Hey, Hot Shot! Entries for Hot Shots News

SPINE
2006

Mickey Smith's star is rising rapidly, and it is fair to say that Hey, Hot Shot! has opened a door or two. Since her christening as a Winter 2007 Hot Shot, Miss Smith has shown internationally, and is opening her first solo exhibition in NYC this very evening!

MICKEY SMITH | YOU PEOPLE
November 14 - December 21, 2008
Invisible-Exports
14A Orchard Street
Wednesday through Sunday, 11-6:30pm

Mickey's 20x200 edition prints:
WORD STUDY
MORE BOOKS
A 20x200 interview with Mickey
Mickey's site

Documentary photographer Nina Berman (and former Hot Shot! and Ultra) has work up in the gallery as we speak. Nina was generous enough to answer a few questions for the 20x200 blog.

Here's a sneak preview:

How has participating in Hey, Hot Shot! furthered your art career? I had shown my Purple Hearts and Marine Wedding pictures at many venues in the U.S. and Europe, but hadn't had the opportunity to show in a gallery space in New York. Hey, Hot Shot! allowed me to do that very quickly.

Read the full interview here.

I might also add that since becoming a Hot Shot, Miss Berman has received domestic as well as international accolades for her Purple Hearts series.

I've always liked Hasted Hunt. They often have great shows and now they have a great, politically-supportive project.

Contact the gallery at 212.627.0006 or info@hastedhunt.com to purchase a limited edition print of Martin Schoeller's portrait of Obama taken in 2004.

The print is an 11" by 14" archival pigment print, an edition of 500, each signed and numbered by Schoeller. The prints are $250 plus shipping and handling. All of the proceeds go directly to the Obama campaign.

From blog.noahkalina.com

I admit, I'm not the most technical of photographers. So I am always happy to be given an explanation about what equipment any photographer uses. Here's a nice glimpse into Summer '05 Hot Shot Noah Kalina's Everyday:

On January 11, 2000 I started taking a picture of myself every day with the Sony DSR-PC100 (left). On October 1, 2004 I replaced that camera with the Kyocera Finecam SL300R (middle). On October 1, 2008 I will replace that camera with the Nikon Coolpix S10 (right).

Hot Shot Nina Berman on www.artforobama.net

Today was the kind of day that made me really thankful that Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish year, is in a few days. I think I need a new beginning. I think we all need a new beginning. Banks failing, jobs disappearing, prices rising, and so on. So I can't help but be a little bit enlightened/encouraged by those who are also searching for change:

On 20x200, Kara reports on Art for Obama, a photography auction initiative to raise money for the campaign. Some JB-related — Alec Soth and Nina Berman — are even involved.

And then there's this: The Great Schlep. It has nothing to do with photography, and when it was forwarded to me, I immediately assumed I would hate everything about it. But I don't. It is silly, but they have a point. I hope they help.

Also, Lipstick for Change. A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from an old friend asking if I wanted to take some photos for a new project she was about to begin. There was lipstick. And there was exciting thinking. There was hope. And there was, of course, Obama. You should shoot some photos for them too.

P.S. When I went to Flickr, just now, to upload the photo for to complete this post, I found this, from my talented friend, Carrie McClean. It's a photo, so it's related. And it's adorable. You should think about wearing one of her rings. And take photos. (I should stay more on task: photos.)

Katarina, from Hot Shot Karolina Karlic's Dear Diary series

Spring '07 Hot Shot, Ne Plus Ultra, and 20x200 contributor Karolina Karlic is in a show. Work from Karlic's Dear Diary series is up now through November 8 at the Independent Feature Project in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The IFP notes:

The lush large scale prints of ... Karolina Karlic radiate a sensuality revealing everyday lives longing for meaning and connection.

...

Intrigued by the motivations of those that post Internet classifieds through “Missed Connections” on Craig’s List, Karolina Karlic sought out the posters to create her images. Perhaps by helping to complete their need for connection she was able to draw them into collaboration to make photographs of vulnerability and longing in our contemporary world of impersonal Internet communication.

On the art-inspired-by Craigslist ads note, check out the songs of Gabriel Kahane's "Craigslistlieder." The music has been touted as, "His song cycle, Craigslistlieder, art-song settings of eight anonymous posts he found on the ubiquitous personals/classifieds website Craigslist, has won over fans and critics with its affiliation of raucous pop culture and deft high-art craft. " And it is true. Perhaps it's time for a music and photo show for Karlic and Kahane together.

P.S. Only one print is left from Karlic's 20x200 edition (pictured above)!

P.P.S. Full disclosure: I shot some photos for Kahane's recent album.

