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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.

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.

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.

A New York event not to be missed! On September 17th, 2009, at HD EXPO - Createasphere, noted cinematographer Lance Acord joins American Cinematographer magazine's East Coast contributing writer Patricia Thomson in a talk about creativity, cinematography, collaboration and directing. Acord has shot several critically acclaimed films including "Being John Malkovich," "Lost In Translation," "Marie Antoinette," and the upcoming "Where the Wild Things Are." He also directs spots for Nike, Gucci, and other major corporations through his production company Park Pictures.

Now in it's 9th year, the HD EXPO will take place at The New Yorker Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, and offers free registration until 8:00am on September 17, 2009. For information about this and other panels, education or exhibition at HD EXPO, visit hdexpo.net, or call 818.842.6611.

Claiming that any genre film is "based on a true story" will automatically raise eyebrows for some due to Hollywood's tendency to take dramatic license with accuracy.  Claiming that specifically a horror film is based on a true story is a bit trickier as it will automatically divide audiences into two camps: those who will see it because they're curious about paranormal happenings in the real world and those who will immediately write it off because they don't believe in anything paranormal.  If the film succeeds, then audiences will be a bit more intentional about checking under their beds and keeping the lights on the night they saw it because, in their minds, it could happen to them.  If the film fails, then audiences laugh it off, quickly forget about it and give no more thought to things that go bump in the night.  For example, in 1979, The Amityville Horror made suburbanites terrified of their own homes.  Recently, An American Haunting, The Mothman Prophecies and the Amityville remake have failed to resonate after the credits roll and the screen goes black.  The Haunting in Connecticut, the latest venture into the realm of PG-13 horror, is supposedly based on a true story from Southington, CT in 1987 and tries to differentiate itself from the rest of the crowd with a focus on family-centered love and emotion.  Though a competent debut from director Peter Cornwell, The Haunting in Connecticut won't really impress anyone with its formulaic scare formula and fumbled emphasis on sentimentality.

This must-see meta commentary on creativity and corporate dynamics is amazing! It's like Adobe's own version of "The Office." Check out the first episode, and go to Adobe TV for the rest!

While you're at it, take a look at ZIO's own Viewfinders premiere on Adobe TV. And download CS4 for free today.