Juror's Statement IT'S A SNAP Portraiture is a daunting task no matter which tool you choose. One of the most misunderstood of these tools is photography. It is generally dismissed as a serious art form because of its pervasiveness in our culture; accessible to anyone with the ability to trip a shutter button. Photographic images dominate our waking hours so much so that we simply take them for granted. There is no glamour or mystery in them as we find in a painting or drawing. No awe inspiring outcome elicits the classic response from the viewer, the "wow" factor. "I could never learn to do something like that!" "Anybody can take a photograph." The list of clichéd quotes is endless. It is my firm belief that the opposite is true. Photography is the most difficult of all mediums to master. In the days before digital imaging the photographer/artist, whether serious or recreational, processed with light, paper and chemistry the same pictures their counterparts made in paint. Even getting film processed at the drug store or instant results of Polaroid pictures to document family history - whatever the purpose of the photograph, nothing excuses a bad idea, poor composition or design in any of the picture making processes. With these thoughts in mind, I want to emphasize that in selecting the images for this book, I applied the same judgments and principles as any other art form or medium. Beyond the technical aspects of digital and film based photography, I look for some quality of the portrait which most successfully responds to the concept of the project, Faces Of Hawaii. Whether the photographer is an accomplished "professional" or a recreational "amateur", the results must reveal an insight into the nature and character of the subject . There must be a personal engagement between the two. These are some of the qualities I think make a good portrait. It's not that easy, it's not a snap. Darrell Orwig Director of the Schaefer International Gallery at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center