Marion County Master Gardener Association
Photo Contest – 2024
Deadline for Phone Contest Announced
I will accept entries for the 2024 Photo Contest until midnight, September 23, 2024. You may submit a total of three entries spread out among any of the six categories described below to photos@indymcmga.org.
The photos can be taken in previous years as well as the current year. Remember they must be photos taken by you.
Voting will take place online at the mcmga.org website. Information will be forthcoming on when voting will be open online. Stay tuned!
Following are some basic rules for the contest.
Don’t worry about having a big expensive camera. Today’s cell phones have great cameras. Previous contests cell phone photos have been winners. Please, just snap away, and enter our contest!! We want to give our previous winners some competition! Your picture just might give someone else a gardening idea they have been waiting years for, so jump in and have some fun. You never know what will come out of that lens!
- The contest is open to current MCMGA members only and you must have taken the photos. Entries can be of plants and scenes in your own garden OR in some other garden you enjoy. You may submit up to three photograph entries as digital files only. Please make sure you rename your images with your entry name and your name. For example, Red Tulips Vickie Davis
- Each photo must be accompanied by a written comment that is 25 words or less and that provides some educational information about the subject matter that your fellow MGer’s would like to know. TIP: Sometimes an informative explanation makes the difference between a winning photo or not.
- The entries will be judged in six different categories –
- Blooms,
- Exotics and Tropicals,
- Fruits and Veggies,
- Landscapes or Garden Views,
- Natives, and
- Wildlife in the Garden.
- Photos with their written statements will be assigned numbers (anonymity) and put on display by category. Voters may choose their favorite based on beauty, interest, how unusual or educational they think it is, etc. The photo receiving the overall highest number of votes will determine the Best of Show winner.
- Voting will be open to all Marion County Master Gardeners.
- Submit your photo (up to three) via email to photos@indymcmga.org . Include in each submission a brief 25-word-or-less description of each photo submitted. Indicate the category in which you want your entry placed. If you do not indicate a category, a category could be assigned to your photo.
- Suggested camera settings: Use the highest quality settings e.g. “fine” (i.e. most pixels) and have a relatively new camera for high‐resolution images. File sizes of 3000 X 2400 pixels are generally high quality. You can check your photo for it’s resolution by referring to the Some camera companies use their own proprietary quality standards such as SQ, HQ, and SHQ (standard, high and super high quality respectively.
- Winners will be announced at the December MCMGA holiday meeting. The winning entries will appear online after the winners are announced. Prizes will be given to the “best of show” winner, the first, second, and third place winners in each category.
NOTE: Check out the Photography Tips page. Also there are numerous website listings on the internet on taking photos with iPhones and Android phones. I’ve also given some hints in the Greenery newsletters.
Disclaimer: By entering the contest, you represent that you do not claim a copyright in the photo and agree that MCMGA may use your photo on its website, in publications, and for any other purpose.
If your files are larger than 10 MB you can send them via an online free service at www.wetransfer.com
Questions? Email Vickie Davis at photos@indymcmga.org.
Updated: July 29, 2023