All Things Judging and Lecturing

The SPF maintains a list of individuals from our member clubs who are willing to give their time to visit our SPF Clubs as SPF Judges and/or SPF Lecturers. All SPF Judges and Lecturers are listed within the SPF Directory-Handbook. 

The SPF maintains three levels of Judges on their lists. The reason for the introduction of the three different lists of Judges, is to try and facililitate more SPF members being able to gain practical Judging experience, at an earlier stage, by making their names known to Clubs that they are willing to Judge. This also gives Clubs more Judges to select from, and hopefully aids the process of more SPF members becoming SPF Accredited Judges in the future. More details are given below on the three levels.

SPF 'A' List Judges - These are both SPF and PAGB accredited and listed Judges. These are judges shown to have National/PAGB/International Judging experience. This list is also included in our SPF Directory. The 'A' List of Judges was the existing PAGB Approved SPF Judges as listed in the PAGB Handbook on the PAGB's own list of Judges page - Only the PAGB can approve addition to this list (See the PAGB Handbook for details)

SPF 'B' List Judges - These are SPF accredited Judges, and listed in our SPF Directory. These are Judges who the SPF has approved and invited on to their list, many following an SPF Judge's Assessment Day (or Workshop). These are Judges who have shown the SPF they hold both the knowledge and experience of photography, and that of SPF Club photography, along with the practical experience and skills to Judge.

NEW SPF 'C' List Judges - These are as yet non-SPF accredited Judges, and listed in our SPF Directory. These are Judges willing to Judge, but wishing to gain more practical Judging experience or before attending an SPF Assessment Day, with a view to going on the SPF 'B' List. A 'Questionnaire for Prospective SPF Judges' requires to be completed by all prospective 'C' List candidates to show they have the basic knowledge/experience required before they will be listed. It is encouraged that 'Feedback Forms' are completed by Clubs for Judges on this list, which may help them progress their status more quickly. More details are supplied under Interested in Becoming a Judge on this page.

We would ask all SPF Judges and Lecturers to let us know as soon as there are any amendments to the details listed in our SPF Directory. (A copy of this Directory-Handbook will be available with restricted access once our Member's Area is in operation). An Update Form is supplied for this purpose at the end of the listings in our Directory and also below in the downloads area, but all we require is an email with the details.

You can send this information to the SPF General Secretary who's details are on the form.

Being an SPF listed Judge or Lecturer means agreeing to the conditions laid out under this area. These are also the conditions that SPF Member Clubs must adhere to when booking SPF or PAGB Judges and Lecturers.

For Full Terms and Conditions please see downloads area below, which also includees a Booking Form pro-forma for use by SPF Clubs and SPF Judges and Lecturers, which apply to all SPF listed Judges and Lecturers, visiting SPF or PAGB Clubs, either in person or virtually, as well as others listed by the PAGB in their in the PAGB secure CMS Website Listing (replacing the old PAGB Handbook).

The SPF Judging Guidance Notes above are an extract from the pack supplied to prospective SPF Judges at our SPF Assessment Day. These are also of interest for those interested in becoming a Judge.

The old PAGB Handbook guidance for conditions of booking a Judge or Lecturer and the expenses they can claim has been superseeded by the PAGB documents supplied below in the downloads area. This applies to everyone listed in the SPF Directory-Handbook and the new PAGB CMS Website Listing, unless otherwise indicated. 

For your convenience the relevant details from the PAGB are available below, or on the Library area of the PAGB website (click here).

Please remember that all PAGB Terms and Conditions and Guidance Notes for Judges and Lecturers ALSO applies to ALL SPF Judges and Lecturers. The SPF Directory-Handbook contains some of these details. 

Please ensure you confirm what expenses are due to be paid at the time of the booking. An SPF Directory-Handbook is supplied by email to every Club Secretary and Competition Secretary listed with as well as all SPF Judges and Lecturers.

For details about the new PAGB CMS Website Listing of Judges and Lecturers please see more details above as well as details below.

Current Mileage Rate - The current SPF mileage rate is 45p per mile, which includes fuel. (The PAGB rate is also 45p per mile, including fuel) This the maximum allowable rate before being taxable.

At the moment the rate may seem low, depending on your vehicle’s mpg, but it is not long ago that it wasn’t – It tends to average out. Judges and Lecturers are free to ask for a lesser amount, but please do not assume that the next Judge/Lecturer will, they may need the full rate. Many are sympathetic to smaller Clubs. At the end of the year, Judges are likely to need all their expenses to cover all of their incidental costs e.g. evening meal/snacks etc. taken en-route not charged to the Club.

You will find additional details regarding Expenses, Mileages and Fees in the PAGB Judges and Lecturers Standard Terms and Conditions in the downloads supplied above, and in the below e-news Judging special.

These forms are supplied as part of a trial designed to give constructive feedback to SPF Judges visiting our SPF Clubs/Societies, and for SPF Judges to have the opportunity to give constructive feedback to SPF Clubs/Societies that they have Judged. The aim of this trial is to improve the Judging experience for Club and Judge alike.

It is not intended as a mechanism purely to criticise Clubs or Judges, but to let each know any areas of the process that they did well, and areas that may be improved upon for future Judgings. This will be particularly useful for less experienced Competition Secretaries who are often thrown in at the deep end. Many SPF Judges have also indicated that they are keen to receive the feedback, and again the feedback will be particularly useful for newer Judges.

