Clive Greenland from Corsham Camera Club gave a Zoom talk entitled  ” What the judges are looking for, ” which is a topic that intrigues us all and invokes a range of opinions and discussions.

After introducing himself and describing his photographic experience, Clive outlined some of the general challenges faced when judging images. Open subject competitions in particular tend to be more difficult to judge than themed competitions where a closer agreement can be reached and less subjectivity exists.  He then described the 10 key elements that he considered to be the systematic basis for assesing an image and forming a rational judgement on its photographic merits. Each element was illustrated with images to reinforce the importance and contribution that it made.

Some questions were raised around consistency in judging approaches and how the judge’s personal preferences could be controlled. The evening concluded with Clive showing a series of  wildlife and aviation images to further reinforce the points made previously. Plenty of food for thought as our next competition submission deadline was imminent.