We want to help with your local photography events, contests, and seminars. 

One of the reasons I really like getting out to local photography events is to meet people who are trying new things – like sweet gear, software, or even unique marketing approaches.  Throughout the year, I’ll get out for a few really good speakers and book launches too.  But, I’ll admit, nothing draws a crowd quite like the words “open bar”.  Wouldn’t it be nice if your next event could have a few bottles of wine to get people mixing it up?  Or maybe this summer you’ll spring for a few raffle prizes and a better speaker?  A better venue that has air conditioning?  Pro models and real lighting for your next shootout? 

Photo by Allen Murabayashi

My point is, we all go to photo events throughout the year, and most local organizations (yes, even in NYC) usually have to cut a few corners when getting everyone together. So, if you’re planning an event, we want to help you make it better.  With this in mind, today we’re announcing the PhotoShelter Stimulus Plan. 

If you have a great event in the works, apply for support from PhotoShelter. 

We’re looking for local organizations (or individuals) that are helping keep the spirit of photography alive and vibrant in communities everywhere.  We have a small budget for event sponsorships – $500 every month – and can also provide speakers, prizes, discounts, judging platforms for contest, and temporary group accounts for displaying a group’s collective work.  Depending on your event needs and how strong of a match it is for us, there are plenty of creative ways to get PhotoShelter involved.                          

Yes, we realize that $500/month and some raffle prizes are not necessarily going to change the face of the industry. For us, this is more about connecting with good people, supporting events that push photography forward, and a little good karma at a time we know it can be appreciated. 

Oh, and it’s no surprise that we’re favoring requests by PhotoShelter members.  We’ll review requests monthly, so if you’re currently planning something, submit our request form now. 

If you don’t have an event immediately in the works, but you are an organizer of a local group – get in touch anyway and introduce yourself  – we’d love to hear more about you and your organization.

We’ll keep the community informed regularly about events we’re supporting via our blog and twitter.

Paul Jeffrey’s Darfur
I don’t want to trivialize the potential for the H1N1 flu virus to mutate and spread into something much more virulent. But less than 35 people have died worldwide and only a few thousand people have been diagnosed with the illness. Yet, because it reaches across borders, the media coverage in the past few weeks has been staggering.

By contrast, the genocide in Darfur has claimed the lives of over 400,000 people and displaced another 2 million in a few years. Reporting on the Darfur crisis takes dedication and experience that only real journalists can bring to the table. This isn’t the paparazzi getting shots of David Hasselhoff passed out on the floor. This is covering a story with a purpose, and trying to bring light to a story that might otherwise get buried by those who don’t want it to be known — namely, the Sudanese government.

PhotoShelter user Paul Jeffrey and journalist Chris Herlinger recently published “Where Mercy Fails — Darfur’s Struggle to Survive” with a foreward by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Instead of just photos and text of burnt down villages, Jeffrey takes a humanitarian viewpoint in showing how the crisis has affected the population in camps, schools, farms, and other areas of daily life. Check out their website now.

 

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