Photo Show Etiquette

Hi all,

I am very new to showing and had a question about etiquette. Is it acceptable to use the same photo of a model for multiple shows or should you reshoot them everytime?

Re-using the same photo across multiple shows is fine - a lot of my models are still being shown with the same pictures I took when I bought or painted them, which in some cases is ten or even twenty years ago! Some I have updated with improved pictures over the years, because I got a better camera and some nicer backdrop scenery for my minis, but mostly they have a single photoshoot when they first get here, and the very best side-on image is the photo which enters every show.

The only time a new photo would be correct etiquette is if you notice the model has suffered damage - anything which visibly affects the condition like shiny marks, scratches or rubs, fading or yellowing of the original colour, or issues with the surface condition of the paint in the case of customs. In that case, continuing to use a photo taken when the horse was perfect would be deemed unfair and unethical, and you ought to take a new one to accurately represent the current condition of the model (or just retire that one from photo showing - if it's looking too worn and tired to compete against pristine examples it could be time to call it a day and put that horse 'out to pasture' on the shelf!)

Thank you! This is super helpful. I really appreciate it.

Oh heck no! Imagine how much of your time that would take up, redoing your entire herd for every show. No, reuse the same photo.

I pretty much have one blank background, and one paddock background, picture of each horse. I only retake them when I decide a specific one isn't catching judges' eyes and I think the horse can do better.