"Do You Have a Photograph of Jesus?"

It happens all the time - photo archivist get a call looking for a photo of something ... something that could not have been photographed. Laurie Hill has built a video based on the strange requests the Hulton Archive and Getty Images get. 

Thanks to Mike Johnston at The Online Photographer for the link.

And Now for Something Completely Different

So we've been talking about audio slide shows in our classes, everyone's building one (or more) for their final portfolios. In those discussions, we've talked about sequencing still photos in such a way that they emulate video, to some extent. 

Well, some folks in Germany seem to have gone a few steps further ... watch, and enjoy. And think about how you can have some fun. 

SEO for Photographers

"SEO" is "search engine optimization," and it's a little black art we all need to learn. It's what helps your web site get found on the net. It's not enough just to build a beautiful site, you have to keyword it and structure it so potential clients can find you. Levi Wardell over at Black Star Rising has a good overview on SEO for photographers, worth spending some time on.

Alexia Foundation Competition

It's time to start pulling your portfolio together and getting your writing chops worked out. This is an excellent competition - I know, because I worked with the Alexia Foundation for several years. 

Go do it.

Study photojournalism in London Alexia Scholarship pays all tuition for fall semester at Syracuse University London Centre in England

Application deadline is Feb. 1, 2009.


An all-tuition scholarship to study photojournalism for a semester in London, plus a $1000 cash grant is available for the first place winner of the Alexia Foundation Scholarship and Grant Competition.

Four more awards provide partial scholarships and $500 cash grants. Scholarships are for studying photojournalism at the Syracuse University London Center in the Fall of 2009. The cash grants are given whether or not the scholarships are used, and are to be used to help produce the project that is proposed as part of the application.

All students are eligible, graduate and undergrad, as long as you don’t have more than three internships or the equivalent of a year’s professional experience.

Competition rules and information are available at AlexiaFoundation.org
The application process is online at the website and is simple. Submit a story proposal (no more than 750 words), your portfolio (no more than 20 pictures) and a resume.

The competition rules are the same for graduates and undergrads, but the scholarship program is different for undergrads than for winners who are matriculated grad students or are now graduating seniors. Be sure to select link to the proper information at the website under the “Awards” heading in the student rules.

The London Experience is the highlight of a photographer's education at Syracuse University. Limited to 15 juniors, seniors, and graduate students, the London photography program offers a focused study of photography with one course covering picture essays and documentary photography. A second course, Visual Issues in the Media, includes lectures by British newspaper and wire service photographers and by American photographers on assignment in London; field trips to places such as the Royal Photographic Society, the photography departments of Reuters News Services and the Associated Press; and visit to sites such as the Photographers’ Gallery.

In addition to the two required photography courses, a wide range of liberal arts courses, including comparative politics, British history, and English literature are available to complete the course load for undergraduates. Complete academic and financial information about the SU program abroad in London is at http://suabroad.syr.edu/programs/london

For more information, please contact David Sutherland at dcsuther@syr.edu

Where the (Wild) Jobs Are

NPR is looking to hire web producers for Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Why do we care? Read this:

Dedicated Web Producer for Morning Edition, responsible for the show's overall online identity with a special focus on social media, blogging and Web 2.0 functionalities. (Emphasis mine.)

Yep, your mad Facebooking skills might pay off ...

The Migrant Mother's Daughter

CNN has a story on the daughter of the Migrant Mother, Dorothea Lange's iconic image from the Great Depression.