Rise Above: On Top of Stone Mountain
A Photographic Exploration by Jean Shifrin
For the past ten years, Shifrin has hiked the one-mile trail to the top and captured moments reflecting people gathering from all walks of life, all seeking something universal: rest, joy, connection and a shared experience of wonder.
In her new book: “Rise Above: On Top of Stone Mountain,” Shifrin presents the iconic site as a microcosm of human experience — where people of different cultures, ages and backgrounds come together. Using only her iPhone, her visual journey puts a fresh lens on a controversial landmark — known for its imposing 42-foot-deep carving of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson — transcending its complex legacy to reveal the giant stone’s true nature.
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Jean Shifrin’s ten-year photographic exploration of Stone Mountain is a wondrous exploration of human connection and spirit.
Jean Shifrin
A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Shifrin was the first female photojournalist hired at the St. Joseph News Press. As staff photographer at The Kansas City Star, she received the Nikon Documentary Sabbatical Grant in 1989 to photograph “Parents Again — Grandparents Who Are Raising Their Grandchildren.”
During her time as a photographer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, her photographs won the Society for Professional Journalists Award for Non-Deadline Reporting for her work documenting the effects of Islamic fundamentalism on women. She won a Clarion Award for her project “When Children Die,” in which she documented terminally ill children.
Shifrin taught at the Missouri School of Journalism and operated a photography business in Atlanta, specializing in lifestyle photography and portraiture.
On her travels to India, Shifrin documented the work of Rising Star Outreach, whose mission is to eradicate leprosy while also improving the lives of those affected. Shifrin has also volunteered with Flashes of Hope to create beautiful portraits of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
She is a native of Kansas City, Mo., and was inducted into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame in 2012.
Events
WABE interview: Shifrin talks about her journey in photographing the images for her book: Rise Above: On Top of Stone Mountain.