Latest News and Exhibitions

I hope you are enjoying your summer!  So many things are happening around here that I haven't had the chance to let you know what has been going on.  I have been so fortunate to be selected for the following exhibitions and publications!  I am thankful for you for your continued support and I hope to see you at one of these events.

Upcoming Shows:

August 2nd - September 15th - Photo Center NW "Musings: 18th Annual Photo Competition" 

August 2nd - 31st Black Box Gallery "Color Photography Now"

August 2nd - August 31st Seities Gallery, Alberta Canada - Featured Artist

October 4th - 26th - The Center For Fine Art Photography "Center Forward"

October 12th - November 17th - The Art of Photography Show - San Diego, CA

Recent Publications and Events:

"Reflected Identities" featured in Square Magazine

Featured in Museé Magazine

Slideshow Selected for Slideluck Potshow in Ireland

Seities Magazine - Featured Member 

July Issue of Sunset Magazine

I love Sunset Magazine.

It's one of the magazines that I keep around to refer back to for design or trip ideas.  After I tagged "sunset camps" to one of my instagram photos I took of myself in Death Valley, they contacted me to license the image to place next to the editor's note in the July edition of the magazine.  If you're on instagram, you can see this photo along with others at @alisontravels

Thank you Sunset Magazine!

Alumapalooza 2013

This marks my 4th year of photographing Alumapalooza for Airstream.  Each time, I meet someone new and instantly connect with them.  It's not hard to bond with other people who have the same love of travel, and these campers do it in style!
I love photographing candid moments and portraits of the people who attend the event each year.  Photographing Sandy and Ed with their wedding photograph to celebrate their 30th year together, was inspiring. Also, I enjoyed listening to stories of each person who stepped foot in front of my lens.  All of you are amazing and inspiring to me.

I have to say that the best part of the trip for me was what Kirk said to me.  He's pictured below holding a copy of a photograph I took of him at Alumapalooza two years ago.  Last year at Alumapalooza, he decided to quit drinking. He knew that I didn't drink and said to me, "if you can do it, I can do it!"  He did just that.  June 1st was his year anniversary of not drinking!  He told me that I was his inspiration to quit.  What an honor it is to be an inspiration to someone just by trying to live the best life that I can.  I share my story here (good and bad) so that other people can relate and understand that they are not alone in whatever it is that they are going through.  Congratulations Kirk!

Needless to say, this year was a memorable one.  Thank you to Airstream, Inc. for having me back another year to capture the faces of the people who love Airstream. If you have an airstream, be sure to tell your story on the newly launched LiveRiveted.com website!  I'm excited to be a part of it...even though I don't own an Airstream, I know a thing or two about living on the road.  In fact, we are back in the van for another go around.

Popular Photography Backstory

What a thrill it was to be contacted by Popular Photography Magazine to feature "Brothers" in the June edition of the magazine.  The story around taking the photograph is on the last page, in their "Backstory" feature.  I took this image of the magazine on a news stand in the airport as I was traveling home from South Carolina.  It's always a thrill to see your image in print.  Thank you, Popular Photography!

Honor Flight of South Carolina

I was asked to document 100 WW2 and Korea War Veterans flying from South Carolina to Washington DC to tour all of the war memorials.  It didn't take long for me to say yes to this amazing opportunity.  What an honor it was to be able to join in on the experience of these men and one woman from South Carolina who served our country.  I knew it would be an intense experience full of emotion and it certainly didn't disappoint. 

I haven't been to Washington DC since I was an 8th grader.  I was fortunate to have been able to make that trip as I was this week to experience this one.  We all met early in the morning to depart from the Columbia airport.  Old friends and new ones spent the morning chatting and catching up while walking through the airport while people cheered and clapped for them.  

As we arrived at the Washington DC airport, they were greeted with more cheers and hand shakes from strangers.  It was hard to not get emotional at the welcome they received.  Looking at their eyes, you know these men were touched by what they were seeing.  The emotions ran strong all day long as they were again greeted with a parade of people in line to thank them for their service.  

The day of touring, remembrance, and celebration ended with the grand finale of greeters back at the Columbia airport cheering, complete with a band, banners and what seemed to be the entire town of Columbia waiting to greet their arrival home.  For some of them, it was the homecoming they never had.  For me, it will be an experience I will never forget.

This memorial day, take the time to thank the men and women who have served this country so we are able to live a life of our choosing. 

Here are some moments of the day.

Reflected Identities at the Palm Springs Photo Festival

For the past few months, I have been working on a new series.  I started taking portraits of my friends in the Southern California area with an idea in mind. As with a lot of projects I start, they tend to change and take on a life of its own by the time I am ready to show it.  That was the case with "Reflected Identities".  I began the series (I didn't have a title or direction) by photographing my friends for an androgynous series but the more I shot, the more I realized that the portraits were molding into a reflection of me.

Last week, I learned that I was a finalist in the slide show competition at the Palm Springs Photo festival so I attended the festival and spent a few days there.  I was in disbelief when it was announced on Thursday night that I won the grand prize!  There were so many beautiful and powerful slideshows included and I was just thrilled that I was selected to be among the finalists.  When I submitted the show, I had less images than what you see here but ultimately, this is what won the competition.

I want to thank all of the amazing women who have stepped outside of their comfort zone to be completely vulnerable with me.  This has been such a beautiful learning and growing experience... I just can't thank you enough. Many of you have expressed the same so for that, I am grateful. 

I debated on if I should keep the images private and not roll it out to the public, partly because it's so vulnerable to throw it out there.  If my friends can be this open and vulnerable with me, it's only fitting that I do the same with the series.

On a side note... 

A little over four years ago in Palm Springs, I was sitting on a small patch of grass in front of a hotel completely hung over, crying and lost in my life.  That day I stopped drinking alcohol and the months to come I painted and picked up a camera and started shooting.  Last Thursday, I walked on stage in front of hundreds of photographers and people in the industry, to accept the grand prize award. Just a few blocks away sits that patch of grass where I made the decision to change my life.  Anything is possible.

Click to watch below or you can see it directly on VIMEO by clicking HERE

Reflected Identities from Alison Turner on Vimeo.