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We wanted to share some updates on our ongoing efforts to refine our competition judging process and provide you with more informative feedback.
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As some of you know, we meet with the judges each month prior to them seeing the photos to foster a better understanding of what we value in our competitions. While judging inherently involves subjectivity, our goal is to guide them towards more objective evaluations and provide constructive comments.
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These 30-minute sessions serve as awareness builders rather than in-depth training, but they do contribute to a positive impact. We're also hopeful that the NECCC will expand their judge education series, which they initiated two years ago.
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You can access the presentation materials we use with the judges on our Competition Info page: . Look for the "Judges Info Session" section.
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Focus on Nature Storytelling:
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Recently, we've observed a need for greater clarity regarding the Photography Society of America (PSA) nature storytelling levels. While we don't adhere to PSA's editing guidelines, we strongly endorse their emphasis on "nature images must tell a story."
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We also reinforce the importance of "high technical standards" as defined by PSA. This means that composition and technical excellence are expected at all levels. A compelling Level 4 story, for example, should not outscore a lower-level image that demonstrates superior technical quality.
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Here's a quick recap of the four PSA nature storytelling levels that help a judge distinguish between weak and strong nature stories.
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- Level 1: Descriptive Stories: Images focused on the subject's basic characteristics (shape, color, size, etc.), often depicting static subjects.
- Level 2: Behavior and Life Cycle Stories: Images that illustrate a subject's behavior or a stage in its life cycle (flight, growth, feeding, etc.).
- Level 3: Same Species Interactions: Images showcasing interactions between members of the same species (mates, parent-offspring, group behavior, etc.).
- Level 4: Different Species Interactions: Images capturing interactions between different species, often involving more complex stories.
We believe that a better understanding of these levels will enhance both your submissions and the judges' evaluations.
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We encourage you to review the Judges Info Session materials and consider these storytelling levels in your nature photography.
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