“I am continuously surrounded by talented, creative photographers, but only very few had an opportunity to show their work or to reach galleries, curators, and collectors until now. In the last two years Emerging Focus finalists have been picked up by galleries not only in the U.S., but internationally, including most recently a magazine in Paris."   -Wayne Fernandez Co-Producer, photo l.a. & Director, EMERGING FOCUS   The mandate of EMERGING FOCUS is simple: we are looking to spotlight the revolutionaries, the ground breakers, and the virtuosos of tomorrow's photography world by focusing on them today. Our mission is to provide a platform for these artists to distinguish themselves and their work amongst all others, to exhibit their art and their approaches, to guide them into the world of fine art photography, and further, to foster their relationships with galleries, collectors, dealers, curators, and enthusiasts alike. Do you have the passion, drive, and desire to make it? EMERGING FOCUS is here to provide the stepping stone that will set you on the path toward a future of success. ***PLEAE NOTE NEW CLOSING DATE: MONDAY JUNE 28*** Winners of the competition will be granted a showing of their work during the EMERGING FOCUS [SUMMER SESSIONS], and will also be commended during our Keynote address on Friday July 26, 2013. Following the conclusion of EMERGING FOCUS [SUMMER SESSIONS], three finalists will move on to be presented at photo l.a. International Art Exposition in January 2014. Proudly sponsored by photo l.a., the ICON and Fine Art Solutions.     "EMERGING FOCUS has given me new confidence in my voice as an artist. I was in a creative vacuum, making work but not sharing it. I entered the contest on a whim. I was thrilled to be one of the twenty artists chosen and then further honored to be selected as the grand prize winner. I will never forget the judges' excitement when they spoke about my photograph. As part of the grand prize reward, I had the opportunity to have my portfolio reviewed by a range of experts in the field including curators, consultants and art directors. The review process encouraged me to think and talk about my work in a new way. It brought me to a better level of understanding of how my work fits into the field. In addition to the reviews, I was awarded access to the photo LA event and all of the EMERGING FOCUS seminars. Some were more technical, others oriented towards business and some purely inspirational. The best part of participating in the EMERGING FOCUS program was being around so many others passionate about photography. The energy was palpable. I can't wait to go out and make new work."   - Gina Cholick, Grand prize winner EMERGING FOCUS @ photo l.a. 2013

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