FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

this is a photo blog.: Twenty-One Emerging Photographers Tackle Monthly Creative Assignments

Los Angeles, CA -
this is a photo blog. is a community of emerging photographers who take turns giving the group creative assignments. Started in August 2008 by Tamar Levine and a handful of her Art Center College of Design classmates, it has grown to include twenty-one contributors, each with her or his distinct style and vision. This diverse mix of photographers provides as much diversity in the results of each monthly assignment.

The mission statement is posted on the website: We are a group of photographers who take turns giving each other creative assignments and have fun doing it.

Levine came up with the concept for the blog in the summer of 2008. "I really wanted to start a blog for a few reasons," she stated, "To establish a photo community; to continue creative dialogue even after we finished school; to make a haven where we could just be creative without worrying about the money or competition; and to feed off of each other and hopefully get inspired."

She approached eleven friends, including Jennifer Becker, who enthusiastically joined in and contributed to the first assignment, appropriately entitled Firsts. "Tamar and I always talked about how hard it was not being in school and having regular assignments to keep you shooting all the time," Becker shared.

Contributors appreciate that the site provides a safe haven in which they can take risks and try new things. "The best thing about this blog," says Becker, "is I've been able to experiment a little more. When I get hired for a job I have to stick with my style so I don't have an upset client, but for the blog I've been able to play around a little more. I don't necessarily have to put up a shot that works with my style or the rest of my work. It can just be an image I love."

In July 2009, with the addition of Andrea LaBarge Mills and Verity Smith, the site now features the work of twenty-one photographers based in cities across the U.S. and soon to include the U.K. "I came across the blog while I was working at Filter and reviewing Tamar's website," LaBarge Mills recalls. "I was so impressed by the community she had built and the range of work displayed for each assignment. When she invited me to contribute I was thrilled. I look forward to the creative challenges that each assignment presents, as well as seeing the variety of interpretations when we all post our results."

Levine gets roughly ten emails a month from people asking if they can be a contributer. "For now I am into establishing a smaller community," she has stated, "but I am open to expanding down the line. I think it is also important to only include those who would positively contribute and who have work I really admire."

For More Information Please Visit:
http://www.thisisaphotoblog.com

Contact: Tamar Levine
310.804.6983
me@tamarlevine.com

About Tamar Levine:
Tamar Levine, a Los Angeles-based fashion, portrait, and fine art photographer, is the founder and creator of this is a photo blog. Since receiving her BFA with honors from Art Center College of Design in 2005 she has been shooting regularly for magazines, ad campaigns, album artwork, and her own fine art projects. She has been recognized with awards from the PDN Pix Digital Imaging Contest and the Prix de la Photographie Paris.
http://www.tamarlevine.com

About Jennifer Becker:
Jennifer is one of the original contributors to this is a photo blog. She was born and raised in southern california where she grew up shooting snowboarders, surfers, skaters and live bands. Once she discovered the fun of shooting a person sitting still she was hooked. She graduated from Art Center College Design and is currently living in Brooklyn, NY with her photographer husband and sassy Chihuahua.
http://www.jbeckerphoto.com

About Andrea LaBarge Mills:
After graduating from Art Center College of Design in 2003, Andrea assisted a handful of Los Angeles photographers and continued to develop her own work and vision. In 2005 she was offered the position of Photo Editor at Filter Magazine, where she worked for three years. In 2008 she left her post at the magazine to pursue freelancing on a full-time basis for clients such as Spin, Geffen Records, and NBC/Universal. One of the two most recent additions to the blog, she has just started contributing to this is a photo blog. in July of 2009.
http://www.LaBargePhoto.com