Meet Leslie Alsheimer

Rising Stars of Photography is proud to welcome Leslie Alsheimer as our newest member. Leslie's ability to combine her demanding professional career as a social worker and her growing gift as a photographer provides unique insight as well as a truly sensitive and thought-provoking body of work. Leslie's award winning photography inspires and moves her admirers. Her promise of even more insightful and creative imagery as she continues her international documentary work with non-profit social organizations will certainly place Leslie among tomorrow's photographic luminaries. Again, congratulations Leslie. We look forward to watching your star rise.

Be sure to explore Leslie's photographic vision on her web site.

Leslie Alsheimer

Vitals:

• Home Base: Santa Fe, New Mexico
  
• Website: http://www.lesliealsheimer.com
• Contact: leslie@lesliealsheimer.com
• Exhibits: "Visions of Africa: Group Exhibition and Readings", Santa Fe, NM, Group Exhibition at the Center for Fine Art Photography and SPE 2008, Group Exhibition, Underground Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, 2007
  
• Awards: 2 Honorable Mentions @ Lucie Awards International, 2nd place @ Willard Van Dyke Award, New Mexico Council on Photography, 2008, and NAPP Vincent Versace Award for Photographic Excellence
• Current Project: Project Forward Focus is a portfolio of images created in partnership with grassroots relief projects making a difference in people’s lives, serving rural villages throughout Uganda.
  
• Photographic Interests/Specialities: Black & White, social documentary
  
• Available for Assignment Photography: leslie@lesliealsheimer.com, 505-670-9898
  

Leslie Alsheimer -- In her own words

I became interested in photography at the age of 12, when the Leadership program at Marina Middle School in San Francisco entrusted me with a Pentax K-1000 to document school activities for our year book. I went on to become the Photo Editor of the Annandale High School Year book, and kept active in my first chemical darkroom created in our family laundry room for years. Since then, a darkroom - whether chemical or digital - has always been part of my life.

Today, my photographic imagery is concerned with creating images that parallel and interconnect my work as a social worker and my vision of the human spirit. I am interested in the interpersonal connections that transcend race, class, politics and socio-economics—in moving beyond façade and surface to connect to the personal or metaphorical— giving voice to that which is often overlooked and unrecognized.

Through a forward and positive focus, I have been working on a long term body of work portraying the richness of life that accompanies the enduring human spirit; celebrating life, family, culture, community, and play through the joy, pain and love of everyday living.

Created in partnership with NGO’s and humanitarian relief projects around the world actively engaged in solution-oriented work, Project Forward Focus is a portfolio of images that celebrate what people are doing to create a better world by supporting, promoting and encouraging acts of connection, compassion and contribution—i.e. “works that matter”.

Leslie Alsheimer -- My photographic passion

©Leslie Alsheimer

©Leslie Alsheimer

©Leslie Alsheimer

©Leslie Alsheimer

©Leslie Alsheimer

©Leslie Alsheimer


©Leslie Alsheimer


©Leslie Alsheimer


©Leslie Alsheimer


©Leslie Alsheimer

©Leslie Alsheimer


©Leslie Alsheimer

Leslie's sponsors:

Kay Harvey
Jamie Baldanado

Rising Stars Jurors' comments:

"Classic b/w documentary work in Africa, but also very well done and moving. She brings intense emotion to her work."

"Leslie's work is both moving and technically excellent. In many cases, her pictures tell a story of suffering, but often in the same frame, a glimpse of hope shines through. Her black and white images look outstanding, which shows that she has a great eye for the technical side of making and editing pictures."

Meet Michael Kloth

Our newest inductee into Rising Stars of Photography, Michael Kloth, is truly a unique talent. It is with extreme pleasure that we announce the selection of animal portraiture, editorial and commercial photographer Michael Kloth into our growing family of Rising Stars. It is Michael's sincere concern for animal rights that fuels his photographic passion. Michael, our jurors have determined that your special animal photography, innovation, creativity and ability to infuse humor into your photography have earned you this Rising Star recognition. We look forward to watching your career and creative style grow as you find your place in the photographic community.

