The HOS Photographic Competition is held annually during the HOS Autumn Southern Meeting. Winning pictures are published in the HOS Journal and on the HOS website. The Maren Talbot Photographic Trophy is awarded to the best image in any format in the competition. The trophy may be held for one year, and must then be returned.

Those members who wish to enter but cannot attend the meeting may send their photos in advance to the Photographic Competition Organiser.

Digital image classes will be judged prior to the meeting and the winning photographs will be projected for the audience at the Autumn Southern Meeting.

In addition to the competititive entries, HOS is always pleased to mount an exhibition of members’ non-competitive photographs.

Additional details and submission deadlines will be placed on this website in advance of the Autumn Southern Meeting.

Jon Evans published a summary article "Submitting Entries to the Photographic Competition" in the July 2017 JHOS. To view the complete article CLICK HERE.

 

HOS Photographic Competition

Entry details for the competition at Kidlington
November 17th 2024


Please note that the rule stating entries for any class must be photographed within the current or preceding calendar year has now been removed. Digital entries are to be emailed to Neil Evans, photocomp@hardyorchidsociety.org, or use a file transfer service for larger files, by the end of 18th October 2024.  For print entries email Neil by the end of 18th October 2024 with the classes to be entered and a digital copy of the image. For entrants who are unable to attend the meeting Neil will accept postal entries and will take them to the meeting for you. Enclose a SAE if return of the prints is required.  Please see inside cover of the Journal for Neil’s postal address.

Please name you files in the following format: Your Full Name, Class, Name of Orchid, Location. The Schedule of Classes and Rules are found below.

FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

To contact Organiser
Use photocomp@hardyorchidsociety.org
or use the Neil Evans email from the Committee list inside the front cover of JHOS

Rules & Classes for HOS Photographic Competitions

It is important that orchids and orchid sites are not damaged by HOS members. Please take extra care when photographing orchids and other plants. Heavy fines may be imposed if plants are damaged.

Rules for HOS Photographic Competition

  1. Judging is based on the quality of the pictures, not on the rarity of the plants and the Judge’s decision is final.
  2. Only Orchids that are “hardy” are acceptable.
  3. Members must inform the Photographic Competition Organiser, in advance, which print classes they are entering. Contact details of the Organiser, and deadline dates for entry, will be notified well in advance in the Journal and on the website.
  4. Each member may enter one picture only in each Class.
  5. Pictures entered previously in HOS competitions are not permitted.
  6. The name of the member entering a print must appear on the back only, no name must appear on the front of the print or in a digital image.
  7. Each print must be accompanied by a small title note naming the plant and providing any information of interest to members. The print must be unmounted and placed in a plastic sleeve.  The sleeve should allow easy access to the print, so that it may be removed for judging, so not taped shut. The title note must either be in the sleeve with the print or stuck firmly on the outside of the plastic sleeve so that it is clearly visible when the print is displayed. The sleeve is essential for protection while on display and to ensure that the title and the photograph are not separated – entries without it will not be accepted. This applies to prints brought to the Show and those posted to the Organiser in advance. It is the responsibility of the member entering the photograph to supply the plastic sleeve as these will not be supplied by the Organiser for postal entries or at the show.
  8. For entrants who cannot attend the meeting, the Organiser will accept postal entries (prints) by the deadline date. Prints cannot be returned by post unless an SAE is provided. Members may collect their prints at the end of the meeting or arrange for someone else to do this for them. The Organiser will bring all uncollected prints to the followings year’s meeting when the next year’s Photographic Competition is held, after which they will be disposed of.  The Organiser will also bring them to other meetings, that they attend, for collection.
  9. A digital copy of print entries is required by the Organiser before the competition. These should be sent to the Organiser with your name and contact details.  Name each image in the following format, Your full name, Class, Name of Orchid, Location.  You will be notified of the date by which these are required.
  10. When a class states ‘a group of orchids’, the picture must include whole plants, from the point where the stem or leaves is/are first visible above the ground or surrounding vegetation, to the top of the orchids and tips of the leaves.
  11. When a class states ‘a single orchid spike’, the picture must the include the whole plant, from the point where the stem or leaves is/are first visible above the ground or surrounding vegetation, to the top of the orchid and tips of the leaves.
  12. For Classes 13 and 14, a Novice is defined as an HOS Member who has never been placed First in any class in any HOS Photographic Competition. Entries in these classes do not have to conform to rules 10 and 11.
  13. Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the story of the picture, are permitted including HDR, focus stacking, dodging/burning, and limited manipulation to remove distracting items.  Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. All allowed adjustments must appear natural.  Stitched images are not permitted.  Colour images can be converted to greyscale monochrome. Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed.  This rule does not apply to classes 15 and 16.
  14. Digital entries must be sent to the Organiser with your name and contact details.  Name each image in the following format: Your full name, Class, Name of Orchid, Location. For large images use a file transfer service (Contact the organiser if you need details on how to do this).  Contact details of the Organiser and deadline dates for entry will be notified well in advance in the Journal and on the website.
  15. For the purposes of this competition, the definition of an orchid/s in cultivation is any orchid/s that is grown in a pot or garden setting. The orchid/s do not have to be grown by the photographer.
  16. Any orchid that is not defined by Rule 15.

