project childhood

keeping it going.......

I would like the help of everyone... many have asked.. ok. now what???? What happens next???? do we just wait for next year?.. heck no.. I say.. But I do need your help...

I would like to hear some clever ideas on how to keep this going throughout the year and get as many of you involved as possible...There have been some saying, let's pass this blog to a new photographer each week, or maybe each month and have guest bloggers to highlight all what they are doing in their community, or maybe passing it from state to state and the next photographer will have to find someone to pass it to...what do you think????

Please your feedback is welcome, any ideas will help... leave a comment below with your e-mail, so we can get this project moving and take it global...;)

Gina

PROJECT CHILDHOOD WINNER

Giving of ourselves is really the only investment that never fails, and over the course of the past month, several photographers from across the world united to give freely of themselves for the sake of one cause: TO CELEBRATE CHILDHOOD.

I have gained enough wisdom in this short-lived life of mine to know that our actions are the cornerstone of positive change in this world. Words are nice, and necessary at first, but real change must begin with action. With motion--motion set into place by the simple belief that we can make a difference. 

I called upon photographers to utilize their art and their passion for something beyond themselves, for something that in essence contributed to the greater good of our society, and I was never at a loss when it came to willing participants and heartfelt stories. Perhaps this sounds a bit overly-wrought with drama (I mean, this is the end of PROJECT CHILDHOOD 2008), but idealism coupled with the strength to endure hardship can take us far in this world, and so I speak in a voice that demands attention and comes straight from the heart. Children are the future. Children are mirrors of the past, reflections of who we are today, and who we will be tomorrow.

It is with great joy in my heart that I am able to sit here today, humbled by so many beautiful souls who joined me on this journey. Whether you were one of the sponsors who donated your services or goods, or whether you were a participant on the front lines, I will forever be indebted to your generosity and selflessness, and so it is with great pleasure that I announce the winner of PROJECT CHILDHOOD 2008: karimawhite/photography

Her shot of a nine-year-old refugee from Somalia made a lasting impression on the judges. Just like Karima’s work which is fresh and inspiring, so is the story of the young girl who managed to master the English language in one year and fight against various other odds.

As a final note, many of you have inquired about the direction that PROJECT CHILDHOOD will take from this point on, and I am proud to announce that my wife Gina Lee will be taking over the behind-the-scenes duties of managing and developing new ideas with the photography side of the PROJECT. My goal is to expand the scope of the PROJECT through the art of film and writing, which is not only my technical background, but my passion as well. Together, I look forward to working with my wife in the future so that we might join forces and see PROJECT CHILDHOOD grow into a more powerful medium able to instigate change around the globe and ultimately change the way in which our society views and treats childhood.

For the children,
Christopher Lee

Project Childhood Winners Announced...

Here is a list of the 2nd through 6th place winners who managed to move the judges in so many ways. Thank you for your support and congratulations to each and every one of you:

2nd Place: La Bella Vita—Beautiful Life Images
3rd Place: Heidi Sue Photography
4th Place: Wondertime Photography
5th Place: Kristie Serra Photography
6th Place: Emily Griffith of Lemon Lime Studios

Please visit the main site to view a gallery of the winning photographs.

Please email me with your current email address so I can forward it to the sponsors for prize collection!

Last Days of High School Essay Winner Announced...

And the winner is... Tonia Hoyt (and if you want to hear about degrees of separation, Tonia is also best friends with the video winner, Shanna Newton)

"My countdown began junior year, when my Dad passed away. It was sudden and unexpected. This forced me to quickly realize the fragility of life. It was from that point on that I decided to live everyday not only as if it were my last day of high school, but as if it were the last day of my life.

"I try my hardest to take my own advice and not think about my regrets in regards to the past, but instead focus on what I can do to seize the present. I will not wait until graduation day to tell my friends how much they mean to me, because I cannot be certain I will make it to graduation.

"Some might consider my views somber, but nobody has the right to criticize someone else’s values unless they have shared the same experiences.  It is the series of events that have made me who I am today, and because of that I am proud to declare I have chosen to spend my last days of high school seizing the present, because I cannot be sure what my future holds."

                                                                         - Tonia Hoyt

Last Days of High School Video Winner Announced...

Well, the votes are in and the winner of the last days of High School video winner is Entry # 2: Shanna Newton.

I went with the majority of the votes to be fair… quite frankly, I thought all were very good and these students worked so hard on this project…The last days of high school.. gosh, it seems so long ago, but looking at back at all these videos put me right back to 1990…

Since this whole project is all about giving back.. I think all the  entries are winners, therefore I am giving all three entries a senior session….

Seniors, I am looking forward to it and congratulations to all of you for a job well done….

