Rachel and David, by I-Hsuen Chen

"For a knowledge of intimacy, localization in the spaces of our intimacy is more urgent than determination of dates." So wrote French philosopher Gaston Bachelard in The Poetics of Space, his masterpiece that takes a profound look at how we experience intimate places. In the book, Bachelard narrates an exploration of space and place in a poetic voice—something Contender I-Hsuen Chen does much the same with his camera in In Your Place, another body of work he'd submitted after receiving an Honorable Mention and winning the Blurb prize in the Second Edition 2011 round of competition.

Untitled, by I-Hsuen Chen

Chen explores the poetics of everyday life by visiting his friends at their homes, who mostly like himself are foreign students living in New York City. Though careful not to disturb the everday-ness, Chen's presence inevitably changes the dynamics within the confined space. Visually, the bare walls and basic furnishings give a hint of temporariness, but also create a sort of accidental minimalism—perhaps offering a glimpse into the lives of this particular group, although documentation is not Chen's intention. He writes in the statement:

Entering my friends' private spaces, I try to capture their intimate living scenarios in New York. I am a gentle intruder creating different sub-plots that become part of their life. The whole visit becomes a Happening. I document this Happening with my camera.

Untitled, by I-Hsuen Chen

Chen, who abandoned a career in marketing in his hometown, Taipei, to pursue photography in Brooklyn, NY, is also a trained opera singer, and a performance and video artist. In May, he will earn his MFA in photography from Pratt Institute and will be showing his Nowhere in Taiwan series at the New York Photo Festival Invitational Exhibition, opening today at powerHouse Arena in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Yu-Ping, by I-Hsuen Chen

Lemon Shake Up, Strong City, Kansas, 2003 by Mike Sinclair

Public Assembly, featuring photographs by 2009 Hot Shot and Ultra Mike Sinclair, is currently on view at Jen Bekman Gallery through June 24th, 2012.

Jen Bekman Gallery is located at 6 Spring Street (between Elizabeth + Bowery), in NYC. The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m., or by private appointment.

In describing the exhibition and Mike's work, Gallery Director Jeffrey Teuton notes:

Seeking out the quintessentially American celebrations and rituals in his Midwestern stomping grounds, Sinclair's portraits of sun-dappled barbecues, baseball games and fairgrounds possess both a comfort and wonderment in their honesty. Finding himself in crowds where he is often staring at the spectacle that everyone else is immersed in, Sinclair's images of these loosely organized forms of congregation ruminate on the American experience, poetically lifting the ordinary into the idyllic.

You can view the complete exhibition online here. And don't miss out on his limited-edition prints on 20x200, which you can view here.

Posing for a portrait can be, for many (including, sometimes, the photographer), an unnerving situation. Seemingly wary of the photographer, the subjects in Contender Horatio Baltz's submission appear suspicious, stiff and even annoyed. But as he explains, these images tell the story of that awkward moment between photographer and subject when the "thin veil of suspicion," as he describes, is still intact.

Untitled, by Horatio Baltz

Untitled, by Horatio Baltz

Baltz explains:

These are a collection of images I have collected over the years shooting portraits. Like many photographers, it was hard for me at first to overcome my seemingly crippling shyness. Over time I learned that "taking" pictures is less about "taking" and more about "giving" or "sharing." People are flattered to be immortalized on film. If you break through that thin veil of suspicion, I think inside we all cry out for the attention [from] one another. At the very least, a few shared moments with a stranger give all of us a bit more dignity in this world.

Untitled, by Horatio Baltz

Untitled, by Horatio Baltz

Horatio Baltz is a Brooklyn-based graphic artist who likes taking pictures. He was born in Mississippi, was brought up in Eastern Pennsylvania and is a first generation American—the son of a steel worker and a cosmetologist. In 2008, Horatio obtained his BFA in communication design from Parsons School of Design. Aside from being a graphic artist and photographer, Horatio is also a musician. For a more thorough and colorful account of Horatio's life, click here.

Untitled, by Horatio Baltz

The Holderness coast, on the East Coast of England, suffers continual erosion, with nearly seven feet of land per year being eroded. It is estimated that, since Roman times, 32 villages in the area have been lost to the sea. Because the cliffs along the coast are of boulder clay, a soft and crumbly rock, the heavy rains and sea storms make the erosion that much worse. For his submission, Contender Neil A. White shows us these Lost Villages.

