Bombyhead · Director guide

Photo contests, end to end.

The easiest photo contest software we know how to build — high automation from setup through certificates, so you spend time on the show, not the spreadsheet. Entrants submit photos and pay; your judges score blind; you publish results; everyone gets a certificate. Every paid entrant is also a prospect for your next pageant.

How it works

Photo contests are separate from pageants. They have their own setup, Photo Contest Landing Page, judging links, and results. Entrants use a normal Bombyhead account. Bombyhead’s platform fee is 25% of the entry total (same model as People’s Choice). Of what’s left after that, Stripe’s card processing is about 3% of the charge — so “you keep 75%” is before card fees, not your final bank deposit. Entry fees start at $5 per photo (optional bundles start at $10).

There is no public voting on a Bombyhead photo contest. Judging is by people you invite — blind, on weighted criteria you define. If you want pay-to-vote / People’s Choice style fundraising for a broader audience, use dempsi.com — our sister platform built for that.

Tip

Think of the photo contest as a feeder for your pageant roster. Keep the entry form honest about contact details — that’s how you fill the next show without cold lists.

What the Photo Contest Landing Page shows automatically

Your Photo Contest Landing Page builds dates, entry fee, countdown, and prizes from the fields you set in Setup. You do not need to restate deadlines or pricing in the description — those appear in the header and info strip for you.

Use the description for the story of the contest: theme, dress code or style notes, eligibility, and anything judges will look for.

Tip

Set a clear cover image and logo before you share the landing page link. Facebook and other apps read the share card from that branding when someone pastes the URL.

End-to-end process

Connect Stripe Entry fees go to your connected Stripe account. If Stripe isn’t connected, open entries is blocked until you finish setup under your Bombyhead account.
Create the photo contest From the dashboard, create a new photo contest. Fill name, description, logo, cover, brand theme, schedule, pricing, divisions (optional), judging criteria, placements, and consent text.
Set status to Active When dates allow, Active means the public form can accept entries. Draft is fine while you’re still editing; dates still drive open/close on the landing page once you’re ready.
Generate judge links On the Judges tab, name each judge and generate a token link. Copy and send the links yourself (email, text, DM). Judges don’t need a Bombyhead login.
Share the Photo Contest Landing Page Copy the landing page link from the dashboard or admin header. Promote it the same way you would a registration page — social, email list, past entrants.
Entrants submit and pay One form: account details, photos (with optional credits per photo), consent, then Stripe Checkout. Entry is final when payment clears. Minimum $5 per photo.
Judges score blind Judges see images, titles, and division — not names or credits. They score your weighted criteria (1–10), may leave a private note (directors only) and a comment for the contestant (visible after you publish results, not on the landing page), and can work over several days.
Review results and publish On the Results tab, review rankings and judge progress. Publish to lock placements, generate certificates, email winners and participants, and unlock results and judge comments for entrants when they sign in.
Fulfill non-certificate prizes Bombyhead creates and emails certificates automatically. Trophies, sashes, gift cards, and other prizes are yours to fulfill. Announce them clearly in Placements so entrants know what they’re competing for.
Clone for the next run When you’re ready to run again, Clone from the dashboard, shift dates, tweak copy, and use Notify Past to reach previous entrants.

Tip

Clone is the retention engine. A second contest is faster than the first if branding, criteria, and consent text stay the same and only the dates move.

Setup checklist

Name & description — theme and rules; not dates or price (those are automatic).
Logo & cover — logo on the hero and certificate; cover for the page and social share.
Brand theme — colors the hero band only.
Schedule — entry open, entry close, results date.
Pricing — per photo (minimum $5); optional bundle (minimum $10).
Max photos — entrants get that many photo slots on the form.
Photo titles — optional toggle to require a title on every submitted photo.
Judging criteria — weights should sum to 100.
Placements & prizes — what winners receive; certificates are automatic.
Divisions — optional age bands, or a single open division.
Consent — copyright, usage, and minor release language.

Judging tips

Generate one named link per judge so scores stay attributed correctly.
Give judges a deadline and a sense of volume (“about 80 images”).
Private notes stay between you and the judge; comments for contestants appear only after publish, in their Bombyhead account — never on the landing page.
You can publish with incomplete judging if needed — check the Results tab for progress first.
Ties are for you to break when you confirm placements.

Tip

Blind scoring keeps the process fair and simple. Don’t share entrant names with judges until after you publish — the system already hides them during scoring.

Entries & leads

Paid entrants appear on the Entries tab. Export a CSV for outreach. Hide or disqualify entries that violate rules without deleting payment history. Every visit and entry is tracked in lead tooling similar to pageants.

Tip

After results, a short personal note to non-winners with their certificate link is often enough to bring them back for the next clone — and for your full pageant registration.

Money

Entrants pay per photo (or your bundle price). Minimum $5 per photo.
Funds settle to your Stripe Connect account.
Bombyhead platform fee: 25% of the entry total (via Stripe Connect application_fee).
After Bombyhead’s cut: you receive 75% of the entry total before card processing.
Stripe processing: typically about 2.9% + 30¢ per card charge (around 3% in practice) — taken by Stripe, not Bombyhead. Your bank deposit is roughly 75% minus those card fees.
Example: a $20 entry → about $5 to Bombyhead, about $0.60 to Stripe, about $14.40 to you (exact card fees vary).
Refunds, if you choose to issue them, are handled in Stripe; update entry status in Bombyhead as needed.

Tip

When you talk about pricing with your board or sponsors, say “Bombyhead 25%, then Stripe card fees on the rest” — not “I keep 75% of every dollar.” The first is accurate; the second leaves out processing.

Quick reference

Dashboard — list, create, clone, notify past entrants, copy landing page link, delete.
Setup — branding, schedule, pricing (min $5/photo), criteria, prizes, consent.
Entries — list, hide/DQ, export CSV.
Judges — generate and copy token links.
Results — rankings, publish, certificates and emails.
Photo Contest Landing Page — what entrants see and where they pay.

Questions? Email support@bombyhead.com — a real person reads every message.