From Interior Relations, by Hot Shot Ian van Coller

Next in a continuing series on Hot Shots' blogs: Ian van Coller. Ian is a Fall '07 Hot Shot who lives in Bozeman, Montana. He is Assistant Professor of Photography, Montana State University, Bozeman. And, of course, he has a blog.

From November 5 - December 6 he will show his work, Interior Relations: Portraits of Female Domestic Workers in South Africa at the Rayko Photo Center in San Francisco.

"Interior Relations explores the deep fault lines between the country’s public democratic ideals and the ongoing racial and economic inequality that circumscribes the lived experiences of many black South African women. Many of the contradictions evident in South Africa’s transition to democracy are encapsulated within white households that employ black and coloured domestic workers, often housing them in segregated living quarters on their property. These households, simultaneously private spaces for employers and public spaces for the employees, are ultimately political spaces where race, class and gender inequalities are negotiated. Interior Relations is a portrait series focused specifically on female domestic workers—nannies and maids—who continue to embody this daily repertoire of inequalities."

In 2009, Interior Relations will be shown at the Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana.

Visit Ian's blog for more on his work, The Cape Town Month of Photography show, work that inspires him, and his own experiments and side projects.

Thinking about applying to be a Hot Shot? Maybe you just think that you are a hot shot? Here is some news about two interesting opportunities for competitive photographers:

PDNedu Student Photo Contest 2009
Deadline: September 22, 2008 (I'm a little confused, because parts of their site say that the deadline is September 22 and other parts say to enter by December 7, 2008. I'm looking into confirming the correct date and will report back.)

Students can submit a single image or a series, up to six images per entry in the following categories:
FASHION/PORTRAITURE, DOCUMENTARY/PHOTOJOURNALISM, STILL LIFE, TRAVEL/LANDSCAPE, and FINE ART/PERSONAL WORK.

Prizes include a feature in the Spring 2009 issue of PDNedu and on pdnedu.com, some winners will be featured in a Web Gallery. Five Grand Prize winners, one per category, will receive a Nikon digital camera and a Crumpler bag. Student winners will also be displayed in an exhibit at next year's Society for Photographic Education Conference to be held March 26-29, 2009, in Dallas, TX. All winners and honorable mentions will get a one-year subscription to PDN.

Fraction Magazine Issue 4 Group Show
"Please read the following guidelines carefully. Deviating from these will make the work ineligible."

They continue:

The theme for the show is Typologies. The typology has become a major part of the history of photography as well as a major force in contemporary photography. We wanted to see what the current state of the typology is and how current artists are using it.
The show will include up to 20 artists and each artist will have 3 pieces of work up, a link to their website (if you have one), and contact information.

Here are the rules for submission:

1. Make sure your work actually falls under the category of Typology.

2. Send us three images that are 700 pixels on the longest side.

3. Make sure they are in a jpg format. No PSDs no TIFFs no GIFs.

4. Send them in an email to us at fractionmag@gmail.com Make sure the subject of your email is Group Show. Please include your name, website address (if you have one) and an email address where you can be reached.

5. The deadline for submission is October 10th. We will decide on the final artists by October 15th. Publication of Issue 4 will be in early November.

The ever helpful Rachel Hulin discusses "typologies" in the context of this contest. Go look and then go enter!

Today's 20x200 edition is from Fall '07 Hot Shot Shuli Hallak.

Shuli had this to say about her work:

I am compelled to understand, both visually and conceptually, how things really work, in industry and agriculture, from steel mills to farms. My work is an unveiling of nearly invisible networks that we depend on but of which we know very little.

Photography is my process of discovery and the expression of fascination with what I find.

And Jen Bekman had this to say in her newsletter this afternoon. Sign up for 20x200 news and be the first to hear about great editions like Shuli's.

Greetings collectors! Welcome to your Wednesday dispatch from 20x200 land. I'm a bit bleary-eyed today, having indulged in a night out on the town that kept me up past 2 a.m. One of my favorite things about NYC is that you can stay out till the wee hours on any night of the week; there's always something entertaining going on, usually lots of things, in fact. I might not do it all that often, but there's something comforting about knowing that it's there.

This need for 24 hour living is integral to my city girl identity, which means that all my country living fantasies are just that. I must confess, however, that today's photographs are gorgeous enough to make me consider turning in my night owl wings for a more bucolic life.

Hay Harvest, New Jersey and Cotton Field, Mississippi are from Farms, an evolving body of work by Shuli Hallak. Shuli is a Summer '07 Hot Shot, a recent SVA MFA Photo grad and someone who I happily run into out and about at various photography events in New York City and beyond.

