Foto Follies

Statewide Training for 4-H Adult and Youth Photo Leaders and County Fair Photo Judges

Upham Woods Environmental Education Center, Wisconsin Dells

Say cheese!

If you're a Wisconsin youth or adult 4-H photo leader, or you're a new or aspiring Wisconsin county fair photography judge . . . say cheese! And plan on attending the next “Foto Follies,” statewide training workshop at Upham Woods Environmental Education Center, Wisconsin Dells.

The next Foto Follies is slated for Sept. 25-26, 2011. But you don't have to wait that long to enjoy the benefits of Foto Follies 05 and 09. Check out some of the many photography resource pieces below that were used at these two programs.

And if you attended Foto Follies 09, you are eligible to sign up for "Foto Follies Follow-up," a four-day hands-on training to improve your own camera knowledge and photo-taking skills, scheduled Aug. 19-22, 2010, at Upham Woods. You will also gain ideas on how to teach photography to youth, but this program is primarily a time for you to improve your own photo-taking skills that will no doubt make you a better 4-H photo leader.

Foto Follies Follow-up will be limited to 20 participants. Watch for more details to come, but here is an early sneak preview of the agenda:

• Thursday: Full day of learning all about camera controls (f/stops, shutter speeds, ISO, depth of field, etc.) and how to use your own camera to its maximum. The day will feature a mix of presentations and indoor/outdoor photo shoots, including night shoots.
• Friday & Saturday: Hands-on sessions to take photos of common subjects, such as people, landscapes/nature, buildings, and still lifes. In the evenings, download your photos and use a variety of software to edit photos and prepare files for uploading. The program will include a photo trip to beautiful Blackhawk Island.
• Sunday: Wrap-up PowerPoint presentation featuring photos taken by participants, followed by an optional tour of the famous H.H. Bennett Photography Studio in nearby Lake Delton. Bennett's photos made the beautiful river landscape around the Dells famous at the turn of the 20th Century.

If you attended Foto Follies 09 and want to get on the wait list for Foto Follies Follow-up, contact Tom Carpenter at 608-262-1223 or tom.carpenter@ces.uwex.edu. Remember, sign up early!

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation, through its Wisconsin 4-H Photography Endowment Fund and Lenore Landry Endowment Fund, and the Wisconsin 4-H and Youth Development Program sponsor all the Foto Follies trainings.

Resources from Foto Follies 09 (Oct. 9-11, 2009)

Resources for 4-H Photography Leaders

Some of the following resources appear in Rich Text format, which makes them easy to download and edit for your own use as a photo leader. Be sure to check out the resources under County Fair Photography Judges (below). Many of them will be useful to photo leaders when consulting with youth project members on entering their exhibits at the county fair.

4-H Photo Leader Resource Guide: Important resource for new and emerging 4-H photo volunteer leaders. Covers steps to leader success; photo leader resource kit; photo displays; statewide trainings; photo meeting ideas; photo activity ideas; links to photo web sites; and more. 10 pages. PDF format - 137 KB; Rich Text format - 216 KB.

4-H Photo Project Meeting Series: Suggested agendas for a series of eight 4-H photo project meetings, from getting acquainted in autumn to celebrating after the county fair in summer. 2 pages. PDF format - 53 KB; Rich Text format - 65 KB.

Deciding on a Camera to Buy: Helpful information on what to consider when you or a photo project member want to buy a moderately-priced digital camera. 4 pages. PDF format - 67 KB; Rich Text format - 52 KB.

Fun Photo Activities to Do with Kids: Resource on how to conduct Photography Scavenger Hunt and Photography Challenge activities with youth. 4 pages. PDF format - 75 KB; Rich Text format - 73 KB.

Making Images with Impact - Composition: Suggestions on how to add the "wow" factor to your photos through good composition. 2 pages. PDF format - 72 KB; Rich Text format - 45 KB.

Making Images with Impact - Editing: Suggestions on how to add the "wow" factor to your photos through photo editing. 1 page. PDF format - 73 KB; Rich Text format - 51 KB.

National Photo Curriculum "Fast Facts": In the national 4-H photography curriculum (Level 1 - Focus on Photography, Level 2 - Controlling the Image, Level 3 - Mastering Photography), you'll find references to "Fast Facts," additional photography information on a national 4-H web site. This resource has all the Fast Facts downloaded for you! 10 pages. PDF format - 148 KB; Rich Text format - 136 KB.

