The Georgia Circuits

2011 - Celebrating 20 Years

International Expositions of Photography

New entries are at the top of this page generally – Dates may be included.   Comments on images which have been judged and presented to the public will be preceded by the year and circuit name!

March 14, 2011

Thoughts on the “Themes”

for the 2011 NORGA Prints, and the 2011 DIGA digital entries!

The PJ Division in 2011 NORGA Small Print Circuit is using the same theme of “The Home Place” as was used in the 2nd PJ section of the 2011 GASO Digital Circuit which finished judging in February:   You can go over the GASO medal winners on this site and see a number of the fine images under this theme in early April!

- Updates will be added here until the end of April as discussions continue about basic directives which will be offered to the judging panelists prior to the event!

“The Home Place” was used in the 2011 GASO Circuit so we could see where and what some of you considered to be your personal home place – either now or in the past, in part or overall, and that’s what we got.   We feel it was a success overall now that we look at the public shows.  The judges felt images which were more ‘pointed’ and directed at some part of the home place were more successful overall.   Images of what might be called ‘general family events’ at home were usually less successful not because of the subject matter, but rather in many cases the images were not technically as fine as they might have been.   This theme will probably be used a number of times in divisions other than Photojournalism over time – keep that in mind when you are out shooting.   The home place images which were commented on most were “parts” of the home place shown in a different light – the most commented on images was the inside of a dishwasher – something we don’t often (ever?) see or think about.   As has been the case over the 20 years at all the Georgia Circuits there is a trend to choose the best images from the seldom seen and what might be called the “odd” things submitted.

“The Chair” was talked about in a recent piece in the PSA Journal: We are instructing the judges to look for the insightful and “other” side of the chairs we all see every day – including the offbeat chairs, items which are not exclusively made to be a chair and the idea of just what a chair is!   Take the time to read the piece in the Journal and see if there’s another way to consider the subject matter.   We are not looking for only the chair as a thing, but the use and relationships used in our societies via the chair.   The panelists are always prompted between rounds to consider the variability’s taken which are open to the shooters when any image is shot – with greater consideration given to “new ways to see and new presentations of the common, rather than just what was there...  

“The Door” is another theme which is new for the Georgia Circuits and will be used now and then.    As with the “Chair” and the “Window” themes this is a more idea based concept than just shot based on and tied to a space with a jam and a wall around it.   We all pass through doors in our lives – just as we pass by off-ramps on the freeway – which takes us into another area or move us in another direction in life  – often one which could only partially be seen before we went through.   At the same time we all know that some doors are there to keep us out of someplace or to just plain  hide something – rather like a fence!   One of the largest selling posters in Ireland is titled “The Doors of Dublin” and is a study in color and shape and design – This poster is one of the things which will be shown to the judges and probably have some influence.   Framing of the other side of any doorway will be commented on just as will the point of view created by using the edges of the door will be commented on…

“The Window” is very much like the door idea in ways, but you don’t move through it as one does with a door or doorway – either coming or going in or out!   At the same time any window lets one see a relationship or an opportunity for something, be it a juxtaposition created illusion or a directional one.   Some think a window more like a mirror than it’s like a door – but this is still open to long discussions – but one needs to consider it as a good indication of how we’re always looking at different combinations of ideas within the images you send us!

A Comment on themes to come, and what do to if you don’t shoot such things!    At this time we’re looking at a number of possibilities for 2012 shows in any or all of the Circuits – The ideas now on the table being considered include “The Table”, and “Environmental Issues”, and “Space”, and the idea of “Loss” is coming in the near future.   The idea of these themes is to try and present to our viewers something which is newer and different from what has been presented for so many years by so many shows – BUT while keeping in mind that exceptionally well done “same-old same-old” work is needed in our presentations to the public!   The key idea is quality and quality ideas!   We got 2 great shots of Jenny Farm which got in – only 4 were entered we think!   Jenny Farm is one of the decade’s old traditional subjects outside Woodstock which thousands of us have shot – but it is STILL a fine image producing site.  That’s something to consider – The traditional images done of a traditional subject done in an outstanding approach are going to be acknowledged and accepted in this era of better and better digital work – in other words – Good work makes it in our shows, and great work makes for a medal winner – no matter the subject!

