Best Skins Ever Introduces New Protective Skin Film for Cell Phones & Laptops

Denver, CO (Vocus) May 7, 2010

Best Skins Ever, a leading supplier of protective ?skins? for cell phones, laptops, media players, cameras, and other personal electronic devices, announced the introduction of a new and improved skin material with superior visual qualities and an easier application process.

The evolved skin design addresses many of the problems inherent to other protective cell phone skins and screen covers, which often force users to accept an unsightly rippled, dimpled surface when they cover cell phones and media players with invisible protection.

?We were happy with the original skin film we?ve been using for four years but we have also been sampling new materials from different suppliers with the intent of finding a way to improve our products, both in terms of visual quality and application,? said Michael Herring, president of Best Skins Ever.

The new skin introduced by Best Skins Ever nearly eliminates the ?orange peel effect? resulting in a dramatically improved visual appearance with a smoother, clearer surface. This is especially effective on LCD display screens of personal electronic devices like iPhones, Blackberrys and laptop computers.

Protective skins from Best Skins Ever never interfere with touch screen performance, and the new skin material also features an improved anti-yellowing coating. Unlike other manufactures whose skins begin to turn brown and yellow with age (especially on white and light colored devices), Best Skins Ever eliminated this issue with the evolved skin design. More importantly, the thinner, more advanced adhesive on the new Best Skins Ever material never leaves a fuzzy build up at the edges of the skin no matter the device.

The new skin material also offers improved application features. The new film is more flexible which makes it easier to wrap the skin around the corners of a cell phone or media player, making for an easier application than other products on the market. The new skin film also features improved adhesive, extending the life of your skin and fighting premature peeling. The corners of a device are the most vulnerable, so this improved adhesion offers major benefits to customers.

The combination of great flexibility and unbeatable adhesion create a product that allows Best Skins Ever to design products that offer the maximum amount of protection, especially around corners and complex curves.

About Best Skins Ever:

Best Skins Ever offers transparent covers that protect your electronic gadgets, guaranteed. We design our skins to retain the integrity of your device ? which we know is what you really care about and what you don?t want to lose when you add a protective cell phone skin. That means we take care to customize every skin design to the device it shields, getting everything perfect, including the all important corners. Best Skins Ever provides an unbeatable amount of protection without changing the size, shape, look or screen clarity of your device. From a company who believes in being completely see-through. Best Skins Ever, see the difference.

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New Studentfilmmakers.com "Summer Short 2005" Online Film Contest Open to All

(PRWEB) June 20, 2005

The StudentFilmmakers.com website is building the online film viewing community with its unique showcase of film clips and its online film contests. This summer it is the ?Summer Shorts 2005? contest (

http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/summershorts/index.shtml) that is open to all. All entries are viewable online free with a review feature so viewers can add their comments.

Entries are judged by ASC members and will be given a number of prizes including engraved glass trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.

Submissions are open to all and NOT just for students. All entries that are accepted are being broadcast online. Studentfilmmakers.com selects the winners based on creativity and technique, not upon their genre. Drama, Comedy, Animation, Documentary, Narrative - all are welcomed.

All short films submitted may not exceed 5 minutes in length and the maximum web movie file is under 75 MB.

Prizes for Summer Shorts Contest:

First prize: A First Place Summer Shorts 2005 Trophy, $ 500 in cash, a $ 250 studentfilmmakers.com bookstore gift card and CHIMERA® 8005 Lighting Kit (Retail Value $ 695) that includes: 24" x 32" Video Pro Plus Lightbank, 40 Degree Soft Fabric Crate Grid, Mogul Socket Speed Ring with a 1000 Mogul watt bulb, Manfrotto Light stand, 44" x 9" x 9" Panel Duffle. (Visit sponsor at http://www.chimeralighting.com) The Kinoflex Camera Package retails for $ 599.00. It includes the camera, two close-up attachments, Y-2 filter, ND-4 filter, 46mm sunshade, remote cable release, wrist strap, leather carrying case. In addition, the recipients will receive 4 rolls of Pro8mm color negative super 8 film, award winning processing, prep and clean, and digital mastering of the footage to mini-dv.

More prizes still to be announced! (visit sponsor at http://www.pro8mm.com)

Second prize: A Second Place Summer Shorts 2005 Trophy, $ 200 in cash and a $ 150 studentfilmmakers.com bookstore gift card.

