PHOTO BACKS:
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PHOTO
BY CAROLYN BAILEY
Imagine you just sat down to judge a MEPSA photo show. You are all excited to see all the wonderful models. You choose your top ten entries, turn over the photo to record the information on the results form and ugh! You can’t read the name of the first-place horse. It is hand written and illegible. You think it might be Superman, but it might be Serapon. What do you do?
Of course, this is not the first time you have had trouble. It all started when you sorted the photos into first class order. Everything was going smoothly until you came across the faded numbers that made it very hard to tell if the model belonged in class 1 or 4. Next came the photos with the wrong class numbers. An obvious Morgan Stallion was entered in the Draft Mare class. Now what do you do? Fix it? Disqualify it? Ignore it?
As your excitement begins to fade, you struggle to continue judging. Now it is a beautiful Quarter Horse stuck in the Other Pure/Mixed Pony class. If she had been in her proper class, she would have won, but as it is, you have already judged it. Do you re-judge? DQ? Or just don’t place it? What a missed opportunity!
To top off this show, you have moved to the Workmanship division and lo and behold, that gorgeous CM Peter Stone Arab you had your eye on for Workmanship Champion is entered in a China collectability class, oh no! By the time you finish the show, you are happy to just send the photos home and take some aspirin for your headache. It took you twice as long as it should have to judge. You will think twice before you go through that again.
Now what about the entrants. Their models either weren’t judged or did poorly. That was a waste of an entry fee and postage. So how to correct this situation? The photograph of the model is not the only thing you need to worry about. The photo back is just as important. A photo back that includes all the pertinent information, in a clear and easy to read format will be welcomed by the judge.
Anyone who has judged a MEPSA show, knows that sorting photos goes so much easier if all the information is in the same locations. There are some basics to creating a judge friendly photo back. Here are some examples of what a judge might see in a show:
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If you were judging this class, you would have to look all over each photo to find the class numbers while sorting, the model’s information to verify that the model is what they say, the five-letter code to place the model in the results and lastly, the sort home. Where is the owner’s name and address? This all wastes a good deal of time and is frustrating for the judge. Now, if the photo backs looked like these, how much faster would the judging go? How much easier for the judge!
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The placement of the information isn’t all that needs attention. The class numbers need to be accurate. Make sure that you are entering your photo in the correct classes. They should be written in clear, legible, easy to read numbers. If you have not changed from the old class numbers to the new ones, your model will not be in the right classes. There are some changes to the new class list for the 2024/2025 season. Check them out!! This is also true if you have used the photo for a non-MEPSA show and forgot to re-do them. Don’t forget that there are class splits using A, B, or C, that need to be added as well. If they are missing, your photo may end up in the wrong class. This will not get it qualified for the Champ Show. Believing that you do not have to worry about whether your photo is entered correctly, because the judge will fix it for you, is unfair. No judge is required to move your photos to the correct class or to figure out what your intentions are.
So, what IS expected? Best case scenario would be printed labels with a font of 10-12 for the model’s information. This should include the model’s name, breed, gender, color, and collectability/workmanship details. Your name and address should be on every photo, in case the photo is separated and needs a lift home. Make sure that the information is current. If you have changed your name or moved, you may not get your photo back. Your five-letter code needs to be in the same location on each photo. Continuity is the key. For class numbers, some use white labels, some tape. Whichever you use, any erasures should be completely gone. If you have written new numbers over erased numbers that are still visible, it will be difficult to see the new ones clearly. Now that you have all the right info, let’s try to get some continuity on location. To help your photos get home, place your address label in the bottom right corner. Class numbers are best in the middle of the photo back. Knowing where to look, helps the judge sort classes quickly. The rest is up to you, just keep it the same. There is still room for personalization and uniqueness. Color (if it is dark enough to read clearly and easily), fonts (if the letters are identifiable, nothing too fancy), and the exact locations of labels. It is also helpful to add a personal touch that is unique to your photos. A sticker, a certain color address label, a design on the label, etc. This also makes the sort home easier and may help identify your photo in case the address label is damaged.
What will all this work mean for you? It will mean that your photos are in the correct classes. That the judge can read them easily and can judge them fairly and quickly. The judge will be happier and willing to judge again. You will be happier, as your models will have a better chance to qualify and you will not have wasted your money for nothing. This is the best way to avoid the unpleasant scenario above. See you all in the show ring this season!