Photo Show Ethics

[littlemissprint]

Hi everyone,

I'm not too familiar with having my work in shows, so I wanted to get some opinions on a recent experience I had:

Over the weekend I attended the opening to a photo show I was in. I stayed late to get some extra critique from the guy who organized/held the show.

After critique, we got to talking about the Best of Show winner and he tells me a bit of back-story to the photo itself. Being that he was one of the judges - I found it a bit unprofessional that he actually judged the show having known the back-story of some photos instead of judging strictly on how the photo itself communicates. Maybe I am wrong, but I thought the idea was that judges are supposed to have no connections or prior knowledge about the photographers and work they are judging - so that everything is on an even playing field.

The other thing that bothered me:
He went on to tell me that the winner was going through a divorce from a 25 year marriage, and that his confidence was shot - and he needed a boost - and essentially this is likely what broke the tie between his and another person's photo winning the show.

I don't mean to sound cold or heartless, but it left me feeling very offended... not only because the rest of us paid a lot of money to be in a professional show and we trust that things will be kept as business, but also because that man didn't truly win on his talent alone. I would never want to win Best of Show because someone was taking pity on me.

Has anyone else run into these sorts of things? Is this common?

*s

[TxTowman]

I agree with you. That's like fixing a race, game, or fight. It's just wrong!!!!

[texkam]

Wow, that sux. Sounds like it was what southerners call.... "a boat race".

[janikphoto]

That doesn't sound "fair", but what can you do? I recently organized a show and had photos entered. I made sure the judges didn't know which were mine and didn't try to influence them. My images didn't make it in. I'm glad there was absolutely no special treatment. That's how it should be.

[Abel]

Yes that is completely unprofessional and biased in my opinion. judges should NOT let 'backstory' or a photographers recent history play into any aspect of the judging they are to do. I mean what good does that do? Ok you gave the best in show to the one photog that 'needed a boost'... now if you go and tell people that and the photog finds out then what good have you really done? i mean i know i would not want to be a charity case and I would be offended if a judge gave me the award based on that account. not cool.

was this put on by a legitimate photography association? If so I would definitely bring it up to their board and mention this fact because judges that take it upon themselves to vote with a bias towards the photographers personal life should not be allowed to vote since it actually degrades the entire process...

[Cope]

Unprofessional, and quite common in other areas, so I suspect that photography judges are no different.