Visually, this new body of work might seem like a dramatic departure from the hard-edged nighttime shots of her Cargo series, but it is gorgeous and monumental evidence of Shuli's ongoing investigation of what she describes as "nearly invisible networks that we depend on but of which we know very little."

The Farms series is particularly resonant for me right now since my literate lefty leanings having me thinking, reading and talking a lot about Slow Food, sustainable agriculture, CSAs and really getting to the bottom of where bacon comes from. Being a city girl makes all of this stuff that much more of a mystery, giving me a voracious appetite for words and images on such matters, not to mention its delicious results. (Although I'm not unquestioning about the inherent privilege of being able to preoccupy myself with such things.)

Many of the photographers that I work with are developing projects related to farms, sustainability and the environment. It's been interesting to see how each artist's individual style is manifested in the results. One of the things that I like so much about the images of Shuli's series is that they are hers, clearly kin to Cargo in spite of the very different subjects, colors, light and environment. To me, being able to establish a distinctive visual style and carry it across a diversity of subjects is one of the true indicators that a photographer is talented.

All this talk of farms and food has given me a hankering for some fresh air and fancy treats. With the editions explicated, that's my cue to take my leave and head out into the sunny afternoon to sniff out some sustenance. As always, you won't have to miss me for long; there's lots of good art in the hopper and I'll be back soon to share it with all of you.

Wednesday's 20x200 edition is by Shuli Hallak, a Fall '07 Hot Shot.

"Two men prepared to get married in San Francisco on June 17 after a California Supreme Court ruling in May allowed same-sex marriages." in a photo by Hot Shot Erin Siegal in The New York Times.

I missed this one: Winter '06 Hot Shot Erin Siegal, who shoots for Reuters, had a photo in The New York Times. A great, illustrative photo. Bonus points for capturing another photographer in the image. And those belts!

Erin is currently on a full scholarship to the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She will graduate in May 2009. Recently, her work has also appeared in U.S. News and World Report.

By Spring '05 Hot Shot Rachel Hulin

I am going to guess that if you are reading this you are an "emerging photographer," or someone who is interested in "emerging photography." And if either of those applies to you then you probably already know about Rachel Hulin and her fantastic blogging about photography (emerging and otherwise).

But did you know that Rachel is a Hey, Hot Shot winner? Spring 2005.

Did you know that Rachel has a new blog?

Bookmark it. If you fall into one of the two categories above then hers is one of the most important voices you should be listening to about photography each day.

Democratic National Convention 2008: Attendees at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, on August 28, 2008. Joe Fornabaio for The Wall Street Journal . Fornabio is a Fall '06 Hot Shot

The Wall Street Journal puts it simply: "Joe Fornabaio photographs Democratic and Republican heavyweights," in their caption to Fall '06 Hot Shot Joe Fornabaio's slide show. Click through "Power Players" for Joe's portraits of Karl Rove, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah), Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Former Republican Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Mark Warner, Democratic Senate candidate and former governor of Virginia, and New York Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson.

Fornabaio has been doing lots of on-the-road political reporting recently. Keep an eye out for his work throughout the remainder of the campaign season.

See Joe's website section "Conventional" for more of this great work.

Summer '07 Hot Shot Shuli Hallak's photo appeared in The New York Times Magazine's "The Way We Live Now" column on June 15, 2008

Okay, she definitely does not belong in the trash, but that's where I found her work today. Or, more precisely, I came across one of Shuli Hallak's photos in an issue of The New York Times Magazine in a pile that I was building as an alternative to the trash. The pile is small, but it's been growing for some time, and it's made up of articles and entire magazine issues that I plan to read. "Plan" being the key word.

So, it's a good thing I decided to flip through a few as I attempted to throw out some of the pile. Because luck granted me this gorgeous photo I'd originally missed by Ms. Hallak, who happens to have been a Summer '07 Hot Shot. Her photo is stunning. A good fit for the "The Way We Live Now" column it illustrates.

I can't stop staring at the photo. I can't believe it lived so long in my trash.

Fall '06 Hot Shot Shen Wei has a solo show of his series Almost Naked at Kunst.Licht Gallery, September 13 - November 30, 2008 in Shanghai, China.

Wei writes:

"Growing up in Mainland China, I was brought up strictly and conservatively, any untraditional and unconventional ideas of life-style can sometimes lead to misconceptions. I was numbed about the ideas of intimacy, sexuality, and love. Since I moved to the United States, my needs for self-expression has grown. However, my curiosity about how others deal with their identity in what is a fairly open society like America has increased. As a result I started to photograph people and life in America.

