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KMHS Photo Competition 2008

Classes

Class 1	Serendipity Surprise - Making pleasant discoveries by accident.
Class 2	Sit Down and Enjoy - Enjoy pause time in a private or public garden (no people).
Class 3	Bouquet in Your Garden - Your own arrangement in your garden setting.
Class 4	Am I walking in a Dream? - Show a pathway in a private or public garden (no people).
Class 5	Statuary - Statues or art in any garden setting.
Class 6	Wildflowers in their Natural Setting - Photo must clearly indicate that flowers are not part of a cultivated garden.
Class 7	Four Seasons - Same location in all four seasons (4 photos). This could be a landscape, your garden, public/formal gardens, your backyard pond, etc. Don't forget it must have horticultural content.
Class 8	Up Close - Focus on portion of flower or entire flower or two. Do not show entire plant.
Class 9	Backyard Wildlife - Birds, bees, butterflies, etc. in any setting, but must be of horticultural interest (i.e., must have at least part of a plant in the picture)
Class 10	Container Arrangement - Must show more than one container.
Class 11	Water Feature - Anything that shows water - bird baths, ponds, etc.
Class 12	The Garden Gate is Open - Entertaining in the garden (no people)
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. Photography Competition - Rules and Regulations This popular KMHS Competition culminates at our Annual Pot Luck Supper in December, where the slides and prints are shown and prizes are awarded. Past judges have included John Mlacak, Donna Christie, Owen Munn, and Hans Blohm. The following rules apply to this competition: Up to 3 prints and/or slides may be submitted for any class. Prints from digital cameras may be submitted. Photos may be cropped or adjusted for lighting and colour balance, but may not be enhanced by adding or eliminating photo elements. When submitting a print from a digital camera, please include both the print and electronic version of the photo. 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. 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. Exhibitors must be members of KMHS. 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. Normally, all photos and slides will be returned after being scanned. After the contest closes, submission of electronic copies of entries from digital photos is appreciated to reduce effort in scanning. Winning entries will be displayed at the Pot Luck Supper. Other entries may shown. Printed entries MUST be marked on the back with the name of the entrant and class number on each slide or print. Submissions must be made by November 4, 2008 to Karl Siemens, 20 Thiessen Cres. Phone 591-0522. All digital photos may be submitted on a CD or emailed to Karl at khsiemens@rogers.com. Judging Guide* Horticultural Content 40% Photographic Quality 40% General Appeal and Impact 20% Highest aggregate wins the Thomas Trophy Best of Show Photograph Printed on cover of the next year’s Yearbook plus a prize plate souvenir with photo on plate or an enlarged, mounted laminated photo. A selection of winning entries is also included in our Yearbook. 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.