VANCOUVER, WA (January 13, 2005) – The Columbian newspaper of Vancouver, WA, is offering a special summer 2005 photography internship in memory of the 25th anniversary of the death of staff photographer Reid Blackburn.
Blackburn, 27, a staff photographer at The Columbian, died May 18, 1980 while on assignment covering the eruption of Mount St. Helens. A graduate of Linfield College in Oregon, he had been with the newspaper for five years.
The newspaper has sponsored the $2,000 Reid Blackburn Scholarship for several years. The winner of the internship will be selected from the scholarship applicants. However, the winner of the scholarship will not necessarily receive the internship.
The internship runs June 1 through August 31, 2005. The person selected will be provided with some Nikon digital equipment to use during the internship, and they will be offered the opportunity to work as a full-fledged member of the photography staff.
"There will be many good portfolio-building assignments," said Columbian photographer Jeremiah Coughlan, who is in charge of the scholarship. "They will get hands-on experience and the opportunity to work with a very seasoned staff."
For more information and application materials, please go to www.nppa.org and then click on "Professional Development," and then "Students," and then on "Scholarships" (or click here). The scholarship application is available only on the NPPA Web site. Deadline for application is March 1.
Questions about the internship should be directed by eMail only to jeremiah.coughlan@columbian.com.
