Scoring Methodology
Live judging: Each judge will evaluate each photo on a scale of 9 points. The scores will added to reach a potential total of 27 points. In the event that a judge must decline to vote on an image, the average rule average of the other two judges scores will be added to provide potential total of 27 points.. (Note: Members of the judging panel may not judge their own image, their spouse’s image, or any other image they have prior knowledge about.)
Online judging: Each judge will score each photo on a 27 point scale and judge’s scores will be averaged. Judges must score their own images as 0. The web site will average all the other judges scores and ignore the 0 score.
Images will be judged on:
- Impact
- Composition
- Technical Quality
Some judges will obviously value some of these areas more than others. As we are all different in our approach to photography, we are all different in what we value in a photograph.
| 27-26 or (9) |
High impact and creative with excellent technical attributes. (Generally the best of show.) |
| 25-23 or (8) |
High impact and creative with minor technical flaws. (Generally award of merit.) |
| 22-20 or (7) |
Better than average image with strong impact and above average technical attributes. |
| 19-17 or (6) |
Better than average with some technical flaws, or technically good with lower impact. |
| 16-14 or (5) |
An average photograph |
| 13-11 or (4) |
A photograph that has minor technical problems or little or no impact. |
| 10-8 or (3) |
A photograph that has some technical problems, slightly off focus, poor color or tonal range. It may also have poor composition or lack of impact. (Examples: Over exposed skies, hot spots, objectionable distractions such a a telephone pole in an otherwise pristine landscape, unintentional sloping horizons or slanting or distorted perspectives.) |
| 7-5 or (2) |
Has many technical problems and low impact. |
| 4-3 or (1) |
Has severe technical problems or is disqualified because of unrelated subject matter for a given category. |
| 0 |
Zero is used only to average. |