The Lenox Garden Club

1. Please read the General Rules.
2. Classes are open to all members of Garden Club of America clubs, including those who are professional photographers.
3. An exhibitor may make only one entry in a class but may enter more than one class.
4. Photographs that have won a blue ribbon in a Garden Club of America Flower Show or a Major Flower Show may not be entered in competition again. A photograph that was previously entered and did not place first, may be entered again if the image is altered and newly printed.
5. The photographs must be the work of the exhibitor. Matting, mounting and printing may be done professionally.
6. Any manipulation at the time of exposure, in the darkroom, by computer, or in the printing process is allowed in all classes and must be the work of the exhibitor. This includes cropping of image, enhancement for color or clarity, removal of a part of the image, combining images, or distorting the original subject.
7. All photography entries are limited to the subjects outlined in the purpose of The Garden Club of America such as horticulture, flower arrangement, gardens/landscapes, conservation/the environment, historic preservation and civic improvement
8. All photographs must include plant material.
9. If plant material in the image is identifiable, the common and botanical name(s) are required on the entry card and on the back of the photograph.
10. Photographs must be mounted on mat board or foam core and may be overmatted in an overlay mat no larger than __" by __". The color of the mat and the surface finish of the photograph is the choice of the exhibitor.
11. Glass and framing are not permitted.
12. Each entry must be labeled on the back of the photograph or mount with the exhibitor’s name, garden club, address, phone number and class entered. The top of the photograph must be indicated.
13. Describe the staging background color.
14. Advance registration is required by _______ using the registration form on page ___. Entries are limited to_____ photographs and exhibitors will be notified if accepted or not according to the postmarked/faxed/e-mailed date.
15. Photographs must be received between ____ and ______. Send photographs to (Name and Address) . For information, contact (Name, telephone number, e-mail address).
16. Photographs should be mailed with a self-addressed return envelope, return postage and packing material.
17. All photographs will be passed by the Photography Committee to verify that all class specifications have been met.
18. The Photography Committee may reclassify and entry but only with the permission of the photographer. The Photography committee and the Judges may subdivide a class but the Judges may not reclassify an entry.

All Photography Rules are required.

Rules 2 and 10 may be changed.

If a show is a Zone Meeting Flower Show, Rule 1 should limit exhibitors to their zone.

HINTS FOR GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
LIGHTING
The importance of lighting when taking photographs can never be stressed enough. Always take note of the amount of light on and around the subject.
COMPOSITION
The background can be just as important as the subject. When taking portraits it is generally best to use simple and plain backgrounds.
· Notice what's around the subject and try to avoid getting unwanted objects in shot.
· Create a vista that will draw in the viewer using paths that lead the eye.
· Experiment with the angle of shot. Climb a ladder, or kneel down to get a different view.
· Think about what you want people to see and react to, then crop out everything else.
· Get up close and look for texture in the subject. Pay attention to the details.
DIGITAL CAMERAS
The first and most important rule of digital photography is to always keep your camera's battery charged and always have a spare on hand.
MONOCHROME GRAPHIC CONCEPTS
Monochrome photographs may be in black & white or in Color tones of one color only.
Black and white photography teaches the basics without getting too distracted; this is one reason why it is so popular among teachers.
It focuses our attention on form, shading, pattern, and other graphic concepts, to give them an unusual quality with tone and hue.
With a clear view toward graphics, composition, and design, the photographer can concentrate on:
· How contrast creates lines and how lines lead the eye or psychologically affect the viewer by curving, lying flat, diagonal, or vertical.
· How shapes or lines make a pattern and how shape with texture gives an object form.
· How highlights compete for attention and dark tones create an important negative space. Many artists prefer black and white because it causes the photographer and the viewer to see the world in a way that cannot be seen with the naked eye.