One of the Six Thousand, 2011 by Moya McAllister

Plenty of films and books have covered the questionable, if not downright deplorable, practices of the mass production of food. High on that totem pole are the pieces written about the livestock industry in America. In Contender Moya McAllister's series, reverse famine, the photographer documents the process in rural Ireland.

Abbatoir #1, 2011 by Moya McAllister

In her artist statement, McAllister explains:

This body of work, reverse famine, was created during an assignment for a farm-to-table cookbook, The Irish Butcher. During my four-week stay in the rural West Counties of Ireland, I lived on a dairy farm with a converted photo studio while visiting different kinds of farms around the area... My admiration for the Farm Security Administration's documentary photographers, especially the work of Dorothea Lange, influenced me greatly during the creation of these images, though my focus was more animal than human.

Queen for a Day, 2011 by Moya McAllister

Abbatoir #2, 2011 by Moya McAllister

She adds:

A city girl at heart, through this project I grew sensitive to the issues of abuse or mistreatment that surround farm animals in the United States; I believe all animals, especially those we are going to consume, deserve our respect and care. In Ireland, I saw firsthand a long held tradition of love intertwined with commerce. While images of meat can evoke death to many, to me they have become a primitive symbol of sustenance and the essence of life... My attention during shooting was naturally turned toward animals as living creatures of warmth and beauty; human beings often attribute human characteristics to animals in order to create an emotional tie. We don't like to be reminded that we eat animals but the reality is they are food, and there can be beauty in that alone.

Richard's Pig, 2011 by Moya McAllister

Moya McAllister's career has spanned multiple media outlets, most notably Time Inc., Harry N. Abrams, Roger Black Studios, Newsweek, Scholastic and Hemispheres. Her involvement in the photography industry includes serving as a panelist, judge and photo reviewer for a variety of reviews and events, most recently at PhotoPlus Expo/PSPF 2010. Moya is also co-founder and administrator of PictureEditors.Org with Rob Haggart of APhotoFolio and APhotoEditor. After more than 15 years as a photo editor, director and producer, McAllister is once again concentrating on full-time photography, shooting food, portrait and travel commissions.

2008.10.13-114, 2008 by Anton Young

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines taxidermy as the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals and especially vertebrates, though the fact that "art" is included in its definition seems debatable to some groups.

In the First Edition 2011 round of the competition, we received quite a few submissions that, in one way or another, were related to the matter. In his series Menagerie, Contender Anton Young literally takes a close look at the deceased animals.

2008.08.28-075, 2008 by Anton Young

In his statement, Young writes:

This group is from the series Menagerie, which is a series of pictures of taxidermy. I'm a vegetarian and have been told (repeatedly) it's a strange subject to be obsessed with. I find taxidermy simultaneously beautiful, fascinating and a bit horrifying.

2008.07.03-447, 2008 by Anton Young

Young also submitted another, disparate body of work to us, titled Guest:

This group is from Guest, which is a series of pictures of places where I've spent the night. The series covers friends' houses, vacation rentals, hotel rooms, etc. Photographing the spaces is a little ritual; it's sort of a way of marking my territory before sleeping in a new place.

218-1869, by Anton Young

235-3562, by Anton Young

Anton Young grew up in Nashville, TN, but has been calling NYC home for over 20 years. He received his BFA in fine art photography from the School of Visual Arts in 1992, and is now a professional photo retoucher.

290-9002, by Anton Young

The Treasure Hunter, 2010 by Jenny Riffle

The idea of finding buried gold and silver has long been romanticized in literature and film, from Huckleberry Finn's run-ins with danger to Indiana Jones' daring savvy. The allure of finding something of great value seems to be as much about being connected to the past as it is about a larger quest—for riches, for status, for comfort, for security, for fame, for recognition, for love. For the past few years, Contender Jenny Riffle has been following her subject, Riley, on his treasure hunts. Armed with a steadfast resolve and a metal detector, her subject proves that one man's trash is indeed another man's treasure.