To truly appreciate the scope of Michael's photographic talents, take a few minutes and visit his website. You'll be glad you did.

Michael Kloth

Vitals:

• Home Base: Richland, Washington
  
• Website: http://www.michaelklothphotography.com
• Contact: info@michaelklothphotography.com
• Awards/Exhibits: PDN Photo Annual 2008, WSU Chancellor's Exhibition Series, University of Kentucky (Glories of the Garden) 2006, 2007, 2008, Photography NOW 2006, Paris Annual Welfare Society, Academy of Art University President's Honor List
  
• Current Project: Master of Fine Arts Thesis Project - Academy of Art University
  
• Photographic Interests/Specialities: Editorial, commercial, animal portraiture, and fine art
  
• Available for Assignment Photography: info@michaelklothphotography.com, 859-948-4642
  

Michael Kloth -- In his own words

I bought my first digital SLR camera and first began to use it prior to taking a trip to Hawaii. Although at the time I was just looking for a way to record my journey, in retrospect, I realize I was ready to find a creative outlet. It did not take long for my interest in photography to take off, and it was a short two years later that I was considering earning a degree and establishing a career in photography. I am currently working to complete my Master of Fine Arts degree in photography at the Academy of Art University.

Having advanced to the Master’s candidate portion of my studies, I devote most of my creative energy to developing my thesis project working with humane society cats and dogs. Each year in the United States, six to eight million animals are brought to humane societies and only half of them ever find homes. My mission is to call attention to these numbers with the hope that I can convince people looking for pets to consider adopting a rescue animal first when they are looking to add a pet to their home. I believe that professional photography can make a real difference for these animals and I foresee my work with them continuing long past graduation.

In addition to my work with rescue animals, I am very interested in fine art landscapes using both digital technology and historical hand printing processes. The slow and considered pace required for this work provides a nice balance to the fast paced and unpredictable nature of working with animals. I am currently working to secure gallery representation for my fine art work.

My interests are diverse and at this point in my career, I find it difficult to imagine focusing all of my creative efforts on one genre of photography. That said, I hope to spend most of my time doing editorial and commercial work while regularly reserving a portion of my time exploring my fine art interests.

Michael Kloth -- A Thesis Project Portfolio

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth

©Michael Kloth


©Michael Kloth


©Michael Kloth

What others say:

"Michael has continually presented work of such a quality as to receive not only the admiration from fellow students but also of our faculty.

His work with animals in particular is unique in vision, is both professionally sound and practical, as well as being visually interesting. His talent with technical concerns is masterful and his talent with creative concerns is equal."

- Kris Lattimore, Academy of Art University

"Michael is a student in the MFA Photography program at the Academy of Art University. He is passionate about his photography work, and is fully engaged in both the intellectual and artistic aspects of his education. He is not only concerned with the visual impact of his work, he is also conscientious about the social impact that his photographs will have. I am fully confident that he will be very successful in his future endeavors as a photographer."

- Tamara Hubbard, Academy of Art University

Rising Stars Jurors' comments:

"The body of work Michael submitted to Rising Stars as well as his website portfolio are technically very well produced and show his passion for both photography and his subjects. The expressions on the animals in his pictures show his ability to capture their beauty and grace. The infrared and horse photography on his site is also fantastic."

"Fun, curiosity, imaginative, a new look at animal's responses, technically very good. Will make a name for himself in his post-graduate photographic career."

Corina Marie Howell's Star Continues to Rise

You've probably read the Rising Stars article about Corina Marie Howell's induction into Rising Stars. Well there's more good news. Corina is featured on Today's website on MSNBC.com.

The article by Laura T. Coffey spotlights Corina's photographic innovation in these difficult economic times. She is making a splash in the Boudoir Portrait industry with her creative and sensitive style of photography.

Corina's desire to become a successful professional photographer led her to an inescapable realization. "I love photography, and I really want to be a photographer. I realized that if I wanted to avoid waiting tables, I'd have to do something truly innovative to stay in my field."

Read the entire interview and see examples of Corina's current Boudoir projects on MSNBC.com. Just click HERE. Her Rising Star article and profile can be found HERE.

Congratulations, Corina, on your recognition and creative business solution.