County FairPhotography Judges Training

Wayne BrabenderWisconsin 4-H Photo Specialist

Intro to County Fairs

• Fairs 2,500 years old• Started in eastern

Mediterranean• Derived from Latin word

"feria" or "holy day,” when people gathered for worship & commerce

• In 1765, first North American fair held in Windsor, Nova Scotia

• In 1807, first fair in states held in Pittsfield, MA

• 3,200 fairs now held in North America each year

• In WI, 71 counties host 76 county, district fairs

• Over 50,000 WI youth exhibit each year

• 11,500 youth in WI 4-H photo project

Role of the Judge

• Help youth improve their project skills• Help youth recognize their own efforts &

accomplishments• Help youth develop standards for future self-

evaluation• Encourage youth to continue in project• Advise youth on what they might learn next

Judge as TeacherJudging is “teaching” and judging will give you many teachable

moments. It’s a great way to share your

knowledge with those who are eager to

learn.

Types of Judging

• Danish – Youth not present• Conference – Youth present– Individual Conference (face-to-face)– Group Conference

• Regular – Open class

Danish Judging

• Youth not present, generally• Judge entire lot number or class at one time• Compare items to a “standard” & to other

entries in class• Decide on placing (ribbon) for each entry• 25% blues (exceptional), 25% reds (excellent),

25% whites (good), 25% pinks (adequate)

Face-to-Face• Meet each

exhibitor individually

• Receive all his/her entries at one time

• Five minutes to greet, ask youth questions, judge his/her work, place all entries

Group Conference Judging

• Judge one class or lot number at a time• Meet all youth who have entries in that class

at one time• Place exhibits Danish style• Give oral reasons for placings• Focus comments on blue entries• Add comments about the class (positive,

helpful suggestions)

Open Class Judging

• Judge one class or lot number at a time• Exhibitors may or may not be present• Place top four exhibits only (“regular” judging)• Give oral reasons for placings• Focus comments on top entries• Add comments about the class (positive,

helpful suggestions)

Types of Fair Photo Exhibits

• Photos – Multi-print entries, enlargements; some slides, videos

• Posters, scrapbooks – Photos, words• Words – Workbook on photo project• Collections – Camera types, lenses• Construction items – Mixed-media art pieces

Photo Exhibiting Requirements

• Number of entries – 3-6 per exhibitor• Print requirements – Common commercial

sizes, cropping, mixing color/B&W• Mounting adhesives – Rubber cement• Mounting, matting – Size, color, no frames• Technical info – Camera, exposure, technique• Title, captions• Merit awards, best of show, state fair

Important Definitions

• Criteria – Categories used to evaluate class of exhibits (Photography – composition, storytelling ability, technical quality, mounting technique)

• Standards – Describe “ideal” conditions for each criteria

• Placings – Show how well exhibits meet standards

Photography Criteria

• Photo composition – 35%• Storytelling ability – 35%• Technical quality – 20%• Mounting technique – 10%

Criteria: Photo Composition

• Main subject & supporting elements arranged in pleasing, logical, balanced way to tell story

• Subject dominates photo• No distracting or unnecessary elements• Follows traditional compositional “rules” – get

close, simple background, rule of thirds, framing, leading line

• Recommend 35% of “score”

Composition: Get Close

Composition: Background

Composition: Rule of Thirds

Composition: Framing

Composition: Leading Lines

Criteria: Storytelling Ability

• Interesting, clear message; tells a story• One central idea, given simply, that you can

grasp quickly & easily• Keeps your attention when you look at it a

second, third time• Makes you react (smile, frown, laugh)• Recommend 35% of “score”

Criteria: Storytelling Ability

Criteria: Technical Quality

• Detail in all areas of photo important to message

• Proper exposure• Lighting• Sharp focus• Recommend 20% of “score”

Criteria: Technical Quality

Criteria: Mounting Technique

• Well-designed, balanced layout on board• Structurally sound• Clean mounting & matting• Effective title, captions• Pleasing to the eye • Recommend 10% of “score”

