A photography competition judge’s job is to whittle down huge numbers of entries into a shortlist of possible winners. To do this effectively, they look for common mistakes they can deduct points for. I’ve been on the judging panel for local camera club competitions as well as national and international competitions. Every time, there are recurring themes that cause otherwise great images to lose marks and miss out. Even if you don’t plan to enter competitions, knowing the common mistakes …
When I first set out in this crazy, camera-carrying career, I had mixed views about working in the studio – I much preferred being outside in natural light with the environment as my backdrop. Over the years, that changed as I realised much of my cynicism was partly because I didn’t understand it and partly because many of those who had taught me didn’t excite me. Now? Well, now I think of studio portrait photography as some of the finest, …
In this interview, I get a chance to talk with the incredible photographer, Sanjay Jogia. To quote from Canon’s website (he is a Canon Ambassador): Sanjay Jogia is one of the world’s most decorated wedding photographers, with a clutch of awards from both the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) and Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). The Briton is known for capturing a mix of posed and unposed images, all bursting with emotion and charm. He also shares …
It’s so lovely to be in the position to sit and chat with some incredible people – and that they agree to it when I ask! This episode is with Gary Hill – a fantastic photographer, trainer, judge and all-round lovely bloke. Admittedly we were chatting in the bar of the SWPP Convention in London which does inject a kind of ‘authentic ambience’ to the whole affair (which is to say – it’s noisy!) We get to chat about judging, …
I’ve just returned from the Societies Of Photographers Convention in London which has been an absolute ball! Though I admit, I am hurting just a little. A week of laughter and learning. And maybe just a little socialising. Having sat as one of the print competition judges once again, I thought it might be helpful to relay some of the comments I heard during the process of picking this year’s winning images to help you create higher scoring photographs in …
It’s just me this episode, wittering away about the week that’s been and something that was raised during a recent presentation to a camera club: that photography judges can be pretty rude. And I don’t think it’s right or proper that this is the case: judges should be polite, constructive, inspiring, entertaining and, most of all, supportive. During this episode, I also mention the announcement of The 2 Fellows Workshop – details for the 2020 workshop in Graphistudio’s Castello Ceconi …
It’s been a busy week here with portrait shoots (both family and commercial) and a wedding thrown in for good measure! But it’s not all been work, it’s also been our local Summer Beer Festival which is a glorious celebration of all things summer with some ale, cider, Pimms, gin and laughter for good measure: plus it was the World Cup with England playing Sweden so it was always going to be a lively affair! And it’s the football that …
England are playing in the FIFA World Cup today and so I am avoiding the tv and radio – I am not good around anything competitive (it really does bring out the worst in me!) However, with a lot of help from my mentor (we all should have one) entering print competitions is a worthwhile exercise in spite of what it brings out in me! This podcast talks about mentors and competitions and why they are both worthwhile!
Sometimes you have to make the best of the time you have and today, well, today I have spent the day on the road – just me, the satnav and my trusty Land Rover Defender. This podcast (with a healthy dose of TD5 engine noise) talks about some of the things I’ve heard judges comment on when judging photography print competitions – either at Camera Clubs or International Competitions. So if competing is your thing, grab a notebook and see if any …