The Lucie Foundation International Photography Awards

2012 International Photography Awards Announces Winners of the Competition

The 2012 International Photography Awards received nearly 18,000 submissions from 104 countries across the globe. IPA is a sister-effort of the Lucie Foundation, where the top three winners are announced at the annual Lucie Awards gala ceremony. The Foundation's mission is to honor master photographers, to discover new and emerging talent and to promote the appreciation of photography. Since 2003, IPA has had the privilege and opportunity to acknowledge and recognize contemporary photographer's accomplishments in this specialized and highly visible competition. Visit www.photoawards.com.

I'm very excited to announce that I was awarded in the International Photography Awards Competition for the following:

• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Buildings category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Historic category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Interior category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Other category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Deeper Perspective - Deeper Perspective category for the winning entry "Solitude."

You can view my work and the other winners in the gallery here.

I've been working on an ongoing series, photographing abandoned prisons and mental institutes. Below is the five image series "Solitude" and a companion piece that I submitted to the competition.

Solitude emphasizes the quality of being or living alone.  We are born into this world in a state of solitude and we leave it in the same manner.  From a young age, we are taught to stand on our own two feet regardless of the countless interactions we may encounter through our existence.  What path those two feet lead us down depends on a series of choices that we, alone, make. The juxtaposition of our choices should allow us an unveiled view of the outcome; however, the world in which we live is filled with in betweens and blurred boundaries.  Black and white become grey, light and dark become neutral and right and left become moderate.  Regardless, one choice has to be made and each choice will bear a consequence which we must accept.  In the end, aren’t we simply making choices that somehow further our solitude in one way or another?    

Show Season

We're halfway through September and a week away from the official start of fall.  Football (High School, College and NFL) kicked off the last couple of weeks and in Ohio the shift in seasons is evident.  In the art world in west central Ohio and elsewhere, it also happens to be show season.  One of my photo resolutions for 2012 was to put my work on display more than I have before and part of that requires entering shows.  Although my blog posts have been spread out this year, I've been producing a lot of work, it's just that it's all been part of bigger projects that I've not been ready to unveil to everyone yet.  However, for those of you that would like to see some current and past work, here's where you can find me right now:

Gateway Arts Council 1st Biennial Photography Show
216 N. Miami Ave.
Sidney, Ohio 45365
September 10 - September 28
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
http://www.gatewayartscouncil.org/photo.html
Pieces on display:  "Fallen," "Man on the Street" and "Untitled"
*Second Place- Still Life

Piqua Arts Council 20th Annual Art Show
Apple Tree Gallery
405 N. Main Street
Piqua, Ohio 45356
September 14-September 21
Pieces on display:  "Free," "Prohibition," and "Solitude"
*Honorable Mention- Photography

Greenville Art Guild Annual Fall Show
Shawnee Prairie Preserve and Nature Center
4267 St. Rte. 502
Greenville, Ohio 45331
September 29 - October 3
Pieces on display:  "Alone," "Free," and "Solitude"
*Second Place- Professional Photography

2nd Annual Holga Out of the Box International Competition - Juried Show
TCC Photo Gallery
207 N. Center St.
Longview, TX 75601
October 5 - November 30
http://tccphoto.com/gallery/
Pieces on display (web only):  "Stop"

Wassenberg Art Center 35th Annual Photography Exhibit - Juried Show
Wassenberg Art Center
643 S. Washington St.
Van Wert, OH 45891
October 6 - November 2
Pieces on display:  "Alone," "Solitude," "Ed," "Fallen," "Gone by Night" and "The Same, but Different"
*Best in Show (Black and White) and First Place- Nighttime Photography

So, if you're in the mood to look at some great local art, I recommend checking out these great exhibits.  If you're interested in more of my work, head over to my Flickr page.