There are 15 categories divisions in 4-H photography contests at district and state levels. Black & White photos are not a separate category.
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 include: Dog, Sheep, Pig, Goat, Cow, Cat, Chicken, Horse, Camel, Goose, Duck, Hamsters
ANIMALS -WILDLIFE
Category focuses on animals not tamed or domesticated and commonly found in the wild throughout the country and world. Photos can be of wildlife in nature, zoos, and/or petting zoos. Examples include: Deer, snakes, insects, rodents, elephants, etc.
CATCH-ALL
Category for photos that do not fit into one of the other categories. This includes such photos as still-life, motion-blur, Polaroid transfers, SX-70 images, handcolored photos. Examples include: Polaroid image & emulsion transfers, still-life, long exposure zoomed images, and painting with light.
DETAILS & MACRO
Getting in close is the name of the game for this category. We welcome pictures of small details that suggest a larger story. This is also the place for macro photographs (although a macro image of a flower might equally go into the Flowers category). Examples include: detail of a knot, a lock, or an abstract close-up – anything as long as it is a tight composition of a detail. Macro examples include flowers, insects, stamps, ice crystals, etc.
DIGITAL DARKROOM
Photos are for digital art – images created or drastically altered in software like Adobe Photoshop®. Although digitally manipulated images are also allowed in the other categories, this is a category exclusively showcasing such art. If the digital darkroom work is the main attraction of the photo, or plays a big part, enter it here. Examples include: Photoshop® composities and creations, images greatly manipulated with a variety of filters, photos with artisitic borders, photos stitched into a panoramic.
DOMINANT COLOR
Photos with a dominant color. The dominant element in the image must be a specific color, such as red, yellow, blue, white, black, white, green, etc. Black & White photos, duotones, are excluded from this category.
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. Category is not for graphic illustrations made in commerical programs (i.e. Adobe Illustrator®) nor for extreme digital creations. Examples include: Perspective, Line, Pattern
FOOD
Category is 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. NO PHOTOS OF ALCOHOL BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED Examples: Thanksgiving dinner, cakes/pies, fruits and place settings, Easter eggs, sandwiches, ingredients, etc.
MARINE/AQUATIC
Photos of any living organism in bodies of either fresh or ocean (salt) water. Examples include: Fish, stingrays, shipwrecks, whales, starfish, etc.
NATURE & LANDSCAPE
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 include: Landscapes, Scenics, Outdoors
NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Photos taken outdoors between dusk and dawn. Generally these photos are achieved by using artifical light or using a long exposure. This category can include any subject as the focus should be on the skill and technique used to acquire the photograph. Examples include: buildings/structures, animals, plant/flora, people, etc.
PEOPLE
Photos focus from all walks of life, parenting and family, children, babies, models/fashion, sports, and couples. Examples include: Kids & Family, Models/Fashion, Sports
Model and Property Releases: Any 4-H member submitting a photograph acknowledges that they have sufficient permission of any recognizable locations or people appearing in their photograph(s). This permission is hereby granted to both the photographer and the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program to publish and use as needed. Documentation should be retained by the 4-H member and will be requested by the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program if needed.
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 Nature & Landscape category. Examples include: a rose, an upward shot of a tree, a flower bouquet, etc
STORYBOARD
A storyboard is one digital entry that contains three photos and minimal text that tells a story. The story should be easily understood by the viewer. Examples include: three images depicting the blooming of a rose bud at different stages, with the title of “Beginning of Beauty”
THEME
Theme photos focus on a subject as announced in the contest rules. For 2011-2012 the theme is “Trains.” This theme allows 4-H members to take photos of all types of trains. The train theme includes both real and model trains. Photo subject must be either the engine or a train car. Photos of train accessories such as stations/depots, signs, tracks, etc are not allowed. All necessary safety precautions and laws must be adhered to during photo capturing. Examples include: front of an antique train engine, old caboose, etc.
