Feedback on Images from SWPPA?

[davies_creative]

I am wondering if I will get feedback on my images from the competition. It was the only reason I entered. This was my first competition full stop. When I entered, I did not see an option to order my critiques separately. Did I miss something on the registration form?

I really didn't expect to merit any of the images. I entered to get feedback to improve for competition in the future.

Thanks,

Matt Davies

[Linda_Gregory]

Matthew, what competition was it you entered? If it was PPA's national, yes, there was a place to mark for a critique but each local handles things differently.

[Rick_Massarini]

Critiques are not done on images at the District Level (SWPPA is a District competition). You can order a critique on your entries at the IPC (International Photographic Competition), but not at the District level.
Why don't you post them here - there are a few affiliate jurors who post here from time to time, so maybe they can give you a critique. If you don't want your critique on the open forum, just request that they respond to you via PM.

[davies_creative]

Thanks Rick. I will do that this evening. I didn't realize I would not get feedback. $100 lesson learned!

[Jeff_Dachowski]

Matthew,
I know you did not get a full critique, but you did get feedback. You got scores right? I know it would be better to have a recorded critique, but you didnt come back empty handed.

Jeff

[davies_creative]

Jeff, you are absolutely right. However, just like a test in school, without knowing which answers you got correct, you can't improve your performance the next time. Do I feel a little better knowing that 3 out of 4 images were considered "above average"? Sure.

Don't get me wrong - I don't blame anyone but myself for not understanding fully what I was entering and what I could expect out of it. I just might have saved that $95 to enter a judged competition where the score would have included reasons why. Like did I decrease my score by adding digital mats that were incorrect or distracted from the images. I think I just didn't ask for enough information and advice before entering.

I will definitely take Rick's suggestion and post up what I entered to get some of that feedback.

[Rick_Massarini]

There is just not enough time at a District Judging for the jurors to critique each image. At a District Judging, the hosting associations usually bring in two panels of judges (12 jurors and two Jury Chairs). They spend two full days judging the images, then most of them leave for home. At the IPC, they bring in about 60 jurors for 5 days with it being planned in advance that some jurors will be used to judge the images, and some will be in the critique rooms critiquing the images. As far as I know, there has never been a big demand for critiques at the District levels. Many of those who enter the District Judgings attend the convention and sit in on the judging - so they get their feedback live when the image is judged. The entry fees paid by the entrants usually don't even cover the total of the expense of bringing in the judges to judge, so it usually costs the association some money just to host the District judging.

[Jeff_Dachowski]

Jeff, you are absolutely right. However, just like a test in school, without knowing which answers you got correct, you can't improve your performance the next time. Do I feel a little better knowing that 3 out of 4 images were considered "above average"? Sure.

Don't get me wrong - I don't blame anyone but myself for not understanding fully what I was entering and what I could expect out of it. I just might have saved that $95 to enter a judged competition where the score would have included reasons why. Like did I decrease my score by adding digital mats that were incorrect or distracted from the images. I think I just didn't ask for enough information and advice before entering.

I will definitely take Rick's suggestion and post up what I entered to get some of that feedback.

Hey Matt,
I didnt think you were mad. It sounds to me that you are just feeling your way through this process. Would it make you feel any better to tell you that I have been there too? Would it help to tell you that I nearly sent a case to another region other than my own? Shall I go on? I appreciate your positive attitude here. It is far more important that you got started, that you put yourself out there and got going, than it is that you have a complete understanding of a complicated set of competitions that do not retain complete consistency from local to state to district to international.
Jeff

[Keith_A_Howe]

Matt
Did you attend the judging? Several images are challenged and the judges express feelings pro and con on the image in the scoring process. Some might have been yours or not. . . but you learn a lot by watching and trying to see what the judges see in images. You can also ask any judges that are available after the judging to give you a critique, I know that SWPPA usually has a judges critique the morning after the judging ends that is great to attend. We as judges get to bring in some images into this program to voice opinions on. I was not a judge at this years event but was there last year, they have a great organization. Try to attend it is well worth it.
Keith

[davies_creative]

Keith - I was not able to attend. It just wasn't in the budget to travel to the convention this year. In 2012/2013 I'm hoping to hit a bit more of the tradeshow circuit.