What Pageant Judges Look for When Judging Photogenic Share on Social Media

A picture says 1000 words, and with a growing presence online with social media, it is vital for pageants, and all businesses, to provide an appealing visual presentation. Much of our communication about our brands today comes from photos, so it’s no wonder that many pageants have not only awarded “Photogenic” honors but added photogenic to the scoring. One such pageant is Regency International.

Why Photogenic?

As Regency International explains to its judges, “Regency International titleholders must possess photogenic appeal and ability to project an image consistent with beauty and elegance.” It’s all about branding in today’s world. Branding is your why, or what you stand for. Once upon a time, only our clothes, shoes, music choices and hairstyles spoke our brands and we had to wait at least an hour for a photo of it. But today, our photos show the world our souls in an instant. Part of participating in pageantry is choosing a pageant whose values and goals you agree with, or it’s not as much fun and difficult to have success in that system.

Photo Requirements

Photogenic competition requirements vary by system, but typically feature the same basic guidelines. For Regency International the guidelines are as follow:

• Color or black and white photo
• At least 5x7, but no larger than 8x10
• Headshot (Check out Everything Your NEED to Know About Pageant Headshots)
• No crowns or banners
• Photos do not have to be professional but should be of good quality and clarity
• Returning delegates may submit the same photo for a maximum of two consecutive years

Miss Regency International 2017 Jade Wade. Photo: Jade Wade Instagram

Judging Criteria

Judging photogenic may seem like judging a book by its cover. But as we discussed, that’s essentially the world today. But a photo can say a lot about a person if you look closely. For Regency International, judges are looking for personality, beauty, grooming, fashion sense and confidence. I’m pretty sure my teen titleholder photos from 2003 would have told the judges that I didn’t know how to properly do my hair without mass amounts of Aqua Net.

Yes, I totally rocked a cartoon Jane Jetson flip, including it NEVER moving no matter what the weather was doing. But, just look at portraits and photos from the past in your history textbooks. You can probably do a pretty good job of figuring out how those people felt and walked in the world and that’s what the judges want to see in your photo. “If you’re presenting yourself with confidence, you can pull off pretty much anything,” as Katy Perry has said.

Join the Fun

Not only do contestants compete in photogenic, but they also compete in Interview, Fashion and Evening Gown, with each area of competition accounting for 25% of the score. If you are in Texas, Oklahoma or New Mexico, Regency International holds state pageants for those states. All other states are at-large and titles are available. Fill out the application to start the process of becoming a Regency International titleholder. The Cost Total entry fee for a limited time is $300 for Jr. Teens, Teens, Miss, Ms. and Mrs contestants. Little Miss and Jr. Miss fees are only $200. A deposit of $75 is required to hold your title, and the remaining fee can be made in payment. The entry fee also includes, entertainment, a satin sash and a contestant gift bag. The entry fee does not include travel, hotel or the crown. Crowns are not required but can be purchased for $80, which includes shipping.

Going Forward

With so many pageant systems out there it is important to pick the perfect pageant for you and if you love to be in front of the camera and give back to the community. Regency International could be the one for you. Good luck, ladies!