American Photography 28

Gilded and debossed in gold leaf, American Photography 28 befits the Olympic year in which it was produced with photographers reaching their highest mark of visual excellence. American Photography 28, designed by Nathalie Kirsheh, presents Erwin Olaf on the cover of this year’s collection of the best 323 pictures as selected by a jury from over 8,000 submissions to the annual competition. This year’s jury of photo, art and design experts included: Bill Black, Reader’s Digest; Scott Hall, Newsweek; Nathalie Kirsheh, Details; Whitney Lawson, Travel + Leisure; Joanna Milter, The New York Times Magazine; Paul Moakley, TIME; and Zana Woods, Wired. American Photography 28, referred to as “the book of record” by top photographers and editors, includes pictures that cover the most talked about events from the year 2011, including the Arab Spring uprising in the middle east; the tsunami in Japan; the Occupy Wall Street movement; and the 10^th anniversary of 911 terrorist attacks – and includes photos that became news themselves with the infamous portrait of congresswoman Michele Bachmann for the cover of Newsweek by Chris Buck; still shots from the film The Queen of Versialles by Lauren Greenfield; and Instragram iPhone shots from Afghanistan and Libya by Benjamin Lowy for GQ and The New York Times Magazine; the METs blockbuster exhibit of fashion designer Alexander McQueen by Martine Fougeron; the Shuttle Endeavor’s last space launch by Dan Winters.