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editorblair matthews [email protected]
submissions/copy editorpenelope [email protected]
gca flower show chairmanalice [email protected]
photography committeegay estes chairman [email protected] dane, zones I II III [email protected] shaw, zones IV V VI [email protected] hunter, zones VII VIII IX [email protected] dawson, zones X XI [email protected] wood, zone XII [email protected]
The object of the focus magazine of The Garden Club of America is to enhance the knowledge and enjoyment at all levels of involvement in the art of photography and to appreciate its unique blend of technical skill, knowledge of composition and creativity. Articles written express the opinion of the writers and and are for the purpose of clarity and education about the photographic process, exhibiting and judging. The Garden Club of America and the focus magazine do not endorse any product or service. All entries in Flower Shows are limited to members of the GCA.
focus: mission statement
The Garden Club of America
Zone X Photography Judging Workshop Akron GC 2009
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Editor’s Note
Why is it a Winning Photograph?By Blair Matthews Louis
Winners in this issue and those in the past have a few characteristics in common. First, they’re technically excellent, with exposure, tonality and focus all under perfect control. They have clearly defined subjects that instantly draw you into the picture. They inspire an emotional reaction or invoke a mood. They offer an element of surprise that piques your interest. And finally, they convey all of this in an instant.
GCA judges are continually honing their skills to identify these qualities in the photographs they judge.
We have included a special article in this month’s issue titled Celebrate Photography - People’s Choice Awards. You will see all of these winning characteristics in the photo-graphs chosen by the delegates at the 2009 Zone X Meeting.
To quote Jeff Dunas, a professional photographer, on what makes a “winning photograph,” he answers, “Amaze me!”
Enjoy this issue. It, too, should “Amaze you!”
In this issue 4 Creative Schedules - Make for Intriguing Entries
8 Point Counterpoint - “Plant material” means different things to different people
15 Micro-Macro - The plant world becomes strikingly beautiful under the microscope
19 More Tips on Scanning
22 Celebrate Photography - People’s Choice Awards 28 Debating Modern Photography: The Triumph of Group f/64 - September 30, 2010 through December 5, 2010, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine
29 From our Readers
30 Alluvial Treasures - Upcoming 2011 GCA Annual Meeting Photography Show Schedule
31 Upcoming Fall Flower Shows
32 Putting on a Photography Show - Including some things the Yellow Book doesn’t tell you
Laurie Riley, Novice Club Award, Seattle GC
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Creative Schedules Make for Intriguing Entries
AB
OU
TTH
EC
OV
ER
by Crissy Cherry, Lake Forest GC
Background photo was altered in Photoshop: parts of picture were moved and many passes with the liquefy tool were made.
In Photoshop, using various selec-tion tools, individual flowers were selected from several photos and the backgrounds were removed. The stems were moved around using the liquefy tool and the flowers were placed on the background. Elements of the background were adjusted using copy and paste to align with the flowers. A drop shadow was applied.
Finally a solid, pale green layer was placed behind the background layer and the background layer opacity was reduced. The layers were then saved as a jpeg file for printing on metallic paper.
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Summer at the Lake Zone XI Flower Show Lake Geneva GC Lake Geneva WI July 2010
First and Photography Committee Award
“Magical Gardens”—A highly manipulated or experimental image including flower(s).
Echinacea coneflower
“Visually and technically fabulous”
MAGICALGARDENS
Crissy CherryLake Forest GC
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Safari Flora & Fauna The Preservation Society of Newport County Rosecliff Newport RI June 2010
Second and Newport Daily News Award
“The Elephant Child”—color
“King Penguins—Salisbury Plain, Antarctica”
Olympus point and shoot, 400 speed Kodak color film
“Great editorial story portrayed in the image. Excellent comparison where centeredness works.”
“Simplicity and humor of story works on many levels and keeps your visual interest. Juxtaposition of foreground and background enhances
the image.”
I quietly sat a long time on stones and ice waiting for the penguins to come to me. At long last these two had something to say about it.
Patience is a virtue…certainly when it comes to photographing nature.
Georgianna ErskinePasadena GC
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Art en Fleurs 1983-2010—Celebrate Our Treasures Green Tree GC, Kettle Moraine GC, Town and Country GC, Lake Geneva GC
Boerner Botanical Gardens Hales Corners WI July 2010
First Place and the Certificate of ExcellenceFriends of Boerner Merit Award
“A Personal Treasure”—color
Aesclepias curassavica Blood flower
Nikon D 70- 400mm telephoto lens with vibration reduction
“Geometric lines create a dynamic composition”
“Highly distinctive and engaging image…captures a moment in time. Nature is a personal treasure.”