Roundtable - Combining Music & Photos: Describes how to organize a 4-H photo project year around an activity that combines youth photos and popular music in a PowerPoint presentation. 3 pages. PDF format - 172 KB; Rich Text format - 53 KB.

Roundtable - Fun with Panoramas: Suggestions on how to plan, shoot and stitch together a panorama. 1 page. PDF format - 109 KB; Rich Text format - 40 KB.

Teaching Photography - Creating Photos: Focus on creative ways to interest youth in photography, including people pictures, photo scavenger hunts, trick photograph, night photography, and more. 2 pages. PDF format - 300 KB.

Teaching Photography - Learning to Take Pictures: More ways to teach basics of photo composition to youth. 1 page. PDF format - 257 KB.

Teaching Photography - Projects to Do with Your Finished Photos: Ten fun things that youth can do with their photos besides putting them in a frame, from making a photo spinner to making jewelry. 2 pages. PDF format - 332 KB.

You Be the Photo Judge: Judging is an excellent way to introduce or reinforce basic photo composition rules. In this fun group activity, youth judge groups of photos based on five basic rules of composition. This activity includes a one-page sheet of photos that demonstrates these rules of composition, which makes an excellent handout for photo leaders. 4 pages. PDF format - 360 KB.

Resources for County Fair Photography Judges

Application for Registration as a County Fair Judge: Official Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) form to fill out when you want to register to become a judge in any of the departments at a county fair, including Dept. 20, Photography. 1 page. PDF format - 21 KB.

Common Photo Exhibiting Requirements: Summary of the common requirements for entering a photo in the junior classes at Wisconsin county fairs. It's a handy resource not only for county fair judges, but also photo project members and leaders. 2 pages. PDF format - 53 KB.

Common Types of County Fair Exhibits: Summary of the five types of exhibits that judges may encounter in the non-animal departments of a county fair - collections, word-based exhibits, picture-bases exhibits, posters, and construction projects. Includes descriptions of each of these types, along with general criteria and standards for judging them. 3 pages. PDF format - 65 KB.

Common Youth Characteristics: Since judging is really teaching, the key to a successful judging experience is the understanding of youth and their developmental characteristics. While each young person is unique, youth tend to grow and develop in four predictable stages: Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. This resource gives you valuable judging tips for each developmental stage. Another excellent resource for photography leaders. 2 pages. PDF format - 55 KB.

County Fair Photo Judging Criteria/Standards Rubric: Tool for quickly assessing the quality of a photo exhibit and assigning a placing, based on criteria and standards. 1 page. PDF format - 61 KB.

Danish Judging Maximum Placings: Chart showing how many first, second, third, and fourth places can be given for a class when judging under the Danish System. This is a "must" when Danish judging. 1 page. PDF format - 42 KB.

Evaluate Your County Fair Judging: Tool to self-evaluate your judging. Includes a form. 2 pages. PDF format - 49 KB.

Exhibitor Tips by Photo Subjects: List of the most popular and common Dept. 20 photography classes found in county fair books around Wisconsin. Includes definitions for each of these classes, and some tips that you, as a judge, can pass on to exhibitors. 4 pages. PDF format - 98 KB.

Face-to-face Judging Questions: Most county fairs feature individual, face-to-face judging of youth photo exhibitors, during which the judge holds a 5-7 minute interview with each exhibitor. The interview typically has six distinct phases, from the welcome or "get acquainted" phase to the "wrap-up." This resource gives you a series of questions that might be asked in each phase of the face-to-face judging. 2 pages. PDF format - 65 KB.

Five Tips for Composing a Photo: Sheet of photos that demonstrates five basic rules of composition - get close, simple background, rule of thirds, framing, and leading lines. It makes an excellent handout for county fair photo judges when judging face-to-face or in a group conference. 1 page. PDF format - 345 KB.

Frequently-Asked Judge's Questions: How can you market yourself for that first judging job? How many fairs can you judge in one year? In what counties can I judge? Find out answers to these and many other common questions for new and emerging county fair photo judges. 4 pages. PDF format - 121 KB.

How to Shine on Judging Day: Step-by-step suggestions on how to have a successful judging day each time you judge photography at a county fair, especially the first time you judge. It starts with getting your rest the night before, arriving 30 minutes early, and coming prepared. 2 pages. PDF format - 63 KB.

