Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Oct 31 Yellowknife Photo Tour Results

Yellowknife Photo Tour Results

On Oct 31 Samantha Chrysanthou and I led a field workshop in Yellowknife NWT. We had six enthusiastic photographers who happily spent the day photographing everything from sunrise over Slave Lake to light painting abandoned mining equipment. Below are six shots from some of the participating photographers. More images to follow once all the particapants process their images. Comments appreciated!

http://darwinwiggett.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/yellowknife-photo-outing/

This entry was posted on November 2, 2009 at 8:06 PM and is filed under Workshops with tags , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Labour Photo of the Year 2009 - and the winner is ... "Manual labour"


Manual labour, originally uploaded by K M Asad.

"A Bangladeshi boy works in a shipbuilding factory in down town. These factories employ young boys as apprentices without pay for the first few years. They work in extreme conditions without safety tools like gloves, goggles, and other protective gears. In exchange, they learn the skills of the trade. But this costs them loss of health and education. In Bangladeshi child work lad is under 18th years child don't work in any work site. But no body else to see them and no security in their life. "

Nearly twice as many photos were submitted this year as last year (189 vs 118) and 3,203 of you voted to choose a winner from a shortlist of five great photos.

Here is the photo you selected by a wide margin to be the Labour Photo of the Year:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmasad/3951175816/

Please feel free to congratulate the winner. You can use the comment feature on Flickr to do so (but you must sign up to Flickr first to do so).

If you wish to use this photo (or any on the shortlist) on your union website or magazine, please make sure to get the permission of the photographer.

I'd like to congratulate the winner, the four runners-up (you can still see their photos on http://www.labourstart.org/lpoty) and all those who submitted photos.
I also want to thank Derek Blackadder for coordinating this effort, and the three judges -- all outstanding photographers themselves -- Mac Urata, David Bacon and Gretchen Donart.

I encourage all of you who take photos, or have an interest in photos, to join the more than 500 trade unionists who are already part of the union photographers' group on Flickr, here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/union/

Eric Lee

Arviat Nunavut photo book

Photos from the time I worked in the Arctic at Arviat, Nunavut, Canada

Around Old Town Yellowkife Photo Book

Test post of this embedding

Old Town Yellowknife

http://issuu.com/mediamentor/docs/around_old_town_yellowknife

Thursday, October 29, 2009

NWT Premier Floyd Roland & Patricia Russell


DSC_8186, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

I just licensed this image to the Toronto Star... it should appear on about page 3 or 4 of this Friday's issue. When I saw them at the Yellowknife Canada Day celebrations I knew there were very few pictures of them together.. so I just had to grab the image...

©2009 George Lessard

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Saturday, October 17, 2009

29 Graffiti Tutorials using Photoshop/Illustrator

2009-05-07 posted in Useful Resources

http://www.templatelite.com/graffiti-tutorials-photoshop-illustrator/

Photoshop is truly a boon for artists in present scenario, as it not only paints their imagination in multitude of colors but also refine them to create some of the most striking graphics. With various Text and layers, Photoshop incorporates superb effects in graphics, which make them just wonderful. To make you more competent with these tools, a special set of 32 Graffiti tutorials using Photoshop/Illustrator isoffered for you. Just read on to know more-  

Friday, October 16, 2009

Rappel : cours digital de photo de CTNO Reminder: Session two of my CTNO digital photo course

La session deux de mon cours digital de photo de CTNO
se réunira au parking d'Ecolle Alain St-Cyr...
Samedi 9 : 30 AM
Rappelez-vous de s'habiller pour le temps !

Session two of my CTNO digital photo course will meet
at the Ecolle Alain St-Cyr parking lot
Saturday 9:30 AM
Remember to dress for the weather!

---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et medias
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

".... In the last 3 yrs ... . I've seen more Northerners than most people have in a lifetime ..."
Online:
http://mediamentor.ca
http://lessardcard.notlong.com
SKYPE: themediamentor
http://twitter.com/mediamentor
http://www.facebook.com/mediamentor
Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/
Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

OPEN MEETING of the Frozen Eyes Photographic Society, Yellowknife

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Prichard, Acting President FEPS <bydesign@ssimicro.com>
Date: 2009/10/16
Subject:
OPEN MEETING
of the
Frozen Eyes
Photographic Society
(FEPS), Yellowknife
http://www.frozeneyes.com/

Monday, October 26th, 7:30 p.m. 
Bromley building, third floor, Franklin Ave, Yellowknife


Several matters were discussed at last night's meeting. One is that some feel Frozen Eyes is not providing enough for local members. One of the major purposes is for photographic education for youth in the North. Logistically it is also the most difficult to organize and for that reason, plus the better weather of summer, that this area has been concentrated on first. We enjoyed great success with the projects this summer and have been approached to have similar sessions by other communities.

Mention was made of Darwin Wigget being brought to Yellowknife to teach a course. I did approach Daren on behalf of the Society and received no response. It is my understanding that the gentleman that did organize Darwin's trip here had a great deal of initial difficulty in finding sufficient people to make the costs affordable. Many professional photographers make a good part of their living teaching or offering courses, they are not difficult to find. The difficulty for the Society is determining what skills people would like brought up. We need feedback for that.

We also have a wealth of knowledge in the skills of members of the Society. It would be great if various members were prepared to offer a course in a strength they have. Not only would the fee benefit the individual, it would offer us all the ability to expand skills and also members of the public that might be interested without the expense of bringing in somebody from the south.

While courses are all well and fine, there is no substitute for improving skills like shooting, shooting, shooting. While organizing a group of photographers is more difficult than herding cats, it would be nice to organize field trips as a learning experience, the companionship and the dangers of our local environment. During a shoot at Cameron Falls this summer I had an active critic in a wandering black bear.

It was voted on last night to have an exhibition of student, and possibly, mentor work to be shown at the Lens Factory in Toronto one of the better rated photographic galleries in that city. Rather than charge commission they work on a flat rate. Through venues such as this it is hoped not only to promote the Society to a wider audience but gain some recognition for photography in the North.

The YK Photo Club died due to lack of interest, or rather the individual who organized it felt worn out by having to do most of the work. Frozen Eyes presents a unique opportunity in that we have excellent resources in terms of member skills and equipment.  For this reason the meeting on the 26th will be a brainstorming session in which you, and anybody you know that may be interested in photography, should attend. If the Society is to offer local photographers better resources it can only be accomplished by knowing their needs.

I would encourage you to attend this meeting and make your views known.