As I watched one of my treasured container plants being destroyed, it was with the knowledge that it would help change this creature into another treasure: a beautiful
butterfly!
MOMENTINTIME
Margaret HallWestport GC
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by Margaret Hall, Westport GC and Penny Ross, Fairfield GC
POINTCOUNTERPOINT
When it came to choosing an image for the 2010 Zone XI Meeting show “Summer at the Lake,” the devil made me do it. The class title was “Shifting Winds”—a photograph showing the effects of weather. I had two versions of this scene of Virginia’s James River in flood: one was a conventional shot with roiling waters and distant green trees in the background, but the “stairway to nowhere” was so much more interesting and its suggestion of plant material with the tree shadows seemed a better choice than the amorphous green blur in the other image even though it was (shock!) not actual plant material. Creativity is given the highest number of points when we point-score photographs, so I think we should be open to a wide variety of interpretations. What about a fabulous image of a fossilized equisetum or petrified wood? Or a shimmering reflection that includes plants? The essence of the plant is there but the literal-minded might say it is not plant material.
I enjoy photographing birds using a telephoto lens. The background is often a green blur. Is it plant material? Who cares? The first mission statement of GCA in 1913 included the phrase “to aid in the protection of native plants and birds.” To me, what is important in our GCA photography program is capturing and celebrating the natural world with a creative eye, not nit-picking the issues of green blurs, reflections, snow impressions and shadows.
Photo and Point by Margaret Hall
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Although the plant material requirement in the Photography Division may now be waived by the show committee, that rule still applies in most upcoming GCA Flower Show schedules, which are written far in advance.
But “plant material” means different things to different people. GCA photographers and judges are divided on the issue. To me, plant material has to have materiality. As for shadows, I recall the Robert Louis Stevenson poem “My Shadow”, which starts:
“I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.”
For that child, the shadow was even more real than an imaginary friend.
POINTCOUNTERPOINT
Here is a photo I entered in GC of Darien’s 2008 “September Serenade.” I had taken it on a freezing cold day the previous winter at Waveny Park in New Canaan. Red oak leaves had melted into the surface of a snowy field—then the wind lifted them out of their own impressions. I positioned the leaf in a way I liked, and later just used the antique effect in iPhoto to give the snow “presence.” It was a natural for the class “Falling Leaves.”But would the photo still have qualified if I had entered a photo of the impression in the snow without the leaf? What do you think?(Are the famous imprints outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater feet and hands? Of course not, they are just impressions of the stars’ shoes and palms.)
focus will publish your comments —and your own photograph to illustrate your point, whether a show winner or not, is encouraged— because that’s what we’re all about.
Photo and Counterpoint by Penny Ross
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Rhythm & Rhymes Alamo Heights-Terrell Hills GCSan Antonio TX May 2010
First and The GCA Novice Award in Photography
“Rhyme interpretation— I had a little nut tree, nothing would it bear but a silver nutmeg, and a golden pear.”
Quercus virginiana Southern live oak leaf and acornSophora secundiflora Texas mountain laurel seed
Canon PowerShot SD450—Macro setting
“Exciting interpretation of lines and patterns with beautiful, unexpected palette.”
The photography assignment was to find something in your everyday surroundings that you thought was compositionally pleasing and accentuated
line composition. The only thing I changed was moving a leaf that was partially covering the mountain laurel seed. The deadness of the leaf and the
brightness of the red seed (with the potential for rejuvenation also represented by the acorn) seemed to me to be the essence of the rhyme and
therefore I submitted it.
Barbara Sullivan Alamo Heights-Terrell Hills GC
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Inspiration for a Wedding Southampton GC Southampton NY July 2010
First, Best in Show and GCA Novice Award
“Something Blue”—monochrome
Hydrangea
Nikon D40
SOMETHINGBLUE
Sharon Giese Southampton GC
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Gay Estes The GC of Houston
The State of the Garden GCA Annual Meeting Flower Show sponsored by Zone IV clubs East Brunswick NJ May 2010
First Award
“Fruit”—color
C. femmenelo ‘St. Teresa’ Sicilian lemon
Olympus C70
This was a lucky shot in a market in Taormina. The lemons are grown in a very small region and have a wonderful rind. The shot
was hand-held and not composed; it was even set on manual mode at a rez of only 72—a true point and shoot! I was sightseeing! Just a
little editing and cleaning the background of unwanted detail in Photoshop. My comment was "buy locally-—in Sicily"; the judges
remarked on the lemons’ texture.
