PDN 30: Strategies for the Young Working Photographers

This seminar always seems to attract a lot of photographers.
As a photographer, I know it's a huge accolade to be listed in PDN's pages when they do the annual PDN 30.
This panel was run by Holly Hughes who is the editor of Photo District News.
The folks on this panel were photographers, Nick Onken, Elizabeth Weinberg, Wayne Lawrence, and Matthew Jordon Smith. Also Sr. Art Producer from McCann Erickson, Agatha Maciejewski.

Wayne Lawrence started off the panel by showing his work and giving a moving story about this image below. He discussed how important this image was at it reminded him of his relationship with his brother who had passed away eight years ago and would be in his thirties now. He had some funny stories about meeting a photographer who became his mentor by just seeing him on the side of the road in Venice Beach and recognizing him from Communication Arts and asking him if he could work for him. He went on to discussed his ah-ha moment when he decided he wanted to turn around his life and do something he loved. Wayne's access into his subjects seems very intimate, and he describes his work as being "a celebration of life (that would) affect positive change."



Elizabeth Weinberg lives in Brooklyn, New York. She was selected as one of PDN's 30 Emerging Photographers to Watch in 2010, and has been published in American Photography 26. Born and raised in Massachusetts, she graduated with a degree in Photojournalism from Boston University in 2004. She discussed her background as a student at BU and working for different music management companies while still in school. How she used that to get a foot in the door and make some connections with bands and managers. She describes wanting to be "the next Annie Leibowitz" when she was coming out of school. Which I can relate to. Her work all has a certain free, fun feeling that shows her ease with her subjects. She believes in being proactive and believing in yourself and creating opportunities for yourself. Case in point is some of her personal projects on her website that have landed her commercial work.

Unfortunately I had to run off in the middle of this seminar to catch one other as the Expo is nearing the end! But stay tuned for more updates!

-Andrea Fischman