My May/June 2011 American Rose arrived today, and it had the results of the ARS Magazine Photo Contest.
Congratulations to PSWD Photography Committee member Bill Farmer, for:
First Place, Class 11-2 One spray (Novice) with ‘Gemini,’ and
First Place, Class 11-3 Open blooms with stamens showing (Novice) with ‘Star Delight.’
Congratulations.
Although not a photograph of a rose, I would like to thank the Worldwide Photography Gala Awards for awarding my photograph ‘New Life’ a Merit Award in the “Beauty Around Us” competition. It was one of 83 images selected from 6840 images submitted from 42 countries. It will appear later in the summer in the book, Beauty Around Us.
This image also received a Gold Award in the “Portrait and People” competition.
Thank you, WPGA.
Susan Graham
Entering photo competitions – not just rose shows – is a good way for any photographer to work on skills, especially if the competition gives feedback. (Judges in our shows – as a side note, we can really help our exhibitors by writing notes on what was good about a photograph and what might be done to improve it).
Some competitions provide a better learning experience than others. In this respect, I have been impressed with the WPGA. For the competitions the WPGA organizes (as opposed to those advertised there but supported by other sponsors), the WPGA makes clear its intial screening criteria. These are criteria any photographer might find useful:
Let’s have some fun judging some photographs using the PSWD Score Card. Assume these are entered in the Miniature Rose at most perfect stage class, and also assume they meet all requirements for conformance.
Clicking on each photograph will give you a larger view.
Entry A
Entry B
Entry C
Using the Score Card to judge, which would you score the highest – A, B, or C? It would be very helpful if you would leave comments as to why you made the choice you did.
Using the PSWD Score Card, which entry would you score the highest?
Total Voters: 10
Loading ...The Score Card
1. Conformance 10 points
Conformance to the rules of the schedule.2. Specific Sections 40 points
A.The Rose (Horticulture)
The ARS Guidelines for Judging Roses will be used as a reference guide.B. The Rose Arrangement
The ARS Guidelines for Judging Rose Arrangements will be used as a reference guide.C. The Rose Garden
Other plants and objects may be included, but roses should dominate. Some layout of or structure to the garden should be apparent.D. Rose Art (Realistic and Abstract)
The photograph should evoke a sense of originality and a new and different way of imagining the rose(s) with the mind’s eye.E. Budding Photographers
As appropriate for entry.F. Novice
The ARS Guidelines for Judging Roses will be used as a reference guide.G. Judges
As appropriate for entry.3. Composition 15 points
Includes point of interest, simplicity, contrast, balance, framing, viewpoint, direction of movement, diagonals, and rule of thirds, where applicable.4. Technique 15 points
Correct exposure, sharp focus for main subject, and other relevant technical factors.5. Distinction 20 points
Distinction is something that sets a photograph apart from others in its class. Everything about the photograph is well done, but in addition, its visual impression evokes a visceral feeling that may be intangible—the “wow” factor.TOTAL 100 points
I’ll give my take after people have time to vote and to leave comments.
Thanks to efforts of Marcia Sanchez-Walsh and her committee, the Fall National in Los Angeles will indeed have a Photography Division using the PSWD guidelines after all!
Thank you Marcia for all you have done for advancing the concept of a separate Photography Division, even in our major shows.
The Photography Schedule is downloadable now. If you are planning to be in Los Angeles for the Show and Convention, I urge you to consider entering your photographs.
Again, thank you Marcia! You have worked wonders!
Although I do not usually use this blog to keep readers up-to-date with reviews of or sales on various photo editing software, I received an email this morning about a really good price on Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 9, currently the most widely used photo editing software in this country. Anyone who is happy and comfortable with their current photo editing software should continue with that. But, if you have been waiting for a good price on Photoshop Elements 9, this may be for you.
The current standard price is $99.00. At Costco it generally runs around $79.00, and at times Costco will have sales for another $20.00 off that (that is always a good deal when you can find it).
At the current time, you can purchase it at Amazon for $77.99, and get a $20.00 rebate on top of that,. I do not know for how long these specials run.
First, thanks to Danielle Fochs and Jude Singer for sending photos from the Tucson show, held April 9, 2011. It looks like it was a beautiful show.
Best of Show - Danielle Fochs
And, for those of you who would like to see just the jpg, without any distractions, here it is:
Best of Show
Jude Singer won Best of Class, Best of Section – Rose Art, and the Silver Certificate with her photo of ‘Pink Gruss an Aachen’ along with ‘Desert Magic,’ the latter being bred by Jude. Congratulations!
Best of Section - Rose Art, Jude Singer
Continued after the jump
Save the date – June 1, 2012, Albuquerque, New Mexico
In the short time of its existence, the Pacific Southwest District Photography Committee has accomplished a lot of work. Happily, we are seeing photography being added to more and more shows.
Because it is so new, there seems to be some confusion about the Master Schedule, Guidelines, and Score Card.
At the 2012 PSWD Convention and Rose Show to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 1-4, 2012, one full day will be devoted to the whole range of photography in rose shows, including how to stage a photography show; lighting, composition, and art in your photography of the rose; photo editing; matting and mounting; and, perhaps most importantly, the Score Card and how to use it, with time devoted to practice scoring of photographs.
The Rose Photography Seminar will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Albuquerque Hilton. This will be the first official photography seminar in the district.
Scheduled speakers are
Pat Berrett (Professional Photographer)
Timothy Anderson (Professional Photographer, Writer, Publisher)
Sally Long (PSWD Chair of Horticulture Judges)
Bill Farmer (Show Chair, 2012 PSWD Convention and Rose Show)
Susan Graham (Chair, PSWD Photography Committee)
Danielle Quilligan Fochs, Tucson’s Photography Chair for the 2011 Spring Show on April 8, has sent us the finalized Photography Schedule.
Danielle, in this schedule, shows a wonderful use of the PSWD Photography Schedule for a smaller show. She utilizes a relatively small number of classes. but includes a variety so that almost any rose photographer can find something of interest.
Importantly, this schedule utilizes the Score Card, designed to standardize the judging of rose photographs throughout the Pacific Southwest District of the American Rose Society. The PSWD Photography Committee is still working on demonstrating the usefulness of the Score Card for use in our District Rose Shows. We are happy to see utilization of many of the guidelines developed by the Committee, and especially the Score Card!
Great job, Danielle and Tucson Rose Society! Here’s wishing you a very successful show!
2011 Tucson Rose Society Photography Schedule
As Chairman of the PSWD Photography Committee, I would like to thank the people at World Photography Gala Awards (WPGA) for selecting my image, ‘New Life,’ as one of 158 awardees from 7560 images from 57 countries submitted for the competition, ‘Portrait and People.’
To view the image, click here. Scroll down to Gold Awards, then alphabetically to Susan Graham.
Thanks again, WPGA!
