Pauline Pearce - Photography Rep After joining Dartford Floral Club I was delighted to discover that NAFAS also included photography competitions in their activities and that I could therefore combine two of my interests. I entered the national competition and was even more delighted to win! Details of the next Area photography competition are below. Do get snapping and send your photographs to me. Contact details: [email protected]
Photography is an integral part of flower arranging, although it may not readily 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 invariably one reaches 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, are photographs. The only way to maintain an historical record of past floral events is by photographing them and keeping them on a disc or in an album. So you see, photography is an important part of our organisation.
Changes in photography have been greater in the last five years than in the previous twenty five, with the advent of digital cameras and camera phones. This means 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.
Have a go at entering your Area Photography Competitions. 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.
2026 Photography Competition Results
Kent Floral Art 2026 Photography Competition Results - for the photos , see below. The photos are in order left to right. A fantastic 202 photographs from 27 competitors were entered into this year’s competition. Janet Susan Kent A.R.P.S. (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society) and member of Bexleyheath Photographic Society, has kindly been our judge again. Judge’s overall comments were: - “This year’s winners showed strong creativity, technical skill and thoughtful interpretation across all five classes. From the vibrant colour and detail of The Joy of Flowers to the atmospheric landscape of A Favourite Place, the striking complementary colours in Opposites on the Colour Wheel, and the timeless tones of Monochrome Moments, the standard was consistently high. The Novice class, Celebrating the Colour Orange, was especially pleasing, showing a confident and cheerful response to the theme with strong use of colour, texture and composition. A big well done to everyone who took part!” The winner of the Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy is again awarded to Margaret Smith from Deal & District Flower Club. Margaret was awarded 1st place in two of the classes and gained the most points overall with 25 … well done Margaret! Well done to everyone who entered. Also, congratulations and well done to the following members who were awarded first prize in the following classes: - 1 : The joy of flowers 1st Margaret Smith Deal & District
2 : A favourite place 1st Margaret Smith Deal & District
3 : Opposites on the Colour Wheel 1st Genista Spencer Sheldwich & Canterbury
Full results and for the judge’s comments on the winning photos.
Class 1 – The joy of flowers 1st Place: Margaret Smith, Deal & District 2nd Place: Margaret Smith, Deal & District 3rd Place: Lisa Clegg, Sheldwich VHC: Lesley Iannidinardo, Sevenoaks HC: Chris Lawrence, Whitstable, Herne Bay & Vanguard C: Genista Spencer – Sheldwich & Canterbury Judge’s comment on winner: - The vivid purple tones, crisp water droplets, and sharp focus on the flower’s centre create a fresh, lively feeling. The soft background helps the bloom stand out wonderfully. Overall, it’s striking and joyful. 🌸
Class 2 – A favourite place 1st Place: Margaret Smith, Deal & District 2nd Place: Genista Spencer, Sheldwich & Canterbury 3rd Place: Helga Cukure, Canterbury VHC: Gillian Broadley, Hythe Flower Club HC: Maria Stavely, Dover C: Chris Lawrence, Whitstable, Herne Bay & Vanguard Judge’s comment on winner: - A calm, atmospheric landscape that beautifully conveys a sense of connection and belonging. The soft light and mist over the mountains create mood and depth, making it feel personal and inviting. It strongly captures the spirit of “A favourite place.”
Class 3 – Opposites on the Colour Wheel 1st Place: Genista Spencer, Sheldwich & Canterbury 2nd Place: Helga Cukure, Canterbury 3rd Place: Maria Stavely, Dover Very Highly Commended: Margaret Smith – Deal & District Highly Commended: Marion Towns – Deal & District Commended: Susan Thompson, Paddock Wood, Sevenoaks Judge’s comment on winner: - Striking use of complementary colours—vivid red against the turquoise background creates immediate impact and perfectly matches the theme. The clean, simple composition and sharp detail keep the focus on colour contrast. It’s a bold and eye-catching image.
Class 4 -Monochrome Moments 1st Place: Genista Spencer, Sheldwich & Canterbury 2nd Place: Margaret Smith, Deal & District 3rd Place: Rene Wallace, Dartford Very Highly Commended: Jenny Nye, Sevenoaks Highly Commended: Helga Cukure, Canterbury Commended: Gillian Broadley, Hythe Judge’s comment on winner: - A strong monochrome architectural study with excellent reflection detail and a pleasing range of tones. The old stonework, clouds, and still water all suit black and white very well, giving the image a timeless feel. Compositionally it is well balanced.
Class 5 – celebrating the colour orange (Novice) 1st Place: Leigh Powis, Frindsbury 2nd Place: Marion Towns, Deal & District 3rd Place: Marian Bowles, Sevenoaks Very Highly Commended: Chris Lawrence, Whitstable, Herne Bay & Vanguard Highly Commended: Yvonne Neville, Hythe Commended: Lesley Iannidinardo – Sevenoaks Judge’s comment on winner: - A bold and cheerful response to the theme, with orange filling the frame and plenty of variety in texture and shape. The flower gives the image a clear focal point, while the fruit and vegetables add interest.
