Opinion
19
BEFORE THE JUDGE Ken Scott ARPS Each issue, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences and this month it’s the turn of long-time judge Ken Scott ARPS to take to the stage
MEET THE JUDGE Ken Scott ARPS: Coming from a background in psychology, Ken’s approach to judging is one of encouragement and guidance to help photographers hone their own unique brand of photography. at Steyning Camera Club, West Sussex Years in photography: 35 Favourite camera: Then: Pentax ME Super; now: Sony NEX Favourite photographers: Galen Rowell, Freeman Patterson, Home club: Honorary life member subjects: Mountain light, contemplative approaches, everyday observation. Achievements: 2500 consecutive days of daily imaging at the end of 2014 (seven 365 projects) John Beatty Favourite photographic
Words by Ken Scott
I’ve been privileged to have judged for 25 years, visiting 140 clubs. I see my role not as a judge, but as a coach. Yes, I give marks and decide on winners, but that is just a small part of what I do. Coaching helps photographers to be the best they can be, through meaningful feedback and encouragement. I coach professionally in photography, sport and business, and my academic background in psychology brings unique insights. Good critique is an art in itself, a separate discipline with its own principles. Just as the best sports coaches rarely had stellar careers as players or athletes, it does not follow that good photographers make talented critics. It is about being articulate, informative, constructive and entertaining, about saying things in the right way. Respect is paramount. Photographs can have the power to move us with that indefinable something that engages us emotionally or aesthetically. My response is an emotional one; hence, I weight my appraisal towards expressive quality. There are no rights or wrongs. I am interested in what the photographer is showing me about themselves – individuality rather than emulation. We all have our own tastes and values, so even if it doesn’t move me I have to show empathy in understanding the photographer’s motivation. It might not be obvious so I must be open to finding it. If I make suggestions it is to create possibilities for enhancing that intent, not to create a different image. It is not about fault finding either. Craft certainly contributes to expressive quality but it is not the purpose; technical perfection is never sufficient in itself. One major change since film days is that the finest quality is now less accessible. Whereas everyone could use Fujichrome, not everyone has a pro DSLR. It is vital to differentiate resolution from vision and technique. I have less than 90 seconds to do all this; judging is highly challenging. We owe it to ourselves and our listeners to be well informed, to understand and appreciate all genres
We all have our own tastes and values, so even if it doesn’tmove me I have to showempathy inunderstanding the photographer’s motivation. Itmight not be obvious so Imust be open to finding it
produced the most varied and exciting work I have seen for a long while, including minimal abstract art and contemporary styles. I changed nothing in my delivery. But I noticed no need to compare images to classify them. I needed only to appraise how successfully each image said what it had to say. It was wonderfully freeing. I asked them why, if this was work they love to make, they did not normally put it up for judging. “Judges just wouldn’t get it” or “It would only get slated”, they said. Are competitions and judges simply encouraging photographers to chase points and awards, to tick boxes, to conform to fashion or notional standards? For me, it is time to move on from competition for the single image. Let us expand into projects and bodies of work, facilitated discussions and interactive critiques. Let us encourage club photographers to express themselves through their heart’s work.
without prejudice and to have a firm grasp of visual design and its effects. We must escape the club bubble to look critically at contemporary styles and modern art, at what is happening online. What about photography’s masters? How many marks would you give a Stieglitz or a Cartier-Bresson? It is inevitable that judging generates more bar chat than any other club topic. Judges are not above criticism, but just occasionally it steps over a line. It often comes from those who would not stand before an audience themselves. For that reason I will publicly defend judges to the hilt. However, the one thing that gets me passionately angry is negative criticism. Negative criticism is always destructive. I read recently in the photography press about camera clubs that ‘Members must be prepared to have their work slated…’ Why must they? That it happens does not make it right. Photographers should come away feeling motivated, not inadequate or deflated. We are peers who are passing on our experience, not executioners. If just one photographer leaves club photography off the back of a judge’s scathing or dismissive comments, it is one too many. If I could change one thing in clubs it would be to ditch marks completely. By all means, ask me to choose a winner and some merits – there will always be images that stand out – but I have never been able to find any justification for marks. A recent experience at Brighton andHove Camera Club, where I was asked to give critique only, illustrates my point. Members were encouraged to put up images that they would not normally enter for competition and the evening
and ongoing as ‘Project infinity’ Work:
Photography coaching and workshops, speaking, training, writing
π To find out more, go to www.touchingthelight. co.uk and www.photovate.co.uk.
Have you seen a photographic judge at work who you’d like to see profiled in Photography News ? If so, please drop us a line to opinion@photography-news.co.uk with the judge’s name and, if possible, their contact details. What do you think?
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Issue 17 | Photography News
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