Nikki McKenzie is a Finalist

Nikki McKenzie is a finalist in the 33^rd Annual College and High School Photography Contest hosted by Photographers Forum and Nikon. Over 16,000 entries from USA, Canada and internationally were juried with only a fraction being accepted.

I love Nikki's fun title of Butts Up for this image. But I feel a much more serious moment in the photograph. I see the repetition of the cattle moving back into the space. This brings the mechanical reality of where our food products come from and lack of human interaction. Although she has given this a humous title - I feel a loss for humanity.

The jurors Neil Campbell, Photographers Forum photo editor selected the finalist group. From the finalist the judges, Steve LaVoie from the Art Center College of Design, Linda Lowell from Barbara Cith College and Rob Winter from Brooks Institute will select the award winners. All finalist will be published in the Best of College and High School Photography 2013.

Nikki is a student at Mississippi State University and will be entering her final semester in the fall 2013. I feel she is an explorer with the camera. Her work varies in techniques but each image has a strong impact. Mark my words - she is a photographer to watch.

BRAVO for Photography!!

Preview the selections for the 2013 MCAC for PHOTO from MSU!!

Out of 1052 entries from ten schools, Sara Marshall, Associate Professor of Art from the University of Alabama, chose 188 pieces for inclusion in the show. I am proud to say the following students had photography accepted into this years competition: Carlyse Williams, June Upton, Maegan Bedells, Nikki McKenzie, Riley Reid, Stephanie Travis and Whitten Sabbatini. Below are images from most of the students listed above. The exhibition reception is scheduled for Saturday, February 2nd from 2:00 - 4:00 pm, with the awards ceremony at 3:00 pm at the Mississippi Arts Center in Downtown Jackson.

Here are a few of the photographs that will be in the exhibition. I feel these images are all very interesting and come from talented young artists. Several of these images come from students new to photography. I am very impressed that they, [Carlyse Williams, June Upton, Maegan Bedells and Stephanie Travis] had work accepted in to the 2013 Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition. This is a huge competition that included ten art programs across the state of Mississippi encompassing undergraduate and graduate level. 

- Carlyse Williams

When asked about the inspiration behind her work Carlyse replied "When shooting this piece, I thought of  one of my favorite photographers, Jerry Uelsmann, and how he was able to put nature and the out of the ordinary placement of objects seamlessly together to create what seems like a very natural image."

It is simple but thought provoking image. Like Uelsmann it is dreamlike. It has a unnatural feeling set a a very calm natural setting. As a dreamlike image there are may interpretations, for me I feel the spheres are present to provide man with new knowledge. In its simplest form I enjoy the visual balance.

 - Stephanie Travis

When asked the reason for photographing a window, Stephanie said, "The image of this window was captured in an attempt to portray a glimpse of the decay that is often left behind by humanity." 

Thus the window becomes a symbol of decay, the passing of time and temporary concern man has for his surroundings. Yet there is beauty and a touch of hope in this image. I feel she is also giving us hope for our future as we look out of the darkness to the light.

-Nikki McKenzie

Nikki is one of the more experienced photographers presented in this blog and she knows that the basics of light is the key to any image.  "When I was capturing this photo, all I was really thinking about was the light." stated Nikki. "I loved how it beautifully illuminated part of the bride. When I was looking at it later, it came to be one of my favorite from the shoot because of the position of the bride. I love how even though you can't see her face you can still sense the anticipation, nervousness, and excitement of the moment." 

It takes a talented photographer to not only see light but to capture it as a document of a personal event. Life is made-up by little moment. Nikki has captured this one simple moment as visual record for a lifetime. This is what photography is all about.

-Maegan Bedells

This landscape / horizon by Maegan is simple and breathless. I feel myself being drawn into the image. It is a timeless. The colors vibrate from the horizon and drift back to the viewer of waves of water and air. Simple elegance.

- June Upton

June stated that this image is from a recent project she has been working on that explores connections and how things function when connected. "So really I was just concentrating on how to best portray that idea. So when I looked at my cousins braces I thought that shooting them would be perfect because it portrayed such a simple connection, and when you look close with out those brackets being linked together with the wire all that metal would be useless." 

I can definitely see and feel the connection. The smile lightens the mood and relaxes the viewer as they are confronted by the braces. Upton's image is a fun image.

One should never take lightly the acceptance into a competition. There is never any guarantee that the photograph one juror accepted today will be accepted tomorrow. Keep photographing and keep creating!

Congratulations for being accepted into the MCAC!  So enjoy this moment! 

Reminder: The exhibition reception is scheduled for Saturday, February 2nd from 2:00 - 4:00 pm, with the awards ceremony at 3:00 pm at the Mississippi Arts Center in Downtown Jackson.

YES ENTER!!!!

Sent this to a friend recently and thought I would post it. You might have to cut and paste the links to activate most of them. 

YES ENTER!

Plus get involved in organizations: 

These are great [Alternative Photography] links:

http://www.art-support.com/index.htm

http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/

http://www.facebook.com/CAPWorkshops

http://capworkshops.org

http://texasphoto.org

Below are some lists to subscribe too or make as bookmarks. Several comps I have sent you can subscribe to them and they will keep you up dated. Some are better than others but all worth looking at:

http://artdeadline.com

http://artdeadlineslist.com

http://www.lvartscommission.com/artist-opportunities/

https://www.callforentry.org/index.php

http://www.windowonphotography.com

https://www.spenational.org/resources/calls-for-entry

http://www.collegeart.org/opportunities/

http://pfmagazine.com/photography-contest/enter-contest-online/

http://www.kickstarter.com/start

http://www.commarts.com/competitions/photography

http://www.cmykmag.com/contests

http://www.c4fap.org/index.asp

http://www.newmasterartist.com/competitions/browse

http://www.cqjournal.com/callforentries.html

http://www.artistswanted.org/site/?aw2

http://www.artofphotographyshow.com/index.html

http://lacda.com/juried/juriedshow.html

http://www.artshow.com/juriedshows/page3.html

http://texasphoto.org/NatNewsCompetitions.html

This should be a start. Good Luck!!!