Class 1 – The joy of flowers
Class 2 – A favourite place
Class 3 – Opposites on the Colour Wheel
Class 4 -Monochrome Moments
Class 5 – Celebrating the Colour Orange (Novice)
2025 Photography Competition Results
A fantastic 245 photographs from 24 competitors were entered into this year’s competition. Janet Susan Kent A.R.P.S. (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society) and member of Bexleyheath Photographic Society, has kindly been our judge again and she said; This year’s photography competition was a real treat, with a great mix of creativity and skill across all categories. From colourful blooms in urban spots to detailed close-ups of nature, and stunning light in sunrise, sunset, and nighttime shots – every class had something special. The record shots were clear and well composed, seasonal photos captured the feel of each time of year, and the Blue (Novice) entries showed fresh ideas and lots of promise. A big well done to everyone who took part! The winner of the Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy is awarded to Margaret Smith from Deal & District Flower Club. Margaret was awarded 1st places in 3 of the classes and gained the most points overall … well done Margaret! ... and well done to everyone who entered. Our winners were:- Class 1 : Urban Flowers, 1st Cecilia Sleap Class 2 : Close-up of our natural world, 1st Margaret Smith Class 3 : Sunset, Sunrise or Nighttime, 1st Margaret Smith Class 4 : A Record Shot, 1st Susan Thompson Class 5 : A Favourite Season, 1st Margaret Smith Class 6 : Blue (Novice), Maria Stavely
2024 Photography Competition Results
The winner of the Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy is awarded to Denise Barrett from Sevenoaks who entered this year for the first time. Denise was awarded both 1st and 5th place in Class 2 “Doors or Windows”; 2nd and 4th place in Class 4 – Patterns or Shapes; 4th place in Class 5 – Red, and both 2nd and 4th place in Class 6 – Nature at its Best. Denise gained the most points overall … well done Denise! Well done to everyone who entered. Also, congratulations and well done to the following members who were awarded first prize in the following classes: - Class 1 : I can see for miles… 1st Valerie Pressley, Hartley & District Class 2 : Doors or Windows 1st Denise Barrett, Sevenoaks Class 3 : Monochrome 1st Margaret Smith, Deal & District Class 4 : Patterns or Shapes 1st Susan Thompson, Paddock Wood & Sevenoaks Class 5 : Red 1st Helga Cukure, Canterbury Class 6 : Nature at its Best (Novice) 1st Cecilia Sleap, Romney Marsh
2023 Photography Competition Results
Kent Floral Art 2023 Photography Competition Results for the placed photos please go to the Gallery page under the MORE heading.
A fantastic 255 photographs from 27 competitors were entered into this year’s competition, compared to 194 photographs from 23 competitors in 2022. The talented Janet Susan Kent A.R.P.S. (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society) and member of Bexley Photographic Society, has kindly been our judge again. The Judges overall comment on entries was “A lovely variety of well-produced photographs with some interesting interpretations of the titles. It was a pleasure to judge the competition and all competitors should be proud of their entries.” The Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy is awarded to Margaret Smith who entered this year for the first time. Margaret won 1st prize in Class 4 “Wonderful Foliage” and Class 5 “Reflections”, 2nd in Class 1 and 3rd in Class 3, and gained the most points overall … well done Margaret! Well done to everyone who entered. Also, congratulations and well done to the following members who were awarded first prize in the following classes: - Class 1 : Raindrops on … 1st Sue Speed Ashford Flower Club Class 2 : Beautiful Interiors 1st Claire Edwards Hartley & District Class 3 : Monochrome 1st Susan Shaw Maidstone Flower Club Class 4 : Wonderful Foliage 1st Margaret Smith Deal & District Flower Club Class 5 : Reflections 1st Margaret Smith Deal & District Flower Club Class 6 : 50m from my back door (Novice) 1st Anne Baron Hartley & District See below for the full list of results and the judges comments.
2022 Photography Competition Results
Kent Area of NAFAS 2022 Photography Competition Results for the placed photos plese go to the Gallery page under the MORE heading.
A fantastic 194 photographs from 23 competitors were entered into this year’s competition, compared to 143 photographs from 17 competitors in 2021. The talented Janet Susan Kent A.R.P.S. (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society) and member of Bexley Photographic Society, has kindly been our judge again. Judges overall comment on entries was “An uplifting variety of wellproduced photographs which were a pleasure to judge. All competitors should be proud of their entries.” The winner of the Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy is awarded to Laura Benson who entered this year for the first time. Laura won 1st prize in Class 1 “Kent Landscape or Seascape” and Class 6 “Wish you were here” and gained the most points overall … well done Laura! Well done everyone to everyone who entered. Also, congratulations and well done to the following members who were awarded first prize in the following classes: - 1 : Kent Landscape or Seascape 1st Laura Benson Folkstone Flower Arrangers Club 2 : The joy of spring 1st Peter Moore Shorne Flower Arrangers 3 : Moods of Nature 1st Genista Spencer Sheldwich F A Club 4 : Wildflowers 1st Lisa Clegg Faversham Flower Club 5 : Village Life 1st Georgina Baker Romney Marsh 6 : Wish you were here (Novice) 1st Laura Benson Folkstone Flower Arrangers Club See below for the full list of results and the judges comments.
