experience. The important thing here is not to make excuses or use cliché sayings but to be polite and positive even with a low score. A suggestion of how to improve an image rather than a slating is always preferable.
When more than one Judge is scoring any Judges that know whose image is being judged should recuse themselves from judging that particular image. This is my personal view but I understand that not all Judges will feel the same way.
As a general principle Judges should not overemphasize the individual categories but also look at an image as a whole to assess impact, balance and harmony.
Judging Systems:
There are many variations of Judging Systems and Photographic Clubs and Judges around the world do not use any consistent system. By surfing the Internet I have found scoring can be out of seven, nine, ten and anything up to 100 points. The allocation of points within similar total scores also varies as do the number of judges. The most popular total scores per judge that I have found are nine, ten and thirty. Where the score is nine or ten there are often three judges and the scores from each judge are sometimes added together to total either 27 or 30. The strength of these systems is that they are quick but I consider them to have two weaknesses. The first is how do you allocate balanced points to all the criteria that you need to consider without allowing decimals. If you take the criteria / categories for judging and split them into ten parts and than allocate points you could only give one point to each area. This would mean that each area could get one or none. This is clearly not a satisfactory way to judge and it either means that you have to lump different criteria together or make a subjective assessment of the score out of ten because you are not able to evaluate each individual category. The second weakness is that ten points does not allow enough head room for differentiation. If you have one or three judges allocating a seven out of ten but all feel that the image was too good for a six but really just falls short of seven what do you do with the image that deserves a full seven but not an eight. Again this could be solved with decimals but that makes the system a 100-point system.
The 30-point system is one that I think is far more suited to the Digital Age where we now have a far broader spectrum of people taking an interest in Photography than in the past. Everyone that listens to a Judges score either agrees or disagrees so they are making their own judgment. Its strengths are that if one breaks the allocation of the score down into the various categories a 30-point system is far easier to understand and operate from, especially for those that are starting out with judging. The main strength is that, in my experience, it works well and that judges tend to be closer together with scores. Its weakness is that it takes a little longer than the ten-point system, especially until one has become experienced with it.
In Part 3 of this discussion I will look at the categories that one can use to build the 30-point system and make a proposal on a system that the Club can consider using next year.
To be held at THE ENDLER HALL, CONSERVATOIRE, UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH, corner VICTORIA and NEETHLINGSTREETS, STELLENBOSCH on SATURDAY, 31ST OCTOBER 2009 at 6.00pm for 7.30pm
Mon, 10/26/2009 - 21:10 | 
admin 
Hi everyone
I have been asked to take part in a exibit around the time of pentacost wich is sometime in May the theme is fire in Africa. I would be gratefull for some suggestions.You can email me or leasve a post you can contact me on tarmac100@new.co.za thanks
Regards
Andrew Macfarlane
Back on my hobby horse that I think is a serious situation that needs to be addressed urgently. The inconsistent results from some Judges at all levels within the system we mainly use in the Western Cape and as I understand elsewhere. If you review your own scores and the Clubs scores over the past 12 months they are all over the place. Some judges score high some low and some are just too subjective. It maybe that the Judges that score low are the correct ones but we all need to know where we stand! As far as the Judges that show inconsistancy are concerned they should just be left out for the future but some way should be found to level the playing fields so that members at a certain standard don't get a gold medal one week and a nothing the next for similar standard images.
My proposal for the current system is that we have a Club Moderator, or moderating pannel, that moves the graph that controls all scores either up or down, on block, for the entire months submission.
This will ensure an a more consistant set of results though it does require that the pannel is objective as we don't want to leave anyone with false ideas about their standards.
Claude
Hi All
I have been at the club for 1 year now, and I really enjoy the judging sessions we have. I learn a lot specifically from the comments and the feedback. I often want to chat to the photographer or something to ask how they did something, but the way the judging works - we never know who's photo it is. Maybe with the way the new scoring program works we could get it to also show the photographers name at the bottom, or something... what does everyone feel about that - or do people prefer to stay annonomous? Sometimes I feel that people dont want others to know, which I find strange.. Why not?
