A Judge for the People - Profile of Bill Day CPAGB
A judge for the people: a profile of Bill Day
A photographic competition is being organised by North Walsham Photographic Group, and will be held at the Atrium during the 3rd week of August. The Group is delighted that Bill Day has agreed to be the judge for the second year running. In conversation with Bill, I asked him why he enjoyed judging, since it can often be a thankless task, as judges are so often criticised for their decisions (unless you are the winner!). Bill has a philosophical approach to his judging: he knows amateur club photographers need encouragement and constructive critique, but above all he wants his judging to be regarded as contributing to an enjoyable and entertaining evening, and has a sharp sense of humour to complement his repertoire. He also recognises that huge effort is put into the production of pictures, and their effort should be respected.
A member of North Norfolk Photographic Society for many years, Bill became a judge with the support of Irene Froy, his early mentor, (who has gained many awards, both nationally and internationally, for her exceptional service to photography), and is in constant demand by the many clubs around East Anglia. He regards himself as more a conventional photographer and questions the blurring of boundaries between ‘modern’ photographic techniques and graphic art.
So how does he judge pictures? Apart from the established technical features, such as attention to detail, general rules of composition, leading lines and deciding the points of interest or focus, he acknowledges that much is subjective. “Do I like what I’m looking at?” is a starting point, and analysis will follow. He intuitively knows whether a picture has been produced by an experienced photographer or not, and structures his critique accordingly: encouragement and advice for the novice, and more critical comments for the competent.
He is most supportive of North Walsham club for the effort it makes to run events such as the Public Competition. In such events, as a judge, he doesn’t concern himself so much with the refinements of photography, but sees the photos as an expression of the keen individual, and comments accordingly. His critiques on the photographs in the public competition promise to be thoughtful , generous and humorous.
The competition runs from the 19th to the 23rd of August, and is open to everyone, regardless of age. If you are interested in submitting a photograph, please contact the competition secretary, Rachel Farrow, on 01692 406526 for further details.
A photographic competition is being organised by North Walsham Photographic Group, and will be held at the Atrium during the 3rd week of August. The Group is delighted that Bill Day has agreed to be the judge for the second year running. In conversation with Bill, I asked him why he enjoyed judging, since it can often be a thankless task, as judges are so often criticised for their decisions (unless you are the winner!). Bill has a philosophical approach to his judging: he knows amateur club photographers need encouragement and constructive critique, but above all he wants his judging to be regarded as contributing to an enjoyable and entertaining evening, and has a sharp sense of humour to complement his repertoire. He also recognises that huge effort is put into the production of pictures, and their effort should be respected.
A member of North Norfolk Photographic Society for many years, Bill became a judge with the support of Irene Froy, his early mentor, (who has gained many awards, both nationally and internationally, for her exceptional service to photography), and is in constant demand by the many clubs around East Anglia. He regards himself as more a conventional photographer and questions the blurring of boundaries between ‘modern’ photographic techniques and graphic art.
So how does he judge pictures? Apart from the established technical features, such as attention to detail, general rules of composition, leading lines and deciding the points of interest or focus, he acknowledges that much is subjective. “Do I like what I’m looking at?” is a starting point, and analysis will follow. He intuitively knows whether a picture has been produced by an experienced photographer or not, and structures his critique accordingly: encouragement and advice for the novice, and more critical comments for the competent.
He is most supportive of North Walsham club for the effort it makes to run events such as the Public Competition. In such events, as a judge, he doesn’t concern himself so much with the refinements of photography, but sees the photos as an expression of the keen individual, and comments accordingly. His critiques on the photographs in the public competition promise to be thoughtful , generous and humorous.
The competition runs from the 19th to the 23rd of August, and is open to everyone, regardless of age. If you are interested in submitting a photograph, please contact the competition secretary, Rachel Farrow, on 01692 406526 for further details.