Image-ination Photo Contest

Self Image. Body Image. Photo Image.

Image-ination Photo Contest Winner, Ryan Orkin, at the 2009 NMF Conference

Approximately 80 teens attended the 2009 NMF Conference in Rochester, MN,  August 7th-9th.  On Friday, August 7th, the teen group met with Rick Guidotti, acclaimed fashion photographer and founder of Positive Exposure, a non-profit organization that “challenges the stigma associated with difference by celebrating the beauty and richness of human diversity."  Rick lead a workshop on self image, human diversity and photography.  At the end of the workshop, Rick challenged the teen group to take photos of each other throughout the Conference weekend which captured the beauty and richness of Marfan syndrome and related disorders to submit to the Image-ination Photo Contest. 

The goal of the Image-ination Photo Contest was to:

• challenge the stigma associated with difference by celebrating the beauty and richness of human diversity, particularly for teens living with Marfan syndrome and related disorders,
• promote positive self image and body image, and
• raise awareness of Marfan syndrome and related disorders through photo images.

Eleven teens entered the Image-ination Photo Contest, over 150 people from the Marfan and related disorders community voted, and we have a winner. The winner is Ryan Orkin!  Ryan submitted photo #11, The Sky is the Limit. Congratulations Ryan. 

The Sky is the Limit by Ryan Orkin