Friends of the Botanic Gardens is a voluntary organisation that supports the three Sydney Botanic Gardens (Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, Mount Annan and Mount Tomah) as outstanding places for horticulture, the arts, science, recreation and education. Visit Website.
This week, Gardens in Focus IT Manager, Cheryl Hill has been holidaying in far north Queensland. She took the opportunity to visit the Cairns Botanic Gardens which are renowned for having one of the best Australian exhibitions of tropical plants.
This beautiful garden hosts both native and exotic tropical plants. Many treasures where to be found, presenting plenty of opportunities for photography. The flowers and trees were abundant and interesting and the pathways were bathed in cool, dappled light. The lawn area was partly covered in dry, crunchy leaves under the trees but the open areas were just right for enjoying the sunny day relaxing on the grass.
One of the outstanding plants on display is the Giant Amorphophallus (Amorphophallus gigas) from Sumatra which is just beginning to flower now in early October. A garden caretaker took the time to describe the features of this distinctive, interesting plant that only flowers once each year. Cheryl's mum was amazed at the huge flower which was so much taller than her!
Elsewhere in the garden, Cheryl found the Cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis) from South America. What a strange-looking plant with flowers and giant fruit emerging direct from the trunk.
Cheryl says, "If you're in the area, why not visit the Cairns Botanic Garden? Exploring the cool, lush garden is a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours and the delicious lunch served in the cafe shouldn't be missed."
Have you been to a tropical botanic garden like the Cairns Botanic Garden? Share your experiences below and upload your tropical botanic garden photos to Flickr for us to see.
Do you wonder what the Gardens in Focus judges are looking for in a winning photograph? We did, so we asked them. Here are their tips for taking fabulous photographs:
A photo should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of a scene.
Read your camera's instruction manual and experiment with its capabilities.
Use a camera with the highest pixel resolution available to you, as high resolution images are needed for the judging stage.
With a digital camera it is a good idea to take many images and then discard most of them, so you can get the best shot.
Hundreds of macro images are submitted, so for a better chance of reaching the finalist stage, try a wider vista of a garden, perhaps with a dramatic sky or cloud formation.
When capturing a wide perspective of your subject, look for something to feature in the foreground.
A winning photo will have a depth of meaning and feeling. It will be an image that tells a good story, more than just a technically brilliant one.
Not all your loved ones make suitable subjects!
Next time we'll share some technique tips from the judges. Check back again in a few days time.
Gardens in Focus has hit the road! Photographs from the 2010 competition are currently on display at the Spring Celebration held at Wallsend District Library, Newcastle, NSW.
GIF Judging Panel Co-ordinator, Cathy Morrison, who studied and worked in the area was delighted to revisit Newcastle, and took pleasure in opening the exhibition on Saturday 17th September. Also present was Angus Stewart, who is is well known for his ground breaking work with native plants and his appearances on ABC Radio and on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia.
Cathy described the dedication and patience needed for garden photography, relating how the judging panel considered that Sugianto Yahya's stunning image of an ibis on the magnolia trees in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, beautifully captured the wildlife found in that garden. Second place-getter, Raoul Slater's image of fungi shows the length he was prepared to go to get into the gardens in the very early morning to photograph the fungi, illuminated by the lights of his car. By mid-morning these fungi have been burnt off by the sun. 2010 winning photographs can be seen in our gallery.
If you are in the Newscastle area, it is well worth a visit to Wallsend District Library see these beautifully framed photographs.
At Gardens in Focus we love to hear from you. One of our 2010 finalists, George Suresh, offered these comments. You can see George's 2010 entry on our 2010 Competition page. He has also shared these recent photographs. Lovely work, George, and good luck in the 2011 competition!
What a botanic garden means to me:
"Whenever I had a free weekend - I always headed down to a Botanic Garden to relax, unwind, reflect on the week that just passed and most of all - take photos! Every week there brought something interesting or inspiring - whether it be just mingling with strangers at random, the flowering of cherry blossoms in season, or just watching baby goose chicks follow their mothers around the gardens - every visit had a unique presence. There was never a dull moment!
What the Gardens in Focus 2010 competition offered me:
"I developed a stronger awareness and understanding of plants and nature that I never had before. In particular, I developed a huge appreciation and affection for Australian Natives. This not only infected me with a love for our own native plants - but I to began to appreciate just how beautiful and unique Australian landscapes really are!