Therefore Judges please use these forms to report instances of what you consider the Clubs you visit have done well, and areas that may be improved upon.

Clubs are encouraged to complete this form with the Club’s collective view, on how the Judge performed at their Club on the night, not the view of an Individual. The form should be completed by members of the Committee, considering these views but; They should also take in to account any factors that might have impacted on the night’s Judging (e.g. a late start/long break in considering timekeeping) and make a measured fair assessment. More examples will be given in a Q&A document (here soon)

Both Judges and Clubs should give credit where it is due, it is easy to be negative, and should consider their answers carefully to avoid offence. Forms received from a Club will be forwarded to the Judge and vice-versa. Other than passing to the SPF Officers administering the trial, all Feedback Forms will be treated in strict confidence.

These Forms are intended only for use by SPF Judges, and SPF Club Committee members on behalf of their Clubs. Only One Form per Club, per Judging please.

Feedback Forms should be returned to the email address indicated on the Forms.

SPF C List Judges are as yet non-SPF accredited Judges, but are listed in our SPF Directory. There can be two types of Judges on this list at any time as detailed below.

Some may be Judges willing to Judge, but who require to gain practical Judging experience, or a wider knowledge of SPF Club photography, before attending an SPF Assessment Day.

Others may be on a waiting list for the next SPF Assessment Day, having already gained the necessary practical or photographic knowledge required to be added to that list, with a view to become SPF 'B' Listed Judges.

A 'Questionnaire for Prospective SPF Judges' requires to be completed by all prospective 'C' List candidates to show they have the basic knowledge/experience required before they will be listed. More details are supplied under Interested in Becoming a Judge on the following webpage (click here)

It is encouraged that 'Feedback Forms' are completed by Clubs for all Judges on this list, which may help them progress their status more quickly. 

If you’re not sure you want to go out Judging on your own for the first time; Why not have a word with an SPF Judge in your area? They may be prepared to go out with you, or give you some practical help or advice. Or you may be able to go out with them to one or two of their Judgings, and see things from the Judge’s perspective, and gain some tips.

The SPF runs these Assessments for those interested in becoming an SPF accredited Judge. They are for Club members interested in Judging, but before attending you should have had some practical Judging experience.

The purpose of the SPF Judges Assessment Day is to ascertain if you are ready to be added to the SPF’s ‘B’ List of Accredited Judges details of which will be listed in the SPF Directory. This is our opportunity to see prospective 'B' List Judges in action, with a view to inviting a few new faces on to our SPF Judges list. Judging Assessment Days are popular, although slightly misunderstood - They are not intended to tell you what Judges are looking for, or how to Judge, but instead are an opportunity for the SPF to invite new Judges on to their list, or for those with some Judging experience to hone their skills. These have now changed their names from 'Workshops' to try and avoid confusion. 

These Assessment Days are free and are open to all SPF club members, and must be pre-booked, but observers are not permitted. Applicants require to complete a 'Questionnaire' which should show if they hold both the knowledge and experience of photography, and that of SPF Club photography, along with the practical experience and/or presentation skills to attend an Assessment Day, with a view to be invited on to the SPF 'B' List. We will use the Questionnaire supplied to assess if you already have the experience to benefit from this Assessment Day. We try to run this event annually. 

During the Day we will discuss with you the pleasures and pitfalls of Judging, what clubs will expect, what you should expect, along with presentation skills. You will be asked to demonstrate your own presentation and judging skills with practical presentations.

Please see further details below on the SPF Judges Assessment Day or contact the SPF General Secretary. Some Guidance Notes, as supplied to attendees of the Assessment Day, are available to download in the Booking and Guidance area below to assist all levels of Judges (See Judges Guidance Notes 1, 2 and 3 supplied above)

A PAGB e-news Judging Special, which contains a number of different articles and viewpoints on Judging, can be viewed (click here) 

An SPF Judge's Meeting was held by the SPF Executive to talk through the possibility of introducing Feedback Forms in an aim to improve the Judging experience for both Club and Judge alike. It was agreed by the Judges present that a trial should be run using the feedback forms for a year, and a follow up meeting be held to review how the process had gone. The Judges also suggested that as many Clubs/Judges should be encouraged to submit the Feedback Forms during that time. (The trial was extended indefinately at the Sept 17 Judge's meeting more details can be found on the Sept 17 Judge's Meeting Minutes supplied below)

It was also proposed to introduce a three tier level to our SPF Judge's list as supplied in our SPF Directory (A, B and C). Where A would be Judges who were PAGB accredited Judges (As listed under PAGB in their Handbook); B would be remainder of SPF accredited Judges as listed in the SPF Directory; C would be for SPF non-accredited Judges; The introduction of the 'C' list would hopefully give anyone interested in having a go at Judging the necessary opportunites to gain some experience. This would eventually encourage more people on to our lists, or allow them to gain experience prior to coming to an SPF Judges Assessment Course, or for those who attended the course but may have benefitted from more experience before going on to our list. The SPF would invite anyone interested in coming on to our 'C List' to get in contact with the SPF General Secretary (More details are now available above). The lists will be split in to A, B & C in time for the next major update of the SPF Directory for 1st Jan 2017 (This was done)

The minutes of that meeting, which help outline some of the reasons behind these introductions are available to read below (3rd July 2016 Meeting, and follow up meeting Sept 2017).