Judging Nature Photography Competitions | Sandra Bartocha

Welcome to episode 260 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen with your host Matt Payne.   This week 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 (it will be on this page soon). And a lot more! Links to topics discussed on this week's show: 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: Emma Davies. Isabel Diez. Allesandra Meniconzi. Kaisa Siren. Valda Bailey. 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.   I love hearing from the podcast listeners! Reach out to me via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter if you'd like to be on the podcast or if you have an idea of a topic we can talk about. We also have an Instagram page, a Facebook Page, and a Facebook Group - so don't be shy! Did you also know we have listener after-parties on Twitter Spaces? This is a great opportunity to interact with other listeners, guests, and the host (when I can) regarding your thoughts on the episode. We also have a searchable transcript of every episode! Thanks for stopping in, collaborating with us, and listening. See you next week. P.S. you can also support the podcast by purchasing items through our B+H affiliate link.