Photography

National Photography Committee

  • Chrissie Harten, Chairman (Three Counties & South Wales Area)
  • Nina Tucknott (Sussex Area)

National Photography Competition 2021

To view/download the Schedule, Rules and Entry Form for the 2021 National Photography Competition please click on the following:-

NAFAS National Photography Competition 2021

Click here to see the Photography Competition 2020 Results

The Committee is responsible for organising and providing the photography for all the major NAFAS events such as the National Show and Competitions, National AGM etc. A National Photographic Archive has been established to provide a wealth of material which can be called upon by NAFAS for publications, advertisements, promotional literature etc, as well as forming an historical archive in pictures.

NAFAS Photography has also launched its own Facebook page so that members of NAFAS can see what is happening photographically within our organisation. This can be found here. We hope you will visit and give us a “like”!

NAFAS Photography

The Area Photography Representatives are currently:

Photography is an integral part of flower arranging, although it may not at first be obvious. However, just take a moment to think and you will soon realise that every time you undertake a design, be it in a competition, in the local church, for a wedding or other celebration, when you have completed it, the first thing you invariably reach  for is the camera to make a record of it. When we open a floral magazine or book or a flower arranging manual, the main content other than the text, is photographs. The only way to maintain a historical record of past floral events is by photographing them and keeping them. So you see, photography is an important part of our organisation.

With the advances in digital photography and especially with smart phone cameras, more people are taking photographs than ever before, so why not learn more about your camera and photography and get out there and enjoy the art? Have a word with your Area Photography Representative who will be only too pleased to help you in your endeavours.

Why not have a go at entering your Area Photography Competition or the National Competition? Please don’t worry that your photographs are not good enough, enter anyway, let the judges decide – you may be pleasantly surprised and find your photograph a prize winner.

Tips

TIPS FOR TAKING SUCCESSFUL PHOTOS OF FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS

  • Try to photograph the arrangement against a plain or un-fussy background. (You could use a drape behind the arrangement to help cut out any unwanted background, but be sure to iron it first to remove any creases)
  • Try to photograph in natural light, which produces the best colour balance. Different light sources will produce different colour effects. If your camera has the ability, choose a setting which matches your light source (e.g. tungsten, fluorescent, etc)
  • Use a tripod if possible for the sharpest image, but if you don’t have one, the back of a chair or something similar will help to support and keep your camera steady
  • Observe closely what is behind or next to the arrangement and be sure to remove any objects which detract from it
  • Remove any debris from the base of the arrangement such as fallen leaves or petals, or other bits which can fall off flowers and foliage
  • Don’t photograph against a strong light source (such as a window) as this will make your photo too dark unless your camera has the ability to change your settings to compensate
  • Try not to use a flash. This creates strong shadows and a colour change which detract from the arrangement. If your camera is set on auto flash and you don’t have a choice, hold a white card just below the flash to deflect it upwards and soften the light, or tape some tissue paper over it
  • Stand directly in front of the arrangement and bend slightly so that your lens is level with the centre of the arrangement and you can clearly see most of the container. Don’t take the photo from above (unless it is obviously meant to be viewed from above)
  • Zoom in to the arrangement to cut out as much as the background as possible, whilst still leaving a reasonable amount of space around it. (Make sure that you don’t zoom in too much and cut off any part of the arrangement)
  • Be sure that you are focussing on the arrangement, and not on the background
  • View the photograph when you have taken it, and crop any unwanted parts. Most modern computers, tablets and phones have a photo app already installed with a crop feature
  • If you are taking your photograph for an online competition, make sure you are emailing it at full size. Many email applications will automatically send at a small size and lower resolution to make it quicker and use less data, but this will affect the quality of your photo so select “full size” or “original size”

Join in

AN APPEAL TO ALL KEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS OUT THERE.

