The @RidgefieldGuild of Artists is participating in #TheBigRead. #Ridgefield #GreatGatsby
Art Deco Printmaking (Sunday, October 19, 1-4pm)
This photographer captures the moment that parents say ‘hello and goodbye’ to their baby
WARNING: This story includes details about infant death and an image of a stillborn baby.
At 2 a.m., Heather Brooks has gotten in her car and driven from Essex, Ont., to Windsor Regional Hospital to photograph a baby that has died.
Since she first started taking pictures of stillborns about six years ago, Brooks has made this same trip about 50 times.
“Every situation is slightly different, but very emotional,” said Brooks, who provides the service free of charge.
“These families, they’re not going through what they expected so, yeah, I just feel I guess very honoured to be allowed into that space.”
She was motivated to capture the moment that a family is “saying hello and goodbye” because she knows from personal experience just how valuable pictures can later be.
More than 30 years ago, Brooks went into labour a day before her expected due date, but her baby boy died during delivery due to a true knot in the umbilical chord. She has some film photos from that day, but says they aren’t great.
“From that moment, I don’t have good photos to remember, his little feet, his hands, all that kind of stuff, it’s something that I feel is important to have, ’cause it helps you to remember,” she said.
WARNING: This video contains pictures of a stillborn.
WATCH | Photographer captures families that are grieving the loss of a baby:
Photographer Heather Brooks says she’s honoured that people allow her in when they are grieving. More than five years ago, Brooks photographed Amanda Levesque’s baby. Today, Levesque says the photos are some of her most cherished.
When going in to photograph a family or parent, Brooks says she tries to blend into the background — for example, if the room is dark when she enters, she works with the minimal lighting.
Sometimes, says Brooks, families want to dress the baby in the clothes that they were supposed to go home in, but other times, she says people don’t want photos of them holding the baby. No matter what, Brooks says she just wants everyone to feel comfortable.
Some of the most important photos for Brooks, are the closeups of the baby’s features, like their hands or feet. As the family grieves and processes what has happened, she says years later it can be hard to remember what the baby looked like.
But she believes the photos also serve a bigger purpose.
“[The pictures] bring the existence of that baby’s life to reality — that baby was really here,” she said.
‘He’s still the one that made me a mom’
For 34-year-old Amanda Levesque, it’s the closeup photo of her baby’s face that she cherishes the most.
As she looks over the black-and-white picture of her son Caleb, she chuckles at how the only feature he got of hers is her lower lip.
“As time goes by, you kind of forget the little things,” she said.
“So it’s kind of a nice reminder to see all the little features of him that time kind of makes you forget.”
Levesque was only 20 weeks and four days into her pregnancy when things went wrong, leading her to have a stillborn on June 24, 2018, at Windsor Regional Hospital.
It wasn’t what the east Windsor resident had expected to go through, and even though she was hesitant about capturing the moment, she says they are now some of her most cherished pictures.
And while there is an emotional heaviness associated with the days leading up to, and the moment of, Caleb’s arrival, looking at the photos Levesque is reminded that her son was at peace.
“At first, it was very hard to see the pictures, like it would make me teary eyed,” she said.
“But now, it kind of brings a smile to my face. He’s still my son and he’s still the one that made me a mom.”
And Levesque says she thinks the pictures serve as a reminder to others that she is still a mother, even though her child is no longer alive.
“You want to take [the pictures] and if you don’t look at them, that’s fine,” she said.
“But if in 20 years, you want to look back at them, you have them.”
Brooks acknowledges there aren’t many photographers in Windsor who take these sort of pictures. She thinks it’s because it can be such an emotionally challenging moment to step into.
Despite how hard it is, Brooks knows the reward is much greater.
“When you’re expecting a baby and that doesn’t turn out the way you’re expecting, you’re losing all of that future,” she said.
“So I think the photos just bring existence to that life right then and there.”
