Guidelines for Photo Salon Judges

Updated for 2023 from the original 2014 guidelines. Minor revisions for 2024.

Also see the web pages for ...

• Hidden Earth Salons Further Info.
• Photo Salon Rules / Guidelines on main HE Website
• Photo Salon Entry Form
• Past Competition Winners

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General Notes

We say to the entrants that photographs will be judged on their technical, artistic and aesthetic qualities (see Hidden Earth Salons Information), which we explain as follows...

The Artistic quality of your work will depend on its composition, lighting and subject matter. For a photograph this may mean that instead of a simple 'point and shoot' approach, you consider how the different elements of your picture fit together.

The Technical qualities show themselves in how the image is presented, and they demonstrate whether you know how to use your equipment. Is the picture in focus? Is it of a sufficient resolution? For a photograph are there any 'tram-lines' visible on the print. Are the colour-depth and image-resolution satisfactory? Has the image been over-sharpened or similarly abused? Are there any compression artefacts visible at a normal viewing distance. Is the photo well-mounted or does it curl up at the edges?

Aesthetics means, in essence, was the image worth looking at? Was it beautiful, inspiring, shocking, or thought-provoking? Did it appeal to the senses? Will the people who saw it remember it, or did they just stare blankly at it and move on to the next one.

What You Are Judging

There are three competition categories, each with a single prize. In addition you can award Merits and Distinctions, as explained in the table below. The three competition categories are

• Premier Trophy
• Print entries
• Digital entries

Merits and Distinctions

There is no restriction on the number of Merits and Distinctions you may award, but we do request that you keep this 'balanced', and that you limit the number of Distinctions. Exactly how many of each award you give will depend on the size of the field.

A Merit should indicate that a photograph meets the standard of a good competition entry - it is up there with the best but just not quite as good at the entries which have received Distinction or Winner awards. It is up to the judges to decide what the necessary standard is, by assessing the overall quality of the entries (the bar tends to get higher each year). The aim is that all the impressive photos should get at least a Merit, but without the number of Merits awarded being so great that the award becomes devalued as an achievement. Of course this is all subjective. But the key is to get a good balance. When you are deliberating over the Distinctions, perhaps all those that miss out on a Distinction award should receive a Merit?

Young Photographer Awards (New for 2024)

notes to be inserted

Timetable

Please do your best to complete the judging by 5pm Saturday when the Trade Hall closes. If the Trade Hall manager is able to give you access to the room after that time, that is fine, but the Competitions Secretary (David Gibson in 2024) needs the results by 8pm Saturday in order to build the closing ceremony projection on Saturday evening. Sunday is generally too much of a rush.

The results can be handed in on a "pink sheet" by 5pm or by email (possibly as scans of the pink sheet?) to competitions@hidden.earth by 8pm.

Judging Procedures

We try not to be too prescriptive, e.g. we do not demand that you 'score' the photos and award marks for specific aspects. Awarding marks for the title of the photo (as some salons allegedly do) is, we think, over the top. But you are certainly free to adopt a method of scoring - and of checking artistic / technical / aesthetic value - if you think it would help you.

One point we do ask, though, is that you study the Photo Salon Rules and Guidelines – and check that the entrant has followed them, where appropriate.

We also ask that you consider carefully the situation where an entrant has entered a 'substantially similar' image in the Digital and Print categories. This should be viewed as an unfair practice.

Premier Trophy

First of all, Judge the Premier Trophy Entries from the print entries marked with a yellow highlight.

This is what we say to the entrants... This is described in the rules as a 'portfolio'. A portfolio is more than just your five best shots, but there is no requirement that the photos follow a theme. It is up to you to decide the content (and you might decide on a theme if you wish, or to explore some other aspect of presentation). It is up to the judges to judge the photos as a whole, deciding if the prints work well as a set, but that does not mean 'to a theme'. Because presentation is important, you should ask if you wish your photos to be displayed to a particular layout. This is especially important if you will not be present to hang the pictures yourself.

Print and Digital entries

• You are awarding one first prize in each category, and an unspecified number of Merits and Distinctions
• Only the "winner" gets a prize. Merits and Distinctions may be offered a certificate by post, later.