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TRIBUTE TO BEAUTY

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes. For photographers, it is in the eye of the camera holder. “Beauty: Camera Eye of the Beholder” aims to celebrate all forms of beauty, as seen by the photographer.

SOME THOUGHTS ON BEAUTY....

"If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world."
-Chinese Proverb

"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

"Life is beauty, admire it."
-Mother Theresa, from "LIFE IS...."

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul."
-Saint Augustine
(Roman theologian 396 to 430)

"Even beauties can be unattractive. If you catch a beauty in the wrong light at the right time, forget it. I believe in low lights and trick mirrors. I believe in plastic surgery."
-Andy Warhol

"In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty."
-Phil Ochs

"We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end; which stands related to all things; which is the mean of many extremes."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
-Anne Frank, from "Diary of a Young Girl"

"Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."
-Franz Kafka

We are beautiful in every single way.
-Christina Aguilera (from "Beautiful" - written and composed by Linda Perry)

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
-Albert Einstein

"Photography has an element of genius to it, which makes it a little like nature itself. We find examples of nature that possess incredible elements of beauty that attract our eye. They exist as forces of nature where a mysterious combination of predetermination, accident and chance come together. This led me to think of photographs as having an element of nature in them and the medium itself as a force of nature.
-Weston Naef (Getty Exhibition, Close to Home: An American Album - Interview by Robert Hirsch - www.lightresearch.net)


Jurors & WIPI Winner Quotes

Architecture

"Many thanks for letting me participate. Looking forward to seeing the online exhibition."
Juror - Abby Bussel, Architecture magazine


Architecture First Place:
Lynn Saville  (New York, NY, USA)
“Glow”
"Despite its overuse in fashion, the term beauty still retains a Platonic sense of transcendent form."

Architecture Honorable Mention:
Irene Jeruss, (USA)
“Barn Door”
"As a self-taught photographer, it is especially gratifying to be acknowledged from among so many talented artists and by such a distinguished panel of jurors. Thank you, WIPI! I am very grateful to you for your continued support of women in the photographic arts."

Architecture Honorable Mention:
Diana Lucas Leavengood, (St. Petersburg, FL, USA) 
“Abandoned Train Station”
I enjoyed entering WIPI's "Beauty: Camera Eye of the Beholder" competition because the emphasis was on talent and not what I look like in a swimsuit.


Conceptual

Conceptual First Place:
Stephanie Graham   (Chicago, IL, USA) 
"Ghetto Fabulous Brandie"
"
Beauty to me is attitude. I look at some women walking with their heads high and just imagine them getting ready in the morning and saying to themselves "Great I look beautiful" and no matter what they are wearing, good or bad, makeup or no makeup, they just look beautiful. You just have to work it and that's beautiful."

Conceptual Honorable Mention
Constance Vepstas, (USA)
“Outdoor Sculpture”
Women in Photography International is an ambitious organization, an avenue for women who creatively express their condition and the state of affairs around them through photography. It is an opportunity to express your world and ideas and share our ideas with a world that was very remote til this generation. All of the sudden we're touching, all of a sudden we see through other's eyes. -Connie Vepstas


Conceptual Honorable Mention
Diana Lucas Leavengood, (St. Petersburg, FL, USA)  
“Maggie Dreams of Travel” (see Architecture)


Environmental

Environmental First Place:
Lois Mason   (Greenbank, WA, USA) 

“Autumn Flight"
“I appreciate the opportunities and visibility that WIPI offers women, and I am honored to be part of an organization that promotes excellence and provides the resources for women to excel in this very competitive field of photography.”


Environmental Second Place:
Carolyn E. Wright  (Atlanta, GA, USA)
 
“Running Horse”

Environmental Honorable Mention
Carolyn E. Wright,
“Flying Egret” (Atlanta, GA, USA)  
 
"As a photography teacher and mentor, I am particularly tuned to the special interests of women in photography. I appreciate women's unique approach to the subject, and adapt my instruction accordingly. WIPI's mission to promote the visibility of women photographers and their work helps me to fulfill those goals."


Environmental Honorable Mention
Catherine Ellen Money, (Los Angeles, CA, USA) 
”Dizzy”
I am honored to be a part of this beautiful exhibition! I am a new member and humbled to be amongst such incredible artists. As women, we are such an integral part of this creative life and it is through our sensitivities and vision that the photographic world is truly enriched.


Fashion

"Here are Tyra's final selections from the Fashion Category images. Tyra said that it was a very difficult to task to make the final cuts from so many wonderful images."
Juror -Carolyn London, Bankable Productions, TZone Foundation

Fashion First Place: (tie)
  
Andrea Thompson  (New York, NY, USA)
“Kate”
"I entered the image "Kate" in the WIPI exhibit in hopes of gaining exposure. I hope to find more work and representation."

Fashion First Place: (tie)
Hannan Saleh  (Philadelphia, PA, USA)
“Visionary"
"I was intrigued by the beauty competition. That is what I love to photograph the most - the beauty in people places and things. It is the thread of inspiration that give hope and excitement to one's being."

Fashion Honorable Mention
Ivy Bigbee (Centreville, VA, USA )
 
“Freudian Slip”
In my view, WIPI's exhibition marks beauty as a game in which players compete for ever-changing goals, and where victory embodies truth, illusion and ideals. To have work as my measure of beauty included is gratifying; my thanks to Curator Carrie Villines, and kudos to Juror Tyra Banks.


