11TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS HONORS PHOTOGRAPHER SYLVIA R. WRIGHT FROM CANADA

Hi all,

I wanted to share how thrilled I am to be acknowledged for the second year in a row. 

Thanks, as always, for supporting my creative work. I am so grateful for the ability to express myself through photography and appreciate you being part of the journey.

Many blessings,
Sylvia 

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for immediate release

LOS ANGELES (march 1, 2019) - Amateur photographer Sylvia R. Wright of Canada was presented with the 11th Annual International Color Awards Honorable Mention in the category of Nature at a prestigious Nomination & Winners Photoshow.

The live online gala was attended by over 12,500 photography fans around the globe who logged on to watch the climax of the industry's most important event for color photography. 11th Annual Jury members included captains of the industry from Christie's, Paris; Grey Group, New York; The Art Channel, London; Ogilvy & Mather, Amsterdam; Publicis Conseil, Paris; Preus Museum, Norway; Art Beatus, Hong Kong; Netflix, Los Angeles; Whitechapel Gallery, London; and Phillips, New York who honored Color Masters with 709 title awards and 730 nominees in 33 categories.

"Photography is more popular than ever. Last year around 1.2 trillion pictures were taken. In this awards show we pay tribute to the top 0.0000000001% of them" said Juror Martijn van Marle, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy & Mather, Amsterdam. Joshua White, Presenter and Producer on The Art Channel, London added "Judging this year's submissions for the Color Awards was challenging. The winning images illustrate the continuing importance of photography as a way of seeing the world around us and understanding human experience."

"It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 5,642 entries we received this year," said Basil O'Brien, the awards Creative Director. Sylvia's "Dancing Fireflies”, an exceptional image entered in the Nature category, represents contemporary color photography at its finest, and we're pleased to present her with the title of Honorable Mention.

INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS is the leading international award honoring excellence in color photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers worldwide and honors the finest images with the highest achievements in color photography.

WWW.COLORAWARDS.COM

10th Annual Colour Awards Press Release

I wanted to share this great news I only recently learned of and to thank all of you for your support and kindness as I continue following my creative dreams.

I hope you like the winning image and also the press release that accompanies it.

Blessings to you all,
Sylvia


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

10TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS HONORS SYLVIA WRIGHT FROM CANADA

LOS ANGELES (August 11, 2017) – Amateur photographer, Sylvia R. Wright of Canada was presented with the 10th Annual International Color Awards Honorable Mention in the category of Abstract at a prestigious Nomination & Winners Photoshow streamed Saturday, March 4, 2017.

The live online gala was attended by 9,575 photography fans around the globe who logged on to watch the climax of the industry's most important event for color photography.

10th Annual Jury members included captains of the industry from Christie's, New York; Contemporary Art Society, London; Sotheby's, Paris; ING Collection, Netherlands; Y&R, Malaysia; Preus Museum, Norway; Art Beatus, Hong Kong; Ogilvy & Mather, Amsterdam; Whitechapel Gallery, London; and J. Walter Thompson, New York who honored Color Masters with 723 title awards in 33 categories.

"It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 6,178 entries we received this year," said Basil O'Brien, the awards Creative Director. “Sylvia Wright’s “Azzurro”, an exceptional image entered in the Abstract category, represents contemporary color photography at its finest, and we're pleased to present her with the title of Honorable Mention."

INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS is the leading international award honoring excellence in color photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers worldwide and honors the finest images with the highest achievements in color photography. 

www.colorawards.com

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Chasing Lava

You have not known darkness until you have been in the middle of a jet-black lava field, on a remote island, at 2:00 am seeking out 1,100 degree C molten lava. It was just me and my trusted guide Jon, a professional photographer and native-born Hawaiian. We were both very much in the presence of Pele, mythical Goddess of Volcanoes and Fire. And while I ventured out to witness one of the most mesmerizing natural wonders in the world, I gleaned far more.

Jon said he would need to pick me up at 10 pm and we would be out for at least 13 hours. Say what? The timing didn’t seem to phase him, but for me – an idle tourist on vacation – I initially balked. No thanks. Sunset shots were much more convenient. Plus they were safe. But was this all I desired? Safe and pretty does not equate to inspired and brilliant.

I reconsidered the commitment required to head out at bedtime to take pictures all night. Sure, I had gone out of my way for photography before. Many times. But not to the extent that would require sleep disruption. Or the loss of three cushy vacation days in the glorious sun. Combined with a journey outside of my comfort zone to bike, hike, then bike again, in the dead of night, traversing over razor sharp volcanic rock in the process. Five tourists nearly died in a similar area on New Year’s eve when they ventured outside an authorized viewing area. Minutes after a ranger retrieved them, 21 acres of old lava delta collapsed into the ocean, taking with it a four-acre chunk of the sea cliff where they had previously been standing. Mother Nature is fickle.

With the above exception, humans, as a whole, tend towards homeostasis. Sometimes I get out of my comfort zone, but for the most part, it’s where I happily reside. After a magnificent evening, filled with awe at photographing the magical lava ‘hose’ that is spewing forth hundreds of millions of gallons of lava, it left me reflecting further upon my return to Canada. In what other areas do I play it safe, and thus receive mostly safe rewards in return? To what extent do adventure photographers need to go in order to capture pictures that warrant two million Instagram followers? I knew I was coming up short. 

