Flathead Valley Looking Glass: Kalispell, Montana News

In a tornado of media excitement and speculation, Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs unveiled Apple’s new iPad last week. Everyone seems to be quite excited about Apple’s new project. The unveiling has definitely been accompanied by the “Apple is Cool” factor. Even Stephen Colbert pulled a tablet out of his coat during the Grammy Awards show, asking his daughter in the audience if it made him look cooler. And people like me, being an Apple geek, have been totally caught up in the hype.

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of media coverage dedicated to the devastation and relief efforts in Haiti following the earthquake last week. I believe, however, these are times where the power and importance of a still image stands out.

The Story Beyond the Still "The Cabbie" - Behind The Scenes from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Photographer Vincent Laforet has in interesting concept here. Teaming up with Canon, he is introducing the first user-generated HD video contest and is challenging photographers to become filmmakers and "see beyond the still." Laforet was given a still image, which he interpreted into a short movie, the first chapter of seven shot on his Canon EOS 7D of course. Each chapter will end with a still photograph that will be the inspiration for the next chapter. The contest will begin Jan. 15, 2010.

Watch the video above for more details.
Click here to see his short film, "The Cabbie."
More information on Vincent Laforet's blog here.

Tailored to outdoor and adventure photographers, Telluride, Col., is hosting its inaugural photography festival this year. World-renowned professionals have been scheduled to share, teach and inspire the week of Sept. 20-26, 2010.

There are a variety of four, three and two-day workshops, as well as half-day beginner and intermediate classes for those keeping an eye on their budget. Workshops include Light on the Land with Pulitzer Prize-winner and National Geographic photographer Jack Dykinga, Telluride Fall Landscapes with Tom Till, Shooting Adventure Photography with the Geographic's Gordon Wiltsie (who currently lives in Bozeman) and Location Lighting with Telluride photographer Doug Berry – to name a few.

Visit the Telluride Photo Festival 2010 Web site here.

Here is a brief – by no means comprehensive – roundup of some of this year's best of 2009 in photography galleries. If there are other Web sites I have missed, please post them in the comments section or feel free to e-mail me a link.

The New York Time's The Year in Pictures – This was my favorite gallery as far as Web site interface. I love how you can follow along with the time line.

Time Magazine The Year in Pictures 2009

Los Angeles Times 2009 in Focus: Best of Times photography – Memorable moments captured by Los Angeles Times photographers in 2009

National Geographic Traveler Best Photos of 2009 – This slide show is accompanied by commentary by Kieth Bellows, Editor, which gives a different kind of insight into the images.

The Wall Street Journal 2009 Year in Photos – I like how the WSJ breaks the images up into categories including The Journal's Best, Obama's First Year, Remembrances and Fashion Trends, to name a few.

MSNBC 2009 Year in Pictures – again with audio, MSNBC uses news broadcasts, the voices of those pictured and a little music to push the drama.

Former Montana photographer Robin Loznak is featured this week on the National Press Photographers Association Visual Student blog. A staff photographer at The Daily Inter Lake from 1994 to 2004, Loznak is best known for his outstanding wildlife and nature images. I personally became a fan of the work he did while covering Montana wildfires for the Great Falls Tribune. Currently, Loznak is a solo staff photographer (something I can very much relate to) at The News-Review in Roseburg, Ore. Some of Loznak's images are on display at the Museum at Central School in downtown Kalispell.

From The Visual Student blog:

The relentless hunt for good stand-alone feature photos would often drive me to look for wildlife. Because it was Montana, we always seemed to have animals around. Something I really enjoyed photographing in Kalispell was the interaction between people and wildlife....

I don’t really think of myself as a nature photographer. I think of myself as a photojournalist who takes nature pictures. I guess the difference is that I try to tell stories and capture moments in my nature photos.

Read the entire post here.
Visit Robin Loznak's Web site here.

I love bumping into local photographer Chris Peterson when I'm on assignment. He is not only a gracious shooter who always shares his photographic space – it's usually a press conference or news event where there are a number of us bumping lenses – but he always has a story to tell about his last hike or visit to Glacier National Park. I was so pleased to see that the Boston Globe blog The Big Picture profiled a number of Peterson's images from his 100 days in Glacier National Park project.

Help-Portrait has organized a massive movement for photographers – professional and amateur – to give instead of receive. On Dec. 12, photographers from around the world will photograph people in need and simply give them the pictures.

It's that simple.

See a video after the jump.