Untitled, from the series Lost Villages, 2011 by Neil A. White

Untitled, from the series Lost Villages, 2012 by Neil A. White

White explains:

This project explores the constant battle between the power of the ocean and the mainland, and it documents the irreversible change taking place on the Holderness coast. The speed of the erosion has increased significantly in the past decade, thanks to rising sea levels, which is linked to climate change.

Some of the inspiration and ideas for the project has come from the history surrounding the coast line. I also see this work as a historical record. Today, the village experiencing the severest threat is Skipsea. With a population of around 600, many homes there are set to disappear completely in the next five years. The average annual rate of erosion is around two meters [nearly seven feet] of land per year. What drew me to this coastal area, though, is not just its reputation as one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe, but also because it is very close to where I grew up; I visited the area on family trips.

Untitled, from the series Lost Villages, 2011 by Neil A. White

Untitled, from the series Lost Villages, 2011 by Neil A. White

Neil A. White (b. 1972) is an English-born photographer and teacher currently living in London, U.K. His interest in photography began in his early twenties while working and traveling in Australasia and Asia. Perhaps the roots of this interest, though, go back even further than that. As a child, Neil's parents would give him their Kodak Instamatic to take family portraits because they believed he always took the best pictures. Neil never liked posed shots or unnatural smiles; when his parents indicated they were ready to be photographed he had already taken the picture. Growing up in the north of England, Neil would escape to the countryside whenever he could. This fascination with the natural world and contrasting environments is at the heart of his photography and is an infinite source of inspiration. His work explores the relationship between nature and the modern world, and how they co-exist, sometimes harmoniously, more often in conflict with one another. He sees this conflict as one of the key dilemmas of modern day existence. When taking pictures of landscapes, he tries to connect with the land, to feel the air and the light and to bring those feelings into his photographs. Neil's work tends to be reflective and is often quiet and deeply personal. The relationship humans have with the natural world is of great interest to Neil and this is a common thread that runs through much of his work. When he is not photographing or teaching, Neil still takes every opportunity to escape into the countryside. He is also interested in politics and environmental issues and is committed to promoting practical solutions to environmental challenges.

Untitled, from the series Lost Villages, 2012 by Neil A. White

Using her 35mm camera and the installations she creates, Contender Emma Gluckman aims to capture moments resembling hypnagogia, the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep.

band aid, 2010 by Emma Gluckman

sewing lesson, 2010 by Emma Gluckman

Gluckman explains:

Dissociative behavior, repressed memories, insomnia, the aftermath of assault—all things that come and spin like gumballs in my subconscious while the world around me is muted, like my psyche is wearing earmuffs. I second-guess my memories and scrutinize my body. I try to hush my internal clamor by reaching for my camera. I find ritual catharsis when I arrange objects, bodies and bedrooms; paste, stretch and twist; and take a damn picture so I can stop thinking about it already. Sometimes I shoot spontaneously. Sometimes a found moment beckons an emotion I am unable to articulate. Frequently my images are carefully posed, or temporary installations I've documented photographically. I am interested in the notion of a photograph as evidence of a moment, and the moments I'm attempting to transcribe are flashes of my subconscious, the way a hypnogogic brain reassembles images from a wakeful experience to manifest disquieting scenes. Each scene exists in a room in the flesh dollhouse of my body, connected by ethereal hallways. My aim is not to lead a viewer through my specific narrative—rather I wish to evoke an emotional reaction that mirrors my own state. I encourage a viewer to explore that which may be grotesque or melancholy in themselves, and the difficult-to-acknowledge parallel reality of the subconscious.

red phone, 2010 by Emma Gluckman

pelt, 2010 by Emma Gluckman

horse, polaroids and chair, 2009 by Emma Gluckman

Emma Gluckman was born and raised by a painter and a psychiatrist, and she was given her first camera (the one she still uses) at the age of 16. A Brooklyn-based photographer, she is interested in the idea of temporary psychological landscape. She often constructs installations before shoots, and she utilizes discarded objects and distorted bodies to conjure scenes from the subconscious and hypnagogic states.

Fourth of July #2, Independence, Missouri, by Mike Sinclair

Photographers, mark your calendars! 2009 Ne Plus Ultra Mike Sinclair's debut solo show in NYC, at Jen Bekman Gallery, is but mere days away. An opening reception for Public Assembly will be held on Friday, May 11th, 2012, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and the show will be on view Saturday, May 12th, through Saturday, June 24th.

