By Johannes van Kan
The right to be judgey.
I have been a judge for over 20 years probably getting nearly 30.
I remember worrying about getting it wrong.
Actually, I still do.
I have worked out (not infrequently) that if I am wrong, 4 other judges will tell me in one way or another.
… and sometimes the photographer will too.
I am thankful for this as it takes away the fear.
I do worry about getting it wrong for the photographer. I don’t think that ever goes away.
BUT
If I get it wrong, it isn’t necessarily my fault.
It might be that the image isn’t speaking loud enough.
It may be that the image reasoning/story is obtuse
It may be that I have seen one too many sunsets with a blown-out sun, also known as sunset fatigue.
I have entered prints myself, where I have sometimes come to the conclusion, that ALL of the judges were wrong in their scoring.
They would argue differently.
Things I have learned about entering…
These are hot tips for those thinking of entering still.
Be unique …. I want to be impressed, amazed, and moved, by originality, craft and content.
I want to suffer envy in not having created the image myself. (This is worth bonus points)
I want to be woken up from the waves of ‘more of the same and hardly different’ by the power within an image.
Give me something to talk about.
Be lucky.
Help luck work for you.
Nurture the opportunity for lucky in your captures and selections.
But don’t just rely on luck.
Don’t just rely on postproduction to cover for the times when luck has let you down.
Find a way to demonstrate that you are a great photographer by overcoming the technical failures … focus, lighting, content, and composition
MAKE SURE that the quality of the input is equalled or enhanced by the output.
Scrutinise your work.
One dust spot can kill an image. It suggests a lack of care.
Scrutinise your work again!
Banding can instantly kill the credibility of an otherwise great image.
As judges, we are looking for both fault, and fancy to help peg a number to a work.
That number is NOT absolute.
I have scored the same image in different award systems with different numbers.
This might be a reflection of the awards themselves (some are kinder and some are more rigorous)
It could be because the second time I somehow might see the image differently …. Better or worse
Again, however, if somehow this has impacted my perceptions my fellow judges will show me any errors in my ways.
The system is self-levelling.
Accept failure with grace.
By all means, if you feel misunderstood, have a conversation that starts with ‘How can I make this work?’
Regards
Johannes