I feel sorry for those folks who join British camera clubs in the hope of improving their work. The so-called 'judges' that pontificate on members' work and award prizes based on some mysterious points system are a farce. They have come through the club system themselves and almost certainly have never set foot in a contemporary gallery to appreciate what's going on in the real world of photography. Some even have the audacity to describe themselves as 'professional camera club judges'. A contradiction in terms if there ever was one.
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| 'Alltyblaca, Ceredigion', 2022 |
Add to that the seemingly necessary and compulsory appending to their photographs of ludicrous titles makes it even sillier. As if that wasn't bad enough, for some unearthly reason they also have to add the make of camera, lens and even shutter speeds and f-stop settings. This just further emphasises the fact that they have no connection at all with the world of photography. I must have seen many hundreds of exhibitions over the years all over the UK, Europe and the USA, plus own and have looked at many more hundreds of photo books and have never seen silly titles or the technical detail appended to the images. I do wonder what planet they are on.
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| 'Llanfechan, Ceredigion', 2022 |
Talking about planets, these 'judges' sitting in judgement on photographs in 2022 is rather like members of the flat earth society assessing the essays of students of astrophysics. Or creationists commenting on the work of archaeologists. They are of course, entitled to a view but any sensible evaluation should dismiss them as nonsense. Sadly, members of British camera clubs seem to swallow all this stuff.
Someone who became one of the worlds most notable photojournalists and a long-standing member of Magnum, subscribed, as a young man before his career took off, to a camera club critique 'circle'. Mistakenly, he probably thought it might help his photography. This meant that his prints were sent around to other club members, who, presumably had their views brainwashed over the years by a succession of these buffoons of 'judges', for their comments.
Luckily for posterity, these written 'critiques' are preserved as part of the photographer's archive in a major public institution. They make hilarious reading. Luckily for world photography he took no notice of them and went on to very great things.
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| 'Lampeter, Ceredigion', 2022 |
Luckily for posterity, these written 'critiques' are preserved as part of the photographer's archive in a major public institution. They make hilarious reading. Luckily for world photography he took no notice of them and went on to very great things.
The happy reality today and for many years past, is that there are now many places where an aspiring photographer can receive help, advice and informed critique from the many renowned photographers who exhibit in the galleries that have sprung up allover the UK. These sessions are well attended, but sadly, almost never by British camera club members. Maybe they are too busy poring over their maps of the flat earth or dismissing the latest exciting discovery from many millennia ago as fake and thinking up the next silly title for a print.
