Morning Eye Candy: No Yolk
Posted in Photography on March 24 2013, by Ann Rafalko
If you look close enough, the orchids in The Orchid Show begin to look like modern art.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Ann Rafalko
Morning Eye Candy: Root of The Matter
Posted in Photography on March 23 2013, by Ann Rafalko
So, the root of the matter is this: It somehow is still not spring outside. Never fear! The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a tropical paradise right now. It’s spring inside!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Morning Eye Candy: Late March
Posted in Photography on March 20 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Spring was coming but hadn’t arrived yet.
I walked on the edge of the park.
The wind whispered a secret to the trees,
which held their breath
and scarcely moved.
On the other side of the street,
the skyscrapers stood on tiptoe.
Late March ~ Edward Hirsch
Spring Fun For the Whole Family!
Posted in Around the Garden on March 19 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Despite today’s unfortunate weather, spring truly is right around the corner. Tomorrow in fact! And there is evidence all around. Just this morning I saw a robin–slightly disgruntled and a little damp, but a robin nonetheless–strolling around on Tulip Tree Allée.
Snowdrops, crocuses, tiny netted irises, hellebores, fragrant viburnum, and apricot blossoms (an early harbinger of cherry blossoms) are popping up all over in the Home Gardening Center, Seasonal Border, Azalea Garden, and along the Ladies’ Border. In the Thain Family Forest there has been a subtle change of tint to the trees brought about by nascent leaf and flower buds.
In the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, the cozy Discovery Center is home to the serious family fun of Little Landscapes. Little Landscapes allows children of all ages to explore the tiny world of terrariums with hands-on activities that includes making your own little terrarium to take home! If you would like to indulge in a more substantial bout of terrarium-making, MasterCard cardholders are invited to participate in an exclusive Priceless event where your child can create an adventure- or fantasy-themed terrarium to take home.
TPPC: The Winners!
Posted in Photography on March 12 2013, by Ann Rafalko
The Tropical Paradise Photography Contest is officially over, which means we have our winners! It’s been a challenging competition not only for the participating photographers, but for the NYBG judges as well–selecting six weeks of winners from such a broad field of top-notch efforts has certainly kept us on our toes. But the moment everyone’s been so anxious for is finally here. So, without further ado, I give you…
Sense of Place Winner: “#tropicalparadise” by Enrie M.
Macro Winner: “Burst” by Flower Photo Fanatic
Head below to meet our runners up!
TPPC: Week Six Winners!
Posted in Photography on March 5 2013, by Ann Rafalko
And that’s a wrap folks! The contest is over. The judging is (almost) done. Next week we pick the grand prize winners of the Tropical Paradise Photography Contest!
There will be two winners, one in each category: Sense of Place and Macro. Each person will win a seat in the photography class of their choice offered by the Garden’s Adult Education department.
So, without further commentary, let’s meet our final group of winners!
TPPC: Week Five Winners!
Posted in Photography on February 27 2013, by Ann Rafalko
What a week! Sorry for the delay in posting this week’s winners of the Tropical Paradise Photography Contest. Between Orchid Show preparations, some exciting site-wide design updates, and more, we have been so busy, it took us a few days to gather around and judge this week’s entrants. Apologies.
There is one big thing we have noticed in judging this year’s entrants: it has been hard for us to choose a favorite when it comes to sifting through a group of similar images. We know it can be really hard to pick just one from a series of gorgeous shots, but in order to increase your chances of winning, we suggest that when entering future contests (both NYBG and others) you do try. There were several instances where an image could have won, but didn’t because each of the judges liked a different version. We have never asked you to limit the number of photos you enter into this contest, but restraint can be a big part of art. Just a thought.
Since Tropical Paradise is now closed, only photos taken before the end of the show will be accepted into this week’s contest. So feel free to keep entering! Entering is easy–simply upload your pictures to Flickr (please limit it to your very best photographs taken inside the Conservatory during Tropical Paradise), add them to our Group Pool, tag them with #tropicalparadise, and then sit back and hope we pick your pix! And don’t think that just because you’re snapping with an iPhone, you can’t take part–all skill and equipment levels are welcome to participate.
Onto the winners!
TPPC: Week Four Winners!
Posted in Photography on February 20 2013, by Ann Rafalko
The photographs in the Tropical Paradise Photography Contest keep getting more beautiful and the judging process keeps getting more difficult.
Thank you to everyone who tried their hand at shooting some Sense of Place photographs! This category was really tough to judge this week, as there were so many beautiful, imaginative shots. Keep up the great work! We love seeing the Conservatory in new ways.
Think you can do better? Then let’s see it! Entering is easy–simply upload your pictures to Flickr (please limit it to your very best photographs taken inside the Conservatory during Tropical Paradise), add them to our Group Pool, tag them with #tropicalparadise, and then sit back and hope we pick your pix! And don’t think that just because you’re snapping with an iPhone, you can’t take part–all skill and equipment levels are welcome to participate.
Alright, let’s get inspired by this week’s crop of tropical beauty!
TPPC: Week Three Winners!
Posted in Photography on February 12 2013, by Ann Rafalko
As you may have noticed, our announcement of this week’s Tropical Paradise Photography Contest winners is quite late. Why? Because of the overwhelming number of entries, and the lopsided nature of such. So, I’m going to make an appeal: if you are coming to the Conservatory with an express interest in entering this contest, please, try your hand at taking some “Sense of Place” shots! Not only will you help us in our judging, but you will exponentially enhance your chances of winning one of our prizes! How so? This week there were 120 photographs entered into the “Macro” category, and just 17 “Sense of Place.” How do you like them chances?
I know that “Sense of Place” shots can be difficult, but with a little creativity they can be really great. Some thoughts: Get down low. Get up high (there are some cool staircases throughout the Conservatory galleries). Think about lighting. Look up! Look down! Explore. The Aquatic Plants gallery is really popular for this category, but all of the houses make really great subjects. Experiment! Try new things! That’s part of the fun of this contest. And if you need some help, check out the great videos we did with professional photographer Rich Pomerantz at the bottom of this page.
And don’t forget, it’s easy to enter. Simply upload your pictures to Flickr (please limit them to photographs taken inside the Conservatory during Tropical Paradise), add them to our Group Pool, tag them with #tropicalparadise, and then sit back and hope we pick your pix! And don’t think that just because you’re snapping with an iPhone, you can’t take part–all skill and equipment levels are welcome to participate.
Okay, lecture over! Let’s get on to the winners!
TPPC: Week Two Winners!
Posted in Photography on February 4 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Another week, another set of Tropical Paradise Photography Contest winners!
This week saw an increase in the number of entrants, which means the competition is really heating up! And don’t forget, you can enter as many times as you want. So escape the onslaught this week’s Alberta Clippers and bask in the warmth of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory (it’s a great way to exercise your Membership, no?).
Curious as to how to enter? Simply upload your pictures to Flickr (please limit them to photographs taken inside the Conservatory during Tropical Paradise), add them to our Group Pool, tag them with #tropicalparadise, and then sit back and hope we pick your pix! And don’t think that just because you’re snapping with an iPhone, you can’t take part–all skill and equipment levels are welcome to participate.
Now … Onto the winners!