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Summer at the Lake Zone XI Flower Show Lake Geneva GC Lake Geneva WI July 2010
First and Best in Show
“Out on the Water”—color
Rorippa nasturtium aquaticum watercress Sparganium bur-reed
Platanus occidentalis sycamore Quercus alba white oak
Canon Rebel EOS Digital
“Ethereal image beautifully crafted.”
Taken in early summer evening with mist from changing outside temperature. Water was 57 degrees. Southern Missouri off the north
fork of the White River in Ozark County MO.
Joe Carpenter GC of St. Louis
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Harvesting the Land and Sea Zone III Flower Show GC of East Hampton East Hampton NY June 2010
First and The Photography Committee Award
“Harvesting the Land”—monochrome
Zea mays Indian corn
“Rich, superior depiction of gray scale. Incredible tonality.”
Nadia VallaLittle GC of Rye
Harvesting the Land monochrome
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Micro-MacroBy Phyllis Reynolds, GC of Portland
I came upon photographing via a microscopeserendipitously. After early retirement from academic medicine, my husband went deeply into botany, taking every course available in the Portland metropolitan area and becoming so knowledgeable that he actually taught some classes at Portland State University.
At one point in his “second career” he thoroughly studied grasses. He used two microscopes for identification purposes: one was binocular and magnified up to 10 times and the other was monocular and had considerably higher power. One day he called me over to have a look at a grass seedhead. “It’s beautiful,” he said. I looked, agreed, and had an “Aha!” moment. My (now obsolete) Nikon Coolpix 5000 had a lens just the size of the eyepiece of the 10X microscope. I took my first of many, many photos under a microscope.
Here are a few things to keep in mindif you want to try “micro-macro”: 1) If it’s depth of field you want,forget it. You mostly have
to photograph rather flat stuff or else a lot of thephoto will be out of focus. 2) Take a photo from each eyepiece to get a slightly different perspective. 3) Use extra light sources on the subject matter. Mostly I use a fiber optic light source (cf. the left hand side of the microscope) or sometimes I use a high intensity reading light. (Your light source will definitely “color” the photo.) 4) Try different magnifications, e.g., from 3 to 10 power. You’ll be surprised at what you get. 5) I think you have to use a camera with a lens as much the same size as the microscope eyepiece as possible because you don’t want to let any stray light in. I use my hand to cup the lens over the eyepiece, which also steadies my aim.
Micro-macro is fun. Insignificant little nothings in the plant world become strikingly beautiful under the microscope. There’s no such thing as a weed with this technique!
Aspllenium scoloplendrium Echinichloa crusgalli
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In Concert Piedmont GC and Orinda GCOrinda CA March 2010
Third and The Photography Committee Award
"Solo Performance"—a color study of a fern
Cyathea cooperi Australian tree fern
Nikon D90
Margy Pengilly Piedmont GC
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Harvesting the Land and Sea Zone III Meeting Flower Show GC of East Hampton East Hampton NY June 2010
First and Best in Show
“Close-up”—color
Raphanus sativus radish
Kathy de las Heras Millbrook GC
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All Trails Lead to Ice-Cold Coca Cola
Mary Jo BeckGC of Cincinnati
It’s The Real Thing The Monroe Garden Study League Monroe LA March 2010
First and The Photography Committee Award
“All Trails Lead to Ice-Cold Coca Cola”—Color
Nikon D-60
“Excellent exposure with difficult subject matter.Outstanding interpretation of the overall theme.”
It had been a long cold winter in Ohio and on a sunny day, my camera and I just had to get out of the house!
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Having read an article by Kathy de las Heras in the Summer 2009 issue of FOCUS, Plainfield Garden Club photography committee members were inspired last fall to try scanning. Autumn is the perfect time to use this technique, which really captures the bright colors of the leaves, and even the whimsy of root vegetables, in a way that would be difficult to achieve with traditional photography.
More Tips on Scanning By Darlene Kasten, Plainfield GC
I put my Canon MP210 combination printer/ scanner/ fax machine in the office closet, set it on color photo scan with a resolution of 600 dpi, placed the plant material face down, left the scanner top up, closed the closet door and scanned from outside on my office laptop. It couldn’t have been easier and I am delighted with the results. Note: Some of the leaves had to be weighted down to create contact with the glass in order to achieve a sharper image. Sharpness falls away pretty quickly if there is not direct contact.