WCSU Virtual Art Workshop series during April features watercolor painting and printmaking
.@WestConn Department of #Art will present painter Abbie Rabinowitz leading an online creative experience for guests of all artistic skill levels in her “Intuitive Watercolor” program streaming live from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 9
Smartphone photography tips: How to clean your camera lens for clearer shots | The Times of India
2023 New York Photography Awards Now Announces Its Proud Winners to the Public
2023 New York Photography Awards Winners Announced
2023 Professional Photographer of the Year: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict by Mustafa Hassona
2023 Amateur Photographer of the Year: The mountains of fire by Andrea Sagui
The New York Photography Awards, hosted by the International Awards Associate (IAA) is thrilled to declare the proud winners of the 2023 competition.
It has been an enriching experience for our distinguished panel of judges during their evaluations, and to celebrate these outstanding contributions to the world of photography.”
— Thomas Brandt, Spokesperson of IAA
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, December 22, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — The New York Photography Awards, hosted by the International Awards Associate (IAA) is thrilled to declare the proud winners of the 2023 competition. This celebrated event, which welcomes submissions from photographers across the world, honors, recognizes, and promotes outstanding photographers worldwide, who share their vision with the world. The 2023 edition has been a resounding success, attracting an impressive array of over 6,000 entries from over 55 countries including the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Australia, and many others, highlighting the awards’ significant global influence and reach with its overwhelming participation.
2023 New York Photographers of the Year
Following professional evaluations of an extraordinary collection of photographs, the New York Photography Awards is excited to announce the proud 2023 Photographers of the Year. This year, the Professional Photographer of the Year title is awarded upon Mustafa Hassona for his stunning creation, The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, accompanied by a cash prize of $3,000. Meanwhile, the title of Amateur/Student Photographer of the Year goes to Andrea Sagui for his masterpiece, The mountains of fire, securing a cash prize of $2,000, demonstrating remarkable skill and creativity.
1. Professional Photographer of the Year – The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict by Mustafa Hassona
2. Amateur/Student Photographer of the Year – The mountains of fire by Andrea Sagui
2023 Category Winners for the Year
In addition to the prestigious Photographers of the Year, the New York Photography Awards takes great pride in recognizing a multitude of skilled photographers across various genre, namely the Category Winners of the Year. Each of these exceptional individuals has made a lasting impact with their unique perspectives of the world, and are also awarded a $100 cash prize each to encourage the continued pursuit and refinement of their photographic mastery.
Category Winners of the Year (Professional)
1. New York Photography – The perfect cloud by Francisco Negroni
2. Architecture Photography – Bodie Ghost Town by Deryk Baumgärtner
3. Black & White Photography – Railway Community by Steff Gruber
4. COVID-19 Related Photography – Italian ICU by Alessandro Conti
5. Editorial Photography – The Unconquered Ukrainians by Daniel Ceng
6. Nature Photography – Milky Way by Shirley Wung
7. People Photography – Practice by Dana Hursey
8. Special Photography – Big fire dance by Shirley Wung
9. Special Photography – Exquisite Beauty by Cheraine Collette
Category Winners of the Year (Amateur/Student)
1. New York Photography – Manhattan wings by HELENA GARCIA HUERTAS
2. Architecture Photography – Empire State Building by Stuart Reed Martin
3. Black & White Photography – The Modern Perth by Matthew Tuffield
4. COVID-19 Related Photography – Death by Victor A. Mirontschuk
5. Editorial Photography – Scavengers by João Coelho
6. Fine Art Photography – Katharina-3 by Bodo Gebhardt
7. Nature Photography – Antarctic Dusk by Akiko Matsumoto
8. People Photography – The Long Neck Beauties by Peter Voss
9. Special Photography – Hotel Belvedere by Eric von Schulthess
Kindly visit the New York Photography Awards’ official website to view the complete list of exceptional photographers: https://newyorkphotographyawards.com/.
