Games of my Life

• Prize
• Photographer
  Dianne Yudelson, United States
• Studio
  dianneyudelson.com
• Website
  http://www.dianneyudelson.com

As the daughter of an athlete, I was raised with the concept “It is
not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.”
Throughout my life I have held on to this mindset. Like many
households, we were not a wealthy family who vacationed to exotic
destinations, rather we spent our weekends and summers as a
family immersed in sports and bonding while playing a board game.
Although I was not the oldest sibling in my family and therefore less
likely to understand the rules and strategies involved in winning the
game, I remember fondly the excitement of gathering to play and
the simple joy of choosing a playing piece. I was excited to see
what would come up on the roll of the dice and enjoyed the
surprises and challenges each game encapsulated. I fondly
remember the funny jokes that my brothers told while playing and
the dearness of playing with my Grandmother included. It was
always surprising to me to encounter the reaction of other kids who
were upset they didn’t win. Instead they allowed there enjoyment
of the game to be hinged upon who was in the lead or how much
money their fellow players were accruing. Personally, winning was
always a thrill, but playing the game was the cherished experience.
I believe that life with all its pitfalls and travails is full of many daily
treasures, if only we are willing to keep our minds and hearts open
to the world around us. I whole heartedly agree with the sage
words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Life is a Journey, not a
destination.” These personal ideals are the inspiration for my self
portrait retrospective series “Games of my Life.”

• Biography
  Dianne Yudelson is a photographic artist and master of the New Eclecticism. Dianne was just awarded Merit of Excellencne "Photographer of the Year" in the 6th Annual Black and White Spider Awards June 2012. Her images are international winners in Photography Master's Cup, the PX3 (Prix de la Photographie, Paris), IPA (International Photography Awards), LICC (London International Creative Competition), the Black and White Spider Awards, KLPA International Top 40 Portrait, and a WPGA Julia Margaret Cameron Award finalist in Documentary. "Throughout my life art has been the one true common thread, the stitches that have bound my chapters together. As a photographic artist I embrace the ability to spotlight my point of view and give a voice to my imagination. I have melded my fine art, theater art, fashion and stylist background with my academic training and teaching experience to create multi-layered images that explore both the visual and psychological aspects of our world and that challenge, delight and educate the viewer." ~Dianne Yudelson -- www.dianneyudelson.com
• Awards
  Dianne Yudelson is an award winning photographic artist and master of the New Eclecticism Photography. Her work has been exhibited in Malaysia, France, Thailand, and throughout the USA. Dianne is a 2013 Critical Mass Finalist and a Julia Margaret Cameron Award winner in documentary, as well as street photography. Recent 2013 exhibitions include the Natural History Museum in San Diego California, National Geographic Museum as part of FOTODC, The FENCE 2013 and 2014 in Boston as part of the Magenta Flash Forward Festival, The FENCE 2013 and 2014 in Brooklyn as part of Photoville, and The Center for Fine Art Photography as part of 2013 and 2014 Center Forward. Dianne graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, Berkeley. “My fascination with photography began upon the realization that, in addition to being a wonderful means of documentation, photography can also be used as a fine art medium. My style is eclectic. In the fine tradition of eclectic artists of our past, from DaVinci to Duchamp to Calder, I embrace the challenge of exploring varied subjects and forms of expression. By that I mean, neither subject matter nor genre solely defines my images; they are defined by my artistic esthetic. Dianne’s 2013 top honors include "Photographer of the Year" titles from three acclaimed international competitions; Black and White Spider Awards, Photography Masters Cup, and World Photography Gala Awards. In 2013 Dianne received: First Place in the International Photography Awards (IPA) in Fine Art and Collage, GOLD overall category winner in Book Fine Art Paris Photography Prize (PX3), Grand Prize Winner in the New York Center for Photographic Arts, Gold medalist in Gallery Photographica's San Francisco International Exhibition, , First Place in Digital Imagination Professional Women Photographers, First Place in the WPGA Black & White Awards, First Place from the Texas Photographic Society, and advertising honors in the London International Creative Competition for a third consecutive year. “Throughout my life art has been the one true common thread, the stitches that bind my chapters together. As a photographic artist, I embrace the ability to spotlight my point of view and give a voice to my imagination."