Tim Gruber and Jenn Ackerman use both photography and video to tell stories for editorial and commercial clients. 
I was flattered to find an email land in my inbox the other day congratulating me on being selected into the 2011 PDN Photo Annual Contest. Word on the street has it over 3,000 photographers applied? I was happy to be one of the chosen.
The project awarded was The Island project I’ve been working on. It’s always great to have your work acknowledged
but it’s even sweeter when it’s a personal project shot on film that means a great deal to you.
Here are some scans from the project that I’ve yet to share. I hope you enjoy them.
To see a full edit of the project so far see the gallery on the fine-art section of our website.
I was recently named a finalist for the Magnum Expression Award along with a great roster of photographers. The entries are extremely diverse and beautifully shot.
The same day I found out I was a finalist for the award, I also received two emails from people working with mentally ill inmates. This is what they wrote:
I just spent a few hours reading everything and watching the videos on your site. I just want to say you have done amazing work – I am sure you hear this a lot, but thank you.
…Granted, I know they are incarcerated for a reason that is not good but they still deserve to be heard. I have done so many searches on the net to try and find a way for the inmates to be heard. I watched and read your story on Trapped and it was amazing. I have worked in corrections and actually dealt with E.W. and he was in the documentary beating himself up and the work you did does display exactly what corrections staff are faced with on a daily basis. Thank you for your time,
While I am extremely thankful for the recognition that I received from my peers and awards I have received for my project on mental illness in prison, some of the best recognition has been from former inmates, those with mental illness or those working with people with mental illness. Those emails and letters encourage me to continue the project and tell other stories like this one.
I was happy to receive an email in my inbox earlier this summer from the Magenta Flash Forward competition letting me know that I was chosen as an honorable mention for one of their 2010 Emerging Photographers for my Served Out: Aging and Dying Behind Bars project. There’s some great talent on the winners page of their site. Congrats to all the winners.
A trailer of the video portion of the project was also screened for the first time at the LOOKbetween festival we blogged about earlier. I’ll try to have that up to share with you all soon.
A few outtakes from the project. See more at the Served Out: Aging and Dying Behind Bars section on our website.
Thanks to David Walker and the crew at PDN, there is a great write up about us and our work for the Miss Universe Organization. Click here to read the full article.
“They were self-starters, who would come with their own ideas,” says Shugart, who didn’t want to do any hand-holding. “They would be able to take us to the next level.”
They also had a mix of shooting and production skills, which is increasingly important as media converges, Shugart says. “No longer can anyone be just a photographer.”- Paula Shugart, President of the Miss Universe Organization
We had a great time talking at UNC and were surprised the great turnout and pleased with all the questions everyone had for us. It seems more and more students are becoming in tune with the possibility of being freelance straight out of school.
It was great to back on a college campus again and reminded us how incredibly inspiring it can be to surrounded by so many like-minded people working towards the same thing.
Thanks to everyone who made it out – we had a blast!
Tracy over at Innovative Interactivity was kind enough to write a recap of our talk on her blog. Read her post Jenn Ackerman and Tim Gruber advise photographers to learn the business behind the photo
A few of the 10 pieces of advice Tracy pulled from our talk. Find the rest on her blog.
- “Be open to exploring other art forms and other photography that you might not necessarily like, but find the good in that and let it inspire you and drive you.” – Tim
- “Check your ego at the door because you are learning and telling other people’s stories.” – Jenn
- “Our industry is ultimately about relationships so shake those hands so people can meet the face behind the photo.” – Tim
- “In the beginning it was fun to struggle, but after awhile it sucks,” Jenn warned. “If you are constantly thinking about money you cannot be creative.”