Proud Mother Alert!

Last semester, I promised, if I took this class, I would no longer start a lede with pigeons
and guillotines, and well, now, I'm going to work on 'not using puns.'


This week, our family had a surprise.  Ralph Smith, our son, received an award--an editor must nominate.  A New York Times correspondent wrote about his photography; his work has been published in the Sunday magazine--pork chops flying through the air, an appetizing Manhattan for the cosmopolitan--His photography usually supports written articles and stories, marketing, etc.  He was honored as one of the top thirty photographers to watch internationally, new and emerging.  If you click be sure to scroll through his photos at the top--an arrow to the right of the sandwich flips through the display.


BTW:  Grey Sparrow posts literary and art news from time to time, and this is the type of writing I anticipate for the future of Grey Sparrow.  We currently have literary critiques and interviews [on rare occasions.]


http://pdn30.pdnevents.com/gallery/2014/#24-Ralph_Smith


I'm going to dissect it in terms of form.  And believe me you, this is hard for me.  The distinction between the lede and the nugraf are still eluding me.  So, please feel free to correct my analysis.  I'm here to learn.  And I'm sure I will not be announcing anymore awards for quite awhile.  Hard news!


Title Copyright PDN: 


PDN's 30, 2014, Our choices of 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch, by Brienne Walsh


Here is the lede:


"In his still-life photographs, Ralph Smith has the ability to make food look sculptural, a skill that has caught the eye of photo editors at publications like The New York Times Magazine. “His photos, especially of food items, are surprising and graphically bold,” says Amy Kellner, the associate photo editor for the magazine. “He has even managed to make a cream puff look monumental.” - See more at: http://pdn30.pdnevents.com/gallery/2014/#24-Ralph_Smith"


Here is the nut graff:


"But food is not the only thing Smith’s good at shooting. He also depicts flowers, accessories, fancy beverages, luxury accessories and other objects in his bold, lush signature style. “If you have a good grasp of lighting and retouching, you can do anything,” he says." - See more at: http://pdn30.pdnevents.com/gallery/2014/#24-Ralph_Smith


The Body:


"Smith learned his craft by apprenticing with a number of experienced photographers. In the summer before entering a BFA program at Rochester Institute of Technology, he interned with Arnold Newman. After graduation in 2007, he worked for five years as the first assistant and retoucher for still-life photographer Levi Brown. “I’ve met a lot of people through assisting,” Smith says. “You realize after a short time that it really is a small world.”


His first big break came when Brown referred him for a job at San Francisco Magazine shooting a story on custom-made Louis Vuitton bags. “The photos ran beautifully, and that tearsheet led to a number of fashion accessory shoots,” Smith explains. Through word of mouth and connections he made at industry parties, he quickly began to accumulate clients."


The Close:


"Along with his advertising and editorial work, he is also working on a personal series of color-infused landscapes that take him from Brooklyn, New York, where he is based, to countries like Scotland, Wales and England, as well as states such as Colorado, Arizona, Montana and Wyoming. “Right now, I just see myself doing what I’ve been doing,” says Smith. —Brienne Walsh"


- See more at: http://pdn30.pdnevents.com/gallery/2014/#24-Ralph_Smith


This is an international award... please see the other 29 candidates; many were from outside the US.  And I am truly not sure if the lede is two paragraphs.