The goal of my projects is to raise the question about human nature, about emotions, feelings, desire, instinct and identity, to reveal things that you can feel it, that are unexplainable but yet still solid. I am fascinated with exploring the complexity of emotional nakedness and psychological connection/disconnection, as it is often expressed not specifically but explicitly. Certainly my photography is my perspective and how I look at people and life in America. But most importantly, I want viewers of my work to make their own discoveries and judgments of my photographs."

Born and raised in Shanghai, China. Shen Wei is a fine art photographer currently based in New York City. Shen’s photographs have been widely exhibited, including Griffin Museum of Photography, Seattle Center on Contemporary Art, Zone: Chelsea Center for the Arts, Australia Center for Photography, Lincoln Center and Saatchi Gallery at the Zoo Art Fair. His photographs have been featured in various publications such as American Photo, Chinese Photography, PDN, Vision and La Tempestad.

Shen Wei holds an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from School of Visual Arts (NYC), a BFA in Photography from Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a BA in Decorative Arts and Design from Shanghai Light Industry College.

Wei has a blog too.

From Can I Come Home With You? by Jane Tam

Jane Tam used to be a Jen Bekman intern and a Hey, Hot Shot! blogger. She's great and she has some work in three upcoming group shows.

She writes --

I will have one photograph shown in :

Hun Gallery: The Circular Exhibition: Term I
Aug. 22. 2008- Aug. 28. 2008
Opening Reception- Aug. 22. 2008 (6pm-8pm)
Address: 12 West 32nd street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001

The exhibition will then travel to Seoul, Korea and be exhibited at:

Gallery Ho: The Circular Exhibition: Term II
Sep. 11. 2008 – Sep. 20. 2008
Opening Reception- Sep. 11. 2008 (6pm-8pm)
Address: Seocho Dong 1538-4,
Seocho Gu, Seoul, Korea
[137-872]

I have ten photographs from my family series (newly titled "Foreigners in Paradise") showing in an exhibition curated by Jamason Chen.

Seeking Identity curated by Jamason Chen
Pingyao International Photography Festival
Sep. 19. 2008 - Sep. 26. 2008
Pingyao, China

Lastly I am participating in an exhibition in Arizona, showing three photographs and my artist book "Can I Come Home With You?"

SPE: Women's Caucus Exhibition (show title pending)
Northlight Gallery
Oct. 20. 2008 - Nov. 15. 2008
Tempe, Arizona

Andrew, Revere MA, 2006 by Hot Shot Robert Knight

It is shaping up to be a busy summer for Hot Shots from all seasons. Summer '05 Hot Shot Robert Knight was just part of a two-man show titled Things I've Seen, put together by student curator Simeon Durham, of the Hyde Leadership Academy. Knight’s photographs explore the personal space of the bedroom. The exhibit was up at ARTSPACE, a non-profit organization presenting local and national visual art, provides access, excellence and education for the benefit of the public and the arts community in New Haven.

You can see some of Robert's interiors work on his well-designed website and you can purchase an edition at 20x200.

Hey, Hot Shot! opening at Jen Bekman Gallery on August 8, 2008

On Friday night the gallery was packed. The rain stopped shortly before start time so the crowd was, luckily, able to spill over onto the sidewalk and into the street for a lovely evening near the great work of our newest Hot Shots.

Head to PhotoShelter's Shoot! The Blog to read a one-question interview with Ms. Bekman, and check back here for talks with the Hot Shots soon.

It's time for you to stop by the gallery too. Hey, Hot Shot! Volume IV, Edition I is open at Jen Bekman Gallery until August 23.

Installation view, literally, of the HHS show that opens tomorrow at Jen Bekman Gallery. Also, the first photo I've ever shot with a camera phone.

Opening Tomorrow: Hey, Hot Shot! (volume IV, edition I)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Hey, Hot Shot! (volume IV, edition I) | five photographers to watch

Our first Hey, Hot Shot! showcase for 2008 opens tomorrow (Friday) at Jen Bekman Gallery on Friday August 8th.

The exhibition features photographs from:

Juliane Eirich | Derek Henderson | Kate Orne | Roc Herms Pont | Colleen Plumb

Please join us for the opening reception.

Opening Reception: Friday August 8th | 6pm-8pm
On view through Saturday, August 23rd.

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
New York City 10012

Laugaras Iceland by Hot Shot Bob O'Connor, from 20x200

There are only a few left! Merely a handful remain of Winter '06 Hot Shot Bob O'Connor's 20x200 edition that went on sale just this morning.

