JUDGING COLLECTION 5

Stuart Crossett

Submitting any image for judgement by a group of sometimes unknown and often famous peers, is daunting to say the least. It takes courage. It can take a thick skin. And, like every competition, once the image is rejected, the moratorium follows.

I guess most photographers bestow upon their images, the same love and attention they devote to their children.

So, when their favourite print -- the one they struggled over in that howling gale; with water up to their waist in a lake full of leeches; the day when the snow was driving horizontally and your lens wore a permanent David Hamilton filter -- so when that favourite print didn't get accepted into the Collection, it's a little like telling the photographer that he has given birth to an ugly baby.

It is not enough for Judging to be fair, it is also important for it to be seen to be fair. The mantle of den mother to the judges falls on the capable shoulders of Stuart Crossett, Chairman of the Judging Committee.

* The judging process and the panel are perhaps the most important aspects of The Collection. If not, they are certainly the most discussed and contentious.

The critic's critics:

For as long as I have been entering awards around Australia and overseas, I've always found the criticism of the judging panel was 'Great!' on a successful entry and 'Terrible!' on an unsuccessful entry.

Thankfully there is always someone else to blame if your work doesn't get in -- everyone has an opinion about the judges and The Collection Committee cops the negative stuff!

Interestingly enough, the difference of opinion that exists surrounding the selection of judges is rivalled only by the difference of opinion amongst the judges themselves.

The judging panel:

The fairest judging panel is one made up of diverse opinions where the judges represent all areas of photography including experience, age, gender and respect. So far, I feel this has been adhered to but it is the job of The Collection Committee to continually fine tune this process.

For Collection 5 we are making a few changes: The number of judges will increase to twelve and will be comprised of eight photographers and four non-photographers. All judges, as before, will represent a broad section of the photographic community -- including buyers of photography and perhaps, gallery curators or representatives of the arts community.

All judges will be appointed by the Chairman of Judges with consultation from the Federal Board. The Chairman of Judges will be appointed by The Collection Committee and ratified by the Board of the ACMP.

So far this process has worked well.

A simple score:

The judging procedure is based on similar awards around the world depending simply on whether the judges liked the shot, or not. A maximum score out of five can be given. A score of three is a neutral score -- used for your own work, or for work you have an association with. This discourages 'fence sitting'. These scores are tallied, and the highest scoring prints above the cut off mark, are the successful entries.

The judges are briefed thoroughly before commencing and are not allowed to confer. All scores are confidential.

A fact of life:

I often get concerns that The Collections don't represent a balanced cross-section of Australian work, with most acceptances originating in NSW and Victoria.

This is simply because we receive more entries from NSW and Victoria than the other states. If Queensland and WA want a better representation, send in more entries!

Interestingly enough, if one turns the acceptance numbers from each state into a percentage of that state's entries, the % figures are fairly even.

So, if this year, your work didn't make it into The Collection, take heart! A fresh selection of judges next year might just see things differently!

Stuart Crossett, Chairman, Judging Committee

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