$50K pledged, 2 projects funded in Emphas.is’ first month

We’re excited to announce that since Emphas.is launched in early March, more than $50,000 has been pledged to its nine photographic projects. Thank you for your help! This never could have been accomplished without you: pledging funds, spreading the word, and taking time out of your day to explore the stories these photographers are working to tell.

If you are one of the nearly 650 current Emphas.is backers, please fill out your profile page and upload a photo. We want to know exactly who to thank!

NEW SHEPARD FAIREY PRINT AVAILABLE

Aaron Huey’s Pine Ridge Billboard project has just passed the $10,000 mark, getting one large step closer to reaching its funding goal. Aaron’s collaboration with Shepard Fairey, who designed the iconic Obama HOPE campaign poster, has yielded a beautiful new print, now available with a donation of $150.

A new collaborative print from Shepard Fairey and Aaron Huey, available with your donation.

TWO PROJECTS FULLY FUNDED

Additionally, two projects have already been fully funded thanks to their 215 backers: Carolyn Drake’s story on the Uyghurs of northwest China and Tomas van Houtryve’s exploration of communist vestiges in Laos.

Tomas traveled to Laos while still soliciting donations, so he has already been communicating regularly with backers through his “Making Of Zone.” Tomas says he is grateful not only for the financial support but also for the valuable insights and feedback his backers have provided. “I have already managed to make stronger photos due to their input,” he wrote recently on several blogs.

JOIN 2 “MAKING OF ZONES” TODAY

At Emphas.is we believe that helping photographers fund their work is only the first part of the equation. We are equally excited to provide photographers with an opportunity to connect directly with their audience and for any person around the world to have a direct impact on which stories are told in what ways.

For this reason, we are opening the “Making of Zone” early for two projects with only 6 DAYS LEFT to reach their funding goals.

An image from Tierra del Fuego, where Kadir van Lohuizen began his journey.

Kadir van Lohuizen will spend the next 10 months traveling from the southern-most to the northern-most tip of the Americas, documenting migration, a topic he feels is at the heart of numerous international issues. Kadir has already hit the road, so his backers will start receiving exclusive updates from his travels immediately on Emphas.is.

An image from Matt Eich's project Sin & Salvation in Baptist Town

Matt Eich is less than $700 away from full funding for his Sin & Salvation in Baptist Town project. Become a backer and join Matt as he continues to examine contemporary race and class disparities in the Mississippi Delta town of Greenwood.

Make sure that the issues that you care about receive the in-depth coverage they deserve — support and share these projects.