Regards,

David Prichard
Acting President
Frozen Eyes Photographic Society


---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

".... In the last 3 yrs ... . I've seen more Northerners than most people have in a lifetime ..."
Online:
http://mediamentor.ca
http://lessardcard.notlong.com
SKYPE: themediamentor
http://twitter.com/mediamentor
http://www.facebook.com/mediamentor
Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/
Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Polaroid Camera To Be Relaunched In 2010 (PHOTOS, POLL)


Polaroid Camera To Be Relaunched In 2010 (PHOTOS, POLL)

[excerpt]

Polaroid Camera


Hipsters, photo-classicists, and impatient picture-snappers everywhere rejoice: Polaroid Cameras are making a comeback.

After announcing that Polaroid cameras (and film) were being discontinued, Polapremium has announced that they are "preparing, supporting and managing the comeback of Instant Photography."

The beleaguered company seems finally to have understood the charm -- and kitsch-appeal -- of its clunky, boxy devices. Polapremium wrote in its press release,

After all the difficulties and changes of ownership during the last years, the new management of Polaroid now understands the source of the brand's attraction - which is surprisingly not based in digital cameras but in Dr. Edwin Land's groundbreaking 1948 invention of Instant Photography, which he ingeniously devised and passionately developed with a lot of care and devotion.

Polaroid cameras and film (both color and black-and-white) should go on sale in mid 2010. A new digital Polaroid will also be on the market.

Read more at:

Friday, October 09, 2009

PhotoshopDisasters

PhotoshopDisasters

Have you seen a truly awful piece of Photoshop work? Clumsy manipulation, senseless comping, lazy cloning and thoughtless retouching are our bread and butter. And yes, deep down, we love Photoshop.

If it is commercial and awful then please let us know! Anonymity can be arranged for the easily embarrassed/canned.

Olympics warns man about sharing photos on Flickr

Olympics warns man about sharing photos on website - thestar.com

The International Olympic Committee sent a cease-and-desist letter to Richard Giles, 38, after discovering his images from his three-week solo trip to China for the 2008 Beijing Games on the popular online photo-sharing site Flickr, where he was allowing other people to use them as they wished.

[excerpt]

http://www.thestar.com/olympics/article/707868--olympics-warns-man-to-remove-photos-from-website

The letter marks the first time the IOC – whose website calls it the "supreme authority of the Olympic Movement" – has moved to protect its image on a social media site.

"Images of the Games taken by you may not be used for any purposes other than private, which does not include licensing of the pictures to third parties," said the notice sent via email on Tuesday and signed by Howard Stupp, director of legal affairs at the IOC.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

George Lessard's photo exhibition at the Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

My photo exhibition running all October of 2009 at the Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife (AFCY) 5016, 48e rue Yellowknife (Territoires du Nord-Ouest) X1A 2P2 Canada Tél. : (867) 873-3292 Bureau Téléc. : (867) 873-2158 http://afcy.info More of my photos can be seen at My large format panoramic images can be seen at http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com and my regular photos are at http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com

2010 Winter Games Globe & Mail contest for amateur writers and photographers

The Globe and Mail has launched Journalism Dream Contest, a search for one amateur reporter and one amateur photographer to cover the Olympics for the company.

According to to a press release about the contest:

"Amateur writers and photographers are asked to submit stories or photos about any recent sporting event they have covered – from a professional game to a local softball tournament to backyard shinny.  The entries will be uploaded to a dedicated web site, www.journalismdream.com, where Canadians will vote and determine the top 50 stories and top 50 photo entries.  The winners will be selected by a Globe and Mail panel.

"The two winners will travel to Vancouver and post regular reports and updates, which will appear in The Globe's newspaper and web coverage of the 2010 Winter Games in February."

According to the rules listed on the website, the winners will receive round trip economy airfare for two, fourteen nights accomodation, event tickets for the game (as chosen by the company) and $1000 spending money. Any addition costs are covered by the winners.

The writing winner will also receive an Acer Aspire 8935 laptop and the photographer winner will receive a Panasonic DMC-L10 Lumix Digital SLR camera with interchangeable lens.

The writer must submit a minimum of five articles, while the photographer must submit a minimum of five photos, which may or may not be published by the Globe.

Rules:
http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/rules.asp
Entry point:
http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/entry_form.asp
Prizes:
http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/prizes.asp

Saturday, October 03, 2009

'Posing naked for a women's magazine felt brave and shocking'

'Posing naked for a women's magazine felt brave and shocking'

Phototherapy strips its subjects bare as a key stage in coping with the trauma of illness and abuse – or, as Melissa Whitworth discovers, as a life-affirming moment to savour forever

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/women_shealth/6255773/Posing-naked-for-a-womens-magazine-felt-brave-and-shocking.html

This month's Glamour magazine contains an article about women who have posed nude to overcome, or celebrate, something momentous in their lives. I know, because I wrote it, and I am one of the naked women pictured in its pages.

The idea behind what is now called "phototherapy" is simple: expose yourself to a camera, in the hands of a photographer you trust, and you will see your life in a different way. As one of the women I interviewed for the piece says: "Once you can face the world naked, what else is there to be afraid of?"



Friday, October 02, 2009

NNSL's Bruce Valpy pretends to do television

Good lord NNSL.. buy a microphone so people can hear you... the sound is embarrassing.. spend a couple of hundred bucks and do it right... in video audio is as important as grammar in print.... poor audio is a barrier to communication..

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Writer, artist or photographer? MUST Read.: SETTLEMENT OF CLASS PROCEEDING ROBERTSON V. THOMSON AND OTHERS

See attached PDF File for full text
File name:
NoticeofApproval.pdf

or via

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:dH3wmbLscCsJ:www.carswell.com/NR/rdonlyres/67A9059D-F10F-4898-8A9A-1C13F498962C/0/NoticeofApproval.pdf+notice+of+approval+settlement+robertson+v.+thomson&hl=en&gl=ca&sig=AFQjCNEP2pHzH-ynBy4rTN31OfIA5o7Fng


NOTICE OF APPROVAL OF THE SETTLEMENT OF CLASS PROCEEDING
ROBERTSON V. THOMSON AND OTHERS

If you are a writer, artist or photographer, wherever you live, please read this notice
carefully as it may affect your rights.

This is a court-approved notice to people who may be members of the Class in the above
class proceeding. It describes the class proceeding, the class of people affected, and the
court-approved settlement of this class proceeding.

