Winter 2024 Focus by The Garden Club of America

F CUS A publication of the GCA Photography Committee | Winter 2024 | Volume 64

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Contents

From the GCA Photography Chair

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Letter From the Editor Symphony of the Senses, Winter 2024 Focus Contest Focus Gallery of AwardWinning GCA Photographs The Visual Alchemy of Olivia Parker

L. Anna Forbes Kanawha GC, Zone VII

Great Composition: The Intersection of Art and Science

Stephanie Young Paducah GC, Zone VII

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Fall 2023 Focus Challenge Winners The Judging Nook— Seeing Outside the Box: Working the Camera’s Technical “Limitations” to a Creative Advantage

Chris Wood Noanett GC, Zone I

Winter 2024 Focus Challenge

ow often have you rushed home after a photography outing, eagerly uploaded your images, anticipating you’ve captured something spectacular only to discover the impact you thought you had captured missed the mark? What magical element was missing? Have we put in the work and committed the endless hours of studying the technical side of photography? Have we made a concerted effort to study and appreciate the qualities that distinguish artistic merit? Are we working to develop our own style or trying out someone else’s? This issue of Focus invites us to learn the traditional “rules” but also encourages us to explore how we might “break” with the traditions and elevate our own creativity and personal artistry. Our 2024 Virtual Photography Conference builds on this same theme. Members will hear from three photographers who have spent time perfecting their techniques before moving in a creative direction that emphasizes their personal styles. Stephanie Johnson, a noted landscape photographer and educator, creates her imagery using intentional camera movement (ICM). Xuan

Huing Ng understands that light and emotion are paramount in capturing her images of the natural world. Journalistic travel photos of intimacy and culture have brought Nevada Wier international recognition. We’ll also hear from a fourth speaker, Adobe’s Santiago Lyon, who will discuss generative AI implications for the future of photography, whether creative or journalistic. Please join us on Thursday, January 25th for Storytelling II: ReIMAGINE THE WORLD, this year’s virtual photography conference. Click here to register. You will be inspired to put in the work and discover your own voice through the camera’s lens. — Susan Van Tassel, Photography Committee Chair, The Short Hills Garden Club, Zone IV

Mission Statement Focus magazine’s mission is to inspire and educate readers about the art and science of photography. Focus magazine is published online three times a year: September, January, and May. Email article suggestions to focus@gcamerica.org. To submit a photograph for publication consideration in Focus, use this link: Photograph Submission Form. Please be sure to review eligibility guidelines set forth on the submission form and the GCA’s communications policies before submitting photographs. By submitting your work to Focus, you grant the GCA permission to publish your work in all public and internal outlets.

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The contents contained in the GCA’s internal publications are intended solely for the education and enjoyment of club members of The Garden Club of America. Articles express the opinion of the writers and not the GCA. Contact focus@gcamerica.org for requests for permission to reproduce any content. The listing of any product and service does not imply an endorsement by the GCA. © The Garden Club of America, 2024. All rights reserved.

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Letter from the Editor “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

– Pablo Picasso

rom cover to cover, this issue explores “thinking outside the box” with your photography. Perhaps I should say “creating outside the box.” Many photographers— particularly landscape and street photographers— subscribe to the view that a good photograph is tack sharp throughout the composition, has well-balanced exposure, accurate color and “white balance,” and has a well-defined and dominant focal point. These are all technical and compositional skills you need to master, particularly if you are a traditionalist. However, once you have these skills down you may want to mix it up a bit. Laura Simpson’s cover photograph is a skillful and hauntingly beautiful example of intentional camera movement (ICM). Pamela McGuire’s decision to use a bright white sky in her classically composed Tide Mill, Rye, New York effectively accentuates the bold color of her focal point (see page 18). Similarly, Margaret Pierce’s back cover image is a hip, dynamic example of a high-key

background. One might fairly say Laura’s photograph is blurry, and Pamela’s and Margaret’s photographs appear “overexposed,” but all three compositions work. Chris Wood’s excellent article in the Judging Nook explores some of these ideas in depth. Stephanie Young’s article discusses the surprising science behind “art” and offers many practical tips to up your creative game. In this same vein, this issue showcases four photographs that are the winners of last fall’s inaugural Focus Challenge, which tasked readers to break the rule of thirds and place their focal point in the center of the frame. We had a great response to this little contest, with over 60 entries. Some clubs even made it a club program activity (what a great idea!). Finally, the issue also contains my interview with one of the most significant living photographic artists, Olivia Parker, who, now in her early 80s, is still making new work using non-traditional techniques. Thank you to my patient husband, Peyton Forbes, Helen and Tom Glaenzer, and Susan Everitt for their assistance in making this happen. Enjoy the issue. —L. Anna Forbes, Focus Editor, Kanawha Garden Club, Zone VII

Symphony of the Senses Winter 2024 Focus Contest

One thing is clear. GCA photographers LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Focus contests. So, this winter we added a second one, Symphony of the Senses. It is a bit smaller in scale than the main 2024 contest but is every bit as fun. Registration is now closed, but look for the judging results, which will be announced via the April 1, 2024, eNews blast. Best of luck to all. Many thanks to our talented schedule writers Tori Macmillan, Suzie Bissell, and Ann Brookshire, who created the beautiful and intriguing Symphony of the Senses schedule. In case you missed it, here is a link to the fall 2023 Focus contest results. Enjoy!