Third prize: A Third Place Summer Shorts 2005 Trophy, $ 100 in cash and a $ 50 studentfilmmakers.com bookstore gift card.

More prizes are still to be announced.

five copies of Final Draft 7 and 10 copies of the Syd Field Screenwriting Workshop DVD will be given to the winners and the finals. (Visit sponsor at http://www.finaldraft.com) and Adobe's industry-leading software for Windows® based video production for film, video, DVD, or the Web.

Enter before July 1; work will be shown at DV EXPO East in New York City at studentfilmmakers.com booth #138.

For additional information, contact:

Kim Welch

212.876.0415

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StudentFilmmakers.com Announces Winners of the Summer Shorts 2005 Short Film Contest

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 6, 2005

StudentFilmmakers.com has announced on their website the top 3 winners of the Summer Shorts 2005 short film contest. StudentFilmmakers.com opened the competition to all student and independent filmmakers internationally from May 15 to September 15, 2005. All films submitted have been reviewed by a panel of judges from the film industry.

The purpose of the contest is to encourage the creativity of student and aspiring video and filmmakers and to provide up and coming film talent industry exposure.

"What awesome entries we have this year," says StudentFilmmakers.com founder, Kim Welch. "If you have not taken a look at some of these, you are truly missing out on some of the worlds top up and coming filmmakers. We have enjoyed watching each and every one."

38 short film entries, including the 10 finalists, are currently being broadcasted on StudentFilmmakers.com and may be viewed at the following link: http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/summershorts/index.shtml.

First Place Winner is "CU," written and directed by Adam Patch and starring Devin Whetstone and Maggie Chamberlin. CU takes a close up look at one man's life and his unusual passion for photography. For details about the short film and to view the movie, click here:

http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/summershorts/article_600.shtml.

Second Place Winner is "Number 6" by Norm Li, directed by Freddy Chavez and Ryan Patterson, and starring Tyler Hooff and Erynn Desiree. An innocent girl wakes up in a plastic bag not knowing why. For details about the short film and to view the movie, click here: http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/summershorts/article_530.shtml.

Third Place Winner is "Obstacle," directed by Roman Wyden and starring Amber Lopez. A young woman faces her fearful internal dialogue on the day of her wedding. Being held hostage by her own mind, her thoughts are represented visually. For details about the short film and to view movie, click here: http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/summershorts/article_508.shtml.

Winners will receive the following awards and prizes.

First place winner receives a 1st Place Summer Shorts 2005 Trophy, $ 500 in cash, $ 250 StudentFilmmakers.com bookstore gift card, 1 copy of Final Draft 7, 1 copy of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop, and A CHIMERA 8005 Lighting Kit (Retail Value $ 695) that includes: 24" x 32" Video Pro Plus Lightbank, 40 Degree Soft Fabric Crate Grid, Mogul Socket Speed Ring with a 1000 Mogul watt bulb, Manfrotto Lightstand, and 44" x 9" x 9" Panel Duffle

The Kinoflex Camera Package retails for $ 599.00. It includes the camera, two close-up attachments, Y-2 filter, ND-4 filter, 46mm sunshade, remote cable release, wrist strap, leather carrying case. In addition, the recipient will receive 4 rolls of Pro8mm color negative super 8 film, award winning processing, prep and clean, and digital mastering of the footage to mini-dv.

Second place winner receives a 2nd Place Summer Shorts 2005 Trophy, $ 200 in cash, $ 150 StudentFilmmakers.com bookstore gift card, 1 copy of Final Draft 7, and 1 copy of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop.

Third place winner receives a 3rd Place Summer Shorts 2005 Trophy, $ 100 in cash, $ 50 StudentFilmmakers.com bookstore gift card, 1 copy of Final Draft 7, and 1 copy of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop.

The Summer Shorts 2005 short film contest is made possible by the support of CHIMERA, Pro8mm, Final Draft, Inc., and Adobe Systems Incorporated.

The contest is organized by StudentFilmmakers.com located in 42 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10010.