In 1996, Heather Robertson (the "Plaintiff"), a freelance writer, commenced an action
against The Thomson Corporation (now, Thomson Reuters Corporation), Thomson
Canada Limited (now, Thomson Reuters Canada Limited), Thomson Affiliates and
Information Access Company (now, The Gale Group, Inc.). In 2001, the action was
amended to include Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. (now CTVglobemedia Publishing,
Inc.) as a defendant (collectively, the "Defendants"). In the action, the Plaintiff alleges
that the Defendants infringed the rights of creators or assignees of original literary or
artistic works published in print media in Canada ("Works") by disseminating or
authorizing the dissemination of copies of the Works through electronic databases,
contrary to the Canadian Copyright Act. The Plaintiff sought compensatory, punitive and
exemplary damages, as well as injunctive relief, on behalf of writers, artists and
photographers who created the Works ("Creators"), their estates and assigns. The
Defendants denied the Plaintiffs claims.


In 1999, the Superior Court of Justice certified this action as a class proceeding, on behalf
of the creators of original literary and artistic Works, their estates or assigns, where they
live.

The Class includes the following people:

A. All persons who were the authors or creators of original literary works or original
artistic works (collectively "Works") which were published in Canada in any newspaper,
magazine, periodical, book, newsletter, journal or other paper-based form whatsoever
(collectively "Print Media") which Print Media have been reproduced, distributed and/or
communicated to the public by telecommunication by the Defendants through any
computer database, CD-ROM, diskette, on-line service, or other electronic system or
device (collectively "Electronic Media"), on or after 24 April 1979 except:

(a) persons who by written document assigned all of the copyright in their Works to
the Defendants or their predecessors in interest in the subject Print Media; or

(b) persons who by written document granted to the Defendants or their predecessors
in interest in the subject Print Media a license to publish or use their Works in Electronic

Media; or

(c) persons who were unionized employees of the Defendants or their predecessors in
interest in the subject Print Media are excluded regarding any Works created for the
subject Print Media at times when their unions' collective agreements governed the use
of their Works in Electronic Media.




---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

".... In the last 3 yrs ... . I've seen more Northerners than most people have in a lifetime ..."
Online:
http://mediamentor.ca
http://lessardcard.notlong.com
SKYPE: themediamentor
http://twitter.com/mediamentor

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

JOBS: Journalism Trainers (x3) (Print, Radio and TV) Location: Liberia

http://www.jeffgaulin.com/jobs/JobDetails.asp?id=6776

http://www.jhr.ca/en/getinvolved_international.php


Journalism Trainers (x3) REF#: JG6776
jhr (Journalists for Human Rights)
Location: Liberia, 0
Posted: September 22, 2009
Deadline: October 6, 2009
Salary:

Description
jhr is seeking to hire three journalism trainers and one workshop
facilitator to work with jhr in Liberia for eight months. Of the three
trainers we are looking for:


* 1 Newspaper Trainer
* 1 Television (and/or Multimedia) Trainer
* 1 Rural Radio Trainer


Trainers&#65533; work will vary, but will be focused on working with
jhr&#65533;s Liberian media partners to build the capacity of the Liberian
media to report on human rights issues. This includes daily on-the-job
training, conducting informal seminars and providing other training to
local journalists. They will also work with jhr&#65533;s Workshop
Facilitator to run workshops for local editors/owners, journalism students
and community members. jhr&#65533;s Country Coordinator in Liberia will
manage their work.

Qualifications
Desirable Applicants will have:

* A journalism degree or relevant journalism experience
* Strong working journalism experience of no less than 2 years
* Strong knowledge of human rights, or a demonstrated interest in
human rights
* International experience within a developing nation(s) preferred, or
strong, demonstrable interest
* Ability and willingness to live and work in a cross-cultural
environment
* Excellent interpersonal skills
* Excellent written and communication skills
* Fluency in English

Remuneration: A monthly living stipend, plus flight and visa.

Application Deadline: October 6, 2009

Start Date: Early February, 2010

To apply, please submit a completed application form
(downloadable here)
http://www.jhr.ca/en/getinvolved/downloads/jhr_international_Job%20Application_0909.doc
and submit with your cover letter (stating you found this job on Jeff
Gaulin's Journalism Job Board) and CV to:

Please quote job title in the subject line.

jhr thanks all those who apply, however due to large application numbers
only those short listed for an interview will be contacted.

Sarah Lee
jhr (Journalists for Human Rights)
147 Spadina Ave. Suite 206
Toronto , ON
M5V 2L7 , Canada
Tel: no calls
Fax: (416) 413 1832


E-mail: sarah@jhr.ca.
Web address: http://www.jhr.ca/en/getinvolved_international.php

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Stanford Photo Scientists are Teaching the Camera New Tricks

Stanford scientists have created an open-source camera that could revolutionize digital photography by giving programmers that chance to design software to teach the device new tricks.

Open-source "Frankencamera" could revolutionize digital photography

Stanford Report, August 31, 2009
Open-source camera could revolutionize digital photography

Stanford scientists' open-source camera could change photography by giving
programmers anywhere the power to change camera features and create new
possibilities.

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/august31/levoy-opensource-camera-090109.html

[excerpt]

Stanford photo scientists are out to reinvent digital photography with the
introduction of an open-source digital camera, which will give programmers
around the world the chance to create software that will teach cameras new
tricks.

If the technology catches on, camera performance will be no longer be
limited by the software that comes pre-installed by the manufacturer.
Virtually all the features of the Stanford camera – focus, exposure,
shutter speed, flash, etc. – are at the command of software that can be
created by inspired programmers anywhere. "The premise of the project is
to build a camera that is open source," said computer science professor
Marc Levoy.

Computer science graduate student Andrew Adams, who helped design the
prototype of the Stanford camera (dubbed Frankencamera,)
http://graphics.stanford.edu/projects/camera-2.0/
imagines a future where consumers download applications to their
open-platform cameras the way Apple apps are downloaded to iPhones today.
When the camera's operating software is made available publicly, perhaps a
year from now, users will be able to continuously improve it, along the
open-source model of the Linux operating system for computers or the
Mozilla Firefox web browser.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Fun ways to transform your face online

Fun ways to transform your face online

If you have a picture of yourself, why not put it to good use? With the
help of some online resources, you can do all kinds of neat things to it.
You can even put it on greeting cards, avatars for your Twitter profile,
and more.

If you're planning to put your picture to use, do it with these sites.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10355620-2.html?tag=mncol;title

Friday, September 11, 2009

Loan deal saves Annie Leibovitz images

 * Loan deal saves Leibovitz images *

US photographer Annie Leibovitz is given more time to pay off a loan which threatened the copyright to her images.

