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Post by hmca on Apr 1, 2016 23:57:08 GMT
Recently we had a poll to select our IOW for the week of March 14 - 20th. We had 17 outstanding images that our members contributed. Just as impressive was the number of people who took the time to cast their vote to help decide the outcome. It is this kind of active involvement that makes PSE&M a place that people like to visit. We may not be a large forum but our members know and depend upon the support they receive here. We are also about having fun and encouraging each other. So with that in mind, I ask you to once again think about joining the judges' team. We are a small group of volunteers. If you voted in the poll, and even if you didn't, you are qualified to join. We all know that art is subjective. What appeals to one person may not necessarily be the choice of someone else. I think we all recognize that and respect each others choices.
I know everyone is busy so you may be wondering what the commitment is....what exactly do I have to do? Basically, you use the search to see the images posted during the last week. From that list you choose the images you want to recognize. Then you create a thread sharing your choices with the rest of the PSE&M community. There is a special Judges Forum with more detailed directions and places to practice before posting if you would like to do that. How often your turn comes up depends upon the number of judges. If there are 15 judges....your turn comes up once in 15 weeks. When once you do it, I think you will find that it is a rather painless process and one that will end up enjoying. So, if you've decided to give this a try please respond to this post or send me a PM.
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estherf
Junior Forum Member
YEAH! I got another 'star' and have been upgraded from new to casual!
Posts: 112
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by estherf on Apr 2, 2016 1:25:52 GMT
Hi, I will judge again, just space me out a ways since I am a substitute this week.
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alexr
Established Forum Member
Posts: 555
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by alexr on Apr 2, 2016 9:19:16 GMT
I am not sure how many regular members we have who are not IOW judges, but I just thought I would add my four penn'orth hopefully by way of gentle encouragement. The most important thing to say is that I have been a judge for a couple of rounds now, and I have absolutely no judging qualifications to do so. I'm just an ordinary guy who likes to take and look at photographs. I do not treat the IOW in any way like a competition. That sounds ridiculous because clearly there is a competitive element, but the way I see it, it is a learning experience for me as a judge as it makes me look at the 20 or so uploaded images and think about why I like (or don't) like them. This to me is valuable development activity. Then all I have to do is write down which ones I like and that could be it. I actually choose to also write down why I chose them, because I am comfortable doing that, but not everyone does which is fair enough, and you don't have to. The thing that makes it so easy is that you are only commenting on your favourites so there is never anything negative to say, although, again, I choose to identify suggestions for improvement, partly because it helps justify in my own head which image takes top spot.
The other thing I wanted to say, and I thought quite hard about whether or not to include this paragraph but have decided to, but please no-one be offended by what I am about to say, particularly the winners of the poll week but take it in the positive spirit it is meant. Helen rightly says that it is all subjective. When I thought about offering myself as a judge I was worried about how I would recognise the 'best' image and what if I chose an image that everyone else thought was rubbish and had not recognised a brilliant one? Well, to that I would say there is no 'best' image, only your favourite, and no-one can argue with that. The public poll was fascinating for me because, you know what? I didn't vote for any of the top three. So what does that say about me as a judge? Am I really so out of step with public opinion? Well, maybe, but that is one of the strengths of the IOW, that looking at someone else's (equally valid) selection makes me look them anew and see them afresh from another person's eyes. And that helps me look at my own images as others see them, and not how I think they look, after having stared at them on screen for a couple of hours tinkering with them.
So, I have now rambled on overly long, for which I apologise. Please sign up to be a judge, there is no down side, you will only learn from it.
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rapata
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 246 
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Post by rapata on Apr 2, 2016 15:21:27 GMT
To anyone who is considering signing up as a judge, I would like to encourage you. It does not take a huge commitment in time or require any special skill, and the judges forum has a very good set of guidelines about the actual process of writing the IOW announcement once you have made your choices.
Give it a try, I think you will enjoy it.
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