Hallmark Institute of Photography's 32nd Class Graduates Represent Russia, Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, Plus 41 of Our United States and Puerto R

Turners Falls, MA (PRWEB) June 22, 2007 -- At precisely 11:00am, Hallmark Institute of Photography (http://hallmark.edu) will hold its thirty-second commencement ceremony for the Class of 2007 on the grounds of the Institute's Administrative Office Building located at 241 Millers Falls Road in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. One hundred and ninety-one (191) talented professionals (122 females and 70 males) are expected to grace the stage and receive Certificates of Completion. Graduates represent forty-one (41) of the United States from Massachusetts to Alaska plus Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. Graduates also represent Russia, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines. The graduates range in ages from 18-53 and hold educational backgrounds from high school diplomas and GED equivalencies to Masters degrees.

Lois Greenfield, world-renowned photographer and keynote speaker, plans to inspire and motivate the graduates as she officially welcomes them into the photographic industry as professionals. Greenfield began her career as a photojournalist but was drawn to the graphic potential of dance. For twenty years she covered the experimental dance scene for the Village Voice. In 1982, she decided to open a studio where she could not only control the lighting, but could also direct the dancers in her exploration of movement's expressive potential. Her unique approach to photographing the human form in motion has radically redefined the genre, and influenced a generation of young photographers.

Greenfield has been compared with Eadward Muybridge for his exploration of human locomotion, and with Cartier Bresson for capturing the elusive moment. Unlike her predecessors however, her images depict but don't refer to the "real" world. They are documents of her imagination. They confuse, confound, and tickle one's perception by presenting what eyes clearly see and the brain wants to refute. She is equally the descendent of Salvador Dali and the Surrealists.

Lois has created signature images for most of the major contemporary dance companies. Many of these images can be seen in virtually every major magazine, her 1992 monograph, Breaking Bounds (Chronicle Books), as well as in her volume, Airborne (Chronicle Books, 1998)

The Advertising world has been picking up on the metaphoric potential of her images, and has created numerous campaigns around her unique work. Some of her notable clients are Rolex, Kodak, Sony, IBM, Hanes, Pepsi, Remy Martin, Netscape, Minolta, Toshiba, Target and Raymond Weil Watches.

Her work is exhibited in galleries and museums around the world and her editorial work has appeared in Elle, Sports Illustrated, Life, Time, Vanity Fair, O Magazine, Dance, American Photographer, the NY Times Magazine, and Vogue.

Her newest venture has taken her career full circle, collaborating and performing around the world with the Australian Dance Theater in "Held," a dance inspired by her photography in which she shoots the live action as part of the performance.

Other special guests speaking at the ceremony for the Class of 2007 will be Scott Hersh, Director of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and Jan Lederman, President of MAC Group. Kirsten Snow (Class of 1985) will speak as the Alumni Representative, while Kate Drew Miller (Class of 2007), of Williamstown, MA, has been selected to deliver the Prelude and Todd Cooper Barnes (Class of 2007) of San Juan Capistrano, CA, will speak as Class Representative.

Hallmark Institute's unique ten-month resident program approaches learning with a hands-on technique, quickly building from beginning to advanced photographic skills. Committed staff and faculty prepare an individual to handle photographic assignments of great diversity in a professional manner, including portraiture, catalog and advertising illustration, aerial and location, studio and environmental product, group and candid, industrial, photojournalism and digital capture, manipulation and restoration. With a well-rounded curriculum emphasizing the technical, artistic and business aspects of photography and imaging, Hallmark graduates are ready to secure meaningful employment with established photographers or to begin plans for successful photographic businesses of their own.

http://hallmark.edu

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