CALL FOR ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS: "artSPARK Film and Analog Photography Exhibition"

artSPARK 2013 is accepting photography submissions between now and the deadline for consideration to be selected for a film and analog photography exhibition.  The exhibition is open to all US-based photographers who produce work using film or analog printing techniques.

Eligible entries would include but are not limited to:  

1. Prints made in the darkroom or printed from a digital negative from images originally created using 35mm, medium and large format film and cameras.  Don’t forget Plastic cameras such as Holgas, Dianas and LOMO, pinholes and even handcrafted or modified  cameras.
2. Instant film images from Polaroid, Fuji instant and Impossible Project stocks, including emulsion transfers, manipulations and lifts;
3. Wet plate or tintype collodion prints;
4. Alternative printing of film or digital negatives such as salt prints, palladium, cyanotypes, etc.  

THEME – The theme for the show is Vintage.  Vintage images, vintage cameras and techniques or vintage subject matter.  We want you to interpret this in any way that works for you.  We are looking forward to seeing your interpretations of the theme.

If you have questions about the eligibility of your submission, please send an e-mail to frank@sweetlifestudios.com.

OFFICIAL RULES & SPECIFICATIONS FOR “Film and Analog Photography Exhibition” CALL FOR ARTISTS

ENTRY GUIDELINES AND FEES official entries are made here through our Automated Entry System .  the fees are $10 for up to three images.

DEADLINE Entries are accepted starting on June 1st, 2013 and ending on July 31st, 2013

JURORS AND PRIZES

We are proud to announce that the jurors for this show are the founders of the Rebirth Retreat!  Rebirth is an annual photography retreat that encourages attendees to explore numerous photographic techniques and mediums and to broaden their perspective by slowing down and expanding their visual arsenal.  Find out more about rebirth here.

Sarah Hodzic –  In 2008 Sarah found her way back to shooting film after shooting primarily with digital cameras for her photography business.  Sarah has been shooting with Holga cameras for 5 years now and in her words, "The Holga has opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking through the lens and creating images. There is a freedom in holding a plastic camera that is known for its unpredictable images… there is no right or wrong, just a space where imagination can run free, and that’s the space where art happens."  Sarah's love of the Holga is not unrequited: the camera has loved her back in its own way. Sarah's work with the Holga has appeared online with Toycamera, PhotomediaCenter, LightLeaks Magazine, and ErieTimes-News SHOWCASE, along with the recently published toy camera book, ToyCam by The Toy Camera Book Team. In 2010, Sarah had a solo show in LA at the Petter Fetterman Gallery showcasing her images from her trip to Jacmel, Haiti, the proceeds of which were donated to benefit the children in the surrounding township.

Chris Williams – Born in Spain and moved to New Orleans 17 years ago, Chris, a muscian and photographer, was smitten.  A 3rd World city inside the USA that was all about art,food,and music! Everywhere you walk you have the smells of great food, sounds of local music, and the city is covered in art from the slate sidewalks to the weathered rooftops. Amazing. For a guy that loves music, this was the perfect place.  Eventually Chris started photographing wherever he went, kept a camera on him all the time. “The people. The buildings. The texture. The culture. There is a rhythm to this city. And for someone who had spent his life create rhythms, I began to realize that my camera was acting quite similarly to my drums.  Photography. Music. It’s all art. It’s all passion. And I decided a long time ago, that I wanted my life to be filled with both.”

Will Jacks – After a short-lived tenure as a junior high school teacher and coach and a flirtation with filmmaking, Will Jacks finally settled in on a career as a photographer. Eager to begin a career as a photographer, he left Journalism graduate school in 1996, even though he was only a few hours shy of receiving his degree. His business has grown to serve a diverse clientele of commercial and editorial clients throughout the southeast, and his personal work is represented in several galleries in the region. In addition, his documentary work of the Mississippi Delta region is a prominent part of the Viking Range permanent archives.

Will is also active in the photographic and arts communities, serving as a past executive board member for the Delta Arts Alliance, a past governor-appointed board member of the Mississippi Blues Commission, and as a judge for the ShootQ Grant, among others. He also owns and operates a small photography gallery focusing on imagery from the Mississippi Delta, and just this spring has re-enrolled at the University of Mississippi in order to finally complete his Master’s Degree.

The jurors will be awarding first, second and third place prizes along with honorable mentions.

ARTWORK SUBMISSION SPECIFICATION

1. Submissions and entry fees must be delivered electronically through our automated entry system.
2. Entry image files for evaluation should be either PDF or JPEG (72 dpi, minimum 750 pixels on the long edge maximum 1200 pixels on the long edge.
3. Submissions must be original and the submitters must hold the copyright to the image.

Accepted works

1. Works must be delivered to 4902 Brookhaven Dr, Raleigh NC 27612 by September 9th, 2013
2. Release forms are also needed for "subjects," where applicable, whether public or private citizens.
3. Artwork that is shipped to the event and is to sent back requires sufficient return postage to be included.
4. All artwork must be ready to hang with an indication of the desired orientation, if it is not immediately apparent.
5. artSPARK reserves the right to display the images on the website and for use in future promotional materials related to artSPARK and SPARKcon.

To enter the exhibition click here.

