Well, it was a rugged end of year, but we have now caught up with all of the winners from the giveaways at the end of the year. So…….here we go:

Teach Me Pro– a great collection of teaching DVD’s from Software-Cinema for the more advanced photographer – went to Armando G. of Galveston Texas
Teach Me Easy – a package with Photoshop Elements Lessons at its base was shipped to: Kevin S. of Detroit, Michigan
On the DVD movie front the winners are:
Henri Cartier-Bresson– Sonny V. of Kirkland
W.Eugene Smith – Charles L. G. of Malvern AZ
Closer – Kelly M. of Townsend, MT.
Edward Weston – Gerald K. of Jacksonville, FLA
Bridges of Madison County – Paul K./Phoenix ,AZ

Congratulations to all! And please remember to ALWAYS add a shipping address to your entry (details in the NEWSLETTER) Helps speed up the process.

And now on to this weeks giveaway:
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In conjunction with an exhibit at Aperture in NYC, we are happy to offer up Class Pictures by Dawoud Bey

From the Aperture site:
“I think what has been driving and directing my work for a long time is this idea that through making pictures of young people I can affect viewers in such a way that they too can become invested in these subjects.”

—Dawoud Bey

Dawoud Bey’s teenage subjects defy stereotypes of American youth during this complicated age. For Class Pictures, Bey photographed young people from all parts of the economic, racial, and ethnic spectrum in both public and private high schools in Detroit; Lawrence and Andover, Massachusetts; Orlando; San Francisco; and New York City. Bey spent three to four weeks in each school, taking formal portraits of individual students, each made in a classroom or other school setting during one forty-five-minute period. The resulting portraits—forty-by-thirty-inch color prints—are arresting both compositionally and psychologically. At the start of the sitting, each subject writes a brief autobiographical statement. By turns poignant, funny, or harrowing, invariably deepening our appreciation for young adults facing the challenges of the twenty-first century, these revealing words are an integral part of the project. Together, the words and images in Class Pictures offer unusually respectful and perceptive portraits that establish Dawoud Bey as one of the best portraitists at work today.”

Having seen the work, what was most striking is that the text IS a huge part of the work. There are few bodies of work that are truly co-dependant on text. But the statements by the subjects serve to open up the portraits as a touch of spring water opens up a fine single malt whiskey. Strong and satisfying on it’s own , but a further depth and dimension is revealed.

Click here to see samples of this and his other work.

This is a book you will sit with for awhile and explore.

And if you are lucky enough to be in NYC, check out the opening at
Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor
Between 10th and 11th Avenues
New York, New York

One of the very cool things about the gallery is that they have a reading area with comfy chairs so you can peruse their book collections ( and just take a load off your feet) at your leisure. Time well spent.

Details on how to get this book for free are in this weeks NEWSLETTER. Make sure you are signed up to be eligible for the freebies.Should be a good year for them.

Cheers!
Damon Webster