The Map, 2011 by Jenny Riffle

In her artist statement, Riffle writes:

Riley grew up in rural eastern Washington. As a child, he read Mark Twain's stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and decided he wanted to be like those mythical boys. He wanted a life full of treasure and adventure. Riley started smoking a corncob pipe, wearing a straw hat and even [attending] school barefoot until he was told not to. He got his first metal detector when he was 11, and to this day he continues to seek treasure in the dirt, in sandy beaches or even looking through a handful of change for wheat pennies and real silver. In my project, Scavenger: Adventures in Treasure Hunting, I have been following Riley out on his hunts and photographing the objects he collects. I explore the line between documentary and fantasy as I look at the objects he finds, what drives him to continue and the mythology and history of the treasure hunting persona.

Tom Sawyer's Gang, 2011 by Jenny Riffle

Riffle adds:

In Scavenger, I don't try to reveal Riley's essence as a traditional portrait would, but build upon it to create a more complicated presence. I express my romantic view of his life and his treasure hunting obsession and choose not to show his daily activities outside of that. By only showing one side of his personality I create a larger than life character. I photograph him in Twain's spirit, as a mythical adventurer, like Huck Finn... Davy Crockett or Peter Pan.

Cowboys and Indians, 2011 by Jenny Riffle

Jenny Riffle received her BA in photography from Bard College in 2001 and her MFA at the School of Visual Arts in 2011. In the last 10 years, she has travelled between New York City and Seattle, photographing and exhibiting her work nationally. She was selected for inclusion in The Collector's Guide to Emerging Art Photography, was published by the Humble Arts Foundation in 2009 and has been featured in the Photo Center Northwest's annual photo book for 2007 through 2009 and numerous publications, including The Stranger and Visionaire.

Humpty Dumpty, 2010 by Jenny Riffle

Chairs, 2010, from the series Jesusita Summerland by Ali Richards

On May 5, 2009, a wildfire broke out in the hills of Santa Barbara, California. Dubbed the Jesusita Fire, it burned nearly 9,000 acres and destroyed 88 homes, causing some $20 million in property damages. Armed with a Wista 4x5 (and a recent Fellowship), Contender Ali Richards documented "the immediate aftermath and the continuing changes to the landscape," focusing on the frequently tenuous relationship between man and nature. On her website, Richards explains, "The fire destroyed the homes of some of America's wealthiest citizens; indifferent to class, the devastation triggered unexpected results. This scorched landscape provides little evidence of the good life of this once gated community..."

Stairs, 2010, from the series Jesusita Summerland by Ali Richards

Of her craft and focus, Richards writes:

My practice is primarily concerned with exploring anthropological shifts and topographical changes within the boundaries of modern life. Of particular interest are social and physical landscapes and the borders within them that are in flux. Often these borders are exposed through some form of [violence] that demonstrates the struggle between two elements. The Environment and Man's place within it is a reccurring theme within my work. I tend to make work with a participatory/performative approach, infiltrating "outsider" groups enough to be granted a privileged perspective. This process has enabled me to execute bodies of work that transcend the obvious voyeuristic possibilities, to explore personal spaces and landscapes, with attention being given to seeking sublime scenes with romantic Gothic colours and textures.

Silverware, 2010, from the series Jesusita Summerland by Ali Richards

Ali Richards has been granted several international and domestic residences and fellowships, many of which have been situated in isolated or vulnerable communities and landscapes. Richards' work has been recognized with several international prizes, including the Emerging Photographer Award from the Magenta Foundation.

No. 295, 2010, from the series Jesusita Summerland by Ali Richards

Shopping Totem, by David Welch

Congratulations to photographer David Welch, who is the first Contender from the First Edition 2011 round of competition to be selected to participate in 20x200.com. A limited-edition print of his photograph, Shopping Totem, is now available.

