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.

As always, we would like to thank everyone who helped make this issue possible. Looking through your photographs and reading your articles has been a remarkable experience.

News:
Since the publication of Issue 4 several changes have taken place at BLM, among them, the decision to close the magazine. Read more about it here.