Pin Up Pageant by Summer '07 contender Beth Dubber.

Today's photo by contender Beth Dubber could pass for a 1950s postcard of Californian pin-up girls. Except these girls look too bad ass to be from the 50s. Check out that full sleeve on the center model! Unlike a typical pin-up photo, however, Dubber's portrait is too detailed and full of life to be staged. She explains that she likes to "shoot 'loosely' and be as candid as possible." Her philosophy is to be a "visual documentarian" of the life she experiences around her, because, she says, "I think we all have something special to share about our experiences and life."

Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1971, Dubber got her start in photography at the tender age of 17, when she won a photo competition that she believes gave her the confidence to keep on shooting photos. During her time at Cleveland State University, where she earned her BA in Studio Art with a concentration in photography, she also spent time studying in Bali, Indonesia and in Weingarten, Germany. She cites her time in Bali as a challenging experience that has significantly affected her current work:

One of the best photography opportunities I have ever had was living in a small rice farming village in Bali for 3 weeks and being able to photograph their way of life and take portraits. At the time, I had only 13 rolls of film, I am grateful for the challenge, it made me extremely mindful of each frame I was taking. I carry this with me even now when I am shooting digitally, with the seemingly endless amount of frames one may take.

As for her main influences, Dubber cites photographers Diane Arbus, Nan Goldin, Harry Callahan, James Nachtwey, and Cindy Sherman.

Check out Dubber's "Photo of the Week" series, available on her site, in which she sends out a fresh, weekly image to those on her mailing list.

You know what else you should check out? The application page for the Summer 2007 edition of Hey, Hot Shot!