~ Registration Open through March 15th! ~

​See Class List & Rules Below!

Click Here to Register!

Photography Show Ribbons 

Below are our Photography Ribbons from previous years! Styles vary for each event and year.

 The Fall Photography Show is Open for Entries through March 6th! 
Divisions:
Open classes- Open to all ages and abilities.
Junior Class- Anyone 18 years or under may enter this Division.

Classes:

1. In Winter- Get outside with your pet and take some lovely scenes this Winter! Free up your imagination by photographing your animals in the snow. Think of red cardinals hiding in a snowy tree, a squirrel climbing a snow-covered tree, or a warm pet sitting by a fireplace. Combining your pets/animals with snow or other winter elements always makes for more creative photography. Open to any animal type.
2. Kisses & Cuddles- Cute snuggly photos with your pets! Open to any animal type.
3. Minimalist Photography-  Use mostly negative space to create a sophisticated image! With leaves gone, distractions are naturally reduced. A single tree in a snowy field becomes a powerful subject. Frost highlights textures you might otherwise miss. Low sun angles and soft overcast light flatten the landscape into gentle gradients. All of this helps you create images with clarity and calm. Try inside or outside minimalist photography focusing on one subject and negative space! Open to any animal type, no animal needed for this class. Read more tips here: www.markbanksphotography.com/index.php/news/347-embracing-minimalism-in-winter
4. Most Artistic- Get Creative! Think about composition, rule of thirds, filters, etc. Open to any animal type.
5. Holiday Photoshoot- Show off your Holiday Spirit by dressing up your pet in costume or other creative way! Winter Holidays themes such as: Christmas, Hanukah, New Years, Valentine's Day, etc. or in winter wear like hats and scarfs. Open to any animal type.
6. Winter Landscape- Get outside and take photos of the snow covered or frozen land. Consider using the Rule of Thirds and taking your photo in a landscape orientation instead of portrait orientation. No animals needed for this category.
7. Farm Friends- Donkeys, Pigs, Goats, Chickens, etc.- we needed another category for all our other cute friends!​
8. Scavenger Hunt- A FUN class to find images! Each participant will use the scavenger hunt list provided below and attached to the invoice. All entries will receive a ribbon for participating. Please see Scavenger Hunt Rules below.

winter_2026_photography_scavenger_hunt_rules.pdf
File Size:	300 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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What do Judges look for?
Here are some aspects we take into consideration while judging- Technical skills such as: composition, clarity of the photo and subject, color, lighting, contrast, depth of field, overall aesthetic quality. In addition to technical skills we considered: creative thought process, original ideas, creative risk taking, written and visual story telling, and titles.

Official Rules

Each participant may submit up to 2 photos per class.

1. Custom rosette ribbons will be awarded through 6th place for each class. Participation ribbons awarded if you don’t place- everyone will get something for participating! Best of Show, Reserve Champion, Honorable Mention, and People’s Choice will be awarded rosette ribbons. Additional awards may be added. Awards will be mailed to the winners. 
2. Cost to enter each class- $10.00. Cost includes entering up to 2 images per class.
3. Registration fee -$15.00 per entrant to help cover prizes, processing fee, shipping, and additional costs. 
4. Photos must be taken by YOU (participant entering the show). Juniors must take their own photos. Submitting a professional's photo to claim as your work will be disqualified. Do not enter a photo that has won in a previous photography show. Prefer photos taken within the past 2 years.
5. Enter as many classes as you want to!
6. Juniors aged 17 and under must include parent/guardian permission signature- found on Entry Form.
7. Contest will run through March 15th at 11:59 pm EST.
8. Judging will begin  and will announce winners by (additional time may be needed to complete judging as many submissions are turned in on the deadline). Winners will be posted on both our Results Page and Facebook Page.
9. Must be a US resident to participate.​
10. NO USE OF AI IN PHOTOS!
11. Watermarks- No logos on your photos please- they are distracting the viewer from your image! A SMALL signature in the bottom right corner is beautiful, tasteful, and acceptable. The color should be slightly transparent and in black, grey, or white. Your signature should not distract the viewer from the photo. For photography shows, think about how you might have your image printed and place signature accordingly!
12. Unless stated by class description as otherwise- Photos should be of live animals- not toys or figures.
13. No Photo Collages will be accepted.
14. No Screenshots, no screenshots from a movie- these are not photos and the quality of a screenshot is poor.
15. Classes may be added, split, or combined due to participation.
16. Exhibitors participate at their own risk, understanding the potential risks associated with all animals and equine activities. By entering, each participant who engages in an animal/equine activity expressly assumes the risks of engaging in and legal responsibility for injury, loss, or damage to person(s) or property resulting from the risk of animal/equine activities. By entering exhibitors agree to release and hold harmless Equisarte Shows, LLC its employees, contractors, and affiliates from any and all liability(ies).
17. Entrant's photos, name, age, city, state, may be used to promote the art show. This includes, but is not limited to, outreach via social media and websites.
18. 10% of the proceeds to be donated to Best Friends Animal Society.

Scavenger Hunt Rules-

1. Scavenger Hunt List available for download below and attached to your email with invoice.
2. All entries will receive a ribbon for participating. You must register individually however you may work as a team to do the scavenger hunt and turn in 1 album per team.
3. Take a photo of each item on the list. Photos must be taken all in 1 day! You can take them while on the trails, at your barn, or at an equestrian event.
4. Photos must be taken AFTER 01/20/2026 and submitted in your own individual album on our Equisarte Shows Photography Facebook Group.
5. Albums must be submitted to our Photography Facebook Group, you must be a group member on our private Facebook group, or have a team member or parent join to submit your photos in our group.
6. Use your camera phone to take your photos.
7. Start your photo hunt by taking a selfie of yourself and horse or team and horses!
8. Go to our Photography Show Facebook Group
9. Create 1 photo album per Individual/Team creating the title of your album as your Name then upload your photos.

winter_2026_photography_scavenger_hunt_rules.pdf
File Size:	300 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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End of the Year Championship Awards

Overall High Point Awards Ribbons will be given out at the conclusion of our Summer, Fall, and Winter Show! You must enter a minimum of 12 classes from all 3 shows to qualify. (For example, 4 classes from the Summer show, 4 classes from Fall, and 4 classes from the Winter Show = 12 classes from 3 shows.) Additional Prizes may be added! Points from each winning entry will be tallied up from all shows see below. Points will be determined by the amount of entries in a class through 6th place. For example- if only 3 people enter a class the most points 1st place can earn is 3 points. 

Best in Show, Reserve Best in Show, Honorable Mention, People’s Choice- 8 points
Best in Class- 7 points
1st- 6 points
2nd- 5 points
3rd- 4 points
4th- 3 points
5th- 2 points
6th- 1 point

Scavenger Hunt - 6 Points

Year End High Point Awards Open & Junior Divisions
Champion
Reserve Champion
3rd 
4th
5th
6th 
Top 15
Photo calendars have been a favorite prize as a high point award! Additional Awards may be added.
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