[Jewelry making - Article 00301] - Re: [Orchid] The philosophy of choosing jury photos

[Karen Christians]

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Jan,

    I recently juried the Couture Awards for a show in New York and
    culled through about 400 images. This is the first time I have been
    on the jury side, so it was interesting for me to see exactly what I
    have been promoting for my students for all these years. 

    1) There is no substitution for poor craftsmanship. Even if you have
    the best photographer, if the work isn't there, it won't make the
    grade. 

    2) Inconsistent lighting. Some of the shots in a grouping of five
    had perfect lighting with consistent drop shadow which really popped
    the work. Then the fourth and fifth image had really poor lighting. I
    gave lower marks on these because the grouping did not convey a
    professional look. I'm a juror and you need to impress me first. 

    3) Project based work. I look for style or a personal "look", not a
    series of items that were products of various workshops. I've been in
    the business long enough to know when a piece was made in a hydraulic
    press workshop, and then one with John Cogswell, and then a mokume
    gane workshop. Those pieces said nothing about the intent and style
    of the maker. 

    4) Interesting and novel work. There is no substitute for this, even
    if the lighting is not perfect, if the work is fresh and well made,
    this is a joy for us to jury. If the light is spot on, your mark will
    go higher. 

    5) Textural backgrounds. No. No. No. Your work is not about what it
    is sitting on, it is about you. No piece of wood, fabric, black beans
    or rice will make your work look better than it is. 

    6) Details. These can help. Choose only one and make sure that it
    has no solder seams, no grit, no dust or cat hairs. One detail is
    good; one shot and four details is not. 

    7) Drop shadow vs. all white backgrounds. My personal favorite is
    the subtle drop shadow. It pops the work and it is easy on my eyes.
    Reflective shadows are fine, but only if the photographer knows
    exactly what they are doing. 

    8) Progression of skill level. As each of us gets that first amazing
    piece fabricated we run out to a photographer. Good choice. But then
    we see the persons work change and improve. As a juror, I don't want
    to see your pieces from the last five years as you progress. I want
    to see five pieces of your best work. 

    Get the requisite number of images of your work and that are your
    best and that are lit well. It won't matter what you put out, what
    matters is what the judges want for the look at their show. They are
    asking, will your work represent the kind of show we are putting on,
    will the person's booth be of the highest professional standard. If
    you can answer yes to both, then there should be no problem. 

    Here is a good example of excellent work.
    http://www.craftboston.org/artists.asp 

M E T A L W E R X
School for Jewelry and the Metalarts
50 Guinan St.
Waltham, MA 02451
781 891 3854
www.metalwerx.com
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