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Focus Gallery of Award-Winning GCA Photography from Late 2023 Flower Shows Here is a curated sample of some winning GCA photographs from the latter half of 2023. Visit the Focus gallery to view more winning photographs, flower show details, and judges’ comments. Scroll through the entire gallery and be inspired by the talent of our GCA members and friends. Enjoy!

Top left: Untitled, by Judith McMillan, Shaker Lakes GC, Zone X, Best in Show, A Fantasy, a GCA Flower Show presented by Shaker Lakes GC, Zone X

Top right: Color Me Autumn, by Loan Hutton, GC of Allegheny County, Zone V, First and GCA Creativity Award, Autumn Joy, a GCA Flower Show presented by GC of Buzzards Bay and the Little Compton GC, Zone I Bottom: What Do You See Within These Clouds? by Jane Hammond, Dolley Madison GC, Zone VII, Third and GCA Photography Creativity Award, Ebb & Flow, a GCA Zone VII Meeting Flower Show presented by James River GC, Zone VII

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Top left: Elephant Crossing, by Kimberly Wright, The Warrenton GC, Zone VII, Second and GCA Photography Novice Award, Ebb & Flow, a GCA Zone VII Meeting Flower Show presented by James River GC, Zone VII

Middle, left: The Persistence of Life, by Debbie Laverell, The Garden Workers, Zone V, Best in Show, Cur-rent, a GCA Flower Show presented by Hortulus, Zone II Bottom left: Black-Eyed Susans, by Kelly Armstrong, The Tuckahoe GC of Westhampton, Zone VII, Best in Show, Ebb & Flow, a GCA Zone VII Meeting Flower Show presented by James River GC, Zone VII

Bottom right: Majestic Hen, by Delia Egan, GC of Allegheny, Zone V, Best in Show, Into the Woods, a GCA Flower Show presented by The GC of Michigan, Zone X

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The Visual Alchemy of Olivia Parker By L. Anna Forbes, Kanawha GC, Zone VII

For more than four decades, Olivia Parker has explored the intersection of science and art, life and death, the natural and the manmade, and the ephemeral and permanent structures of our world. Throughout it all, light is the animating force of her work. Born in 1941, Olivia Parker (Libby) was raised in the Boston area. Her grandfather founded the successful New England dairy, H.P. Hood, which her father, Harvey Perley Hood, managed. The youngest of four children, her nearest sibling was seven years older than she. “It was a bit isolating in a way,” she told me when we sat down in her seaside home in Manchester, Massachusetts, for this interview last August. She had a beloved nanny, however, whom she credits as the source of her early introduction to the arts. Libby has always had an interest in science. Throughout her life, she has been a prolific forager and collector of all manner of objects—shells, insects, skulls and Olivia Parker © Olivia Parker. Self-Portrait. bones, feathers, pottery shards, rocks and ores, dolls, rusty wire, sheet music, old manuscripts, glass bottles, mushrooms, and on and on. She spent a lifetime collecting objects when walking on the beach by her home, traveling the world (Australia is the only continent she has not visited), stopping on roadways, and even rummaging around landfills. Her home studio is a fantastical cabinet of curiosities, filled with trays and cases of relics from her decades-long explorations. In 1964 following her graduation from Wellesley College, Libby married John Parker, an investment analyst in Boston. In the following years, the couple had two children, John and Helen. In 1970, a chance encounter with a neighbor who needed a place to store her darkroom equipment proved fateful. The transition from painting to photography as her artistic medium had begun. In 1978, her first monograph, Signs of Life, was met with acclaim. Before long, Ansel Adams asked her to teach for his workshops. Libby’s remarkable work with the split-toning process caused Adams to revise a section of his seminal book, The Print, to acknowledge that Libby was one of the few artists who mastered the technique. Libby’s career is defined by curiosity, experimentation, and adaptation. In the 1970s and 1980s, she worked with large format “view” film cameras. Her work explored splittoning, Cibachrome, and Polaroid processes. When manufacturers discontinued materials she used, she didn’t stop. She pivoted. In the 1990s, when a serious ski accident left her home-bound for a year, she transitioned to digital photography and embraced Photoshop. In recent years, she traded her view cameras for digital cameras. Unbounded by the conventional rules of photography that favored tack-sharp and balanced exposure, Libby was an early experimenter with motion blur. She scattered high-key swirls and shards of light throughout her Olivia Parker’s Manchester, Massachusetts Home Studio © L. Anna Forbes (August 2023). Facing page: Two Orchids © Olivia Parker (1976) from Signs of Life series. Selenium toned silver chloride work. print.

