4. JUDICIOUS BEHAVIOUR 

There have been many writings on how competition judging should be presented. Most of them repeat each other. This one aims at describing what oddly enough₁ the others have left out. 

CLOTHING, Dress of the participants is important. I remember one evening when we had invited an important personality to be our judge. it was dismaying to see so many present in ragged get up. They might at least have shown respect to the visitor by, for once, presenting a slight facade of formality. What would the judge think of all that semblance of gardening clothes or of camping kit? And the worst of it all was the chap who wore an immense, ragged old pullover which hung to below his knees, who was unshaven, who had unkempt hair flopping to his shoulders, and who sported a big badge labelling him “Dennis the Menace”? In fact they thought rather highly of him, since he turned out to be not only the judge but also an extremely good and effective one. 

In the main, however, I regret it when a judge tries to show that he is “one of the boys” by ostentatiously taking off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves, undoing his necktie and opening his collar. He comes as an expert with status and - without pomposity- should try for an appearance living up to this. 

FOR ALL TO SEE. Some judges do not appreciate how opaque they are. They stand immediately in front of the print, obscuring its view, instead of taking a side position so that everyone can see the print he is talking about.

After every print has been judged it should be quietly taken by a club member in attendance and hung up on a large display screen for all to examine during the coffee break or afterwards, so that small and big points of lighting, composition and darkroom technology may be studied. 

FOR ALL TO HEAR. The judge will look OR talk, never look AND talk. While he is viewing the print it is right and proper for him to have his back to the audience. And then he will step aside and turn ‘about to face the members and give voice. An opinion expressed towards the print is an opinion unheard. 

PAST AND PRESENT. The judge should not reminisce. There will be no moments of ‘That reminds me of a time when...” He is there to talk of the present. Descent into anecdotage about other events is not really welcomed.

LONELY AS A CLOUD. The club will have carefully appointed and instructed two or three suitable members with the gift of tact and the gift of the gab to make sure that during the interval, the judge will not feel isolated with no one paying attention to him after he had been given the statutory cup of coffee and two biscuits. These members will engage him in conversation, ask him ~intelligent questions” and dutifully listen o his replies. 

THE MARKS BOTHERS. Allocating marks to each photograph is a bind and reduces spontaneous enjoyment. How many of us visit an art gallery like the Tate or the National Gallery dishing out number values to a Rubens, a Tintoretto or a Picasso? Just ask the judge to chose the best three and tell him that he is at liberty to give an accolade of “Highly Commended” to any others if he wishes. This will save him a lot of trouble and he will be grateful for the freedom.

CRIES OF GRATITUDE. The apprehensive member who has been cajoled into giving the vote of thanks will limit himself to only two and a half minutes. His first twenty seconds will express euphoria at the way the evening was spent. The next minute will pick on some endearing idiosyflCracY or phraseology of the judge and affectionately (never mockingly) refer to it with humour and appreciation. Another minute goes to admiring the technology displayed by the judge and to his brilliantly fair method of assessing. That leaves him ten seconds to rise to a sharp crescendo and a fortissimo of enthusiasm which will produce thunderous and valedictory applause.

A good time will have been had by all (except the Competition Secretary who will be glooming over having to sort out the prints and return them.

Editorial

CRCMain