Photo fans take note – “Initial Keynote Speakers Announced for 2nd Annual Focus on the Story Photo Festival”

From a press release:

“The keynote speakers for this year’s Focus on the Story photo festival include two award- winning former Washington Post photojournalists, as well as the first woman to serve as chief White House photographer.

Leading the May 29 – June 2 festival lineup are Andrea Bruce, who has reported extensively from conflict zones for the Washington Post and other outlets; Lucian Perkins, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner at the Post who also produced a book chronicling the early days of DC’s punk music scene, and Sharon Farmer, who during the Clinton Administration became the first woman to lead the White House Office of Photography.

Focus on the Story brings together a community of photography lovers for a series of outstanding keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshops, exhibits, portfolio reviews, photowalks and community events. This year’s festival will take place on the campus of George Washington University. Organizers say they will announce at least three additional keynote speakers in the coming weeks.

Bruce is best known for her work in war zones but is currently on a fellowship traveling the U.S. for a project called “Our Democracy,” which includes profiles of nonvoters made in the leadup to the 2018 election. Perkins has also reported extensively from overseas, including from Kosovo where he won his second Pulitzer Prize. However, Perkins is also known for his in-depth work in the DC community. He won his first Pulitzer Prize documenting the effects of poverty on three generations of a Washington, D.C. family. He also published a photo book, Hard Art, that chronicles the city’s early punk scene. His first full-length documentary followed the lives of two young volunteers at Joseph’s House, a hospice for homeless HIV/AIDS patients near the Adams Morgan neighborhood.

Besides being the first woman to serve as chief White House photographer, Farmer was also the first African- American woman to serve as a presidential photographer. She joined the Clinton administration as a White House photographer in 1993, before serving as Director of the White House Photography Office from 1999 – 2001. She later served as the campaign photographer for Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential run.

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Festival organizers also announced today that they would be extending their “flash” registration discount to federal employees: “We know that some of you may have had to forgo the special ‘flash sale’ registration rate because of the ongoing government shutdown. We want to let you know that we will extend the flash sale discount to all federal employees and contractors who have been affected by the shutdown. When the situation changes, drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll send a discount code.”
To learn more about Focus on the Story 2019, click here.”