O'Connor lives in the suburbs outside of Boston with his two Australian Shepherd dogs. His commercial work has appeared in a variety of publications including The New York Times Magazine, Fast Company, Technology Review, Dwell, and London Telegraph magazines. O'Connor's work has also been shown at Jen Bekman Gallery (Hey, Hot Shot! Winter 2006), The Photographic Resource Center, and The Griffin Museum of Photography. He was named one of "30 Emerging Photographers to Watch" by PDN in 2006.

Bob writes:

"The rural landscape of Iceland is full of horses that are allowed to run wild for most of the year. Unfortunately, this also means that the horses aren't that interested in seeing people with cameras. Everytime I got out of the car to attempt a photograph the horses would turn and run away. On the last day of the trip, after two weeks of trying, I found some horses that were cooperative and let me photograph them. It took a bribe, in the form of some green apples and grass, but I think we all won out in the end. I got my photograph and they got a tasty snack."

From the series "Marine Wedding" by Nina Berman

Spring '07 Hot Shot Nina Berman has received much attention and many accolades (including a solo show at Jen Bekman, awards from the World Press Photo Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Open Society Institute documentary photography fund) for her photographs of the American political and social landscape.

Berman's work will be featured in the next month at Bumbershoot's Group Exhibition, August 29 - September 1, 2008 in Seattle, Washington, and in Visa Pour L’Image's “Homeland” Exhibition, August 30 – September 14, 2008 in Perpignan, France.

But what of her subjects? It's pretty amazing that we've been given an update about the subject of her "Marine Wedding" work, from the The Sunday Times.

anhm #30 by Hot Shot and Ultra Joseph O. Holmes

Without fail, each batch of Hey, Hot Shot! entries includes work made inside the American Museum of Natural History. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. We love the museum too. Just a fun fact. And maybe something to keep in mind when shooting. Those scenes have probably been shot before. If you must shoot there, make it work in your own way. (Another day we will discuss shopping carts, for you seem to also really love shopping carts.)

My favorite example of AMNH work is from Fall '05 Hot Shot and Fall '06 Ultra Joeseph O. Holmes. His diorama series is splendid, and can be found on 20x200 as well. (There is only one print of this edition left!)

The Museum itself recently launched an online portal into its own archives of photographs, "Picturing the Museum: Education and Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History." It is worth a look.

Shoot The Blog reprints a great Sugimoto quote about the dioramas:

"Upon first arriving in New York in 1974, I did the tourist thing. Eventually I visited the Natural History Museum, where I made a curious discovery: the stuffed animals positioned before painted backdrops looked utterly fake, yet by taking a quick peek with one eye closed, all perspective vanished, and suddenly they looked very real. I'd found a way to see the world as a camera does. However fake the subject, once photographed, it's as good as real." - Hiroshi Sugimoto

"The other day's pineapples," by James Deavin

Remember that talk about websites? I still don't have all the answers. But I have a good example. James Deavin, a Summer '05 Hot Shot, has a great website and a great blog. James's last post, by chance, is about website redesign. He writes, in general, with a candid honesty that is refreshing. It is nice to see his daily snaps so close to his carefully edited portfolio projects.

And there are gems like this, ". . .using a camera/phone hybrid. These devices mean you can more easily ask your friends for advice on composition-related dilemmas." I never thought of the cameraphone that way before. Brilliant.

Katarina by Karolina Karlic, a Spring 2007 Hot Shot and 20x200 artist.

Jen Bekman and Crown Point Press are throwing a party tonight. Are you in the Bay Area? Then go!

Who: Jen Bekman, 20x200 collectors, friends + fans

What: A 20x200 Party!

When: Wednesday July 23rd | 6pm-8pm

Where: Crown Point Press | 20 Hawthorne St. SF, CA

Why: Because art's for everyone.

RSVP: Upcoming.org

Horseback, Devil's Thumb, Tabernash, Colorado, 1999 — from the series Animals Are Outside Today by 2008 First Edition Hot Shot Colleen Plumb

Colleen Plumb may be one of the newest Hot Shots, but she's already running with a crowd of past winners and others who have shown at Jen Bekman gallery. Colleen's photo, above, is currently featured on Flak Photo, in a section devoted to this year's Review Santa Fe, an annual juried portfolio review for photographers who have created a significant project or series and are seeking wider recognition.

Later this summer, Jen Bekman will be at Sante Fe, to jury the Center’s Singular Image Prize for color photography.

Photo by Winter '06 Hot Shot Rebecca Smeyne

Winter '06 Hot Shot Rebecca Smeyne can be found frequently in the music pages of The Village Voice. See an array of concert photos she shot here, including a just-posted look at Santogold, Diplo, and A-Track in Central Park.

