Nature nominee

This series of submitted photographs is part of a larger personal project “Seeing Flowers,” inspired by a quote attributed to the American painter Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986): “When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment.” O’Keeffe’s now-iconic abstractions of flowers, painted large and in profusions of color, were her attempts to share these worlds with others. As O’Keeffe would acknowledge, however, and often rued when one of her paintings would be unduly (to her) perceived as “erotic” or “feminist,” it is difficult to make people see a flower as you do, or feel the same emotions elicited by a single flower. Nor necessarily should they. Flowers are as complex as they are varied and a viewer brings much to an encounter with a flower. Presented as O’Keeffe did, though, images that are close-up and stripped of distractions offer a chance to “take a flower in your hand and really look at it.” This chance is what I attempt to offer with my images.

2013 Grand Prix de la Découverte, International Fine Art Photography Competition (www.internationalfineartphoto.org). Jurors:  Anne Biroleau, Didier Brousse, Elizabeth Corden, Jeff Cowen, Jerry Fielder, Julie Grahame, Alexandre Percy, Jan Potts, David Travis, Hiroshi Watanabe, (https://www.internationalfineartphoto.org/2013_jury.htm).
“Landscape/Seascape/Nature” Category: Juror Award of Merit - ‘Camellia’.

2014 Awarded “Darkroom Gallery Master” designation, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452 (http://www.darkroomgallery.com/index.php/masters; https://www.darkroomgallery.com/exhist?uid=3467).

2014 Royal Horticultural Society Photography Competition (https://www.rhs.org.uk/Promotions/rhs-photo-competition). Jurors:  Clive Nichols (http://www.clivenichols.com), Andrew Lawson (http://www.andrewlawson.com).
“Plants” Category:  1st Prize - ‘Grasses in Morning Dew’; Highly Commended - ‘Indian Clock Vine’.
“Abstracts and Details” Category: Commended - ‘Green-spored Parasols’.

2015 International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition 8, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (http.www.igpoty.com). Jurors:  Paul Debois, Gina Fullerlove, Christina Harrison, Andrea Jones, Tony Kirkham, Tyrone McGlinchey Clive Nichols, Sally Palmer, Jaime Plaza, Juliet Roberts, Ray Spence (http://www.igpoty.com/Judges.asp?parent=the%20competition#clive).
“The Beauty of Plants” Category:  Finalist – ‘Muhly Grass’; Commended – ‘Magnolia’ (http://www.igpoty.com/competition08/winners_thebeautyofplants.asp?parent=winners).
“Portfolio” Category (Six themed images):  Finalist – ‘Irises’ (http://www.igpoty.com/competition08/winners_portfolios_fin3.asp).
“Monochrome Project”:  Finalist – ‘Aristolochia’ (http://www.igpoty.com/competition08/winners_PP_Monochrome_Finalist3.asp?parent=winners).
“Macro Art Project”:  Highly Commended – ‘Dahlia’ (http://www.igpoty.com/competition08/winners_PP_Macroart_Com13.asp?parent=winners).
 
2015 Charles Dodgson Black & White Award, The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards. Juror:  Hélène Mogensen de Monléon (http://www.h2m-photography.com).
Finalist – ‘Homeless’ (http://www.galaawardsgallery.com/gallery-b-w.html).

2015 Primary Colors Competition, The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards. Juror:  Nigel Bullers (http://nigelbullers.zenfolio.com). Finalist – ‘Cerveza’
(http://www.galaawardsgallery.com/gallery-primary.html).

2016 International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition 10, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (http.www.igpoty.com). Jurors:  Jürgen Becker, Chris Beardshaw, Clare Foggett, Joanna Fortnam, Christina Harrison, Andrea Jones, Tony Kirkham, Chris Lacey, Tyrone McGlinchey, Clive Nichols, Philip Smith (http://www.igpoty.com/Judges.asp?parent=the%20competitiondarkroom).
“Monochrome Project”:  1st Place – ‘Water Lily’ (http://www.igpoty.com/competition10/winners_PP_Monochrome_First.asp?parent=winners).
“Macro Art Project”:  Highly Commended – ‘Chive Flower’ (http://www.igpoty.com/competition10/winners_PP_Macroart_Com1.asp?parent=winners).

2016 Fine Art Photography Awards 2nd Edition, International Awards Honouring Fine Art Photography (www.finartphotoawards.com). Jurors: Qingjun Huang, Carolyn Guild, Klaus Kampert, Pini Hamou, Rupert Vandervell, Pongsatorn Sukhum, Kilian Schönberger, Peter Kool, Lara Zankoul and GMB Akash (http://fineartphotoawards.com/#contest-description). Nature Category (Amateur): Nominee – ‘Floral Interests’; Nominee – ‘Parasols’; Nominee – ‘Water Lily’ (http://fineartphotoawards.com/winners-gallery/fapa-2015-2016/amateur/nature).

2016 Trees 2016 competition, New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA). Juror: Traer Scott (http://www.traerscott.com). Second Place – ‘Iced Tree’. (http://www.nyc4pa.com/#!trees-2016-1/c24b7).