"It wasn't long before my appreciation for plants slowly transformed into an obsession for shooting macro. I learned new and exciting ways to capture the tiniest of subjects such as flys, bees and lady bugs. My macro skills had lifted to new heights.
"The GIF 2010 competition not only gave me an excuse to spend a lot of time at the gardens - having submitted my work to one of Australia's biggest photo competitions to date - resulted in my work receiving unrivaled exposure to industry professionals and garden editorials. I was able to affiliate myself with legendary photographers such as Chris Jones and Anne Geddes. And as a finalist, I was presented and given the honour to have my photos exhibited in one in of Sydney's most prestigious locations - the Royal Botanic Gardens!
"The competition not only gifted me with some of the most memorable moments of my life - it played a massive role in boosting my profile. And I'm not afraid to admit - it was the 'icing on the cake' when it came to acquiring my new job as a photographer/writer for one of Australia's best photography magazines - Digital Photography Magazine.
"For each and every contribution I made to the GIF competition - it rewarded me with twice as much!"
We are thrilled to hear about your new job, George! Congratulations and thank you for sharing.
It's wonderful to receve this comment from one of last year's entrants, who has already submitted photos in this year's competition:
"What a surprise and delight to discover my entry, Giant Amazon WaterLily, had been nominated as a finalist in last year's awards. As an artist who primarily draws and paints for a living, I consider my photography skills humble. This recognition has encouraged me to enter the awards again. Even if the only outcome gifts me with a keener observation of our natural world."
We are thrilled to receive Alison-Jane Rice's entries in this year's competition. Visit her website here.
Gardens in Focus is thrilled to be associated with the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition. Exhibited annually in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the prestigious IGPOTY exhibition visited the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney for the first time this month.
The Sydney IGPOTY exhibition showcased over 60 IGPOTY entries including the winners and a selection of finalists from the fourth International Garden Photographer of the Year competition. The winning photographs from the 2010 Gardens in Focus photography competition were also featured, drawing acclaim from the many visitors.
Tell us what you think. Did you come to see the IGPOTY exhibition? What were your favourites? Will you be entering GIF or IGPOTY?
On 10 August our 2011 competition opened when the new entrants’ pages went live on our newly updated website.
Our website has been improved to make navigation simpler and entering easier. We’ve included an Entry Tips and Help page, clearer Terms & Conditions and more comprehensive FAQs.
Most importantly, after receiving lots of valuable feedback from last year, we have made significant changes to the entry procedure. Now entrants simply register once to set up a free, password protected ‘home’ area on the Gardens in Focus website. Then you can simply log on to upload photographs, see your previous uploads, edit your personal details and revise any information from previously uploaded photos.
Tell us what you think of the new website and entrant’s registration process. We value feedback. Post your comment here or send us a personal note using the Contact Us form.
"There has been a couple of significant changes to this year's Gardens in Focus competition, which opens shortly." says Pam Milthorpe, Curator of the Gardens in Focus photography competition.
"We are broadening our competition to include New Zealand, as is now reflected in our title. But we have also included an extra category which allows photographers to submit pictures taken in overseas botanic gardens. This was a response to the large number of overseas visitors to our exhibition, who expressed great interest in what we were doing."
To be successful in this section though, a photograph must convey a feeling for the botanic garden in which it was taken. "Last year's winner is an outstanding example of giving a sense of the place where the photograph was taken," she says.
As previously blogged, the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition run by Kew Gardens (London) for the last 5 years has formed a relationship with GIF. IGPTOY are interested in all garden photography, not just botanic gardens.
"We were very flattered when our fledgling competition was recognised by IGPOTY," Pam continues, "and we are now working closely with them."
"As a result, the work of our 4 main prize winners will be exhibited in the IGPOTY exhibition, to be held in Sydney, next month, and our main prize winning photograph, Ibis on Magnolia will be exhibited in London for 4 months in the Kew Gardens exhibition. This gives our photographers much greater exposure and recognition!"
"I am very excited for the opening of our 2011 competition on 10 August," Pam concludes, "and I encourage people to visit the IGPOTY exhibition at Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney from 11 – 28 August, 2011 to view these amazing international photographers."
