San Diego Floral Association
in collaboration with MOPA

PHOTO CONTEST 2023
THE POWER OF A SINGLE FLOWER

We would like to thank all of you who entered a photograph(s) supporting our fundraiser.

The Winner is Paul Shilling
Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile)

 

Second Place is Carol Flanagan Corsi
"Raindrops"

 

Third Place is Catherine Presmyk
"Beauty in the Details"

 

Noteworthy Entries

The Executive Editor, was impressed with the quality of images entered into the Power of the Single Flower photo contest. Only one could win the cover, but we wanted to share some noteworthy entries. Congratulations to everyone who entered.

 

 

 

 

Contest Information

Winning photograph will be featured on the cover of California Garden magazine, the longest continuously running horticulture publication in the Western United States.

For inquiries or additional information email us at photocontest@sdfloral.org.

Amateurs and professionals alike, this is the time to showcase your favorite photograph(s) depicting “The Power of a Single Flower.”

The winning photo will be featured on the front cover of San Diego Floral’s renowned magazine California Garden in the July/August 2023 issue.

The San Diego Floral Association, established in 1907 with the mission to promote the knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture in the San Diego region, has always recognized the synergy between flowers and artists. From our participation in Art Alive with the San Diego Museum of Art to our dedication in publishing our informative, creative and beautiful magazine, California Garden, San Diego Floral strives to elevate and promote artistic inspiration and an appreciation of Nature’s beauty.

With Photo Contest 2023, we continue the tradition by celebrating the beauty and impact of one of Nature’s most precious creations: a single flower.

Flowers have always captured the imagination of photographers. Their colors and textures are unique. Natural photography celebrates beauty and is an effective way to capture a moment in time to be admired for years to come.

Entry Period

The online entry window opens February 1, 2023 12:00 noon (PST), and closes March 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm (PDT). No early or late submissions will be considered.

Entry fee revenue will support the mission and educational programs of the San Diego Floral Association, a non-profit organization.

 

THE POWER OF A SINGLE FLOWER

CONTEST RULES AND INFORMATION

Theme
The power of a single flower.

 
A single flower can evoke a memory,
Radiate beauty,
Bring joy, heal the heart and calm the soul,
Communicate love and friendship.
A single flower can produce a fruit or spread seeds far and wide to create more flowers.
A single flower can attract a bird, bee or butterfly from miles away.
A single flower can symbolize strength, hope, resilience and determination.
A single flower can connect the universe or speak to you in a language only you understand. 
 
It is this energy, emotion, inspiration and communication that should be captured in your photograph of a single flower.
 

ENTRY INFORMATION

Subject Matter

  • Subject matter must include a live single flower in its natural, naturally occurring or uninterrupted habitat, location or garden.
  • No cut flowers, dried flowers or human-made flower arrangements.
  • No people, pets, staged poses or manual arrangement of components.
  • Inclusion of insects or animals found naturally in the habitat are allowed, but the flower should be the primary subject.

 

Judging and Awards

Award winners will be notified via email in May 2023.

Award winners and their winning entries will be posted on the San Diego Floral Association webpage and Facebook page.

Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, artistic merit, technical excellence, composition, use of color, lighting and shadows, and the technical suitability of the photograph as a cover for California Garden magazine.

The judging panel includes:

  • Executive Editor/Creative Director of California Garden magazine.
  • Trustees of the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) in San Diego.

All decisions of the judges are final.


Awards

  • First Place: The winning photograph will be featured on the cover of the July/August 2023 issue of California Garden magazine, which will also carry a full page feature article on the winning photograph and biographical information on the photographer.
  • Second Place: The Second Place photograph and a 200 word biography of the photographer will be published in the July/August 2023 issue of California Garden magazine.
  • Third Place: The Third Place photograph and 200 word biography of the photographer will be published in the July/August 2023 issue of California Garden magazine.
  • No monetary award(s) will be given for this contest.


How to Enter

Only online entries will be considered.
Photographers may submit up to three(3) entries. NOTE: Each photograph must be entered with a separate Entry Fee and accompanied by a separate Entry Form.

  1. START at the San Diego Floral Association Photo Contest 2023 Payment Page to pay the $15 Entry Fee.
  2. NEXT, after payment is made, navigate to and complete the online Entry Form and upload your photograph.
    Contestants may submit up to three (3) photographs.
    Repeat this two-step process for each additional entry.
    All photos must have complete information attached:
    • Photographer’s name
    • Contact information: email, phone and mailing address
    • Title of photograph
    • Location where the photo was taken

Incomplete information will disqualify your entry.


