Alyse French | Fine Art Portrait Photographer | Houston, TX »

1 For Me // 1 For You | May 2012

So I skipped 1 For Me // 1 For You last month… Something about posting a giveaway on Easter Sunday didn’t quite sit right, ya’knowhaimean? :) I do believe it will be well worth your wait though and I’m excited to finally let it out of the bag! But before spilling the beans, let’s review the rules on how this all works:

  • What is it? It’s simple! If I have one of something that I find fashionable, functional, or just plain fun, I send the winner a duplicate.
  • Who can enter? Friends, past/present clients, random readers, etc.! (Please see the not-so-fine print below for full rules and restrictions.)
  • How long do I have to enter? You’ll have until next Saturday, May 12th at midnight CST to enter. The winner will be chosen at random using the random number generator at Random.org and announced the next morning, Sunday, May 13th.
  • BAM! How do I enter? You must comment (and answer the specific question asked at the end of this post) to enter. It’s easy!! Comments left via FacebookTwitter or elsewhere will not be taken into consideration.
  • But why? Because Vivian is fabulous. And you need her on your coffee table…
And now for the goods. For May’s 1 For Me // 1 For You, I’m giving away a copy of one of my new favorite books – Vivian Maier: Street Photographer, as edited by John Maloof. You may or may not remember (depending on your level of photo geekiness) hearing about the 2007 discovery of a massive collection of photographs taken by a nanny named Vivian Maier, between the early 1950’s through the 1990’s. A collection numbering into the 100,000’s, Maier’s work isn’t only stunning, but it captures the soul of the streets in a way that absolutely baffles me. And the best part? No one knew about her work until two years before her death. What a legacy!

This gorgeous hardcover book is 144 pages of Maier’s photographic genius. And if you’re a people-watcher like myself, this one’s right up your alley. So, like I said… It belongs on your coffee table. :)

Question to enter: Why would you like to win this book? My apologies… Any question of mine will pale in comparison to the depth that is Vivian. :)

Not-so-fine print: Only one entry allowed per person. All contestants must live within the continental United States and must be able to provide a valid mailing address upon winning. I am not responsible for items that are lost, stolen or damaged during shipment. The winner will have 24 hours to contact me and redeem the item or a new winner will be chosen.
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  • May 5, 2012 - 8:02 PM

    Kathy - I love old photos that offer a glimpse of what life was like at a particular moment in history. I like to see how people dressed, how they worked, what their routines were. This is the first I’ve heard of this work, I’m excited to learn more.

  • May 5, 2012 - 8:06 PM

    Debby Morales - Why wouldn’t you want this collection?!? I am a fanatic for anything vintage and/or photographed. The history photographs hold is by far one of the most sacred things to cherish. I would love this book so that I can learn from it and marvel over her work! Thank you:)

  • May 5, 2012 - 8:07 PM

    Molly - This is such a fun giveaway. I love it, is that a good enough reason? Also, if I don’t know what to write about I could just flip through the book. Hello, writing prompts!

  • May 5, 2012 - 8:31 PM

    stephanie - ooooooh my gosh, this is your best giveaway yet. i would loooooove this book because i’ve been obsessed with the whole Vivian Maier story ever since i heard about it like 2 years ago. her work is unbelievable and to think that she taught herself everything she knew and just walked around town taking pictures of whatever she thought was interesting is so inspiring! ee!

  • May 5, 2012 - 8:38 PM

    Dana S - My sister is an aspiring photographer and I know she would absolutely love this book!

  • May 6, 2012 - 5:10 AM

    Hannah J - The book looks absolutely stunning. My brother really loves photography so I know he would really enjoy it.

  • May 6, 2012 - 7:22 AM

    Athena R - My honey and I both love photography and would love to have this book. It is stunning.

  • May 6, 2012 - 1:19 PM

    Jen - I’d love to win this book in order to see the evolution and change on the streets where Vivian lived. What a great way to view history unfolding!

  • May 6, 2012 - 2:31 PM

    Heather C. - Whether intentional or not Vivian Maier chronicled decades of everyday life. What a gift to us all. ‘would love to see her work.