Go to the National SPE conference in Chicago!!!!!!!!!! Bring a portfolio and show your work!!!!

Marita

Neat Place to Visit

Hobe Sound Nature Center is located right off of Highway 1 in Florida near Hobe Sound. It is free to the public. I was not expecting much when my friend took me there the other day. It seemed too close to the highway to for me to get any decent images......I was wrong.







It is a small place but worth the trip if you are in the area.

All images are property of the blogger ©marita gootee.

"The Hobe Sound Nature Center, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization, dedicated to environmental awareness and education. The Center is a cooperating association with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and located at the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, 13640 SE Federal Highway, on U.S. 1 in southern Martin County. National Wildlife Refuge passes can be obtained from the Center." This is from the their website. Be sure to go and spend a little time there. Don't forget your camera and tripod!

MSU Photography: SPESC 2012: The Creative Risk

MSU Photography: SPESC 2012: The Creative Risk: Conference Information Available Here

Mount Saint Joseph Exhibition Closes this Week

Reminder closing this week - Exhibition: Transitional Moments: Photographs by Ruth Adams and Marita Gootee Sept 23- Oct 26th at Studio San Giuseppe on the campus of The College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati OH.

Marita Gootee’s body of work titled The Journey with Sand and Water draws focus to the quiet moments lost in the sounds and actions of the present.

This exhibition is in conjunction with FOTOFOCUS a tri-state celebration spotlighting historical and contemporary photography throughout the month of OCT.

I really do not want to bring the big pieces home - so go select one for your office or living room. They are great images to mentally escape into!! The prices are the best they ever have been or will be again. I wanted to help support my old school with some profit from the sells. So help us both out! Exhibition closes on Friday!!

www.maritagooteephotography.com
www.msj.edu/ssg

SPESC is coming to MSU

The South Central Society for Photographic Education Conference that will be held at Mississippi State University from October 25-28. The conference will be co-hosted by The Department of Art and The Department of Communication to promote intercollegiate collaboration within the university by involving students, faculty, staff, and the facilities in each department, as well as the community of Starkville, with a regional chapter of a national organization. The Society for Photographic Education is a nonprofit membership organization that provides a forum for the discussion of photography and related media as a means of creative expression and cultural insight.

The South Central SPE chapter is comprised of seven states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, with conferences hosted by institutions of higher education for the exploration of academic discourse surrounding the medium of photography. Opportunities will exist at the conference for SPE members and MSU students, faculty, and staff to participate in this discourse with panel discussions, image-maker presentations, exhibitions, portfolio reviews, workshops, critiques, and honoring a distinguished educator.

The 2012 conference titled Nothing Ventured / Nothing Gained: The Creative Risk, will focus on the risks artists take in the conceptual and technical aspects of their work, and the challenges they overcome in their visual research. Mississippi State University’s commitment to hosting the conference will critically examine the diversity of photographic practice by addressing the three major sectors of photography: traditional, digital, and alternative processes, not only with member participation, but by inviting Keynote Speaker Todd Hido and Featured Speakers Kelli Connell, and Susan Burnstine to talk about their research.

There will be a host of events from four workshops / four major presentations / twenty-nine lectures and panel presentations / three exhibitions / two receptions / a raffle of donated artwork / portfolio reviews and a jazz party.  We will have attendees from all across the country. The SPESC Honored educator is Dornith Doherty of University of North Texas a 2012 Guggenheim Fellow.

One panel discussion will focus on photography in Mississippi High School. It is scheduled for Friday, October 26, 10:00 – 11:00am and will be made up of SPE members who will address topics related to incorporating photography and photographic technology into the Mississippi High School Art curriculum. This opportunity will allow SPE members to use their knowledge and expertise in the field of photography and higher education to address questions and concerns those high school educators and students might have about photographic education, careers in photography, photography as art, and much more. Funding for this panel is made possible through the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Because the South Central Society for Photographic Education conference will bring a unique opportunity for the faculty and students at Mississippi State University to comment on relevant contemporary concerns in the medium of photography, we are confident in the scope of the conference to be a successful academic activity that will promote Mississippi Sate University as leader in the photography community.

It is not too late. You can register onsite!
Non- MSU employee and Non-SPE member the cost is $95 for the full conference.
Non-MSU employee and SPE member the cost is $75 for the full conference.
MSU employee and Non-SPE member the cost is $50 for the full conference.
MSU employee and SPE member the cost is $40 for the full conference.

To become a SPE member go to: https://www.spenational.org/members/join
We can take check / cash or credit card. Checks should be made out to SPE [Society for Photographic Education]. This rate includes all presentations, workshops on Friday and Saturday, all receptions, the scholarship raffle, jazz night and the Sunday morning portfolio review. Registered attendees can bring a guest to Jazz nigh for $20.00.
Thursday night registration will be at the VAC starting at 5pm. Friday it will be in the student union starting at 8am.
If you wish to attend you can complete the form below and return it to Professor Marita Gootee at mgootee@caad.msstate.edu. We will then have your tag printed prior to registration.