Note for Classes 7 and 14 Orchid/s in cultivation

This subject allows potentially a great deal more photographic control than plants in the wild, which brings different considerations into play when judging.  For example, you have the ability to control when you take the photo, time of day, which gives control over lighting and weather.  You also have scope to use artificial light sources and backgrounds if you deem these to be necessary.

Photographic Competition Classes

  1. A view of an area (landscape or habitat) showing orchids in their natural environment, print size up to A4 (See rule 16)
  2. A group of orchids containing at least three flower spikes in their natural environment, print size up to A4 (See rules 10 and 16).
  3. A flower spike of a single orchid in its natural environment, print size up to A4 (See rules 11 and 16).
  4. A close up of an orchid, showing one or more entire inflorescence(s), in its natural environment, print size up to A4 (See rule 16).
  5. A close up of an orchid showing part of an inflorescence, in its natural environment, print size up to A4 (See rule 16).
  6. A view of an orchid with pollinator, in its natural environment, print size up to A4 (See rule 16).
  7. An orchid subject that is growing in cultivation, print size up to A4 (see rule 15).
  8. A view of an area (landscape or habitat) showing orchids in their natural environment, in JPEG form. (See rule 16)
  9. A group of orchids containing at least three flower spikes in their natural environment, in JPEG form (See rules 10 and 16).
  10. A flower spike of a single orchid in its natural environment, in JPEG form (See rules 11 and 16).
  11. A close up of an orchid, showing one or more entire inflorescence(s), in its natural environment, in JPEG form (See rule 16).
  12. A close up of an orchid showing part of an inflorescence in its natural environment, in JPEG form (See rule 16).
  13. A view of an orchid with pollinator, in its natural environment, in JPEG form.
  14. An orchid subject that is growing in cultivation, in JPEG form (see rule 15).
  15. Novice class, any hardy orchid, print size up to A4 (See rule 12).
  16. Novice class, any hardy orchid, in JPEG form (See rule 12).
  17. A hardy orchid subject that has been manipulated creatively using any advanced software technique to create an artistic image, print size up to A4.
  18. A hardy orchid subject that has been manipulated creatively using any advanced software technique to create an artistic image, in JPEG form.

 

Winners of the 2023 Competition

The Maren Talbot Photographic Trophy was won by Gillian Elsom for this image of Anacamptis pyramidalis with Melitaea cinxia (Glanville Fritillary) taken in Corfu.

Anacamptis pyramidalis

CLICK HERE for Winners of all Classes in the 2023 Competition

Archives of Previous Competition Winners

Original thumbnail pages have been updated and alternative mobile-friendly pages
are being added.

Thumbnails Mobile/Tablet

 

Winners of the 2023 Competition

The Maren Talbot Photographic Trophy was won by Gillian Elsom for this image of Anacamptis pyramidalis with Melitaea cinxia (Glanville Fritillary) taken in Corfu.

Anacamptis pyramidalis


CLICK HERE for Winners of all Classes in the 2023 Competition

Archives of Previous Competition Winners

2013
2012