Just one more way to capture the beauty of the autumn season in a photograph.
Acer palmatum Japanese MapleStriped Beets
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Manisse Newell Hillsborough
GC
Beautiful Science! Observation and PerceptionPasadena GC Pasadena CA April 2010
First and Best in Show
“Illumination”—color
Quercus lobata white oak
Nikon D80
“Electric!”
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Celebrate PhotographyPeople’s Choice Awards
Celebrate Photography Zone X Meeting GC of Cincinnati
Cincinnati OH October 2009
Two firsts in People’s Choice Awards
“Flower Portrait”
Clematis x lanuginose ‘Multi-Blue’ clematis
“Water”
Hosta ‘Heart Broken’ hosta
Kodak point and shoot
“Nature always does it best!”
The Flower Portrait is of Clematis 'Multi-Blue’, and the Water is of water droplets on a hosta 'Heart Broken'. I found an interesting section of that plant which folded in on itself, which takes your eye toward the center of the plant—reinforcing the idea of the movement of water.
I was fortunate that this event was 'People's Choice' - there was no improving on the original photograph, and those gorgeous summertime colors are perfectly designed to catch your attention.
Deborah FitzgeraldGC of Cleveland
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Celebrate Photography People’s Choice Awards
by Mary Jo Beck, Zone Photography Show Co-Chairman, GC of Cincinnati
A Photography Show at the biennial Zone X Meeting was a new innovation for our zone. The decision was made in the best interest of time to have, not a juried show, but rather a People’s Choice competition. This served to eliminate the component of a judging panel which would have been challenging in the given short time period of a half-day meeting. It serendipitously ended up attracting a large group of exhibitors, many first time exhibitors!
There were five classes, each having two sub-classes – (a) monochrome or color and (b) novice, which for this show was defined as “never having exhibited in a photography show.” Out of a total of sixty-three entries, twenty-four exhibits (almost 40%) were first-time entrants in a photography show. This was very encouraging.
The exhibit area was in a lovely day-lit area and the committee was able to use free standing floor display panels that were provided free of charge by the venue. Ribbons with Velcro strips to affix the photos were used to hang the exhibits. 11” x 14” was the maximum size, which provided ease in mounting the exhibit.
Delegate voting was ongoing during the day. At the conclusion of the afternoon business meeting, the show was taken down. The ten winning photographs were displayed during the Awards Dinner cocktail party. The winners and their club affiliations were announced at the beginning of the awards ceremony. Each winner received a certificate specially created for the photography show. Shopping bags containing each club’s photographs were picked up at the Thursday morning keynote speaker event by a club president or delegate.
The photography show seemed to be well received as there was great interest in viewing the winning photographs and there was much applause as the winners were announced. We were very pleased with our first ever photography show in Zone X.
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First in People’s Choice Awards
“Landscape with a Garden Feature”—color
Echinocactus grusonii Golden barrel cactusEchinopsis hybrid Easter lily cactus
Panasonic DMC TZ
Chihuly Glass Exhibition Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix AZ
Celebrate Photography People’s Choice Awards
First in People’s Choice Awards
“A Flower Portrait”
Nymphaea alba Water lily
Nikon D700, Nikon lens 28-105
I was overjoyed to find this lovely shot at the North Chagrin Reservation. With a
boardwalk across the pond I could walk along waiting for a Blue Dasher to land.
A noonday sun and a blue sky were all that I needed.
Sally Brown GC of Cleveland
Paula Hamilton Ott GC of Cincinnati
“Celebrate Photography” Zone X Meeting GC of CincinnatiCincinnati OH October 2009
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Kelly Munro Magnolia Garden Club
Dallas Cityscapes Zone IX Flower Show Founders Garden Club Dallas TX April 2010
Second and The GCA Novice Award
“Farmer’s Market”—A macro/close-up interior view of a fruit/vegetable
Cucumis metuliferus Kiwano horned melon
Canon 40D
“Beautiful Composition”
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Noreen R.
Frink Seattle GC
The State of the Garden GCA Annual Meeting Flower Showsponsored by Zone IV clubs East Brunswick NJ
May 2010
First Award
“Forest”—monochrome
Alnus rubra Oregon alder
Nikon D90, Nikkor 18-200mm zoom lens
“Use of light is exceptional in beautiful composition.”
Shot in Florence, Oregon.