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In 2013, her husband of nearly 50 years, John, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and passed away in 2016. Vanishing in Plain Sight is a collection of photographs Libby made during John’s slow descent into the dark madness of the disease. Her photographs imagine—only as a life partner could create—how John saw the world as his disease marched on inexorably. Libby collected little notes listing some simple thing or task he wanted to remember, often found crumpled up and tossed in anger to the floor. One of these notes listed the cities he and Libby visited on their honeymoon. Today, seven years since John’s death, Libby’s work continues her lifelong interest in the interplay of the natural and manmade worlds. Her most recent work draws on classical Greek mythological themes. Three Feathers Three Crystals © Olivia Parker (1981) from the Instant Anomalies series. Polaroid print. Persephone’s Graffiti is a body of work created with shaggy mane mushrooms (Coprinus comatus) foraged from her yard. Left on white paper in her studio for a day or two, the mushrooms release jet-black ink and spores. She observes, “These pictures are a collaboration between the mushrooms and me.” In another body of work, Persephone’s Garden explores botanical subjects sometimes using intentional camera movement (ICM) and shooting her subjects through old glass with darkness always in the background. ***** I caught up with Libby in August 2023 in her Manchester home. I first became acquainted with her in the mid-1980s. At that time, I worked in a small Boston-area firm that printed some of her early split-tone work. Little did I know then that 40 years later, I would come to interview her about her life’s work, which was only just beginning to unfold. 8

Honeymoon © Olivia Parker (2016) from Vanishing in Plain Sight series. Pigment inkjet print.

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L. Anna Forbes: You studied art—painting and drawing—in college. How did photography come to be the medium of your life’s work? What is it about photography? Olivia Parker: I think it is the relationship

to light, which fascinates me. A painter can paint light. But with photography, it is a direct capture of the light. And also, the light does things that I wouldn’t have thought to put in a painting. The camera seems to see light, see more of what is happening with the light than I might be thinking about. A camera sees differently than we do. I’ve told this story before. [Laughter]. I had Parker Doorbell © L. Anna Forbes (August 2023) a neighbor who was a portrait photographer. She was going through a divorce and was moving out of town. She asked if I could store her darkroom equipment. I told her I would if I could use it. This was all darkroom stuff. Fortunately, my kids took very long naps [Laughter] and John, in those days tended to get home from work late, often after nine. Sometimes I also worked after they went to bed. I learned by filling trash barrels. LAF: Tell me about your childhood? OP: Well, I was very much the youngest of four

children, so it was a bit isolating in a way. My nearest sibling was seven years older than I was. And she was always very good to me. She would take me along on some mischievous adventures. We were awful. [Laughter]. We’d write our names in wet cement. We once snuck into a grand old house that was falling apart. The inner floors had fallen in, but the stairs around the edges still remained.

LAF: That sounds dangerous! OP: It was! But we didn’t hesitate to go up

them. We often went up to the fourth floor. Parker teaching at Ansel Adams One day, we went up to one of the bathrooms. Monterey, California workshop in The outside wall was falling off. There was a 1982 © Diane Vatne. Photograph bathtub right next to the edge. Well, what does courtesy of Olivia Parker a kid want to do? Push that tub off the edge? That’s what we did. It landed down in the snow. Just then, a police car pulled up. My sister and I said, “We’re going to get caught.” We stayed very, very still. The policemen came in through the ground-floor window and poked around. They didn’t dare climb up the stairs. Then they left. And that was our biggest adventure. LAF: Who would you say was an early influence on your career? OP: From the time I was four to about ten years old, my parents hired a Sea © Olivia Parker (2012) from Still and Not So Still series. Digital pigment print.

French nanny, Catherine LeBihan, for me. She was a big influence on what I did later.

