Erica Lander
Working for Dispatch Press Images has been the most rewarding and self-fulfilling challenge of my career. My love of photography grew out of my passion for creativity and the arts. The journeys we take in life help to shape us both personally and professionally, and as the co-owner and working photographer for Dispatch Press Images, my journey has presented challenges and learning experiences I will keep with me and treasure always.
From a small child my dream was to always become an artist. What that meant, I wasn\'t quite sure, but growing up in New York that meant being accepted to the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. That dream was realized, and after receiving my Bachelor of Science degree from FIT, I went forth pursuing a career in graphic design and advertising.
While working as a Senior Art Director a number of years at Doubleday Entertainment on Long Island, and seeing that the internet was becoming a powerful platform for businesses around the world, I wanted to make my own contribution and decided to enhance my skills further. I enrolled in the Interactive Multimedia Arts graduate program at CW Post, Long Island University where I received my Master of Arts degree in 2007. The program was a launching point for me to expand my career towards designing for the web and understanding the business of e-commerce. I studied web design and development, animation, digital audio/video editing, and social, ethical and legal practices of the internet.
During this time I was focused on bringing Dispatch Press Images, a subsidiary of American Photojournalism, Inc., to life. Founded by Michael Lander in 1980, the company had never been fully realized due to time constraints. I began by devoting much of my concentration to developing the scope of DPI\'s e-commerce business. In 2008, this project was taken to the next level by bringing a small team of talented individuals to help with development. From site design and functionality, to developing our legal/business practices and marketing strategies, the success of DPI is attributed to the collaborative efforts of our brilliant team, who spent countless hours to bring DPI to where it is today.
Apart from working for DPI, I focus much of my time on web and graphic design. As a versatile designer, I take great pride in my work and my goal is to bring a great sense of imagination and ingenuity to every project I undertake.