Monday, February 28, 2011

Dave Bown Projects - Submissions

Dave Bown Projects announces the 2nd Semiannual Competition with jurors Kashya Hildebrandt, Daneyal Mahmood and Pete Surace

Deadline for submissions is May 30, 2011

For more information about the competition please visit the submission page of Dave Bown Projects

Sunday, February 27, 2011

New York: A Photographer's City

Coming out in March 2011.

New York: A Photographer's City

Edited by Maria Hamburg Kennedy, published by Rizzoli

with works by over 100 photographers from around the world.

More info here


Monday, February 21, 2011

Two Way Lens and Jane Fulton Alt

Two Way Lens proudly presents Jane Fulton Alt.

I am very happy and excited to add another wonderful interview with an outstanding photographer on my project.

Jane Fulton Alt was born in Chicago, studied at the Evanston Art Center, Columbia College and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her extraordinary work has been exhibited widely nationally and internationally.

I am a big fan of Jane's work for a long time. When I asked her if she could imagine being part of Two Way Lens and she agreed almost immediately, I was more than happy and couldn't wait receiving her answers to my questions.

Please visit also Jane's website and see more of her incredible work.

Jane also runs a blog about photography which is a must read for everyone interested in photography.

But now it's time to get over to Two Way Lens and read Jane's interview.

For Truth Of Beauty I am proud to present works from Jane's series Crude Awakening:


Jane Fulton Alt about her series Crude Awakening:

Living on the shores of Lake Michigan, I am acutely aware of the disastrous toll the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has taken on all forms of life, especially as our beaches opened to the 2010 swimming season. This environmental, social and economic catastrophe highlights a much larger problem that has inflicted untold suffering as we exploit the earth's resources worldwide.

We are all responsible for leading lives that create demand for unsustainable energy.
We are also responsible for the solution and we must work together to protect the balance on life.


all images below are from the series Crude Awakening


No Life Guard on Duty


Keith, Laura and Olivia


George


Dawn and Everett


Slanek, Alina, Oscar and Oliver


Life Guards


Ben


Andrea, Taylor and George


Jordan and Jean


Marissa

© copyright all images Jane Fulton Alt

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Website Update

I updated my website with an editorial section and added an assignment for a campaign for language tests.

The newest additions are a selection of the photos for the campaign and portraits of the people who got photographed. Everyone who is in the campaign received an archival print of his or her portrait.

Please visit my website an see the additions here, here and here.





© copyright all images Michael Werner

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Making People Happy Part 2


Here are more portraits I did in addition to the work on the project "telc to me"













© copyright all images Michael Werner

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Making People Happy

Today I went to the class of the adult education college were I took about three weeks ago photos of students for an assignment for language tests. I took photos of 64 different people for a poster. Everyone received a portrait of him or herself as a present for the contribution.

So, today I handed the portraits out and the students were all so happy and excited to see their photos. One girl touched my heart very deeply. When I took the photos she wasn't sure if she wanted to get photographed, she ran out of the room because she was so self-conscious and totally shy. I told her, come back and try it. So she came, but ran again away. Finally I got her to take the photos of her and still after the shoot she though she is so unattractive and nothing worth.

So I decided to develop her photos first and was totally happy about the results. She is a real beauty and has a natural talent for being in front of the camera. I gave her portraits to the teacher who handed them out to her.

But back to the start, when I left the classroom today and was about to shut the door, she ran behind me, shut the door and looked into my eyes and said THANK YOU, with such a beautiful and grateful expression on her face. I told her how beautiful she is and that she should look at her photos and always remember that she is something special and a real beauty.

This girl touched my heart so deeply and when I think of this situation I am still moved and could cry.

I don't know for sure if it did, at least it seemed so, but a simple photo can change someones life and when this happens, this is the most beautiful thing you can imagine, much better than a solo show at a prestigious art gallery.

The photos below are from the project, and this is the girl I talked about.











© copyright all images Michael Werner