WHAT IS THE NEW DOCUMENTARIAN AWARD?
This award does not refer to a new photographer doing documentary projects, (though a new photographer can certainly enter this contest). But rather, the New Documentarian Award refers to a new approach to showing, sharing, and promoting documentary photography.

WHAT DESIGNATES DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY?
Documentary photography can take one of several different approaches. There are socially-concerned documentary photographers who hope to help bring about change (like Lewis Hine who photographed child laborers in America at the turn of the century) and there are photographers like Berenice Abbott, who, in the 1930’s, used an 8×10 camera to document New York City’s buildings, with the intention of preserving a place and time.

If you can answer yes to one of the questions below, then your project qualifies for the New Documentarian Award.

1. Does your project educate people about something significant?
2. Do you hope to make a difference with your documentary project?
3. Does your documentary project preserve a time and place?

WHAT DESIGNATES A LONG TERM PROJECT?
A long-term project is several things:
1. It is a project that the photographer has become deeply connected to based on the amount of time spent on the project.
2. It is a project that is stylistically and thematically unified.
3. It is a project with a message or goal.

CRITERIA
The entrant cannot have a published book or one about to be published.

WHO SHOULD ENTER?
Any professional, amateur, or student photographer who has not had a book published.

FIRST PLACE PRIZE includes:
* Publication of project images in Rangefinder Magazine
* Online Featured Gallery at The Julia Dean Photo Workshops Website
* A three-day workshop of your choice at the Julia Dean Photo Workshops, including roundtrip airfare to Los Angeles and hotel accommodations for three nights in Venice Beach, California

SECOND PLACE PRIZE!
Epson Stylus Photo R2400 Printer

THIRD PLACE PRIZE!
Mountainsmith Parallax Camera Pack

HONORABLE MENTIONS!
Lifetime magazine subscriptions from Rangefinder Magazine

DEADLINE: July 17, 2006
(Entries must be received by 5 pm on July 17th. No drop offs.)

JUDGING: Mon., Aug. 21, 2006

ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNER: Fri., Aug. 25, 2006

JUDGES
Bert Fox, National Geographic Magazine
Gail Fisher, Los Angeles Times
Rick Loomis, Los Angeles Times

Get the application form here.

For more information contact Julia Dean Photo Workshops here:

The Julia Dean Photo Workshops
3111 Ocean Front Walk, Suite 102
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
310-821-0909 phone
310-821-0809 fax

Amy Gahran, now the editor at Poynter's E-Media Tidbits writes in her own blog that Stanford University is offering a fellowship that is conceivably open to bloggers and so-called Citizen Journalists.

The fellowship is at the Center for the Study of the North American West and includes between $3500-$7000 plus access to the Center's library.

Apply, if you qualify and if you are interested.

[This blog post is sponsored by Seshu's Pipal Productions – Wedding Photojournalism: Elegant. Memorable. Real.]

Announcing the third and fourth Bliss Book Offer winners. Waqim, from Surrey in British Columbia and Ruchita in Gurgaon, India, have won the third and fourth copies of The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar‘s new novel.

Two more copies of the book to go. Simply follow the directions and you too could win a copy of Umrigar's book [valued at $24.95].

Announcing the second Bliss Book Offer winner. Zin, from Minneapolis, has won the second copy of The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar‘s new novel.

Four more copies of the book to go. Simply follow the directions and you too could win a copy of Umrigar's book [valued at $24.95].

I heard from a faithful reader of this blog today that my instructions for receiving Thrity Umrigar‘s novel The Space Between Us was, well, a bit ambiguous.

So, let me set the record straight. To qualify for the giveaway:

1) Go check out my new wedding photojournalism blog called bliss
2) Sign up to subscribe to the Feedblitz feed on that site – you will see the subscription form on the right hand side [yes, you may unsubscribe after this contest if you wish] 3) Confirm your subscription – you will receive an automatic email from Feedblitz asking if you really want to sign up for bliss
4) Email me your name, address, telephone number from your email account. The email address you should send me this info to is – tiffinbox [at] pipalproductions [dot] com. Subject line should read: “Tiffinbooks Offer: Thrity Umrigar's The Space Between Us.”
5) I'll verify that you have indeed subscribed to bliss and will put your name in a hat with others
6) One randomly chosen name will be the recipient of one copy of the book. Once you win, your name will be removed from the hat. To remain in the contest through the next seven weeks you have to remain subscribed to bliss.

Simple, right? So, good luck.

Please note: All names and contact information will be kept confidential and will not be sold, rented or bartered away. I take your time and privacy very seriously. I hate getting spammed and I hate spammers too. The information you provide me will be used to send you the book, should you win. You may also occasionally receive information about my photographic projects. You are free to unsubscribe from my mailing list(s) at any time.

I have six books left, now that Zehra Khan has laid claim to the first giveaway of the week. Thanks for playing Zehra.

Technorati Tags: bliss, books, contest, Pipal Productions