summer is upon us!

NEGC

August 2026

New England Garden Clubs

Photography Group Newsletter

Polly Brooks

Director, New England Garden Clubs, Inc.

2025-2027

Theme:

"We Grow Gardens & Gardeners"

Here is the link to Northern Exposure, our New England Garden Clubs, Inc. Newsletter.

Musings from Polly's corner of CT:

The Canada Geese return earlier and earlier, perhaps due to the wildfires? No signs of the beavers this morning, although their lodge is significantly larger (on the far side of the pond). The Queen Anne’s lace is early, too. Is it my calendar that’s off, or is July the new August?

However accurate or early your summer is this year, one absolute is that the deadline for the NEGC Fall Photography Competition is fast approaching. August 31^st, folks.

I look forward to seeing the finalists’ photos displayed for sale at Killington, October 13-14.

If you are a member of an NEGC club, you are invited to attend both the October 9 Zoom 10^th New England Garden Clubs Business Meeting, and the in person 10^th New England Garden Clubs Annual Meeting, October 13-14.

Go to https://www.vermontfgcv.com to Register. Same form works for both meetings. Zoom with me for free on the 9^th at 10:00amET (scroll to the bottom of the registration form). Join us at Killington to make new friends (Donna Donnelly, NGC President), to enjoy a surprise presenter, and, if you bring your camera, capture fall foliage!

Polly

Please enter

our

NE Garden Clubs,Inc.

2026 Photography Show:

"Our New England!"

ENTRIES CLOSE AUGUST 31, 2026

This juried photo competition is open to all our NE Garden Club members. Here is the link to download the 2026 show schedule:

Our New England! Photo Show schedule

Here is the entry form where you can upload your images.

The finalists' images will be displayed

at the

NEGC Annual Meeting:

October 13-14, 2026

"Vermont’s Green Mountains: Fostering the Birth of the Republic "

Killington Lodge & Resort, Killington , VT

Here is the link to the r egistration information for the meeting

and the QR code is below!

Hunt's Photo Classes for Summer 2026

New England Garden Clubs Photography Group

is partnering with

Hunt’s Photo Education Dept.

to strengthen our photographic knowledge and experience!

Hunt's is offering the members of the NE Garden Clubs Photo Group online classes at discounted prices.

Thank you Jill Corr for helping me to set up these programs up with Hunt's Education team - Paul Nelson & Emily Hojnowski.

Hunt's August Sessions

Hunt's is offering offering us

discounts on two

Lightroom Classic courses:

"Storing and editing your images can be a big part of photography! The program Adobe Lightroom Classic is an extremely powerful storage and editing tool. While this program is not for everyone, if you're trying to take your photography to the next level, this can help. Hunts is offering us two Lightroom Courses - one on storing and managing our files and the second is a series on editing our images using Lightroom Classic."

1. a $15 discount for

Online Lightroom Classic File Management class August 12th, 7pm ET (Discount code NEGCLRFM)

2. a $20 discount for the multi-session

Online Lightroom Classic Editing class

Tuesdays August 11th, 18th, & 25th, 6:30pm ET

(Discount code NEGCLR).

In addition, Hunt's is offering us a $10 discount to their rerecorded Phoneography class.

Use promo code NEGCPHONE.

Upcoming Photography Shows

The 2026 New England Flower Show - September 18-20, 2026 Sponsored by the MASS HORT SOC. - has a photo division.

Here is the link to the 2026 New England Flower Show's photo division (the schedule, the class list, rules and regs etc.)

Your photo choices should be saved in the specified format in a folder that you can access quickly in preparation for entering.

2026 Sandwich Fair photography schedule

Mark your calendar now for the

2027 Connecticut Flower & Garden Show

February 18-21, 2027

Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford CT

"ART BLOOMS IN CONNECTICUT — Where Creativity, Nature and Artistry Flourish"

More details coming soon!

Vonice Carr, 2027 CT Flower Show Chair.

The Philadelphia Flower Show 2027

March 12 to March 21

at the Philadelphia Convention Center, has an extensive photography division.

It is highly competitive, juried, and attracts entries from across the country and beyond.

