Judging nature photography competitions is often a controversial subject among the landscape and nature photography community. Why certain photographs are chosen over others is often a subject of great passion and debate among those that enter competitions. As such, I thought it would be fun to chat with someone who has judged A LOT of competitions to get their perspective.
This week on the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast, I was joined by a German nature photographer, Sandra Bartocha. Sandra is the 1st Vice President of the German Society for Nature Photography, otherwise known as the GDT. She is a well-established nature photography judge, having judged several competitions, including our very own Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Sandra's photography has a unique look and feel that is difficult for me to describe to viewers, and as such, she has differentiated herself in our crowded field of nature photography - a topic we cover at great length in today's podcast.
On this week's episode, we discuss:
- Sandra's journey into nature photography and how she has been able to create unique and compelling work,
- How getting involved in photography organizations can improve your work,
- What Sandra looks for when she judges nature photography competitions,
- Why people should or should not enter photography competitions,
- How to think about entering a photography competition,
- How we can differentiate ourselves as photographers,
- Her new book project, Rhythm of Nature,
- And a lot more!
Other topics discussed on the podcast this week:
- Support the show on Patreon.
- Support Sandra by purchasing her new book, the Rhythm of Nature.
- Gary Randall & Alyce Bender Caddo Lake Workshop.
Here is who Sandra recommended on the podcast this week:
Over on Patreon, Sandra and I have a wonderful conversation where we examine gender and race equity in nature photography - so if you're not supporting the podcast on Patreon, and this topic is of interest to you, you might want to check it out. For just $5/mo, you can support the podcast on Patreon and gain access to hundreds of hours of bonus content.
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Please find a transcript of today's episode below:
