Nikon Contest!

I don't normally enter my photos into contests and things like that, but about a month ago I came across a contest sponsored by Nikon looking for people's best live band shot. I felt like that type of contest was right up my alley. I didn't end up winning, but it was fun to see how well my photograph did in the competition with 72 votes.


Here is the photo I submitted, its of Bomb the Music Industry's show at Ronny's a couple years ago.

What was actually more fun about entering this contest was choosing what image to select. I sat down with Campy and Devon one night and we went through my entire hard drive looking at over 4,000 images to try to find the most unique and exciting live shot that I'd taken. Here are a couple more that we liked but didn't make the final cut:

Direct Hit! at Friendship Fortress

DK&S at Ronny's

7.17.11

©jeff fujiu

5.31.11

This used to be where I would go to see movies.

SO MANY WAYS 2.19.11

So Many Ways at The Box Social in Chicago a few months back. They have a new self-titled ep out now that absolutely destroys. Go listen to it right now!

4.15.11

The start of edition 2?

Last fall the Camera Club of New York hosted a self-published book and zine fair that encouraged photographers to display their creations. I sent along three copies of every day at least one bird will poop on my van, and one copy sold! As the fair was in NY I was unable to attend, but it was a very cool opportunity, and the CCNY was nice enough to mail back the remaining copies of the book along with a nice little check from somebody who appreciated the seemingly absurd (and pretty gross) act of photographing bird poop on my van!

The Camera Club of New York

Faces of Literacy, Voices of Courage

I haven't been updating this nearly enough as I should be, but there's so much I want

to share! I've been looking back through some old stuff so I'm gonna make a whole bunch of new posts with older stuff that maybe you haven't seen!

By now this photograph is about two years old! I kind of forgot about it, but it really was part of something very special. During my semester in Maine at MECA, a group of photo majors including myself worked with the Literacy Volunteers of Maine on a project called Faces of Literacy, Voices of Courage. The Literacy Volunteers are an organization that help adults throughout Maine overcome illiteracy. With personal tutors and group classes they assist them in areas ranging from basic reading skills to accomplishments such as earning a G.E.D.

For the Faces of Literacy, Voices of Courage project we traveled throughout the state of Maine, meeting the people that the Literacy Volunteers have helped and took portraits of them. Along with a video documentary and each individual's success story, our photographs became part of a traveling exhibition around Maine in efforts to raise awareness about illiteracy and to encourage those who struggle to seek assistance.

I traveled to Rockland, ME, and had the privilege to meet George who through the Literacy Volunteers was able to successfully apply for and obtain a commercial driver's license and a hazardous materials endorsement. With these qualifications George was able to get a job working for a private construction company and support his family. My portrait of George was used heavily for the promotion for the exhibition, and appeared on numerous web and print media.

George

Doug, George's tutor

On the day of the shoot I had some extra time to photograph Doug, because George ended up being about 45 minutes late. George was so excited about the shoot he took a detour to his work to ask his boss if he could borrow his HUGE truck for the photograph! Although he tried to hide it it was quite obvious how proud George was of what he accomplished, but he did explain how important it was to him that others who struggle with literacy to seek help. Meeting George and being a part of this project was truly an amazing and humbling experience.

Unfortunately the exhibition went underway after I had already left Maine, and I was unable to attend any of the museums it stopped at. for more information on the Faces of Literacy, Voices of Courage project and the Literacy Volunteers of Maine, check this out.

RIPSTICK

These dudes make up the band Ripstick. They didn't have any promo shots so I took this for them after they tore up Friendship Fortress. Check out their jams here.