Mike impressed our panelists with his ephemeral portraits focusing on "crowds at sun-soaked fairgrounds, beaches and baseball games," and he adeptly captured a sense of nostalgic Americana that we simply couldn't get out of our heads and hearts. Soon, he was creating limited-edition prints with 20x200 to share with collectors all around the world. We are thrilled for Mike's success, which includes being published in the New York Times, Metropolis, Architectural Record and Interior Design, as well as having his work in private and public collections in the U.S.

+ Photographer Daniel Seung Lee, who was a contender in a past round of our competition, was selected to participate with 20x200. Two of his photographs are now available as limited editions on the site.

+ April is almost over, and with it the Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA). If you're in L.A., there are major ongoing exhibitions you can catch, like Robert Adams: The Place We Live and Fracture: Daido Moriyama at LACMA, as well as In Focus: Los Angeles, 1945-1980, Herb Ritts: L.A. Style and Portraits of Renown: Photography and the Cult of Celebrity at The Getty.

+ Smaller shows were also taking place across town that featured Jen Bekman Projects artists. You can still catch Taj Forer's solo exhibition, Stone by Stone at LeadApron through May 19th.

Taking us from Brazil to Sri Lanka and back to New York, Contender Kevin Tachman's documentary photography captured the frenetic, energetic moments along his journey. His ability to bring viewers into the scenes lends itself to his various assignments, which include entertainment, music and fashion. To see more of his work, check out his photoblog, BackstageAt, which takes the viewer behind the scenes of world-renowned live acts and the backstage buzz of fashion shows.

Colombo Market, 2008 by Kevin Tachman

House of Xtravaganza Ball, 2009 by Kevin Tachman

Kevin says of his submission:

These images come from disparate parts of my experiences documenting different parts of the world, from the epic stillness at one of the busiest places on earth, to the flight of a bird on [the] other side of the world. At [its] core, my work aims to be transportive to a singular moment, [to] give [a] feeling of space and time that will, hopefully, stay with the viewer long after the image is viewed. These are fleeting glimpses of our connected world into the exotic, the tranquil, the forbidden, the foreign, the kinetic—each depending on your place in the world and how you view it.

Ipanema Beach, 2011 by Kevin Tachman

Kevin Tachman is an award-winning documentary photographer who has garnered wide acclaim for his work in the worlds of fashion, entertainment and music. His photos have appeared in print and online publications such as Vogue, NYTimes.com, Marie Claire Russia, The Daily Beast, Elle Decor, and the Wall Street Journal. Tachman's specialty is capturing essential moments that express excitement, beauty and drama. Tachman is also sought after as an on-set photographer, documenting exclusive shoots for Patrick Demarchelier and Norman Jean Roy, among others. Tachman has also been the official photographer for such musical acts as the Scissor Sisters and Coldplay. In 2008, he was accepted to the highly selective Eddie Adams Workshop.

Tachman has won numerous awards for his work, including receiving the 2010 Award of Excellence from Pictures of the Year International, for his photo and first prize in PDN's 2011 The Look Contest, in the Runway/Street Scene category. He also won the 2010 Ultimate Music Moment Contest, sponsored by Billboard and PDN, for his photo of Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O onstage at the Music Hall of Williamsburg; Grand Prize in the Year in Music Moment Contest, also sponsored by Billboard and PDN, for his photo of Coldplay at Wachovia Arena; and First Prize in PDN's 2008 World in Focus contest, for an image from a personal project he shot in Sri Lanka.

In the series Still Life with Book, Contender Juliette Tang bridges the gap between being a bibliophile and also an image-maker, creating still lifes from some of the most beloved literary novels. Whether channeling a character in the book or seeking to capture an ambiance, each of the works visually represents varying elements from the literary masterpieces that resonated with her as a reader. To see if your favorite book got the still life treatment, check out Tang's Flickr set.

Still Life with Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, 2011 by Juliette Tang

Still Life with Albert Camus's The Stranger, 2011 by Juliette Tang

Juliette explains:

First I read a book that inspires me. Next I construct an installation featuring the book in a milieu that is symbolically connected to the text. Then I photograph this in the manner of a still life. The goal is to capture the abstract world of a book as a concrete image, with help from the realism of everyday objects. I focus on a book's narrative rather than physical qualities. My photos are informed by the language, events and details that I notice in the complicated tapestry of word combinations that exist on the written page. In some pictures, I put myself in the place of a character and arrange the composition as if through their eyes. In other pictures, I try to somehow identify with the author or evoke what I think the author's spirit or intention might be, through my own visual interpretations. My literary still life photos are subjective to my private experience as a reader and reflect my own interpretations of themes, meanings and intentions found in the texts. They are images of books taken by and seen through the eyes of a deeply appreciative reader.

