35
Blevens wrote in his recommendation,
“An excellent shoot in dark and dusty
conditions, expertly capturing the
difficulties involved in recycling. The
composition elegantly, but strongly,
draws the eye to material in the
bin, softly portraying a lone worker
sorting through the mess.”
Carias wrote in her essay, “With every
article I write and every photograph
I capture, I experience a catharsis
of sorts; immediately I feel the rush
that comes with doing what could
not be done in my homeland. I was
raised in fear, in a country that does
not offer the press protection from
gangs seeking retribution after
an unfavorable story. Freedom of
expression is my ultimate tool, fueling
my passion for journalism. College
will be my new frontier in the journey
from repression to expression.”
According to
David Guirgis,
he had never
taken a real
picture until
he attended
New York
University’s
DAVID GUIRGIS
Urban
Journalism Workshop when he
worked with a professional camera.
Guirgis, a senior at Ronald McNair
Academic High in Jersey City (N.J.), is
excited and ready to work in the new
media landscape.
He wrote in his essay, “Our stories
aren’t simply words anymore; we
supplement the stories we want to
tell with raw footage, multimedia
visuals, and photographs.”
“I’d already fallen in love with the idea
that writing could spark change, but
over the course of this summer I’ve
fallen in love with its other mediums.”
For the competition Guirgis shared
a series of photos he took to
accompany a profile of a Washington
Square Park street musician. Guirgis
wrote, “Writing about Dusty Rhodes,
the charismatic saxophone player I
profiled, was one thing. Capturing
him in his essence was another thing
entirely.”
In his nomination of Guirgis, UJW
Program Director Adrian Mihai
wrote: “He stepped forward with
determination, pointing with courage
his lens at unknown street performers
to capture well-chosen aspects of
their art and demeanor. His photo
reportage brings to light intimate
details and has a powerful impact on
the viewer.”
Click here for Guirgis’ article and
accompanying photo package.