First Annual CA 4-H Photography Contest
On May 29th, at the 2010 State 4-H Field Day on the UC Davis campus, the first annual California 4-H Photography Contest was held. The contest was a great success, and even though there were some stressful moments, it was a great success. You might me asking yourself why I am talking about a photography contest. This contest just so happened to be something I have spent the last half of my year working on.
Back in January, at the CA 4-H Technology Leadership Team (TLT) meeting in Lake Tahoe, we were working out new things that the TLT could work on the following year. During that weekend, I had remembered that back when I was a 4-H member, I would wish that there was a photography contest at the state level. I decided to mention it to the team, and they all loved it. Right away, I went to work on planning the contest. When I got home, I started working out all the details of the contest. My original plans was to have details out by March, but the State Office needed them at the end of January, so I had to rush putting everything together. I also got some help and advise from my parents, for I have never ran or planned an official contest before. I got everything that needed to be done finished, and got all the details submitted to the State Office by the deadline.
We originally was going to have paper registration, but I decided to have the pre-registration to the contest only available online, to make things more easy with all the data. Later on, I would be glad I made that decision. When the information finally came open to the public, my e-mail inbox would be filled with tons of e-mails with questions and my cell phone would be ringing off the hook. During this time, I tweaked everything out that needed to be tweaked for the contest. I was getting hundreds of thank you messages from people at this point for having such a great opportunity available to the youth. Of course, with the good comes the bad. I have received many requests to allow members to mail in their photographs in the mail since they are unable to make the long trip. Sadly, I can't offer a mail in option because it would be a logistical nightmare. The TLT and I have decided that since this will be a State Field Day event, they have to hand deliver the photographs. I decided to make the exception that they do not have to be the ones who bring up the photographs.
By the time registration ended on May 7, we had 518 photographs entered, and 145 youth registered. By this time I began freaking out, because we were only expecting around 100 photographs. With the help of the TLT and my parents, we got all the finalizations done, and I was ready for the contest.
On the day of the contest, everything went really well. People started to show up early to bring in their photographs, but that was just fine. Before long, we had a long line of people bringing in their entries. Lucky, I had the TLT, some State Ambassadors, and other willing volunteers that came to help out with the contest all day. Near the end of check-in, my judges arrived. As the last entries were coming in, the judges helped the others place the Senior division on the wall. After we closed down the hall way, judging began, which started at 10:30. We roughly had 480 photographs to officially judge. While the judges did their thing, I was working with a few other TLT members and other volunteers to help tally all the judging sheets. It was a very long day of going through math. The general judging finished around 2:40, and we didn't have time to place other photographs on the wall before we had to open the hall way so people can see some of the photographs. People were getting upset about the wait. The judges went into a room, with most of the contest photographs, and made the decisions for Best of Division and Best of Show awards. All the judging was finished by 3:00 pm, which was way sooner than I expected. Right after judging, I had a handful of Volunteers who worked through all 480 judging sheets to get them stapled to the award certificates, so they can be handed back to the youth when they pick up their photographs.
I told everyone that they can pick up their photographs near the end of the award ceremony, which would be around 5:00 PM. By 3:30, people were asking if they can take their photographs. Because of all the hetic, we allowed them to take the photographs, and the awards will be sent to the county offices in a few weeks after the contest. Well it seems by allowing that, it got some people confused, and I received an e-mail calling the contest very unorganized and that there is a chance he wont let his kids participate in it next year. I had to do an explication e-mail that explained how that happened, and that we were really organized, but people made their own exemptions which caused that confusion. Due to that, I know that we will not allow anyone to pick up their photographs early from the contest.
At the end of the day, we got everything done before hand and everything went well smoothly expect the allowing people to take photos home early. We had about 50 photographs left behind, that are now sitting in the State 4-H Office, and they were not supposed to leave them behind. I feel bad because now the State Office has to deal with those photographs.
It was a long but awarding day. We will have to make some changes for next year, but that is normal. I am very proud of what I have done, and I feel that this contest will be able to continue for many years to come. I really hope it will, and if it does, than it gives me a legacy that I can leave behind in the 4-H program. Right after the contest, I got a thank you e-mail, and it is one just like the rest of them I have recieved. I have decided to share that with you. Please see below for the e-mail that just made me feel all so good. Real Quick, I just want to send a BIG thank you to everyone who helped out that day. It wouldn't have gone that well with out you. I wouldn't have been able to do it with out you guys!
