GPA News

GPA member Nikki Simpson took gold again with a panel of her stunningly detailed and botanically gorgeous prints. Sadly the RHS has yet to post the rest of the results, there were certainly some other GPA members involved.
The other gold winner was Nigel Chapman with his panel of images from the RHS glasshouse at Wisley. His web site is well worth a look, you'll see that he was a winner in the RHS annual photo competition a couple of years ago.

Having entered the RHS October competition myself a few times I think it's a shame that the RHS don't make more of the entries and get the results up on their web site - I'd love to see some critiques from the judges. For the amount of effort involved in showing a panel and all the set up/take down I think the RHS are letting the exhibitors down by not taking the PR opportunity. RichardL

A new committee has been elected:

Richard Loader - Webmaster/List Dad
Jacqui Hurst - Committee member
Jenny Lily - Membership secretary
Suzie Gibbons - Marketing/PR
Anne Hardy - Secretary
Maddie Thornhill - Committee member
Gary Rogers - Committee member
Ray Cox - Technical Advisor

A new chair remains to be appointed and there are still one or two vacancies so if you are interested in doing your bit these get in touch.

The GPA runs a Google group as a means to keep in touch with the membership. You need to have a Google account to join the group and it is by invitation so please drop an email to the 'list mom', Emma Peios to let her know you want to be part of the group. Emma will then get an invite sent to you. Emma's address is: info@emmapeios.co.uk If you don't get a reply Emma may be away, you can also try richardloader@aol.com

Paul Debois won Best GPA Portfolio award at the 2008 awards with a portfolio that defies the high-tech trend that we´re all facing. The collection of 6 pictures entitled "Pinhole Impressions" cleverly captures the swaying movement of trees at RHS Wisley. Paul wins the GPA´s £1000 prize plus £800 worth of vouchers from Kata, Manfrotto and Visible Dust. Paul´s portfolio was also second placed overall and so he received a further £850 of cash and vouchers. 

Marianne Majerus was second placed with her exquisite portfolio of frosty scenes of a Luxembourg garden and she collected £600 worth of vouchers. Dianna Jazwinski was third placed with her trademark penchant for unusual subjects, a series simply entitled "Grass Flowers".

We would like to extend special thanks and recognition to our sponsors, Garpa, who made this GPA category possible.

Other GPA Prize winners included:
Susie Gibbons for a beaming allotment gardener, Eric in El Bonanza (Second placed in the My Garden category)
Jerry Harpur for Wisteria Walk, Hermanshoff, Germany (Third placed in the Garden Views category)
Mark Bolton for Magnolia Blooms (Third placed in the Trees category)
Richard Freestone for Welsh Poppy (Third placed in the Plant Portraits category)

All of the pictures were judged anonymously by the panel of eleven judges with the exception of the GPA Best Portfolio, which excluded Clive Nichols and Andrew Lawson on the judging panel.

In addition to the above winners there were many, many GPA members who had Finalist or Commended pictures. All of the pictures can be seen on the website, www.igpoty.com or in the coffee table book from AA Publishing, that accompanies the show, Garden Photographer of the Year, Collection01.

To see the winning pictures, or for more information go to www.igpoty.com

Thanks to Emma Peios for the images below .

001 - Marianne Majerus with Sally and Clive Boursnell (2nd Best GPA Portfolio)
002 - Philip Smith  and Jane Nichols, organisers of IGPOTY and both GPA members
003 - Paul Debois and portfolio
004 - View of the display
005 - Dianna Jazwinski with Sally Ashen from sponsors Garpa and Clive Boursnell (3rd in Best GPA Portfolio)
006 - Overall winner Claire Takacs with Professor Hopper, Director of RBG Kew
007 - Jerry Harpur receieving prize for third place in Garden views
008 - Susie Gibbons with Andrew Lawson receiving prize for 2nd place in My Garden category
009 - Paul Debois with Michele Channer from Calumet Photographic- for second placed portfolio
010 - View of the display
011 - Paul Debois with Sally Ashen and Clive Boursnell (Best GPA Portfolio)

These snaps wouldn't win any prizes, but I've taken them in response to
Ray's request. For the Photographer of the Year I submitted 20 pictures
in 18 magazines (so two pictures can't be seen in the snap). I'd also
like to echo Jonathan's comments - the judges change each year, so
everyone is in with a chance. It's always worth entering. This year my
biggest hope was in the Features Award - I made two separate entries
with the books that you see in the second picture. This was a strategic
decision that weakened my portfolio submission. On the day, the books
didn't even get short-listed. So I was surprised and delighted to win
with the portfolio. Actually, like Jonathan, I don't think that books
should belong in the 'features' category. It would be very good to have
a separate category for them, making 4 photographic awards in all.

