I’m a strong supporter of the folks at LUCEO and pleased to see them offering a great opportunity for student photographers.

From the press release:

Central to LUCEO’s mission is our belief in the importance of long-term projects. We also understand that developing photographers need support. To advance both of these causes, LUCEO has created the Luceo Student Project Award, which will be disbursed annually to a talented student photographer in support of a significant and developing body of work.

This year’s recipient will receive $1,000 along with mentorship for the project from one Luceo member. Finalists will be announced in late May. A select panel will judge from the ten finalists and the winner will be announced in June.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 11:59pm EST May 15, 2010.

Complete information about the award can be found on our website.

Photographically, the continent of Africa, home of around one billion people and cradle of humanity, seems to be in a bit of a tight spot. While there is a lot of different work being produced about or in Africa, the most visible types of photography, the ones we get to see most often, are either photojournalistic depictions of war and/or poverty or what Jim Johnson called the freak show. David Wright’s Alebtong, Uganda was thus a very pleasant surprise for me: A young photographer going to Africa and producing images that do not center on photojournalistic clichés or on the overly exotic.

Thanks again, Joerg.

Denis, Alebtong, Uganda, 2009

“I tell my subjects that I am in control of the situation and act confident with my movements. I connect on a basic level and common interest, be it a book, a friend, a movie, etc. I often position my subjects in a specific place and tell them where to look. Sometimes we speak to one another and other times we’re quiet. There’s always the need to have subject and I to feel that the portrait is being given rather than taken. I believe that I’m a good listener, honest conversationalist, and strong observationalist. I find these important traits to make the photographs I make because when the subject believes we’re going to make a great photograph, we become closer to being able to do so.”

Read the rest of my interview with Joerg Colberg here.

George and I, A River Blue, Alebtong, Uganda, 2009

I am elated to be 1 of 3 selected winners for Joerg Colberg’s Conscienttious Portfolio Competition 2009 from an applicant pool of over 575 submitted portfolios. Joerg will introduce, interview, and publish Lydia Panas, Bradley Peters, and myself during the coming weeks. I applied with my “Alebtong, Uganda, 2009″ series. Stay tuned for all the details.

A River Blue, Alebtong, Uganda, 2009