Local camera club holds a house plant photo shoot in the greenhouse at Studley Flower Gardens and the images are PLANTastic!
Studley Flower Gardens has been serving the greater seacoast area of New Hampshire with florist, garden center and landscaping services for more than 90 years, but did you know our greenhouse also offers house plants? We grow, nurture, sell and ship hundreds of varieties worldwide and year-round. Plant enthusiasts can shop in-store for carry-out or browse and purchase plants online to have them shipped direct from our greenhouse right to their door.
Studley’s Philosophy – Keep It Local
When we recently wanted some new photographs of our inventory, we decided to have some fun and keep things local. We reached out to Rochester’s own Tanya Lee Hervey, Board Director of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of the New Hampshire Professional Photographers Association and Vice President of the Greater Rochester Camera Club. We have collaborated with Tanya on projects in the past and we knew her industry affiliations were just the kind of connections we were looking for.
Through Tanya, we came up with a plan to extend an invitation for Greater Rochester Camera Club members to participate in a photo shoot contest here at the greenhouse. The objective was to create an opportunity to work together as community professionals that would allow Club members to practice or hone their photography skills and build the Studley’s house plant image library.
The Photographers’ Challenge
Club members were allowed 30 days to visit the greenhouse and shoot plant or product photos for four different subject categories including: environmental perspective with plants in their greenhouse or shipping setting, lifestyle shots with plants in a home setting and micro views where close-up images showcase plant patterns and texture. Over the course of several weeks, budding and established photographers alike visited and even took home plants to photograph for contest submissions. All of the photo submissions were then published to an album on Studley’s Facebook page where social followers and the general public were asked to vote for their favorites. The photo with the most Likes/Love engagement would win a cash prize from Studley’s.
Each photo submission was a personal, unique and beautiful presentation of the product that will be used in advertising and promotion of Studley’s House plant offerings to consumers. The exchange also offered exposure to the work of local photographers and the Greater Rochester Camera Club mission.
Contest Results
For the staff at Studley’s we were pleased with the decision to leverage social media to be the contest judge, because choosing a favorite would have been impossible! While we did not have “runner-up” divisions, here are three of the images that stood out among our followers and gained some of the top engagement at the time votes were counted:
With 38 votes, this lifestyle shot by Kendall Chance Photography features our Marble Peperomia house plant in a home or office setting. This image showcases the thick, succulent oval leaves that Oval Leaf Peperomia has and the yellow container plays nicely off the splotched irregular, creamy white variegation of the foliage. This image will be used in Studley’s advertising to help consumers envision the product in their own lives.
Earning 36 votes, this micro submission of Ficus Sylvie and Ficus Elastica, also by Kendall Chance will be used in online advertising to demonstrate not only the gorgeous color and texture of these plants, but also the breadth and health of our greenhouse environment.
Next in line with 32 votes was another micro submission of our Grower’s Choice Cactus by Benji K Photography. This cacti photo will be used to promote the quality and mysterious fun of this product where upon selection, the buyer is sent our choice of a cool cactus plant. Round and bulby, tall and straight, spiky, spiny or hairy – we’ve got them all and you never know which one will arrive, but we guarantee it will make you happy!
The photo earning the most engagement turned out to be another from Kendall Chance Photography and that of a single rose. We were not surprised when our followers gravitated toward this image, since the rose is signature to Studley’s – it is literally an element of our logo! You all voted and we announced and congratulated Kendall as our contest winner on March 16th.
Other Entries
Thank You
All of us at Studley’s would like to thank the Greater Rochester Camera Club for coordinating with us and all of the following participating members for their submissions: Benji K Photography, Hodge Podge NE Photography, Jen Nienhouse Photography, Journey Barefoot Photography, Kendall Chance Photography, Lisa Shurtleff, Monique Boudreau, Raymond Lefebvre, Sharon Brewster Photography, Steve Brewster Photography, Thomas Sorensen
It was great to collaborate with our local community to serve our individual goals. We wish the photographers wish much happiness and success in your hobby or career endeavors and hope to work with you again someday in another joint venture!
About Kendall Chance
Kendall Chance is a freelance photographer from Farmington, NH with a small photography business based in Rochester, NH specializing in portraits and landscapes. The passion for photography found her when she was 15 years old when she received her first camera for Christmas, and since then she has barely put it down. Kendall is currently a high school senior and member of the Greater Rochester Camera Club. This coming September, she will begin studying at the New York Institute of Photography to earn her certification in professional photography and a certification in business for photographers. For more information visit kendallchancephotography.com.
About The Greater Rochester Camera Club
The Greater Rochester Camera Club was formed to provide photography enthusiasts, spanning all skill levels, a place to learn and grow together. This goal is fostered in an open learning environment at group meetings and outings with a focus on continued improvement for all members. Membership runs May 1 – April 30 each year and regular meetings are held at Rochester Performance and Arts Center at 32 N Main St in Rochester, NH. For more information visit greater-rochester-camera-club.com.