Common Problem: Busy-ness

Too busy Just right

Common Problem: Messy Lettering

Too messy

Better

Face-to-face Judging Tips

• Use pleasant tone of voice• Use words youth will understand • Give youth time to think; restate questions if

necessary• Avoid yes-no questions; ask open-ended

questions – who, what, when, where, why, how• Sandwich helpful suggestion for improvement

between two sincere compliments• Be gentle, tactful in comments, never degrading

Face-to-face Judging Steps

1. Get acquainted 2. Share 3. Process 4. Generalize 5. Apply6. Wrap up

Step 1 – Get Acquainted

• Smile• Say “hi,” introduce yourself, shake hands• Ask get-acquainted questions – What grade in

school? How many years in photo project? How many years exhibiting photos at county fair? How get interested in photography?

Step 2: Share

• Youth share information about their exhibits• Possible questions: When did you take the

photos? Where did you take them? What time of day? What was the lighting like? What type of camera did you use?

Step 3 – Process

• Youth analyze what they did, reflect on what’s important, what could have done differently

• Possible questions: Which is your best photo & why? What challenges did you have taking this photo? What might you have changed in this photo?

Step 4 – Generalize

• You talk about “best” qualities of the exhibits• You talk about “good” qualities; suggest ways

to make these “better”• You give your placings, along with reasons• Be specific, sensitive in your praise, your

constructive criticism

Step 5 – Apply

• Youth reflect on how to apply what they learned today in the future

• Possible questions: What might you do differently next time you’re taking photos like these? Which composition rule do you plan to focus on next year? What do you plan to do next in the project? How could you share what you learned today with others?

Step 6 – Wrap Up

• End on a positive note• Ask if youth has final questions• Say thanks for coming today• Encourage youth to enter again next year• Say, “Hopefully see you next year!”• Smile!

Getting Started

• Register with Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture• Practice & learn – Watch veteran judges at

work, volunteer to assist judges & superintendents, practice on people you know

• Market yourself – Send résumé or profile to county Extension offices where want to judge

Judging Day Success

• Get there 30 minutes early; be rested• Spend time with superintendent, other judges• Work out flow of exhibits; adjust as necessary• Work hard; take breaks to stay fresh• Be prepared to judge a full day • Be friendly & gracious from start to finish• Critique yourself at the end of the day

Photo Judges Tool Kit

• County fair book – Read in advance• 4-H photography curriculum – Know what kids

& leaders are using• Photo samples showing rules of composition –

Have a handout ready• Cropping tools

Common Questions – General

• What should I wear?• Can I eat & drink while I judge?• How can I remain upbeat during long days?• How often can I judge in a year?• In what counties can I judge?• Do county fairs evaluate their judges?• When is the list of registered judges updated?• Do I ever have to re-register with DATCP?

Common Questions – Photography

• Do I judge digital photos differently than I do film-based photos?

• How do I judge videos? Slides?• In Danish judging, how can I judge someone’s

work when I know nothing about them?• What should I do if I think there should be

changes in the county fair photo classes?

Common Questions – Face-to-face• How do I judge the work of a youth with

developmental disabilities?• How do I judge the work of an older youth in a

beginning level project?• How much time should I spend with someone

who obviously is a beginner & has no help?• What do I do if a parent keeps interfering?• How do I limit my number of blues, reds?• How can I do an adequate job of judging without

falling behind?

Questions for Today• What are your strengths & weaknesses as a

county fair photo judge? What might prevent you from having a successful judging experience?

• How will you prepare for your first county fair photo judging experience?

• County fair settings & situations differ greatly. How will you prepare for any judging condition?

• How can you create an environment that enhances the judging experience for you & the youth you judge?

• What will you do if you get behind when judging?

Web Resources

• Wisconsin Association of Fairs – http://www.wifairs.com/

• Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture – http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/mktg/business/marketing/fairs/

• Wisconsin County UW-Extension Offices – http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/

• Find a Fair (source for county fair web sites) – http://www.fairsandexpos.com/aboutfairs/fair/