FAMILY ELDERCARE PHOTO CONTEST: Celebrating Older Americans

Photograph (c) Michael O'Brien

Photograph (c) Henry Horenstein

Photograph (c) Robb Kendrick

Who We Are

Family Eldercare is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a continuum of professional services to seniors, caregivers and adults with disabilities in Central Texas. Family Eldercare’s mission is to help people live with dignity and independence in their own homes and community for as long as possible. To celebrate Family Eldercare’s 30th Anniversary and raise awareness of the changing and growing needs of older adults in Central Texas, Family Eldercare is sponsoring this Professional Photography Contest.

A Call For Entries

This contest is open to all photographers, and all forms of photographic expression are welcome. The contest will culminate in an exhibition and all winning selections will be included in an exhibition catalog. Photographers are encouraged to submit any image of an older adult, alone or with others, and in all stages of life. The judges will be especially interested in photographs that highlight the focus of Family Eldercare – images depicting the challenges facing older adults as well as images celebrating older adults leading dignified, independent and engaged lives.

The Judges
Mary Virginia Swanson, Michael O’Brien
Leslie Baldwin, Robb Kendrick

The Awards

From all the entries submitted, the judges will first choose up to 30 Judges Selection Images to be Printed and Framed (at no cost to the winners) and displayed at the Family Eldercare Exhibition to open in September, 2012. The Judges Selection Images will all be featured in an Exhibition Catalog. From among those images, Judges will award: First Prize: $400 cash award, plus the winning image on cover of the Exhibition Catalog. Second Prize: $300 cash award. Third Prize: $200 cash award. Honorable Mention (2): $100 cash award. Best Submission from applicants 18 years of age and younger: $100 cash award. The contest submission closes on June 23, 2012.

To register & submit photographs, please go to:
Family ElderCare Photo Contest

Thanks to Jace Graf at Cloverleaf Studio and Sean Perry for alerting me to this rewarding organization and Photography Contest!

HAPPY NEW YEAR: From Around The World!!!

Paris in December, Eiffel Tower, 2011

Photograph © Beth Lauren

Bon Noel from Paris

Photograph © Deborah Luster

Happy New Year!!! On the Spanish Steps, Rome, 2011
Photograph © Tod Papageorge

Merry, Merry!!! Santa in Venice, California, 2011
Photograph © Tod Papageorge

Christmas Day. Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, New Delhi, 2011
Photograph © Nicholas Vreeland

Christmas Morning, 2011. First Light over the Rincon Mountains, Tucson
Photograph © Mary Virginia Swanson

A Holiday Season filled with Love & Light from Griffin Editions

Photograph © Charles Griffin, 2011

Happy Dreams For The Future
Deer Carved by Tokushige, Heart Mountain, Wyoming, 2011
Photograph ©Hiroshi Watanabe

Best wishes to friends near and far,
and hope that your holiday season is filled with joy!

DARIUS HIMES 2011: Publish Your Photography Book + Radius Books

Publish Your Photography Book
By Darius D. Himes and Mary Virginia Swanson
Princeton Architectural Press, 2011

DARIUS HIMES
Assistant Director of Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
Co-founder of Radius Books

"I have been lucky enough to work with things I'm passionate about, two of the deepest of which are photography and books. This past year has been extremely challenging, rewarding and life-changing in many ways, and it is primarily because of these passions. All of the books that I want to mention are ones that I worked on intimately during the past year. They truly are my favorites! I've been blessed with being able to work on projects and with artists whose work I admire immensely and about whom I care deeply. First and foremost was Publish Your Photography Book (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011), the book I coauthored with Mary Virginia Swanson, the hardest working gal in showbiz :) This project consumed my free hours for the better part of 4 years and was the culmination of so many wonderful conversations with photographers, publishers, editors and designers around the world. I'm immensely proud of it as a publication. And it was designed and art directed by two amazing men: David Chickey and Masumi Shibata (from the Radius Books team)."

dariushimes.com | mvswanson.com

"Secondly, each of the photography books I worked on at Radius Books this year were truly amazing projects. I can't emphasize how lucky I have been to work with artists whose visions lift the mind and spirit and who are so dedicated to their work. They include Janelle Lynch's Los Jardines de Mexico, Gay Block's About Love, Shai Kremer's Fallen Empires, Michael Light's LA Day/LA Night, Robert Benjamin's Notes From a Quiet Life, Colleen Plumb's Animals Are Outside Today, Alec Soth and John Gossage's The Auckland Project, Mark Klett and William Fox's The Half-Life of History, and Ralph Eugene Meatyard's Dolls and Masks. There is no way to choose a favorite out of these; all of them are unique, arresting projects and objects that would sit well on any shelf, public or private." –Darius Himes

radiusbooks.org

Janelle Lynch's Los Jardines de Mexico

from Janelle Lynch's Los Jardines de Mexico

Gay Block's About Love

Photograph © Gay Block

Shai Kremer's Fallen Empires

Michael Light's LA Day/LA Night

Robert Benjamin's Notes From a Quiet Life

Colleen Plumb's Animals Are Outside Today

Alec Soth and John Gossage's The Auckland Project

Mark Klett and William Fox's The Half-Life of History:
The Atomic Bomb and Wendover Air Base

