New to Photo Showing - Any Starter Tips?

Hi - I have never shown model horses before either live or via photos, but am interested in trying it out and learning from those who have been around the block.

A couple starter questions:
1. How is an entry judged?
2. Does photo background or quality of photography influence the score or is it only the model horse itself?
3. How is the model itself scored? Conformation? Breed standard? Paintwork?

Would also welcome any other information the veterans feel like sharing!

Thanks!

Hey there, welcome to the world of photo showing! Showing model horses is a lot of fun and can easily become a hobby in itself :) I've been live showing and judging for some years, and pre-making this site I also participated in photo shows regularly.

1. That depends on the type of show. For a "breed/halter" show, it's judged based on the model itself in the same way they would be judged at a live show halter class. A live show halter class is meant to be judged the way a real horse halter class would be - looking at the conformation of the horse, its color and attributes based on the breed standard of the breed it is being shown as, and in not-so-real fashion, the condition of the model. So basically, if you're showing a horse as an Arabian, it should follow the breed standard of Arabians (conformationally and color-wise, so it shouldn't be something like a palomino dun pinto), should look "sound" (if this model was alive, would it be able to move well? If one leg is noticeably shorter than the other because it was sculpted that way, the answer would be no), and the model itself shouldn't have any noticeable damage such as scratches or breaks. This is just for breed/halter shows - performance is a whole other matter!

2. Again, depends on the show. If it's a scene/performance show, the setup and background might have a lot of weight on the entry's chances. But for breed/halter, no, the background does not matter nor the quality of the photo. As long as the photo adequately shows the model itself so it can be judged for the above factors (best from a direct side view if a full-body model and is just high enough quality that it's not blurry or pixelated), it doesn't matter if it was taken with a phone camera or an expensive DSLR. The background can be your kitchen counter and backsplash or a professional setup - both should be judged equally. That said, things like busy backgrounds can be distracting from the model and poor lighting might obscure the model's details, so those are things to keep in mind. Ultimately, the judge is looking at the horse only for breed/halter.

3. For breed/halter, all three! The biggest thing judges should score on first and foremost is the ABCs - anatomy, biomechanics, and conformation. As mentioned above, the model should be put together in a way that if it were real, it wouldn't be unable to walk or similar because of weird quirks in the sculpture. That's always what I look at first when judging, breed confo aside. If it would be fine as a real horse, so good anatomy and biomechanics, then the next thing to look at is the breed conformation and if it follows the breed standards. Last but not least, after the ABCs, I look at the paint job. If there are two horses on the same mold, they are on equal grounds for ABCs so the quality of the paint job and condition tend to be the final deciding factor in which one places above the other. Not top priority, but a factor nonetheless, at least for me as a judge.

That was a lot, sorry! Someone else would have to answer for performance/scene/etc. type showing and judging as I'm primarily a breed/halter show/judge so it's not my strong point. I absolutely love showing and judging as well - it's a lot of fun and I hope you find it to be fun as well :)

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These are all good questions, and Pipa pretty much covered it. I'd just like to add a few helpful hints if you're new to model horse photography.

• Avoid using flash photography by all means possible!! Using a flash distorts and washes out colour, causes ungainly glare and blown out highlights, and worst of all, throws an outline shadow around the model and will cast a horrible shadow on your background/backdrop setting.
• Invest in some supplemental lighting (clip on table lamps with 40 - 60 watt bulbs) and adjust these lamps so that you have light aimed from the top and both sides of the model (hind end and chest) to correctly throw light on your model. Use matte white foamboard to bounce light back onto the model.
• Use your camera's "white balance setting" to compensate for the tungsten lighting. Simply hold up a white sheet of paper in front of the model and take a reading with the white balance setting of your camera.
• For stablemate photography use the "macro" setting (if your camera has one). I don't recommend this setting for traditional size models though, otherwise your close-ups will be blurry!

Post Production:

• If you're going to resize your photos (always keep a copy of the original!), resize (shrink) first, THEN SHARPEN-- always in this order.
  Not sharpening the photo after resizing will make the picture look blurry compared to the original.

A word about *backgrounds: keep in mind when photographing a model horse; it's the HORSE - not the background and props - that's being shown and judged. Your background should compliment the model, not overwhelm it.

Here is a link to some more helpful tips here: How to Photograph Your Model Horses | BreyerHorses.com
(I don't agree with everything in this article, but it makes some very good generic points).

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[EDIT] also this:

* I'm just as likely to place a model with a with a plain background, as one with a realistic diorama setting.
However, in a highly competitive class, with up to 50 - 60 entries (sometimes more); having to judge a model simply plunked on kitchen counter-top, or with a plain ol' vanilla generic backdrop— as opposed to a realistic diorama setting & background— can be a huge tiebreaker (at least for me, as a judge).

Having said that, it shouldn't make a diff what kind of setting is used, as long as the model (and photo itself) is clear, focused, with all four hooves resting flat against the surface (there should be no daylight showing underneath the hooves, as this indicates a warped or flawed model).

I can also say, among North American photo showers, having a realistic background & diorama setting is the norm, rather than the exception.

Then there are a whole lot of other factors that come into play when judging (whether using a plain background or not), such as clarity of photo, details, breed realism & accuracy, descriptions & references, the judge's personal preference, etc. All these little details is what makes photo-showing fun & competitive! I could post a short judging guide & commentary on photo-show judging, if anyone's interested.🙂

Lots of great information here to work with. :) Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who has commented! I'm new to photo shows too and these are wonderful tips to get started!

If you're going with the simpler setup, as a judge, I'd rather see a bit of effort put into presenting the model than just putting it on a table or countertop with a blank wall behind it. Yes, I'm judging the *model*, but if two excellent models are tied, the one with a nice drape behind it that compliments the model will get that extra bump. ;-) Give your imagination a trot out: think of colors that could work with the horse base color. What about the breed? Maybe a sand or beige colored fabric for that desert Arabian, an icy light blue for a Nordic Fjord, or a grassy green for that cute backyard type pony.

If you're wanting to try more of a diorama, don't overwhelm yourself right off the bat. You don't have to have panoramic backdrops or a fully built out forest floor. Think outside the box. I don't have a prop barn, or even just a prop barn wall, but I do have a bookcase with a blank bedroom wall behind it. A piece of sandstone colored felt for "ground", some stick-on windows and a toolrack (made from balsa wood strips and sheet foam), a few Schleich accessories, and voila!

https://www.omhps.com/Model/Details/b0a4ae21-44e4-4ebf-8fd0-fd59b5459d8e

You never know what might work. I have some fabric from an old faux-suede brown dress that makes great arena footing for Stablemates. I literally wore that favorite to pieces, and it's still coming in handy. Who'd have thunk it?

A well lit, clearly focused photo with a good side view of the model, fitting well in the frame (not a fuzzy figure in the distance, nor so close its feet and ears get cut off, and yep, I've done both! ;-)) should be the foundation on which you build, no matter what type of presentation you prefer. Above all: HAVE FUN. :-)