Jury Duty

It's been a long, lazy summer and it's finally time to get back to work! What better way to get a head start than to jury a photo competition? I've spent the past two days reviewing submissions for the En Foco New Works Photography Fellowship Awards #15 and I and have yet to score any of the work. This is a very challenging project. I am required to judge the artists on the work submitted, but I also have to assess their proposals for what they intend to produce if granted a fellowship. Now, where's that crystal ball?

Throughout the selection and scoring process, I'll be sharing some of the images that catch my eye, but please don't assume that these are the winning entries. Here are a couple of portraits from photographer Adam Amengual.

Carlos Nieto from the "Homies" series, ©Adam Amengual

I’ve been attracted to two stories for quite a long time. One is the story of why people join gangs, cults, hardcore religious factions, etc. The other is the story of positive change, how a human can go from being one type of person to another.

Through the help of the gang intervention organization Homeboy Industries, I photographed people who have made the decision to change their lives for the better. The people in these images are all former gang members or had spent time incarcerated before walking through the doors at Homeboy Industries. It is a place that takes people in and sees the potential in them when others do not. “Through a variety of services, Homeboy Industries helps these men and women redirect their lives and provide them with hope for their futures.” In shooting this project I hope that people can see the subjects for what they are, humans trying to better themselves.  –Adam Amengual 

Alvin Paez from the "Homies" series ©Adam Amengual, 2011