Gerd Ludwig was born in Alsfeld, Germany, in 1947. Initially he studied German literature, political science, and physical education at the University of Marburg, but interrupted his studies to travel in Scandinavia and North America while supporting himself with jobs as a bricklayer, sailor, gardener, and dishwasher. Gerd later returned to Germany and studied photography for five years with Professor Otto Steinert at the Folkwangschule in Essen, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Photo Design from the University of Essen. He co-founded VISUM, Germany's first photographer-owned photo agency, the following year. In 1975, he moved to Hamburg and began working for Geo, Stern, Spiegel, Zeit-Magazin, Time, and Life, as well as photographing advertising campaigns.
Gerd re-located to New York 1984 and continued to photograph for major international publications. In the early 1990s, he signed on as a contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine, focusing on the social changes in Germany and Eastern Europe. This work resulted in the publication of his book, Broken Empire: After the Fall of the USSR, a ten-year retrospective published by National Geographic. Gerd is a veteran of the renowned A Day in the Life book series; he exhibits his work in galleries and festivals, such as the Perpignan Visa pour L'Image; occasionally shoots advertising; and has won numerous photographic awards, including the IPA's 2006 Lucie Award for International Photographer of the Year.
Now based in Los Angeles, Gerd has photographed in over 70 countries across the globe. He continues to lecture at universities and photographic workshops throughout the world and, when not photographing for National Geographic, shoots advertising.
Month of Photography Los Angeles and Lucie Foundation Present CrowdFunding: A Viable Way to Fund Your Photo Project?, a panel discussion on crowdfunding for photographers and artists.
Panelists include successful photographers using crowdfunding:
Gerd Ludwig - The Long Shadow of Chernobyl - A Photo Book
Sara Terry - The Aftermath Project/ War is Only Half the Story
Matt Austin - The Chicago Perch
Dawn Bowery - California Dreaming: Real Life Stories of Brits in LA
© Matt Austin
The event is sponsored by Fotofund, a crowdfunding platform exclusively for photography based projects.
The event is free. Make a reservation here.
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Tuesday, April 7 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Staying Alive
How to Succeed as a Photographer in Good and Bad Times
moderated by Debra Weiss with Jigisha Bouverat, Director of Art Buying at TBWA/Chiat Day Agency and highly acclaimed photographer Glen Wexler.
Achieving success in photography is never easy. This program will offer tips and strategies that will help you navigate the stormy times ahead. This is a rapidly changing, fear driven business and taking a good picture is not enough. Join Debra Weiss, Creative Consultant, Jigisha Bouverat, Director of Art Buying, TBWA/Chiat Day and photographer Glen Wexler for an in depth discussion on what it will take to succeed in this highly competitive and increasingly impersonal business.
About Photographer Glen Wexler - "Wexler has assembled some of the most memorabl...
On 26th of April, 1986 at 1:23am block IV of the nuclear power station at Chernobyl exploded. In split seconds the achievement of the reactor rose on the 500-fold of the nominal achievement of 3,000 megawatts (th). From the graphite of the reactor there originated a fire constant similar to a volcano more than ten days.
Immense land surfaces were contaminated with radioactivity and permanently by the deposition of gap products, like caesium 137, strontium 90 (half-life in each case approx. 30 years) and plutonium isotopes (half-life 90 – 24,000 years) loaded. The air to Western Europe was fortified with radioactive iodine 131. The only experts up to now known unity of the "Becquerel" (1 decay per second) was used from now on to the marking of radioactive load by food. All together the inconceivable amo...