About The Awards

These awards were established in 1969 by Mildred Schlumpf to honor the memory of her late husband, an excellent photographer and a daylily enthusiast. In establishing the two awards, Mrs. Schlumpf wished to stimulate interest in good photography and to build up the AHS Slide Library and Digital Image Library. The awards were renamed the Mildred Schlumpf Awards by action of the Board after Mrs. Schlumpf died. The winning photographers will receive certificates.
  • One award will be given to the individual who submits the winning landscape digital image or slide. The other will go to the person who enters the winning digital image or slide of an individual daylily bloom.
  • In landscape digital images, photos or slides, no more than one person may be included in the scene. In digital images, photos or slides of equal value, in the opinion of the judges, those not including people will be given preference. The digital image or slide will feature predominantly daylilies.
  • In individual bloom digital images, photos or slides, the background will be natural if at all possible. (A digital image or slide made of a bloom at a show would be a necessary exception.) Flower color and form must be true to cultivar. Preference will be give to images with only a single bloom.
  • From a technical viewpoint, all digital images, photos or slides must be in focus and must not give evidence of computer manipulation or unnatural or contrived devices such as excessive filtering, or physical props (coins, human hands, etc.)
  • Original digital images, photos or slides are preferred, but good copies will be accepted. Digital images, photos or slides shall be ineligible if they too closely resemble others that have been submitted previously by the entrant. Each digital image or slide will be submitted with the name of the daylily, its hybridizer, and date of registration.
This award was established in 2010 by the AHS Board to stimulate interest in excellent photography and to help build the AHS Digital photo library. This award will be presented for the first time at the 2011 AHS Convention. The following rules are specific to this award:
  • The winning photographer will receive a certificate. The winning image will be used in both the Daylily Journal and on the AHS website.
  • Images of two blooms (minimum) up to an entire clump shot are allowed in this category. Flower color and form must be true to cultivar.
  • Backgrounds and surroundings should be natural if possible. Photographers should make an effort to avoid any background distractions that detract from the beauty of the blooms.
  • Entrants must submit cultivar name, hybridizer and year of registration with each entry. Only registered cultivars are allowed.
  • Minor photo editing (such as cropping and minor color and light correction) are allowed, but photographers are cautioned to avoid over-correction and enhancement of images.
  • Winning images will be selected by the Judges’ panel on the basis of photographic quality including light and color accuracy, focus, composition, visual appeal and originality.
This award was established in 2010 by the AHS Board to stimulate interest in excellent photography and to help build the AHS Digital photo library. This award was presented for the first time at the 2011 AHS Convention. The following rules are specific to this award:
  • The winning photographer will receive a certificate. The winning image will be shown in both the Daylily Journal and on the AHS website.
  • Although any submitted images in this category should include all or part of a daylily bloom , this category may include, but is not limited to: images of bloom segments or parts of a bloom, profile shots of a bloom or blooms, garden art, garden critters and images taken around the garden.
  • It is strongly recommended that images of people be excluded, as the AHS wishes to avoid the necessity of securing permission forms and other liability issues.
  • Any images using partial or profile blooms should include the cultivar name, hybridizer name and year of registration.
  • Garden images should include the names of the garden and garden owner.
  • Minor photo editing (such as cropping and minor color and light correction) are allowed, but photographers are cautioned to avoid over-manipulation and enhancement of images.
  • Winning images will be selected by the judges’ panel on the basis of photographic quality including light and color accuracy, focus, composition, visual appeal and originality.
An AHS Youth Photography Awards were established in 2010 by the AHS Board to stimulate Youth participation and interest in daylily photography. This award, jointly sponsored by AHS Region 3 and the Dublin (GA) Hemerocallis Society, Inc., will be presented for the first time at the 2011 AHS Convention and will continue for ensuing years. This award is broken into two divisions by age. The following rules are specific to this award:
  • Youth members may submit entries in the appropriate age divisions.
    • Beginner Division – open to AHS Youth members who are at least five years old and under thirteen years of age by the Nov. 1 contest deadline.
    • Intermediate Division – open to AHS Youth members who are at least thirteen years old and under eighteen years of age by the Nov. 1 contest deadline.
  • The winning photographer in each division will receive a $50 cash award. The winning image in each division will be used in both the Daylily Journal and on the AHS website.
  • Each entrant may submit a total of ten entries selected from any of the following categories: single bloom, multi-bloom, landscape or artistic garden images.
  • Backgrounds and surroundings should be natural if possible. Photographers should make an effort to avoid any background distractions that detract from the beauty of the blooms.
  • Entrants must submit cultivar name, hybridizer and year of registration with each entry in the single or multi bloom category. Only registered cultivars are allowed. On landscape images, garden names should be included.
  • Minor photo editing (such as cropping and minor color and light correction) are allowed, but photographers are cautioned to avoid over-correction and enhancement of images.
  • Winning images will be selected by the Judges’ panel on the basis of photographic quality including light and color accuracy, focus, composition, visual appeal and originality.
  • Copyright consent forms are required from all entrants. Parents or guardians must sign the copyright release forms for minor children/ dependents.
AHS Region 14 established this award, named in honor of Region 14 hybridizer Sarah Sikes, in 1979. The award, a pewter bowl, is furnished each year by AHS Region 14. The following rules are specific to the award:
  • The award is presented for the best entry of digital images, photos or slides in a sequence of events that gives information relating to daylilies.
  • A sequence may be as few as two digital images or slides and a maximum of twenty digital images, photos or slides.
  • All digital images, photos or slides must be in focus. Original digital images, photos or slides are preferred, but good copies will be accepted.