Ever wonder what criteria judges use to select the best photos in a competition? Whether you plan to enter the annual Mindoro Community Photo Contest in August, enter photography at the county fair or just want tips on selecting the best images for a personal photo album, the last topic in the Mindoro Community Library series Cabin Fever may be of interest.

The Friends of the Mindoro Community Library will present “Photography: Here Comes the Judge” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 27 at the Mindoro Elementary School Library. The event is free and open to the public.

The presenter will be Debbie Abraham of Bangor, superintendent of both junior fair and open class photography at the La Crosse Interstate Fair. Abraham is also an active 4-H leader in La Crosse County and offers workshops at the West Salem Branch of the La Crosse County Library throughout the year. She is a member of the La Crosse Area Camera Club and has won photography awards at both the local and regional level.

In addition, Abraham is a state-certified judge of both junior fair and open class photography at county fairs and also has served on the panel of judges who select the winners of the Mindoro Community Photo Contest. Abraham has worked at both Precision Photo and May’s Photo and currently is employed at The Studio in downtown La Crosse.

Abraham’s presentation will not only provide insight into the criteria judges use to evaluate photos in competitions but also give tips on how to make better photos for personal use. She will explain how photos for competition sometimes differ from photos for the family album. Composition, story-telling ability and impact, universal appeal and technical quality all contribute to a winning image.

Composition is a key ingredient, and Abraham’s presentation will include tips on how to make strong compositions, why subject placement is important, when to use vertical or horizontal format, the guidelines of “thirds” and the role backgrounds and foregrounds play in your images.

Abraham’s DVD entitled “How to Take Better Photos” earned an award from the North Central Camera Club Council. Abraham’s informational brochure “Photography Tips: How to Take Better Photographs” has been adopted by the state 4-H Photography Advisory Committee for distribution to 4-H youth. Attendees at the April 27 library event will receive copies of the brochure, and information about the upcoming Mindoro Community Photo Contest as well as the La Crosse Interstate Fair open class and junior fair photography competitions will also be available.

Early-bird arrivals from 6-6:30 p.m. will have an opportunity to judge a mock photo contest to find out how their placings compare with the judge’s.