Judge's Expectations of County Fair Staff: Checklist of what you can expect from the county Extension office or county fair staff when you are asked to judge a county fair. 1 page. PDF format - 63 KB.

Judging County Fair Video Exhibits: Photo judges are often asked to evaluate videos. Here's a summary of the common requirements for videos entered at county fairs, as well as helpful criteria on how to judge them. 1 page. PDF format - 49 KB.

Photo & Video Exhibit Judging Cards: Handy scorecards to keep in mind when judging youth photo entries at a county fair. Gives Wisconsin 4-H recommendations on how much weight to give to each criteria for evaluating photos and videos. 1 page. PDF format - 9 KB.

Photo Judging Criteria List: Reviews the four common criteria used in Wisconsin county fairs to judge junior photography exhibits - photo composition, storytelling ability, technical quality, and mounting technique. Knowing these and using them throughout the day are your keys to consistent and effective photo judging. 2 pages. PDF format - 59 KB.

Staff Expectations of County Fair Judges: Checklist of what county Extension office or county fair staff expect of you when you are asked to judge a county fair. 1 page. PDF format - 47 KB.

Suggested County Fair Classes - Photography Curriculum: List of suggested county fair photo classes based on the latest national 4-H photography curriculum. Intended as a resource for judges who want to know what 4-H youth are learning in photography before they judge, and for county fair staff who are updating their fairbooks. Makes a nice companion to "Traditional County Fair Photo Classes." 2 pages. PDF format - 21 KB.

Ten Steps to Judging Success: Introduction to judging for new and emerging county fair photo judges. Clarifies 10 steps to being a successful judge, from Step 1, Understand the Judging Process, through Step 10, Evaluate Your Judging. 5 pages. PDF format - 93 KB.

Top 10 Tips for Youth Photo Exhibitors: Your own "top 10" list . . . a summary of the main tips that you can give to youth exhibitors during face-to-face or group conference judging. An excellent resource for not only judges, but photo leaders and photo project members, too. 2 pages. PDF format - 96 KB.

Traditional County Fair Photo Classes: Summary of photo categories and classes commonly found around the state, based on a wide survey of county fair books. Makes a nice companion to "Suggested County Fair Classes - Photography Curriculum." 2 pages. PDF format - 17 KB.

Resources from Foto Follies 05 (Oct. 7-9, 2005)

Resources for 4-H Photography Leaders

The following resources were created in 2005 so some of the links or sources identified in the handouts may not always work or be available. But the bulk of the material is still valuable and worth checking out!

Directions for Darkroom Teaching: Step-by-step information on how to teach youth to safely make a photogram and black-and-white print from film in a traditional wet darkroom. 1 page. PDF format - 75 KB.

How to Colorize Your B&W Photographs: Introduction to basic forms of hand-colorizing photos, with information on tinting, detail colorization, and putting on the finishing touches. 4 pages. PDF format - 225 KB.

How to Take Great Photos of Animals: Learn how to take prize-winning photos of horses, livestock animals (beef, sheep, swine), and pets, especially dogs and cats. Loaded with tips on equipment, planning, lighting, posing, and composing. 7 pages. PDF format - 294 KB.

How to Take Great Photos of People: Of all photo subjects, people are the most popular. This resource concentrates on how to take great portraits, both formal and candid. 6 pages. PDF format - 185 KB.

Introduction to Scrapbooking Techniques: Filled with scrapbooking tips, how to get organized, finding time to scrapbook, scrapbooking design ideas, caring for photos, preserving newspaper clippings, as well as scrapbooking resources. 12 pages. PDF format - 147 KB.

Landscape & Scenic Photography: Most great landscape and scenic photos owe their success to thought and creativity, not expensive lenses and cameras. Learn how to compose and create exciting photos with a purpose, understand lighting, and get the prints you want at the processor. 4 pages. PDF format - 65 KB.

Night Photography: Information sheet on the joy of shooting photos at night or under low-light conditions. Includes suggestions on equipment, technique, ideas, and resources. 1 page. PDF format - 119 KB.

Photographing the Seasons: Ideas and projects to help you make pictures that capture the essence of each season. Includes a page of photo samples by the author. 5 pages. PDF format - 323 KB.

Sixteen Ways to Display Photos: More great ideas on what to do with photos after they are printed. 2 pages. PDF format - 46 KB

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