By Chris Barber
Contributing Writer

Kennett area photographer Karl Leck is gearing up for the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show, awaiting the event’s showing and judging of the image he has submitted.

His print "Laurel Hill" was accepted by a photography judging panel for this year’s show. He said that he sent two images digitally to the Flower Show in October and was advised by email on Jan. 6 that one was accepted.

There are eight categories of photo subjects to choose from, he said. The subject specification he chose is "a black and white photo of a historical or old cemetery or tombstone.” Each photograph must contain obvious plant material.

“‘Laurel Hill’ uses infrared and fisheye lens to show a cemetery in light and shape beyond human vision,” Leck added. “This is my first year entering photography at the Flower Show. I spent time carefully viewing last year's photography exhibit and noted the high quality and originality of the accepted entries. For my two entries, I chose images that I thought fit the category and were original in concept. Experience has taught me that eye-catching originality is needed to get judges attention. Of course, that method can backfire if the image is out of the judges’ comfort zone.” 

While the dominant theme of show's exhibits is historically flowers and decorative horticulture, the show in recent years has added photography for both adult and youth.

Leck, 80, has been engaged in photography for most of his adult life. He has traveled internationally and earned many awards. He remains a member of many photographic groups and owns a daunting collection of equipment.

Leck’s lifelong absorption with, talent for and excellence in photography have always been with him. He continually keeps up with advances in equipment and techniques that can help create better images.

At the University of Delaware Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, he teaches the Fun Photography workshop of interesting photography techniques. He almost yearly takes photo trips in the United States and abroad.

“My favorite trips were to six summer Olympic Games from 1976 to 2000 where I primarily photographed equestrian sports and also everything else I saw at these wonderful international gatherings,” he said.

He is also a life member of the Delaware Photographic Society and is a willing advisor to amateur photographers.

The Philadelphia Flower Show is one of the most widely known, loved and attended shows in the world. This year, the dates are from Feb. 27 to March 8. Feb. 27 is the member preview day.

The show is held in the Pennsylvania Convention Center and it is easy to access from the western suburbs by SEPTA Regional Rails at the Jefferson Station.

The first flower show, according to its publicity document, was in 1829 when it was held in a Freemason building. That one-day exhibition showcased fruit. The first recorded theme was “Riviera” in 1960. This year’s theme is “Roots.”