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On September 1st, 2007, I married the girl of my dreams. Jen was my best friend and I knew the minute I first saw her that she was the one. The following February, only five months after our wedding, Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer. In December of 2011, Jen passed.
At times during Jen's treatment we realized that our family and friends did not understand how serious our life had become, and really, how could they?
Thankfully, Jennifer let me photograph our day to day life so we could let them in on it.
The money raised through this campaign will allow me to share these photos with the world and produce a book that will accompany a traveling exhibition. The photographs, centering around Jennifer and her battle with breast cancer, tell a story of love, grace and courage in the face of a horrible disease.
My goal is to bring awareness to the realities of a daily life with cancer and the importance of being there for someone who is fighting for his or her life.
Since I will be publishing this book (hard copy and ebook) on my own it will be my responsibility to oversee all aspects of its production. In order to achieve the level of quality I desire I will assemble a team consisting of a photo editor, a designer, a PR/Marketing consultant and myself. Together we will work to produce a book and exhibition that will not only inform but also inspire.
My photographs are not just about cancer; they are about love and life, and never giving up. They are about embracing every second.
PRESS ABOUT THE BATTLE WE DIDN'T CHOOSE
RESPONSES TO OUR STORY
- "Wow. Powerful series of photos from @CNN. http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/18/cancer-the-battle-we-didnt-choose/" - Lance Armstrong Via Twitter
- "Seeing your story and photos made me look at my own diagnosis with breast cancer as a wake up to live!" - K.A.
- "Your posts about you and Jen always make me smile. It's obvious that you both are and were very much in love with each other and made every single day count." - A.L.
- "Your guys love & story is so inspiring." - J.L.P.
- "Each and everytime I get the blues and think life is not worth it I visit your site too. Jen is an inspiration, an angel that touches so many." - P.S.
AWARDS
2012 - Selected to attend the 25th annual Eddie Adams Workshop
2012 - Featured in the 2012 Communication Arts Photography Annual
2012 - Featured in the 2012 Creative Review photo annual
2012 - Honorable Mention - The Art of Documentary/SDN
2011 - Recipient People’s Choice – Artist’s Wanted
EXHIBITIONS
11/2012 - Perugia Social Photo Festival, Perugia, Italy
10/2012 - Solo show, ADC Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
7/2012 - Solo Show, Convivium Gallery33, Cleveland, OH
7/2012 - Shoot4Change "4 Continents 4 Change", Soho, NY
5/2012 - NY Photo Festival, "The Art of Documentary", Brooklyn, NY
1/2012 - Solo show at The Lower East Side Girls Club, Manhattan, NY
11/2011 - Solo show, 78th St. Studios Monthly Art Walk, Cleveland, OH
PROJECT EXPENSES
Exhibition
Prints
8x10 @ $12ea - 20 prints = $240
13x19 @$36ea - 20 prints = $1440
24x36 @ $128ea - 10 prints = $1280
Total = $2,960
Framing
(10) 24x36 @ $225ea = $2,250
(20) 13x19 @ $125ea = $5,000
(20) 8x10 @ $90ea = $1,800
Total = $9,050
Book
Design and production
Book designer - $10,000
Photo Editor - $3,000
ISBN# (Needed to list the book with The Library of Congress) - $350
Ink and paper (Working edit prints) $600
Total = $13,950
Promotion
Marketing/PR - $10,000
Initial printing costs
13x11 Hardcover, 21-40 pages = $85.32
Volume orders
100-249 - 15% = $72.53
100 books = $7,253 + shipping
Book proofs - 5 13x11 proofs @ $85.32ea = $426.60 + shipping - roughly $500
Total = $8,000
Personal expenses
6 months living expenses (est. time to produce book & exhibition) @ $3,500 per ($3,000) =$18,000
Total = $61,690
FEES
Indiegogo - 3%= $1,858.80
Credit Card Processing - 4% = $2,467.60
Perks - $5,000
Total = $9,326.40
CAMPAIGN TOTAL = $71,286.40
PERKS
All book related perks (hard copy and eBook) will be delivered upon completion of the book. My goal for the release of this book is February of 2013, 5 years from when Jen was initially diagnosed.
Prints for perks will be ordered at the end of the campaign. The prints will be shipped to me for signing and numbering and then sent out to recipients. Expect prints to arrive in January, 2013.
Thank you for your generosity.
