The winner of the 500 business cards giveaway courtesy of Uprinting.com is Joe Geoghan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Congratulations to Joe!! As he mentioned, these cards will certainly come in handy. For those of you on twitter, like me, you can follow Joe, who just by his profile seems like a very fascinating young man.

I will be having another contest to  give away another 500 business cards. The rules may change slightly this time and will be more fun. Details coming very soon.

Since I have rarely given anything away to my readers, I think it would be a great time to start. I will be giving away 500 free business cards this week to one lucky reader and another 500 next week to another reader, courtesy of UPrinting.com. UPrinting is a trusted leader in online printing companies, providing customers with high-quality printing at the lowest possible prices.

The winner can choose from any of UPrinting’s card stocks, including the eco-friendly cover stock (13 pt. Cover Uncoated - Recycled) or the the 14 pt. family in Matte, AQ, or UV at any custom size they offer such as square cards, odd sizes like 3×3 or 2×2. Free shipping to anywhere in the United States and Canada. Note: International customers will have to pay for shipping.

So how does one win the business cards, you may be wondering. It’s simple. For one week, starting from today anyone who comments on any of the posts on my blog has a chance of winning. I will randomnly choose one comment one week from now and contact that person who will win the business cards. Multiple comments are welcome. Not to worry, email addresses posted to comments are only visible to me.

Good luck and don’t forget to comment on any post this week to enter to win.

**UPDATE: Since I will be out of town and not have access to a computer…I am extending this business card giveaway to Friday September 26th. I will choose a winner on this date at approximately 8pm (PST). You can still leave comments on any post to enter to win until this time and date.

I’ve been a longtime fan of photographer Brian Finke. The subject matter Brian chooses can be interpreted as hilarious, sexual or controversial by some. However, his distinct stylistic vision supersedes and shows the deeper nature and raw beauty of the subjects he photographs. The storytelling aspect he captures has defined Brian as a documentary photographer. Here are some photos from one of the many spectacular galleries on his site. This one is called ‘Most Muscular’.

This very touching film, directed by Sean Dunne, is about Paul Mawhinney who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. “Over the years he has amassed what has become the world’s largest record collection. Due to health issues and a struggling record industry Paul is being forced to sell his collection.”

This story really broke my heart. I sincerely hope there is a rich music artist, company, or anybody who is passionate about Paul’s love of music and willing to help him out. It would be wonderful to know that he could hold on to his record collection for the rest of his life and then be purchased by a museum or another collector.

Huge images of local women’s faces have been emblazoned across one of Brazil’s most dangerous shanty towns, Favela da Providencia. Renowned French photographer and street artist JR traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to meet women for who crime, violent loss of loved ones and arbitrary repression are part of everyday life.

Through a series of striking portraits the project named “Women Are Heroes”, JR aims to share the stories of these women who have led difficult lives by virtue of their surroundings. Coming from different origins and generations, you reach their stories and understand their vision of life in the context of conflict. In each photo you can see a different part of the women’s expression of life. This perspective unites hill and asphalt to give a face to the favela. Blown up and displayed on the facades of houses in the favela, the sheer size of the images will ensure that their presence is felt in the street.