About Summer Shorts 2005 Sponsors:

CHIMERA

Chimera Perfect Lighting

1812 Valtec Lane

Boulder CO 80301

p. 303.444.8000 X117 | f. 303.444.8303 |

http://www.chimeralighting.com

CHIMERA is located just east of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Incorporated in 1980, CHIMERA is the brainchild of a location photographer and a mountaineer. Together these two men developed a quality lighting product (THE LIGHTBANK) to supply photographers with studio quality lighting on location. The company's first product was portable, durable, and revolutionary! Following the company's initial success, more products evolved and enabled CHIMERA to expand into the film and video world.

Pro8mm

2805 West Magnolia Blvd.,

Burbank, CA 91505.

818-848-5522

http://www.pro8mm.com


e-mail:sales@pro8mm.com

Pro8mm specializes in hybrid small format film products and services. Specialities include classic cameras, custom loads of negative film, award winning processing, broadcast quality digital mastering and archival transfers for super 8, regular 8, 16mm and super 16mm. Serving students and the entertainment industry for over 30 years, the company has worked on thousands of professional and independent projects. Pro8mm's complete turn-key facility does all work in house and on-site in order to optimize quality control for the company's clients.

Final Draft, Inc

26707 W. Agoura Rd. Suite 205

Calabasas, CA 91302

Ph: 800.231.4055 ext. 134

Fax: 818.995.4422

The Screenwriters' Choice (TM)

http://www.finaldraft.com

Founded in 1991, Final Draft, Inc. develops and publishes the entertainment industry's top-selling scriptwriting software. A pioneer and innovator in the scriptwriting software market, the company's products allow writers to concentrate on the creative process instead of the formatting process.

Adobe Systems Incorporated

345 Park Avenue

San Jose, CA 95110-2704

USA

http://www.adobe.com

Bring your cinematic vision to life with the Adobe family of video production tools. Professionals can take advantage of industry-leading products for nonlinear video editing, visual effects creation, advanced audio editing, and DVD authoring. And home users can enjoy a simple but powerful editing tool for making home videos.

About StudentFilmmakers.com

Built and launched by Welch Integrated, Inc., StudentFilmmakers.com is a website dedicated to providing information and exposure for aspiring student filmmakers. The online resource features moderated forums, industry news, contests, and information about new software and new hardware for the next generation filmmaker. StudentFilmmakers.com is a place for students to exhibit their work, get questions answered and participate in the creative community.

StudentFilmmakers.com's primary goal is to encourage and support independent and student film and video makers. With today's technology changes coming faster and faster we are all students.

For more information, contact:

Kim E. Welch

42 West 24th Street

New York, NY 10010

(212)255-5454

1-888-222-0652

http://studentfilmmakers.com/

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The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 16, 2005

Welch Integrated Inc. dba StudentFilmmakers.com announces The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest - open to all student and independent filmmakers internationally. The film contest starts January 1, 2006, has no entry fee for contestants, and all accepted entries will be shown online at StudentFilmmakers.com. The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2006, and the winners will be announced on April 15, 2006.

Entries will be accepted through the Student Filmmakers website at http://www.studentfilmmakers.com. All film genres are accepted. Films must not exceed a maximum total running time of 5 minutes and must not be larger than 85 megabytes in file size to be considered.

Films will be reviewed by a panel of judges from StudentFilmmakers.com and the film industry including Laszlo Kovacs, ASC. Mr. Kovacs has compiled more than 60 narrative films credits, including Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens, Paper Moon, Shampoo, New York, New York, What?s Up Doc?, The Last Waltz, The Runner Stumbles, Ghostbusters, Mask, Little Nikita, F.I.S.T and My Best Friend?s Wedding.

Wayne Schulman, Sales Manager of Bogen Imaging's Video Products division said, For me the key reason for creating The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Short 2006 Contest is to help facilitate the sharing of ideas and techniques within the independent and student filmmaker community.

Better quality content creation helps everyone in the business, continued Mr. Schulman. Supporting independent filmmakers helps to keep creative decisions and economic power in the hands of many rather than in the hands of a few powerful media giants. The contest also happens to coincide with the release of a new Formatt Filter DVD that I hope will help people create better video.