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Laetitia Mead
Chestnut Hill GC
Water Zone I Flower Show Buzzards Bay GCNew Bedford MA June 2010
First, Best in Show, GCA Novice Award
“Reflections in Water”—colorNikon Coolpix P6000
“Outstanding and exceptional composition.”
Tipiluke, Argentina The light, color, and location and still water begged to be photographed – the fishing rod was abandoned.
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Helen Lea Westport Garden Club
Art en Fleurs—1983-2010—Celebrate Our Treasures Green Tree GC, Kettle Moraine GC, Lake Geneva GC, Town and Country GC
Boerner Botanical Garden Hales Corner WI July 2010
Second and the GCA Novice Award
“Particulars of Place—The Land”—black and white
Spartium junceum Spanish broom Vitis vinifera ‘Grenache’ grape Lathyrus setifolius sweet pea Cupressus sempervirens cypress
Euphorbia heliscopia sunspurge
Canon Powershot A540
“La dolce vita personified. Painting the landscape in Provence. A quintessential scene of a painter in
Provence.”
I was painting in France with my fellow painter and took a picture of him because I thought this might make a good painting. When I came home and looked at the
picture I thought the photograph said so much that I kept it as a memory of a perfect day.
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CREATIVITY SHOWS TO SEE:
Debating Modern Photography:
The Triumph of Group f/64
September 30, 2010 - December 5, 2010
Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME
In the 1930s, a small group of California photographers challenged the painterly, soft-focus Pictorialist style of the day. They argued that photography could only advance as an art if its practitioners exploited characteristics inherent to the camera’s mechanical nature. This small association of innovators created Group f/64, named after the camera aperture which produces great depth of field and sharp focus. The exhibition revisits this debate and includes images
by photographers in Group f/64 such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Sonya Noskowiak, and Willard Van Dyke, as well as images by Pictorialists such as Anne Brigman, William Dassonville, Johan Hagemeyer, William Mortensen, and Karl Struss. With more than 100 works by 16 artists, Debating Modern Photography offers a feast for the eyes while illustrating both sides of a high-stakes debate. Outstanding examples of the clean edges and bold forms of Group f/64 stand in sharp contrast to the romantic, hand-crafted Pictorialist work that includes elegant portraits, tonalist landscapes, and allegorical studies.
Shell, 1927 by Edward Westongelatin silver printCenter for Creative PhotographyUniversity of Arizona
For more information about this exhibition, contact Portland Museum of Art, Seven Congress Square, Portland, ME 04101; (207) 775-6148 www.portlandmuseum.org
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FROMOURREADERS“Perfection is not when no more can be added;it is when there is nothing more to take away.”attributed to Antoine Saint-Exupery
Photography is subtraction and editing, with nothing extraneous to diminish the composition or the impact. Judging is likewise confined to the specifics of the objectives of the discipline.
Judging conversation should be limited to these three aspects: thought, conformance, communication and impact of subject; secondly, technical ability: depth created, proper focus for subject; and thirdly using the elements and principles of composition to best advantage. Photography is an art form in which light is the medium.
Gay Estes The GC of Houston
GCA Novice Awards apply to GCA Flower Shows and GCA Major Flower Shows—NOT to club shows A novice is an exhibitor who has not won a first place ribbon (blue) or the GCA Novice Award in the division entered at a GCA Flower Show or GCA Major Flower Show. The schedule templates for GCA and GCA Major Flower Shows differ.
GCA FLOWER SHOW: If you have won the GCA Novice Award (whether you placed first, second or third) you are no longer a novice in a GCA Flower Show. However, you are still a considered a novice at a GCA Major Show.
GCA MAJOR FLOWER SHOW: If you win the GCA Novice Award in Photography at a GCA Major Flower Show, you are no longer a novice PERIOD.
In other words, you can go “up” to a bigger show and be eligible to win a novice award again, but you cannot go “back” to a smaller show (i.e. GCA Flower Show) and be eligible to win it again.
Once a GCA Novice Award has been won, the exhibitor is no longer considered a "novice" in the division entered. If you have won the Baylor Novice Award (FA), you are still eligible to win a GCA Novice Award in Horticulture, Photography or Special Division. Likewise, if you've won a Hort Novice Award, you are still a novice for the other divisions, etc.
Debbie Oliver, Cincinnati Town & Country GCFormer Flower Show Committee Chairman
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Alluvial Treasures GCA Annual Meeting
Flower Show April 2011
Head's Up for the photography division of the 2011 GCA Annual Meeting Flower Show scheduled for next April in Indianapolis, Indiana. Zones X states of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are pleased to host this event. Here is a preview of the schedule, but please watch the GCA website for the complete details coming this fall.
