Photography News Issue 30

Photography News Issue 30 absolutephoto.com

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Before the Judge Each issue, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences. This month, we hear from award-winning judge TonyWorobiec TonyWorobiec

Biography

faults, celebrate the strengths and if it is required, highlight a single area for improvement. The overall standard of club photography is improving due to several factors. First, with many photographers mastering editing software such as Lightroom and Photoshop, they can be more creative. Second, as more photographers appreciate the value of shooting Raw, critical issues such as exposure or contrast are being well handled. Shooting digitally is an incentive to be more adventurous and experimental, and if things don’t work photographers can start again. Visit the website of just about any camera club within the UK and it is hard not to be impressed. The standard of amateur photography is greatly improving too. There are more people taking photographs than ever, due in part to the smartphone revolution, which encourages users to work far more spontaneously. I have recently joined Facebook and I amseeingwonderful examples of photography on a daily basis. Flickr has also proven to be quite a revelation, and seems to engage younger photographers. We all enter photography with different experiences and this is reflected in our personal tastes and preferences. While there will be occasions when I do not entirely agree with a fellow panel member, by respecting their opinions, a sense of balance and fair play is retained. Photography is a vehicle for visual communication, and in the same way that a sentence needs clarity, so does a photograph. If there is a common failing, some aim to include too much. I was invited by the publishers David & Charles to write a book, The Complete Guide To Photographic

Words by Tony Woroblec

Looking back I have judged just about every International within the UK, from Edinburgh to Guernsey. I was very recently invited to judge the Phoenix International in New Mexico, but because of other commitments had to withdraw. As a long-term member of the RPS, I was especially pleased to have been invited to judge both the RPS International, and the RPSMembers exhibition. With a very heavy schedule of lectures and workshops (over 40 a year), I am not able to fit in too much club judging; of the few I have done recently, one I enjoyed was the Western Counties inter- club competition, which required each club to submit a representative panel from a variety of its members on a single theme of their choosing. It is a pleasure and an honour to view the work of others, and it is a brilliant way of acquainting oneself to new developments and fashions within photography. This is particularly noticeable with international submissions. At International level there is no audience and no opportunity for giving feedback to the authors and even at national exhibitions, the opportunity for feedback is limited. While judging at club level puts you more firmly on the spot, it offers a better opportunity to constructively critique. As a professional teacher, I remember the first piece of advice I was offered, and that is if a student is handed back a piece of work covered in red ink, the experience will prove demotivating. Always to concentrate on the worst mistake and overlook the others. The same applies when judging other’s work, particularly at club level. Rather than list all the

TonyWorobiec He’s a fine-art photographer who has written 15 books, and has received many photography awards, both in the UK and internationally. Tony has also had his work featured in magazines, books, exhibitions and on album covers. As a member of The Royal Photographic Society (RPS), as well as other photography groups Tony has been judging competitions since the late 80s. Years in photography It must make me seem old, but I've been at it for over 36 years. Home club I'm a member of the RPS, a founder member of Arena, belong to the highly esteemed Landscape Collective UK, and regularly attend the Wimborne Digital Group. Favourite camera I have various favourite cameras including my much-prized Mamiya 7, however as I generally now work digitally, I have recently acquired a EOS 5D S, but still get excellent results frommy EOS 5D Mark III. Favourite lens For its practicality and its excellent optical qualities, I rate the Canon EF 24-105mm. Another lens I like, particularly for landscape work, is my Canon 100-400mm zoom. Favourite photo accessories There are various photo accessories I regularly rely on, but the one I am guaranteed to take when I travel is my tripod (I wonder how often you have read that?). I’ve tried many tripods over the years, and they all eventually wear out, but I am currently using a Manfrotto MK 190. Favourite photographers I have many, but I am forever picking up Joel Meyerowitz books. Favourite subject Landscape; it's the best reason for getting out every day. Awards We have a drawer at home full of gold medals and ribbons from all over the world, but if I had to pick my favourite, it would be the bronze medal from The RPS International because it is the one International that attracts a large entry from the competitive professional sector. My friends from the Edinburgh Photographic Society occasionally remind me that I am still the only entrant to have achieved success with all six prints submitted in a single session. Finally, I was awarded my Fellowship from the RPS for a set of monochrome prints, way back in 1987.

Above Infinity Bridge Stockton

subtle alternative. It can achieve the same result without revealing that distinctive hallmark that says HDR. I sometimes think that camera clubs demand toomuch from judges. Often, they’re expected to make an assessment within ten seconds, without having had the opportunity to view the work beforehand. Under that pressure, with dozens of members listening, it is hardly surprising that many resort to rote. I think those clubs that allow the judge to view the work a few days in advance usually experience the most satisfactory outcome. Photoshop has been a game- changer, and those who have fully embraced its many facilities will always have an edge. While I am not an expert at this, I am always impressed by the originality and imagination in so many composites we see these days. By way of contrast, I greatly admire ‘straight’ photographs, but in order to excel; I sense you cannot afford to be a jack of all trades. Those who appear successful tend to specialise in one particular aspect. To reflect this divergence, the RPS has now subdivided its Visual Arts category. One piece of advice that I would give to club members is to aim for clarity: the purpose of any photograph is to communicate an idea, so you can’t afford to be vague. Ask yourself, does every element within this image contribute, and if not, adjust it until it does.

Composition to encourage readers not to consider composition in terms of rules, but to understand that there are numerous design principles we can dip into, and that the so-called rule of thirds is but one of many. The book also suggests that these design principles apply to other visual arts, such as art, graphic design and architecture; to fully understand composition, we should look at how other visual artists operate. It introduces the notion of “anti- composition” where the so-called rules are deliberately abused to promote a sense of disharmony. For example, I wonder whether Robert Capa ever worried that an image of a falling soldier wasn’t on the thirds? This book has now been published in various other languages. I also regularly do a one-day course for the RPS on developing compositional and critiquing skills. What is an ordinary snapshot? Part of the skill of assessing someone else’s photograph is to fathom what they were thinking when they took it. Often something that looks ordinary can prove anything but, so I am always wary about labelling a photograph an ordinary snapshot. Photographers have been employing techniques since the days of Fox Talbot, so this isn’t a recent phenomenon, however the secret is to apply any technique discreetly, so that it isn’t blindingly obvious. In the case of HDR, it is so easy to over-cook the image. Using Highlights and Shadows sliders in Adobe Camera Raw might offer a

tonyworobiec.com

What do you think?

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.

Above Sand dunes and breaker