My fundraiser print offer for the Asian University for Women

[claudiocambon]

Dear LF'ers,

I am hosting a special print offer this month to raise funds for the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh, where I just spent 5 weeks photographing for a book to be published this summer. All net proceeds from this sale will be used to buy cameras for the student photography club.

AUW is a tremendously dynamic and exciting place. The university brings together young women from across developing areas of Asia and provides them with a free liberal arts undergraduate education. It aims to help these students become tomorrow’s leaders in all fields. Among many, I met young women from Afghanistan who want to become civil engineers, from Sri Lanka who want to become human rights lawyers, from Cambodia who want to become writers. Many of them have endured considerable hardships in their lives, yet they remain undaunted and tenacious in the pursuit of their education. They were a sheer joy to be around.

On the one hand the university is well on its way to establishing itself as a major educational institution in the region. They have received substantial seed money from prestigious funders such as the Gates Foundation. World-renowned architect Moshe Safdie has designed the permanent campus, a stunning design whose construction is slated to begin this fall. On the other hand, there are many areas where needs have yet to be met. The student photography club, for example, has many enthusiastic and talented members, but no cameras. As all the students are on scholarship, none of them can afford to buy one on their own. One afternoon I took two students who are aspiring photojournalists around the city with borrowed cameras, and they both took pictures I would be happy to call my own; hence, this print sale to help give them that opportunity in a more durable way.

The attached images are available at wholesale price through the end of April. Shipping is free within the US and Canada; other international orders will see a modest surcharge at the actual cost of the shipping. CA residents must add sales tax. Prints are available at the following sizes:

8x10” $160.00
11x14” $235.00
16x20” $325.00
20x24” $400.00

Prints are titled, signed, dated, and numbered in an open edition on the back, and are unmatted and unframed. The images will be printed as color inkjet prints on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper by Digital Fusion here in Culver City. They have been making exhibition prints for me for the last 4 years, and I can’t say enough good things about their skill, patience and dedication. The original negatives were made both with my Tech V and a Mamiya 7.

Please email me if you are interested in larger sizes; some images are available up to 40x50”. Other images from my site, wwwDOTclaudiocambonDOTcom, may also be available.

I have raised enough for 3 DSLR kits so far, and am hoping to make it to 4 (I know, I know, my preference would have been for the Calumet 4x5's I learned on, but oh well...). I would be grateful for any support you may be able to provide. If you are interested please contact me directly at claudioATclaudiocambonDOTcom.

I recognize that the timing of this offer may not be the best, as the taxman cometh for us all these days. Under certain circumstances I would be willing to advance you the print if you can guarantee payment at some point thereafter.

Please feel free to circulate this to anyone you know far and wide. If you wanted to donate directly to the university, their website is: http://www.asian-university.org/

At any rate, happy shooting to you all!

Claudio

[claudiocambon]

Another 4 images:

[claudiocambon]

I realize that this may seem purely like tooting my own horn, but actually I wanted to toot the horn of others in this instance, namely all the collectors and friends who bought prints, and the folks at Digital Fusion in Culver City, who not only do incredible work, but also gave me a discount on the scanning and print orders in order to help support the cause. I absorbed the sales tax and shipping costs, and altogether the result will be a donation of $4,000.00 to the Asian University for Women Photo Club, enough for 7 camera kits and some extra batteries and cards.

I know I have said this before on the forum, but I think it bears repeating, at the risk of sounding like a broken record. Never underestimate the power of your own community to support your artmaking and related causes. Give people a good reason to support you, and they will. One's own art world should always be larger than the traditional model, essential and helpful as that can be, and the good news is that it's all around us in the people we know and meet.

Happy picture taking to all!

Claudio