Division III—Photography
Alluvial Allusions Class 1—Diamonds in the Rough, Color An image highlighting rocks and/or geological formationsClass 2—Still Waters Run Deep, Color An image including water using obvious manipulation Class 3—Knock on Wood, Monochrome An image emphasizing texture and/or the shape of wood or woods Class 4—Garden of the Gods, Color An image from a garden celebrating light Class 5—Small Jewels, Color A close-up image inspired by nature's beauty Class 6—Alluvial Fan, Monochrome An image inspired by nature's fan-shaped lines, silhouettes, textures or patterns
We look forward to your participation!
Jane Rogers, Akron Garden Club [email protected] GCA Annual Meeting Photography Division Chair
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2011
April 2-3, 2011 -- "Behind the Garden Wall...a Master Plan"- A GCA Flower Show, presented by the Garden Club of Palm Beach, at the Esther B. O'Keeffe Gallery - The Society of the Four Arts, 2 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach, FL. Contact: Mary Pressly at [email protected] Click for Schedule *P
April 5-6, 2011 -- "Come Walk in the Woods"- A GCA Zone Flower Show, presented by the Laurel Garden Club, at the Whitehead Advanced Technology Center, 72 Technology Blvd, Ellisville, MS. Contact: Mary Ella Johnson at [email protected] *P
April 11, 2011 -- "Poseidon's Treasures"- A GCA Zone Flower Show, presented by the Garden Club of Halifax Country, at The Shores Resort & Spa, The Grand Ball Room, 2637 South Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach Shores, FL. Contact: Susie Keogh at [email protected] Click for Schedule *P
April 18-20, 2011 -- “Florescence Passages” - A GCA Major Flower Show, presented by the River Oaks Garden Club, The Garden Club of Houston, at the Museum of Fine Arts, 100 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX. Contact: Marianna Brewster at [email protected] *P
May 12-14, 2011 -- "VISIONS 2011"- A GCA Major Flower Show, presented by the Carmel-by-the-Sea Garden Club, Hillsborough Garden Club, Orinda Garden Club, Piedmont Garden Club and the Woodside-Atherton Garden Club at the Sunset Center, San Carlos Street & 9th Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA. Contact: Judy Harrold at [email protected] *P
May 19-21, 2011 -- "Timescapes"- A GCA Flower Show, presented by the Stamford Garden Club, at The Stamford Museum & Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT. Contact: Marianne Pollak at [email protected] *P
June 21-23, 2011 -- "Country Life"- A GCA Zone Flower Show, presented by the Millbrook Garden Club at the Interlaken Inn, 74 Interlaken Road, Lakville, CT . Contact: Susan Detjens at [email protected] *P
September 15-16, 2011 -- "Then and Now" - A GCA Flower Show, presented by the Lenox Garden Club, at the Ventfort Hall, Museum of the Gilded Age, 104 Walker Street, Lenox, MA. Contact: MaryEllen O'Brien at [email protected] Click for Schedule *P
Upcoming Flower Shows
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Putting on a Photography Show(including some things the Yellow Book doesn’t tell you)
By Darlene Kasten, 2010 Annual Meeting Photography Chairman, Plainfield GC
Your club is putting on a GCA Regular, Zone or Major Flower Show and you are the Photography Chairman. Good for you!
If this is the first time you are mounting a Photography Show, you will have to do some homework. Hopefully you will have been to GCA Flower Shows and/or other photography shows where you observed the photography exhibits. But chances are, even if you have been to many, you may not have paid attention to some of the finer points of staging and space.
✤ If there are some shows coming up in your area, you should go. How are the exhibits staged? How many photographs are there? What was the exhibit space like? How was the lighting? Could you read the entry cards? Was it attractive? Was the signage adequate?
✤ Check out the GCA website. The GCA website is a great source for final reports from Annual Meetings, most of which have included a Photography Division. There are final reports for the last six Annual Meetings and they are a great resource for some of the practical questions you will have.
✤ Also on the GCA website, you can look over the current schedules for upcoming Flower Shows. Schedules with a Photography Division are marked with a P. Read over the photography class descriptions and photography guidelines. Are they clear? What are the differences in matting requirements and deadlines?
