The Atascosa County 4-H Photography Contest will take place February 2024.

Photos will be due to holly.kopplin@ag.tamu.edu by 5PM on Thursday, February 1, 2024.

This contest is open to all Atascosa County 4-H members registered on 4-H online.

Grades 3rd- 12th can enter one photo per category. Clover members (grades K- 2nd)can enter 1 photo from any of the categories.

You can start to take photos now for the February contest. Cameras can be a point and click, phone, manual, or automatic camera. Photos are submitted digitally for the contest. please see below for the full list of categories.

For more information please visit
https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/photography_rules_24.pdf

It is extremely important that 4-H members, project leaders, parents, and County Extension Agents review the descriptions
of each category very carefully. Do not enter photographs into categories that are duplicates from other categories or ones that do not clearly meet the category description. Photographs that do not meet the description of the category will be disqualified.

ANIMALS – DOMESTIC
Photos focusing on the various animals that have been tamed
and made fit for a human environment. To be considered
domesticated, the animal must have their behavior, life cycle, or
physiology systemically altered as a result of being under human
control for many generations.
Examples:
Chickens, cows, dogs, cats, hamsters, horses, pigs,
sheep, goats, etc. All waterfowl (ducks and geese) should be
entered in Animals – Wildlife.

ANIMALS – WILDLIFECategory focuses on animals not typically tamed or domesticatedand commonly found in the wilderness or bodies of waterthroughout the country and world. Photos can be of wildlife innature, zoos, and/or petting zoos.
Examples:
Birds, deer, elephants, snakes, whales, etc.

CATCH-ALL
Photos that do not fit into one of the other categories.
Not allowed:
A duplicate photo also entered in another category.

DETAILS & MACRO
Getting in close is the name of the game for this category. The goalis to zoom in close on an object to see its finer details or to makesmall objects appear life-sized or larger that we do not normally
get to see with the naked eye.
Examples:
Insect eyes, veins on a leaf, a reflection in a waterdroplet, etc.

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
Images use of graphic elements of design. Photos that showcase
line, shape, pattern, form, texture, perspective, etc. Photo can
consist of any subject matter.
Examples:
Line, pattern, perspective, shape, etc.
Not allowed:
Digital creations or graphic designs made in software
such as Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator.

ENHANCED
A single photo that has been technically manipulated to be
an abstract, panoramic, stitched or composite image. Othersvariations are allowed as well.
Examples:
Software edited composites and creations, imagesgreatly manipulated with a variety of filters, photos with artisticborders, photos stitched into a panoramic, etc.

FOOD
A still life specialization of photography, aimed at producing
attractive photographs of food for use in such items of
advertisements, packaging, menus and/or cookbooks.
Examples:
Cakes/pies, Easter eggs, fruits and place settings,
ingredients, sandwiches, Thanksgiving dinner, etc.
Not allowed:
A

photo of alcohol beverages.

LANDSCAPE & NATURE (NON-ANIMAL)
The focus of this category includes landscapes, outdoor scenics,nature images, sunsets, urban landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes,and farms. Images focus on the beauty of the outdoors.
Examples:
Gardens/landscapes, outdoors, scenics, etc.
Not allowed:
Primary subject is a person or wildlife.

LEADING LINE
This image composition technique features lines that draw the
viewer’s eye from point A to point B, which is the primary subject.
Example:
A river that begins in the foreground and draws your
attention to a photogenic bridge in the background.

LONG EXPOSURE
Also known as time-exposure or slow-shutter, this techniqueinvolves using a long-duration shutter speed. It can be used tosharply capture stationary elements of an image while blurring,smearing, or obsuring the moving elements. It is also used in low-light conditions.
Examples:
fireworks, moving water, light trails, Milky Way, lightpainting, night or low-light conditions, etc.

MOTION/ACTION
The capture of movement within a single photo. The subject
appears stopped or “frozen”.
Examples:
Ferris wheel spinning, sporting events, horse running
across a field, etc.

PEOPLE
Photos focus from all walks of life, parenting and family, children,babies, models/fashion, sports, and couples. All individuals in thephotos must have provided consent and permission as a subject.
If requested, a release will be needed from the photographer andsubject.
Examples:
Babies, families, kids, portraits, models/fashion, etc.

PLANT/FLORA
Photos of interesting, unique, and beautiful flowers and flora.
Photography can occur outdoors or indoors. Photo subject should
be that of a single flower, plant, bush, tree, etc. Large collections
of plant/flora should be considered for entry into the Landscape
& Nature category.
Examples:
A rose, an upward shot of a tree, etc.

SHADOW/SILHOUETTE
A silhouette is an outline that appears dark (typically a single
color) with little or no details/features against a brighter
background. Recording patterns of light and shade for a desired
effect or emphasis is the definition of a shadow. The silhouette or
shadow must be the primary subject and focus of the image.
Examples:
shadows/silhouettes of people, plants, animals,
structures, architectures, or natural structures.
Not allowed:
reflections

THEME
(New)
The 2023-2024 theme is “Abandoned”. Photographs capturing
the essence of forgotten or neglected places, things, or structures;
emphasizing its worn and forsaken nature.
Please take all necessary safety precautions around abandoned
buildings/structures.