Ms Leibovitz's most famous images include a photograph of John Lennon taken hours before he was assassinated, and a nude portrait of the pregnant actress Demi Moore for the cover of Vanity Fair magazine.

But the millions she has made from her work have been accompanied by a history of unpaid bills and taxes.


Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/americas/8251799.stm

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Karl Johnston, Ft Smith, NWT won a prize in the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2009

Karl Johnston, Ft Smith, NWT
won a prize in the Royal Observatory Greenwich's Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2009

Head on over to the astrophoto group to see more.

Category winners – Earth and Space

This hugely varied category was for photos that included landscape or people. Pictures also had to show an astronomical subject such as the stars, the Moon, or aurora. Tell us what you think about the winners in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year group on Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/astrophoto/

  • Earth and Space – highly-commended

  • http://www.flickr.com/people/karljohnston/

    Bow of Orion by Karl Johnston (Canada)  

    A few words from the photographer: 'I always loved viewing the majestic aurora borealis, and I would always wonder why it would only be me out there watching them on the cold nights growing up in Fort Smith, NWT, Canada. Every night I would go for miles and miles to escape the light pollution, into the sub-arctic wilderness. Trudging through three-and-a-half-foot snow and -40°C weather or below to eventually stop, look up, and attempt to orchestrate the dance of the aurora borealis through my camera.'

    What's in the picture: The auroras or Northern and Southern Lights are caused by the interaction between the Earth's atmosphere and a stream of particles from the Sun known as the Solar Wind. The Earth's magnetic field funnels these particles down over the planet's poles, giving rise to 'glowing curtains' of coloured light which are best seen in the night sky.

    Equipment: Canon 50D DSLR camera; Tokina - 11–16-mm lens; ISO 800; 20-second exposure

    What competition judge Dan Holdsworth thought: 'Through careful composition which creates a rhythm and symmetry between the veils of movement in the aurora's light and the silhouetted shapes of the trees, the photograph 'Bow of Orion' beautifully expresses something of the strangely musical and trance-like quality within the nature of the auroral experience.'

 

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Dousing the blaze


Dousing the blaze, originally uploaded by Nigel Fearon.

Huge fire at the Yellowknife dump that burned for over 12 hours. Put out by helicopters, a waterbomber, and every fire truck in Yellowknife.
Best photo of the firefighting that I've seen so far ! ! ! !

Saturday, September 05, 2009

"Through young eyes" Frozen Eyes in Fort Liard; The full set of selected participant pictures & event documentation

"Through young eyes" 
Frozen Eyes in Fort Liard
The full set of participant pictures & event documentation as a set.... click on individual images to see full photo...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157622002663578/
as a slide show....click on individual images to see more information / individual photos...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157622002663578/show/

Includes all the Frozen Eyes images on exhibition in Fort Liard at the Cultural Room in the Hamlet building.



---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193

"....... In the last 3 yrs ... . I've seen more Northerners than most people have in a lifetime ..."

Online:
http://mediamentor.ca
http://lessardcard.notlong.com
SKYPE: themediamentor
 

Thursday, September 03, 2009

"Focusing on Liard" B&W scan News Northwest of Monday August 31 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/3885638823/

News Northwest nnsl.com Monday August 31 2009
"Focusing on Liard" Images taken in Fort Liard NWT, Canada during a Young Photographers Workshop presented by the Frozen Eyes Photographic Society www.frozeneyes.com/ thanks to the sponsorship of the Hamlet of Fort Liard, NWT www.fortliard.com/ - BHP-Billiton www.bhpbilliton.com and the NWT Arts Council pwnhc.learnnet.nt.ca/artscouncil/

Frozen Eyes Photographic Society in Fort Liard, NWT

29990831_NNW_Focusing_on_Liard-03-JPG

29990831_NNW_Focusing_on_Liard-03-JPG by you.



---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193

"....... in the last 3 yrs ... . I've seen more Northerners than most people have in a lifetime ..."
Online:
http://mediamentor.ca
http://lessardcard.notlong.com
SKYPE: themediamentor

 

Humanizing Development, Global Photography Campaign

Humanizing Development
Global Photography Campaign


How do you see development? How can you portrait the human face of the development processes? How do you show that development initiatives and programmes improve the lives of people? This Global Photography Campaign aims to show examples of people winning the battle against poverty, social exclusion and marginalization. It is intended to raise awareness of the successes in the development process. The campaign is intended to counterbalance the frequently shown images of desolation and despair. A photo gallery will to be permanently located at IPC-IG office and open for public visitation. A series of photo exhibitions will also be organized in several cities around the world. Everyone can and is strongly encouraged to participate in this global effort and contribute with a photograph. Join us now in showing development through a different lens! Let's promote and share successful development initiatives!

Who can participate?

Everyone can contribute with a photograph: professional and non-professional photographers, students, civil society activists, government officials, UN staff members and so forth.

How can I participate?
http://www.ipc-undp.org/photo/index.htm

How will the selection take place?

The Selection Committee will choose the 50 favourite photographs that best depict the campaign themes to compose our photo gallery. Results will be released on IPC-IG website on 30 October 2009.

The Committee will be composed of one representative from IPC-IG; one UNV representative from headquarters in Bonn; a professional photographer with international reputation; a representative from a partner institution based in Africa, one in Asia and the Pacific, one in the Arab States and another in Europe and the CIS

What happens if my picture is selected?

If your photo is chosen you will be contacted no later than 30 October 2009 by the IPC-IG. As a reward, your contribution to this campaign and your effort in supporting its goals will be acknowledged by a wide dissemination of your work through a range of UN communications tools:

The selected photographs and the respective contributors' names will be highlighted in various UN communications channels, such as IPC-IG and UN media campaigns, releases, websites and so forth.

The selected photograph will be part of UNDP and IPC-IG photo databases and will be shared with the United Nations Department of Public Information in New York, promoting global visibility to contributors, their work and participation in the global campaign.

Contributors will receive a certificate jointly issued by the UNDP International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth and the campaign partners.

Contributors will have their names displayed at the IPC-IG photo gallery on "Humanizing Development", which will be launched at a public event on November 2009.

Photo exhibitions are to be organised in order to highlight the photographs and the contributors and to promote the campaign goals. Exhibitions are planned to be held in New York, Brasilia, SĂŁo Paulo, and other cities in the South.