The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest Prizes will include the following for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

First Prize is the Video Package, which includes the Manfrotto 519,351MVCFK (includes 519 Head, 351MVCFK Carbon Fiber Tripod, 350SPRB Spreader, 265 Feet, MBAG 120P); 523PRO - LANC Remote; 557B - Pro Monopod; and RM 2121SG - Reflecmedia Chromaflex System (adapter ring of choice). In addition, first prize winner will receive the Formatt HD Filter Kit, which includes BF FM-500MATT (adapter ring of choice); BF 4-1-CLSEF, BF 4-2-CLSEF, BF 4-3-CLSEF - HD Clear Soft Effects Filter Set; BF 4-SEND.3GHD, 4-SEND.6GHD, 4-SEND.9GHD - HD ND Graduated Filter Set; BF 4-ND.3HD, 4-ND.6HD, 4-ND.9HD - HD ND Filter Set; BF 4-CP2000RH - Circular Polarizer; KT BP-502 - KATA Pro Back Pack; KT VA-002-10 - KATA Case; and KT VA-801-10 - Rain Cover.

Second Prize is the Manfrotto 519,525PKIT (includes 519 Head, 525MVB Tripod, Floor Spreader, MBAG 100P) and 521PRO - LANC Remote. In addition, second prize winner will receive the Formatt HD Filter Kit, which includes BF FM-500MATT (adapter ring of choice); BF 4-1-CLSEF, BF 4-2-CLSEF, BF 4-3-CLSEF - HD Clear Soft Effects Filter Set; BF 4-SEND.3GHD, 4-SEND.6GHD, 4-SEND.9GHD - HD ND Graduated Filter Set; BF 4-ND.3HD, 4-ND.6HD, 4-ND.9HD - HD ND Filter Set; BF 4-CP2000RH - Circular Polarizer; KT HB-207 - KATA Hiker Back Pack; KT VA-002-10 - KATA Case; and KT VA-801-10 - Rain Cover.

Third Prize is the Manfrotto 503,351MVB2K and 521 - LANC Remote. In addition, third prize winner will receive the Formatt HD Filter Kit, which includes BF FM-500MATT (adapter ring of choice); BF 4-SEND.3GHD, 4-SEND.6GHD, 4-SEND.9GHD - HD ND Graduated Filter Set; BF 4-ND.3HD, 4-ND.6HD, 4-ND.9HD - HD ND Filter Set; KT R-103 - KATA Rucksack; KT VA-002-10 - KATA Case; and KT VA-801-10 - Rain Cover.

Additional contest information can be obtained at the NAB Post+ Production Show, November 15 - 17, 2005 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. StudentFilmmakers.com will be at Booth 450, and Bogen Imaging will be at Booth 412. Contest updates are available at the Student Filmmakers website, http://studentfilmmakers.com/.

About Bogen Imaging, Inc.

Manufacturers of precision products for the photographic, video, Cine and lighting markets under the Bogen logo include Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods, heads and accessories; Avenger grip; Metz electronic flash systems; Elinchrom studio lighting systems; Lastolite lighting control and backgrounds; IFF top suspension system; Gossen light meters; RotaTrim cutters and many additional product lines.

Bogen sells to retailers in the photography and video markets in addition to rental houses in the film and broadcast industry with a national network of over 2000 dealers.

Bogen Imaging, Inc.

565 East Crescent Avenue, P.O. Box 506

Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506

201-818-9500 / 212-695-8166

http://www.bogenimaging.us

About StudentFilmmakers.com

StudentFilmmakers.com's primary goal is to encourage and support independent and student film and video makers.

StudentFilmmakers.com

42 West 24th Street

New York, NY 10010

(212)255-5454 / 1-888-222-0652

http://studentfilmmakers.com/

About Welch Integrated, Inc.

Welch Integrated, Inc. is an online marketing company offering email marketing, search marketing, web development, multimedia and software services.

Welch Integrated, Inc.

42 West 24th Street

New York, NY 10010.

(212) 255-5454

http://welchintegrated.com

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The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest Begins January 1

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 22, 2005

StudentFilmmakers.com begins the new year with The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest. The contest officially opens on January 1, 2006. Only 12 days remain until the start of the contest, which is open to all student and independent filmmakers internationally, no entry fee required.

All accepted entries for The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest will be screened online at StudentFilmmakers.com. The final deadline for submissions is February 28, 2006, at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Contest winners will be announced on April 15.

Entrants may now visit the newly launched Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 microsite: http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/bogenimaging/. The site includes submission information, rules and guidelines, award information and contact forms.

