Judy Switt
judy_switt@yahoo.com Biographical Sketch
Judy is a highly experienced judge. She prefers to judge exhibits and end of the year competitions only.

The Role of the Camera Club Judge

Camera clubs are usually are group of amateur photographers who have come together to improve their photographic skills and broaden their enjoyment of photography. The judge is there to teach as well as entertain the members of the club. However, the members must remember that the camera club judge has been invited (usually unpaid) to give "their opinion" of the images.

The judge should have been instructed in writing ahead of time about the competition and the rules of a particular club. They should understand and adhere to the criteria of that club. I believe that a good judge should clearly express themselves as they constructively teach while critiquing each image. A judge should attempt to mention both the positive and negative issues of each image as time allows. Images should be compared to each other and not to those which have previously been taken or seen by the judge. Generally, the best images should be chosen irregardless of whether they are similar subject matter or not. If possible, the judge should state their basic philosophy for critiquing before they begin the process.

My Criteria as Camera Club Judge

I like to think of myself as an even-handed judge. I have no prejudices about different subject matter. Of course, there are always some images which "speak to me" more than others. I do not have to know what an image "is" in order to appreciate it.

Composition holds a lot of weight in my book. Lighting should be appropriate or exciting. Impact may make an initial impression, but a subtle, moody or monotone picture can easily grow on me. Presentation has many ways to take away from your entry. Poor presentation such as sloppy mounting or dirty projected images will take points off. If you think your image was worthy of entering, then take the time to prepare it properly. Details are important. You are in control of the entire image. Check all the corners. With the advent of digital cameras and all the controls that you now have over your own photographs, there is no excuse for poor cropping, poor exposures or dust on your images.

I am not a computer expert and have only recently entered into the digital camera world, but I believe that judging pictures as pictures is what this is all about. I don't think that I need to understand the process in order to choose the best images. It doesn't matter how difficult it was to produce – it only matters how the end result is received by the judge. It doesn't matter how long you waited for the picture if the final result is not interesting.