A brief look at this year’s convention

The dates are April 17th-19th at Murphy Hall of University of Minnesota. Friday evening College photographer of the year will be judged. Saturday Photographer of the year judging will start at 9am along with workshops. Sunday the judges get to speak and show us what they know and we’ll have Brian Storm close out the show.

This convention, just like last year’s, is not just about our annual contest. It’s about getting people the tools they need for an ever changing world. To talk with people, get advice and ban together as best we can. To make each other stronger and better than last year.
Times are super tough and money is tight but I still believe that coming together as a community is important Let’s make it happen.

This year to help with help with lose of funds (silly broke newspapers) we are charging for non members to come to convention. Five dollars for Saturday and $15 for Sunday.

The People

Brian Storm of Mediastorm
http://www.mediastorm.com/
Mediastorm is a multimedia production studio based in New York City.
Prior to launching MediaStorm in 2005, Storm spent two years as vice president of News, Multimedia & Assignment Services for Corbis, a digital media agency founded and owned by Bill Gates. He was director of multimedia at MSNBC.com. He serves on the Advisory Board for The Council on Foreign Relations, The Eddie Adams Workshop, The Alexia Foundation, and Brooks Institute’s Journalism School. What Brian is also known for is being a Vikings fan, poor guy.

Carlos Ortiz Freelancer
http://www.carlosjortiz.com/main.php
Ortiz has been working as a documentary photojournalist in Chicago for a number of years getting his start with the City 2000 project. He’s now working on a project entitled Too Young TO Die, documenting the unprecedented number of children and adolescents who fell victim to gun violence. Beautiful work. Can’t wait to meet him.

Kathy Kieliszewski Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/motown50videos
Kieliszewski has been with the Detroit Free Press since 2003 and is currently the Deputy Director of Photo and Video. Over the past year and half, her focus at the paper has been on coordinating and editing multimedia stories. In September 2007, she was part of a team that won an Emmy for Outstanding Current News Coverage by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for freep.com’s coverage of the deployment to Iraq of a 900-member Marine Reserve unit from Michigan. She is graduate of Michigan State University and has been honored with numberous picture editing awards including Michigan Picture Editor of the Year. She lives in Grosse Pointe Park, MI with her husband, two boys and a dog named Sherman.

BRIAN PLONKA Freelance photojournalist

Brian Plonka, 43, is freelance photographer based in the Inland Northwest. Plonka worked at numerous newspapers across the country until being recently laid-off from the Spokesman-Review after 10 years due to staff downsizing. Plonka started his photojournalism career at age 15 in New Castle, PA. Plonka was named POYi Newspaper Photographer of the Year during the 59th annual competition. He has been a 10-time Photographer of the Year in various state and regional competitions and accumulating more than 20 individual awards in previous POY and POYi contests. Plonka has lectured and been a faculty member in numerous contests and workshops. Plonka’s wife Kathy is a photographer for the Spokesman-Review. They have a 10 year-old son, Jordan, and live along the shore of Hauser Lake in North Idaho.

The Workshops

Video
Video technique to help learn how to make that transition from still to video. Tips on shooting, collecting good audio and story construction.

Storytelling
Story construction no matter what medium you chose whether it’s a still image, photo story, audio slideshow or video.

Business of Photography
Panel discussion about the freelance business. What it’s like out there and how to go about getting clients and keep them

Lighting
Learn about location lighting with simple tools and tricks of the trade.

Photo Web Tools
How to market yourself on the web. What tools are out their for storage, website construction.

The Fun

Hot Dish Hoedown
That’s right people. Dust off your Grannie’s recipe, it’s hot dish time. So Saturday after a long day of looking a pictures in the dark, we will be spend the evening judging those brave enough to participate in the culinary contest. For those wielders of the tater tots coming in from out of town fridge space will be made available to you. Mr. Ben Garvin has been kind enough to host this for us in his South Minnie home. Many thanks.
Not only will there be food and drink and but screen and projector available to show work and have fun.

So come and enjoy old fiends and make some new ones. Can’t wait to see you!