Dawn Shields takes Grand Album at WPPI in her heartwrenching work of art

This is absolutely amazing. Be sure to view it in HD, full screen - it's worth waiting for it to load.
I found this on DWF's forum, posted by Mark Lutz. Here is his intro to watching this video - I don't think I could have explained it any better:

"Dawn Shields album is called “Legacy” and it took Grand Album at WPPI this year. Go into it knowing that this album is unlike any album that you’ve probably ever seen before.

A bit of backstory… Dawn created this album for herself, her sister and her brother to help them remember their beloved grandfather after she discovered the full details of his inmate past. An amazing story told in the shape of an album for a man she loved."




There were numerous comments posted by others on the DWF forum - some commending Dawn's work, others admonishing her for even creating it! Some felt it should not have won Grand Album, given that it had "nothing to do with wedding or portrait photography" and that it was simply a "scrapbook". To me - it was both disturbing and profound to watch. It grabbed my heartstrings and swung from them freely. The craft of the album itself, the photography, the lighting is simply amazing. The story behind it is not "puppy dogs and rainbows" as one reader put it, but rather deeply emotional, a glimpse into the private feelings of someone else, and regardless of what you think of the album or whether she should have shared it publicly, Dawn should be respected for the simple fact that she had the courage to do so.