Selby Gardens’ 46th annual Juried Photographic Exhibition is now on view in a virtual gallery at selby.org and will remain online through Sept. 30.
Featuring nearly 250 photographs captured by talented photographers across Selby Gardens’ two campuses, the exhibition offers a celebration of the beauty, diversity, and wonder of the botanical world. Outstanding images were recognized with awards, including Best in Show by Alma Groome for "Bee Enveloped in a Flower."
This year also marks the introduction of the Richard and Ellen Sandor Photography Prize, a $5,000 award recognizing the most compelling representation of orchids at Selby Gardens.
"We are delighted to establish this annual prize, which celebrates both the artistic possibilities of botanical
photography and the remarkable diversity of orchids that are at the heart of Selby Gardens’ mission," said Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens. "We hope this award will inspire photographers to continue seeing and capturing the natural world with creativity, curiosity, and a fresh perspective.”
The inaugural prize was awarded to Stan Jernigan for "If the Slipper Fits," celebrating an exceptional image that captures the distinctive beauty and allure of these remarkable plants.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the creativity and talent represented by nearly 250 photographs in this year’s exhibition and to congratulate Best in Show winner Alma Groome for her stunning image as well as Stan Jernigan on receiving the inaugural Richard and Ellen Sandor Photography Prize," Rominiecki said. "His photograph successfully demonstrates the power of photography to reveal the extraordinary beauty of orchids in unexpected and compelling ways."
Additional first-place awards:
· Living Art – "Calder’s Nature of Movement in Vibrant Red" by Sandra Alexander
· Make a Splash – "Tranquility Scapes" by Almut Biller
· Plant Portraits – "Beautiful Bell" by Meril Salzburg
· The Birds and the Bees – "Zebra Long Butterfly" by William Mindak
· Black & White – "Fern Shadows" by Nancy Fogg-Johnson
Five additional photos were recognized with honorable mentions, including "When the Garden Held Her Breath" by Lindy DeFord; "Reflections" by Jeannie Comparetto; "Experience" by Beth Trainum; "Fishing the Lily Pads" by James Hall; and "Transparent Grace" by KC (Katherine) Jones.
Selby Gardens received nearly 250 submissions to this year’s exhibition. Entrants could submit up to three individual photos, which had to be taken within the past year at either the Downtown Sarasota campus or Historic Spanish Point campus.
To view the exhibition, which was present in partnership with the Observer Media Group, visitselby.org.
Submitted by Nancy Seijas-Kipnis
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Selby Gardens reveals winners of annual botanical photo show