Summer '06 Hot Shot Kate Bingaman-Burt has work in a silent auction fundraiser hosted by Los Angeles based creative business Poketo, to benefit the independently produced documentary Handmade Nation (currently in post-production), in their downtown headquarters on Saturday, July 19, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Poketo is located at 510 S Hewitt #506 Los Angeles, CA. The silent auction will include the work of 30 emerging and established artists.

Visit the auction's Flickr site to see the lots. The Los Angeles Times recently profiled the documentary, its maker, and the auction.

Bingaman-Burt also designed the event's invitation and adorable logo, above.

Now that the Hey, Hot Shot! winners have been announced, I hope we can use the Hey, Hot Shot! Blog to demystify the competition process. Check back in the next few days and weeks for chats with the panelists, information about the judging process, words from the winners, insight into the honorable mentions, and tips and tricks for future applicants and emerging photographers in general. Please write in with your questions too: jensnow AT heyhotshot DOT com

Mouse With Fly by HHS! winner Colleen Plumb

Colleen Plumb
Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois

Website: www.colleenplumb.com

Work statement
My photographs examine the increasing disconnection that exists between humans and the natural world. My work explores simulation, consumption, destruction, and reconstruction. It addresses the essence of our connection, as well as our fragmentation from the natural. The series looks at points of intersection with wild in the human-made world — our coexistence — and explores notions of endurance and the reality of loss.

For over ten years my work has examined how and where the natural world — in real or artificial form — appears in an urban environment. Growing up in Chicago gave me an urban childhood: running through gangways and exploring alleys with my friends. Something more and more kids today don’t experience. Early on, seeds for my interest in nature were planted through lots of outside play, camping trips, and odd pets (our duck named Sir Francis Drake, for example). I am sure these beginnings influence and inspire my work.

I began this project looking at ‘fake nature’, wondering what substitutions for nature can satisfy in people. Looking deeper I began photographing live/real animals and how they can be a link for us to a world far from the reality and pace of contemporary life, as well as provide an intangible link to a deeper world of instinct and rawness. With this series I hope to incite contemplation about the lives of animals and and generate a dialog about resource usage.

Bio
Born in 1970, Colleen Plumb grew up on the north side of Chicago and went to school at the University of Illinois in Urbana; graduating in 1992 with a BFA from Northern Illinois University in Visual Communication. In 1999 Plumb received an MFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago where she is currently an adjunct faculty member. Before earning her MFA, Plumb had a job at a design firm and one day, while driving home, she saw some amazing light on the side of a brick building in Chicago and decided to follow her heart and start making pictures. Plumb lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters and, of course, Jack the dog, and exhibits her photographs nationally.

Porsche by HHS! winner Juliane Eirich

Juliane Eirich
Currently residing in Munich, Germany and Seoul, South Korea

Website: www.julianeeirich.com

Work Statement
When I was 14 my father gave me his old video camera. I made dozens of films with friends, mostly shooting at an abandoned airport in my hometown. It was a great time and I think that’s where my love for places evolves from. It might sound trivial, but when this camera broke I switched to photography.

The main subjects of my work are physical places. I am interested in the relation between man-made environment and nature. This relation can be of very different types within the topics I choose: harmonic, complex, funny, surprising, or shy.

Most of my work is photographed at night. Night photography is slow and calm, but at the same time the very precise process that suits me and my way of working. I like the way I can focus at night, since there is less distraction — both visually and acoustically — than during the day. The artificial, rendering-like aesthetic, the light and color atmosphere that can be found during night, appeals to me and matches my understanding of beauty.

The series "Snow Night" is a personal project that emerged from the half happy, half sentimental feeling of being home after a long stay abroad. While away I missed my homeland. I was looking forward to re-exploring it, since before I left I never realized how much I actually appreciated it.

Through photography I feel I have the "license to be curious." There is always a reason to wander around and look for new places and topics. This curiosity is what inspires me and makes me enthusiastic about photography.

Bio
I was born in Munich, Germany in 1979. After finishing high school in 1999 I got an offer to do an internship at a fashion photographer in Miami. At the end of the internship I knew I didn’t want to be a fashion photographer but I was sure I wanted to become a photographer. I successfully applied at the Academy of Photographic Design in Munich and graduated in 2003.

Like many young photographers I went to New York City right after graduation to work and pursue my own projects. Also, like many young photographers, I did not have an easy time there and after about one year I decided to leave New York, since I felt I was not moving forward.

I started working at a vacation rental in Hawaii. I was working during the day and taking photographs at night. Later on, I received a scholarship to show my work at the reviews of Fotofest 2006 in Houston.