 

Campaign Coordinator
Mr. Francisco Filho
Communications, Outreach and
Advocacy Unit, IPC-IG
francisco.filho@undp.org
Phone: (+ 55 61) 2105 5036

Ms. Giovana Lerda
Communications Assistant
giovana.lerda@ipc-undp.org
Phone: (+55 61) 2105 5017

Karim Ezzeldin
Communication Associate
UNDP Egypt Country Office
1191 Corniche ElNil, World Trade Centre
Boulac, Cairo 11599, Egypt
Office: (202) 2578 4840-6
Fax:     (202) 2578 4847
Direct:  (202) 2580 9007
http://www.undp.org.eg

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Sambaa Deh Falls rock


DSC_8617, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

Sambaa Deh rock Falls, Trout River, NWT
Aug 28 2009
© 2009 George Lessard DSC_8617

Focusing on Fort Liard

http://www.nnsl.com/arts/stories/aug29_09pho-arts.html
---
Focusing on Fort Liard

Daron Letts
Northern News Services
Published Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009

ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD - Youth in Fort Liard captured hundreds of digital photographs of their community earlier this month.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Michael Needlay flashes the peace sign in this image shot by Blair Kotchea during the Frozen Eyes Photographic Society's youth digital camera workshop in Fort Liard. - photo courtesy of Blair Kotchea

The young artists participated in a Frozen Eyes Photographic Society workshop series from Aug. 3 to Aug, 9.

"It was probably the most successful program that I had run in terms of engaging the older kids because they're a difficult group to interest in much," said recreation co-ordinator, Roslyn Firth. "But, they participated in numbers greater than I'd ever imagined and produced some really beautiful photographs."

Society members David Pritchard and George Lessard of Yellowknife led the workshops. The pair brought 12 cameras and other specialized equipment to share with the youth. Pritchard opened the workshop with an instructional introduction to the cameras and the art of photography. [. ..]

The workshop series was sponsored by the NWT Arts Council. The society may return to the community to lead another workshop series soon.

The society formed in 2008 with the goal of providing hands-on photographic experience for young people throughout the NWT. Society members have provided similar workshops in several communities around the territory.

"I would like them to come back in the fall," Firth said.

An exhibit of the young photographers' work goes on display at 7 p.m., Sept. 3, in the cultural room at the Hamlet and band offices. The photographers will attend the event.


Thursday, August 27, 2009

First Prime Minister to visit any part of Canada north of the Arctic Circle, July 21, 1961


DSC_8312, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

This sculpture, symbolic of the cooperation of the three races in this community and in the North, was erected by the Government of the Northwest Territories in honour of the official opening of Inuvik. The opening ceremony was performed by the Right Honourable John George Diefenbaker, P.C., M.P. who was the first Prime Minister to visit any part of Canada north of the Arctic Circle, July 21, 1961

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Bahamas Paradise Island Mending Kit

Paradise Island Mending Kit....The only souvenir I have from my honeymoon, Nassau, the Bahamas

©2009 George Lessard
1991Bahamas_Paradise_Island_Mending_Kit-1+2

Sunday, August 23, 2009

SIVUNIRMUT ILINNIARNIQ - Elders' Advisory Committee Update 2002-fall-V4-Inuk.qxd

SIVUNIRMUT ILINNIARNIQ - Elders' Advisory Committee Update deigned for my then employer, Education Nunavut, Curriculum & School Services Newsletter, Issue 2, Fall 2002 Inuktitut & English

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Spark Box Studio / Accepting Residency Applications / Picton, ON

Announcement / Spark Box Studio / New Art Studio Accepting Residency Applications / Picton, ON

Spark Box Studio, an art studio, print shop and artists' residency that offers unique opportunities to emerging and professional artists, writers, and students, has just opened up in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

About Us:
Spark Box Studio provides space for artists to live, research, investigate and experiment in a focused environment. We aim to encourage discovery and the cultivation of new ideas, provide career-building opportunities and resources for artists at all stages, and promote engagement with the local community through the arts.

Artist Residency Program
Spark Box Studio's Artist Residency Program provides live/work space to accommodate both emerging and professional printmakers, photographers, painters, illustrators and writers, as well as those currently undertaking studies in fine art. Artists-in-residence have access to our professional studio and resource library. The Residency Program affords artists the space, time and resources to support the advancement of their careers and to strengthen their practice. Artists-in-residence stay in a charming Victorian house located by the historic Picton Harbour. 

For more information about Spark Box Studio Residency Program or to learn about other programs we offer, visit www.sparkboxstudio.com.

Spark Box Studio
206 Main St.
Suite 2M
Picton, ON
T. 613.476.0337
E. info@sparkboxstudio.com 
www.sparkboxstudio.com
 
 

Thursday, August 20, 2009

"...How many own your name as a domain name? ... Your online presence ..."

"...How many own your name as a domain name? ... Your online presence
should show who you are, your interests and background, and showcase your
best professional work. ..."

The Need to Develop Their Personal Brand

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/08/journalism-students-need-to-develop-their-personal-brand231.html

[excerpt]

As a journalism professor, I have found there is one thing guaranteed to
set off a flurry of frenzied activity in the classroom. It has nothing to
do with exams or story deadlines. Rather, it is prompted by a simple
question to students: How many own your name as a domain name?

This seemingly innocuous question acts as a trigger, sending students
online to see if someone else with the same name has snatched up the web
address. A lesson on online research methods turns into "how to buy a
domain name," or more often, "what do I do if someone else has my domain
name?"

This is no trivial matter. Having a website that reflects your
professional identity is your digital calling card. Your online presence
should show who you are, your interests and background, and showcase your
best professional work. Or to put it another way, your personal brand as a
journalist.

In the journalism of today, the personal brand is becoming increasingly
central to the prospects of a young person starting out on a life of
reporting. So it is important for students at journalism school, and those
starting in the fall, to develop the professional brand that will set them
apart come graduation.

Some reporters may bristle at the idea of thinking of themselves as a
brand, considering it the equivalent of selling out. This overlooks the
fact that a journalist's identity has always been a part of the job,
otherwise why have bylines?

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Research on Flickr / Biblio on Flickr Research

A. Cox from U. Sheffield wrote a couple of papers
(http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/staff/cox.html);
Cox, A. (2008) "Flickr: A case study of Web2.0" Aslib Proceedings 60 (5)
493-516.

Cox, A., Clough, P. & Marlow, J.(2008) "Flickr: a first look at user
behaviour in the context of photography as serious leisure." Information
Research 13 (1)
http://informationr.net/ir/13-1/paper336.html.