✤ Get yourself a copy of the new GCA Flower Show and Judging Guide and read the chapters on Flower Shows. There is also a supplement to the guide, which includes important guidelines for passing, staging and judging the Photography Division of a Flower Show. The supplement is available on the GCA website in the Flower Show Committee section or from your Zone Flower Show Representative.
✤ Consult with your Zone Flower Show Representative and other clubs who have staged GCA Flower Shows and Photography Shows in your area.
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STAGING
As soon as the venue for your Flower Show has been decided, the most important thing is to get your staging worked out. There are several options:
✤ Determine whether the venue provides a staging opportunity, such as usable wall exhibition space or display screens. If your venue is a conference center or museum or even a large library, you may be in luck!
✤ You can rent displays. There are a number of outlets for this but you must have a budget to support renting. Renting proper displays can be pricey.
✤ You build, buy, or borrow display screens. If your zone or club puts on regular shows, this may be an option. Consult with your Zone Flower Show Representative. Remember, if you decide to purchase or build your own exhibit display staging, you must have a place to store the displays between shows.
With every display method there are attachment decisions to be made. How should I attach the photographs and entry cards to my display area so that they will stay attached for the duration of the show? Warning: you will become intimately familiar with the Velcro aisle at Staples!
There are many staging alternatives and sources for purchasing or renting displays that may not be in the Annual Meeting reports. Same goes for attachment methods. If you have a great source or display alternative or attachment tip, please share. Pictures, too, if you have them.
✤ A very important thing to consider when staging your photography show is the amount of natural light your exhibit space offers. Plentiful, natural and even lighting is best, of course. Artificial light can be expensive, especially if it is to be distributed evenly among the exhibits. It is very important for your staging to be fair and provide a level playing field, lighting-wise, on which to judge the exhibits.
✤ Speaking of level playing fields, it is best if your display area provides for eye-level viewing. According to the new guidelines for staging Photography Shows, “When possible, photos will be mounted 60 inches from the floor.” If you must stack your photographs one on top of another, that means no lower than 43 inches and no higher than 72 inches.
Newport Flower Show - June 2010
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✤ Corresponding entry cards should be evident and classes should be delineated with clear signage.
✤ Another thing to consider in the exhibit space is the display background. If you decide to stage your photographs against a wall and the wall has a loud pattern or color, you may want to consider another background choice. Your signage and entry cards should be discreet, so as not to distract from the photographs themselves. Remember, in your schedule you will need to indicate the color of the background.
✤ Viewing space – the distance from the viewer to the exhibit – is also important. The new photography guidelines suggest 4 feet as the minimal viewing distance for judging and display. There must be enough space for a judge to stand back and view each photograph as well as to move in close.
Regardless of the method you use, staging will play a part in the number of photographs your schedule will allow so it important to consider when you are settling on the schedule’s contents.
SCHEDULE
Once the Flower Show Chairmen have decided on an overall theme and the staging has been decided, you will need to write your schedule.
✤ It is best to collaborate with the other Division Chairmen (Flower Arranging, Horticulture, Conservation, etc.) so that the show looks cohesive and supports the overall theme.
How many entries and how many classes you have will depend somewhat on the amount of space you have to work with and the display method that you choose. Ideally you would like to allow as many entries as possible without being crowded and making yourself crazy. The first Annual Meeting photography show in Kansas City had no limit on the number of entries. They had 245 exhibits! On the opposite end of the spectrum, you must have a minimum of six competitive classes with no fewer than 36 entries to qualify as a Major Flower Show and a minimum of three competitive classes and no fewer than 18 entries in photography to qualify as a GCA Flower Show.
How many entries per class? The bare minimum is six. This allows a first, second, and third to be awarded per class plus an honorable mention if warranted. You never want to leave the judges in a position where they have to leave one entry in a class without a ribbon.
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Other points:
✤ My opinion is that it is nice to have at least one monochrome class.
✤ Monochrome and color should not be mixed together in any class.
✤ Many clubs are offering a “special effects” class for photographs using highly manipulated and experimental techniques.
✤ Add an entry card in the schedule to be printed out and affixed to the back of the exhibit. Include space for plant material if identifiable and a brief statement of intent, title or location of the photograph.
A WORD ABOUT JUDGING
Remember, the number of exhibits determines the number of judging panels. A good rule of thumb is one panel of judges for 18-24 exhibits. The special photography awards for GCA and Major Flower Shows are listed in the Judging Guide along with their associated judging requirements. (By the way, in Kansas City, the 245 photographs were judged by popular vote, not by fifteen judging panels!)
