Rebel Monkey, Niger, 2007, by Candace Feit

In her statement, contender Candace Feit writes about "the magic of everyday moments," but I found there to be almost nothing "everyday" about her imagery. At it's most basic level, Candace's work is exploratory photojournalism, documenting tribes in India, mountain-dwellers in Morocco and various conflicts in Africa. If you're a reader of The New York Times, National Geographic, or Time, among others, you may already have seen Candace's work in print or online.

However, her images go beyond simple photojournalism in capturing stunningly decisive moments. This is where the "everyday" comes into play. While each series of images functions as a journalistic arc, every image on its own presents a captivating moment in time, removed from—yet in the midst of—economic, social and political conflicts.

Bombay Birds, November 2009, by Candace Feit

As I stared at the images above trying to make sense of their surreal, funny, and scary qualities, it occurred to me that these are everyday moments, but just ones so far removed from life in New York that they appear cinematic. These photographs beg me to expand the boundaries of my own personal map. Beyond New York, there's a big wide world out there.

You can view more of Candace's work on her website.