Portraits of a Garden

The Tulsa Garden Center holds its annual Amateur Photography Contest and Exhibition this month.

To Tulsa area amateur ­photographers of all ages: Tulsa Garden Center offers you the opportunity to exhibit your ­photographic art during the Portraits of a Garden Amateur Photography Contest and Exhibition held at Tulsa Garden Center. Exhibition days will be January 18-20 and January 22-26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.).

    Photographers’ entries may be submitted at Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 S. Peoria Ave., Wednesday through Saturday, January 2-5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday, January 8-12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    How often have you seen something in nature and thought, “That would make a great picture!”? With cell phones, everyone has a camera in their pocket, and there’s no excuse for not capturing those great shots and sharing them. The Tulsa Garden Center is offering the ideal venue for ­sharing your great pictures with its Portraits of a Garden 2013. Join over a hundred like-minded and talented amateur ­photographers in sharing ­pictures of some of the great ­gardens and nature for which Northeastern Oklahoma is famous.

    Entry Categories are: Creatures in a Garden; Digitally Manipulated Garden Photos; Gardens in Woodward Park; General Garden Photos; Linnaeus Teaching Garden; Seasons in the Garden; Single Flower in a Garden; and Water Features. There are three ­divisions in which photographers are classified: Beginners, Intermediate and Masters. Children and youth may enter either the Beginners or the Intermediate Divisions, unless they’ve qualified for the Masters Division. Masters can only ­compete in the Masters Division. Masters are defined as ­individuals who have previously won three or more first-place awards in a Tulsa Garden Center Portraits of a Garden Photography Contest.

    The contest is open to ­amateur photographers only; no professional photographers may enter the contest. Professionals are defined as photographers who have a business license and market their work and/or solicit business. Photographers who only sell an occasional image or print are not considered ­professionals.

    All entries must present a garden theme. Prints may be ­color or black and white. All prints must be matted with black or white two- or three- inch mattes; no frames. Print size: minimum size is 5” x 7” matted with an 8” x 10” matte, or 8” x 10” matted with an 11” x 14” matte. There is a ­maximum of three submissions per division per entrant. Entry fee is $5 per entry or three for $10. Entrant grants Tulsa Garden Center permission to use image(s) for publicity and fundraising purposes. Entrants should indicate top of ­submission for placement ­purposes. All entries should have a signed application form (available at Tulsa Garden Center or online at ­www.tulsagardencenter.com) attached to each entry. Entries must be claimed January 29–February 2 or February 5–9 during regular business hours (Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.). All entries not claimed before February 10 become the property of Tulsa Garden Center.

    Cash awards will go to 1st place winners in Beginners and Intermediate Divisions. There will be 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honorable Mention ribbons awarded in each division, and ribbons will also be awarded for Best in Show and People’s Choice.

    Join us at Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 South Peoria Ave., for this exciting and colorful exhibition. For more ­information, call (918) 746-5125 or visit our website at ­www.tulsagardencenter.com. Entry applications may be found at www.tulsagardencenter.com.