Entry Fee

$15 per entry, payable at the time of entry.

Entry fees from this Contest will support the mission and educational and outreach programs of the San Diego Floral Association, a non-profit organization 501(c)3 (Tax ID #95-0647745).


Technical specifications and requirements

  • Only digitally uploaded images may be entered.
  • Acceptable formats for photographs: jpg (jpeg) or png
  • Photos must be print ready at 300dpi.
  • Maximum file size: 5 MB
    If we need a larger file size, we will email you. 

  • Photos should be vertical (“portrait”) in orientation and at least 12 inches in height (3600 pixels). The winning photo will be trimmed to an 8.5” wide x 11” high format with a full bleed. The final cover placement of the winning photo is at the discretion of the Executive Editor/Creative Director of California Garden.
  • Color (RGB, sRGB, CMYK) or black and white. RGB/sRGB will be converted to 4-color CMYK for printing.
  • Photos containing date/time stamps, watermarks or other superimposed logos will be disqualified.

Enhancements and editing/optimization of images

Photographs should represent the subject matter and the scene as it appeared at the time of capture. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.

Acceptable alterations are:

  • Adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness
  • Removal of dust and scratches
  • Cropping
  • Black and white conversions

Unacceptable alterations are:

  • Photo composites (a combination of two or more photos, not of the same scene).
  • The addition, duplication, deletion or moving of objects in the photos.
  • The use of artistic digital filters and effects. Examples of artistic filters and effects are watercolor, neon glow, posterizing, stained glass, tinting and others that do not show the scene in its natural way.


LEGAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By entering a photograph in the San Diego Floral Association Photo Contest:

  1. The Entrant attests that each submission is an original work of the Entrant and does not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other rights of any person or entity.
  2. The Entrant attests they had permission or were not violating any laws by being in the location where the photo was taken.
  3. The Entrant attests they had permission to photograph the subject(s).
  4. The Entrant, as the copyright owner, grants permission to San Diego Floral Association (SDFA) and the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) to use the photograph for online and print advertising, promotion and description of the San Diego Floral Association Photo Contest 2023 and all future years of the Contest, and to use the Entrant’s name, city and photo information provided on the Entry Form in connection to that use. San Diego Floral Association and MOPA do not have permission to print or publish the Entrant’s email address, mailing address or other contact information for the uses described in this paragraph.
  5. The Entrant understands and agrees that San Diego Floral Association reserves the right to crop, trim or adjust the photo to comply with print or publishing requirements for the California Garden magazine cover or for articles, Facebook and other social media, SDFA webpage, other online or print materials and other media relating to the San Diego Floral Association Photo Contest.
  6. The Entrant understands that the Award(s) for the San Diego Floral Association Photo Contest 2023 are:
    a. First Place: The winning photograph will be featured on the cover of the July/August 2023 issue of California Garden magazine, which will also carry a full page feature article on the winning photograph and biographical information on the photographer.
    b. Second Place: The Second Place photograph and a 200 word biography of the photographer will be published in the July/August 2023 issue of California Garden magazine.
    c. Third Place: The Third Place photograph and 200 word biography of the photographer will be published in the July/August 2023 issue of California Garden magazine.
    d. No monetary award(s) will be given for this contest.
    e. Decisions of the judges are final.
  7. Privacy: The information provided to San Diego Floral Association on the Entry Form or any other form of communication will not be sold or shared, but might be used by SDFA for communications to the Contestant about future Photo Contests. Contestants will always be given the opportunity to opt out of future communications from SDFA.
  8. Limitation of Liability:  By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless San Diego Floral Association and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from (i) such entrant's participation in the contest (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to malfunctions or failures of any telephone network or lines, computer internet system, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer, mobile or any other device and/or its contents related to or resulting from participation or downloading/uploading any materials relating to this Contest, or other technical difficulties or failures or other errors of any kind; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Contest; (v) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries.
  9. San Diego Floral Association reserves the right, in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, disrupt, modify or suspend the Contest should (in its sole discretion) a virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Contest. SDFA may judge submissions from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by SDFA, in which case, the awards will be determined from only those entries which were judged.
  10. Refund of Entry Fee: Entry Fees are not refundable, except if the Contest is cancelled or disrupted by San Diego Floral Association for reasons, including but not limited to circumstances described in paragraph 9 above. In that case, SDFA will refund to the Contestant only the Entry Fee(s) associated with Entries that could not be judged.

 

For inquiries or additional information email us at photocontest@sdfloral.org.



SDFA

Mission: To promote the knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture in the San Diego region.