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As a young child, I think I looked upon her as an ogre. I think she lied to my parents about her age. She was well into her seventies when she started working for my family. She read to me all the time. She read everything by Dickens and all the big, bad, old fairy tales in their original versions. She took me to art museums, the ballet, the opera. I remember thinking operas were weird. But I loved going to the MFA [Museum of Fine Arts in Boston] and the Gardner. At the MFA, she would go and sit in the room where the Rembrandts were. Right next to that room, they had that Gauguin [Where Do We Come From, What Are We, Where Are We Going]. And I could lie on my back and look at it. There was nobody in the museums then. I loved it. The year before I went to college, I went to see her in Brittany. It made me realize what a treasure she was. LAF: Were either of your parents artistic? OP: I think, maybe, my mother was. She loved to arrange flowers. Actually, she was a member of the local garden club. She

arranged flowers for various events. But I think she was kind of scared of art because people in the family who were good at art tended to have other problems. So, it was sort of a dangerous sign. So, Mum didn’t pay much attention when my first book came out. She never said much about it. But her friends told me that was the first thing she would pull out when they came to the house. And my dad, just about the last thing he said to me when he died, he said, “I’m so proud of you, and I’m really glad about what you are doing. But please take care of John.” [Laughter]. I got married to John right out of college, but I had these things I needed to do. I didn’t really appreciate it until later, but John was remarkably good about me going all over the place to teach workshops and give lectures.

LAF: I’ve read that you believe photography forces you to reach out to the world, whereas painting is more inward. OP: Yes. Painting is more inward. Even though I work in the studio, I was always looking for stuff to use out there …

and embarrassing my children at the same time. I’d say, “Stop the car!” when my husband was driving—or when I was driving, I’d stop it myself—whenever I saw some interesting metal or some such thing by the side of the road. And the kids would pull their jackets up over their heads and get down in the backseat to express their embarrassment. They were so embarrassed. Their friends called me the “weird mom.” I took it as a compliment. [Laughter]. LAF: Can you speak to the idea of deliberative, creative intent? So many people just “snap, snap, snap” with a camera and wonder why their photographs aren’t good. They do not take their time to see, to make a photograph. OP: For the first 20 years,

Ink © Olivia Parker (2022) from Persephone’s Graffiti series. Digital pigment print.

I was working with view cameras. Back then, I might take four to a dozen shots in a whole day. It was really, really slow. I liked working that way. It slows you down in a very good way. Working with the view camera is a great way to learn. I don’t think my granddaughter has used a view camera, but she has used a 35mm [film camera]. So, she has learned that way of slowing down.

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It’s important, although now, with digital photography, I have to say I really like being able to record a lot of images and then choose. You can take advantage of the accidental. I was working the completely opposite way with a view camera. With a phone camera, people don’t think about the edges of the image they are making. Sometimes, with a phone camera or even my other camera, I move too fast, and I don’t think about the edges of the frame. I always have to think about the edges with my view camera. With a view camera, it was always really interesting to look through the ground glass, see what the camera would be seeing on film, and make my adjustments from there. But, of course, everything there is upside down. I had been doing some work at Polaroid, and a bunch of us went out to lunch. When we were all looking at the menu, one of my friends said, “Libby, you’re holding the menu upside down.” I had been looking at things upside down for so long. They had a good laugh. LAF: Do you ever use a cell phone? OP: Oh, yes. I carry a cell phone with me all the time,

even when I’m just out for a walk. I have some hilarious animal pictures that I really love.

White Leaf © Olivia Parker (1976) from Signs of Life series. Selenium toned silver LAF: Your photographs often juxtapose scientific, chloride print. technological, and manmade elements with organic, natural objects. What interests you about melding these two characters of objects? OP: I’ve always had an interest in both art and science. So much of our world is now dependent on technology and human

judgment as to when to use it. Sometimes the juxtaposition is working really well for people and sometimes it really messes things up. I mean, just look at the terrible fires in Hawaii. It’s what people had done to the natural world there that really enabled that fire.

LAF: You work with shells quite a bit. There’s a unifying principle in your work with shells and spirals in nature. OP: I think they’re one of the most fabulous examples of the wonder of what nature can do. They just fascinate me. Artists

like [Albrecht] Dürer were definitely seeing this and did a whole lot of mathematical diagrams in connection with spirals and were marveling at just the same thing. I mean in the whole area of structures and nature. It’s just endlessly fascinating.

LAF: You are known as a “still life” photographer. Oftentimes, we see definitions of “still life” that use the word “inanimate” to describe objects in still life compositions. I have a problem with that. I mean, how many times have you seen a Dutch master painting with bugs, butterflies, and birds flitting around? OP: I do, too! The Dutch still lifes were the first thing I thought of. Well, I think it probably comes from them being called

“nature mort,” the French for “still life.”