Philadelphia Flower Show 2027 Photography Division

From the PHS web site:

"Grab your camera and start capturing the beauty of the season today. Your blue ribbon moment starts now! All entries in the Photography Classes are juried. Full rules will be announced in the 2027 Exhibitor’s Guide.

191- BLOOM STUDY. A still life photograph showcasing an abundant floral design. Color.
192- WEATHER OR NOT. A black and white photograph highlighting weather or atmospheric conditions, emphasizing mood, movement, or environmental impact. Black and White.
193- A PLACE TO PAUSE. A photograph featuring seating within a public garden. Color.
194- GROWING UP. A diptych showing the evolution of seeds. The print has two photographs placed next to each other – one of seed(s) and one of the plant or plants that grows from them. A border surrounding each of the two photographs required in this class. Color.
195- BETWEEN DAY AND NIGHT. A landscape photographed during the blue hour. Color.
196- THE LINES OF TIME. A close-up photograph showing the amazing texture, color, or features of bark. Color.
197- THE POWER OF COLOR. A colorful photograph of plant material transformed into an abstract using creative techniques. Color.
198- BIRD BATH. A photograph of a bird or birds bathing. Color.

to get more information

https://join.phsonline.org/competitive-classes

The New England Garden Clubs Photography Judging Group

For all National Garden Clubs Standard Flower Shows,

a photo judging panel consists of 3 judges:

A professional, National Garden Clubs flower show judge, (master or accredited) and a photo expert.

If you wish to be a NEGC Photography Judge, or are a professional photographer or a photography expert, here is the link to the jotform where we collect your photography experience/information for our files. More information about our photo judging program is below.

Here is the list of the New England Garden Club members

who meet our criteria and are officially NEGC photo judges as of Feb. 2026

Beth Paisner - MA

Doris Van Mullen - VT

Ileene Chernoff - RI

Jill Corr - CT

Mara Sfara - CT

Michele Mensinger - NH

Wendy Yu - CT

Robin Turnbaugh - NH

These Photo EXPERTS/JUDGES are already photography judges, and are approved to serve on our NGC photo judging panels.

Many of these photographers are approved Garden Club of America Photography Judges and others have extensive professional expertise, and/or both! Your state coordinators have their contact information.

Anne Franzen - CT

Evelyn Lorenzen-Bell - CT

Susan Brewer - CT

Jeanette Barrows - CT

Anne Friday - CT

Susan Hight - CT

Ellen Avellino -CT

Patti Spaght - CT

Susan Rotando - CT

Lisa Cuchara - CT

Gail Cyr - RI

Arabella Dane - MA NH WI

Beverly Kazickas - NY NJ MA

Roberta DuBeshter - NY

Helen Glaenzer - MA

Christine Paxhia - MA

Betsy Ridge - MA

Chris Wood - MA

Martha Gangemini - MA

Vicki Saltonstall - MA

Karen Werner - MA

Tori MacMillan - MA VA

Thom Williams - NY

Terry Cook NH ME

Becky Rizzi - VT

NECCC - New England Council of Camera Clubs - update from Susan Mosser, NECCC Steering Committee Chair

www.neccc.org

Enjoy the link to the NECCC's gallery

All members of New England's federated garden clubs are welcome to participate in the NEGC Photography Group. We will showcase the work of our garden club photographers to further the mission and programs of National Garden Clubs.

Our NEGC garden club members will have access to learning about the art and science of photography through our activities and publications.

Our New England Garden Club members will have access to online and in-person workshops with noted photographers, through the Photography Group's membership in NECCC - New England Council of Camera Clubs, a member group of the Photography Society of America PSA.

We will provide photographic educational information to our garden club members; opportunities for dialogue and discussion; image critique and evaluation of members’ images; information about photography exhibiting opportunities; and information about photography judging.

Additional Photography Links - click on the icons below

Enjoy the NGC photography page! We will be adding photographic tips and articles here; hosting a facebook page and a blog featuring discussions about photography

The New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) is a nonprofit umbrella group for 70 camera clubs and photography groups in the New England states (CT, RI, ME, MA, NH, and VT).