Hundreds of blossoms and creative designs graced the tables at the Clifford and District Horticultural Society’s summer flower show held Aug. 23 at the community centre here.
President Bill Cheeseman highlighted the coming plant sale, bus trip to Bala, and the executive meeting to be held at Greenley’s to discuss hosting the District 7 fall meeting.
Barb Harris reported 17 members entered 144 exhibits and nine youth members entered 76 exhibits. She was pleased with the number of entries from the youth. Their items were judged and ribbons were awarded. Their points will be revealed at the year end celebration when the Youth of the Year will be announced.
Winners in the adult competition were announced and their donated prizes handed out in each section:
– Cut flowers, Ethel Weber won a prize donated by the Ontario Seed Company;
– Gladiolus, tie, Carol Lange won a gift donated by Irene Judge and Janet Huth won a prize from Bambina’s;
– Grasses, Weber won a gift from Paul Judge;
– Roses, Weber won a gift from Frances Newman;
– Potted plants, tie, Ann Bowen won a gift from Blanche Freeman, and Elsie Grummett won a gift from Patti’s Place;
– Fruits and vegetables – Carol Lange won a gift from Georgie and Bruce Hutchison;
– Designs, Lange won a gift from Bonnie Whitehead; and
– Photography, Marion Pfeffer won a gift from Jean Jenssen.
The president’s special was won by: first, Lange; and second Barb Harris.
Irene Judge offered many tips left by the judge regarding water levels, supporting stems, and trimming foliage. She suggested purchasing Publication 35 from Don Matthews to better understand the restrictions and requirements for entries.
Guest speaker Cliff Smith of Mount Forest shared his tried, tested, and true methods of photography with his eye for detail, focus, and interpretation. He outlined the ten key elements to explore to create a memorable photo. Visualize the rule of thirds, but experiment with balance, angles, perspectives, negative space, manual mode, and turning the camera.
Try using a sturdy tripod to achieve a great shot. Placing a piece of bristol board behind the subject keeps your photo from merging into a muddled background. Choose extreme close-ups and shoot a portion of a flower to define its petals. Consider creating a mood, a feeling, not just a photograph.
All of his photos revealed perfectly his visual concept of the guidelines for photography learned in the classroom at the Ontario College of Arts, on the job as a drawer and oil painter, and in everyday life in the real world. His comments offered a glimpse for anyone trying to capture that perfect snap. Simplicity is the essence of good design.
The beauty of nature always gives us balance, all we have to do is look for it.
Featuring his favourite flower, Lady’s slippers, allows his genius to shine. Naming each photo like ‘the waltz of the orchid’ tells a story.
One photo was a classic example of the rules. Bright red apples clinging to frozen snow covered tree branches alert your senses to the possibility of an early winter. The blue sky and blue tinge of the snow adds another dimension and you feel the coolness of the day. Yet the eyes wander to the warmth of the rustic farm house in the background. The photo lets one’s imagination create a whole scenario.
He offers photo classes and invites enrollment for his Newsletter.
Register at cliff@cliffphotographic.com or call 519-939-1660, or stop by his studio on the 18th Saugeen Autumn Leaves Studio Tour the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The meeting in September will feature Clarke Berchard speaking on Myths, Magic, and Folklore of the Forest.
