As a photographer for over 40 years, Ellis thoroughly enjoys the art form. He previously served eight years as Chair of the Reston Photographic Society (RPS), and is a board member of The League of Reston Artists that includes the RPS. He also continues serving The Nature Visions Photo Expo (naturevisions.org) as a board member and other capacities.

These positions have provided him with an excellent exposure in the area of judging.  He enjoys photography competitions and, as a graduate of The Joe Miller Seminar on Judging, he endeavors to put the knowledge gained from that seminar together with his experience to be a competent judge. He has judged over 20 competitions and hopes the participants have benefited from and enjoyed the competitions as much as he has.

“The Official Photographer” (unpaid) has been his designation on a number of occasions for diverse groups of people and organizations. Ellis’ wife Gerry, also a photographer, and he photograph various events and she, as director and producer, combines the photos along with music and effects to make a great Pro Show slide presentation that are cherished by the participants.

Ellis’ Criteria for Judging: “My first consideration would be conformity with the rules of the competition. Next would be the four Cs – craftsmanship, composition, creativity, and communication. The judging should be a learning experience for everyone involved, including the judge. Negative aspects should be minimized while focusing on the positive attributes of the work. Originality, uniqueness, feeling, mood and capturing the moment would hold a prominent place in the selection criteria.”

The Co-VPs Competition for 2016-2017 are Bill Millhouser and Judy Graham (competitions@nvps.org)