National Photography Competition 2021
Congratulations to all members of Kent Floral Art who entered the NAFAS National Photography competition. There were 542 entries overall from 83 entrants. Particular congratulations go to Peter Moore of Shorne Flower Arrangers, Pauline Pearce of Dartford Floral Club, and Sue Shaw of Maidstone Flower Club who were all placed. Their photographs are stunning.
Second Place in Class 1 - The Great Outdoors Peter Moore - Shorne Flower Arrangers
Second Place in Class 2 - It's All in the Detail Pauline Pearce - Dartford Floral Club
Third Place in Class 2 - It's All in the Detail Sue Shaw - Maidstone Flower Club
Very Highly Commended in Class 2 - It's All in the Detail Peter Moore - Shorne Flower Arrangers
Area Photography Competition 2021
A fantastic 143 photographs from 17 competitors were entered into this year's competition. This includes entries from 9 novices. The competition was judged by Janet Susan Kent ARPS (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society) and member of the Bexley Photographic Society. Thank you Janet
The competition was remarkably close this year with different competitors winning each class so the overall winner was decided on points. The winner of the Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy has been awarded to Georgina Baker of Romney Marsh - well done Georgina!
All the prize winning photographs are on the gallery page. The class winners are below and all of the entries are in the video which is also below.
Class 1 - "Over the Rainbow" 1st Vicki Hodgkiss - Canterbury
Class 2 - "Wild at Heart" - Sue Shaw - Maidstone and Vanguard
Class 3 - "Lazy River" Jan Wheddon - Paddock Wood
Class 4 - "Contrasting Detail" Lisa Clegg - Faversham
Class 6 "A Favourite Flower" - Sue Speed - Ashford
National Photography Competition 2021
The 2021 NAFAS National Photography Competition Schedule is now available. It's time to dust off your camera, get your thinking cap on, and create that winning entry! Closing date is 31st August 2021. The schedule and application form can be downloaded below
Many congratulations to Sue Shaw of Maidstone and Vanguard for receiving two awards in the National Photography Competition. She received 3rd in the Class "Any old iron" with a picture of Alvin's old Monopoly Board and VHC in the class "Something beginning with A" with a photo of Arches National Park in Utah.
Area Photography Competition 2020
We are all missing our flowery friends during this awful coronavirus pandemic but it seems to have given members time for other things including photography. As a result, a fantastic 147 photographs from 13 competitors were entered into this year’s competition, compared to 77 photographs in 2019. This includes entries from 6 novices – so well done for having a go! The very talented Janet Susan Kent A.R.P.S. (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society) and member of Bexley Photographic Society, has kindly been our judge for the third year in a row.
The winner of the Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy has been awarded to Sue Shaw who won 1st prize in 3 classes; “Rhythm”, “Urban Beauty” and “Little Things Mean a Lot” … well done Sue!
The winning entries for each class are below and the full result sheet can be downloaded below. To see all of the entries in each class visit the gallery on this website
Class 1 Kent - The Garden of England - 1st Place Valerie Pressley Hartfield & Southfleet
Class 2 Rhythm - 1st Place Sue Shaw Maidstone & Vanguard
Class 3 Urban Beauty - 1st Place Sue Shaw Maidstone & Vanguard
Class 4 - Little Things Mean a Lot - 1st Place Sue Shaw Maidstone & Vanguard
We are delighted to report that Pauline Pearce achieved a Highly Commended in the "Radiant Waters" class and Sue Shaw achieved a Commended in the "Glistening Frost" class of the National Photographic Competition. There were 147 entries in Radiant Waters and 100 entries in Glistening Frost so they both did extremely well.
Pauline's incredibly atmospheric photograph
"Radiant Waters"
Sue's detailed photograph "Glistening Frost".
Such skill to capture the detail on the web
Area Photography Competition 2019
Firstly, thank you all for entering and making this year’s competition a big success … the judge Janet Kent said that the entries were all of a high standard!
This was the first year in which all entries were via email mimicking the national competition’s model. The judge reported that this made judging easier and fairer. All photos were given to the judge on a pen drive in class folders and the photographs were numbered which meant that the judge cannot see names or be influenced by the quality of the mounts.
Hopefully many of you managed to visit the stand at the Area Show where the photographs were displayed or enjoyed seeing the video at Members Day. The full results are in the below document but a big congratulations to Valerie Pressley who won the Carolyn Raisbeck Trophy this year after being awarded both the “Edible Treats” and “Upclose” classes.
Also congratulations and well done to the following members who were awarded first prize in the following classes:- 1 : Reflections Susan Shaw Maidstone Flower Club 2 : Sunshine after the rain Annette Lewis Rochester Flower Club 3 : Edible Treats Valerie Pressley Hartley 4 : Colour Burst Mary Biggs Meopham Afternoon 5 : Upclose Valerie Pressley Hartley 6 : Reflections (Novice) Jean Schofield Wateringbury Flower Club The trophy and certificates for 1st places were awarded at the the Area Show