Also keep in mind that over half of the Georgia Circuits judges have been with us for 6 or more of our 20 year history of putting on exhibitions (on and then off that panel, and then back on another of the panels) so they’ve had a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of your images now and again.   When looking at the spreadsheets of the scores given by each judge in each show of each image, and collating it with the number of years they’ve judged it becomes clear that any images done with a new point of view (creative) does a bit better!   With the two new groups in the Georgia Circuits starting with the 2011 GASO it became necessary to use a number of 1st time judges picked from those who had worked the circuits before and so we found the results included more medals, more HMs and about a 9% rise in acceptances:  We know this was a one year aberration of the traditional Georgia Circuits numbers! 

March 9, 2011

Dear Circuits of Georgia Entrants,

One of the most commented on parts of the GASO and NORGA catalogues over the last 20 years was the “comments of the judges, volunteers and viewers” which went away after the 2008 NORGA publication.

Well – we’ve brought back the much requested opportunity to read just what the people who judge your work have to say back – starting by the 15th of March, along with some comments from me about the instructions I give to the judging panels on the “themes” being used in the Georgia Circuits.   We are the only circuit offering these themes, as we offer you, the people who keep us alive, information on just what it is the judges are “charged” with doing when they push the scoring buttons for your images.  

Each year we get a number (not very many I’ll say sadly) of suggestions on what our second themes in each division will be, and we work hard making the choice which will offer many of you a chance to show us what you can do – beyond the same-old same-old same-old “stuff!”

Going hand in hand with these variants of subject matter presented to the Circuits of Georgia panels is the “fact” that as the digital work gets better and better each show the difficulties in standing out is increased – even for the best of the best.   The technical quality of most of the work being done now is head and shoulders above ANYTHING done in the old media of film, so the next frontier is non-classical subjects and intuitive interpretation of ideas!

The Georgia Circuits started out as a set of shows where the “new” and “different” and “edgy” work did well for those moving into arenas normally not done by many others in the shows usually approved by the Photographic Society of America.   Some called it more “European” and “artistic” than most of the other USA based shows out there for you to enter.   We said “GOOD”!   But going hand in hand with that position is the obligation to offer some insight into what it is the panels are looking for.   This is where to find that information – which may be of a great help in other exhibitions as well.   (See above “newer” comments!)

Well – after a couple of years of divisiveness by the panels we’ve found our way back to the home place, and you can expect to see more and more of the “different” and “odd” and “newer” work being rewarded, if it is submitted to the Circuits!   This is not to say that the images which are “outstanding” and rather traditional in their content and presentation will not do well – rather it may be telling you that I’m instructing all the judging panels of the Circuits to reward those images which are leading the way to some new “edge” in the photographic community!   The new edge may be in idea, content, execution and or presentation.

Some of you noted that for the first time in 11 years there are 2 new groups taking part in the GASO – This has to do with the death of one of the other founders of the Georgia Circuits in February of 2010, Mr. Paul Jones:  A collector, director and supporter of the photographic community in the southeastern part of the USA.   Paul, Ashby Quinlin and I started the Georgia Circuits and were always reluctant to change groups without a real need for change – But digital created a need to make a major change for the better!   Take the time to read the comments of those who will judge your images and take it to heart as an opportunity to hear what they say – but remember it’s only one person’s thoughts and insights!   These people care as much as you do about the photography you offer to us, and so the comments are from us to you for you to consider!

This is the ONLY place within the 100’s of PSA type of shows you can read what those who take the time to work with and judge your images think about those images:  If it helps you then it will help us all!

Read more in about a week about our themes.

Robert  W. Ginn