Still Life with Jean Rhy's Wide Sargasso Sea, 2011 by Juliette Tang

Still Life with Marcel Proust's Swann's Way, 2011 by Juliette Tang

Juliette Tang is a photographer based in San Francisco, where she lives in a Victorian house the color of an apricot macaroon. She is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College and holds a BA in english. English [is], in fact, her second language, though she only faintly remembers Mandarin, her first. Juliette is inspired by books, Dutch still life paintings and Merchant-Ivory productions. She is also a writer and filmmaker.

Still Life with The Bhagavad Gita, 2011 by Juliette Tang

Let the music play. Contender Ken Brown draws from his cinematic influences and love of photographing cars to create these stylized, sleek shots of jukeboxes. "I was hired by a museum to photograph their collection of jukeboxes. I shot these because I thought it was interesting to isolate the design accents that the creators of these machines took the time and skill to think about," he says of the series, which include Filbens and Wurlitzers among the 37 images.

1937 Wurlitzer Model 24 January 9, 2012, by Ken Brown

1937 Wurlitzer Model 24 January 9, 2012, by Ken Brown

Born and raised in Southern California, in the household of a classic car enthusiast, Ken Brown learned to appreciate the sways of a tailfin and the sparkle of a chrome bumper at an early age. California's film industry influences and attracts its young citizens. And for a while, Ken thought that would be his endeavor. A graduate of UCSC in Film Studies, his career path took a detour when he discovered still photography. Though his first love is the cinema—particularly Film Noir, Chiaroscuro and German Expressionist Cinematography—his still images retain the influences of this cinematic orientation. Ken's work represents the merging of these influences into automotive imagery. He lives and works in New York City.

1946 AMI January 10, 2012, by Ken Brown

Qendrim, Trepça, 2011 by Andrew Querner

Documentary photographers have to get close enough to their subjects to almost become one of them, but also stay just far enough to have a perspective. The intellects of a project are just as important as the aesthetics. Perhaps what's fascinating about documentary photographers is that they are all semi-professional (if not full-on) sociologists. In fact, Lewis Hine, often regarded as "the father of documentary," started his career as a sociologist. His photos of child labor not only helped the National Child Labor Committee's lobbying efforts to end the practice, but they also pioneered the concept that photography could be used as a tool for social change and reform. In today's world of visual overload, it's still captivating to see photographers get interested and involved in situations that are seemingly unrelated to their own backgrounds. Introducing Contender Andrew Querner, a Canadian reporting from Kosovo.

Miners' Change Room, Trepça, 2011 by Andrew Querner

For his project The Bread With Honey, Querner writes in his statement:

The Stan Terg mine located in Trepça, Kosovo, was once the jewel of a giant Yugoslavian mining conglomerate. Two thousand miners supplied factories and smelters throughout the region with lead, zinc and gold, among other metals. Power struggles in the 1990s—which resulted in the break-up of Yugoslavia and culminated in the civil war of 1999—crippled the mining operation. Since the end of the war, Stan Terg has struggled to survive, the victim of fallout from tensions between Kosovo's Serbian and Albanian population, political tensions between Kosovo and Serbia and post-independence growing pains. Over time, Stan Terg has reflected the history of the region's ethno-political strains. Often to the detriment of the operation itself, the forces at the mine's helm also tended to hold regional control. As a photographer, this relationship offered a point of entry to explore this ongoing struggle for power through the experience of the mine's current gatekeepers and the town above. More than a metaphor for the region's complex politics, however, the mine has come to represent the potential for an economic independence, a symbol of hope that, in my experience, embodies the driving sentiment of Kosovo's 1.8 million people.

Engineer, Trepça, 2011 by Andrew Querner

Andrew Querner holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University of British Columbia and is currently based in Canmore, Alberta, working as a portrait and documentary photographer. His editorial work has appeared in such magazines as TIME, Monocle, The Saturday Telegraph and Report on Business.

