Andrew Niesen

So here's the deal. To contribute to the competitive spirit of the Thirst Relief Auction, Mark has decided to announce that if LaCour receives the highest bid in the Thirst Relief Auction, then the lucky winner will get the distinct honor of shaving Mark's beard at WPPI! Or if you prefer, we'll find us a barber to come and clip it all off - maybe on the WPPI tradeshow floor?? He's been growing his beard for over 13 years and is ready to part with it for a noble cause. Help us save lives! And have some fun along the way!

So this will only happen if the auction ends with LaCour receiving the highest bid. Remember that the winner of our auction will also get a free seat to our Business of Storytelling workshop, which is worth $1,695! So if somebody bid's $1,000 for us, you're still saving money and the money you are spending is saving lives and then Mark gets a new 'do!

Oh, we've had a lot of inquiries from people who can't attend our April workshop, so we'd be happy to let the winner attend one of our other dates, which will be announced soon.

So stop reading and start bidding. If you want to come to our workshop, then what a screaming deal. Somebody's getting such an awesome value for under $400 right now! That could be you. And if you're daring and want to help Mark look more respectable, then start bidding!

The Thirst Relief Benefit Auction closes in a few hours! Bid now and you could win a free seat at LaCour's "Business of Storytelling" workshop! This is a great opportunity to save lives and share knowledge with fellow photographers through mentoring sessions.

**CLICK HERE TO BID NOW**

I just wanted to share a little bit more about the Foundation Workshop. My involvement was such a rewarding experience, which I hope to be able to be a part of again.

On the first day of the workshop I gave a short presentation on how to blend into the scene. As documentary photographers who strive to make storytelling images, our goal is to record reality, not reality as it is affected by our presence. I shared some practical examples of ways to build a trusting relationship with subjects so that they would open up their lives to us as photographers and let us make storytelling images. One of the best ways to do this is to first simply sit down and talk with your subject and share stories, all the while looking for common interests. We feel comfortable with people whom we share common interests with, so the sooner you can establish a bond, the easier it is for them to open up and allow you to document their lives.

A highlight for me was Anna Kuperberg's presentation. She shared some photographs from an ongoing project she's been working on where she has been documenting a neighborhood in St. Louis. Her dedication to this long-term project was inspiring and the photographs she has made show how much her subjects trust her and have let her into their lives. See some of her photos on her fine art website.

My primary responsibility with the workshop was to be a mentor, so I went out into the field every day with some of the workshop attendees and gave them one-on-one feedback and guidance to help them improve their seeing, shooting and storytelling. I saw overnight transformations in how the attendees improved their photography. The workshop was such a powerful experience which focused on growth for everyone involved.

The dates for next year's workshop have recently been announced: February 25-28, 2008. Check out the Foundation Workshop website for more info. And to register, email Huy Nguyen: huy@fworkshop.com.

I developed this strange ringing in the ears around Christmas time that would simply not go away. After a thorough analysis by leading experts we've thankfully determined that it is nothing more than that. I have tinnitus, which produces a mild ringing in my ears that is really just a bit of a nuisance.

The doctor thought it best to "nip this in the bud" while I'm relatively young so it doesn't become a chronic problem.

So I have six treatment 90-minute appointments over the next two weeks that involve hooking electrodes up to my ears and giving me low-grade electric shocks and exposure to infrared-radiation to make the ringing go away.

Thanks to an open wireless network somewhere in this medical building, I can sit here and work — or play on Apple's Photobooth!

LaCour is offering a free seat ($1,695 value) at our April workshop, The Business of Storytelling, to the Thirst Relief auction winner!

You don't have to attend WPPI to bid. If you cannot meet with us in Las Vegas, the mentoring session can be conducted in Atlanta during the workshop dates.

**CLICK HERE TO BID NOW**

Thanks for joining the effort to help Thirst Relief bring water to families around the world! Together, we can make a difference.

Rules: The winner is responsible for lodging, meals and travel-related expenses. The winner must get one single-occupancy room at Twelve, the hotel that is hosting the workshop ($195/night over 4 nights.) New enrollees only. Must win LaCour's mentorship at Thirst Benefit Mentor Auction.