PHOTO CLUB at MILE HI
Competition Judging Criteria
Judging for photos submitted for Art on Loan at Mile Hi Church will be judged by a panel of 3-5 judges using the following criteria, which has been simplified and adapted from the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) guidance for photographic competitions. The percentage after each of the criteria is the weighting applied for that category. Each category is rated from 1-5 stars with five stars being the highest and one being the lowest.
Subject Matter - 20%
Appropriate to the story being told. If there is a theme for the competition, how well the photo meets the theme is included in scoring. However, theme is not the sole determinate of this score. In grading this area the reviewer should consider how appropriate the photo is to the story being told even if it only obscurely meets the theme of the competition. The reviewer should consider the clarity of the story presented and whether it is congruent with the title of the piece.
Impact - 40%
The sense one gets upon viewing an image for the first time. Compelling images should evoke laughter, sadness, anger, pride, wonder, excitement or another intense emotion.
Technical Excellence - 40%
The quality of the image itself as it is presented. This category takes the following into consideration.
• Composition - How well all the visual elements are brought together in concert to express the purpose of the image. Effective composition holds the viewer in the image and prompts the viewer to look where the creator intends.
• Color Balance - How well the tones work together to effectively support the image.
• Center of Interest - The point or points on the image where the maker wants the viewer to stop as they view the image. Occasionally there will be no specific center of interest, when the entire scene collectively serves as the center of interest. Regardless of the light source (natural or artificial) proper use of light should enhance an image. Focus and cropping should be considered in evaluating this category. Although focus should usually be tack sharp on the center of interest, this may not always be the case depending on the style of the photo and story being told.
• Style - Defined in a number of ways as it applies to a creative image; style might be defined by a specific genre or simply be recognizable as characteristics of how a specific artist applies light to a subject. It can impact an image in a positive manner when the subject matter and style are appropriate for each other; or it can have a negative effect when they are at odds.
Word of Caution - When evaluating photos, please remember that the photo is the artist’s representation, and the image as presented is what should be judged. Comments suggesting that subject matter or elements of subject matter should be changed to better suit the reviewer are not considered valid comments and should be avoided.
updated Dec 28 2020