2010 was the inaugural year of the Gardens in Focus (GIF) Photography Competition and we were delighted with the response. We had over 1,800 entries from photographers from all over Australia. Photographs were taken in 68 of the 90 botanic gardens across Australia.
Last year we had 3 sections – one for professional, amateur and students. In each section we had 9 categories. We were trying to encourage ALL photographers to enter regardless of age or level of experience. We were also trying to prompt photographers to think outside the square as far as the type of photograph they might enter. We achieved these aims resoundingly, but in doing so, made the judging process very complicated!! We had great depth of work in some sections, and only a few entries in others.
As the aim of the GIF competition is to recognise, and then exhibit the highest possible standard of botanic gardens photography, we have simplified the sections/categories available. This year we are no longer making a distinction between amateur and professional (it's sometimes such a fine line anyway), and we now have 3 rather than 9 categories. Young photographers still have their own section.
Full details are available on our website and in the Spring edition of the Friends magazine.
For the first time in Australia an exhibition of stunning images from the acclaimed International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) 2010 competition will be held in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney from 11 – 28 August, 2011, presented by Friends of the Botanic Gardens.
Exhibited annually in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the prestigious IGPOTY exhibition is viewed by visitors from all over the world. The Sydney IGPOTY exhibition will showcase over 60 IGPOTY entries including the winners and a selection of finalists from the fourth International Garden Photographer of the Year competition.
Philip Smith, CEO of International Garden Photographer of the Year says: “Australian photographers have played a very important part in IGPOTY from the start and we are delighted at this opportunity to share the IGPOTY exhibition with the Australian public. The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is a wonderful location and we are pleased to help them promote their vital work in plant conservation and research.”
The Sydney IGPOTY exhibition is a result of a new agreement between the organisers of the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition (GALPA) and ‘Gardens in Focus’ (GIF).
The GIF photography competition aims to highlight the beauty and importance of botanic gardens. The 2010 GIF competition winning entries will also be exhibited during the IGPOTY exhibition in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney in August.
As a result of this new agreement, the winners of the 2010 and 2011 ‘Gardens in Focus’ photography competition will be included in the annual International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition. For the overall GIF winner this is a rare opportunity to be included in the prestigious IGPOTY exhibition which draws over 200,000 of visitors annually.
Executive Officer of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Debbie Mills says, “The International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition has been captivating visitors to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for many years. The Friends of the Botanic Gardens are thrilled to be able to bring the best of this stunning exhibition to our own Royal Botanic Garden for Sydney visitors to enjoy. We are particularly delighted that the winners of our own Gardens in Focus photography competition will be exhibited at the prestigious IGPOTY exhibition in the coming years. This is an exciting opportunity for any photographer and I would urge all those budding photographers out there to pick up their cameras and start exploring those wonderful botanic gardens.”
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This week, Gardens in Focus IT Manager, Cheryl Hill has been holidaying in far north Queensland. She took the opportunity to visit the Cairns Botanic Gardens which are renowned for having one of the best Australian exhibitions of tropical plants..jpg)
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Of course - remember to take your camera!
tter chance of reaching the finalist stage, try a wider vista of a garden, perhaps with a dramatic sky or cloud formation. 
GIF Judging Panel Co-ordinator, Cathy Morrison, who studied and worked in the area was delighted to revisit Newcastle, and took pleasure in opening the exhibition on Saturday 17th September. Also present was 
Cathy described the dedication and patience needed for garden photography, relating how the judging panel considered that Sugianto Yahya's stunning image of an ibis on the magnolia trees in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, beautifully captured the wildlife found in that garden. Second place-getter, Raoul Slater's image of fungi shows the length he was prepared to go to get into the gardens in the very early morning to photograph the fungi, illuminated by the lights of his car. By mid-morning these fungi have been burnt off by the sun. 2010 winning photographs can be seen in our 
What a botanic garden means to me:
"The competition not only gifted me with some of the most memorable moments of my life - it played a massive role in boosting my profile. And I'm not afraid to admit - it was the 'icing on the cake' when it came to acquiring my new job as a photographer/writer for one of Australia's best photography magazines - Digital Photography Magazine.
On 10 August our 2011 competition opened when the new entrants’ pages went live on our newly updated website.