The goal of the APJA training syllabus is to deliver the knowledge and skills required for critiquing photographic images, to photographers who wish to become APJA-accredited judges. Further, the training is designed to equip judges with the tools to provide effective and practical feedback when judging club competitions.
The courses provided consist of Image Evaluation and six levels which can be taken in any order.
Course material is delivered through live, online sessions. Participants will complete practical assignments to reinforce their learning. The delivery schedule of training is outlined in the APJA training calendar. The following outline summarises the focus of training provided at each level.
Image Evaluation
The Image Evaluation workshop is a 4-hour workshop conducted over 2 nights.
It is designed to teach you what, why, and how to evaluate images.
- How to critique images
- Practical critiquing exercise
Level 1
A standalone course without any entry requirements.
The Level 1 workshop is a 6-hour workshop conducted over 3 nights.
It is designed to help you expand and revise on the skills learned in the image evaluation course. The workshop will examine some common photographic genres and give you practice at critiquing them.
- Compositional elements
- Scoring
- Judging approach for Land/Sea scapes, Travel photography, and Architecture
- Public speaking
- Practical judging Land/Seascape and Travel images
Level 2
A standalone course without any entry requirements.
The Level 2 workshop is a 6-hour workshop conducted over 3 nights.
This workshop will delve deeper into art elements, design principles, and art concepts. It will explore the issues in judging set subjects and provide you with the opportunity to practice them. Technical aspects of judging photographs will be covered in depth.
- Introduction to Art and Design Elements in Photography
- Approaches to judging to set subject definitions.
- The technical aspect of judging digital and print images
- A review of competition management programmes e.g. Visual Pursuits, PhotoContest Pro andMyPhotoClub.
- Practical judging of a set subject competition
Level 3
A standalone course without any entry requirements.
The Level 3 workshop is a 6-hour workshop conducted over 3 nights.
It is designed to explore the issues and skills in judging photographs that have mood, emotion or a message.
- Introduction to story, mood, and emotion in images
- ‘Made’ versus ‘Found’ images
- Introduction to colour theory
- Monochrome
- Motion, movement, and speed
- Minimalist photography
- Practical judging
Level 4
A standalone course without any entry requirements.
The Level 4 workshop is a 6-hour workshop conducted over 3 nights.
The genres of Street, Abstract, Portrait, and Still Life will be covered including methods of judging them. Judging mobile images will be covered in both theory and practice.
- Street Photography
- Photojournalism and documentary photography
- Gestalt theory and its relation to the perception of images
- Judging Mobile images
- Abstract photography
- Portrait photography
- Still life, tabletop, and food photography
- Practical judging - mobile, abstract, and street images
Level 5
A standalone course without any entry requirements.
The Level 5 workshop is a 6-hour workshop conducted over 3 nights.
This workshop looks at Judges' rights, issues with images produced by artificial intelligence, and advanced colour theory. We also look at art movement and trends up until 1850.
- Judges’ rights
- Advanced colour
- Artificial intelligence
- Sport photography
- Astro and night photography
- Judging a series or photo essay
- Art movements and photography trends (up to 1850)
- Practical written judging
Level 6
A standalone course without any entry requirements.
The Level 6 workshop is a 6-hour workshop conducted over 3 nights.
This workshop delves into advanced aesthetics and AI-generated photography. We include a look at the issues in judging Macro and Aerial images.
- Advanced Aesthetics
- Art movements and photography trends (from 1850 to present)
- Macro/Closeup
- Aerial Photography
- How to give Feedback
- The Conundrum of Judging AI Generated Photography
- Judge’s rights and dealing with difficult people
- Aesthetics challenge as a home activity, allow 2 hours