Ralph Eugene Meatyard's Dolls and Masks

radiusbooks.org

PUBLISH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK: With Darius D. Himes and Mary Virginia Swanson

Click To Watch This Video

Industry insiders Darius D. Himes and Mary Virginia Swanson demystify the process of producing and publishing a book of photographs. They provide an overview of the publishing industry; a look at the process of making a book; how to market a photo book; case studiesbuilt around discussions and interviews with published photographers; and present resources towards understanding the publishing world. Their forthcoming title Publish Your Photography Book also includes further interviews from industry professionals (artists, publishers, designers, packagers, editors, and other industry experts) who share their own publishing experiences. A must-see for anyone considering publishing their photography book.

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About mid-way into their video presentation, Swanson and Himes incorporate examples of the various states of my design process for photographer Jessica Hines photography book, My Brother's War. In order to demonstrate the evolution of the book 's design, they present examples - such as the positioning and sizing of the book's title, image choice and positioning of the art for the book cover, chapter headings and various font options - that I sent to Hines for her consideration before we settled on the final "look" for the book. At the time Jessica and I began to work on her project, we had never met and we live in different states. In the beginning, we communicated by phone and then I sent her jpegs and pdf's of the layouts by email. A perfect example that you can design and produce your book from anywhere, as Swanson and Himes mention in their lecture.

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Mary Virginia Swanson, is a consultant in licensing and marketing of fine-art photography. She also lectures, conducts workshops and educational programs for photographers. Follow her blog, Marketing Photos, a valued resource for photographers. Darius D. Himes, cofounder of Radius Books, is also a lecturer, consultant, and writer. Organized by Arezoo Moseni, Artist Career Development Series. And thank you New York Public Library.

MANJARI SHARMA: Show & Tell

from The Shower Series
Photograph (c) Manjari Sharma/All Rights Reserved

from The Shower Series
Photograph (c) Manjari Sharma/All Rights Reserved

from The Shower Series
Photograph (c) Manjari Sharma/All Rights Reserved

from The Shower Series
Photograph (c) Manjari Sharma/All Rights Reserved

from The Water Series
Photograph (c) Manjari Sharma/All Rights Reserved

"For the last few months I have been inviting people to visit my apartment and allow me to photograph them in a very intimate space; my bathroom. I have also been inviting them to take a shower as I continue to shoot them. I soon came to the observation that warm water running over my subjects bodies often relieved them of any unnerving awkwardness the camera brought about. Once they were relaxed, the bathroom, formerly a beauty parlour, now became a confessional and I the hair dresser. Many of my subjects shared intimate details of their life with me and every new person in the shower became a brand new allegory."

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I was first introduced to Manjari Sharma by Mary Virginia Swanson, at MVS's inspiring lecture at ASMP/NY last fall. I loved Manjari's "Shower Series" and also the Portfolio, Water and India series on her website. Sharma moved to the U.S. from India in 2001 to attend the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio, then moved back to India to travel and photograph. She then moved to NYC in 2007, where she's been shooting for AOL, Penguin Books, and others, as well as exhibiting her personal work. Manjari has been selected to present her portfolio for the prestigious Review Santa Fe 2010.

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May 18: Show & Tell: Photographers Salon. Manjari Sharma will present "The Shower Series". Dot Editions, 119 8th St, Park Slope Brooklyn 6-9 pm.

May 21-23: San Francisco Fine Art Fair, Richard Levy Gallery, booth #11/12

June 4: Review Santa Fe Portfolio Viewing. An evening open to the public for free to view the work of all 100 photographers selected for Review Santa Fe.

DUMBO GALLERY WALK: Photo District

View of the Empire State Building from DUMBO

Photograph (c) Mary Virginia Swanson /All Rights Reserved

DUMBO is an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. This historic Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood, located just across the East River from Manhattan, is one of New York's leading Arts Districts, AKA the "new" NY Photo District.

DUMBO 1st Thursday Gallery Walk • November 5th • 5:30-8:30 PM. Begin at 111 Front Street's 14 Galleries • View Participating Galleries + Walking Map (click on red titles) • Subway Directions: A/C to High St/Brooklyn Bridge. Cadman Plz West Exit F to York St

Mary Virginia Swanson: Photography Marketing Consultant Website