NOTE:  This answer applies to a Contest being judged by an assigned Single Judge.

 

This answer does not apply to a Contest being rated. 

 

 

In order to judge a Contest, you must be a member of the Gallery and then you must be assigned as the judge for the Contest by your Gallery's Host!

 

 

 

 

DETAILED ANSWER VERSION for How do I judge Contests? 

 

These are the detailed steps for how to judge a Contest in your Gallery.

 

1.  Become a Gallery Member: You must be a Member of a Gallery that is holding Contests (that is Competitive YES) in order to judge Contests in that Gallery.   Register as a SnapBraggin User, if necessary, then join a Gallery.

 

2.  Volunteer:  Contact your Gallery Host and volunteer to be a Single Judge.

 

3.  Be assigned as the judge:  At the discretion of your Gallery Host, you may be assigned as the Single Judge for one or more Contests in your Member Gallery.

 

4. Sign In to SnapBraggin with your Username or Email Address and Password.

 

5. Click on the For Judges menu link.

 

6.  Click on a Gallery dropdown.

 

7.  Then click on a Contest Album link that has a Ready for judging icon.  READY FOR JUDGING ICON

 

8.  JUDGING PHASE #1:   View and judge all of the entries!

 

NOTE:  Please do not judge the thumbnail images.   Please judge using either the Scroll View images or the Detail pages.

 

To judge by viewing the Scroll View images:  Use the toggles (the orange buttons) to select Scroll View.  Then scroll the page up or down to judge the entries.

 

To judge by viewing the Detail pages:  Click on any thumbnail or Scroll View image to access an entry's Detail page.  Then you can click on the Next and Previous buttons to page through the entries to view and judge them. 

 

9. JUDGING PHASE #1:   Select your Finalists.  Give your potential winners a Finalist flag!

 

Put a checkered Finalist Flag onto those entries which you judge to be potential winners.  

 

Only entries flagged as Finalists make it to the Second Phase of judging!

 

 

To mark as Finalist:  Click on a green, checkered flag icon CHECKERED FINALIST FLAG ICON to put a Finalist flag onto an entry.

 

To remove a Finalist:  Click on a gray, empty flag icon EMPTY FLAG ICON to remove a Finalist flag from an entry. 

 

A Finalist flag may be put onto (or removed from) an entry's thumbnail, scroll view, or detail page. 

 

 

10. JUDGING PHASE #1:    The number of Finalists.

 

The Contest will require a number of Finalists.  

 

A chart at the top of the page will indicate how many Finalists have been selected and how many are required.

 

You must select as many Finalists as possible up to the required number, but not more than the required number.

 

Examples:

 

Let's say that the Contest requires 6 Finalists.

 

If the Contest contains 6 or more entries, you must Flag only 6 Finalists. 

(The 6 Finalists will win awards.)

 

If the Contest contains less than 6 entries, you must Flag the maximum number possible.  (The number of Finalists that you are able to Flag will win awards, for example 4 Finalists.)

 

If the Contest contains ZERO entries, you will Flag no Finalists. 

(No entries will win awards.)

 

PLEASE NOTE: You must proceed to Judging Phase #2 and Complete the judging even if the Contest contains zero entries!

 

 

11.  JUDGING PHASE #1:   Disqualify entries.  

 

The judge may Disqualify entries if desired.   

 

It is the judge's responsibility to be familiar with the Contest's rules, regulations and requirements, and to enforce those rules and regulations by issuing Disqualifications as necessary. 

 

Disqualifications may be because of the photograph itself, or Disqualifications may be because of inaccurate information in the Title and/or Description, or a combination!  

 

An entry may need to be Disqualified because it is in the wrong Contest.  There are many potential reasons why an entry might need to be disqualified by the Judge.

 

Entries that are Disqualified by the judge will no longer be valid Finalists. 

 

To disqualify an entry, put a Disqualification (DQ) Flag onto those entries which you feel deserve to be Disqualified, then provide a comment why.   

 

To mark as Disqualified:  Click on a red, DQ flag icon DQ FLAG ICON to put a DQ flag onto an entry.

 

To remove a Disqualification:  Click on gray, empty flag icon EMPTY FLAG ICON to remove a DQ flag. 

 

A Disqualification flag may be put onto (or removed from) an entry's thumbnail, scroll view, or detail page. 

 

Add the required Disqualification Comment:

 

When a DQ flag button or icon is clicked, the Disqualification Comment window will open.

 

The judge will then be required to write a reason why the entry is being disqualified.  

 

Type your disqualification reason into the box, then click Apply.

 

Edit your Disqualification Comment:

 

If you need to edit your Disqualification Comment, Click again on a DQ Flag button or icon.

 

The Disqualification Comment window will reopen.  Edit your comment, and again click Apply.

 

NOTE:   It is okay to insert URL address links to referenced images or rules to support your disqualification reason. 

 

Please supply sufficient information so that the entrant will know what they must fix.

 

It is especially important to tell the entrant if the photo itself is at fault (if so, the photo must be deleted and replaced.)

 

Or, you may need to explain that there is an error in the written Title or Description information.

(If so, the entrant may be given the opportunity to modify the Title or Description in order to correct the entry.)

 

Remember that a disqualification reason can often be educational for the entrant if worded in a helpful manner!

 

11.  JUDGING PHASE #2:   The winning order of Finalists.

 

When your Finalists have been selected, click on the Judging Phase #2 button.

 

NOTE:   If you are viewing a Detail page, you will need to return to the thumbnail or Scroll View page to access the Judging Phase #2 button.

 

Rearrange the order of your Finalists into placed order, starting with First Place in the top left.

 

To rearrange the order of your Finalists you may either:

 

Drag and Drop the Finalist thumbnails into judged order or,

 

Use the Photo Comparison page by placing a checkmark into the small boxes on two of the Finalist thumbnails.  The two entries will be displayed side by side for comparison. 

 

Click on Promote Second if you judge the entry on the right to be better than the entry on the left.  

 

Or click on Keep Current Order if the entry on the left is better.

 

12.  JUDGING PHASE #2:     Complete the judging.

 

When you are satisfied with the judged order of your finalists, click on the Complete judging button to solidify your winners.

 

NOTE: You must Complete the judging even if the Contest contains zero entries!

 

NOTE:  If you have not selected the required number of Finalists, you will receive an error message.  If so, please return to the Judging Phase #1 page to adjust your number of Finalists.

 

 

13.  JUDGING PHASE #2:     Re-judge a Contest if desired.

 

You have the option to re-judge a Completed Contest, if desired.   

 

To re-judge a Completed Contest, click on a Contest Album link that has a Completed icon. COMPLETED ICON

 

Then, while inside the Album, click on the Re-judge this Contest button.

 

Proceed, once again, through Judging Phase #1 and Judging Phase #2.

 

Then Complete the judging again.

 

NOTE:  If you re-judge any Contest Albums, you must also re-judge (if you Completed them) any associated Champion and/or Grand Champion (higher-level) Contests that have been assigned to you. 

 

14.  Judge other assigned Contests.

 

If you would like to return to your list of assigned Contests, you may either:

 

Click on the To Do button or

 

Click on the For Judges menu link.

 

Then repeat from Step #6.

 

15.  Judge all of your assigned Contests until all of your assigned Contests been Completed (including empty contests!)

 

16.  When you are finished, you can let your Gallery Host know that you have Completed the judging of all of your assigned Contests.