The Big Picture And The MOP (Month of Photography) Denver

I am not sure when I heard about The Big Picture and what Mark Sink is doing for the month of photography, but when I found out, I knew I wanted to be a part of it!  Being in a gallery is always nice but being outside for everyone to see is such a great way to showcase artist's work around the world.

As The Big Picture describes on their blog, "This show of grand scale contemporary photography exposes the possibility of images as art via email instantly exchanged globally and blown up to large mural proportions.  Images gathered from photographers around the world will be expanded as large Xerox prints and displayed inside galleries as well as posted in approved outdoor locations throughout the city of Denver and sister cities around the globe."

If you are in the Denver area, they are having a Big Picture Celebration on Saturday, March 30th from 12-5pm at the "Open Air Gallery" behind City O City for amazing images, refreshment and music.  I wish I could be there to celebrate.

As soon as I heard about The Big Picture, I wanted to participate.  I was so pleased when I heard back right away that they wanted to use the images I submitted from my new series, "Reflected Identities."  I only wish that I was able to be there to see all of the amazing artwork on the walls of Denver.  The images on this blog post are courtesy of Mark Sink.  So far, I've seen two of my images on the walls and I am amazed by all of the talent included in the project.  I'm thrilled to be a part of it. They will soon announce where all the images are located around the city via google maps.

Also, during the MOP in Denver, two of my images were selected in the Juried show at the Hinterland Gallery, titled "Seen. Unseen."  I was so delighted to hear that I received second place from my image, "Dissolve".  There have been so many great show openings for the MOP!  It's so nice to see a city dedicated to the art of photography.  I am honored to be a part of the Big Picture and Hinterland's show.  Thank you for all you do, Mark Sink and Sabin Aell!

The Impossible Project Partnership

I am so thrilled to partner with The Impossible Project and take their new Polaroid Film on the road with me to document my travels with Max!  Today, they posted a blog about my recent trip to Death Valley with the images I took with their film. As I mention in the blog, shooting with Impossible Film helps me to try and give up control on the end result.  At the same time, it's always interesting to see how the image ends up since there is little to no control on how it will turn out.  Even though I am pointing the camera in a direction and trying to frame the image perfectly, it's always a bit off and not what I imagined.  It helps me to slow down with my shooting and at the same time, it's fun! It's a great tool to help you out of a photo rut, if you're in one.

I look forward to sharing more images I take on my travels and beyond with Impossible Film!  You can read the blog HERE.

My Travels With Max Featured On The PhotoShelter Blog

What a nice surprise to learn that PhotoShelter wanted to feature my story on their blog! 

Sarah Jacobs started following me on Instagram, learned that I belong to PhotoShelter, and then wrote about my journey on the PhotoShelter Blog today.  

She did a wonderful job at summarizing the past few years and each time I read about my journey, it seems hard to believe that this year will be my fifth year on the road. Even more hard to believe that I lived out of a tent for two years!  I think the pop up van has spoiled me.  My only  wish would be taking photographs earlier on, but everything happens for a reason and I am just thankful that I made the decision to get lost, get sober and pick up a camera.

Thank you to the new followers and for the ones who have been here from the very beginning.  I look forward to sharing another year of travels with you!

Click HERE to read the article.

PDN Emerging Photographer Magazine

I have to admit that most of the photographs I took last year on the road were from my iphone 4.  I struggle with the fact that they might not be considered serious images.  The resolution is lower, overall quality is poor and some pros might say, it's only an iphone photograph.  To my professional and fine art photographer friends, I would always respond to their compliment with, "well, it's just an iphone photograph."  I even considered my year on the road as a failure in some respects because my larger camera rarely saw the light of day due to my laziness. 

They always say that the best camera is the one you are carrying.  For me, I take my iphone nearly everywhere I go.  If I don't have it, there has to be some sort of reason I don't want to document something or I just want to go on a walk without it on purpose. Even then, there is a huge potential to miss an opportunity to photograph something.

If you follow me on Instagram (search Alison Turner "Alisontravels"), you'll know that I post just about everything I do through the lens of my iphone and sometimes fancied up with an Instagram filter.  It's so easy to take a photo and click a button to share.  It's also a nice collection of images from my life held in a place like a virtual scrapbook.

To hear that I was the winner in PDN's "Go Indie" photography contest in the Instagram/Hipstamatic category was a bit unbelievable. Thousands of images are uploaded every minute on social networks and because of the iphone, almost every corner of the world is being photographed.  Six image from my iphone 4 "On the Road" series were picked and they chose four of those images to publish on a full page in the Spring 2013 edition of Emerging Photographer Magazine.  

I still feel strange taking portraits with my iphone (scroll down my blog and you will see several), but it's what I have on me at all times so it will have to do.  I'm even working on a new project that I will eventually share that's only taken with my iphone.  

I am thankful to judge, Matthew Jordan Smith who chose my series as the winner and for PDN Emerging Photographer magazine who published it.  I am starting to warm up to the idea that the tools you use for an image shouldn't matter.  No matter what, I will continue to use the camera I have on my iphone.  It's always with me and a part of me (ok, a BIG part)  can't imaging going through life without taking photos.