The submission section includes important information on how to apply for entry into the contest, in addition to updated information about submission formats. Only Quick Time movie files of no more than 85 MB in size will be accepted. Further rules are stipulated in the Rules and Guides section, which states that all film genres will be accepted. However, shorts must not exceed 5 minutes in length. This section also includes Terms of Agreement for entry into the competition.

The Awards section contains descriptions of the contest prize packages, which were first announced at the GV Expo and DV Expo West trade shows, where StudentFilmmakers.com exhibited as a media sponsor. The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest Prizes will include the following for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners:

First Prize is the Video Package, which includes the Manfrotto 519,351MVCFK (includes 519 Head, 351MVCFK Carbon Fiber Tripod, 350SPRB Spreader, 265 Feet, MBAG 120P); 523PRO - LANC Remote; 557B - Pro Monopod; and RM 2121SG - Reflecmedia Chromaflex System (adapter ring of choice). In addition, first prize winner will receive the Formatt HD Filter Kit, which includes BF FM-500MATT (adapter ring of choice); BF 4-1-CLSEF, BF 4-2-CLSEF, BF 4-3-CLSEF - HD Clear Soft Effects Filter Set; BF 4-SEND.3GHD, 4-SEND.6GHD, 4-SEND.9GHD - HD ND Graduated Filter Set; BF 4-ND.3HD, 4-ND.6HD, 4-ND.9HD - HD ND Filter Set; BF 4-CP2000RH - Circular Polarizer; KT BP-502 - KATA Pro Back Pack; KT VA-002-10 - KATA Case; and KT VA-801-10 - Rain Cover.

Second Prize is the Manfrotto 519,525PKIT (includes 519 Head, 525MVB Tripod, Floor Spreader, MBAG 100P) and 521PRO - LANC Remote. In addition, second prize winner will receive the Formatt HD Filter Kit, which includes BF FM-500MATT (adapter ring of choice); BF 4-1-CLSEF, BF 4-2-CLSEF, BF 4-3-CLSEF - HD Clear Soft Effects Filter Set; BF 4-SEND.3GHD, 4-SEND.6GHD, 4-SEND.9GHD - HD ND Graduated Filter Set; BF 4-ND.3HD, 4-ND.6HD, 4-ND.9HD - HD ND Filter Set; BF 4-CP2000RH - Circular Polarizer; KT HB-207 - KATA Hiker Back Pack; KT VA-002-10 - KATA Case; and KT VA-801-10 - Rain Cover.

Third Prize is the Manfrotto 503,351MVB2K and 521 - LANC Remote. In addition, third prize winner will receive the Formatt HD Filter Kit, which includes BF FM-500MATT (adapter ring of choice); BF 4-SEND.3GHD, 4-SEND.6GHD, 4-SEND.9GHD - HD ND Graduated Filter Set; BF 4-ND.3HD, 4-ND.6HD, 4-ND.9HD - HD ND Filter Set; KT R-103 - KATA Rucksack; KT VA-002-10 - KATA Case; and KT VA-801-10 - Rain Cover.

All shorts will be reviewed by a panel of judges from StudentFilmmakers.com and the film industry including respected cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, who has compiled more than 60 narrative films credits, including Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens, Paper Moon, Shampoo, What?s Up Doc?, The Last Waltz, Ghostbusters, Mask, Little Nikita, Say Anything, My Best Friend?s Wedding, Miss Congeniality and Two Weeks Notice.

The Bogen Imaging Film and Video Shorts 2006 Contest begins on January 1, 2006.

About Bogen Imaging, Inc.

Manufacturers of precision products for the photographic, video, Cine and lighting markets under the Bogen logo include Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods, heads and accessories; Avenger grip; Metz electronic flash systems; Elinchrom studio lighting systems; Lastolite lighting control and backgrounds; IFF top suspension system; Gossen light meters; RotaTrim cutters and many additional product lines.

Bogen sells to retailers in the photography and video markets in addition to rental houses in the film and broadcast industry with a national network of over 2000 dealers.

Bogen Imaging, Inc.

565 East Crescent Avenue, P.O. Box 506

Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506

201-818-9500 / 212-695-8166

http://www.bogenimaging.us

About StudentFilmmakers.com

StudentFilmmakers.com's primary goal is to encourage and support independent and student film and video makers.