LAF: One area that terrifies me is AI [artificial intelligence]. What are we going to do about that? [Laughter]. OP: I don’t think anybody really has an answer. At least at the moment, AI still hasn’t mastered eyes. You can usually

tell if a face is artificial, somebody making somebody’s face do something it wouldn’t ordinarily do. Usually, the eyes get

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weird. Somebody will probably overcome that in time. So, I think I’m just like everybody else. Rather worried about it. How do you deal with student essays? With material that is presented as journalism? Infringement of creative rights? LAF: Do you post your work on social media? OP: I used to post some of my work on LinkedIn. But now, I don’t post any of

my real work on Facebook. I have a friend who just swears by Instagram and says it makes it easier to sell more work. I just never wanted to do it. I don’t have a bunch of real work on Instagram or Facebook.

LAF: Cell phones and the internet have democratized photography, which is a good thing. But what do you say to those who feel that everything has already been photographed—there’s nothing left. OP: I would say those people have no imagination.

I’m sympathetic because, when I started, the number of photographers out there was tiny. It was much easier to be a big frog in a small pond. Now, there are just tons of people out there. I mean the number of people coming through schools, the number of programs in schools. When I was starting, there were only about two universities that even offered a photography program. There were a couple of art schools, you know, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) had a program, the Art Institute of Chicago, and a program at Rochester. But not too much else. A lot of us came from other areas and were more or less self-taught. Whereas now, there are so many people coming out of graduate school programs, and the competition is fierce. But if you see creatively, you can find your way. There’s always a new way to see things.

Olivia Parker © Olivia Parker. Self-Portrait.

LAF: Can you tell me what and who are your influences? OP: Everything from some archaeological materials to contemporary people. I mean, there are a lot of people—

photographers, painters, and other artists. I like their work. I relate to their work. But I couldn’t point to any direct influences. For example, I admire Emmet Gowin’s work. It may have influenced me in some small way that I don’t even know. I like [Josef] Sudek’s still life work a lot.

LAF: When I look at your work over the decades and leading up to your recent work, it is remarkably varied—not just with subject matter but also with photographic processes. When you look back over the decades of your life’s work, do you see a unifying principle? OP: You know, as far as the process is concerned, it’s just keeping my eyes and mind open to possibilities and seeing what

will happen “if.” I’m very much an experimenter, but you can’t just be that. You have to settle down and really explore what interests you most. I think I’ve always been interested in the juxtaposition between the manmade and the natural. I carry with me a sense of wonder that informs what I am drawn to photograph. I am amazed by what nature can make and what man can make. Wonder can be beautiful, unbelievable, and terrifying.

LAF: It seems that you straddle two worlds—combining tangible objects and light as your subjects and then, you create a new thing, a new world, a little like collage. OP: It’s not really like collage because the separate parts don’t stay evident. For me, it’s more like a synthesis. It’s funny

because when one says “photography,” it can mean so many different things. Photography can be documentation, but some artists are doing something different. For example, camera movement or what the light is doing can really change what is in front of the camera.

LAF: What advice do you have for someone just starting out with photography? Or for more advanced photographers? OP: Well, if people love doing it, just do it. And do it a lot. See where it takes you. It’s OK to imitate a bit to learn, but then

try to forget that and try to make it your own.

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Great Composition: The Intersection of Art and Science Creating a photograph and seeing a photograph. These are two different things. It takes both to make a good photograph. We learn the “creative tools” early on in our photography journey. We study how the exposure triangle works—that lock-step dance of three

By Stephanie Young,

essential camera settings: ISO, shutter speed, and f-stop. We discover depth of field and the rule of

Paducah Garden Club, Zone VII

thirds. We study all the facets of composition: light,

Photograph by Author

color, contrast, shape, texture, line, and so on. Using all these technical and compositional tools, we

make—we create a photograph. It is important to get a sense of how others see your photograph. It might be different from your creative intention—which might or might not be a good thing. You need to understand how to create an interaction between the photograph and the viewer. How do we engage the viewer more deeply in our visual story? What draws the eye? How does the eye move through the scene? Are you using all the tools available to make sure our viewers see what we want them to see? Do you know what all the tools are?

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The Theory and Principles So, let’s turn to science to help answer some of these questions. Researchers have studied how the eye sees and how the brain interprets images. Many of their findings are important for the photographer. The eye sees:

