This month’s Picture This Photo Contest subject is roses. Southern CA garden photojournalist Debra Lee Baldwin, a GGW Regular Contributor, is our judge.
“Roses are the fashion models of the plant world,” Debra says. “Few flowers are so fun and rewarding to photograph.” The photos shown here were taken by Debra in her own garden.
Debra will evaluate your entries according to these criteria:
– The photo shows a lovely rose, a rosebush, a cluster of roses, or a bouquet.
– The subject is enhanced by the way light shines on or through it, and/or casts intriguing shadows.
– Colors are vibrant and details distinct.

You also will impress our judge if you:
– ID the rose (give its cultivar name, such as ‘Perfect Moment’) if possible. Include the name on your blog or website when you post the photo.
– Effectively show a rose bush in a garden setting. This demonstrates skill on your part because overall shots are more challenging than tight shots.
– Get creative. Present your subject in a delightful and surprising way.
– Idealize the subject, as though it were in Eden. Try not to allow anything unsightly, like a marred petal, detract from it.
Some tips for photographing roses:
– Shoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when sunlight is slanted. Circle your subject until it is backlit and glowing.
– To avoid shots with areas that are too light or dark, wait for a cloud to cover the sun or for bright but overcast conditions. Shoot when you notice harsh shadows soften and disappear.
– Avoid using a flash or shooting indoors. Roses tend to look best in natural light.

We have 3 incredible products for the winner, all having to do with container gardening. First, the winner will receive a Campania Amalfi Garland Lightweight Planter in Antique Terra Cotta. Dimensions are 18″W and 15″ H. Anyone who has bought a Campania container knows that they make beautiful and quality products. For more information, click on: Campania International.
Also included in the prize is a 16 quart bag of Organic Mechanics Container Blend Soil. For more information click on: Organic Mechanics Potting Soil.
And finally, to keep tabs on the amount of moisture in a container, Waterstik Indoor Plant Moisture Sensor, is part of the winner’s package. To learn more, click on: waterstik. The winner will receive 3 of them.
To enter:
– You’re welcome to submit up to three photos. Add them to your blog or website, then give us the link to the page in a comment that belongs to this post. Sorry, no emailed entries.
– We must receive your submission no later than midnight EST, June 22.
We don’t doubt you’ll have fun framing the roses in your garden with your camera lens. All of us at GGW are eager to see what you come up with and look forward to sharing it with our readers. For previous subjects and entries, click on Picture This.
The winner will be announced on June 27. Enjoy!








