Meagan Young was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1970. In 2000, she studied at the Universita` di Bologna in Italy and in 2002, she graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Italian Studies. Out of college Meagan went to work in the Toy industry as a product manager and gained training on web development by heading up the internet division. She went on to freelance as a web designer and product manager for multiple web based companies. Meagan joined Magnum as the Web Content Manager and Bookstore Manager in 2007.
In recent weeks we have been working behind the scenes on new interactive channels for the Magnum Photos website. One of the main focuses is building stronger community portals and creating a more engaging experience with our website. The greatest asset of Magnum is the high standards of quality in regards to our content, and showcasing this work on the blog can be very limiting, so as an online destination we want to offer more to our audience and build a strong community portal. We would like to bring you better ways to view new work and engage with it on a regular basis so we will be reformatting the blog and building coherent photographer channels to integrate the community with activities beyond blogging and we are looking forward to a more productive and mutually beneficial discourse. While we do this we ask for your patience and understanding. Soon there will be so much more for you to enjoy on our website.
We will be leaving our blog archive online but for now you won't see any updates until we launch the new platform. For up to date news on Magnum and Magnum events follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our newsletters.
On Saturday June 8th, 1968 the body of Robert F Kennedy was carried by a special Funeral Train from Penn Station in New York City to Union Station in Washington DC.
Bobby Kennedy’s last words before he lapsed into unconsciousness after he was shot in Los Angeles on the night of June 5th, 1968 were: “Is everybody alright?”
Oscar winning documentary maker Jon Blair is starting work on a ground-breaking documentary based on the memories of those who watched RFK’s funeral train go by. The film will be focusing on the extraordinary photographs taken from the train by Paul Fusco, combined with interviews with some of the tens of thousands of Americans who lined the tracks.
We recently spoke with Francisca Fuentes, the researcher for the project, to learn more about the film. She had this to say:
I am pleased to announce that the winning edit in the 'Your Magnum Edit' competition was Edit #3 from Raabia Wazir. Raabia will be receiving a set of vintage Magnum Photos posters including one signed by Elliott Erwitt. Her edit will also be used to create a Magnum In Motion video essay and she will be able to participate in the production of that video.
The criteria for the contest was to make an edit of 10-14 images from the Magnum archive based on the following quote:
"A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction." - Oscar Wilde
It seems as though we keep posting about a new award or submission every few days so I thought it would be a good idea to create a handy list for everyone to keep track.
Magnum Awards and Submission Opportunities
Magnum Photos Membership submission: Magnum Photos is a co-operative owned and run by its members/photographers. They meet once a year during the last weekend in June to discuss the organization's affairs. One day of the meeting is set aside for looking at and voting on potential new members' portfolios. Successful applicants will be invited to become a "Nominee Member", a category of membership which presents an opportunity for Magnum and the individual to get to know each other. Deadline: May 31, 2009
Magnum Expression Award: The Magnum Expression Photography Award was established by Magnum Photos and HP with the goal of raising awareness and inspiring change through campaigns using photography as an expressive medium. The judges are searching for revealing imagery that illustrates a dedicated compassion and intensity using photography as a medium. Deadline: September 30, 2009
A Taste For Life Competition: The makers of Tanqueray gin have teamed up with legendary photographic agency, Magnum Photos, to capture the rich, intense flavour of Tanqueray. The winning photographs from ‘A Taste for Life’ will be exhibited at Liberty of London later this year and your photograph could be there. ‘A Taste for Life’ is a celebration of rich, intense moments in life. The judges are looking for you to capture your own rich, intense moment in life which epitomises the taste of Tanqueray gin. It could be anything from a celebration, an adventure, or an expression that captures Tanqueray’s rich intensity. Deadline: April 12, 2009
Recently Announced Foundation Awards and Grants
Emerging Photographer's Fund: A $10,000 grant will be awarded in early 2009 to a worthy emerging photographer whose work is on the highest level. Funding would be designed to support continuation of this photographer’s personal project. This body of work may be of either journalistic mission or purely personal artistic imperatives. Deadline: April 1, 2009
Inge Morath Award: The Magnum Foundation and the Inge Morath Foundation announce the sixth annual Inge Morath Award. The annual prize of $5,000 is awarded by the Magnum Foundation to a female documentary photographer under the age of 30, to support the completion of a long-term project. One award winner and up to two finalists are selected by a jury composed of Magnum photographers. Deadline: April 30, 2009
Henri Cartier-Bresson International Award: Presented by the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, the HCB Award is a prize to stimulate a photographer’s creativity by offering the opportunity to carry out a project that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. It is intended for a photographer who have already completed a significant body of work, a talented photographer in the emerging phase of his or her career, with an approach close to that of reportage. The prize is of 30 000 Euros and is awarded every other year. Deadline: March 31, 2009
W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography: The W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography is presented annually to a photographer whose past work and proposed project, as judged by a panel of experts, follows the tradition of W. Eugene Smith's concerned photography and dedicated compassion exhibited during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. Deadline: May 15, 2009
UPDATE: Contest is now over! Congratulations to the three winners Olivier Laurent, Martin Nicholls and Byron Edwards! The answers are posted below with each clue.
Today we have a special treat for our blog followers. We are having a contest. What is the prize, you ask? Well, it's a signed copy of a publication you will encounter along the scavenger hunt. Intrigued? I bet you are.
The way this will work is you will begin on the home page of Magnum Photos and by reading through the poetic clues below you will be taken from one place to another, clicking on the link included in those pages that you suspect is the next step of the puzzle. In the end, if you’ve followed each clue correctly, you’ll be able to answer the final query and submit your answer. The hunt will run until 12noon EDT March 19, 2009, or until three people submit the correct answers.
Recently I was sent a copy of a new book from National Geographic, entitled 'Mothers and Children'. Our publishing department had worked with them to produce the book and it contains quite a few photos from Magnum photographers. At first glance I thought it would be one of those last-minute grab-near-the-cash-register kind of books but then I thumbed through it and found the selection of images quite interesting, not your run-of-the-mill heart-wrenching glorified look at motherhood but a realistic everyday look at good ol' Mom. As you can see from the slideshow above it's definitely worth checking out: Mothers and Children
On assignment for the New York Times Magazine, Paolo Pellegrin photographed eight of the contenders for Academy Awards. The intensity and honesty Pellegrin draws from his subjects is striking and gives you a sense of the raw strength they each possess away from the glitz and the glamour and without the makeup and costumes. The result is a stunning set of portraits of Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, Mickey Rourke, Robert Downey Jr., and Kat Dennings.
Join us for an intimate holiday gathering with select Magnum photographers: Elliott Erwitt, Susan Meiselas, Martin Parr, Paul Fusco, Larry Towell, Martine Franck, Paolo Pellegrin, Richard Kalvar, Mark Power, Peter Marlow and many more. Limited Edition items, rare and new books will be available for purchase.
A very special gift book by Alec Soth with every purchase.
Location: Aperture Gallery
Address: 547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor, New York City (See map)
Date: Monday December 15th, 2008
Time: 7-9pm
The winner of our recent Surfing the archive contest is Kas. His submission (Entry #13) comparing the Joseph Mallord William Turner painting Snowstorm to Paolo Pellegrin's photo of Château d'IF was chosen by the Magnum Photos New York staff. He will receive a box set of Art Appreciation signed by Elliott Erwitt. Congratulations Kas, and thank you to everyone that participated.
