This past summer we held the Caladiums photo contest. It was just a fun little thing that Bill (Caladium Bulbs 4 Less) wanted to do and I was happy to oblige. Well, it went over much better than I thought it would and we got 174 photo entries. We all had a lot of fun, prizes were awarded, and beautiful photos were shared.

So I'm thinking it would be fun to run a garden photography contest this fall. No pets, cooking, barns, birds, sunsets or stuff like that. Just pure gardening, landscape, plants and horticulturally related photos.

I know plenty of other sites do photo contests, but I feel like our system is really nice and we have a lot of great photographers here. It could become a nice annual tradition here at ATP and I think some companies might want to sponsor the event in the future with real tangible prizes.

Let me hear your thoughts.

Sounds like fun to me. I love looking at garden related photos.

Yes! We'd also get to see so many photos that we otherwise might miss.

I really like this idea too!

Yes yes yes please!

I like this idea provided that the photos are of the person's actual garden - and fairly current; also not some photos taken from Creative Commons and the like. It would be nice to get to know our fellow gardeners by looking through their camera lens. I am wondering if we will be judging the quality of the photo itself or the quality of the plants in the photos??

(I say this as I am wresting with my new camera, argh! while the weeds are growing in my garden. )

GREAT idea -

greene said:I like this idea provided that the photos are of the person's actual garden - and fairly current; also not some photos taken from Creative Commons and the like. It would be nice to get to know our fellow gardeners by looking through their camera lens. I am wondering if we will be judging the quality of the photo itself or the quality of the plants in the photos??

I think it's a fabulous & fun thing to have here at ATP. I do agree that details need to be worked out as greene stated/asked.

greene said:I like this idea provided that the photos are of the person's actual garden - and fairly current; also not some photos taken from Creative Commons and the like.

Right. The photo contest will be restricted to photos that you yourself took.

Maybe there could be a separate category for plants not on our own property. I can think of one person who took such fabulous photos in San Francisco, at the Palace of Fine Arts, and would hate to think they wouldn't be allowed. Others live in homes without gardens (condos, co-op's, apartments) and may only take photos in parks, nurseries, their children's homes, etc. that it would hardly be fair to tell them their photos do not qualify.

In the end, it's Dave & Trish's site and they get to make the rules.

It doesn't matter where you took the photo as long as you were the photographer.

Will there be categories? A 'prize' in each category and one overall 'prize' for Best in Show?
(Okay, now I am getting carried away.)
I never actually planted a garden in my yard this year so I might just be a spectator.

I'm thinking yes on categories. As for prizes, I don't know. I love the "Best in Show" idea and we'll definitely do that.

We will definitely make microbadges. Maybe just one for the best of show, and another for the first place in each category.

Sounds good.

There's no point in giving free subscriptions here since, thanks to you and Trish, the site is already free!

In that case, I think this is a humdinger of an idea.

I doubt I will compete either but I sure am going to have fun looking at all the glorious photos and voting.

the idea

I love the idea.

Count me in!