Annual wedding album competition results

[Zoe Richards]

Zoe - You sound just like Ms Harriet Harman, man hating, downgrading the men in society, what right has a woman to gain anything just because of her gender.

Women have more rights if you care to look in this country than I've ever known..........Equality........tosh. If you have the ability/talent you should be on an equal footing.....especially in Photography where a white middle aged man with a camera is now seen as a paedophile by so many women.

Minister for Women.............Minister for Men??...........gone fishing!!!

Give me men bosses any day.......society is turning into a women run nightmare!! And I'm a woman who likes the male gender.

One of the  biggest threats to our society is Management Consultants...destroying once fabulous companies........I've been there, seen a great company torn apart by these people........

Cheers

Julia

Julia, I think you may find it useful to re-read what I wrote

The issue I have a problem with is how the industry is dominated by men at the top - the only way I can change that as a woman is to be a woman who is prepared to work hard to break through the glass ceiling, and then to hold out a hand to other women to come along and join me.  I believe strongly that society in general, and organisations such as the SWPP, BIPP and MPA can benefit from more women pushing themselves forward so that we have a balanced perspective on what happens in the future.

What I am talking about here is exactly what Nigel said - a balanced perspective.  There is nothing in what you have written has a reference in my post.  My apologies that you found something offensive in my desire for balance.
Z

[PaulRG]

I don't know what happened in the SWPP judging this year but usually in large competitions the Chairman of the judging panel rotates judges during the period.  The chairman knows when a particular judge's work is due to be viewed and that judge will be replaced from the panel maybe 6 or 7, maybe more, entries before his comes up.  That way none of the other judges know when that judges work will be shown.

All authors are unknown to the judging panel so it's irrelevant if a judge wins, in fact if a judge wins at least you know that your work has been judged by the best in the field! 

[James Carter]

Well from the dealings I have had with Zoe, I can tell you what she said was straight to the point, but more over it was correct, and it was common sense too!

I don't care if she is a man, woman or beast, when she speaks she is usually right!

I'd rather be told the truth and tell me why something has not worked, rather than someone pussyfooting around trying not to hurt my feelings!

But I'm just a bloke!!!

[Zoe Richards]

.... when she speaks she is usually right!

Can you tell my husband that please, James? 

And thank you for your kind words.

[Pete W]

Good responses there! Maybe I should withdraw my reservations about the judge issue, though I'm not completely convinced! It wouldn't happen in most competitive human endeavours that a judge can be a competitor.

I would still ask to see the winning entries - what other photographic competitions do not show the winning entry? I doubt many people will be prepared to pay £15 a go in future if they can't even see what a winning entry looks like, unless they are already in the heady echelons of international photographers. I certainly won't anyway!

[PaulRG]

I'd also love to see the winning images - it's the only way any of us can learn what the current trends are in the eye's of the judges.

[Philip Hawkins]

The chairman knows when a particular judge's work is due to be viewed and that judge will be replaced from the panel maybe 6 or 7, maybe more, entries before his comes up.  That way none of the other judges know when that judges work will be shown.

Its not too hard to recognize a colleagues or friends work and equally not too hard not be influneced accordingly...one of the reasons why in all other comps judges involved with the organising are not permitted to enter due to the obvious conflict of interest. Still I dont we need be too worried unless we see the same old names repeatedly winning 

I think the main complaint of this thread tho is the total lack of feedback from entering given the not insignificant sum paid out in fees etc.

[Philip Hawkins]

it's much harder to be humble and to learn from the experience .... and having adopted that humility we give ourselves the privileged position of growing and developing.

But how does anyone learn without any feed back? Even knowing our marks would at least be something.

[STUART BEBB]

I'm coming to this post a little late but as I judged at both last year and this years convention and I've judged at WPPI in Las Vegas I think I'm qualified to give an answer. On every single panel I have ever been involved with I have never seen anything underhand going on ,thats the great thing about a competition judged in public in my view. The chair of the panel is in control and takes his or her responsibilities very seriously it does not matter if your print or you know the author  of a print your off the panel. You have to have the judges entering prints otherwise how do they stay current and it often happens that a judges prints do bomb it often does believe me I've seen it happen with my own work and others far more famous than me. Zoe I think its great that you want to brake the mold of men at the top !!!!! but there are many females in social photography at the top last years winner of the 16x20 comp was Amy Turner, this year the overall winner of the monthly competition was Laura Johnston, Faye Yerbury  Lynsey Thompson the list goes on there is a pool of very talented girls out there and they do give the boys a run for there money .
cheers Stuart

[joanne ingle]

It's very easy to become defensive, attacking and angry over any competition - it's much harder to be humble and to learn from the experience .... and having adopted that humility we give ourselves the privileged position of growing and developing.

your a star !!

[Zoe Richards]

I'm not a star, Jo, I'm someone who has been there, done the anger and learned that I got a lot more from the experience when I let go of the emotion and opened myself up to the learning.

Stuart - I know there are many exceptionally good women photographers, many of whom are winning competitions, but that is not the issue - it's the lack of women making decisions for the industry, judging, creating the future, and so on.  But my comment was not made to create a discussion about getting women photographers recognised, rather an example that if people don't like what operates, then they can work hard to get themselves up to the top and then be part of the change process.  Or they can spend their life complaining - their choice.

Phillip, I fully take on board your point - feedback is a critical part of the learning process.  However sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves and provide the feedback for ourselves, or seek out a mentor who can help us in the process if we do not have the knowledge to feed a self analysis to work successfully.

[Scott Hogg]

Wouldn't mind knowing how we all got on rather than just pay and hear that Jerry won..end of story.

[STUART BEBB]

Zoe,
Yes your right go for it
cheers Stuart

[Philip Hawkins]

Phillip, ... sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves and provide the feedback for ourselves, or seek out a mentor who can help us in the process if we do not have the knowledge to feed a self analysis to work successfully.

Personally, I think my album designs are excellent. So do my clients and the people I meet at wedding fairs. So as far as self analysis and personal feedback goes I'm totally happy. I just feel for the amount spent in entering the competition the least that could be done is give us our scores. Anyway, we all learn from experience so I simply wont enter again.

[Pete W]

I am happy to be able to say that Terrie posted a thread today saying that the scores have re-surfaced and should be available soon. Much credit to her for persevering in what has clearly been a bit of a treasure hunt!