  • May 6, 2012 - 5:33 PM

    Randi C. - I’d love the book because I’ve begun really studying black and white portraiture from some earlier eras. I want to learn to capture the story in someone’s face…

  • May 6, 2012 - 6:50 PM

    Imani - I LOVE Vivian Maier. I spent hours on the first blog I found about her, looking at picture after picture. She was so incredibly talented and I would just to be able to look at her talent in book form!

  • May 7, 2012 - 2:58 AM

    Chelsea - I would love to own this book; such a treasure! I can already see myself spending hours flipping through its pages :)

  • May 7, 2012 - 7:28 AM

    Brittany Nissley - Gaaahhh. this looks stunning. I would love to own this because I love street photography, and coffee table books are the best.

  • May 7, 2012 - 12:45 PM

    Rebecca H - I love black and white photos but I know that my husband will love this. He’s been looking for a good coffee table book for a while!

  • May 7, 2012 - 12:49 PM

    Dana - This is the first I’ve heard of Vivian Maier and I would love to get a glimpse of this book! As an artist myself, my favorite museums/art collections are ones that show collective work from the same artist. I think it’s fabulous to see their progression and voice from each piece to the next. This book would be a wonderful asset to any coffee table!

  • May 7, 2012 - 2:53 PM

    Sarah - Becuase I have only barely heard of Vivian and am already stunned by her work/ Michael is always looking for new artists to be inspired by and I would love to surprise him with this :)

  • May 7, 2012 - 6:04 PM

    Heidi Ann - I always admire people who can photograph “real life” so honestly. You know that they care about people because of the way that they take their photos. And I’m excited to look into her work more!

  • May 8, 2012 - 12:02 PM

    Kate - I’d love to win this book because I’ve been obsessed with Vivian Maier since Stephanie showed me her work about 2 years ago! ;) An incredible story, a beautiful history, and just the right amount of mystery!

  • May 8, 2012 - 12:26 PM

    Catherine - I’d like this book because I love history! I’ve always been interested in how the American culture and people have evolved. Plus, I’m also aan avid people-watcher – so this sounds up my alley!

  • May 8, 2012 - 4:42 PM

    Nhi Vo - I’d love to have this book on my coffee table because her work reminds me of Alfred Eisenstaedt’s work. I love the way they capture people in moments in time, and you’re left wondering who they are & what’s their story. I especially love her Unknown portfolio. She must have been a very sweet & lovely lady, content on just enjoying witnessing people’s lives and never feeling the need to go any further than that. =)

  • May 8, 2012 - 7:09 PM

    Lauren Jolly - The reasons why I would love to own this book are twofold :) 1. I am in awe of anyone who can ask random people on the street to take their picture. It’s something I hope to have the confidence to do one day and love “street” photography! 2. I love that Vivian Maier was self-taught because I am a self-taught photographer, as well. It’s so inspiring to see what people can do when they are passionate about something. Fingers crossed!!

  • May 8, 2012 - 10:52 PM

    Stef - I’d like to win the book because Vivian’s work is great, and so is street photography. :)

  • May 9, 2012 - 10:07 AM

    Abby Casey - I’d love to own this photography book. We need an interesting coffee table centerpiece!

  • May 9, 2012 - 12:12 PM

    Elizabeth - Haha! AH! I love this giveaway! If we actually had a coffee table this would so be on it! I love the fact that it has 144 pages- of photos! I love books like these…and go to Barnes and Nobles just to browse thru books like this one! :)

  • May 10, 2012 - 9:33 AM

    Rachel Durrent - I really enjoy looking at other photographers work and getting inspiration and being able to see how they view the world through photos. Have a wonderful day.

  • May 10, 2012 - 10:23 AM

    stephanie marie briant-bonner - i must admitt i am not familiar with vivians work but after reading this i would like to be. Currently on our coffee table we have awkward family photos for a little bit of humor and a giant old book of norman rockwell paintings that my grandmother had given me to inspire my art. After looking up vivian i think this would make a wonderfully beautiful addition!