Light before dark. High contrast before low contrast. n Large pictorial elements before small. n Warm colors (red, orange, yellow) before cool colors (blue, green, violet). n Yellow, being lighter in color, trumps them all as the immediate attention-getter (think hot spots). n Know that red is the emotional attention-getter. n Isolated elements before cluttered imagery. n Oblique, slanting lines and angles before straight. n Note that straight lines must be straight (think horizons). n Recognizable and familiar before ambiguous. n In-focus objects before out-of-focus objects. n Living subjects before inanimate. n Faces. A viewer’s eye is drawn to faces and particularly to eyes. Whether human or non-human, the eyes are most important. n If a face in the composition is not the intended focal point, it will be distracting. If a face is the intended focal point, isolate it by using a shallow depth of field, lighting, or contrast. Or, simpler yet, photograph the subject with no other faces around. n Also, pupillometrics (now there’s a mouthful!) show that when you look at a picture of a person, your pupils dilate to the same diameter as the person in the picture. Well-dilated pupils are visually appealing, so avoid bright, pupil-contracting lights. n Left to right. Our eye moves as we’ve been taught to read. In Western cultures, that is from left to right, so compose in a way that helps the viewer move rightward through the scene. This also goes for the position of light entering a scene. n Surprise! Google the Bayesian Theory of Surprise, and you’ll learn why this happens. For now, just know the unexpected is eye-catching, whether you happen upon it or set it up deliberately. n n

Putting the Theory and Principles to Work Let’s put some of these concepts to work. Take a look at my photograph of Abe. How many of the concepts are at work in this composition? The main subject is the statue of Abraham Lincoln. He is the brightest, most highly contrasting element in the photograph. So, we’ve checked the first box. The eye immediately goes there. Check again. He appears relatively isolated. He is large compared with the shadowy figures. And he is recognizable and familiar. Three more boxes checked. He is in focus. Check. He is dominant in scale. Check. And his is the only face we see. Check. If Abe is all we had in the photograph, it would be an okay photo, but rather static and documentary. Science tells us our eye seeks out other human elements, and those tiny people surrounding the statue are important in telling the story—especially the one silhouetted figure taking the picture. After we see him, our eyes start to pick out the subtle shadows of the people on the steps, which lean from the left of the image diagonally to the right, pointing toward the subject. Another box checked. For the most part, the people are clearly separated from each other, and even though some are in deep shadows, they are recognizable as people. Because they are small, dark, and faceless, they do not compete with Abe. Rather, they add context to the visual story. More boxes checked. So, by applying basic compositional and scientific principles, we can ensure that our viewer sees what we want them to see in this photograph. Think about these concepts with your photography. Think about them when looking at others’ work, too. A photograph that has won a best-in-show award will most likely exemplify several of these concepts. It is a worthy exercise to spend a little time analyzing great photographs. It will make you a better photographer.

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By applying basic compositional and scientific principles, we can ensure that our viewer sees what we want them to see in this photograph. 15

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Fall 2023 Focus Challenge Winners! By Mary Haggerty, Tori McMillan, and L. Anna Forbes By Robin Turnbaugh, Monadnock GC, Zone I

Scherzo di Follia, by Pierre-Louis Pierson (1861-67).

We at Focus magazine are thrilled to report that we had a whopping response to the inaugural Fall 2023 Focus Challenge! Nine of the 12 GCA zones participated. Over 30 different garden clubs were represented. Zone III takes the bow for the most club members participating (13), followed by Zone VII (10), and Zone XII (9). Bedford Garden Club wears the crown for the most club member participation. All told, we had over 60 entries to evaluate. It was so much fun to see what people created. Thanks to all who participated! In reviewing the entries, we drew from the principles discussed in the “Judging

This fragile bearded iris blushed in a lavender gown, patiently awaits discovery. The edges of her undulating petals lead the viewer’s eyes to her intriguing focal point—the tiny white star embedded in deep golden threads. The tactile quality of her foreground petals invites one to gently touch. The muted background complements the flower’s details. A smidge more free space over the top petal and minor contrast adjustments would improve the composition.

Nook” article in the Fall 2023 issue of Focus. There is a good reason why the rule of thirds works—the human eye naturally is drawn away from the center of a composition to an off-center focal point. If the focal point is in the center (or near center), it should be visually compelling and dynamic or have a dominant narrative strength (think Birth of Venus, The Last Supper, The Scream). With these ideas in mind, here are our thoughts on why we selected these four winners of the Focus Challenge. 16 Congratulations!

By Danna Dearborn, Piscataqua GC, Zone I The photographer captured the essence of her story through skillful use of silhouette, reflection, shadow, and movement. By placing her subject off-center in the frame, she created a spatial “free space” for us to be drawn to and rest on the subject. Less talented photographers would have backed away and included the figure, which likely would have led to a less interesting composition.

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By Debbie Laverell, The Garden Workers, Zone V Talk about a strong narrative! The mounted horseman with raised spear appears as one with his rearing steed as they poise for their attack on the sun’s fiery orb glowing in the evening sky. The viewer is caught up in the drama. The straight lines of the grasses in the foreground mimic the sword and add to the suspense with varied angles. The dark silhouetted foreground gives way to the fleeting view of the hills in the background, adding depth. The stunning background emotes the feeling of “victory” at the end of day. Reducing the open space on the right and left sides of the image may improve the impact, strengthening the center focal area.