I really like some of the work of some photographers and would like to see more, so I would also like to suggest that we add another section on this site for links to members work... like to their flickr accounts or blogs.. This is a nice way to get to know each others work. and get feedback and comments..
here is my flickr account - comments and crits are very appreciated!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markchipps/
Thanks!
Hi Mark -
Agree with you about knowing who is shot which photograph. The judges comments are great and there is always something to learn. At times i agree with the score and other times not - at the end of the day no one person's opinion is the correct one. If you score low does not mean that your photography is bad - there could be things to improve on or you have a different taste level to the judge. And more often than not there may be other members that loved your shot - and those comments could be passed on to you.
What i've learnt about having my photos reviewed when doing courses at CTSP is that constructive criticism makes one a better photographer.
And have had a look at your work on flickr - some wonderful shots there - and of course recognize some of them. Inspiring...
Any suggestions for the judging application is welcome. So please do send them along. I want to try to automate as much of the manual work of the scoring process which is the main focus but any other additions I can try to work in.
My Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/subliminalthought
My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SubliminalThought
See Previous Comment for Parts 1 & 2
Below is a list of criteria and the points allocated to each category. This will form the basis for the suggested Judging system that I am proposing. The criteria and short points are courtesy of the Paarl Photographic Club but the explanations of each of the criteria are mine. Prior to judging an image the Acceptance Panel / Convener must ensure that the image is relevant to the rules of the competition, where such rules are applicable, and that the image fits the subject if one has been designated for the group of images being assessed. My proposal does not follow exactly how Paarl judge images but it is close. First lets look at the different criteria:- LEFT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO SEE THE CRITERIA To return to the previous page left click on your browsers back function
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j310/WineO_2006/PhotoScoreSheetAmended...
Focus – 0 to 3 points: Is the Image Sharp / Look out for Soft Focus Filters Explanation: Sharpness and contrast go hand in hand but not all images are meant to be sharp or corner to corner sharp. The main subject is usually what one expects to be sharp but even that depends on the type of photograph. Some images are intentionally made soft focus either with filters or some form of blur. One expects landscapes to be reasonably sharp unless there is some mist in the picture. People and animals, forming the main subject, almost always require the eyes to be in sharp focus. Macro photography does not lend itself to great depth of focus. Blur to indicate speed is often desirable and some abstracts do not require being sharp. One can go on an on with examples but the main thing is to look at the image and judge whether there is appropriate sharpness for the type of image it is. The photographer must have had something in mind and does it work with the sharpness levels that it has. Using your experience as a photographic judge and without being rule bound you will allocate between 0 and three for this aspect. Have some reason as to why you give the points you give don’t just pick a number on gut feel.
Exposure – 0 to 3 points: Be careful of High Key and Low Key images, as they may be intentional
Explanation: Are there any Blown Highlights or Plugged Shadows that adversely affect the image. With wide dynamic range images there can be Blown Highlights or Plugged Shadows but does it detract from the image by drawing the eye away from the main subject. Was there intentional use of High or Low Key and if so does it work? Check shadow areas for excessive noise as indication of initial bad exposure.
Composition – 0 to 3 points: Does it work even if the rules like the rule of thirds is broken
Explanation: The elements of good composition are image dependent and the following can be used as guides for composition. Rule of Thirds, Golden Mean, Golden Triangle and Golden Spiral
Point of Interest – 0 to 3 points: Just one / if more than one is there a story
Explanation: Decide if there is just one center of interest or if it is a story telling picture. Both are legitimate and must be given a score. For one point of interest: Image shows a clear center of interest No distractions from the main subject Use of depth of field Framing the subject using foreground objects For a story telling picture: Is there a clear story Does the story have a main subject Are there outside distractions that detract from the story
Lead In – 0 to 3 points: Is it necessary in this image – if not award the points
Explanation: There are many ways to lead the eye into an image and the mechanisms listed below are some of the devices that can be used in different ways to do this. Use of Shape or Texture Vertical lines emphasize power, strength, and height Horizontal lines express stability and width Diagonal lines express dynamic energy Curving lines express sensuality Filling the frame does not usually require a Lead In.
