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The New York Photo Festival's annual for 2009 is now available. The book features  the highlights from the festival last May, including the photo contest's runners up in each category.

You can preview and purchase the book on Blurb.

Trained at FIT in NYC and a former photo editor at Guitar World and Revolver, Justin Borucki combines passion with a skilled eye to create some awesome music photographs.

Photographers are using their flash bulbs to help those in need this holiday season.

Help-Portrait is a group that seeks to create a community between photographers and people who are struggling or down on their luck.

In their promotional video, one man exclaims that it was the first portrait ever taken of him outside of a mug shot. Another woman is in tears after seeing herself with her hair and makeup neatly arranged.

PDN had so much fun at the PhotoPlus Expo they decided to throw a mini-expo online for free. That's right, keynote speakers and all - for free!

Complete with virtual booths where experts can answer your questions, six webcast panel discussions, and two keynote speakers, there is no excuse not to attend. All you have to do is point and click.

The event runs on December 2nd and 3rd from this site.

To register, click here.

PDN's own tech editor is billed as the first speaker, and the second is yet to be announced.

Emile Benjamin's photography celebrates portraiture. He has an editorial eye, an interesting portfolio site design, and a clear enthusiasm for what he does. Currently a student at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts in Washington DC, he has potential. Not to be limited to portraiture, Benjamin has interesting animal and landscape shots as well.

Here are a few photos of his that caught my eye.

Here's a wholesome family shot.

This week in free wine and cheese, new photography exhibits abound.

Tonight, Mark Sink & Kristen Hatgi's exhibit debuts at the Robin Rice Gallery. The reception runs form 5:30-8:30 tonight and the exhibit is on display until December 20th. The photographs stand apart from many of those included in my normal roundup. At once beautiful and mysterious, these black and white photographs pull you into a dreamscape of 1920s inspired theatricality.

Lay Flat is a newish nonprofit (founded by photographer Shane Lavalette) seeking to help artists create awesome photo books.  Founded in January of 2009, they are still getting their feet wet.

They work with both up-and-coming and more established artists to "create books that express a vision and exist as artful objects in themselves."  Lay Flat also publishes a magazine.

Their books are Lay Flat 01: Remain in Light (out now) and Lay Flat 02: META (coming soon).

Young places like this are a great way to gain a lot of experience quickly. If you are in the Boston area and in school, check out their internship.

Olympus recently released their new Micro Four Thirds Pen EP-1 camera. It's bragging rights include being the world's smallest 12.3-megapixel camera with interchangeable lenses. It can record HD video and audio, create slideshows, and, of course, take quality stills. The full specs can be found here.

New exhibits are the perfect ammo to inspire your own work. Here are a few that caught my eye this week.

The controversial Jill Greenberg's new exhibit New Bears just kicked off at the Clamp Art gallery in New York. Greenberg broke into the industry with her celebrity portraiture and continues to interest audiences with her animal portraits. Capturing individuality amongst her subjects, Greenberg constructed an outdoor studio in Canada and focused her lens on large bears. The exhibit runs from November 5th to December 19th and features a book signing November 13th from 6-8pm.

Brimming with interesting tidbits about everything from manipulation software to lenses, Photography 24/7 is a site that inspires people to take their pictures further. Most of the content seems geared towards young photographers looking to break into the industry and photo-fledglings.

Recent features include a spotlight on photographer Tony Sweet, affordable photo editing software, and tricks to handle bad weather on assignment.

What separates this site from many others is that you can feel how excited the writer is about photography. The tone is downright giddy when a new product goes for a test drive and the Tony Sweet interview sounded nearly awestruck.  I say passion and quality content make this site certifiably awesome.

During the PhotoPlus Expo, I had time to catch up with Jeremy Yokota from Lowepro. He gave me the rundown on their newest bags. With hidden pockets full of all weather covers, detachable hard cases, hideaway straps, and ultra-durable pockets, these bags are as useful as they are stylish. With a lifetime guarantee, how can you go wrong?

There were a few bags in particular that caught my eye.

1. Versapack 200 AW

It looks like a stylish backpack, with the normal features to store pens and stray articles of clothing or water bottles. However, the bottom is a compartment made specifically to protect your DSLR and lenses. You can even access them without taking it off.

Don't just take my word for it — here, Jeremy gives us a demonstration.

The Minox DSC, a point and shoot, is 2.560x1.920 pixels, takes AVI video, and is super discreet. While no professional photographer should ditch his current camera for the Minox DSC, it's perfect addition to an arsenal of kitschy and cool gear.

This Friday at 7pm you can kick off Halloweekend by exploring the work of over 100 artists, dancing to some live bands, and witnessing a truly Halloween-appropriate "exorcism."

The party is called We Made a Deal with the Devil: New York and is at the Brooklyn Waterfront Coalition Art Space in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

At last week's PhotoPlus Expo, Sony had Disney World-style encore performances by their lecturers throughout the day. One speaker that caught my eye, and ear for that matter, was Cristina Mittermeier who spoke about her journeys through South and Central America.

Overflowing with positive energy, she gleefully explained her photographs.

About 27,000 people flocked to the PhotoPlus Expo this year, despite the bad economy.  Apparently, no matter how weak the dollar is, there isn't a price limit for ideas and networking.
 
Big names meant big displays. While some companies decided to try out their own semi-infomercials, complete with headsets and overly dramatic gestures, many opted for more sophistication.