THE J UDGE’S EYE
Layout I hear the word ‘composition’ everywhere in the industry, but I prefer the term ‘layout’ because it makes you think like a designer rather than a photographer. We’re looking at the same thing, of course, but through different eyes. As an artist, you don’t just take a photograph – you design it. The placement of every element and the relationships between those elements is down to you, the photographer. You design the image to make it pleasing and lead the viewer to the areas you want them to notice – something true of all styles, whether it’s photojournalism, fine-art or still life. In my experience, photographers often don’t pay enough attention to the layout – even a simple portrait can be visually engaging by the considered placement of individual elements, a tight crop or an original viewpoint. Presentation The presentation of an image is more applicable to print competitions than digital-only awards. Where you place your image on the printed page is a design consideration in its own right. The placement of the image, the colour and finish of the paper, the inclusion (or exclusion) of a border will affect the judge’s impression when they first see the image. Oh, and of course, your paper choice and print quality are critical too. Too many images are let down by sub-standard prints on floppy, cheap paper when the image may have done much better if, for instance, you printed on rigid fine-art board. For example, if you print on flimsy paper, it will be hard to judge on the viewing lightbox! Matt papers tend to reduce the contrast of an image with much softer blacks and subdued highlights than gloss papers, so if you’re using fine-art matt papers, make sure it’s appropriate for your picture. Some papers scratch easily – test them! You do not want a panel of judges spending valuable time debating whether to ignore marks on the paper rather than enjoying your image. Choosing, testing and printing with high-quality papers and boards is costly, but the investment is nearly always rewarded when it comes to awards! Lighting When you think about it, a photograph is nothing more than the representation of light – an X by Y grid of tiny points of luminescence. We take three-dimensional reality and represent it in two dimensions, using nothing more than pixels. Does the lighting in the image provide shape, dimensionality, atmosphere and substance to the
photograph? Does it feel like I am looking at something with form and presence? Is the hardness or softness of the light appropriate for the subject matter? Most importantly, can we see the photographer’s input and control of the lighting, whether it’s in a studio or out on the street? There is a misconception that ‘photojournalism’ imagery – portraits, news, weddings – give the photographer no control over the lighting. Well, that may or may not be accurate. Still, if you look at the best photojournalists’ work, the lighting is always incredible, they understand how to capture it and they have that indefinable timing and eye for lighting. Colour and tonal balance Do the colours and tones of the image do their job (whatever that job should be)? A misty landscape may only have the most subtle, subdued colour, eerily picking out shapes from the gloom. Simultaneously, a fashion image may be adventurous in its use of intense colour, drawing the viewer to the clothing or the lifestyle. The judges are looking for control and the deliberate manipulation of the tonal palette to support the image. Monochrome or multichrome? When you’re trying to decide if the image should be monochrome or colour, ask this question first: is the colour an integral part of the image? Is the colour adding or distracting the viewer from the story you’re trying to tell? For instance, fashion images are almost always colour because the image’s job is to sell clothes. At the same time, portraits are much more suited to monochrome as the picture is primarily the person’s character. Have you ever considered the cover art used to sell musical albums? I know they’re primarily on iTunes or Spotify now, though I long for the days of vinyl! Still, the marketing team’s selection of colour or monochrome tells you a little about the music before you’ve even hit ‘download’! The music business is well-versed in the creative use of imagery and how to set the tone before you’ve listened to a single note! Lens choice In the end, I’ve listed lens choice, but it’s not precisely the lens selection that is under scrutiny. Instead, we are examining the impact your choice has had on the image. Every focal length (and, simultaneously, your distance from the subject) will distort the image’s perspective. Is this distortion adding or distracting from the result?
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