~Gina Lee

2/10 of a point separated first and second place…

[The judges hard at work today]

Today, the judges hunkered down in front of their computers and went to work at selecting the top six entries for PROJECT CHILDHOOD. It was actually quite entertaining to watch a group of highly-motivated high school filmmaking and photography students debate the finer intricacies of each photo. I merely walked around the classroom with camera in hand, eavesdropping on the reasoning behind each selection. While some were focused more on composition and lighting and overall aesthetics of each shot, others were more prone to select those shots that stirred memories from their own childhoods. Either way, I am confident in the judging process that unfolded today (no hanging chads), and the judges put a lot of effort into selecting the winners—which will be announced on Mother’s Day.

the number 50

50 is...

• in millimeters, the focal length of the normal lens in 35mm photography.
• the smallest number that can be written as the sum of two squares in two distinct ways: 50 = 1² + 7² = 5² + 5².
• The atomic number of tin
• The fifth magic number in physics
• The traditional number of years in a jubilee period
• A 1999 Warren Miller film showcasing skiers and snowboarders at various exotic locations
• The TV show Hawaii Five-O is so called because Hawaii is the 50th state
• In years of marriage, the gold or "golden" wedding anniversary
• The moon is fifty times smaller than the Earth
• Noah's Ark was 50 cubits in width.
• The total number of entries we received for PROJECT CHILDHOOD that will be graded at 12:50 tomorrow afternoon.
• I have so much to blog about--until then, please take a look at our latest featured photographer--nancyelizabeth--over at the main site, who as far as I know has no connection to the number 50, unless of course, you take all the the letters in nancyelizabethphotography and multiply them by 2, and voila, you have... 50. Nancy has been such an inspiration to us here at PROJECT CHILDHOOD, whether it is her photos or her inspiring words found on her site.

1 hr. 43 minutes left...

Where to start? There have been so many amazing entries entered, so head on over to the main site. I wish I could talk about all the great stories at once, but there are just too many. I will attempt to point out some of the stories over the next few days.

As for all the kind words that have been sent my way, thank you, but the truth is, I have been so humbled by all of you and your efforts to buy into PROJECT CHILDHOOD. I honestly believe that each and every one of you has made a tremendous impact on each and every child you came in contact with. Think about that for a moment. I mean, really think about the time you spent with each child. You touched their lives. You left a lasting im"print" not only with your art, but with your words and caring souls.

Children remember so much, and they will remember the time they spent with you for the rest of their lives. That is a powerful thought when you really stop to think about the repercussions of a single action. You may never know just how much you impacted them, and to what extent, but find solace in the fact that you made this world a better place to live in. When all is said and done, isn't that all we can really do in the big scheme of things. Happiness is such a wonderful concept...

so many new entries...

With almost 24 hours to go until the deadline, the beautiful stories are rolling in and the entries are being posted in a new gallery over at the main site. Be sure to check out the amazing shots from Nancy Elizabeth Photography, LaBellaVita - Beautiful Life Images,  and Karima White Photography. Each of these photographers are so gifted, and I am hoping to share some of their personal stories with you tomorrow.

P.S. The judges are primed and prepped. Many of you have inquired about the process (i.e., do the stories that go with each picture count? How will they judge?). The process is actually quite simple. All that counts is the shot itself, and each of them will choose the shot that best depicts CHILDHOOD. That's it, so good luck to all, but as I have already said, there are so many winners in this great journey we have been on over the course of the past month and a half. So many winners...

THIS JUST IN: Dona from Foto Di Vita, who just spent four amazing days photographing His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "would like to donate an original photograph of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the winner.  It will be an 11x14 matted and signed print that will serve as a beautiful reminder that this holy man stands for peace and love, the essence of childhood."

two birthdays and a father just stares on...

Sharing my birthday with my five-year-old daughter is special in so many ways. I can still recall the moment when my wife (27 hours into labor) glances over at me and says, "I'm sorry, but I didn't get you anything for your birthday." I had to laugh, and say, "I think our daughter will do."

My children mean everything to me, and today I was able to share a special moment with my daughter on our birthday. We bought her a Groovy Girls "big girl" bicycle with a High School Musical helmet and a bunch of other goodies. After we returned from her favorite place, Chili's, we headed over to the local playground and rode around on our bikes together, and as we raced around, trying not to touch the white lines, and taking water breaks, and swerving in and out of the tetherball poles, I just glided along behind her, watching, really just staring in awe at my daughter who is slowly growing up before my eyes, and as much as I want to hold onto these special moments with her, I realize that time goes on--just as it should--but for a father, it's a difficult fact of life to accept.

As she turned corners sharply I kept directing her to be careful, to be cautious, and telling her to watch out for this and watch out for that, until finally, I just let go (hard as it was) prayng that God would watch over daddy's little girl. Kindergarten is in September, and before I know it she'll be graduating from high school, and I just hope that I can make the years in between magical for her, because, in life, CHILDHOOD only comes once.