Bending Light Magazine - Issue No. 4 - Worth a Thousand Words

The theme for this issue of Bending Light Magazine is "worth a thousand words." An old saying, we know, but one with so much potential - because what we really wanted to find were images that pushed beyond the proverb. Our goal was not to find photographs that take a thousand words to recreate in the readers mind, but to find ones that evoke questions and inspire stories. Why is she sitting in a car, in a deserted parking lot, in the rain? What is she feeling? Is she sad? Angry? Did she have a fight with someone? Or is she plotting revenge? It is this ability to draw the viewer into the photograph that we were looking for: photos that could inspire the author to write, or prompt the photographer to grab their camera. Many academics will tell you that ‘good art’ imitates life, but we think real art inspires life. When a photograph makes us imagine new heights or explore undreamt of darkness - that is truly inspirational.

We hope that, as you browse through this issue of BLM, you will encounter images that speak to you on many levels. You’ll journey across the globe with our featured artist, Manuel Librodo, and explore the haunting realm of missed photographic opportunities with Janet Penny. We are pleased to have two fantastic interviews by David Shirk in this issue. First you’ll meet Ryan Keberly, whose photoblog, The Snowsuit Effort, tells the individual stories of the men and women living on the streets of Michigan. Then you’ll get to know Barb Uil, whose photographs manage to both capture the magical essence of childhood and inspire viewers to relive their own fond memories of youth. Lastly, Martin Yeates will introduce you to Oaza, a non-profit organization that works to better the lives of Romanian children.

Is your wedding approaching fast, and you need wedding invitations? Here are some choices for you:

Want to support Bending Light Magazine and have a chance to win free photography books? From November 7th to December 15th we’ll be raffling off one copy of “On this Earth: Photographs from East Africa” by Nick Brandt. All sponsors who have donated $2 or more will automatically be entered not only in this raffle, but in every contest held at BLM during their one year sponsorship period. Join the raffle and list your photoblog on this site by becoming a sponsor.

Lately I have been on a health kick and have been trying to lose weight. Here's some pointers that I have found.

The theme for Issue 5 of BLM is: "Whimsy." In addition to photographs and photography related articles, we are especially interested in pieces written by people who aren't necessarily photographers. For more detailed information please refer to the article guidelines for writers listed on the 'How to Submit' section of this site.

The deadline for submission is January 31st, 2007. We look forward to seeing your work!

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