It took special preparation and I was a zombie for at least two days afterwards, but saying ‘yes’ to this adventure gave me impetus to push other boundaries. Days later, I didn’t think twice about going out again in the middle of the night, all night, in search of the Milky Way. Although the proper shooting conditions did not materialize, I treasure the memory of experiencing the sun slowly replace the star-filled night, beckoning another perfect day in paradise.

I wonder what your personal ‘lava shots’ would look like, if you pushed your boundaries more often. I can assure you it’s more than worth the effort. 

The Cranky Molluscs

I HAD THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF DOING A PHOTO SHOOT WITH THE EFFERVESCENT HEIDI BRAACX AND KARINA INKSTER, WHO, TOGETHER, COMPRISE THE BAND KNOWN AS THE CRANKY MOLLUSCS. I AM UNCERTAIN AS TO THE EXACT ORIGIN OF THEIR NAME, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I COULD SURMISE, THEY WERE NEITHER CRANKY, NOR MOLLLUSCS. 

I was privy to a pop-up concert in the park and know those around us also appreciated the melodies. They bring the sound of the accordion (historically not my most favorite of instruments) and the violin (very much my favorite instrument) together perfectly. it was like a scene out of Amelie. And it forced me to rethink my negative accordion bias.

They have a special kind of quirkiness that I was hoping to capture with my goal being some candid and posed shots for their promotional purposes. However, there were some technical challenges to overcome. Due to everyone’s tight schedules, there was just a small window where the three of us could connect. This meant we shot in harsh mid-day sun, resulting in an abundance of shadows. With no lighting kit or assistant, we had to make the best of available light.

This did provide for one unexpected creative opportunity - when I asked them to clasp hands, an ‘M’ (for molluscs) appeared in shadow on the sidewalk behind them, resulting in a surprise shot I really liked.

But back to the ‘Molluscs; they are also altruistic, having performed multiple times by donation for worthy local charities. If you get a chance, I highly recommend taking in one of their concerts. You will instantly recognize them by their signature polka-dot-and-red styling. And as soon as you hear the crooning of their blended sounds, you will recognize that too.

They have recently made themselves available for limited private engagements so if you are lucky enough to book them for a function, I can assure you it will be a night you will remember. And of course you won’t be able to forget their unique name! Check them out here:

www.crankymolluscs.com

Synergistic Series

Three of my limited edition 16”x24” metallic face-mounted-on-acrylic prints are being shown at Connect Health Centre for Integrative + Functional Medicine in Vancouver, BC. 

I’ve appreciated receiving many compliments since they were placed on display recently in their clinic.

They are available to purchase for $485 each with 33% of net profits being donated to The Grateful Heart Foundation. 

The Grateful Heart Foundation was created in 2007 in support of the elderly and the care and protection of animals in Canada. Learn more about their work here: www.thegratefulheartfoundation.com

Springtime in the Desert

For some, the word ‘desert’ evokes a sense of being deserted; quiet, dead. And dead quiet. However in truth, it’s a very lively affair, particularly in spring. 

It’s a magnificent place to spend time where nature abounds. The hues are breathtaking with bright orange, magenta, scarlet and yellow taking center stage in all sorts of flora. 

Not only are the colors bright, but so are the sounds, with endless birds expressing their happiness at being alive. As dusk settles in, the coyotes’ howls fill the night air with a haunting call celebrating a kill.

How all the desert animals navigate the prickly and dangerous cacti without incident is mysterious. For most, the practice of photography is not considered a risky undertaking. However working in the High Sonoran desert can be delicate. It is easy to get caught up in the wonder of one’s surroundings, but the price of inattention is many unexpected sharp needle jabs in unexpected places. The high stakes simply add to the fun!

Arizona sunsets are legendary and the special lighting they provide adds the perfect backdrop to a picturesque desert scape. 

“My favorite color…the seam of a desert horizon”. ~ Eileen R. Tabios 

Birth Announcement – It’s Twins!

But not the kind you likely expected. That of an actual child. Or two. But more a metaphorical child in the form of my new web site. And its not-quite-identical twin; my first blog post.

I had no idea the number of things that would come up for me emotionally in the process but thought that a blog might provide an opportunity to examine them. I am a very private person. Until now it would seem. The experience has been challenging. Although I know we live in the age where people openly share minutae about themselves, along with some very personal and intimate issues, that has not been my preference. 

In the process of creating the web site and blog, I had a lot of thoughts and doubts arise. Is it ‘good enough’? When is something considered ‘good enough’? Would I be judged? By whom? Which is worse, judgement by others or critical judgement of self? Who would read this? Who would care? And so on. 

I had serious doubts that the world needs more people talking about more things. Hasn’t everything already been discussed? But then I realized that if we all felt the same, conversations wouldn’t be started and we wouldn’t deepen, learn and grow. I’ve never forgotten my first Buddhist service where the dharma talk was focused on the following message: We are all connected. It was a profound service focused on this theme and one I have not forgotten.

So with this, my first post, I am taking a leap of faith and going public as it were. I plan to write about the creative process, perfectionism, individuality, photography, social constructs, letting go, self acceptace, art and perception of taste, vulnerability, etc. With the realization that creating photos and writing is enjoyable in and of itself, even if no one sees them, reads them or likes them. Including myself. I am looking forward to getting to know myself through the process as I unravel the shrouds of my cocoon. I love quotes so I will be using a heavy dose throughout the coming posts. 

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” - Maya Angelou

Thanks for joining me in the conversation should you feel so inclined.