Julia Davies wrote also a couple of papers
(http://www.shef.ac.uk/education/staff/academic/davies.html)
Davies, J (2007) `Display; Identity and the Everyday: self-presentation
through digital image sharing.´ In: Discourse, Studies in the Cultural
Politics of Education. 28:4

Davies, J. (2006) `Affinities and beyond!! Developing ways of seeing in
online spaces´. In e-learning- Special Issue: Digital Interfaces. Vol.3
issue 2. Pages 217-234. A

Edgar Gómez – doing a PhD on Flickr at Open University of Catalonia -
Internet Interdisciplinary Institute and visiting research at Oxford
Internet Institute:
http://tesisantitesis.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=530370679

Rachel Cobcroft – doing PhD on Flickr at Queensland State Archives /
Creative Commons Australia
http://www.flickr.com/people/felix42/
http://www.facebook.com/rachel.cobcroft

Eric Meyer wrote an article on Flickr:
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1353879

Ingrid Erickson (http://www.ssrc.org/staff/erickson-ingrid/) her
dissertation integrated quite a bit of research on Flickr.

Jean Burgess (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)' work on
vernacular creativity and Flickr. Look at CreativityMachine
http://creativitymachine.net/ for some of her work, including a
significant part of her dissertation project that focused on Flickr.

Mor Naaman studies it. A list of his publications in which you can find a
few about Flickr is avaleble at:
http://infolab.stanford.edu/~mor/research.html

Liza Potts <odu.edu> conducted research on Flickr. Published articles
include:
Potts, L. (2009). "Using Actor Network Theory to Trace and Improve
Multimodal Communication Design." Technical Communication Quarterly, 18
(3).
Potts, L. (2009). "Designing for Disaster: Social Software Use in Times of
Crisis." International Journal of Sociotechnology and Knowledge
Development. 1 (2), 33-46.
Potts, L. (2009). "Peering into Disaster: Social Software Use from the
Indian Ocean Earthquake to the Mumbai Bombings." Proceedings of the
International Professional Communication Conference. Hawaii: IEEE.
Potts, L. (2008). "Designing with Actor Network Theory: A New Method for
Modeling Holistic Experience." Proceedings of the International
Professional Communication Conference. Montreal: IEEE.

Collected by
--
Mayo Fuster Morell
E-mail: lilaroja@gmx.net
Skype: mayoneti

http://www.onlinecreation.info
http://www.openelibrary.info
http://www.openesf.net
http://www.networked-politics.info
http://www.euromovements.info

Monday, August 17, 2009

"Le photographe George Lessard dĂ©nonce les pratiques douteuses du gouvernement des TNO en matière de respect du droit d’auteur."

Arts et culture : Qui veut s'approprier les droits des artistes du Nord?

http://aquilon.nt.ca/Article/Qui-veut-s-approprier-les-droits-des-artistes-du-Nord-200908132229/default.aspx#article

Écrit par Batiste W. Foisy 
Paru le 13 août 2009
0 Commentaire(s)
Le photographe George Lessard en pleine action, lors d'un voyage d'échange en Russie, ce printemps. (Photo: Yudin Andrey Nikolaevich)
Le photographe George Lessard en pleine action, lors d'un voyage d'échange en Russie, ce printemps. (Photo: Yudin Andrey Nikolaevich)

Le photographe George Lessard dénonce les pratiques douteuses du gouvernement des TNO en matière de respect du droit d'auteur.

Le photographe indĂ©pendant George Lessard n'a pas l'intention de s'enregistrer sur le rĂ©pertoire en ligne des artistes des TNO (www.nwtarts.ca). Il n'est pas contre l'idĂ©e de diffuser son talent en ligne – loin de lĂ ! – mais il trouve que le prix Ă  payer pour ĂŞtre listĂ© sur ce site Web du gouvernement des TNO est plutĂ´t salĂ©.

« Quand vous voulez devenir membre de ce site-lĂ , explique-t-il, on vous demande des images de votre Ĺ“uvre et on demande aussi une licence pour l'utilisation de ces images, de la part du gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Une licence qui les autorise Ă  l'utiliser de n'importe quelle façon que ce soit. Je pense que ce n'est pas juste. Ils devraient plutĂ´t demander une licence restreinte Ă  l'utilisation de l'image sur ce site spĂ©cifique. »

Si vous souhaitez vous enregistrer sur ce rĂ©pertoire, vous devrez remplir et signer un formulaire dont l'une des clauses spĂ©cifie que le gouvernement retient les droits de reproduction de l'image cĂ©dĂ©e « pour tout usage dont notamment, mais non limitĂ© Ă , l'illustration, la publicitĂ©, le marketing ou la publication sur tout support Ă©lectronique ou imprimĂ© ». C'est ce passage qui irrite Lessard, qui relève au passage que le formulaire n'est disponible qu'en anglais. Selon lui, le gouvernement retire le pain de la bouche Ă  ceux qu'il prĂ©tend dĂ©fendre.

« Le gouvernement des TNO dit qu'il veut encourager les artistes, mais dans ce cas-ci, il n'y a pas de possibilitĂ© pour les artistes de gĂ©nĂ©rer un revenu avec ces images-lĂ  », dit-il. Selon lui, le GTNO aiderait davantage les crĂ©ateurs en leur achetant les droits restreints de reproduction des images qu'en leur demandant de les cĂ©der intĂ©gralement et sans compensation.

Celui qui est membre du Collectif pour les droits d'auteur du Front des artistes canadiens a écrit au ministre de l'industrie du tourisme et de l'investissement, Bob McLeod, afin de lui faire entendre son mécontentement. Le ministre n'a pas tardé à lui répondre pour lui dire que l'intention n'a jamais été d'usurper les droits d'auteurs des artistes du Nord.

Dans sa lettre, le ministre affirme que seules les reproductions Ă  des fins de promotion et de communications internes des photos soumises sur le site nwtarts.com sont envisagĂ©es par le gouvernement. « Cette base de donnĂ©es est un programme promotionnel dont l'adhĂ©sion repose sur une base volontaire par les artistes, Ă©crit le ministre. Plus de 200 artistes ont souscrit Ă  ce programme pour ĂŞtre exposĂ© sur le site Web et dans des publications affĂ©rentes telles que Artist Newsline, une lettre d'information du GTNO destinĂ©e Ă  la communautĂ© artistique des TNO. Ce n'est que ce genre de promotion du travail des artistes qui est envisagĂ©e et permise par le formulaire de cessation de droits tel que rĂ©digĂ©. »

Mais George Lessard n'en dĂ©mord pas. « Quand mĂŞme, n'importe quel ministère du gouvernement peut faire n'importe quoi avec les images qu'on soumet », dit-il.

