Judge’s Instructions

Caulfield Photographic has ungraded competitions with four sections - Open Print, Open Projected, Set Subject Print and Set Subject Projected.

Judges are asked to:

  • Assess each image with regard to aesthetics, originality, imagination, impact, mood and message. While an assessment of the technical quality of an image is important, it should not override the consideration of its artistic merit.  Set subject entries should reflect or interpret the assigned subject for that month in an artistic and creative manner. While judges may refer to the title of an image to seek clarification of the photographer’s intent, particularly in relation to set subject images, the title is not relevant to the judging of an image.

  • Read and note the provided set subject brief. This brief has also been provided to members, so set subject images should be assessed with the brief in mind

  • Images in competition sections can be nominated as Highly Commended or Commended

  • The Highly Commended award should be reserved for images of a higher standard within each section. There is no limit on how many Highly Commended awards may be given in each section.

  • Commended awards will generally be for images of a high standard, but may also be awarded to images which have flaws but show interesting approaches, artistic value or inventive use of technique

  • As a guide, approximately one third of entries in each competition section and overall should receive an award. This is a guide only, and judges may award more than this if they feel the standard of entries merits it.

  • Please select four images from all entries presented as Images of the Month. Please limit these awards to one per member (based on member competition numbers on the entry sheets). You are encouraged (but not required) to select entries from a variety of genres to be awarded

  • A brief critique of each image would be appreciated

  • Please do not edit images presented for judging

Judges are invited to present and talk to 10-15 of their own images in digital or print format (or equivalent in other media) at the end of their judging presentation.

Please aim to complete the judging presentation and your own presentation within 90 minutes.