Sale of "Colors of My Life" Benefits Hope for Children in Chile

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—August 4, 2009 -- Datacolor, a global leader in digital color management technology, has brightened the lives of children in Chile with the production and sale of the photography book, "Colors of My Life."  Proceeds from the book will benefit Hope for Children, a Chile-based charity dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged children throughout the country.

"Colors of My Life" is an 80-page softcover photography book, which began as a simple photography contest sponsored by Datacolor's European office.  As part of the contest, consumers submitted two photographs that incorporated colors they felt best depicted their lives or personalities.  The final images -- 60 images total -- worked so well as a single body of work that Datacolor decided to create a portfolio in the form of a book.

"We were completely overwhelmed by the number of images we received as well as the quality of the photos," says Sophie Schwery, Consumer Business Unit Manager, Datacolor in Europe.  "Our decision to produce a book of these beautiful photographs was an easy one and working with the Hope for Children organization to benefit children has been rewarding beyond words.  We would encourage anyone who loves photography to purchase the book and help brighten the lives of children," Ms. Schwery added.

"Determining the winners of the contest among so many great entries was a difficult task but one I enjoyed thoroughly," said Christoph Gamper, Vice President, Consumer Business Unit, Datacolor and a member of the adjudication team.  "The winning images represent a magnificent portfolio of photography and the idea of creating a book whose proceeds benefit underprivileged children makes it a true labor of love," Mr. Gamper added.

Colors of My Life contest: First Prize winner, by Alice Lemarin. Photo provided by Datacolor.

The Big Winners
First prize went to Alice Lemarin, a young French artist who began taking pictures only four years ago which, according to the judges, was hard to believe after viewing her images, stating that the "mystery and curiosity her photographs evoked immediately captured us."  As the first place winner, Alice will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Tuscany Photo Workshops.

Colors of My Life contest: Second Prize winner, by Jean-Christophe Satoris. Photo provided by Datacolor.

Already an accomplished musician, Jean-Christophe Satoris can now add published, award winning (second place) photographer to his resume.  This is quite an accomplishment for someone who picked up his first camera in 2005. "As with Alice, we found it astonishing what a short amount of time it can take a natural talent to achieve a skill level as high as his," Christoph Gamper said.  For his efforts, Mr. Satoris received a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Lightroom.

Colors of My Life contest: Third Prize winner, by François-Xavier Laurent. Photo provided by Datacolor.

Third place was won by François-Xavier Laurent, who inherited his passion for photography from his father, and grandfather before him.  After 20 years of shooting as a hobby, Francois finally made photography a career in 2008.  "After we saw the two images from his series titled 'Colors of the Night,' it came as no surprise to us that this was not the first photography contest he had won.  In fact, he has won several over the years."  As the third prizewinner, Francois received the entire suite of NIK imaging software.

The Adjudication Panel
Judges for the competition included Christoph Gamper, Vice President, consumer business Unit, Datacolor; Sophie Schwery, Consumer Business Unit Manager, Datacolor Europe; Denis Olivier, President of Art Limited, an online gallery for artists, critics and models who propose creative, personal and original high quality work which is recognized and appreciated; Carlo Roberti, Founder and Director of the Tuscany Photographic Workshop in Italy; and Jonathan Wisler, Vice President and Managing Director of Blurb Europe.

Copies of the book "Colors of My Life" can be purchased through Blurb at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/750811 for $22.82 (U.S.).

About Datacolor
Datacolor is a global leader in color management solutions and color communication technology.  The world's leading brands, manufacturers, creative professionals and consumers have been choosing Datacolor's innovative technology and solutions to consistently achieve the right color for nearly 40 years.  A Swiss held company, Datacolor's global presence encompasses a sales, service and support network serving customers in more than 65 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia, along with 13 worldwide operation and production facilities. Industries served include apparel and textile, paint and coatings, automotive, plastics, photography, home theater and others. For more information about Datacolor and its products or services, visit http://www.datacolor.com

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