The “Brooks NPPA Top 20 Week in Pictures 2005” On Display and for Auction Now through June 16, 2006

Ventura , Calif. – May 23, 2006 -- Brooks Institute announced today that the Brooks NPPA ‘Top 20 Week in Pictures' are[?] currently on display and available for purchase through silent auction bidding. The photos, personally selected by New York Times Assistant Managing Editor of Photography Michele McNally and Deputy Director of Photography David Frank, were culled from a field of more than 300 images taken throughout the year. Proceeds from their sale will benefit the Brooks Institute student chapter of the National Press Photographers Assn. (NPPA), which is the largest chapter in the nation and operates solely through its own funding.

Greg Cooper, a faculty member of the Brooks Visual Journalism program who serves as a faculty advisor to the NPPA student chapter, notes that this is one of the strongest representations of work by the Visual Journalism students to date. “The photos are outstanding. One of them, by student Ramsay de Give, recently won a highly coveted Photographer of the Year International award for its depiction of a family in turmoil during the Ventura fires,” said Cooper.

The images can be viewed online at www.brooksnppa.org or at the Brooks Ventura Campus Gallery, 5301 N. Ventura Ave. , in Ventura . The archival quality inkjet prints are 13” x 19” matted in 16” x 20” black frames. All bids start at $50. The exhibit and auction will run through Friday, June 16. That evening, at 7 p.m., a special closing reception will be held at the school, and auction bids will be accepted through 9 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend. Those who cannot attend the reception can visit the online gallery at www.brooksnppa.org and place bids by e-mail or phone. For more information, contact Greg Cooper, 805-585-8089 or greg.cooper@brooks.edu .

Brooks NPPA Student Chapter

With over 120 members, the student chapter at Brooks Institute of the National Press Photographers Association is the largest in the country. The organization serves as an educational tool, outlet and voice for the students in the Visual Journalism department of Brooks Institute, hosting biweekly meetings and publishing a Website – www.brooksnppa.org – that promotes student work.

NPPA student chapter meetings are designed to provide both an educational experience and a student forum. Working professionals are invited to give lectures and demonstrations on topics ranging from ethics in photojournalism, to wildfire safety, location lighting and other pertinent subjects. The Website currently hosts The Week in Pictures , multimedia projects created by students, Podcasting, documentary projects, as well as session interviews with faculty and working professionals – which are now also available via Podcast – along with useful information on internships, scholarships and reading lists.

The organization is run by five student officers who are elected for six-month terms. All funds raised go directly to the operation of the student chapter to support hosting the Web site, student “shoot off” contests, and other education-related activities.

 About Brooks Institute

Brooks Institute offers a Master of Science degree program in Photography; Bachelor of Arts degree programs in Professional Photography, Film & Video Production, Graphic Design and Visual Journalism; an Associate of Arts degree program in Visual Journalism, and diploma programs in Professional Photography and Film & Video Production.

Graduates from Brooks have gone on to work for distinguished organizations including National Geographic, Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Times and other national media outlets, Hallmark Publishing, Cousteau Society, HBO, Kodak and literally scores of other leaders in visual media fields. For more information about Brooks Institute, go to www.brooks.edu .