Colour Harmony – 0 to 2 points: Does the colour help the image Explanation: Colour harmony would be strictly defined as the use of colours that go well together. In photography dominant colours and contrasting colours can also add impact to an image. Some images look better in Black and White than in colour. The use of one colour in a black and white image can have either negative or positive impact. The elements of Composition mentioned above can all be used to evaluate composition as a whole but the ultimate question is does what the photographer has captured work whether it follows the guidelines or not.
Mood – 0 to 3 points: Does the image induce emotion
Explanation: It does not mater what the emotion is as long as it has evoked some reaction. e.g. Joy, hate, horror, passion, desire, tranquility, peace, interest or curiosity to name a few.
Impact – 1 to 3 points: Would you look at the image twice / Would you remember it / How well does it fit the subject.
Explanation: Is the image memorable – is there something that makes it stand out from other images of similar relevant subject matter and / or the other images that you are viewing alongside it. Is this impact positive or negative – do not misinterpret subject dislike for negative impact.
Technique – 1 to 3 points: Correct use of light / Time of Day / Depth of Field etc.
Explanation: Does the photographer understand light and when the light is best to take photographs? If photographing at a less than ideal time does the person know how to make best use of the light? Does the person use Depth of Field correctly for the type of image? Was the shutter speed right for the type of image?
Creativity – 1 to 4 points: Does it have artistic value / If the image is a Record, Journalistic or Nature shot – award the points
Explanation: Where the image is a Record, Journalistic or Nature shot there may not be any creative or artistic scope – award points if the image achieves its purpose. Where the image shows creative flair and goes beyond the mundane this must also be recognized. Likes and dislikes in art are subjective so guard against projecting dislikes on what is considered a legitimate art form. Judges should give the points that they consider to be fair in each category.
Recommended Judging System: The following ideas are my proposal and what I believe would be an improvement on the current judging system. There may be better ways to achieve this and if this proposal leads to such a system it will have achieved its purpose. I do ask every member to consider this proposal and for next years committee to give it a try. Whatever system the club uses should endeavor to teach members what their own images should look like in order to score well and what makes an image be considered excellent. In doing so it should help improve the ability of each person to take better photographs. I think that the current system often only gives the member an insight as to what a particular judge thinks of their image by the score that it is given. This often leaves the photographer discouraged and disheartened because too few Judges give useful or encouraging feedback and sometimes the feedback is so off-putting as to drive people away from the pastime. The system I am about to propose will develop skills amongst members at all levels as long as they are prepared to participate.
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The Proposed System: Outline: A panel of three Judges would each score the images as they are shown out of 30. They would convey the scores by holding up a scorecard for the score master to record and take an average. The score would be based on the system and points allocated on the score sheet shown earlier and repeated immediately above. The panel would comprise at least two Club Members and a guest Judge if one was available otherwise the third Judge would also come from the club. Each image would be commented on after the three scores were recorded by the Judges. One Judge would be selected to comment for the evening – usually the guest Judge if there is one. The Judge that comments would be selected for an ability to make intelligent, insightful and useful comments.
At the same time each member would have a score sheet where they could write down their own score for an image and later compare it to the official judges scores. This would tell the scorer if they were on the right track or if they needed to reevaluate how they went about scoring.
