The Horse Photography Contest encourages youth to gain self-confidence while developing lifetime photographic skills and while learning the value of organizing and developing visual exhibits, youth will increase their knowledge of photography as it relates to horses.

Please thoroughly read the Photography section (this event is sub-divided into two categories) in the NC 4-H Horse Program Rulebook (pages 169-176) for additional information on contest rules, regulations, submission procedures, etc.

2026 Contest Registration Form

Exhibits must be submitted to the NC State 4-H Horse Show (Dining Room) on Thursday July 9 from 10 AM to 4 PM. Entries to be judged beginning at 5:00 PM.

Artistic Expression entries and awards will be available for pick-up in the Dining Room on Friday July 10 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Photography Contest is sub-divided into two sub-categories; one for standard photographs and the other for digitally enhanced/altered photographs.Taking a photograph with a digital camera is not considered a digitally enhanced/altered photograph.

The Digitally Enhanced/Altered (DE) category is for photographs that have been significantly altered using computer software and the alteration is either the main attraction of the photograph or plays a big part in the artistic merit of the photograph. Examples are a horse with wings, green sun, and yellow grass; a horse with a unicorn horn, horse jumping over the moon.) Use solely of common photographic techniques such as contrast enhancement, adjustment of lightness/darkness, color balancing and cropping do not qualify a photograph for the digitally enhanced/altered category.

Each sub-category will be judged separately and awards will be given for each sub-category.

The rules will be the same for both sub-categories.

Participants may enter one photograph in each sub-category.

The Photography Contest is subdivided into two subcategories; one for standard photographs and the other for digitally enhanced/altered photographs. The objectives of the Horse Photography Contest are to: encourage equine-related photography by 4-H youth; help 4-H youth gain self-confidence and develop lifelong photographic skills and abilities. To increase knowledge of photography in general and specifically as it applies to horses; learn the value of organizing and developing visual exhibits in a specific area of interest; increase awareness of the 4-H Horse Project through the use of photographic displays. State winners in an age division are ineligible to compete in that same event in future years.