If you have more than one judging panel, make sure you consider “flow”. If possible, try to match the classes to the judging panels so that there is no crowding in the display space during judging.
PHOTOGRAPHY RULES AND GUIDELINES
There is a template online for general rules and photography guidelines. You will have to decide the mounting and matting requirements, registration and entry guidelines, mailing address and method, and if there are any restrictions on mailing containers, etc.
✤ Try to be as clear as possible with your descriptions and special directions. Look over current schedules and past schedules and take your time with this. Consult with your Zone Flower Show Representative and any experienced Photography Chairmen. It will save you headaches and confusion later on.
Louise Heasman, Fairfield GC, and Prospective Judge Emily Kelting, New Canaan GC
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✤ Think about matting instructions and maximum dimensions. You can be very restrictive or leave a lot up to the exhibitor. There is no set standard in the GCA, but most of the time the maximum perimeter dimension is 50” and matting color is left up to the exhibitor. If you do not want double-matting, say so in your schedule.
✤ There is no standard in the GCA with respect to dimension and matting, but maybe there should be. What is your opinion?
REGISTRATION
It is important to set reasonable deadlines for registration and entry receipt. Keep a waiting list. Things happen and you may need it. The judges like to see a full show, so if the waiting list does not provide the necessary substitutes, you may have to call on photographers you know in your club or zone to fill in the blanks. If your entry deadlines are a month in advance of the show, you should have ample time to activate the waiting list if needed.
And make sure you record novice exhibitors if you are planning to award a Novice Award.
PASSING
There are now good guidelines for passing the Photography Division in the Flower Show and Judging Guide supplements. Obviously, you want to pass the photographs as early as possible, in case there is a problem and the exhibitor has to re-submit or you have to go to the waiting list. But as a practical matter, you do not want to convene your passing committee fifty times to pass each photograph individually. So before you acknowledge receipt of the photographs, do some basic checking to make sure the guidelines are met for size and matting, etc. If an entry looks like it might not pass, have your passing committee confer immediately so that you can quickly take action.
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CLASS CONSULTANTS
Class consultants are called by a potential exhibitor who has a question about the class requirements and description. Therefore, the class consultant should be well-versed on any nuances in the class description and title. If there is a question a class consultant cannot answer, they should consult with you for clarification before giving an answer.
✤ Remember, if a class consultant gives a clarification that is not spelled out explicitly in the class description or guidelines, it must be communicated to all exhibitors in that class and should also be reported during the Judges’ Briefing. You may even want to have them keep a log of questions and answers.
✤ Class consultants are no longer allowed to enter the show. As a courtesy, you should make sure they are aware of this restriction before they accept the responsibility.
ENTRY CARDS
They should be readable, mounted at eye level and should not distract from the exhibits (no loud colors or logos). They will have to stay in place for the duration of the show and yet be removable and replaceable to allow for the addition of judges’ comments and awards.
If possible, use a computer database for registration and to generate your entry cards. Using a computer database makes it really easy to generate reports and quickly notify exhibitors of the results too.
✤ Don’t forget to notify FOCUS if a Best in Show, Certificate of Excellence, GCA Photography Committee Award, or GCA Novice Award in Photography is awarded and include winners’ emails.
✤ If a computer database is not available to you, it is important to remind the clerks that they should print comments legibly and large enough to be read easily. Check their spelling (floriferous, complementary and the like).
Martha Currit Hough - GCA Award of Distinction, Newport Flower Show
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GETTING THE WORD OUT
The cost of printing and a desire to conserve paper have reduced the number of schedules being printed and distributed. Usually potential exhibitors scan the GCA website regularly looking for opportunities to make entries. In addition to posting on the GCA website, notifying photographers via the GCA Bulletin, and making an announcement at Photography Judging Workshops and Zone Flower Show Representative meetings will increase the chances photographers will look for your schedule and register.
RECORD-KEEPING
Do it! Record everything – when the registration arrives, when the entry arrives, when it is passed, packaging, return instructions, etc. Record emails and phone numbers in case you have to communicate with exhibitors.
✤ Make sure you know which packaging and packing material goes with each photograph. Mark any packing material that is not identified. You will not be able to remember it all!
HAVE FUN!
You will be amazed by the caliber of photography in the GCA and sometimes astounded at the way your schedule is interpreted. There is a lot of talent out there and it is very exciting. Enjoy!
Crissy Cherry, Lake Forest GC2005 GCA Annual Meeting, Kansas City a People’s Choice Show