Amish Horses, by Colleen Plumb

We're inching closer and closer to selecting the next five Hot Shots, photographers! Next week, our HHS! panelists will convene at JBP headquarters to review the submissions from the First Edition 2012 round of competition. It won't be long before we award five photographers each with $500, participation in a group show at Jen Bekman Gallery in NYC and a shot at the grand prize: $10k, a solo show at, and gallery representation from, JBG. As ever, you'll be the first to know of the Hot Shots right here, via our newsletter, and on our blog and site. Stay tuned!

Hey, Hot Shot! Happenings

+ Colleen Plumb's show, Animals Are Outside Today, is currently on view at the Union League Club of Chicago through April. If you can't make it to Chicago, be sure to get your, er, paws on the book instead.

+ Cara Phillips has work in a group show, Gazed Upon, curated by fellow Women in Photography co-founder Amy Elkins. The show is on view at Ampersand in Portland, Oregon, through April 24th.

+ If you find yourself in Toronto, don't miss Brendan George Ko's debut solo show Atmospheres, on view at Angell Gallery through April 28th.

+ Several Hot Shots, Contenders and 20x200 artists are featured in the upcoming portfolio show 29 x 29, including Shen Wei, Molly Landreth, Shuli Hallak, Sarina Finkelstein, Rachel Papo, Amy Stein and more. Twenty-nine signed and numbered photographs by a select group of 29 SVA MFA alumni will be on exhibit and up for grabs. An opening reception kicks off the exhibition on April 19th, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery, and the show will remain on view only through that weekend, closing on April 21st.

Untitled, from the series New Work, by Jordan Tate

In photography, new subjects are found everyday; techniques and technologies are updated more frequently than one can keep up with: the rise of digital, the demise of film. As with everything else in life, photography is moving forward all the time. Or is it? The subject and the camera might be new, but the image-making process, the concept behind it, has remained the same. And there's nothing wrong with that. It is the very practice of photography, after all. Wonderful works are still being produced every day; there's no real need to reinvent the wheel. But we didn't get to this point by merely repeating a practice. Someone has always had to do something a little bit differently, a little bit new. We are very glad that Jordan Tate, a 2010 HHS! semi-finalist, is still thinking new.

Untitled, from the series New Work, by Jordan Tate

With his submission, which is part of his previous ongoing project, New Work, Tate continues to ask the question: What is image-making? He writes in his statement:

New Work is an exploration of visual language and process. In a sense it is an examination of how we see, what we see, what merits being seen and how images function in contemporary visual culture. Frequently, the photographic image is still viewed as a mechanical reproduction of reality. In this paradigm, the photograph functions not as an autonomous object loaded with historical and functional contexts, but rather as a conceptually transparent representation of a reproduced reality. New Work represents a shift away from the context of photograph as mechanical reproduction and is an acknowledgement of the image-maker as the mediator of sight, as well as an exploration of process and practice in contemporary image viewing and production. These images are a continuation of ongoing research/meta-photographic critique concerning the visual and conceptual processes of image comprehension.

Untitled, from the series New Work, by Jordan Tate

Jordan Tate, a 2008-2009 Fulbright Fellow, has a Bachelor of Philosophy in interdisciplinary studies from Miami University and a Master of Fine Arts in photography from Indiana University. He is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Cincinnati and is the founding editor of the contemporary art blog ilikethisart.net.

Red No. 1, U.S. Vintage Grand Prix, Watkins Glen, 2010 by Daniel Handal

"Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... All others are games," Ernest Hemingway once rather controversially claimed. While Hemingway might not have been the absolute authority on the subject of sports, he undoubtedly gave new definition to the hard-living, macho-man image that's been so embedded in American culture. As if to prove Hemingway's point on auto racing, silver screen icons such as Steve McQueen and Paul Newman had a deep love for the sport, both having pursued a career as professional drivers. Somewhere between the smell of gasoline and rubber, the noise of hard-revving engines and unrestricted exhaust and the thought of being seriously hurt at high speeds, men (at least some of them) seem to find simple joy. In Contender Daniel Handal's project Rough Stock, he makes the link between machismo and racecars with his camera.

Yellow No. 68, Broome-Tioga, Richford, 2010 by Daniel Handal

In his statement, Handal writes:

In my project Rough Stock, I continue my exploration of American men displaying physical prowess, strength and courage—personality traits that our culture values as implicitly male. I have worked in several different subcultures (boxing, wrestling and hunting). Rough Stock is set in the world of motor sports: vintage cars, demo derby, motorcycles and snowmobiles. I am interested in the unusual, super-human quality that racecar drivers and daredevils possess. Man and machine become one in an alliance that gives my subject the odd quality I seek out in my work. While each image can be seen as its own individual portrait, as a group they portray a modern-day rodeo, where the car has replaced the horse and bull, and the drivers are the new cowboy. [Racecars] are iconic symbols of strength and struggle. Rough Stock captures the role of male heroes—the winning and the losing, the failed attempts and the successes—the bright shiny vintage sports car and the quirky banged up demolished car at the derby.

