Judging Photo Shows Pt 1.

This is the first post in a series I am doing on judging. All the posts carry the same label, so you can see the other posts by clicking "Judging Photo Shows Series" down at the bottom of the post, near the publish date and comment launch. The other posts will accumulate there as I publish them. Expect the next post in 2-3 days. :)

Hello! Welcome to the series. I'm not going to waste time on introductions, because you already know what you're reading (if not, read the above bold blurb). I'm excited to take you on this discovery series, so let's get started.

Here is your basic overview of the class (this is what you would see before you open the class to begin judging):

• Platform: OMHPS
• Show: 2022 Spotted Dreams Photo Show
• Division: OF Trad Breyer
• Section: Stock
• Class: Paint Geldings*
• Class Size: 9 entries

*Don't look up the class to peer at the results! It will ruin the series for you. ;)

My initial impression is that this is a pretty easy class: normal breed, small size, easy scale, standard finish, etc.

With the exception of the appaloosa and Gypsy Vanner classes, I never open a class before I judge it. I really want to avoid any possibility of forming a bias. I only look at appys and Vanners because they are my weaknesses. 😛 For any other breed, the moment I open the class to judge is the first time I see them. This first impression is very important, and later I will discuss what makes it a good one.

Below is a series of photos of all the horses in the Paint Gelding class. They are listed in no particular order. Take your time, and just scroll down, getting a feel for what this class holds. Don't be critical (yet). This step is just an overview. Appreciate the good points, but don't even bother making a mental note of the bad ones. Excuse the watermark on the first image, it wouldn't show up in judging software, but it appears when I use the photo off of the website.

(These photos do not belong to me, and are the ones that the owners used on OMHPS. Most are at "original size" but a few were too big and had to be set at size "large".)

False names are used so that you are able to participate in the upcoming activity (next post).

Horse A

Horse B

Horse C

Horse D

Horse E

Horse F

Horse G

Horse H

Horse I

You'll notice that I did not credit any real names. I did that on purpose. If I listed names, y'all would be tempted to snoop around and find out what I placed them as. I don't want you doing that, as it will spoil the series for you. Please refrain from peeking until the end. Then I will give links to all the profiles, and the proper credit to the owners.  :)

That is all for the first post. Obviously I didn't get into the meat of the series, but I felt adding more would make the post too lengthy, especially considering the volume of photos. There will be another post soon, and it will be on what makes a good first impression, photo quality, and overall anatomy of a photo.

Thanks for reading!