By Anita Stockbridge, Bedford GC, Zone III This composition works because of its compelling focal point and gorgeous tonal range. The silvery water on the rock’s surface is tack sharp and tactile, while the streaming current swirling all around has a soft, feathery motion blur that is neither too much nor too little—no small technical feat. Exploring a square crop (or just a tighter crop) might further heighten the visual impact of this lustrous composition.

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THE JUDGING NOOK

Seeing Outside the Box: Working the Camera’s Technical “Limitations” to a Creative Advantage

By Chris Wood, Approved GCA Photography Judge

The French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas incisively observed, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” But when the Impressionists first exhibited their work, their paintings were widely derided because they worked in an unconventional way with paints and brushes—the tools of their art. Now, of course, Impressionism is one of the most revered and popular forms of art. The primary tools of a photographer—a camera, lens, and editing software—typically are used to create a photograph with balanced exposure and a tack-sharp and dominant focal point. Deviation from these photographic “ideals” is often seen as (and often is) technical and artistic failure. But, sometimes, that “problematic” feature we see in a photograph isn’t, in fact, a mistake or something to criticize, but rather is something that distinguishes it and makes it sing. Intentional Overexposure For example, GCA judges often see photographs that are inadvertently over-exposed, in whole or in part, and are rightfully flagged with a comment like “the highlights are blown out” or “the details in the highlights are lost.” We often see this when there is bright light, reflective surfaces, or where there is a broad range of darks and lights. Intentional overexposure can be dramatic. It needs to be clear that was the photographer’s intention and not a mistake. For example, take a look at this photograph by Pamela McGuire

The “Judging Nook” is a new Focus feature written by GCA approved photography judges. It is a judging resource for both judges and exhibitors alike. Schedule writers and division and staging chairs may also find helpful educational nuggets. Topics include: what judges look for when judging a photograph, compositional tips, online educational and other resources, staging and schedule writing tips, etc. 18

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It’s not really the woman, right? It’s more a feeling or a mood—perhaps a memory, a dream, an unsettling sense of loneliness, anticipation, sadness. It succeeds because of what we don’t see and because of its emotional impact. Lack of a Dominant Focal Point Also, consider the question of “focal point.” In a classically composed photograph, it is important to have a discernible focal point that draws the viewer’s eye. But sometimes—especially in abstract, flat lay, or other “creative” photography—there isn’t a clear focal point. And that can be the point. The Abstract Expressionist painters of the 20th century dispensed with the idea of needing any kind of focal point. Think of Mark Rothko’s color blocks, Jackson

(The Little Garden Club of Rye, Zone III). One might say the sky is “blown out,” but it would be a mistake to call it a flaw. The blank white sky lends a striking, almost graphic contrast to the red barn and enhances the mirror reflection. (This photograph graced the cover of Focus magazine back in 2013.) Pushing the edge even more is the photograph to the left by Cig Harvey, a successful contemporary art photographer based in Maine. This photograph violates a number of the “rules.” It is dramatically over-exposed, the focal point is obscured, and the optical flare at the bottom draws the eye away from the subject. And yet this photograph is emotionally evocative. It invites the viewer to ponder the question, “What is the subject here?”

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Above: Hawaiian Seascape © Molly Jones, The Portland GC, Zone XII Left: Untitled © Claire Mellinger, Albemarle GC, Zone VII

Pollock’s paint splatters, and photographer Niko Luoma’s studies of line, color, and form—all lack a traditional focal point. So, too, with this fluid landscape photograph above, a masterfully soft wash of blues and greens that lacks any dominant focal point. The same is true with this exquisite black and white flat lay. The focal point isn’t one thing. Rather, it is the entire composition, the sum of its parts.

Soft Focus, Grain, and Pixelation GCA photography judges also often see images that appear soft, grainy, or pixelated. (“Noise” is the digital equivalent of “grain” in film). These effects are usually the unintentional result of inaccurate focus, camera movement when shooting at slow shutter speeds, shooting at a high ISO, or cropping an image then enlarging again, which results in a visible loss of pixels, hence a grainy/noisy, pixelated appearance. Usually, they are obvious “flaws.” But like overexposure and lack of a dominant focal point, soft focus, large grain, and even pixelation—when

