Remember the time that you entered what you thought was a “winning image” into a camera club competition, where you have to sit through 100 images from your fellow photographers? Do you recall the anticipation of waiting to hear the judge’s comments? Do you remember how crushed you felt as you were told the colors were “flat” and the image was eliminated from the competition?
That will not be me when I judge at North Bethesda Camera Club on April, 3. I strive to have positive comments for every image that I critique and I try very hard not to make statements that are demeaning. After all, that remark will stick with you long after the award fades away. And I really don’t want that to be the competitors’ take away from my judging.
As far as the choice of images for awards, that would be my personal opinion the night of the competition. On another night I would certainly make some other choices. In an exhibit or for my personal collection I would absolutely make different choices. That is the nature of these competitions, where only about 1 minute per image is allocated for viewing, critiquing and choosing the winners. Complex images that require time to digest simply do not make the cut.