Photography News Issue 37

Photography News | Issue 37 | absolutephoto.com

Profile

Before the Judge

Biography

Each month, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences. We speak to Peter R. Gennard, who’s been judging for over 30 years Peter R Gennard, MFIAP, EFIAP/p

Peter RGennard Peter R Gennard has been building up his judging experience for over 30 years and has an amazing 203 awards in FIAP approved international salons. Years in photography 50 years Home club Smethwick Photographic Society Favourite camera Nikon D700 Favourite lens Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 Favourite photo accessory Small reflector Favourite subject Environment portraiture using a wide-angle lens Awards I have 203 awards in FIAP approved international salons. Perhaps my best recent achievement was selecting and preparing the images for the 2015 FIAP Club’s World Cup for my club, Smethwick Photographic Society. 197 clubs worldwide competed and Smethwick Photographic Society won.

Words by Peter R. Gennard

My introduction to judging came in the 80s when my first camera club invitedmembers to comment onother members’ pictures. It was a small club and the entry wasn’t large enough to attract an outside judge. I found this valuable experience and learned a lot listening to more experienced club photographers discussing the good and bad in pictures. I then got a call from another local club to judge their competition. More and more local clubs then invited me to judge. My federation, MCPF (Midland Counties Photographic federation) hosts judging seminars on an annual basis. The all-day sessions provided a great help, learning from experienced judges teaching the basics of judging. Successful attendees were invited to join the MCPF judges list. This meant that you were included in a handbook that was supplied to all club secretaries. I joined Smethwick Photographic Society in 1983. I was encouraged to enter international exhibitions as we had officers in the club whose job it was to send in a club entry. I concentrated on entering FIAP approved internationals and made it my goal to gain those letters aftermy name. This club always invited outside judges to comment on the Merit Competitions, another opportunity to learn from other judges from different parts of the country. I always remember a judge coming from the Manchester area, Arthur Downes, who was very good and introduced a lot of humour into the evening. Again, this is an aspect that I put into my judging. I remember some judges telling me two words to remember about judging, ‘educate and entertain’. Club judging is the most challenging. Sometimes I feel like saying “why did you point the camera in that direction and why do you feel it would make a good picture?”. When you visit a club and view members work, you don’t always knowhowaccomplished the photographer is. It could be the member’s first picture ever entered. I always give constructive criticism. I like to praise the good features in the picture and then suggest how they could improve bad features in the picture. I always try to spend more time commenting on the beginners’ section as they need more advice on technique, composition and quality.

‘dominate’ the exhibition by scoring too many fives. I look at judging with other selectors, that it is a consensus of opinion from all the three selectors. Most exhibition chairman encourage their selectors to score five when they think it’d be a contender for an award. Digital manipulation has encouraged photographers to enter creative pictures. This is becoming very popular in all exhibitions. Unfortunately, many of the pictures don’t tell any story. I’mnot saying that every picture should tell a story but a lot of pictures are overcomplicated. I just think the photographer is trying to prove that he or she is very good proficient at digital manipulation. I enjoy pictures with a clear message and that are ‘quality’. I find the image title important and on occasions a title can convey what the photographer is trying to say. Very often, with projected image exhibitions who have modern computer software, a title will appear on the top of the screen. I try to accept all types of pictures for an exhibition, becauseyouaretheretoselectpictures for an exhibition, so it is important to make selections from all genres of photography. I have no biases. My least favourite type of picture though is the ‘cute little kittens in a basket’ shot. But if it is good, I would score it to be accepted.

I have a nickname when I judge at local clubs, ‘Chopper Gennard’. I invariably advise that some pictures could be improved by chopping a little from the composition. I always prefer cold judging on the night. I have been asked to judge a projected image competition on the club website before the clubs’ meeting. This system gives you good insight of what to expect, but I feel it is essential to judge them on a projector or on a large screen. This brings me to another issue with projected image judging. The quality of some clubs projectors are very poor. Colours, contrast, sharpness can be alarmingly bad. I often ask to stand behind the laptop to compare the image between the laptop and the screen. I much prefer to judge prints. I have been in the audience at some club judging where the judge has completely chastised the photographer for producing a poor picture. This in my opinion, is the wrong approach and could really demotivate the photographer. Many clubs like to score the pictures out of 20 as they have league system. I do not like to give a score less than ten as anything lower could demoralise the photographer. Even with the emergence of digital some photographers do not appear to get any better. I sometimes ask

club members if they have been to photography exhibitions. It’s amazing to find that they don’t venture far from their own clubroom. They won’t get any better unless they visit other exhibitions and see other photographers’s work. I tell them that they can always look at International exhibitions online. The ScottishSalon, Cheltenham Salon, Port Talbot Salon are just fewwhere you can view all of the acceptances. I have the pleasure to be invited to judge at other federations in the PAGB regions. My favourite judging experiences have been the PAGB Adjudications. This is where photographers can enter their pictures to gain CPAGB (credit), DPAGB (distinction) and MPAGB (master) distinctions and get letters after their name. You are one of five other selectors who vote on each picture using the two to five judging machines. It’s a great thrill when the photographers actually attain their distinctions. I was very fortunate to be invited on to the PAGBAlliance list of judges. I have now judged many salons in the United Kingdom and Ireland. There is nothing better than viewing some of the best images from around the world. I have only had one problem judging an international with a fellow judge. I was accused of trying to

I have a nickname when I judge local clubs, ‘Chopper Gennard’

Above “This picture is called Nothing to Give. It is my granddaughter Stella who I photographed in the church next door to where she lives in Gloucestershire.”

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.