PHOTO CONTEST 2020

We want to see new faces, horse faces that is, so we decided to start a photography competition at USMMA. We will use the contest photos to create a USMMA photography bank and to publish a USMMA 2021 calendar. Tom Sliter, fine art photographer from Washington, D.C. has agreed to judge the contest.

The winner of the contest will win $50 USMMA credit, be featured in the Fall Edition of the USMMA Journal and will be given the opportunity to be the cover of the 2021 USMMA Calendar.  
Send your entries to the USMMA for posting on the USMMA website for all to enjoy during the contest.  The USMMA website limits the size of the photographs posted there, so we are wanting the large, original files to be sent to us via email to Lynn Kelley, lynnkelley@me.com.  We are asking anyone who enters the contest to grant permission to the USMMA for the use of photos and subsequently are asking you to sign a release form. That form is attached to this email.
Please include your name, the name for the photo credit (if any), and the registered name of your horse in the photo in the body of the email and make each image a separate attachment. Entries must be submitted no later than September 1,2020.

CONTEST RULES
-Must be a current USMMA Member
-No more than 5 entries per member
-Photos taken between 2015 and 2020 are eligible
-Size: Images must have a width of 2000 pixels with a format of 10 x 8 (landscape)
-Quality: Images must be jpeg files of maximum quality. The resulting file should be about 2.5 MB  (Note : If you want: Photoshop Express is a free photo editing software that can produce images satisfying the above requirements There are many other editing programs too)
-File name: Each image file must include the registered name of the Marchador and the last name of the member Example: Lo Borges De Lazy T Smith. JPG

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Best regards,Jeff Bosley
USMMA Presidentpaboz24@gmail.com
TO SEE THE ENTRIES AS THEY ARE SUBMITTED, CLICK ON THIS LINK.
About the Judge:  Tom Sliter is a fine art photographer in Washington, D.C. He is a member of Multiple Exposures Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia , has received numerous awards and recognitions and has participated in exhibitions s across the country. In 2013 he photographed the USMMA Clinic and Sela de Ouro held in Helena, Mt. His work can be viewed at tsliterphotography.com.

Tom’s TIPS: The internet has many videos and websites with suggestions for equine photography. Just remember these basic tips
–Abhor blur. Keep the camera steady and your subject in focus. Use a tripod or fence post for support, if needed.
—Avoid cluttered or distracting background. 
–Try to photograph in the morning or late afternoon, not at mid-day. The angled light will generally give more pleasing results.
–Try to fill the frame with your subject. The more you have to crop image, the less resolution it will have.
—Pay attention to the composition of your image. The “Rule of Thirds” (Google it) is a commonly used guide for good composition.
–Watch the light and dark areas of your image. The eye is attracted to lighter areas in the photograph. A dark horse against a light background can confuse the eye (although a silhouette can be great.)
–If your camera allows it, photograph in RAW format. It allows more flexibility in editing. (All entries need to be submitted as jpeg files.)
–DSLR cameras work best, but iPhones (7 or later) can produce good images 
–And remember . EARS UP
2020 PHOTO RELEASE