Details: Judges would be drawn from the more experienced Club members who are willing to participate as well as less experienced members who wanted to learn and they would only be used after they have attended a Judging Workshop. This could be run internally or with the help of more experienced Clubs or individuals. The Judges would always comprise two of the more experienced judges and one less experienced judge. The judging team leader for the evening would have to make sure that all judges were scoring to the system and using approximately the same scale. Any Judge that consistently scored more than three points different from the other two should adjust their scoring scale. This could be achieved, before the session starts, by taking three images from the previous month and the three judges discussing, in private, how they would score them according to the proposed system. The points allocated by the Judges and then averaged for each image would be published on the Website as is already done with the published images remaining in the sequence they were shown in. This gives each individual Club member the opportunity to score according to a system and then compare the results to the official ones. Score sheets would be provided for those that want to do their own scoring. This provides an excellent learning opportunity not only for the general membership but also gives those interested a chance to develop their judging skills and to later perhaps to be invited to judge at other clubs and so be able to pay back for all the people that have judged for the Creative Camera Club.
Points to Consider:
1. The current system produces a vastly different scoring standard from one month to the next. If the photographer applies what a Judge has said at one meeting there is no guarantee that the next months Judge sees things the same way or uses the same judging criteria. This leads to newer photographers becoming confused about how and what to present as photo submissions.
2. Just because a proposed judge is a professional photographer it does not necessarily mean that they are good judges of other peoples work – remember a good judge not only scores fairly but also tries to leave the image photographer with a positive experience.
3. When scoring an image it may be best to start by allocating each image the full 30 points and then deciding, according to the listed categories, what points to deduct. This could help beginner judges to consider each category in arriving at their scores.
4. There is sometimes a feeling amongst learner judges that they do not wish to offend anyone so they score a higher score than the image actually achieves. By using a system and being compared to how others score should give everyone the incentive to get the scores correct.
5. Scoring images too high will not do the photographer any good and only give them a false sense of their images worth and by doing so stifle their development.
6. As long as there is reasonable consistency between the judges and from month to month it does not really matter what the scoring level is but experience will tell whether the points level for beginners, intermediate and advanced groups are correct or if they need adjustment.
7. The time allocated to each image would have to be carefully monitored with this system as in the beginning people tend to need more time to get used to how to use the system.
8. If one can foster a feeling of camaraderie within the club, which promotes open discussion, then members will see that the scores their images achieve are a genuine attempt by the Judges to be fair within the system. I must reiterate that this should be considered a starting point of a judging discussion that is intended to help everyone learn and improve.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009
9 December 2009 to 13 March 2010
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition
is an international showcase for the very best
photography featuring natural subjects.
The competition is owned by two UK institutions
that pride themselves on revealing and
championing the diversity of life on Earth
– the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife
Magazine – and is brought to South Africa by
NHU AFRICA.
Being placed in this competition is something
that wildlife photographers, worldwide, aspire
to. Professionals win many of the prizes, but
amateurs succeed too. And that’s because
achieving the perfect picture combines skill,
vision, originality, knowledge of nature, and luck.
Each year thousands of entries are received and judged by a specially selected expert panel. From vivid, colourful landscapes to intimate portraits of animal behaviour, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition offers an extraordinary insight into the beauty, drama and diversity of the natural world.
I went to see last years exhibition and it was very inspiring. Many marvilous images and lots of patience on the part of the photographers to get the shots also many had used technology in order to obtain pictures in difficult circumstances. Plenty of ideas and if any negative one comes away questioning your own standards -- perhaps thats not a bad thing. All in all a must visit exhibition for anyone interested in Photography.
Hi All - found this online. Might be worth popping into the Gardens Centre if you're in the vicinity.
Sue
View Top local South African Photography at Gardens Centre
Chris Saunders is a top South African photographer and director, and is based in Johannesburg and Cape Town. His work is strongly influenced by social diversity and African questions which are posed on a day to day basis in our divergent country to one of its patrons.
Creating self-propelled projects through the recycling of personal funds is part of his mission and belief as a visual artist.
