KMHS Photo Context

KMHS Photo Competition 2010

Classes

Class 1	Anniversary - 40 years for KMHS- A photo of the KMHS Society flower- the yellow ‘Sundrops’, this could be a single flower to a group.
Class 2	KMHS – The groups effort of the past present and future - A photo of the gardens which the KMHS looks after, any part/any season. Tom Thomson Park, Molly Wilson Park, Hazeldean Library Garden.
Class 3	Oh Canada - Representing Canada taking part in the United Nations - A photo which only has white and red flowers in it. (Plus green as a neutral color can be included).
Class 4	Desert – just one of the many ‘at risk ‘Biodiversity areas of the world - A photo of a desert and or water tolerant plant i.e. cactus, succulents, an air plant, etc.
Class 5	Air, we all need clean air - household living plants help clean the air inside our homes - A photo of indoor plants - single or group of potted plants in a home or office setting.
Class 6	Water – One of our most precious resources of the world – clean water - A photo of a 'water feature' in a garden or park setting with Flowers/Plants - i.e. pond, water fall, fountain etc.
Class 7	Working without chemicals - Making friends with the weeds in our world. - A photo of a weed or grouping of weeds, which you have found in your garden or region or on your travels.
Class 8	Plants from far off places - Plants which are now grown in Canadian gardens which originate from elsewhere. A 'Close Up' photo which focuses on a part of a flower and/or plant, example: Tulips, Poppies, Palms...
Class 9	Sharing the world - Plants and Animals - A photo which has plants and animals (including: birds / fish / insects / mammals / reptiles).
Class 10	Future Gardeners: Our children, grandchildren and/or friends children - Any photo which has children (under the age of 12) and a 'Horticulture element' i.e. gardens / flowers / plants.
Class 11	KMHS Member's Gardens - Be proud of your gardening and landscaping efforts. A photo of your own garden / landscaping i.e. front / back yard or baskets / pots and/or ponds.
Class 12	Celebrating the KMHS 40th year Anniversary - A photo of an 'Arrangement' which was made by the Photographer that is suitable for a 40th Birthday party.
Pictures may be taken anywhere in the world (travel photos are encouraged!) and although there is no restriction on the dates on which they were taken, photos taken in the past two years are preferred. Take care with submissions to ensure they are in the right category. In past contests, excellent photos had to be disqualified since they did not meet class requirements. Rules and Regulations This popular KMHS Competition culminates at our Annual Pot Luck Supper in December, where there will be a slideshow of all the entries and a presentation 'reveal' of the winning photos and awarding of the Trophy. Past judges have included John Mlacak, Donna Christie, Owen Munn, Hans Blohm, Mary Stuart, and Karl Siemens. The following rules apply to this competition: Exhibitors must be members of the KMHS. Up to 3 prints, slides, or digital files may be submitted for any class. Prints from any type of camera will be accepted. Prints may be any regular store-size prints, no enlargements – 4” x 6” preferred. Some cropping is permitted. Prints from digital cameras should conform in size to standard photo prints. Panoramic size prints from APS cameras, or equivalent, are permitted. Slides must be standard 35 mm slides in cardboard or plastic mounts. Please place an asterisk () or an “LL” mark on the lower left corner of the slide mount for proper orientation. Digital file images should be a Jpeg and saved on a CD/DVD or Memory Card. (Please Note: All the prints and slides will be scanned to a digital image file and entered into a folder to be judged with the entered digital image files on a computer system – flat screen.) Identification of Prints and Slides – each MUST be marked on the back with the Name of the Entrant plus the Class number and Entry 1 or 2 or 3. For Example : Shirley Monkhouse Class 1 Entry 1 Identification of Digital images files SHOULD be saved with the Name of the Entrant plus the Class number and Entry 1 or 2 or 3. Original unique numbers can be used ONLY if proper documentation accompanies the images. For example: IMG100_1234.jpg = Shirley Monkhouse Class 1 Entry 2. Jpg Photos may be cropped or adjusted for lighting and colour balance, but may not be enhanced by adding or eliminating photo elements. Any photo may be submitted except those that have been previous winners in any competition, not just KMHS competitions. The same image may be entered only once. KMHS reserves the right to keep any submissions for use with Society activities or publications. Pictures may be taken anywhere in the world (travel photos are encouraged!) and although there is no restriction on the dates on which they were taken, photos taken in the past two years are preferred. Take care with submissions to ensure they are entered into the correct class. In the past excellent photos have been disqualified since they did not fit the description of the Class challenge. All prints, slides and CD/DVD’s will be returned after the ‘Reveal’ on Dec 3 2010 or by arrangement. Submissions must be made by November 2, 2010 to Shirley Monkhouse, at any K-MHS regular monthly meeting or dropped off at 11 Bethune Way, Kanata, Ottawa. Phone (613) 592-6384. No entries accepted by email. Judging Guide Horticultural Content 40% Photographic Quality 40% General Appeal and Impact 20% Highest aggregate wins the Thomas Trophy Best of Show Photograph This photo will be printed on cover of the next year’s Yearbook / Calendar plus a prize plate souvenir with photo on plate or an enlarged, mounted laminated photo. A selection of winning entries (12) is also included in our Yearbook / Calendar. Photography Hints Light Each photographer has a preference for certain lighting conditions, some say hazy sun or bright shade is better, others prefer bright sun for their close-ups. Experiment to see what you like. However, garden pictures are better with uniform lighting, sun or shade, rather than a shadow across half the garden. The film will emphasize the difference in lighting. It pays to wait until the lighting conditions are right – even if you have to wait a few minutes until the clouds move into the right position. Composition Have a subject – watch for distracting backgrounds. Tell a story. Select a point of view carefully. Unity is better than a lot of little pieces. Emphasize your point. Composition is better when there is: a strong contrast of light on your subject and dark in your background, a relationship of parts, a psychological balance (not the same as symmetry) your main subject is in focus Subject Matter A horticultural photo should not include the shadow of the photographer, feet, or people who have no relationship to the subject, or other common distractions. Try taking several shots of the same flowerbed or portrait, at different angles at different times. For reference, carry a copy of the subjects for competitions in your camera case and especially on vacation. Match the entry to the most appropriate class. Date Stamp Cameras These are no-no’s in photo competitions. Turn off the date-stamp, or if your camera does not offer that option, crop or cut the finished print. It is OK to improve your prints by making a better composition with scissors.