We received an email today from a favorite of ours, Amie Vanderford, whose photographs are featured on this blog.  Amy has embarked on a photographic adventure and needs our support. Join us in sponsoring her exciting project in Peru.

Here’s her email:

Good evening, friends and marvelous photographic subjects!

As you may recall from projects I’ve worked on in the past, such as my Memphis 366 2008 and Memphis Portrait projects, I love to find and photograph the good and inspiring.  For several years Memphis has been the primary focus of my photography projects and has been a wonderful inspiration, but I have decided to expand my search for good to the rest of the world, as well.

 

This expansion is due to a number of factors and opportunities.  Last year I was one of the fortunate recipients of an Individual Artist Fellowship award from the Tennessee Arts Commission.  I used those funds to travel to Nepal for an international humanitarian photography workshop, and spent some additional time traveling and photographing in India afterwards.  This spring I was invited to travel to Zimbabwe (under the sponsorship of Memphis’ own Lindenwood Christian Church) to photograph work being accomplished at Khayelihle Children’s Village, a family-style home for orphans, and the Showers of Blessings Trust, an organization that drills water wells for rural Zimbabweans who have to walk more than 5 miles to find water.  If you’d like to see samples of this work, please visit my website: www.amie.org.

This is not to say that I am abandoning Memphis. Memphis will always be my home, even while I am traveling around the world working on additional photo documentary projects.  Memphis and her people (all of you) were the inspiration behind me taking the leap and following my dreams of becoming a photographer full-time.  For every photo project I take on in my search to find the good in the world, from Memphis to Nepal to Zimbabwe and now to Peru, I continue to learn so many amazing things about our commonality as people across the globe, and each time I hear a good idea somewhere else, I think about how we could use that idea here in Memphis, and vice versa.

That being said, I am on my way to Peru for 4 months to create another visual documentary!  I will be there from July 27, 2011 – November 30, 2011, and I will be photographing 3 different non-profits’ volunteer programs.  To support this effort, I have started a fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo.com.  I do not expect to raise enough money to cover the entire trip, but instead have placed a fundraising goal of $1,000. Of course, if I do raise enough money to cover the entire trip, it certainly will make things easier!  I am a starving, but resourceful, artist, after all! The trip details, including my video pitch (in all my silliness) and the great Perks that I’m offering to supporters at all levels, can be found here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Photographer-Seeking-the-Good-in-the-World?a=162208&i=emal

The campaign will end on August 15, so there is a limited time involved.  The minimum contribution to receive one of the Perks (postcards, signed prints, photography coffee table book, stuffed monkey and maybe even video footage of me handling a tarantula – see the Perks for details!) is $10.  If $10 is a stretch, even a small donation of just $5 to show you like the idea behind the project would be greatly appreciated.

It’s not all about the money though! I would also love your help to spread the word about this project to others you know who may be interested, whether friends, family or other contacts.  Anything you can do to help spread the word would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

Best,

Amie Vanderford