Scott Palmer, a Photography student receiving his BFA from The Art Institutes International Minnesota later this month, was recently nominated by Photo District News (PDN) to be one of the 2010 PDN 30 Photographers to Watch. Each year, PDN selects 30 exemplary emerging photographers for this prestigious honor.
From its inception, editors and creative directors have seen PDN 30 as an opportunity to become familiar with the work of various talented photographers. The process for selecting the PDN 30 is arduous, as an outside individual nominates each photographer to be considered for this honor. PDN’s editorial staff then makes their selection from hundreds of nominees from all over the globe. In 2009, the 30 were comprised of photographers from six U.S. States, and Argentina, Australia, Germany, Japan, Egypt, China, and Singapore.
According to Conor Risch, Features Editor for PDN, “These days, the role of photographers in our culture seems to shift constantly thanks to a never-ending stream of technological, conceptual and economic influences. Additionally, the hurdles to creating and distributing photographic images continue to disappear, inviting some worthy new voices into the conversation, but also creating a din that makes it increasingly difficult for talented photographers to be heard (and to build sustainable careers). The emerging photographers on our [annual] list are not cockeyed optimists; they know and have experienced the challenges, and yet they're eager to commit their lives to photography anyway.”
Founded in 1964 as Lowthian College, The Art Institutes International Minnesota is a diverse, dynamic institution of higher education whose goal is to educate students for creative careers. The Art Institutes International Minnesota is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu)