Burnout (Perfectly Strange), Auto Club Raceway, Fontana, 2011 by Daniel Handal

Daniel Handal was born in Honduras and immigrated to the United States for education. He received his BS in applied sciences from Rutgers University and studied photography at the International Center of Photography. Handal has been awarded with residencies at the Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts and the Center for Photography at Woodstock. He currently lives and works in New York City.

Hood (Cherry & Mint), Auto Club Raceway, Fontana, 2011 by Daniel Handal

Catharsis, 2010 by Domenica de la Torre

Hot on the heels of the closing of HHS! First Edition 2012, we found ourselves in the grand portfolio review room at the FotoFest Meeting Place, where our exposure to the latest photographic works continued (we also ran into quite a few HHS! photographers). A big trend we've been seeing: projects that focus on memories and traces of a diseased person. From immediate family members to distant relatives to complete strangers, photographers around the world have explored what it means to live without someone through and through. Contender Domenica de la Torre's appropriately named series, Closure, deals with the same circumstances but with a twist: De la Torre's brother disappeared.

The serenate of the little bird, 2011 by Domenica de la Torre

Though not mentioned in de la Torre's statement, one can't help but wonder about any correlation between her brother's disappearance and the turmoil in Mexico that is the Mexican drug war. Related incident or not, what de la Torre is going through must be something a lot of families can relate to in a country that has seen too much violence in recent years. In her statement for Closure, de la Torre writes:

This project is an attempt [to find] a symbolic closure for the loss of my brother. After his disappearance in Mexico, my family and I felt the necessity to find a place far from the adverse situation. Hence, our house eventually became inhabited [by] mourning, and this is where I began a constant search for comfort. The images serve as an investigation of a psychological state in which I come to the realization of the nonexistent closure. A study of the attempt to eliminate memories that disrupt the conscience or balance of the nervous system. A battle against my own memories, the memories of having looked for him as if he was a dead dog on the banks of the shrub lands.

The path in which oblivion lies, 2010 by Domenica de la Torre

Domenica de la Torre was born and raised in southern Mexico, where the sense of light and color has influenced her photographic work. She came to the United States to begin her professional studies in photography. She is currently pursuing a BA in photography in Columbia College Chicago after attending school at the Studio Art Centers International of Florence, Italy, on a scholarship.

Contender Patrick Allen's aerial imagery seeks to capture "those patterns that stand out as a real representation of the feeling of flying, and the manipulation of scale and depth that is different from what we see everyday."

Recess, 2009 by Patrick Allen

In his statement, he explains:

Aerial photography is similar to photographing out of a moving car, with a constant stream of imagery rushing by and attempting to capture a fleeting landscape. Beyond the spontaneous images that come from the movement of being in the air is the feeling of an explorer in a world that only machines and birds usually see. Even though anyone can now have this viewpoint from a satellite, I have a desire to show more [than] a map of the land but a feeling of the differences and similarities between the world's natural patterns and the patterns we make.

Untitled, by Patrick Allen

Pollock's Red Raft, 2006 by Patrick Allen

Patrick Allen is a Brooklyn-based photographer with BAs in art history and philosophy from St. Mary's College of Maryland. Originally from Westminster, Maryland, he has exhibited work at the Gallery Gabrichidze in Brussels, Belgium, and he assisted photographers throughout D.C. and NYC. Patrick currently manages Ken Allen Studios, a custom fine art printing studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He works one-on-one with photographers and artists to produce pigment ink prints, while keeping up with the latest developments in photography and digital printing. He is enjoying being on the ground and photographing New York City at street level while planning future aerial photography series. View more of his work on Tumblr.

Untitled, by Patrick Allen

It's been a little over a year since the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated villages, towns and major cities in Japan. And while before-and-after pictures show that the country continues to rebound, the town of Tohoku and, mainly, its schools—which Contender Ayano Hisa visited in December 2011 and again in February 2012—remain a nightmarish sight. Hisa turned her Mamiya 7 and Linhof Technika on to the seemingly irreparable damage the schools endured for her series Schools in Tohoku.