32 responses so far ↓
1 Susie // Jun 5, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Attached is my photo of a Sally Holmes rose. I was walking through the neighborhood & saw this beautiful hedge of Sally Holmes roses. The hedge made me think of my dear friend Patti J who’s favorite rose was Sally Holmes. Patti passed away may 15th, 2007 after a heroic fight with ovarian cancer. Patti was the most naturally kind person I have ever known & this rose makes me think of her.
http://poppyandsage.blogspot.com/2009/05/rose-for-patti-j.html
Susie-
The photo of the Sally Holmes roses is so full of life. I got the sense that the spirit of your friend Patti is dancing about and around one of her favorite roses. Thank you for sharing. Fran
2 donna // Jun 5, 2009 at 10:21 pm
OK, here are some of mine:
http://www.woodka.com/2006/05/08/hot-cocoa/
http://www.woodka.com/2007/04/24/pretty-in-pink/
http://www.woodka.com/2009/01/14/it-is-so-beautiful/
Donna-
I loved the photo of Hot Cocoa….let’s see what our judge has to say!! Good luck. Fran
3 patientgardener // Jun 6, 2009 at 4:21 am
Weirdly I have just done a post here: http://patientgardener.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/june-month-of-roses
Patient Gardener-
Chinatown is beautiful as is the white unnamed one above. Fran
4 evelyn // Jun 6, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I guess I’m pretty stupid, because I can’t find anything on the page that tells me how to send you a photo. Help?
Post your photo on your blog or web page and leave us a link to it in a comment here. More details are under “To enter” in the post above.
5 Meadowwood Garden // Jun 8, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Thank you for this fun contest! Just to prove that there is more to MWG than just vegetables here is our submission. We have enjoyed the other entries and can’t wait to see more!
http://www.meadowwoodgarden.com/yellow-rose/
6 Ellen Spector Platt // Jun 10, 2009 at 4:24 pm
http://www.gardenbytes.com/search/label/roses
The top two images are from the garden I tend on the roof of my condo building in NYC. I call it ‘my’ garden because I do all the work and make all the choices. Both roses are container grown, using only organics. I took the third image in one of New York’s most famous gardens.
7 evelyn // Jun 11, 2009 at 4:33 pm
http://www.allea.com/rose photo contest.htm
The photos are from roses in my garden. There’s also a link to more rose photos, and of course, to the rest of my garden. Enjoy.
8 Layanee // Jun 12, 2009 at 9:49 am
I have a post on roses and the photos with the captions are the ones I wish you to consider for your contest. Why don’t I have more roses? Thanks for the reminder and the joy of roses.
http://ledgeandgardens.typepad.com/
June 12th blog post
9 Dee/reddirtramblings // Jun 12, 2009 at 10:24 am
Hi Everyone, I’m thrilled that you picked roses for the Picture Perfect contest. You know how much I love roses. Here’s my entry: http://reddirtramblings.com/?p=12833. It’s a good thing you limited it to three.~~Dee
10 Nicole // Jun 12, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Hi I am once again thrilled to be able to participate in “Picture This” and I am sure there will be lots of lovely roses to drool over. My post is at
http://caribbeangarden.blogspot.com/2009/06/roses.html
11 J. Neff // Jun 14, 2009 at 7:08 am
Cheers to the very lovely rose photos from everyone =) Thank you all fro sharing!!!
Here’s mine!!
12 Vue Jardin // Jun 14, 2009 at 9:22 am
Hello! I would to share the beauty of Cinderella and Double Knock Out during different phases of their life.
http://vuejardin.blogspot.com/2009/06/cinderella-and-double-knock-out.html
13 Jamie Rex // Jun 15, 2009 at 11:17 am
Great contest idea, I can’t wait to start looking at everyone’s entries! Here’s my entry:
http://ilovemywisconsingarden.blogspot.com/2009/06/rose-photo-contest.html
14 healingmagichands // Jun 15, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I finally got my post done. Thanks for sponsoring these fun contests. Not only do I enjoy the photographic challenges, but I love going to the other entries and visiting them.
http://healingmagichands.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/roses-in-bloom/
15 Andrew Semprebon // Jun 16, 2009 at 7:48 am
Unfortunately, my blog is temporarily down (after unsuccessfully trying to move it to a different provider), but here’s the picture on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/semprebon/3605574838/
16 TexasDeb // Jun 16, 2009 at 9:46 am
I had fun trying to find a way to rise above tricky circumstances to put our best rose forward. The last two photos in the post are my entries into the contest. Thanks!
http://gardenista.blogspot.com/2009/06/to-trellis-perhaps-to-climb.html
17 Leslie // Jun 16, 2009 at 2:42 pm
What fun! I have posted my roses on my blog:
http://dragonflyseye.blogspot.com/2009/06/roses.html
Thanks!!
18 Teresa~Gardening with Soule // Jun 17, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Thanks for making me take a closer look at the beauty that lies in roses. They truly are spectacular flowers. I have posted my entries on my blog http://blog.gardenshoesonline.com
19 carolyngail // Jun 18, 2009 at 4:57 pm
So many beautiful roses; so little time. Thanks for putting the June spotlight on roses.
I’ve posted my entry at http://sweethomeandgardenchicago.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-never-promised-you-rose-garden.html
20 Phillip // Jun 19, 2009 at 11:45 am
My favorite subject – I’m looking forward to seeing all the entries. I have posted 3 photos at http://phillipoliver.blogspot.com/2009/06/gardening-gone-wild-photo-contest.html
21 Randy // Jun 19, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Hi there! I have my photos up and they can be found at this address.
http://jandrgardenblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/gardening-gone-wild-photo-contest.html
22 Heirloom Gardener // Jun 19, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Most of my posts this month are photos of heirloom roses in my garden. I agree that photographing bushes are much harder than tight shots, so here are some of my favorite posts showing both:
1. Excellenz Von Schubert (1909) Polyanthus Rose
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2009/06/excellenz-von-schubert-1909-polyanthus.html
2. Belinda (1936) Hybrid Musk Rose
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2009/06/belinda-1936-hybrid-musk-rose-in-bird.html
3. Thomas Affleck (1998) Rose
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2009/06/thomas-affleck-1998-from-antique-rose.html
4. Tausendschon (1906) Rambler Rose
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2009/06/tausendschon-1906-or-thousand-beauties.html
-Heirloom Gardener
23 Rurality // Jun 20, 2009 at 10:57 am
My sister’s miniature rose:
http://rurality.blogspot.com/2008/06/special-care.html
24 Marsanne Petty // Jun 20, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I have created a post with my mom’s and I roses here: http://creatingcharacter.blogspot.com/2009/06/roses-in-bloom.html.
Good luck to everyone!
25 Mr. McGregor's Daughter // Jun 21, 2009 at 11:55 am
I have only one Rose, but I took three photos of it. http://mcgregorsdaughter.blogspot.com/2009/06/rose-in-three-moods.html
26 Joanne // Jun 21, 2009 at 5:25 pm
What a lovely idea. I only just saw this on another blog and thought I’d have a go although may have missed the deadline. It was fun anyway and I have learnt something about photographing roses. Here is a link into my post.
http://joanne-orangecottages.blogspot.com/2009/06/photo-contest-for-june-roses.html
27 Ilona // Jun 21, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Under the wire… my entry :
http://ilonagarden.blogspot.com/2009/06/ggw-blog-photo-contest-roses.html
28 eliz // Jun 21, 2009 at 9:24 pm
This is fun!
http://martagon.blogspot.com/2009/06/gwi-stylin-roses.html
29 jo // Jun 22, 2009 at 5:20 am
Just have to try this once
My roses are here: JOCO-ROSES
30 Commonweeder // Jun 22, 2009 at 9:35 am
I have over 70 hardy roses, but they are just coming into bloom now – and won’t be in bloom long which is why we have The Annual Rose Viewing the last Sunday in June every year. I finally have enough in bloom to be posing about them and I have three photos on today’s Monday Report http://www.commonweeder.com.
31 abby // Jun 22, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I hope I have understood the midnight as tonight correctly, in which case I am still in time.
My rose post is at http://a2a3.blogspot.com/2009/06/no-raindrops-on-my-roses.html
Thank you.
32 Raji // Jun 23, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I came to know about the contest this morning. Hence the late entry. I thought this is a wonderful event showcasing a lot of roses.
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