We first wrote about David back in June, and his series was subsequently picked up around the blogs. Of his series Material World, which includes Shopping Totem, Welch writes:

Material World is my response to our contemporary consumer milieu. By treating artifacts of consumer culture as Duchampian-inspired Assisted Readymades, I photograph assemblages, created by my own hand, that form monuments, or totems, serving as precarious externalizations of culture and social biography... The photographs speak of accumulation and materiality and aim to encourage debate about consumption and the ways in which we feel compelled to consume.

We will continue to release limited-edition prints from the First Edition 2011 round of competition. Be sure to sign up for the 20x200 newsletter to find out which entrants are selected, as well as to discover great art. 20x200 releases at least one drawing or work on paper and one photograph each week.

The panelist review of all the submissions will be happening next week! Sometime afterward, we will be announcing the First Edition 2011 Hot Shots. Will YOU be chosen? Be sure to check out the site and keep an eye on your inbox to find out when the five photographers are chosen.

Speaking of the panelists, Todd Hido recently joined photographer Jim Goldberg to chat about Larry Sultan for a PDN piece about heroes and mentors. You can read the full interview here.

Padre Danzinger, 2011 by Erin Riley

Photography has long been closely associated with wars and conflicts. From the late Robert Capa to Tim Hetherington, whom we recently lost, there is a whole breed of photographers who dedicate their lives to the manmade chaos that is war. Though not a war photographer, Contender Erin Riley's series Vocation focuses on the modern military, documenting the very human side of it.

Padre Demiray, 2011 by Erin Riley

In her statement, Riley writes:

My photographic roots lie in the documentary tradition. And in the last few years, I have become increasingly interested in how the portrait functions as a documentary device. Portraits are intriguing for what they tell us, for how they allow us to stare and to linger. But even more interesting is what they don't show us, and how they often raise more questions than they answer. Vocation is a series of portraits of chaplains in the Canadian Forces. I have asked the padres to allow me to photograph them engaging in the act of prayer. The posture of prayer, the pose—eyes closed, head bowed, hands clasped—is one of contemplation, of turning inward. Upon reflection, I have found many parallels between the act of prayer and the act/ritual of photographing—loading film, head bowed as I look through the viewfinder, looking, searching for light and moments, for answers. Hitting the shutter becomes an act of faith that the photo will materialize, resurrect itself in the developing process. My hope is that these photographs invite the viewer to contemplate, to reflect on the nature of war, on the role of faith and the rhetoric of religion.

Major Michelle Staples, 2011 by Erin Riley

Erin Riley is a photographer based in Toronto, where she has worked as an editorial photographer, with her work appearing in many national newspapers and magazines. In 2010, she completed her MFA in documentary media at Ryerson University. With her roots in the documentary tradition, it is the storytelling aspect of photography that is the driving force in her work. During the spring of 2009, she traveled to the High Arctic with the Canadian Forces as one of five civilian artists chosen to participate in the Canadian Forces Artists Program.

Bible, 2011 by Erin Riley

Untitled, 2011 by Zhenjie Dong (click on image to enlarge)

Ai Weiwei has been the center of attention in art circles (and beyond) in the past couple of months. The Chinese artist and activist was arrested (for no apparent reason at the time) in early Spring, sending shock waves throughout the world—largely because, for years, the Chinese government had left its world-renowned contemporary artists alone. A figure as central and influential as Ai, who was accused of tax evasion and was eventually released in June, was thought to be untouchable. The whole ordeal has now quieted down a bit, but the arrest reminded the world that, despite a booming contemporary art scene, the underlying problems in China are not to be ignored. Contender Zhenjie Dong's series reveals the tip of the iceberg through her carefully composed and constructed images.