“The range and quality of entries this year have truly exemplified top-tier excellence of international photography, blending unique perspectives with masterful execution,” stated Thomas Brandt, spokesperson of IAA. “It has been an enriching experience for our distinguished panel of judges during their evaluations, and to celebrate these outstanding contributions to the world of photography.”
Grand Jury Panel
The New York Photography Awards is committed to maintaining exemplary standards in jury selection, ensuring the competition’s integrity and professionalism. Esteemed jury members this year include Nicholas Duers (United States), Alessandra Minotti (Italy), Marine Foissey (France), Marc Olthoff (Netherlands), Pieter Clicteur (Belgium), Mieke Douglas (United Kingdom), and Donell Gumiran (United Arab Emirates), among others. Each brings distinctive insights to the judging process, elevating the competition with their diverse professional backgrounds and perspectives.
“Awarding these individuals represents not just acknowledgment, but is also an honor to modern photographic brilliance,” announced Thomas. “As the New York Photography Awards continue to establish their heritage, we foresee a future where our recipients consistently transform and uplift the realm of visual creativity, paving a path to even greater achievements in the world of photography.”
Following the announcement of the winners for the New York Photography Awards, IAA is pleased to announce that the MUSE Photography Awards is now welcoming submissions from photographers around the globe. This initiative continues to provide a renowned stage for photographic talents to showcase their work and earn recognition in the international photography community, and to achieve the esteemed MUSE title for 2024.
About New York Photography Awards
The New York Photography Awards strives to honor, recognize, and promote outstanding photographers, as well as budding talents, worldwide. This awards’ mission is to assist photographers from around the world, celebrating and honoring their photographical excellence, as well as cultivating a new generation of photographers on a global scale, capturing precious moments for tomorrow’s recollection.
About International Awards Associate (IAA)
Established in 2015, the International Awards Associate (IAA) is a global organization dedicated to recognizing professional excellence and outstanding achievements in various industries. As the organizer of a wide range of prestigious award programs such as the MUSE Creative Awards, MUSE Design Awards, Vega Digital Awards, NYX Awards, NYX Game Awards, TITAN Business Awards, TITAN Property Awards, London Design Awards, NY Product Design Awards, and many more, IAA aims to honor, promote, and encourage professional excellence, from industry to industry, internationally and domestically, through award platforms that are industry-appropriate.
Tyler K.
International Awards Associate Inc.
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A swarm of solutions: insect food experiment lands top photography prize
It may appear at first a nightmarish scene, but this photo of an insect food experiment at the University of Turin could actually represent a much-needed solution to food scarcity.
It won Italian photographer Maurizio di Pietro the top prize in the most recent Environmental Photographer of the Year competition, in which snappers ranging in age from 17 to 70 put forward shots to inspire climate action.
Led by Prof Laura Gasco, the research project that captured the attention of di Pietro’s lens looks at incorporating insect flour into the diets of rainbow trout and chickens to determine its potential as a nutrition source. The Hermetia illucens, or soldier fly, is rich in proteins and a highly sustainable food source, thanks to its minimal water and soil consumption needs. By feeding on food waste, these insects also contribute to a circular economy.
The image forms part of di Pietro’s Zero Hunger series, which documents worldwide food insecurity and how insects could be part of the solution. “My home country of Italy is experiencing a frightening reality: 22% now face food insecurity, and this number is only set to increase as climate change intensifies,” he said. “Through my photographs, however, I don’t just want to document the problem, but also offer a way forward.
“Only then can we inspire people to abandon a doom-drenched view of the world and fight for a better one,” he said.
Main image: Maurizio di Pietro
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Materials For The Arts Opens FORMALITIES First-Ever Sculpture Exhibition By Machine Dazzle
Machine Dazzle presents ‘Formalities,’ the artist’s first-ever sculptural exhibition at Materials for the Arts. Explore the new works created from supplies found in the MFTA warehouse.
Public Art Lincoln working to turn Lincoln into ‘world class art city’
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