LifeStyle

I was honored to be a judge for WIPI’s Beauty exhibition. The entries covered the gamut of photographic style and composition. They spoke of the range of talent and vision exhibited by the photographers who entered this valuable competition. I expect to see a lot more from of many of these women the near future.
Juror -Anne Telford, Editor-at-Large, Communication Arts


Lifestyle First Place:
Janet Century   (Cleveland, OH, USA)

“Embrace”
"The challenge is to capture what lies beneath the surface while photographing only the surface...values, form, light and composition all define the moment. I am moved to capture the connection that binds all of us on this planet together and points out our vast similarities. To succeed is a beautiful thing. I am honored to be a part of this exhibit."

Photojournalism

"Thank you for the opportunity to judge this category. I really enjoyed the time spent with the pictures."
Juror - Charlie Holland, Getty Images


Photojournalism First Place: (tie)  
Annabel Clark  (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
“Injections in Bed”

Photojournalism Second Place: (tie)
Annabel Clark   (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
“In the Pool”
When I heard about this exhibit, I was curious to see how far the term "beauty" could be removed from its conventional representations in fashion magazines and on tv. I also thought there would be a sensitivity on the part of the photographers and judges to the less superficial definitions of the term. I photographed my mother during her treatment from breast cancer and watched her transform, both physically and emotionally. She displayed the strongest and most vulnerable parts of herself during that year, and when I look at the photographs now, I see the most beautiful woman I

Photojournalism Honorable Mention
Cheryl Maeder, (San Francisco, CA, USA)
“Beauty Pageant”
Photography is not just a career, it is the vehicle by which I express my heart and soul. It is my mission through photography to express Beauty beyond just the stereotypes I was taught to accept. As a woman and photographer, my vision is to show the magnificence of Beauty in the ordinary and this is where miracles take form.


"Being a Juror for "Beauty" was a pleasure since so many of the images I viewed were of such high caliber. Most important to me as a curator (since I see things in terms of exhibitions) was to see a series of images that presented a narrative, and declared a consistent vision, technical mastery, and dedication to subject matter through a series of images, rather than in just one. I was also struck by what I hesitate to call (yet I will) a woman's sensitivity to her subject. Granted, if gender were not mentioned, I will probably not know for sure if the photographers were male or female. In looking closely, however, and feeling the proximity of photographer to subject combined with intention -- empathy is the most consistent word that comes to mind, I am convinced that women 'feel' the world in a particular, and therefore 'see' it differently. My congratulations to all those that were given awards, and the same to all those who submitted."
Juror - Carol McCusker, PhD, Curator of Photography, Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA)

Photojournalism First Place: (tie)
Rania Matar   (Brookline, MA, USA)

“Posters, Beirut Lebanon”
"These exhibits are a wonderful way to get acquainted with new work and a great opportunity to have your own work shown. I thought "beauty" was a great subject for a photographic contest. It can have so many interpretations. Photographers as visual people aim for "beauty," be it in the light, the composition, the subject or the dramatic."

Photojournalism: Honorable Mention
Lyndie Benson, (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

“Village Women Holding Hands"
Even in Africa and other areas of the world what astounds me is there is so much BEAUTY in the midst of such hardships. There are still smiles and laughter and friendships and that is BEAUTIFUL. Thanks so much for the opportunity.



Portrait

"The idea of judging a photography award, which will be viewed exclusively on-line, from jpegs, was a new one to me. I felt it worked well in this case, allowing an otherwise unmanageable distance between judges and artists to be covered. The international intention of the entries was one of the things I found interesting. It is rewarding to have an exhibition that refers specifically to women and that encourages women photographers to get their work seen by a wide audience through the web."
Juror - Clare Freestone, Assistant Curator of Photographs, National Portrait Gallery

Portrait First Place: (tie)
Julia Fullerton-Batten   (London, England)

“Waterhose”
"Beauty is happiness."



Still Life


"I think the combination of sculpture and photography helped Wendy Farrow to produce a kind of image that goes beyond the expected, the ordinary and anything predictive. The first prize image in this category evoked in me the stringent encapsulation that women around the world suffer as a result of a still obsessive masculine development of our society. Maybe it helped my perception that in all my life I have worked in companies where women were a majority. 87% of age fotostock employees are women, something that has allowed me to see and understand their worries and concerns from quite a unique perspective."
Juror -Alfonso Gutierrez, age fotostock

Still Life First Place:
Wendy Farrow  (Toronto, ON, Canada)

“Someone Else's Eyes”
"We seek beauty perhaps because the soul is nourished by it. Seeking physical beauty can lead to a false sense of self-worth, confining the mind and lessening our ability to find beauty in far more important forms. Its existence might be a ruse or a true source of spiritual contemplation. We rely on our wisdom to recognize its authenticity."

Still Life Honorable Mention
Trish Simonite, (San Antonio, TX, USA) 

” Tradescant Autumn Leaves”
There have been times when I have felt it was problematic to have work that was considered "beautiful." However, I have always pursued ideas that have personal resonance and meaning rather than following contemporary trends, and the issue of beauty constantly resurfaces in my work. When I saw the title of the exhibition I felt compelled to enter.


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