What do judges look for in a great photo?

[Guest BigSplash]

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I have recently entered two competitions...I won one and the other I did not even achieve a mention.

 

The second one had some great images in 4 separate categories Movement, People, Landscape, ..... that frankly in my opinion were indeed MUCH better than my own submission. The finalists however in each category were certainly not images that I would have chosen. So I ask what constitutes a great image?

 

I assume white balance, crisp focus of the main subject, depth of field...and then creative layout is what it is all about. Maybe capturing the moment or showing movement via a slow shutter speed. None of this was seemingly important for the judges.

 

In the latest LFI there is a series of images by Pierre Crie taken in Tibet....the views, subjects and framing are superb IMHO. Personally however I think most of the B&W images show poor detail, and lots of grain and look like they were shot with a cheap camera in the 60's...not a modern Leica. I am intrigued if this is what judges and editors rate highly these days.

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[delander †]

It just depends on the judge's personal vision although in the UK they have to have some training before they can go on the circuit.

 

You can spend your time second guessing judges by looking at their work if they have a website or you can just do your own thing, which is what I do now having gone through the 'please the judge' phase. Have confidence in your work and remember it is all very subjective.

 

Some tactics include: print very small and dark with a monotone so that it is difficult for the judge to see properly but it has an overall arty look that the judge does not really understand but does not want to reveal that he/she does not get it.

 

Dont print too big you'll be showing off.

 

Often straightforward good quality photos get nowhere fast.

 

Pleasing judges results in images which are very formulaic, remember they are looking for something to criticise.

 

Jeff

[Peyton Hoge]

A great photo to one may not be great to another. It's totally subjective.

[earleygallery]

I'm not aware of any 'judge school' where they are taught what and what not to like. How would you judge a competition?

 

Obviously it's a good idea to understand and stick to the brief/rules, many people seem to fail at the first hurdle because they don't submit their images in the correct format/media/size etc., or fail to understand what overall kind of images the judges will be looking for.

[wilfredo]

I no longer submit my work to competitions, it's all too subjective and more like the roll of the dice than anything else, so I stopped. In many of these competitions they get thousands of entries which leaves thousands of people feeling like crap. So what's the point? It's a lotto and often you have to pay to play. I've adopted the Stieglitz position, art should never be judged and put into categories of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.

[farnz]

... I've adopted the Stieglitz position, art should never be judged ...

A sort of "Judge not that ye be not judged." approach from an esteemed man of the cloth, Wilfredo?

 

Pete.

[wilfredo]

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A sort of "Judge not that ye be not judged." approach from an esteemed man of the cloth, Wilfredo?

 

Pete.

 

Could be :-) but in all honesty how can you truly judge something that is so subjective? I'm the first to admit I have felt totally unappreciated when submitting my work to contests, and getting rejected even when I have won a few awards. I've adopted the Stieglitz philosophy, the man would never allow competition, but it seems humans thrive on this sort of thing even though it only leaves room for numero uno.

[johnnyj]

I've found that the harshest and most truthful pre-judge is my wife: "Honey could you print that?" OR "What else have you got?" She can pick the winners most of the time.

[stonearabiapix]

My wife being the PPSNYS state print chairperson for last years print competition here in NY., and myself a yearly participant in the competition let me say that competition is an annual event that we look forward to. Sharpening our skills and continuing to expand our creativity. There are " judges schools" held every year for prospective judges, and all judges must "merit", receive a blue ribbon, every year to stay qualified to judge others.

Check out the PPA web site for further info on these competitions.

 

Competitions | Professional Photographers of America

 

Oh, by the way the site will be down for maintenance from 8;00 am till noon tomorrow.

 

These are 12 elements of a merit print that the judges look for:

 

The Twelve elements listed below are in accordance to their importance.

Impact is the sense one gets upon viewing an image for the first time. Compelling images evoke laughter, sadness, anger, pride, wonder or another intense emotion. There can be impact in any of these twelve elements.

Creativity is the original, fresh, and external expression of the imagination of the maker by using the medium to convey an idea, message or thought.

Technical excellence is the print quality of the image itself as it is presented for viewing. Retouching, manipulation, sharpness, exposure, printing, mounting, and correct color are some items that speak to the qualities of the physical print.

Composition is important to the design of an image, bringing all of the visual elements together in concert to express the purpose of the image. Proper composition holds the viewer in the image and prompts the viewer to look where the creator intends. Effective composition can be pleasing or disturbing, depending on the intent of the image maker.

Lighting—the use and control of light—refers to how dimension, shape and roundness are defined in an image. Whether the light applied to an image is manmade or natural, proper use of it should enhance an image.

Style is defined in a number of ways as it applies to a creative image. It might be defined by a specific genre or simply be recognizable as the characteristics of how a specific artist applies light to a subject. It can impact an image in a positive manner when the subject matter and the style are appropriate for each other, or it can have a negative effect when they are at odds.

Print Presentation affects an image by giving it a finished look. The mats and borders used should support and enhance the image, not distract from it.

Center of Interest is the point or points on the image where the maker wants the viewer to stop as they view the image. There can be primary and secondary centers of interest. Occasionally there will be no specific center of interest, when the entire scene collectively serves as the center of interest.

Subject Matter should always be appropriate to the story being told in an image.

Color Balance supplies harmony to an image. An image in which the tones work together, effectively supporting the image, can enhance its emotional appeal. Color balance is not always harmonious and can be used to evoke diverse feelings for effect.

Technique is the approach used to create the image. Printing, lighting, posing, capture, presentation media, and more are part of the technique applied to an image.

Story Telling refers to the image’s ability to evoke imagination. One beautiful thing about art is that each viewer might collect his own message or read her own story in an image.

[Guest BigSplash]

Very good criteria I think...and most useful to me at least to have a better understanding...Thanks.