StudentFilmmakers.com

42 West 24th Street

New York, NY 10010

(212)255-5454 / 1-888-222-0652

http://studentfilmmakers.com/

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Ann Arbor Photographer to be Awarded at the Venice Film Festival

Ann Arbor, MI (PRWEB) August 29, 2011

Ann Arbor photographer Yana Benjamin recently won an award in Manfrotto ?Imagine More? contest with one of her wildly inspirational images. She will be attending the 68th Venice Film Festival to be awarded the Grand Prize for her work. ?The composition of the image is very complicated. The forms are created by juxtaposing reality with the surreal world. You really have to take a minute to think about the photo and its meaning,? Yana said about her winning photograph. Her image was selected from more than 7,000 photos, it will be included in a short presentation and unveiled for the first time on September 6th, 2011.

Yana will celebrate her success with an amazing Italian actress Violante Placido and photograph world renowned actors and celebrities on the red carpet. ?I know it is going to be a great experience. It is a once in a lifetime type of thing,? Yana said.

Her recent street photography work deals with the exploration of reality and the projections of reality. ?I photograph subtle feelings of human presence in an urban environment with empathy and compassion.? As Yana remarked, as a street photographer she is mainly interested in the narrative and visual connotations that can occur often by chance.

Working as a wedding photographer, she always captures the right moment, peoples' personalities and the spirit of ambience by introducing documentary techniques. Her photography is crisp, fresh, colorful and contemporary. ?Ordinary becomes extraordinary in the moment that I capture it with my camera, when the vision is distilled in a clear and absolute image,? Yana added and stressed that she sees a big difference in the method of street photography and wedding photography. ?Street photography is about seeing unseen, creating visually interesting comparisons, often pretty bizarre images, that can never be duplicated. In wedding, and generally speaking event photography, the scene is there; you are the observer not the creator, you just have to click at the right moment to capture it.?

Yana Benjamin grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia. She got her first camera, old Russian Zorki, for the ninth birthday. She graduated from Comenius University majoring in Journalism, moved to San Francisco a year later, in 2008 and recently relocated to start her photography business in the Ann Arbor area. Yana has been documenting life and creating breathtaking visual stories ever since. To view Yana`s work visit http://www.yanabenjamin.com

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Ann Arbor Photographer Honored at the Venice Film Festival

Ann Arbor, MI (PRWEB) September 13, 2011

Ann Arbor photographer Yana Benjamin recently returned from the 68th Venice Film Festival where she was awarded a Grand Prize for one of her black and white street images. Her photograph is included in a short film directed by an award winning photographer Bill Frakes screened for the first time at the festival on September 6th 2011. Her photo was selected from more than 7,000 entries in the Manfrotto ?Imagine More? contest.

While in Venice, she was given the honor to photograph on the red carpet and captured the images of Colin Firth, Gary Oldman. ?It was an amazing experience, I enjoyed every second of it. I stayed in a beautiful hotel from the 13th century right next to St. Marco`s square and ate fresh seafood every day,? she said. Yana and her fellow winners from Europe and Asia celebrated their success with Italian actress Violante Placido who hosted the award ceremony. ?It was a perfect blend of people! We had the best time talking about photography, art, our lives and experiences. Life in the Venetian lagoon flows slowly, Italians are very relaxed and their life motto is carpe diem,? Yana thinks.

The winning photograph is a part of a street photography series dealing with the exploration of reality and surreality. According to Yana, she is mainly interested in the narrative and visual connotations that can occur often by chance. She explains, that in her work as a wedding and event photographer, she is the observer, not the creator to an existing scene. Knowing when to click at the precise moment she masterfully captures the personalities of her clients and her photos reflect a spirit of ambience through her skill using documentary techniques. ?I see a big difference in the method of street photography and wedding photography. In street photography the ability to see unseen and create visually interesting comparisons is crucial. These can often be bizarre images that can never be duplicated.?

Yana Benjamin grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia. She got her first camera, old Russian Zorki, for the ninth birthday. She graduated from Comenius University majoring in Journalism, moved to San Francisco a year later and recently relocated to start her photography business in the Ann Arbor area. Yana has been documenting life and creating breathtaking visual stories ever since. To view Yana`s work visit http://www.yanabenjamin.com

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