D'après lui, les artistes des TNO auraient avantage Ă  mieux connaĂ®tre les ramifications du droit d'auteur. « J'espère que le ministère de l'Industrie aidera un jour les artistes du Nord Ă  mieux connaĂ®tre leurs droits, dit-il.C'est important. »

 
---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/
Sent from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for Windows

Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run
Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with
support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of
useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides
friendly help, tutorials, and plugins.
It started development as an undergraduate college senior design project
mentored by Microsoft, and is currently being maintained by some of the
alumni that originally worked on it. Originally intended as a free
replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that comes with Windows, it
has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool. It has
been compared to other digital photo editing software packages such as
Adobe® Photoshop®, Corel® Paint Shop Pro®, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The
GIMP.

http://paint.net/

System Requirements

Minimum System

* Windows XP (SP2 or newer),
or Windows Vista,
or Windows 7,
or Windows Server
(2003 SP1 or newer)
* .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (free download
from Microsoft)
* 256 MB of RAM (Recommended: 512 MB or more)
* 1024 x 768 screen resolution
* 200+ MB hard drive space
* 64-bit mode requires a 64-bit CPU and a 64-bit edition of Windows

IrfanView FREEWARE graphic viewer for Windows

IrfanView FREEWARE graphic viewer for Windows

http://www.irfanview.com/

rfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for
non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003
, 2008, Vista, Windows 7.

It is trying to be simple for beginners and powerful for professionals.

IrfanView is trying to create new and/or interesting features in its own
way, unlike some other graphic viewers, whose whole "creativity" is based
on feature cloning, stealing of ideas and whole dialogs from ACDSee and/or
IrfanView! (for example: XnView has been stealing/cloning features and
whole dialogs from IrfanView, for 10+ years).

IrfanView was the first Windows graphic viewer WORLDWIDE with Multiple
(animated) GIF support.
One of the first graphic viewers WORLDWIDE with Multipage TIF support.
The first graphic viewer WORLDWIDE with Multiple ICO support.

Some IrfanView features:

* Many supported file formats (click here the list of formats)
* Multi language support
* Thumbnail/preview option
* Paint option - to draw lines, circles, arrows, straighten image etc.
* Toolbar skins option
* Slideshow (save slideshow as EXE/SCR or burn it to CD)
* Show EXIF/IPTC/Comment text in Slideshow/Fullscreen etc.
* Support for Adobe Photoshop Filters
* Fast directory view (moving through directory)
* Batch conversion (with image processing)
* Multipage TIF editing
* File search
* Email option
* Multimedia player
* Print option
* Support for embedded color profiles in JPG/TIF
* Change color depth
* Scan (batch scan) support
* Cut/crop
* IPTC editing
* Effects (Sharpen, Blur, Adobe 8BF, Filter Factory, Filters
Unlimited, etc.)
* Capturing
* Extract icons from EXE/DLL/ICLs
* Lossless JPG rotation
* Unicode support
* Many hotkeys
* Many command line options
* Many PlugIns
* Only one EXE-File, no DLLs, no Shareware messages like "I Agree" or
"Evaluation expired"
* No registry changes without user action/permission!
* and much much more

Introducing Seadragon.com

At Seadragon.com you can share any image on the web as a zoomable photo.
Simply point Seadragon.com at any image you've got on the web, and in no
time flat, you've got a zoomable viewer just like this one. Share the link
on Facebook, Twitter, or through email or IM. Or embed it directly on your
blog, eBay listing or virtually any site. Go ahead, click on the image
below (or use your mousewheel) to zoom in, and drag it to pan around.

Seadragon.com allows you to share virtually any size image on the web,
whether it is a five, ten or two hundred megapixels. Because the viewer
uses the same Deep Zoom image technology available to developers in
Microsoft Silverlight, no matter what size the image is it loads quickly.
The embedded viewer adjusts dynamically to the layout of your page, or can
be customized to a specific size with just a quick change to a script
size, so now any size image fits perfectly on your site. And because
Seadragon.com uses a dual-mode Silverlight & AJAX control, it works on
virtually any browser--automatically using Silverlight to provide a
smoother experience and better performance when available, and defaulting
to a scripted viewer when it is not.

http://seadragon.com/

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Call For Submissions / Dazibao, Centre de Photographies Actuelles / Exhibition & Publication Projects

Call For Submissions / Dazibao, Centre de Photographies Actuelles / Exhibition & Publication Projects / Montréal , QC/ Deadline Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Dazibao http://www.dazibao-photo.org/ is an artist-run centre dedicated to the dissemination of contemporary photography. Through exhibitions and publications Dazibao supports artistic practices and theoretical reflections that offer innovative approaches to photography or that propose fresh links with other disciplines. The centre serves as a launching pad for young artists, and as an ideal place for more established artists to initiate and disseminate new projects. Dazibao welcomes artists from Canada and abroad.
 
Dazibao's programming is established by combining the submissions received as part of the call for proposals and/or from the initiatives of the board. Please submit only once a year.
 
Your Proposal Must Include:
1. a maximum of 20 slides, well identified, accompanied by a slide list (title, medium, size and date) or CD-ROMs (formatted in PowerPoint, MAC compatible) or DVDs (video work) (we will not accept web links or any variety of digital images sent by e-mail); please do not send original work
2. a clear description of your project
3. an artist statement
4. a curriculum vitae
 
Please send a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage if you want your application to be returned to you, otherwise it will be disposed of. 
If you are sending a submission from outside of Canada, please send postage in the form of an international money order, international reply coupons or international stamps.
 
Submissions must be postmarked no later than September 1st 2009 or January 1st 2010. If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
 
We do not accept proposals via e-mail. Incomplete submissions or submissions sent after the competition closing date will not be accepted.
 
Results are communicated within six months.
 
Please send only one proposal per artist.
Send to :
Call for Proposals
Dazibao, centre de photographies actuelles
4001 rue Berri, espace 202
Montréal (Québec) H2L 4H2
http://www.dazibao-photo.org/
 

Friday, August 14, 2009

Getty Images on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/groups/gettyimagesonflickr/

http://www.flickr.com/help/gettyimages/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2653264809/

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/369988_getty09.html

http://mashable.com/2009/03/11/getty-images-flickr-collection/

About the Flickr collection
Our Flickr collection reflects the passion of a community of photographers
worldwide, featuring uniquely personal images with an authenticity rare in
stock photography.

