The Free Press is proud to salute one of our contributors, local photographer Bob Studzinski, for the honor or having his work included in a digital art display at the Louvre in Paris, France on July 13, 2015. One of his photographs was displayed among work by an international group of photographers from over 191 countries.
   Studzinski’s photograph was part the Fifth Annual Exposure Award, was included in a digital display of images presented at the Exposure Award Reception at the Louvre and in a Documentary Collection book. The curators congratulated him on having his work seen by over five million photo enthusiasts from around the world. Sales of the book will benefit the charity Pencils of Promise which is working to build schools in developing nations.
   A letter from the Louvre stated, “Photography holds power. The act of taking a photo acts as a historical marker and a capture of time. Just as archaeologists offer hypotheses about ancient societies based on cave paintings, historians of the future will base their conjectures about us on the photography that is happening at this very moment, including yours. As technology makes our world more interconnected, the act of creation has become a universal language and a vital conversation. Your photography, represented at the Fifth Annual Exposure Award reception is a thrilling contribution to that dialogue.”
   Studzinski is a long-time contributor of photos for the Free Press and locally known for his exhibits depicting people in remote areas of the world. He is well-traveled, from Central America, Haiti, South America, Laos, Mali, Bolivia to post-Katrina New Orleans. He states, “My passion is putting a human face on the struggles of indigenous and endangered peoples through extemporaneous, in-the-field portraits. This is my attempt to give them a voice so their stories can be told and we can experience a bit of life otherwise unknown to us.” Congratulations, Bob!