Make the judges evening enjoyable and worthwhile, think before you print, is this the best you can do?  Even simple cropping of a print or masking of a slide can dramatically enhance a photograph.  Just take an extra 10 minutes pondering if you can improve an image before you enter it.
I believe that  judging is helping me to look at my own work in a more constructive way (whether it be for competition use or personal satisfaction).  All too often I have, in the past, been unable to divorce myself from the feelings of emotion, sounds and smell I felt when I came upon a vista.  To be able to portray that same emotion takes a skill beyond just getting exposure and composition right.  Just because you are at the most beautiful place on earth does not mean your pictures will be perfect 10's.  As some of you will know, I am currently undergoing a crisis with my own ability to get prints of good technical quality.  My prints lack the sparkle of what is achievable with digital printing.  I have several members kind enough to try & help me discover whether the fault is my own inability to use Photoshop adequately, whether my scanning technique is right or whether my printer set up is wrong.  For now my photographs are in my mind and not on paper.  I find it all rather frustrating to see in my mind what I want to achieve but unable to get it down on a print.  Being a judge, I know exactly what will be going through their minds …. hmm …. interesting subject but lacking sparkle …. lets see, a mediocre mark I think …. lets move on.
It's one thing to enter a photograph and have suggested improvements pointed out but it's another to enter something when you, yourself, know what should be improved.
Of course there are judge baiters, but yes I am delighted to say that I have sussed the odd image and when the penny drops as to what the image is, boy that does feel satisfying.
Generally I have found most clubs welcoming but on one occasion I had to laugh when two seconds after entering the room I was pounced upon with comments like 'welcome, are you a prospective new member?' !  Maybe some committee members
haven't read the programme and automatically expect a male judge to turn up.  Personally, I would like to see more lady judges on the circuit.  At the last Southern Federation judging seminar not one prospective member judge was a lady and yet all clubs have lady members so why don't they become judges ?  Personally, I think I know the reason why
I 'defied' these rules and I would be interested to

hear other peoples comments.  (Perhaps in another newsletter somebody could write a controversial
Reply !)
Well the sun is still shining and time for a nice cold beer.  My conclusion has to be, yes, I am glad I gave judging a go.  Maybe something in this article has sparked some reactions from you, perhaps you too have a desire to become a judge.  My advice is that it's really not that difficult, you get to meet and chat with so many of the regions good photographers.  So with my third season approaching, I guess I am starting to loose some of that rookie status but improvement is still very much the name of the game.
Ciao from Tuscany.

	Photos were required either to contain a lot of people or no people,
	There should be no evidence of overlarge bodies in the foreground,
	Distinguishing features of the location were required in the background,
	Montages are a no-no,

AND

The shots all have to be horizontal format, except for the front cover, even though a vertical might better fit the subject.

Then there was the weather, lots of weekends with grey skies to contend with.  After three unsuccessful attempts to film the front cover photo, I had to resort to putting in a blue sky on that one, although Anna Carter was very reluctant about accepting it.
Finally, all was agreed by end June & the calendar with its embedded photos was converted to Adobe Portable Document Format and inkjet prints made of each A3 page.  The file on CD and the inkjets were sent to the printers for proofing and the go-ahead for 1000 calendars given in July

to somewhere like a steam fair;  or is it to be a record of your own work over a period of time ?  Once this decision is made then you can plan your show.  Every show needs a beginning or introduction, a middle which generally is the main substance of the show, and an end which can either culminate in a quick dramatic climax or a slow gentle fade out.
2.  Most shows need a title, short and to the point.
I personally do not add my name as part of the title or introductory slide.  A very simple title slide can be made by producing transparent or coloured lettering on a solid black background and projecting it on top of an introductory slide, the lettering only is transmitted and is superimposed on the introductory slide very effectively.  Many shows also benefit from projecting a map or route to illustrate the extent of the journey or area and this should come immediately after the title slide; it helps if you spend some little time explaining it.
3.  If it is at all possible, and it rarely is, try and have all your slides one size and one format, i.e. all vertical or all horizontal.  I must confess that I've not managed it yet in some 30 or so shows.
4.  The number of slides will determine the length of your show, and invariably you will need more slides than you at first think.  The so-called experts say that you should not have a slide on the screen for longer than about 10 seconds, the claim being that anything longer than this can become boring and the viewer can soon lose interest, & in general this is a good rule.  There are exceptions of course, particularly if the slide illustrates something that needs an explanation like a layout for example. There is also the third image, i.e. when you are fading out the first slide and fading in the second you sometimes create an interesting picture when each is about half way, this is known as the third image and you can pause at this point to allow viewers to appreciate the effect.
5.  When selecting slides pay particular attention to the strength and intensity of each side in relation to each other; do not follow a dark heavily saturated slide with a very light pastel one, find an intermediate to project in between and create a more progressive change from dark to light.  An excellent way of making the initial selection is to do it on a light box as this lets you see the breadth of the selection and allows you to choose slides that blend together.
6.  The quality of each slide should be the best you've got, but remember you can always introduce a slightly inferior one occasionally to keep the continuity going or illustrate a specific point.

The last thing you want is to jump around, you need to keep a steady continuous progression & hold the viewers attention from start to finish.
7.  If the show is to last for some time, introduce a break after some 40 to 45 minutes by projecting an 'end of part one' slide, but make sure it is at a suitable position at the end of a short sequence or story & not in the middle.
8.  After the break start with a 'part two' slide and be prepared to hold for a few seconds to allow viewers to settle down before you carry on with the show.
9.  Add some human or humorous interest to your show, there is nothing worse than getting too technical for too long and boring your viewers.
10.  Get your facts right….there is every chance that someone in the audience will have been to the same place and may know more about the subject than you do.  I have spent many hours researching an area or its history to make sure I've got it right, and I find the best way to remember things is to write them down.  It is not unusual for me to have up to 8 foolscap pages of hand written notes for a 90 minute show, & I find that by writing them down I can usually remember them.  Actually seeing the slide on the screen is often the catalyst to help me remember.
11.  An infra-red pointer torch is a very useful item for picking out some specific thing during projection, but try not to over do it as it is human nature for the eye to follow the spot and not appreciate what you are trying to say, they may be too keen on just following the spot.
12.  No matter how many slides you have you will find you never have enough, so if in doubt take an extra one.  Should you be fortunate enough to be visiting the location for a second time before the show goes on, it goes without saying, make sure you retake the slides you are not 100% satisfied with and of course take the ones you didn't the first time.
13.  I sometimes find when I have made my selection & projected them for the first time, that I have concentrated too much on one particular aspect and not enough on another, so then the changes have to be made.  An excellent idea is to project the show to a friend, but not a relative or someone who was there, as you want an unbiased opinion.
14.  When you think it is finished, project the show at home and time it so you know exactly how long it takes, and also it gives you the chance to check your equipment.

I hope some of you find these points useful and wish you Happy Showing.

…..and finally, as TV seems to be plagued with constant showings of gardening, family re-location, cooking, auctions & numerous programmes on house improvements, I thought you might like to see one of mine !!