Untitled, 2011 by Zhenjie Dong (click on image to enlarge)

In her statement, Dong explains:

China—known as a country with a long history and rich cultural heritages—is now facing lots of issues, including corruption, social injustice, wealth segregation, web censorship, etc. While the media is still [portraying] the happy life of Chinese people under the rule of the government, people ridicule the authority and reveal the reality they see through websites. This series of work intends to address the social issues that China is facing now, which are covered up by the Chinese government. I intend to seduce the viewers by beautiful images—applying traditional Chinese aesthetics—and then reveal the dark and corrupted side of the reality in China by the use of the QR code, which encodes website links and can be read by QR readers and camera phones. I photograph traditional Chinese flowers and plants, which refer to the pursuit of moral spirit in ancient China, and [juxtapose it] with the links that [reveal] corruptions, scholar plagiarism and a list of blocked websites. By doing this, I intend to point a finger at the existing issues that are filtered out by the government.

Untitled, 2011 by Zhenjie Dong (click on image to enlarge)

Dong is a Chinese artist and photographer who is exploring ways to express her social and political concerns through photography. A graduate from the Communication University of China with a BFA in English Language and Literature, she is currently pursuing her MFA in photography at Savannah College of Art and Design in the state of Georgia.

Note: If you are in New York City, be sure to check out Ai Weiwei's photography exhibition at the Asia Society, on view until August 14th.

Untitled, 2011 by Zhenjie Dong

Northern California, 2009 by Chris Bennett

To many photographers, the camera is nothing but a tool. It is simply the device that captures what the photographer wants. A lot of photographers would tell you it doesn't matter who makes the camera or how it looks, and yet, it is absolutely true that if you change your camera, you also change your photos. In Contender Chris Bennett's case, the role of his camera is deeply embedded in Between West and West, a series about landscapes and their associated personal memories.

New Mexico, 2002 by Chris Bennett

In his statement, Bennett explains:

In 2001, while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and working at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, I acquired an old Kodak No. 2 Brownie camera from a coworker that, to my surprise, accepted modern day 120 film. I began shooting with it almost exclusively and unknowingly started the project that is now Between West and West. Ten years later—lots of miles and now settled in Portland, Oregon—I have finally retired the old Brownie and, with it, this body of work. Growing up in Indiana, I was always fascinated by the history and images of the American West. Once able to venture out on my own, I slowly, over the years, made my way westward. These images document that journey, as many of these places I temporarily called home, and they became part of who I am today. They are now engrained in my past and memory, and the only physical visual evidence left of them is through my photographs. Each image is a poem created for the place it represents, ghosts of American mythology and geography. I remember them dark, mysterious, isolated and seemingly lost in time. They are my private internal response to my external experience, moving across lonely, unpopulated American landscapes, which reverberate melancholy.

Painted Hills, Oregon, 2009 by Chris Bennett

Chris Bennett is a photographer, filmmaker, curator and photo educator living in Portland, Oregon. He graduated with a BFA in photography and minor in art history from Indiana University in 1999. Bennett has worked at major photography organizations such as the George Eastman House, the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops and photo-eye bookstore and Gallery. He has shown his work primarily in the Northwest region, and is the founder and Executive Director of Newspace Center for Photography.

Clackamas River, Oregon, 2010 by Chris Bennett

41st, 2011 by Yojiro Imasaka

One of the words used a lot to describe photography is "texture." Literally speaking, the level of real texture a photograph can offer is quite limited to the type of paper and the finish of the print. And if you are viewing photos on a computer, the only texture you can get is off of your screen. So one might ask, what is texture in photography and does it really exsit? The answer to the latter, I suppose, would be the same to the question, "Does life have a texture?" Contender Yojiro Imasaka seems to be nodding his head with his recent series, Living in Velvet.