Schools in Tohoku 4, by Ayano Hisa

Hisa explains in her statement:

On March 11, 2011, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi, Japan, where my mother grew up and my uncle still lives, and Sendai City, where my aunt lives, were hit by the tsunami caused by the massive earthquake. I happened to be in Tokyo and was with my family at the time. We couldn't reach [my] uncle's family for about eight days. I went to the area where my uncle lives 11 days after the tsunami with my Mamiya 7. After helping my uncle's family, I photographed the area for a day. Everything I saw there made me sick. The scenes were traumatic. ...In December 2011 and February 2012, I went back to the area and photographed again with my Mamiya 7 and Linhof Technika. I felt that giving up on photographing there... [meant] giving up on my mother's hometown, where I used to visit my grandparents since childhood. After almost one year, although a lot of debris was moved away, the area still looked very close to what I saw right after the tsunami. I was searching for the scenes that showed the worst damages made by the tsunami. I photographed hundreds trying to show how bad it was. However, the photographs did not look like my photographs. Because everything in the area looked like a nightmare and was worse than any "end of the world" kind of Hollywood movies I have ever seen, I lost focus. I got sick by seeing them again and again, and for myself, I needed to change the way I photographed. Gradually, I started to be able to control my feeling and my eyes as a photographer. I looked for what my eyes wanted to see, even in the debris caused by the tsunami. I also decided to focus on schools, to which I could connect the most. These five photographs are from the series of photographs, Schools in Tohoku (tentative title).

Schools in Tohoku 2, by Ayano Hisa

Schools in Tohoku 3, by Ayano Hisa

Ayano Hisa was born and raised in Saitama, Japan. Her parents, who love art, exposed her to various art and music since she was little. Although she did not have any formal art training until she became 21 years old—when she started taking lessons of photography and other art classes—she soon realized that was what she had been looking for in her life. She started photographing on the streets in her home country, Japan, in 2006, and she wishes to photograph there more often and continue the project. She now lives and works as a freelance photographer in New York City.

Schools in Tohoku 5, by Ayano Hisa

The First Edition 2012 round of competition is over, but opportunities still abound for photographers. In fact, the City of New York is hosting a free Facebook photo contest called #loveNYC that, you guessed it, is all about New York City.

And guess what? Jen Bekman is one of the judges. The contest has already been receiving a ton of attention, so if you're an NYC lover and want a shot at the prizes, including seeing your image in Times Square, this is for you:

+ To enter, entrants must take a picture of something (anything) that shows why you #loveNYC.
+ Entrants are also encouraged (although not required) to filter photos with a tool like Instagram or Hipstamatic.
+ Images are then uploaded to the City of New York's Facebook page.

To get started (and to learn more about the contest, including official rules), simply head to www.facebook.com/nycgov and "Like" the City of New York's Facebook Page.
Then use the #loveNYC Photo Contest form on the Facebook Page to upload photos. You have until April 6, 2012 at 11:59:59 PM EST to submit your photos.

The panel of judges includes:
- Jen Bekman, Founder + CEO of 20x200
- Mal Sherlock, Fashion Photographer on Instagram
- Rachel Sterne, Chief Digital Officer, NYC Digital, Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment
- Spencer Tucker, Director of the Mayor's Photography Unit, City Hall
- Willy Wong, Chief Creative Officer, NYC & Company

The panel of judges will select ten Finalist entries, based on the following criteria: (a) appeal of the composition and subject matter; (b) overall quality of the image; and (c) interpretation of the five boroughs of the City of New York: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.

The finalists' images will be displayed across the City of New York's social media channels and, oh yeah, may be displayed in busy, bustling Times Square for all to see.
A public voting period will follow the announcement of the finalists, and the selected winner may be chosen as the City's Official Instagrammer for a day. If you're wondering what that entails, the possibilities include photographing official events where, say, a certain Mayor Bloomberg may be in attendance.

So if you heart NYC, show the city some photo love today.

Photographers, what are you doing this weekend? If you're in New York City, make your way to Jen Bekman Gallery, at 6 Spring Street, to catch the Hey, Hot Shot! Second Edition 2011 Showcase before it closes this Sunday, March 25th.

On view are works by the Second Edition 2011 Hot Shots: Michael Cappabianca, Cristina De Middel, Phil Jung, Brendan George Ko and Meike Nixdorf.

