Trash The Dress 2012

"Herring happen" - (to eat herring the Dutch way is to open your mouth widely, head backwards and 'go') the bride on the far right almost lost her fish, as the sea-gull took a dive straight at her - Trash The Dress group event at the Scheveningen Beach, 20 May 2012

VW car meeting @ the boulevard, brides play 'fishermen's wifes' and watched over the ocean

Trash The Dress photography is a wellknown phenomenon in the US since the late 90's. "Trash the dress" is the art of destruction or deconstruction of a brides wedding dress to create a new artwork that the bride would be proud to display on their wall. [Wikipedia] 'Drown the Gown', 'Running of the Brides' and 'Rock The Frock' are similar names for this fine art photography, mixed with beauty, fashion and glamour photography.

In the Netherlands fine art photographer Melanie Rijkers (MeRy) & Hans van Nunen of Artstudio23.com created the first group event in 2007. 09.09.09 was the first group Trash The Dress event to be known worldwide, with 99+ women wearing their wedding dress once more. (actually there were over 150 brides :) 10.10.10 (100+) and 11.11.11 (8) followed. Also in 2011 Melanie was asked to come and shoot Running of the Brides in Niagara, Canada and a 'Mass Trash The Dress' in Adelaide, Australia.

Being the very last 'special wedding date', 12.12.12 would be very cold, so Melanie planned her last group event ever 20 May 2012 at the Scheveningen Beach, the Netherlands. More and more copycats and a decreasing lack of interest of models/brides made Melanie decide to definately stop organising group Trash The Dress events, even though all women participating keep shouting that is's FUN FUN FUN to be part of an event like this. Sorry ladies, but organising these events drains my creative energy, and when there's nothing in return, after 5 years, I feel it's time to stop.

If there's a sponsor or company interested in 12.12.12: my intial thoughts were Aruba, Melbourne...even Las Vegas!? But please let me know if you'd like to create the 12.12.12 event @ one of those locations. Trash The Dress events can be booked via info@artstudio23.com in group or individual shoots. You DON'T have to wreck your dress, you can also 'just' pose together with your husband once more, we'll create a beautiful photoshoot of the two of you. E.g. to celebrate your 1st wedding anniversary??

Be different, feel the love! Wear your wedding dress once more and relive the feeling of your wedding day...

1st prize Px3

STOP Maternal mortality - FIRST PRIZE IN THE PX3 ALTERED IMAGES COMPETITION.

PARIS, FRANCE - PRIX DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE PARIS (PX3) ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ALTERED IMAGES COMPETITION.

Melanie Rijkers of Netherlands was Awarded: First Prize in category Altered Images for the entry entitled, "STOP Maternal mortality" The jury selected Altered Images’s winners from thousands of photography entries from over 85 countries.

Px3 is juried by top international decision-makers in the photography industry: Carol Johnson, Curator of Photography of Library of Congress, Washington D.C.; Gilles Raynaldy, Director of Purpose, Paris; Viviene Esders, Expert près la Cour d'Appel de Paris; Mark Heflin, Director of American Illustration + American Photography, New York; Sara Rumens, Lifestyle Photo Editor of Grazia Magazine, London; Françoise Paviot, Director of Galerie Françoise Paviot, Paris; Chrisitine Ollier, Art Director of Filles du Calvaire, Paris; Natalie Johnson, Features Editor of Digital Photographer Magazine, London; Natalie Belayche, Director of Visual Delight, Paris; Kenan Aktulun, VP/Creative Director of Digitas, New York; Chiara Mariani, Photo Editor of Corriere della Sera Magazine, Italy; Arnaud Adida, Director of Acte 2 Gallery/Agency, Paris; Jeannette Mariani, Director of 13 Sévigné Gallery, Paris; Bernard Utudjian, Director of Galerie Polaris, Paris; Agnès Voltz, Director of Chambre Avec Vues, Paris; and Alice Gabriner, World Picture Editor of Time Magazine, New York.

ABOUT Px3:
The "Prix de la Photographie Paris" (Px3) strives to promote the appreciation of photography, to discover emerging talent, and introduce photographers from around the world to the artistic community of Paris. Winning photographs from this competition are exhibited in a high-profile gallery in Paris and published in the high-quality, full-color Px3 Annual Book.

Visit Px3.fr
Contact Melanie Rijkers: photostudio's website
Idea and concept for Simavi and UN's 5th Millenium Development Goal MeRy.nl/wereldsdelen

Ode to Kodak

Coney Island, May 2012, NYC - analog photograph, taken with Kodak colour reversal film, cross processed, more analog NYC photography: Google+ album

Jump! event photography

New York City 2-7 May 2012, All Jump! photos online now, check out this Google+ album for more!

Jump! in Central Park, NYC

Ineke Hurkmans and her team Jump! with people in Central Park, New York, 4 May 2012. Self empowerment - as YOU know all the answers to questions you ask yourself. If you are ready for a mind-jump, feel free to join us at the next occasion; Jumpmovement.com

Jump is a simple, comprehensive and effective self empowerment program. It creates actual movement towards any goal. Jump is suited to support any management challenge or personal development. Find out what Jump could mean for the development of your company and your personal growth.

Filmed by: Artstudio23.com - MeRy/Melanie Rijkers