That’s the going rate for a picture according to the poets. The going rate for a Photogenic entry fee is $75 at State and $175 at Nationals. Which does not even include what you spent for the photo: the sitting, hair/makeup services, styling, retouching, etc. By the time it’s all said and done, your Photogenic entry could cost you $300 or more to get “the one”.
So what’s in a winning Photogenic entry? And how is it chosen by the judges? At National American Miss, the Photogenic entries are labeled on the back with a barcode and sorted by contestant number. When the time comes to be judged, all the photos for a division are laid out on a long table and each judge views them alone ranking them from first choice to last. A staff member then scans them in order from first to last choice and the process is repeated per judge.
So what are they looking for? A good rule of thumb for ALL photogenic submissions is that the subject needs to be clear, in focus, good eye contact with the camera, no distractions (background, extraneous accessories, etc) and have neatly styled hair/clothing. For NAM specifically, the subject should look age appropriate and if wearing makeup in younger divisions, it shouldn’t be noticeable.
Does it have to be a professional picture? Not at all. But I would very much invest in a GREAT retouch even if it’s a non-pro photo. Stray hairs need to be cleaned up, the aspect ratio needs to be tweaked, composition can be adjusted… All little things that when done take a good photo to great.
Right: straight out of the camera, photo credit: Lynn Henley
Do you see the difference a good retouch makes? The shadows on the face were eliminated and the eyes were brightened slightly to draw you in. If you can zoom in to the eyelashes, though, that’s the big one! The mascara on the right was slightly clumpy and dusty looking. I specifically asked for the eyelashes to be fixed and as you can see on the left, it makes a remarkable difference. This photo was taken on a rainy and overcast day, however thanks to some great retouching, it looks like the sun was shining just for her. This was not an expensive retouch, either.
The best advice I can give you, regardless of what you are entering is this: prepare for your State pageant as if it were Nationals. You are much better off not entering an optional contest at NAM than entering without being properly prepared. Some people have submitted snapshots and won their state’s Photogenic optional contest, but that is a rarity. In our state, we regularly see at least 65-75 girls per age division, if not more. If your state has 20 girls and only 5 submit a Photogenic entry, the odds are more in your favor. However, at Nationals, you will be competing against the best of the best in the country, including girls from highly competitive states. Put your best face forward always!
Wishing you the best of luck!