Judging Photo's

[Rense]

Hi,

Today I have generated a mindmap that contains all the aspects that I'm using when judigng a photo.
See here for a picture of the mindmap.
See here for an actual judgement.

Like to see your ideas about this. Do you have additional items in judging?

[ellette]

Wow, in no way is my brain that organized!

I've never been a real judge, but my personal "judging" of a picture is fairly simple.

Do I like it - yes, no.

Ok, so it isn't quite that simple.

Main criteria I have is I like to see a picture that is what I think is creative or artistic (doesn't have to be both)

I am a positive person, so I tend to like pictures that have a positive emotion to them, but I can also understand that a picture is a good picture even if it has a negative feel to it. In fact, I was the only photographer to win an award in a black, white, and grey show with a fairly dreary looking picture. I just won't ever like pictures that I feel leave a negative effect on the person either in the picture or viewing it. We all need to leave a mark on the world, and everyone should try to leave it better than they found it, emotionally and in other ways.

If it is colour, does it have good colour. If it is B&W does it have a good range and contrast.

There is more to it obviously, I like sharpness unless the picture calls for a soft focus. I like ones that give me ideas for pictures or make me think. I really appreciate pictures that I know I'll never be able to get myself.

I'm pretty much a gut reaction sort of person though. I either like it or I don't, and there are usually reasons, I just may not be able to express them.

Sara

[Rense]

Shortie,

My mindmap has five main sections, I can put your remarks for judiging in these sections.
So implicitly you're organized to!

[1] Subject matter / Content:
* *Here are your topic: Main criteria I have is I like to see a picture that is what I think is creative or artistic .
[2] Does it speak to me:
* *Do I like it - yes, no.
* *I like ones that give me ideas for pictures or make me think.
* *I* just won't ever like pictures that I feel leave a negative effect on the person either in the picture or viewing it
[3] Production Value:
* *I really appreciate pictures that I know I'll never be able to get myself
[4] Craft:
* * I like sharpness unless the picture calls for a soft focus
[5] Color & Composition:
* *If it is colour, does it have good colour.* If it is B&W does it have a good range and contrast.

[Mr. Pickles]

I think for some of it, you are good in your "asking yourself" questions. For others, you are over analyzing (or nuts )

When it comes to things like the DOF, composition, color balance, exposure, highlights and shadows and stuff, you can ask yourself these questions and get pretty accurate results.

But when you start putting yourself in the photographers shoes and ask yourself why they took the image, where they were in relation to the subject, did they capture the best or at all, etc., you don't know unless you were there too.

If you go out with a different photographer, and walk alongside snapping pics while they are snapping pics, who took better pics? It all depends on what you saw and how you perceive things compared to them. BWTB contest is like this sort of. If you have a theme, just how well did someone show the theme? In the image example, how do you really know that the image is as good as it could be, or captures it as well as it could? What if it was zoomed in to isolate something? What if it was zoomed out to iclude some other feature?

For some of this, as bad as it sounds, it is all about your likes and dislikes...to me

[ellette]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pickles

If you go out with a different photographer, and walk alongside snapping pics while they are snapping pics, who took better pics? It all depends on what you saw and how you perceive things compared to them. BWTB contest is like this sort of. If you have a theme, just how well did someone show the theme? In the image example, how do you really know that the image is as good as it could be, or captures it as well as it could? What if it was zoomed in to isolate something? What if it was zoomed out to iclude some other feature?

That is why I want to go with 2 of my friends and just go on a photography hunt. Have the three of us just go hiking on the same trail with our cameras, or driving along and yelling "stop" to whoever the driver is when we see a good opportunity. I am not really looking for who gets the better picture, but what the difference in point of view is even when we all three take a picture of the same thing.

Sara

[scoundrel1728]

If this is a competition, I use a somewhat more formal approach than I otherwise would, with the first question being whether the entry conforms to the requirements. After the image passes that test, assuming it does, then I do a quick impression. What genre does the image represent? What emotions is it intended to bring out? How successful is the image at its intended purpose? How much do I like it? How well (technically) is it done? Does this image warrant closer, more analytical scrutiny? If the answer to the last question is yes, then I bring out whatever mental checklists and query lists are needed to guide me in my closer examination.

[Rense]

Mr. Pickles, Sara and Ellette,

Thanks for taking time to answer this post of mine.

Mr. Piickles: I like your honesty, it puts me back on the ground so to say. You're remark about you don't know unless you were there too is true, but when judigng photo's I want them to get me a feeling of being there, trying to understand the photographer. Just can't help that. :

Sara: taking pictures with each other is indeed not a contest for a better picture, but getting stimulated to see in how many ways the same scene can be looked upon.

Ellette: I agree with the items you mention. They are all important. I hope my mindmap can function as mental checklist or query list.