Since then, my work has been exhibited in the USA, Canada, Syria, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, and was featured in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Stern Magazine, and European Photography. My work has been awarded in several competitions like the Flash Forward 2007 & 2008 and the Voiglaender New Talent Award 2007.

In 2007, I received a scholarship of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) to live and work in Seoul, South Korea for one year. This is where I am now, working on a project about a German village in South Korea.

Le Hermitage Painting by HHS! winner Roc Herms Pont

Roc Herms Pont
Currently residing in Barcelona, Spain

Work Statement
Close to photojournalism, with a strong graphic design background, I started using photography to capture and remember what I found interesting though my eyes. People, places, details ... I use photography to share my view of the world, to express myself.

Bio
Roc Herms Pont sounds German, but it is Catalan. 3 monosyllables and three vowels is all he need for presentation.

Born of the hands of the Spanish constitution (1978), he later discover the world of photography, when this became, thanks to digital cameras, the most mainstream form of artistic expression. He left his job as an art director at an advertising agency and embarked on advertising photography, personal projects, and something close to photojournalism.

He currently works as a freelancer within the world of design, advertising photography, and photojournalism.

Reids Farm by HHS! winner Derek Hendersen

Derek Hendersen
Currently residing in Auckland, New Zealand

Website: www.derekhenderson.net

Work Statement
My photography is about what people don't see even when it's right in front of them. Making the mundane sublime. Having empathy with others and the environment. I am fascinated by thepursuit of happiness and how people live their lives. I believe happiness in life is about balance, moderation, and living in harmony with the environment.

Bio
I was born in a rural town called Napier, in New Zealand. Where I'm from you couldn't really study photography at the time. So I became an assistant for an advertising photographer in Auckland, New Zealand. I then worked in London for magazines like ID, Arena Homme Plus, The Observer Magazine, Exit, and a few more. I wanted to work on more personal projects so I moved back to New Zealand and I'm currently working on my second book which will be published by www.michaellett.comm in November.

Sex Worker Entwined With Client by HHS! winner Kate Orne

Kate Orne
Currently residing in New York, New York

Website: www.kateorne.com

Work Statement
Since ‘00 I have worked among the neediest people in Afghanistan and Pakistan and using photography as a tool to fight against indentured slavery and for the wellbeing of women, children, and animals. My commitment to social causes has become the defining part of my life as an artist. I have worked on several essays in South East Asia where the poor are sentenced to lives of disease and want. Throughout, I have been documenting their struggles in photos — using art as a connection to wider awareness in the outside world.

Since '05 I have worked among the sex-workers and their families in Pakistan — being the first photographer to document this shunned community. This body of work examines the uneasy peace between Islamic fundamentalism and profanity in the brothels. Repressive fundamentalist Muslim laws not only shun these women's existence but in some areas make their actions punishable by death. However, in their brothels the women are the breadwinners. This underlying dualism surfaces in portraits of the women sitting proudly on the same beds where they not only service their customers but share with their husbands and children.

I use this project to raise awareness about this little known community, and to raise funds for the two little schools, the first ones ever to offer education to the children of the sex-workers with the mission to break the cycle of children being born into prostitution, sex abuse, drug addiction and crime. There are currently 80 students enrolled.

Bio
Born in Stockholm, Sweden. Based in New York City.

'99 - present
Artist focused largely on women and children issues in developing countries.

’94 - present
Commercial photographer focused on portraiture and fashion.

’02 – Present Established myfarawayfamily.com, an organization providing Afghan refugee children with education and their widowed mothers with micro loans and guidance to start their own businesses. Provided food distributions in Kabul and Peshawar among refugees.

’92 -’94 Editor at Interview magazine.

’88-’91 Producer of still shoots for art and commercial photography.

Publications
The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Interview, Artnet.com, Arena, Vibe, Spin, Marie Claire, Dansk, Harpers Bazaar, Glamour, Tokion, +81, Dune among others.

Exhibitions / Selected Awards
2008
Show&Sell Chelsea Art Museum NYC
Sideluck Potshow.
Selected participant, Review Santa Fe.
American Photography 24 Best Photography of 2007

2007
Act of Faith Nordlicht Photofestival, Netherlands 2007. Curated by Wim Melis
Up& Now! Photographic Center Northwest Judged by Charlotte Cotton, curator of LACM
Spectra ’07 Silvermine Guild Arts Center Curated by Peter McGill, Pace/McGill Gallery NY

Forces of Nature by HHS entrant Zack Bent

I fell in love with Zack's work when I saw it in other contexts — highlighted at various times by the Asthmatic Kitty record label and website — so I was thrilled to see this entry.

Bent's images are familial and familiar. He captures moments that manage to be both joyous and mysterious. I find myself looking at his photos and really wondering what his characters are actually up to.