The highly successful Images of the Month competition has changed. We have made entering much easier. We have also created an IoM 'gallery' which will build up month by month to enable website visitors to see everyone''s contribution at any time.

You no longer have to email images into the organisers. Just go to the website home page - click on the IoM button. This will take you to the gallery; on the left you will see a button that enables you to submit your own images.

Go to this new page and follow the very simple instructions.

Each month's Images of the Month winner is published on the editorial page of The English Garden, and all three top images are published in the Garden Writers' newsletter.

Calling all ‘budding’ garden photographers. Are you the next Garden Photographer of The Year?  With thousands of pounds worth of prizes up for grabs, this is a unique opportunity for entrants to have their photographs exhibited at a major London venue, alongside some of the world’s most talented photographers in the gardening and landscape world.

The competition and exhibition Garden Photographer of the Year builds on the highly successful Garden Photographers’ Association’s www.gpa-uk.org annual competition and exhibition.  Over the last eight years, the GPA has staged increasingly prestigious events culminating with the highly acclaimed exhibition “Imagine, Yesterday Today” at Kew Gardens www.kew.org in 2006

The 2007-8 competition has the following categories;
• My Garden
• Plant Portraits
• People and Animals in the Garden and
• An annual changing category, which will be Trees in 2008

Amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to enter single images or themed portfolios. There will be a new special award for Young Garden Photographer of The Year supported by Chris Collins Blue Peter Gardener. Entrants for this category are welcomed from young photographers under the age of 16.

A panel of high-profile industry professionals will judge the competition and the top 100 photographs will be exhibited in London from May to September 2008.

For more details on “How to Enter”, please visit www.gpoty.org

A packed Savoy Hotel cheered the winners of the GWG Awards  at the annual lunch on November 30.  The big prize, 'Garden Photographer of the Year', was won by Jonathan Buckley from runners-up Andrea Jones and Andrew Lawson.  Jonathan Buckley also scooped 'Features Photographer of the Year', with Fiona McLeod and Jason Ingram also short-listed.  Jonathan's big day follows several years in which he has been 'bridesmaid and not the bride', and his double success repeats that of Clive Nichols last year.  'Photographers' Choice', selected by GPA members and all exhibitors at the Kew exhibition 'Imagine Yesterday...Today' was won by Derek Harris, with his image 'Mystical Wistman's Wood'.
Voted runners up were Andrea Jones's 'Picasso of Trees' and Dianna Jazwinski's black and white 'Teasels'.  Many congratulations to all the winners of these prestigious awards.

Although the awards are not restricted to GPA members, it is to be noted that all winners and short-listed photographers are from the membership this year.
New names appear every year on the shortlists, and this should encourage all GPA members to enter next time.

This is the last year that the lunch will be held at The Savoy.  From next year the venue will be The Royal Lancaster Hotel.

We are pleased to be associated with the GPA exhibition for a third year running having successfully completed the printing of this year’s images for Kew. As a professional photographer and member of the GPA,  WoodLand operate a professional digital and giclee print Studio service,  using high quality archival materials and 'State of the Art' printing equipment. We are now able to print in 8 colours, up to a width of 44".

We also offer members of the GPA and GWG a traditional litho print service for postcards, greeting cards and calendars. These are good sales and marketing opportunities for you or your clients. Should you be planning an exhibition, or ordering prints for your clients or gallery we are able to offer you a professional bespoke service. For more information and prices please contact either Derek or Tara Harris on 01406 366503 or email:  derekharris.associates@virgin
Please note: WoodLand offer a special discount on our ‘Standard List Prices’ to GPA and GWG members.