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used intentionally and carefully—can be effective techniques. Sal Taylor Kydd, a photographic artist who spoke at the GCA’s 2021 virtual Photography Conference, often uses subtle graininess, with sepia toning and soft focus, to create a sense of nostalgia in her images. She has made a conscious decision that these are tools to help her, in Degas’ words, “make others see” what she is trying to express. Judges should try to discern the photographer’s intent when evaluating an image that isn’t in focus. Was the use of selective or soft focus deliberate? Did the photographer want to draw the viewer’s eye to a particular part of the composition by keeping that in focus and blurring the rest? Is it a close-up or macro where part of the image will be soft because of the nature of lens used? Did the photographer intentionally choose a wide-open aperture to create a shallow depth of field? Or is the image simply out of focus? Lee Anne White (visit the GCA’s 2022 Virtual Photography Conference

to watch Lee Anne’s presentation), works primarily in monochrome and often uses selective focus when creating her botanical portraits. She is deliberate in what she chooses to focus on and takes her time, sometimes several hours, to discern how best to capture the essence of a particular object. In the photograph to the right, Lee Ann focused on just the seeds closest to the camera and let the others go very soft. Even though so much of the image is soft—or perhaps because of it—the portrait evokes a powerful sense of character—the dancing, softly-lit seed heads have an almost anthropomorphic quality. Jackie Kramer is a fine art floral photographer and instructor who works in color and frequently employs selective focus in her work, either by using a wide-open aperture or by

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employing specialty lenses, such as a tilt shift lens or a Lensbaby®. In the photograph to the left, she focused on a single vertical stem and let the others around it go soft. In focusing on a stem with graceful movement and line, she highlighted the natural beauty and context of her subject without having the background compete for attention. Intentional Camera Movement Lastly, intentional camera movement (ICM) can also be an effective artistic tool. The question a judge needs to ask is, was the effect accidental or deliberate? And if deliberate, does it enhance the photo or detract from it? We most often see motion blur with water features, when the photographer has left the aperture open long enough to blur the waves, waterfall, or river. But it can also be used with living subjects to convey a sense of movement. Denise Ippolito, a noted fine art photographer, specializes in wildlife photography. Her photograph of snow geese in flight in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico gives the viewer a sublime sense of movement and life, even though each and every one bird is a little blurred. Of course, the dramatic sky provides a glorious backdrop for the silhouetted flock. Summing it All Up When you see what initially looks like a flaw in a photograph, take another look and don’t be too quick to judge. In the words of Degas, the photographer may just have made you see a work of art. Above: Untitled © Jackie Kramer from the Spring series Right: Untitled© Denise Ippolito from the Bosque del Apache series

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The Winter 2024 Focus Challenge

T Scherzo di Follia, by Pierre-Louis Pierson (1861-67)

he Winter 2024 Focus Challenge is open to any GCA member who wants to explore composing a photograph with the intentional use of the technical “limitations” of a camera or lens. (Study Chris Woods’ “Judging Nook” article in this issue to learn more). This exercise is focused (wink) on in-camera techniques and not alterations made in post-editing, although editing is permitted if it enhances a camerabased technique. Note also that you are not limited to the examples given in the article. For instance, underexposure or unnatural color (e.g. white balance) can sometimes yield creative results. You are bound only by the limits of your imagination. Just take your time, use in-camera/lens techniques, and make sure it really works creatively. In the next issue of Focus, we will publish several submissions that best exemplify using a technological limitation or “flaw” as a

creative edge. An individual may submit no more than two photographs. To be considered, the digital files must be 2MB-10MB. You must provide the photographer’s name, GCA garden club, and zone. You must also identify the chosen effect (e.g., overexposure, intentional camera movement, selective focus, etc.) Providing technical information, such as type of camera (e.g., DSLR, mirrorless, cell phone), camera settings (e.g., shutter speed, f-stop, ISO, etc.), or other educational information (e.g., time of day, shooting conditions, tripod, multiple exposures, flash, etc.) is encouraged but not required. So, rise to the Focus Challenge! Novices and experienced pros alike are encouraged to participate. Email your photographs to focus@gcamerica.org no later than March 15, 2024. —L.A.F.

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Back Cover Photograph: By Margaret Pierce, The GC of Houston, Zone IX, GCA Photography Creativity Award, Cur-rent, a GCA Flower Show presented by Hortulus, Zone II Educational Note: Created with an iPhone 13. Margaret used a background removal tool and then Picsart, an online editing app with a “dispersion” tool. Subsequently, she made basic edits in Lightroom (e.g., cropping, tweaking color, etc.). —L. Anna Forbes

Front Cover Photograph: Cabbage, by Laura Simpson, Lake Geneva GC, Zone XI Educational Note: Laura created this photograph by intentionally moving her camera during exposure. This technique is referred to as intentional camera movement (ICM). Oftentimes, a slow shutter speed is used. A somewhat similar effect can be achieved by keeping the camera steady (either handheld or on a tripod) and shooting a fast-moving subject at a slower shutter speed. Both techniques result in imagery with motion blur. These techniques require practice to achieve compositional success. —L.A.F.