I’m not usually speechless or at a loss at how to respond to something. But I am through the looking glass right now. I’ve known about this for three days but I haven’t even been able to post the news here on 50lux.com because I’m so blown away.
The LACP, which selected one of my images, Gestalt Moment, for their first member’s exhibition earlier this year, asked for submissions for an upcoming street shooting exhibition early in 2015 which will be both in their gallery and also online.
I submitted 10 images. The response from street shooters in the LA area was great. 129 photographers submitted almost 800 images. The judges were serious. National Geographic’s much esteemed Sam Abell. Stephen McLaren, whose book, Street Photography Now has been on my bookshelf for years.
As far as I can tell, I’m one of only three photographers to have four images selected!
I don’t know what else to say. I would have been GREATLY honored to have one image selected and featured either in the online gallery and over the moon to have one once again on the wall of the LACP exhibition. But I will have TWO on the wall and an additional two different images in LACP’s online gallery for a total of four online.
I just want to thank Julia Dean, and the judges, and EVERYONE associated with the LACP for being what they are and creating their presence in Los Angeles photography and giving photographers here the platform and recognition as they have so deftly and gracefully done. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Since these four images will be featured on LACP’s own online gallery, and they have bestowed upon me this great honor, I don’t want to steal their thunder or take away even one web click from them by posting the images here.
I also won’t even post any of the six shots that weren’t selected as that too seems a bit of a weird thing to do at this time. I will at some point but certainly not now.
The shots have all been featured here in the last year. Three of the images were taken with Nikon cameras and one with the Leica M. I think. Don’t hold me to that. I’m so blown away I barely know my own name right now.
Thank you also to everyone who visits this site and has encouraged me and my photography. You have bolstered the notion in my head that I have something to say photographically and that has kept me going these past years and I thank you all so much for that.
And I want to also thank Leica for the inspiration. Always. Even before I shot Leica. Switching to Leica gear was a complete rebirth for my photography. I could not have gone on another year shooting big autofocus DSLRs. I certainly wouldn’t have been inspired to start this blog without Leica and without this blog… anyway.
I’m thanking everyone today!
Donald Barnat
50'Lux 
There is a Houston Center for Photography. Since the current director took over over 80% of what they show is by women.
Is that a bad or a good thing? And for whom?
It is a good thing for women and a bad thing for men. I suppose that is her agenda. We have the world famous Fotofest here and they have an extremely political agenda that I don’t care for.
Ok, thanks, I understand it better now.
I very much like women photographers and writers… I think, as we used to discuss in Jim Krusoe’s incredible fiction writing workshop many years ago, that men have a tendency to lean towards valuing form and, I guess in the realm of photography, technical aspects, whereas women can, it seems, more easily connect with the mind or psychological or emotional elements and reveal or express those in their work. I would say that’s certainly true in fiction writing and somewhat true in photography Anyway! Thanks for commenting!
I think many male photographers connect with emotion. They just do it differently.
Well I certainly agree and I hope my images, which I have always intended to be taken as photographs of things going on behind people’s faces and underneath the surface of their lives, are an example of that. I don’t think anyone doubts that men have all the requisite tools to create visual art that speaks to the human condition and it would be hard for anyone’s work to be taken seriously without those elements. But women are different, as you say. I think Flickr and the deluge of images by young teenage girls… have blown me away over the years. I would go to DPReview and see all the guys shooting Leica and the best gear and look at their images and cringe… and then go to Flickr and some 15 year old girl with a Canon Rebel and a kit lens is creating incredibly fresh fantastic images. I’m sure there are some really good teachers out there in some special high schools. One of those girls, Olivia something… became very famous and taken seriously by the fashion and advertising world and she has spawned scores of imitators. But the stuff is good.
dpreview is not a good example. Those guys are gearheads, not artists, and they are nasty. I am banned there, by the way. I will say there are a lot of male photographers who are obsessed with image quality to the exclusion of all else, and some of the nature photographers that just want a shot of the critter with no additional content.
lol. they are that! many photogs have come to avoid that place.
Try Fotozones.
Donald, what great news! I’m so happy to hear this!! You are a great (street) photographer, I always knew that, even if you weren’t selected by those serious judges. What was your name again? 😉 😀 Enjoy!!!
Thank you so much, Rosa. I have been as honored by your support, such an amazing artist as you are, as anything that could ever happen. It has meant a LOT to me so thank you so very much for the kind and supportive words, as always. Thank you.