I find myself pulled in, looking ever more closely, finding their strength, their delicacy, and their beauty. If they are willing to return the gaze, the game is afoot. In order to succeed, I must slowly disrobe my emotions. I must slowly unveil my feelings, and for the portrait to be successful, she must be willing to do the same. There is a far greater intimacy exposed, although not necessarily in the touch. There is a connection, an openness, an ability to reveal both of ourselves completely, with all our strengths and vulnerabilities. This is a very difficult thing to do, both for me, and for her. It is what distinguishes greatness from mediocrity. How far you are willing to emotionally travel is as important as your talent.

To succeed, we must fall in love, take the pictures, and then slowly take deep breaths, realizing who we are, and walk slowly away from the edge.

– an excerpt from Rodney Smith’s “May I Feel, Said He”.

A kind write-up of my Uganda: A River Blue exhibition was featured in Zoom Magazine, an Italian publication dedicated to “serious professionals and artists who need and want to know what is happening in the key international centers at set the pace in image creativity and graphic design.” The magazine also highlights the work of photographers Robert Adams, Raymond Meeks, Lori Nix, Will Steacy, and others. I’m honored to be in the company of these photographers.

Check out Zoom Magazine’s website.

Although I have been making prints for photographers and artists for years, I’m very proud to formally announce David Wright Editions.

Throughout the years I have had the pleasure of collaborating with talented, award-winning photographers and artists to make prints ranging from single images to vast exhibitions. As a photographer myself, I constantly strive to make the print come alive.

I offer a 10% discount for all first-time clients as well as discounts for multiple prints of 1 image. As well, receive an additional 10% discount on your next order if a client you refer places a print order.

Find out more about David Wright Editions.

A selection of my Uganda photographs are featured on the Fine Life Magazine. It’s designed beautifully and definitely worth exploring.

About the magazine:

“Together with a group of friends I decided to create a magazine dedicated to all people who are not stopping in their efforts to make our lives fuller and better. It is dedicated to thoughts and  creations of man’s imagination that encourage us to turn to that which is exceptional and luxurious.  We believe that surrounding ourselves with beauty serves good life and therefore we always look for that beauty in people, places and objects. finelife.pl is a magazine which is created based on the outstanding pictures and comments of the extraordinary people. We want to narrate a story about luxury of a beautiful life, taking inspiration from meetings, talks and recommendations from specialists and authorities of different fields” — Lidia Popiel

“Joe Dwyer, who had died so lonely and miserably, was an American hero. In March 2003, the front pages of newspapers across America featured a photo of Dwyer carrying a small Iraqi boy to safety shortly after a firefight. “It was the image of war that everyone wanted to see,” says Warren Zinn, the photographer who took the picture. It was also the image that America wanted the rest of the world to see: a brave, compassionate US soldier doing something helpful and acting with the best of intentions in the Middle East. It just might be, however, that Joe Dwyer didn’t outlive the war in Iraq precisely because he actually was the way America wanted to be seen.”

As Joerg said, if you only have time to read one article today, this is the one.

photo credit: AP / Warren Zinn, The Army Times

I want to thank everyone for attending the lecture Chandler Griffin and I presented this past Tuesday at AnastasiaPhoto in New York. We were slated for 1 hour, we went for 2, and almost everyone stayed the entire time. It was wonderful.

Thanks, award-winning photographer David Turnley, for taking this photograph at the talk.

There’s less than two weeks left to see Uganda: A River Blue at AnastasiaPhoto. Stop by and pick up an exhibition catalogue for $10.

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.

Uganda: A River Blue

Reception: March 4, 6:30-8:30PM

Exhibition: February 5-March 31, 2010

AnastasiaPhoto is located at 166 Orchard Street, New York, New York.

From the press release:

“AnastasiaPhoto is pleased to present the first solo exhibition by photographer David Wright: A photographic collaboration with the NGO, A River Blue.

These luminous works were made over two months in northern Uganda where A River Blue is located. The photos depict a school that is funded by the charitable organization A River Blue in a formerly internally displaced persons camp, as well as images of the citizens and landscapes of the surrounding village of Alebtong. This series of photographs was recently selected as 1 of 3 winners in the 2009 Conscientious Portfolio Competition.”

Additionally:

A beautiful A River Blue catalogue designed by Josh Gomby and printed by Booksmart Studio in an edition of 250 will be released at the opening reception. It will be available for purchase through donation (any amount — your choice) and 100% of the proceeds go to A River Blue. Support A River Blue and take home a memorable piece of the exhibition. The picture below is of the booklet cover.

The opening reception and exhibition are open to the public. We encourage you to bring friends, family, and colleagues, and learn about A River Blue, northern Uganda, and AnastasiaPhoto.

Louie Palu is a photojournalist currently based in Afghanistan. I highly recommend watching his Unconventional Warfare podcast series created with the Atlantic as well as his Garmsir Marines series.

U.S. Marine Lcpl. Preston “Bukkake” Calkins © Louie Palu

Photograph Magazine is an terrific resource for current and upcoming exhibitions, private dealers, intriguing writings about contemporary photography, and much more.

Pick up a copy of the January/February 2010 issue and check out the announcement for my upcoming Uganda: A River Blue exhibition at Anastasia Photo.