Getting High by Hey, Hot Shot! entrant Kate Orne

"I work among the sex-workers and their families in Pakistan being the first photographer to document this shunned community. This body of work examines the uneasy peace between Islamic fundamentalism and profanity in the brothels."

Kate Orne is undeniably walking in the altruistic footsteps of Zana Briski with her efforts to "raise funds for the two little schools, the first ones ever to offer education to the children of the sex-workers with the mission to break the cycle of children being born into prostitution, sex abuse, drug addiction and crime."

To fully grasp the complexity of the narratives, Orne's images are best seen as a complete body of work. Yet the image above, Getting High, recalls Nan Goldin and how some photographer's lives are inextricably bound to the people they love and document.

Abandoned Houses, Berkeley, CA, 2008 by HHS entrant Eve Morgenstern

I lived in over 10 houses before I was 20, so as soon as I saw these images of abandoned homes, I was pierced by their ability to speak not of comfort and safety, but of the delicateness and transience of life.

Then I remembered a song by The Smiths:
The passing of time
Leaves empty lives
Waiting to be filled

Sigh.

SEED magazine, cover photography by Summer '05 Hot Shot Noah Kalina

Summer '05 Hot Shot Noah Kalina has a stunning photograph on the cover of the current issue of SEED and a 10-page photo essay on "Labs at Night" inside the magazine. And Kalina recently stopped by 20x200 to release an edition and a chat with Jen Bekman.

Carrie Marill, A Dream World Glimmers In The Background Of The Soul (Detail)

Fall '07 Hot Shot Todd Forsgren has six photographs in the latest Jen Bekman show, Ornithology. The group show, which features a stellar array of artists working in various media, opens tonight, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the gallery, at 6 Spring Street.

Ornithology features bird-themed works by Echo Eggebrecht, Todd Forsgren, Laura Levine, Carrie Marill, Christina Muraczewski, Victoria Neel, Lamar Peterson, Jason Polan, Alec Soth, Amy Stein, Keith Taylor, Bert Teunissen, and Luke Stephenson. Many of these artists will debut exclusive editions on 20x200 during the course of the exhibition.

In the spirit of summer, Ornithology takes its cues from the great outdoors. With their brightly colored plumage, sweet songs, and uncanny ability to fly, birds have captivated humans for centuries, making ornithologists out of even the most casual of observers. From Aristotle to Audubon, Darwin to the binocular-clad of Central Park, our feathered friends have proven to be a source of abundant inspiration.

Of his work, Todd writes:

Ornithologists now use mist nets instead of shotguns. These nearly invisible nets are set up like fences and function as huge spider webs, catching unsuspecting birds. The researcher carefully extracts the bird from the net. Each bird is measured, aged, sexed, and banded with an individually numbered anklet. Then the bird is released.

I photographed these birds while they are caught in mist nets, moments before the ornithologist extracts them. Here, the birds inhabit a fascinating space between our framework of the bush and the hand. It is a fragile and embarrassing moment before they disappear back into the woods, and into data.

Time is almost up.

Have you entered this round of Hey, Hot Shot!? If not, then you need to do it soon. Do it now. Send us your photos and your completed application at once, for the chance to be selected and honored in the Hey, Hot Shot! competition.

Unlike previous years, we WILL NOT be extending the deadline. Not even by a day or an hour or a minute! All submissions are due TUESDAY, JUNE 17, at 8:00 P.M.

James Rajotte for The New York Times

Summer '06 Hot Shot James Rajotte shot a photo-related story for The New York Times.

At Kodak, Some Old Things Are New Again by Claudia H. Detusch, with photos by James Rajotte, from The New York Times, May 2, 2008, is about how many of Kodak's new products are based on work they began, but abandoned, years ago. Eastman Kodak, which once considered itself the Bell Labs of chemistry, is trying to embrace the digital world and the researchers who understand it.

Rajotte has some great photos, including the one above, of Steven J. Sasson, an electrical engineer who created the first digital camera.

Migrant Community, Shanghai 2006 by Spring '07 Hot Shot Daniel Traub

Spring '07 Hot Shot Daniel Traub reports that the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has acquired four images from his City's Edge series. The very series that won him a spot in Hey, Hot Shot!

Traub was also recently included in the PDN 30 2008 - one of 30 "new and emerging photographers to watch," by Photo District News.

And he's not the only Hot Shot featured on that illustrious list. Fall '07 Hot Shot Birthe Piontek and Fall '06 Hot Shot Shen Wei are honored there too.

Untitled (Bicycle) and Untitled (Girl) by Bradford Daly