Classes – Florescence

Guidelines

Please carefully read and follow the GCA Rules, Museum Rules, General Information, and Timetable for Exhibitors.

This is a juried show. The first eighteen online registrations for each class (by date and timestamp of registration) will be accepted for evaluation by the jury. The jury will choose six finalists in each class.
An exhibitor may submit only one entry in a class but may enter two classes.

Registration

Advance online registration, including image, is open Monday, November 28, 2022, 10:00 a.m. CST through Monday, January 30, 2023, at midnight CST at www.flohouston.org.
Photographs should be submitted in JPEG format, 1MB–5MB in the RGB color space. Each photograph must include the entrant’s last name, first initial, zone, and class number (e.g. Smith.J.IX.Class5.jpg). Questions regarding this process should be directed to Nancy Keely at nancydaviskeely@mac.com.
Exhibitors will be notified by email that their registration and image have been received.
The finalists and non-finalists will be notified of the juried results by Friday, February 17, 2023.

Photographic Requirements

1. A photograph previously entered in any GCA Flower Show, GCA Major Flower Show, Sanctioned Non-GCA Major Flower Show, or a GCA Focus online contest may not be entered again, even with slight alterations. The same photograph may only be entered in one show at a time.
2. Only the Photography Committee may reclassify an entry, but only with the permission of the exhibitor.
3. Each photograph must be the work of the exhibitor under whose name it is registered. In manipulated photographs, any added imagery must be the work of the exhibitor. Non-representational commercial overlays and textures are allowed. Mounting and printing may be done professionally.
4. Editing at any stage must be the work of the exhibitor under whose name it is registered. This includes enhancement for color or clarity, removal of a part of the image, combining images, or distorting the original subject. All post production must be done before the photograph is submitted for jurying.
5. Photography entries are limited to subjects consistent with The Garden Club of America interests such as horticulture, floral design, gardens/landscapes, conservation and the environment, historic preservation, civic improvement, and the natural world. Plant material is not required in every class, but is strongly encouraged in photographs.
6. Mixed media is to be a separate class and is not able to be juried.
Finalists’ Entry Process
1. All photographs must be two-dimensional and printed on paper unless otherwise specified. Photographs must be flush-mounted on black foam core and may not be over-matted. This may be professionally done. Overall dimension of entry must be a minimum of 48” and not exceed 72” in total perimeter measurement. Glass and framing are not permitted.
2. The printed photograph must match, including cropping, the digital image sent with the original registration. Once juried, you may not further edit or manipulate the digital image in any way, as registered with us. The photo will not be passed if the Photography Committee determines:
- The print is significantly different from the digital submission.
- The print is mounted incorrectly.
- The mounted print does not appear to be in Show condition.
1. Photography entry forms may be found online at flohouston.org. Two copies are to be submitted with each finished photograph and must include the exhibitor’s name, garden club, zone, email address, physical address, phone number, and class entered. One entry form is to be attached to the back of the photograph. The top of the photograph must be indicated. A duplicate loose copy of the entry form must accompany the entry (allowing the statement of intent and other information to be accessible after the entry is installed).
2. A title or statement of intent MUST be included on the entry form and the entry card itself, not to exceed 25 words.
3. Finalists’ printed photographs must be received no later than Monday, March 20, 2023. Send photographs to Nancy Keely, 5 Lana Lane, Houston, TX 77027. Receipt of your photograph will be acknowledged. For information, contact Nancy Keely at 713-201-6281 or email nancydaviskeely@mac.com.
1. All photographs will be passed by the Photography Committee to verify that class specifications have been met, with a final passing date of Monday, March 20, 2023. If a photograph is not passed, the exhibitor will be notified and allowed, if time permits, to send a replacement photograph.
2. Photographs will be hung on a gallery wall.
3. The Division Chairs will provide an entry card to be staged with each photograph. Identification of plant material on the entry card is not required, but encouraged whenever possible.
4. Only appropriate images of a child or children should be submitted to, passed, and exhibited in the Photography Division and published in Focus. Featuring identifiable people (other than in street scenes) in photographs is discouraged, as GCA requires a release.
5. Although discouraged, if a photograph is to be returned, the exhibitor must provide a self-addressed return label and envelope. Any award received will be noted on the back of the mount before it is returned. GCA recommends using two 15” X 19” bubble wrap envelopes. Boxes shipped will NOT be saved for the return, only envelopes. Wrap your mounted image between two suitable pieces of foam core or non-bendable cardboard, which will be reused for return. Florescence is not responsible for any missing packing materials or damage to the photograph. Place wrapped image and folded self-addressed return envelope inside the mailing envelope.
6. POSTAGE: Please include a $15 check (payable to Florescence) to cover return postage and handling. Please do not enclose stamps, UPS labels, or postage-meter strips. If the return envelope and check are not included, it will be assumed that the image will not be returned. Please send to Nancy Keely, 5 Lana Lane, Houston, TX 77027.
Judging

scale of points for creative technique classes
- Creativity: 25
- Composition: 25
- Technical skill: 20
- Conformance/Interpretation: 20
- Distinction: 10
- Total: 100
scale of points for all other classes
- Creativity: 25
- Composition: 20
- Technical skill: 25
- Conformance/Interpretation: 20
- Distinction: 10
- Total: 100
Removal

Photographs must be removed ONLY by MFAH personnel and will be available for pick-up on Friday, April 28, 2023, after 12:00 p.m. for in-town exhibitors from Nancy Keely at 5 Lana Lane, Houston, TX 77027.

If a photograph is to be returned, the Photography Committee will follow guidelines #22 and #23 and start return shipping on Monday, May 1, 2023.

Finalists will be notified via email the results, as soon as possible, after judging. A Photography Results Report will be emailed to all entrants by Friday, May 5, 2023.

Inquiries

Email inquiries at any time. Telephone inquiries should be made weekdays between 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. CST.

Division Chairs

Nancy Keely
nancydaviskeely@mac.com
713-201-6281

Helen Chambers
helencchambers63@gmail.com
713-906-6595

Class 1. Transformation

(Color) A diptych of an insect in two different life stages.

Diptych: Two separate images printed side by side on the same piece of paper. The print still must be flush mounted, although a border around and/or in between images may be incorporated in the photograph.