We were told more than 90 photographers entered 147 photos; 39 images were selected. It was interesting to see what was selected; it might have been equally interesting to see the ones that were rejected.
The judge, Tom Carr from Denver, gave a summary of how he selected the photos, which was revealing. An archeologist by training, Carr now works for the state historical museum in Denver, where he has curated several significant shows, including one on photography of Mesa Verde through the decades. His approach to selecting the photographs for "Images of the Southwest" was essentially that of a curator.
He first decided that he would hang the selected images in one continuous line around the gallery ... none above another ... which meant that the number he could select was a function of the linear feet available on the gallery walls - about 40 pictures.
Then he decided the title theme would be carried out in three sections. He sorted the 147 entries into those categories and selected those that contributed most to the subthemes, looking at composition, printing, etc.
He is a black-and-white film photographer, and he works in a historical museum, so B/W was well-represented in the less than 2/7 that made the cut, as were pictures of ruins and people-type subjects. Sandy noticed there wasn't an aspen in sight, nor were there any cacti. Nor were there any of the grand scenic sweeps we see exhibited for sale in galleries in Durango, Telluride and Grand Junction.
The grand prize went to the grandest piece shown, a color photo-mural that must have been six feet long and maybe two feet high. It was an excellent capturing of the Grand Gallery, a legendary pictograph panel buried in the depths of Grand Gulch, in Utah. The photographer said he made 10 prints before he got the one he was satisfied enough with to show, so his investment, including framing and matting, was huge!
We noticed that framing of pictures in this exhibit, as with "Art of the Animal" at Open Shutter Gallery, tends to be plain and minimal, unlike the pictures exhibited in the commercial galleries we've visited. My guess is that photos bought from an exhibit will be reframed to the new owner's taste, whereas those bought in a shop are intended to be ready-to-hang.
Anyway, it was an interesting learning experience. I don't know if other judges approach their tasks in the way Carr did, but it was useful to learn how he went at it. Neighbor Bill Proud (who won Best Color with a large print that included a Hovenweep structure) said part of the strategy for entering an exhibit is researching the judge! TV
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