And because Flickr photos cover a range of subject matter – and are
available in rights-managed and royalty-free licenses – you'll find
options to meet the creative and budgetary needs of all your projects.


http://www.gettyimages.ca/creative/frontdoor/flickr?esource=googCAN_Brand_Terms&language=en-us&kw=CAN+getty_flickr

Tap into the collection
We've built several key features and functionalities into our Flickr
experience – creating an interactive, community-based universe where you
can:

Search the collection. It's easy to find just what you're looking for. Use
the search box at top left to do a standard image search, complete with
filtering options, or try the box at top right to discover images, fellow
users and photo clouds.

Create and share photo clouds. Photo clouds are a unique way to visually
group images that catch your eye – for use in a project or just to spark
ideas. You can share them, keep them to yourself, view other users'
clouds, mark favorites and follow users who inspire you.

Download extras. Looking for more ways to connect with our Flickr images?
We've got a Facebook app that lets you create photo clouds to reflect your
status, as well as a flash widget for adding clouds to your blog and other
personal spaces. You can even download a dynamic screensaver made up of
images recently searched for by other users.

PHOTOVOICE - giving marginalized youth a voice is through digital photography

"... Active listening takes time. But I was reminded this summer while working with aboriginal youth in the Northwest Territories of how it is time well spent. The challenges facing Canada's aboriginal peoples are well documented. I would like to share a story of what happens when you stop focusing on problems and start focusing on creative solutions.

It all starts with listening. When you listen to these youth talk about their lives, the first thing that strikes you is the pain. Whether the cause is physical, mental or sexual abuse, alcoholism, addictions, family violence, poverty or a combination, the impact on the youth is the same -- pain. They carry it around every day like a mantle, often suffering in silence, without the words to explain it, the skills to cope or the opportunities to express themselves.

Couple that with peer pressure. These youths are immersed in a world where how you look is more important than how you think, where your net worth is more relevant than your self worth and success is measured by what you have instead of what you have to give.

Fortunately there are ways we can make a difference. One effective method for giving marginalized youth a voice is through digital photography, known as Photovoice. It invites youth to explore personal and social issues from behind the lens of a camera. It's about empowerment and engagement, using new technologies and computer software they are already familiar with. It doesn't involve adults creating and delivering a program hoping to fix the problem. That's not engagement -- engagement is listening to thoughts, feelings and ideas, then getting them involved in the process of what the final project will look like.

My role is giving topic ideas or themes they can explore, then engaging them in the process by choosing their own topics they are passionate about. The process is as important as the final project. It's not just what the youth create, but the skill building, increased self-esteem and opportunity for self-expression that happen along the way. As a grand finale, we have booked the theatre in Yellowknife for a free screening to premiere their projects. It's our hope that family, friends and people from across the community will celebrate their accomplishments and support their hard work...."

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1698219


Photovoice is a participatory action research strategy using photography as a tool of social change. The process turns the camera lens toward the eyes and experiences of vulnerable populations and gives people the opportunity to record, reflect and critique personal and community issues in creative ways.

"These places that I've photographed, they actually do exist in our community. It's not all just, like, clean pretty on the outside. Some of the things are really beautiful and some of the things aren't so beautiful. But, they all exist and you all got to be aware of them, because the ugly things are what make the others things beautiful."

Photovoice Youth Participant

http://www.photovoice.ca/


"... At PhotoVoice we encourage the use of documentary photography by enabling those that have traditionally been the subject of such work to become its creator - to have control over how they are perceived by the rest of the world, while simultaneously learning a new skill which can enhance their lives.

To see a short PhotoVoice film please click here

"'Power to the People' was the oft-heard clarion call of the 1960's.  Now, at last, thanks to PhotoVoice, the disenfranchised and marginalised, the voiceless Other, have the tools to speak in the universal language that is photography.  Long may their eloquence enlighten and delight us."

Philip Jones Griffiths,

President of Magnum Photos 1980-1985

Patron of PhotoVoice..."

http://www.photovoice.org/

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Syllabics Poster (front)


Syllabics Poster (front), originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

I designed this poster when I worked for the Nunavut Department of Education.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Resend: Fort Liard Young Photographers Workshop presented by the Frozen Eyes Photographic Society

Frozen Eyes in Fort Liard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157622002663578/

Images taken in Fort Liard NWT, Canada during a Young Photographers Workshop presented by the Frozen Eyes Photographic Society www.frozeneyes.com/ thanks to the sponsorship of the Hamlet of Fort Liard, NWT www.fortliard.com/ - BHP-Billiton www.bhpbilliton.com and the NWT Arts Council pwnhc.learnnet.nt.ca/artscouncil/

Apologies for the resend due to missing URL

The Frozen Eyes Photography Workshop in Fort Liard NWT

Frozen Eyes in Fort Liard

Images taken in Fort Liard NWT, Canada during a Young Photographers Workshop presented by the Frozen Eyes Photographic Society www.frozeneyes.com/ thanks to the sponsorship of the Hamlet of Fort Liard, NWT www.fortliard.com/ - BHP-Billiton www.bhpbilliton.com and the NWT Arts Council pwnhc.learnnet.nt.ca/artscouncil/

---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

NYT: Lament for a Dying Field: Photojournalism

Lament for a Dying Field: Photojournalism

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/business/media/10photo.html?_r=3&hpw

[excerpt]

"...PARIS — When photojournalists and their admirers gather in southern
France at the end of August for Visa pour l'Image, the annual celebration
of their craft, many practitioners may well be wondering how much longer
they can scrape by.

Newspapers and magazines are cutting back sharply on picture budgets or
going out of business altogether, and television stations have cut back on
news coverage in favor of less-costly fare. Pictures and video snapped by
amateurs on cellphones are posted to Web sites minutes after events have
occurred. Photographers trying to make a living from shooting the news
call it a crisis.

In the latest sign of distress, the company that owns the photo agency
Gamma sought protection from creditors on July 28 after a loss of €3
million, or $4.2 million, in the first half of the year as sales fell by
nearly a third...."

Aurora Arts Society Mural Project at the 2009 Yellowknife Old Town Ramble and Ride

Diane Boudreau gives us information about the Aurora Arts Society's mural project that she and other local artists are creating in the old Hudson Bay warehouse as part of Yellowknife's 2009 Old Town Ramble and Ride
Video ©2009 George Lessard