Ghost | EAW XXV

Eddie Adams Workshop XXV • The Story | Johanna Shaver

Each of the ten photographers on Team Turquoise (aka, the best EAW team of all time) was locked into the theme of "tough cookies / girl power" for our individual stories. I was assigned to shed light on the story of Johanna Shaver, a 16-year-old girl who, in a tragic accident, lost her leg in lawnmower accident at age four. Since the event, Shaver has sported an artificial limb to countless sports games - tennis, swimming, cross country - and has gone on to be known as a beacon of hope and determination in the Jeffersonville community for her unrelenting persistence in pursuing a wholesome lifestyle, despite her handicap. Getting to know Johanna, was quite simply, an absolute pleasure.  A bright, bubbly young woman with a huge heart and a knack for giving me a hard time.  I was ecstatic when she and her mother attended the final slideshow at the end of the workshop to view my images (and be massively embarrassed by a standing ovation for her awesome-ness).

And for the behind the scenes reminder… After dumping off my cards to editors and rushing off to presentations, my work was downloaded, sifted through, tagged and slimmed down. My lead editor, Santiago Lyon, of the Associated Press, carefully considered each image by our team's photographers to craft a concise 8-12 image edit for every individual. The following is just that for Johanna's story. Enjoy.

The Eddie Adams Workshop XXV | Johanna - The Extra Pictures

Due to the tight deadlines, no sleep, a crammed schedule and a different editing tastes, a number of images either get omitted or left out entirely of each person's final EAW story.  Below are a number of images that were tagged as keepers from my time with Johanna, but never made it to the final edit. Enjoy.

The Eddie Adams Workshop XXV | Team Turquoise Portraits

Reppin' Team Turquoise until the end. Loved my teammates, our leader Emilio Morenatti, our editor Santiago Lyon and producer Natan Dvir. Below are a couple sheets of final day portraits of everyone - no sleep and all.'

The Eddie Adams Workshop XXV | The Final Edit

The Eddie Adams Workshop has long been one of the most coveted milestones in a photographer's career. Every year, thousands apply from all over the world, sending in a 20-image portfolio under the simple guideline that is both elusive and mysterious in nature: what is your personal vision? After months of deliberation by a group of the industry's top editors and photographers, only 100 lucky individuals (50 student, 50 professional) are granted access to the workshop's week-long experience in early October in upstate NewYork. Who judges?! How do they judge?! Why did _____ get in, but I didn't?! Questions such as these plague photographers that miss admission, just as I had after my first year's submission.

Yet, in 2012, with the help of The (Provo) Daily Herald's photo editor, Mark Johnston, I crafted an 18-image portfolio that later admitted me to the 25th anniversary of the workshop in the professional's bracket. We edited on images that immediately grabbed the viewer; no quiet moments or overly detailed images - just shock and awe at its most vivid. As I look back over the edit, it's almost less about the images now and more so about the ordering.  Many, many hours were spent to craft a flow that moved from picture to picture in a pleasing way, either by mood, color or subject body language. The thing that rings truest for me is the fact that these images spanned almost every photographic experience I have ever had. Multiple internships, long road trips and pivotal life moments all came out to play.  The result, shown below in three screenshots of six images each, is my attempt to shed some light on the mystery of being admitted to the workshop.  Please feel free to contact me about anything EAW-related - I would love to help as much as possible... even though it probably won't be much.  If you missed admission this year, make sure to apply next year! Upon my return from the workshop in mid-October, expect a reflection and work share from my time at Barnstorm. Enjoy! Oh, and... go Team Turquoise!