This year marks photographer Art Wolfe’s first annual Environmental Photography Invitational (EPI). Known for his passionate advocacy for the environment, Wolfe created EPI as “an event for the advancement of photography as a unique medium, capable of bringing awareness and preservation to our environment through art.”
Working with foundations, nonprofit organizations and industry-related businesses, EPI was able to award more than $10,000 in cash and merchandise to 30 different photographers. In total, 300 entrants from the western United States and Canada submitted more than 1,500 images for judging in six categories: Landscape, Wildlife, Flora, Man in the Environment, Environment at Risk, and Student.
The 2006 judges were Jane Perovich, art director and senior editor for Getty Images; Patrick Donehue, V.P. of photographer relations of Corbis; and Ed Marquand, president of Marquand Books. At the heart of EPI is a six-week gallery exhibit displaying 100 of the best prints from this year’s invitational. Here we present some highlights from that exhibit.
To view the entire gallery, or for more information about EPI, visit www.epinvitational.com.