Chris has worked with some of South Africa’s top and emerging performance artists as well as collaborated with some of the country’s fine artists such as Athi-Patra Rugga, Anthea Moys, Xander Ferreira and Kudzanai Chiurai.
He has exhibited in the “What if the World” gallery in CT, as well as Art Extra in Jo’burg.
Chris has also worked for the country’s top fashion and portrait editorial clients, publishing in magazines such as GQ, Glamour, FHM, Design Indaba and many European magazines.
The Chris Saunders Exhibition is currently running at the Gardens Centre, look out for the 16 original portrait images suspended all over the Centre.
Chris Saunders Exhibition
Venue: Gardens Shopping Centre
Location: Mill Street | Gardens
Price: Free
Phone: +27 (0)21 465 1842
When: 12 Oct 09:00 - 15 Dec 17:00
Do you criticize Rugby Referees, Cricket Umpires and Photographic Judges? I do but I don’t really know all the Rugby and Cricket rules and am not prepared to invest the time and effort to learn them. I also don’t have the experience of the active officials in these sports. I guess my uninformed criticism makes me a whinger!
Photographic Judging is a bit different you don’t have to make decisions on what you saw in a split second but you still have to know what you are about. There are rules and while they are not necessarily ridged I would rather say that there are criteria that should be followed when judging and a good judge not only knows what the judging criteria are but has the knowledge and experience to evaluate images. When the judge has the ability to leave the photographer with a positive experience but also knowing where they stand with the image being judged then they have what it takes to be a good judge.
In watching judging in the Creative Camera Club and some other Photographic Clubs it is clear to me that there are only a few really good Judges and as a Photographic Community we need to develop more Judges so that the burden of Judging does not fall to only a few.
I do not consider myself to be an experienced Photographic Judge but I have been taking Photographs for many years and have published a number of Clivia flower books for the Clivia Society where I run an international Photographic Competition. Paarl Photographic Club recently held a Judging Workshop that I attended and was impressed with their approach. I encourage all Photographers to learn more of the Judging Process as this will help them, not only to judge other peoples images, but how to improve their own. I am also an accredited Professional Wine Judge who has been judging wine for more than 35 years – so I do know something about what it takes to be a judge.
I believe that any Photographic Judge must have the following attributes:
· Knowledge
· Experience
· Consistency
· No Bias
· Ability to see what the photographer was aiming for
· Ability to evaluate outside of their own comfort zone
· Ability to express criticism positively and to leave the Photographer feeling that they have learned something
· When in a panel of Judges individuals must recuse themselves if they know whose image is being judged
I invite everyone who has anything to say on Judging, some of whom will be far more experienced and capable on the subject than I am to express their views and ideas. My intention is to get everyone in the club to think about the Judging process and to voice opinions. I will write two follow-up articles on this subject about a week to ten days apart – both to stimulate more thought and comment. The first will deal with different Judging Systems and how I see their strengths and weaknesses plus a reply to any comments that have been posted where such a reply is necessary. The second will be a detailed proposal on how we could run Judging within the Club. This proposal will hinge around, at very least, a component of judging input from Club Members. While these views are my own and have no official status my hope is that they will stimulate debate and lead to an improved situation for next year.
Claude Felbert
Judging Practices There are many different approaches to judging photographs that range from the overall points that are used for scoring to the categories and amount of points allocated to each of these categories and the decision criteria for the allocation of points. I will look at some of these systems and try and point out their strengths and weaknesses as I see them. Before I get on to that I want to discuss the eight attributes that Judges should have as mentioned in part 1 of the discussion.
Knowledge that can be split into two parts:
Technical which relates to areas like Focus, Exposure and to some extent Technique.
Principles of the Visual Arts / Design which relates to areas like Composition, Creativity and Impact and for a Photographic Judge means at least a working knowledge of the so called rules and to recognize that when broken they can often work in favour of an image.
Experience: We all require experience but have to start somewhere. If you are new to Photography and have no background in the Visual Arts then you probably have a long way to go but by scoring to a system when experienced judges are giving their scores and critiques you will be able to see if you are on the right track.
