Photo Essay on Seniors & Medical Marijuana Needs Participants

Dear Forum members:

A Los Angeles-based photojournalist is seeking participants who are California residents for a photo essay on senior citizens and medical marijuana (see the description below).

If you're interested, please either contact Todd (the photojournalist) directly at the email address or phone number below or feel free to get back to me (ASA's Media Specialist) at kris [at] safeaccessnow.org.

Thanks,

Kris Hermes
___________

From Todd Bigelow: bigelowphoto [at] sbcglobal.net

As a Los Angeles based photojournalist, I recently was assigned to photograph a story for National Public Radio about senior citizens trying to establish a marijuana collective at the former Leisure World in Laguna Woods, CA. Margo Bouer (the subject of the feature) suffers from MS and, along with others, is seeking easier access to marijuana which she uses daily to ease the nausea associated with the neurological disease. The NPR piece can be seen and heard here if interested: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor … =111783991   

Synopsis:
The NPR assignment piqued my interest in pursuing a photographic essay about the topic. Specifically, I am very interested in creating a series of portraits of senior citizens who are using medicinal marijuana to cope with their various illnesses. I think this is a very important social issue that I can examine with my camera. Further, I plan to do a simple audio interview so that each portrait is accompanied by the subject's explanation for why they use the marijuana, how it aids them and any quandaries they might have over using what is generally seen by their generation as an illicit drug.

My Background:
I have done many social projects during my career including a 15 year look at undocumented immigration, a series on prison ministries and a project on home schooling in America among others. My work has been exhibited in the US, France and Spain, and fourteen images reside in the permanent collection at the California Museum of Photography. I have worked for many years with top magazines such as TIME, Smithsonian, NY Times Magazine and others and am represented by a highly respected photo agency with offices in CA, Maine, NY and London. I feel strongly that I can place the photographic project with one of my regular clients and/or raise awareness through a gallery show (though that will be obviously be determined at a later point).

My Request:
I am in need of help in locating seniors who are using medicinal marijuana and I was hoping you could help. If you could put me in touch with potential subjects, or perhaps point me toward an organization or physicians who could suggest people, I would be very grateful. Below are links to my website where examples of my work (including the NPR photographs) are readily available, my agency that represents my work as well as my LinkedIn profile (with resume etc) and photo blog.

Kind regards and thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Todd Bigelow
Photojournalist
818-515-6376

View my New Updated Website and Archive:
http://www.ToddBigelowPhotography.com

Represented by Aurora Photo Agency
http://www.AuroraPhotos.com

View my Profile on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/toddbigelow

My Photo Blog:
http://toddbigelowphotography.wordpress.com/