Round Two Judging Instructions

In the second round, we ask you to simply screen each image and decide if it should be awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold.

You will need to click “Submit” for each image before you move to the next image. All votes are saved and will remain the same if you close the window before you complete the whole gallery.

If you need to close the window and return at another time, we suggest you save your spot by adding the link to your Favorites. If you click the category link below, it will bring you back to the first image each time.

We are displaying the images one at a time without the ability to see the full gallery as a whole. This is intentional to allow an unbiased and consistent judging process.

Each option is paired with a number that, as you each vote, will create scores for each image on the back end of the competition. 

These numbers will be added to the scores in Round 1, which will be tallied to reveal the winner of each category. The image with the highest score overall will win First Place.

Scoring Checklist / Questions

Please use the following questions to help you make your decision:

Does it have a good technical base?
Was light used effectively?
Does it appear professional?
Does the photograph tell a story?
Is the image impressive?
Leaving Comments / Feedback

You are able to leave comments on any photograph at any time in the competition. We encourage you to do this GENEROUSLY.

We do ask you to be generous with your comments and consider leaving them for any image that speaks to you, positively or negatively.

Overall, please leave positivity within any comment that also carries helpful suggestions of changes.

Examples of Helpful Comments:

“The lower angle this was captured from allows the viewer to feel like they’re a part of the story. It makes this image so much more powerful!”
“I feel this one emotionally – as I was the dual role for my sister. Your heart bursts and breaks all at once!”
“Great black and white conversion although the blacks are losing some detail. While I appreciate having a quieter image in a birth gallery, I would invite the author to look at their selection for competition.”
“Beautiful moment and love the framing. The blacks have lost some details, so increase the shadows to really make the subject the focus of the shot.”
“So many fabulous things happening here – the two hands at the top mirroring the birthing person’s two feet. The line that flows through the midwife lying on the floor. I love it all! However, it’s too magenta, so it needs a little white balance love.”
Anonymity

Your scoring is 100% anonymous. Administrators are unable to see who gave which scores to images.

Your comments are anonymous to the public. Administrators can see all comments and their authors.

Should you wish people to know the comment came from you, you are welcome to include your name. Please know there is a possibility entrants will save any quotable positive feedback to use as part of their business marketing in the future. That said, we do encourage you to leave your name to allow them this opportunity, but it is your choice.

Kind, constructive criticism is encouraged and will be helpful to entrants for the future.

Completion

It is imperative that as a judge, when you start the judging process, you also finish it. By not finishing the process, it provides a disadvantage to images that were not viewed by you. Please ensure that you have set aside the time to go through and vote on each image.

If you are unable to complete the voting process (it’s okay, we get it, life happens!), please let me know immediately so I can provide a replacement judge. Thank you!