Consistency is perhaps one of the more important attributes but it is difficult to go through a large number of images and remain evenhanded with your scores throughout. I have noticed that even with experienced Judges there is often a tendency to either start strict and get more lenient or visa versa. This is one of the reasons why I believe that more than one Judge should be used and that the ideal number is three although I concede that this is not always practical.
No Bias or personal preference: This point may be controversial as I am sure no Judge is consciously biased. It is Human Nature to favour what you know and like. The important point here is for Judges to guard against bias.
The Ability to see what the Photographer was aiming for: I believe a Judge should be looking to see if the photographer achieved his objective. By this I mean if the image was meant to be, for example, a record shot, a journalistic shot or a soft focus image – did it achieve its objective? If it did it should not be penalized because it either did not follow the so-called photographic rules such as the rule of thirds or because it had too many points of interest or was not in focus.
Ability to evaluate outside of their own comfort zone:
A wildlife photographer must be able to judge wedding images objectively as must a wedding photographer be able to judge food photography. Ability to express criticism positively and leave the photographer feeling that they have learned something: This is one of the most difficult aspects and should, in my opinion, be the main objective of judging. It must be accepted that nobody will have a 100% record in this attribute. Besides peoples emotional commitment to their own images the Judge can’t always find the words to give a positive learning experience. The important thing here is not to make excuses or use cliché sayings but to be polite and positive even with a low score. A suggestion of how to improve an image rather than a slating is always preferable.
When more than one Judge is scoring any Judges that know whose image is being judged should recuse themselves from judging that particular image. This is my personal view but I understand that not all Judges will feel the same way.
As a general principle Judges should not overemphasize the individual categories but also look at an image as a whole to assess impact, balance and harmony.
Judging Systems:
There are many variations of Judging Systems and Photographic Clubs and Judges around the world do not use any consistent system. By surfing the Internet I have found scoring can be out of seven, nine, ten and anything up to 100 points. The allocation of points within similar total scores also varies as do the number of judges. The most popular total scores per judge that I have found are nine, ten and thirty. Where the score is nine or ten there are often three judges and the scores from each judge are sometimes added together to total either 27 or 30. The strength of these systems is that they are quick but I consider them to have two weaknesses. The first is how do you allocate balanced points to all the criteria that you need to consider without allowing decimals. If you take the criteria / categories for judging and split them into ten parts and than allocate points you could only give one point to each area. This would mean that each area could get one or none. This is clearly not a satisfactory way to judge and it either means that you have to lump different criteria together or make a subjective assessment of the score out of ten because you are not able to evaluate each individual category. The second weakness is that ten points does not allow enough head room for differentiation. If you have one or three judges allocating a seven out of ten but all feel that the image was too good for a six but really just falls short of seven what do you do with the image that deserves a full seven but not an eight. Again this could be solved with decimals but that makes the system a 100-point system.
The 30-point system is one that I think is far more suited to the Digital Age where we now have a far broader spectrum of people taking an interest in Photography than in the past. Everyone that listens to a Judges score either agrees or disagrees so they are making their own judgment. Its strengths are that if one breaks the allocation of the score down into the various categories a 30-point system is far easier to understand and operate from, especially for those that are starting out with judging. The main strength is that, in my experience, it works well and that judges tend to be closer together with scores. Its weakness is that it takes a little longer than the ten-point system, especially until one has become experienced with it.
In Part 3 of this discussion I will look at the categories that one can use to build the 30-point system and make a proposal on a system that the Club can consider using next year.
WESTERN CAPE INTERCLUB 2009
To be held at THE ENDLER HALL, CONSERVATOIRE, UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH, corner VICTORIA and NEETHLINGSTREETS, STELLENBOSCH on SATURDAY, 31ST OCTOBER 2009 at 6.00pm for 7.30pm