If you can't make it, you can still get to know the artists and more about their work by checking out their recent interviews on the blog. And if you're a fan of their work, you'll be happy to know a few of the Second Edition 2011 Hot Shots (Brendan George Ko and Meike Nixdorf, with more to come!) have released limited-edition photographs on 20x200.

Now that all the 2011 Hot Shots have exhibited at Jen Bekman Gallery, stay tuned to find out who will be selected as the 2011 Ne Plus Ultra—he/she will earn $10,000, a solo show at JBG and two years of gallery representation.

And we're already looking for the 2012 Ultra. The First Edition 2012 round just closed and we will soon be announcing the first five Hot Shots of 2012. Good luck to all who entered the competition! As ever, we'll share all the news with you via the newsletter, site and blog, so check back often.

Sleeping Mask, 2010 by Phil Jung

Photographers, today is your last full day to get your portfolios in order. All entries must be submitted by tomorrow, March 21st, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Enter now!

At stake for one photographer is our Grand Prize:

+ $10,000
+ A solo show at Jen Bekman Gallery in NYC
+ Two years of gallery representation from JBG

Hey, Hot Shot! Happenings

+ If you're in New York City, head to the Jen Bekman Gallery at 6 Spring Street, where the Second Edition 2011 Showcase is on view. Featuring the work of the Second Edition 2011 Hot Shots (Meike Nixdorf, Brendan George Ko, Phil Jung, Cristina De Middel and Michael Cappabianca), the group show closes this Sunday, March 25th.

+ Hot Shot Yijun (Pixy) Liao's latest artistic endeavor includes her band's debut album, PIMOPERA. To help get her CDs pressed, replicated and heard, the spirited photograper/artist set up a Kickstarter page. Supporters of her musical project can receive digital downloads, as well as 8"x10" C-prints and even a live, private show.

Contender Maja Daniels often approaches her photography from a journalistic and sociological stand point; in several of her series, particularly Into Oblivion and today's featured Monette and Mady, the photographer focuses on "the lack of visual representations of issues related to older generations." A sharp contrast to the Alzheimer's-focused Oblivion, Monette and Mady captures the intimacy and bond between two subjects, identical twins, who challenge preconceived notions of aging in their day-to-day lives as actors, models and dancers in Paris.

Mady & Monette, Rue des Partants, Paris, 2010 by Maja Daniels

In her statement, Daniels explains:

Monette and Mady are identical twins. They have lived their whole life closely together and are, as they say, inseparable. I first saw them on the streets of Paris, and I was instantly fascinated by their identical outfits and synchronized corporal language. Quirky and beautiful, they stood out from any crowd. I remember thinking they might not be real. When I approached them I was not surprised to discover that they often finish each other's sentences and that they refer to themselves as "I" instead of "we." Neither have married or had children, and they always eat the same food in identical portions. Monette and Mady do not just share a close relationship as sisters; as a couple they act, model and dance together, and the city of Paris is their main stage. If they go out dressed in different outfits, people stop and ask why they argue. In the playful way they carry themselves and stand out from the crowd, Mady and Monette seem completely indifferent to the many stereotypes that are related to aging. They have, in fact, long stopped celebrating their birthdays, and they defy any preconceived notions related to growing old. This series is an intimate journal of their togetherness.

Mady & Monette, dance rehearsal, Paris, 2011 by Maja Daniels

Mady & Monette, Paris, 2011 by Maja Daniels

Maja Daniels is a Swedish independent photographer currently based in London, U.K. Having studied journalism, photography and sociology, her work focuses on social documentary and portraiture, with an emphasis on human relations in a Western, contemporary environment. By using sociology as a frame of research and approach to her photographic work, she finds it a successful combination when trying to focus on the interaction between man and society. Her work was included in the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize 2011 and exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London. She also won second prize in the 2012 Sony World Photography Awards and was selected as one of the 2011 Magenta Foundation's Flash Forward Emerging Photographers. She was shortlisted for the 2010 PhotoVisura Grant for an outstanding personal photography project, and she has exhibited in Paris, London, New York and Bilbao, Spain. Dividing her time between long-term documentary projects and commercial work, she is regularly commissioned by the weekly and monthly press, including The Guardian Weekend Magazine, Intelligent Life, New Statesman, Monocle, FT Magazine and Le Monde, as well as humanitarian organizations and cultural institutions such as the UNICEF and the European Commission. She also collaborates with social scientists in academic projects, using photography as a tool within sociological and cultural research.

Mady & Monette, Paris 2011, by Maja Daniels