Maybe it's because I spend so much time inside in front of a computer screen, sitting by a window that looks out onto my front porch. Maybe it's because my kids are getting older and don't need me as much as they used to. Maybe I just want to feel closer to my mother-in-law who died last July. I think about her often when I'm outside, digging in the dirt, plucking off spent blooms and watching for buds on the gardenia bush. She taught me much of what I know about plants, even though I've never put it into use until now. I miss her. But when I'm outside, I swear I can feel her nearby, cheering me on. Making something bloom where there were dead leaves and weeds before. Love you and miss you, Mom. Thanks for trying to turn me into a gardener. It took a long, long time, but I think it's finally happening. I hope you would be proud!

Of course, growing things gives me an excuse to get out my macro lens and indulge my other obsession. I hope you enjoy these shots of what's blooming and growing around the yard. Happy Mother's Day!

This was one of my favorite parts of the wedding. In the front room of the lovely plantation-style home, Taryn, Billy and their families created a tribute to all of their family members, highlighting wedding photos and photos of family no longer with them. The photos were labeled to show which side of the family the person in the photo belonged to. Once all the candles were lit, it was truly lovely! They called it the "Generations Room". In the main hallway of the house were pictures of Billy and Taryn as babies up through senior year of high school, to show how they grew and changed through the years. One neat feature was a US map showing the couple's journey across the US to find each other, a collage of dating pictures, a scrapbook Taryn made for Billy and a guest book featuring images from their engagement session.

A few of my favorites from Taryn's bridal session.

Loved, loved, loved the hats!

Almost time to get married!

What a perfect day. Billy and Taryn, thank you for allowing us to share it with you!

Wedding Vendors

Wedding Venue and Catering | Highgrove Estate on Laurel Lake, Fuquay Varina, North Carolina

DJ services | Harrison Foster of Perfect Mix Productions

Cake |  Sweet Memories Bakery

Floral Design |  Flowers on Broad Street

I'll start out their blog post with this sequence which I adore because it shows how much fun these two have together. Bobby clearly cracks Gina up on a regular basis. I've said it before on this blog and I'll keep saying it: Ladies, always marry the man who makes you laugh! Gina and Bobby will say their vows this December in Asheville and we can't wait to celebrate with them. Enjoy some of my favorite images from their engagement session!

Bride-to-be: Gina

Groom-to-be: Bobby

Wedding Date: December 6, 2013

Wedding Venue: The Crest Center and Pavilion, Asheville, NC

Christy and Michael chose to do a First Look so that they could get most of their photography done prior to the wedding ceremony. I love this sequence of their reactions to seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day!

Venue: Historic Haywood Hall and Gardens, Raleigh, North Carolina

Officiant: Marilee Shirk

Make-up Artist: Kerri Nicole Kunsman Hair and Makeup Artistry

Floral Design: Janet and Kay with Haywood Hall

Decor: The Bride :)

Cake: Simply Cakes

Catering: Side Street Catering

DJ: All Around Raleigh DJ

(Email me at Elizabeth@sweetlifestudios.com and I'll send you a PDF of this handy-dandy guide!)

Bride-to-be: Christy

Groom-to-be: Michael

Wedding Date: April 13, 2013

Where they'll marry: Haywood Hall, Raleigh NC

How did you meet? We had a class together in our last semester of high school. I thought he was pretty cute, so as soon as we had a test, I suggested we study together. He called but we did more talking than studying! We've been together since.

Favorite things to do when we've got a weekend off: Shop! Go hiking in the mountains, relax at the pool.

Favorite bands: MGMT, Passion Pit, Edward Sharpe, Pinback

Favorite restaurant: Sitti in downtown Raleigh

Favorite meal to make together: Risotto!

What will be unique about the wedding? The beautiful setting and our guest book, a Polaroid camera. Guests will take photos of themselves and write a message to us which we'll use to create a keepsake book.

What's the most important thing to you about your wedding photography? That we can look back on that CRAZY day and remember all the love surrounding us!

Jen and Ryan were married on a perfectly beautiful October day at All Saints Chapel in Raleigh, NC. Jen spent the morning getting gorgeous with her bridesmaids and family at The Matthews House in Cary, NC. Here are a few of my favorite preparation shots from the morning. Jen's sister Amy did a beautiful job with her make-up as you'll see — her eyes are amazing!

Meet Jen's niece and flower girl. If anyone was born to be a flower girl, it's this cutie-pie.

A quick hug for Mom and then it was time to head downstairs for portraits before the wedding.

While I was busy photographing the preparations at the Matthews House, Frank met Ryan and the guys at All Saints' Chapel for some quick shots before the ceremony.

There's one in every group. And we love them.

The moments right after the ceremony are always some of my favorites at every wedding we document.

A quiet moment together before heading to the Matthews House for the reception.

I love this next sequence! Jen's sister Amy's toast was a rap set to Justin Bieber's "Girlfriend." Each time the Biebs sang "If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go," Amy substituted "Ryan is your husband, never let him go." The whole room was in hysterics! I love Jen's reactions.

Luscious cake by Sweet Memories.

Frank with Joe Bunn DJ Company kept the energy level high all night long!

Jen and Ryan's send-off featured glow-sticks, a fun and unique way to end a fabulous night.

Enjoy more images from Jen and Ryan's wedding in their slide show:

Ceremony Venue: All Saints Chapel, Raleigh NC

Reception Venue and Catering : The Matthews House, Cary NC

Floral Design: Colleen Aquirre

DJ Services: Joe Bunn DJ Company

Cake: Sweet Memories