DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 2008-2009

[ranunculus]

CLASS FOUR continued ...

[Gunilla]

When I was giving a commentary to the images as they appeared on the screen I realised that this image (3-22) was untitled ... I very hastily referred to it as a scilla species ... that was the only thing that sprang to mind?

Thanks for your answer, Cliff.  I'm sure it's not a scilla species.  Could it be some kind of Polygala maybe 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Class four is a real treat Cliff !
Very nice to see all these gardens - a lot of them could (should) have entered the AGS on-line show !!
Nr 13 is awesome !!
Thanks for taking the trouble to show all these Cliff !

[ranunculus]

Hi Gunilla,
I suspect the plant in question MAY be of South African origin ... I know the exhibitor has travelled there. I will try to find out for you.


Many thanks, Luc ... I am so glad that you are enjoying our little competition.

[Anthony Darby]

I agree with Luc. What a superb display in that alpine house.

[maggiepie]

Fantastic pics, I like them all!
 4-8, are they all Rhododendrons?
Gorgeous!!!

[Maggi Young]

4-8 are all Rhodos, Helen... aren't they lovely?!!

3-22 might  be a veronica but I suspect a Polygala ....the scale is deceptive, I think.

What a super show and what an entertaining evening it must have been .... loking forward to more..??

[gote]

I really DO appreciate the view that newcomers should be encouraged and I DO think that most of these pictures are excellent and worthy of being shown. I Do think that people should be commended for their efforts. I am glad that they are posted. 
On the other hand I think that the word 'alpine' should have a meaning just like most words have. If I were conteplating to send in a picture to a competition in the class "Closeups of an alpine plant". I would not send the picture of Lilium amoenum but restrict myself to pictures of plants that grow in exposed rocky areas. If the winning picture were a woodland Lilium I would consider myself unfairly treated.
A simple way to eat the cake and still have it would be to amend the description of the class so it indicated what really is accepted as an entry.
Göte

[Gunilla]

4-7  is fantastic. It's like looking into a magic garden.

[gote]

A question of a different kind.
How do you exhibit these pictures?
When it comes to digital pictures a lot of difference comes from the printer you use.
Göte

[ranunculus]

Hi Gote,
The images are displayed/projected onto a large screen via a digital projector.  I have utilised Keynote (Mac) technology to ensure that each image is displayed on screen for exactly seven seconds and then all images in each class are displayed on (as many as necessary) multi-image screens for easy comparison.  It involves a lot of work to set up the presentation initially but hopefully each successive competition will become easier to manage.  I have slotted in class description screens and interesting transitions between photographs - a musical introduction and voting procedure screens complete the presentation.
in addition I am able to move the eight class winners into another short presentation to decide the 'Best in Show'.
At the end of the judging I present the entire thing again with exhibitors names added and with the display time reduced to four seconds for each image.
Please don't ask how long this takes to set up - 167 images in total - I must be mad!!!

I will give thought to your suggestion about class descriptions - this may still prove a minefield!

[JohnnyD]

I suspect 3-22 is a very good spike of Polygala vulgaris.
J.

[ranunculus]

Hi John,
Still not absolutely certain?
There is very good representation of Polygala vulgaris as I would recognise it, at the following link:-

http://www.lucianabartolini.net/Immagini/fiori3/polygala-vulgaris-2.jpg

[Tony Willis]

Gote

in your post re the use of the word 'alpine' I feel you have raised a point that occurs all the time. Both our major societies use either the word 'Alpine' or 'Rock' in their names and yet many of the classes at the shows have plants that have no connection with either. This also applies to the articles in the journals. Looking at the definition in the show schedules brings up the word 'hardy' and yet many of the plants exhibited would not survive the mildest frost and are grown in heated greenhouses(e.g. cyclamen persicum). In defence I would say that both the shows and the journals would be much depleted if this definition was used in the true meaning and it is I think an impossible one to square if we are to keep our hobby as embracing as possible

[JohnnyD]

I wish I could put things as well as that!

Cheers Tony.