The NAFAS National Photography Committee are hoping to establish an extensive archive of photographs related to flower arranging and plant material. They are looking for images of Flower Arrangements, Plants, Flowers, Foliage, Landscape images containing plants and flowers and Nature in General and are appealing to all NAFAS members to help. The Committee is convinced that there are some excellent photographers and photographs waiting to be discovered out there and are keen to take advantage of this untapped resource.

Please, through your Area Photography Representative, submit any photographs that you have taken or may take in the future, to the Committee so that they may be held as part of the archive and can and may be used now or in the future. As far as possible all photographs to be used will be appropriately credited to the photographer when used, particularly in publications, calendars, training booklets etc.

Unfortunately, NAFAS cannot pay for these photographs but hope the possibility of publication and use nationally will be considered reward in itself.

Please in the first instance contact your Area Photography Representative.

Thank you.

2020 COMPETITION RESULTS 2020

BEST OVERALL IMAGE AND THE SOUTH MIDLANDS TROPHY
ANNE LINDSAY – NORTH EAST AREA
for 1st in Class 5 – “Something Beginning with A”

Class 1 – “Seasonal Beauty” (The Doris Madeley Trophy)
  • 1st Norma Leslie Orpington Floral Art Society, London & Overseas Area
  • 2nd Karen Foulkes Hamble Le Rice Flower Club, Wessex & Jersey Area
  • 3rd Jayne Merriman Grimsby Flower Lovers, North Midlands Area
  • VHC Anjna Patel Kenya Floral Arrangement Club, London & Overseas Area
  • HC Victor Froese Floral Artists of the Fraser Valley, London & Overseas Area
  • C Victor Froese Floral Artists of the Fraser Valley, London & Overseas Area
Class 2 – “Edible Delights” (The North Midlands Trophy)
  • 1st Jayne Merriman Grimsby Flower Lovers, North Midlands Area
  • 2nd Chloë Munday Nailsworth & District Flower Club, Three Counties & South Wales Area
  • 3rd Christine Middleton Braintree Flower Club, East of England Area
  • VHC Lyn Savage Ulverston & District Flower Club, Flowers North West
  • HC Sheila Cooper Holbrook & District Flower Club, East of England Area
  • C Jayne Merriman Grimsby Flower Lovers, North Midlands Area
Class 3 – “From Any Angle” (The Coles Trophy)
  • 1st Louise Brown Barnstaple Floral Art Club, Devon & Cornwall Area
  • 2nd Ann Belcher Clevedon & District Flower Club, South West Area
  • 3rd Lesley Bailey Market Rasen Flower Club, North Midlands Area
  • VHC Beti Wyn Davies Aberystwyth & District Floral Society, Mercia & North Wales
  • HC Beti Wyn Davies Aberystwyth & District Floral Society, Mercia & North Wales
  • C Helen Sinclair Individual Member, London & Overseas Area
Class 4 – “Any Old Iron” (The Surrey Trophy)
  • 1st Linda O’Toole Clophill & District Flower Club, Home Counties Area
  • 2nd Roger Woolnough Aldeborough & District Flower Club, East of England Area
  • 3rd Susan Shaw Maidstone & Vanguard Flower Clubs, Kent Area
  • VHC Victor Froese Floral Artists of the Fraser Valley, London & Overseas Area
  • HC Lyn Savage Ulverston & District Flower Club, North West Area
  • C Beverly Moore Herts & Essex Boundary Flower Club, East of England Area
Class 5 – “Something Beginning with A” (Novice Class, The East of England Trophy)
  • 1st Anne Lindsay Steeton Flower Club, North East Area
  • 2nd Jayne Merriman Grimsby Flower Lovers, North Midlands Area
  • 3rd Mary Pearson Comber & Inspirations Flower Clubs, NIGFAS
  • VHC Susan Shaw Maidstone & Vanguard Flower Clubs, Kent Area
  • HC Jane Atkins Ravenshead Flower Club, North Midlands Area
  • C Louise Sampson Wellow Flower Club, Wessex & Jersey Area
Class 6 – “Garden Delights” (The Junior Trophy)
  • No Entries