"John,
Back in January, at the CA 4-H Technology Leadership Team (TLT) meeting in Lake Tahoe, we were working out new things that the TLT could work on the following year. During that weekend, I had remembered that back when I was a 4-H member, I would wish that there was a photography contest at the state level. I decided to mention it to the team, and they all loved it. Right away, I went to work on planning the contest. When I got home, I started working out all the details of the contest. My original plans was to have details out by March, but the State Office needed them at the end of January, so I had to rush putting everything together. I also got some help and advise from my parents, for I have never ran or planned an official contest before. I got everything that needed to be done finished, and got all the details submitted to the State Office by the deadline.
We originally was going to have paper registration, but I decided to have the pre-registration to the contest only available online, to make things more easy with all the data. Later on, I would be glad I made that decision. When the information finally came open to the public, my e-mail inbox would be filled with tons of e-mails with questions and my cell phone would be ringing off the hook. During this time, I tweaked everything out that needed to be tweaked for the contest. I was getting hundreds of thank you messages from people at this point for having such a great opportunity available to the youth. Of course, with the good comes the bad. I have received many requests to allow members to mail in their photographs in the mail since they are unable to make the long trip. Sadly, I can't offer a mail in option because it would be a logistical nightmare. The TLT and I have decided that since this will be a State Field Day event, they have to hand deliver the photographs. I decided to make the exception that they do not have to be the ones who bring up the photographs.
By the time registration ended on May 7, we had 518 photographs entered, and 145 youth registered. By this time I began freaking out, because we were only expecting around 100 photographs. With the help of the TLT and my parents, we got all the finalizations done, and I was ready for the contest.
On the day of the contest, everything went really well. People started to show up early to bring in their photographs, but that was just fine. Before long, we had a long line of people bringing in their entries. Lucky, I had the TLT, some State Ambassadors, and other willing volunteers that came to help out with the contest all day. Near the end of check-in, my judges arrived. As the last entries were coming in, the judges helped the others place the Senior division on the wall. After we closed down the hall way, judging began, which started at 10:30. We roughly had 480 photographs to officially judge. While the judges did their thing, I was working with a few other TLT members and other volunteers to help tally all the judging sheets. It was a very long day of going through math. The general judging finished around 2:40, and we didn't have time to place other photographs on the wall before we had to open the hall way so people can see some of the photographs. People were getting upset about the wait. The judges went into a room, with most of the contest photographs, and made the decisions for Best of Division and Best of Show awards. All the judging was finished by 3:00 pm, which was way sooner than I expected. Right after judging, I had a handful of Volunteers who worked through all 480 judging sheets to get them stapled to the award certificates, so they can be handed back to the youth when they pick up their photographs.
I told everyone that they can pick up their photographs near the end of the award ceremony, which would be around 5:00 PM. By 3:30, people were asking if they can take their photographs. Because of all the hetic, we allowed them to take the photographs, and the awards will be sent to the county offices in a few weeks after the contest. Well it seems by allowing that, it got some people confused, and I received an e-mail calling the contest very unorganized and that there is a chance he wont let his kids participate in it next year. I had to do an explication e-mail that explained how that happened, and that we were really organized, but people made their own exemptions which caused that confusion. Due to that, I know that we will not allow anyone to pick up their photographs early from the contest.
At the end of the day, we got everything done before hand and everything went well smoothly expect the allowing people to take photos home early. We had about 50 photographs left behind, that are now sitting in the State 4-H Office, and they were not supposed to leave them behind. I feel bad because now the State Office has to deal with those photographs.
It was a long but awarding day. We will have to make some changes for next year, but that is normal. I am very proud of what I have done, and I feel that this contest will be able to continue for many years to come. I really hope it will, and if it does, than it gives me a legacy that I can leave behind in the 4-H program. Right after the contest, I got a thank you e-mail, and it is one just like the rest of them I have recieved. I have decided to share that with you. Please see below for the e-mail that just made me feel all so good. Real Quick, I just want to send a BIG thank you to everyone who helped out that day. It wouldn't have gone that well with out you. I wouldn't have been able to do it with out you guys!
"John,
Thanks so much for the incredible work that went into the Photography Contest. I’m sure you and your crew didn’t ever step out of the Hart building all day! I just wanted to express my appreciation for providing this awesome opportunity for the kids.
Even better was that one of our own Felton 4-H kids took home the Senior Division Winner! (We only brought 10 kids from our club, Felton 4-H, Santa Cruz County) We’re in the process of trying to get more of our club to come to State Field Day. The photo contest will help!
Again – thanks so much!"
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