676 humboltd, 2011 by Yojiro Imasaka

In the statement for the series, Imasaka writes:

This series of work entitled Living in Velvet is inspired by an old lady who I met last year. It was a day before she turned one hundred and five years. She described her life as "living in velvet." I did not know what she really meant to say, but somehow it [sounded] so beautiful to me. Life and death is [a] common theme [in] art, and I believe photography is [a] medium that describes it well.

julie, 2011 by Yojiro Imasaka

Yojiro Imasaka was born in Hiroshima, Japan, but currently calls New York City home. He received a BFA in photography from Nihon University College of Art in Tokyo in 2007, the same year he won a scholarship from the Fine Arts department of Pratt Institute, where he's currently pursuing an MFA.

magnolia, 2011 by Yojiro Imasaka

Penelope Umbrico joins the Hey, Hot Shot! panel right in time for the First Edition 2011 judging. Penelope's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and is in the collections of the MoMA, the ICP and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, Penelope is also core faculty at the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography and Related Media program in NYC. Her book Penelope Umbrico (photographs) was published by Aperture in Spring 2011. Penelope joins ranks with influential industry leaders Todd Hido, Darius Himes, Nion McEvoy, Lesley A. Martin, Kent Rogowski, Jenni Holder and Raul Gutierrez.

Wave #1, 2011 by Ryan Rickett

Contender Ryan Rickett's submission, Dume Gloom (named after the cliffs at Point Dume), bears a striking cinematic characteristic. And that's no coincidence. Originally a director, Rickett captures in the series an ethereal, otherworldly and even painterly quality to this renowned and frequently scouted location. Using long exposure, Rickett transforms the crashing of the waves against the cliffs into a mystical landscape enveloped by a dense, sea foam fog.

Wave #2, 2011 by Ryan Rickett

Ryan explains in his artist statement:

Time is the measure of change. When I was a teenager, I purchased a shutter release cable for my first SLR camera and spent countless hours shooting at night, holding my shutter open for minutes on end, fascinated with the concept of compressing all those minutes into a single shot. From that early experience I developed an obsession with long exposure photography, which eventually led to the discovery of techniques that allowed me to make long exposure shots in the daytime, opening up an endless ocean of opportunity. I have recently moved to Malibu, California, and fell in love with the constantly evolving beach around the cliffs of Point Dume, where I live. Every day is a whole new landscape; you never know what new secrets will be revealed by the ever undulating tide. Using long exposure photography, I have tried to bring a sense of mystery and awe to the landscape. Waves transform rocks into mountain peaks hugged by fog, stirring memories of past lives on strange lands. The beach becomes the ghost of an ocean, cloaked in a gradient of sea foam, saltwater and mist. It is my hope that these images inspire the same evocative emotions in the viewer that I experience every time I walk through this fascinating landscape.

Wave #3, 2011 by Ryan Rickett

Wave #4, 2011 by Ryan Rickett

Ryan Rickett studied film at the Art Center College of Design. Having directed music videos and commercials professionally for over half a decade, he has recently begun a career as a photographer. He lives in Los Angeles, CA, with his wife and creative partner. You can view their work here.

Wave #5, 2011 by Ryan Rickett

Untitled, 2010 by Randy P. Martin

''I have a hard time staying in one place for too long, which is a huge motivation for me to keep shooting... There are just so many moments and faces that would get lost along the way without it,'' writes Contender Randy P. Martin in his bio, and he has the portfolio to back it up.

Untitled, 2010 by Randy P. Martin

Martin explains in his statement:

I shoot photographs that capture my travels, my adventures and the people I meet along the way. I tend to meticulously document my life one way or another and with a camera at my side; my work, rather than being a conscious effort, is something I create because I love it and can't help but to make my experiences timeless—to perpetually live in them and soak up every last bit for as long as possible.

Untitled, 2010 by Randy P. Martin

In honor of his wanderlust ways, we have selected a few images from his Flickr account, so sit back and enjoy this photographic journey.

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

Untitled, by Randy P. Martin

According to Martin, who is currently based in Chicago, his formal photography training is limited to the "high school dark room." Besides having had his first show at Hibbleton Gallery in Fullerton, CA, last fall, his images have been picked up by several noted blogs such as Booooom. To find out such things like what camera Martin uses or what music he listens to, be sure to check out this revealing interview.