Look3 Festival of the Photograph Recap

I had never attended a “Festival of a the Photograph” before, but kept hearing great things about it. What started as a bunch of friends gather...

I had never attended a “Festival of a the Photograph” before, but kept hearing great things about it. What started as a bunch of friends gathered in Nick Nichols backyard, has grown into a major event for photography with people traveling from all over the US to attend. The festival has been able to maintain its homegrown, organic feel, which makes it very different from other events that we’ve attended in the past.

PhotoShelter was there to support the “YourSpace” exhibit. Festival attendees could drop off an image for printing by our good friends at Canon, and then upload it to PhotoShelter for inclusion in a festival slideshow.

Once the images were printed, they were hung in the event space so that any one could view and enjoy them.

There were a number of exhibition spaces include outdoor exhibits, like this one of Paolo Pellegrin’s work.

Nature photographers extrodinaire (and PhotoShelter user) Tom Mangelsen had a slew of his work hanging from the trees on the mall in downtown C’ville.

The festival bookstore had a fantastic selection of titles including Kristen Ashburn’s I Am Because We Are

Of course, you can’t go to the South without getting some barbeque. Andrews gnawing on a rib from Belmont BBQ.

Casey and Alys from Slideluck Potshow had a packed showing on Thursday night.

We even got in some time for a game of pool. Andrew hustled me.

On Friday night, there was a big slideshow called “Shots” at the Charlottesville Pavilion, which featured the work of a lot of previously blogged photographers like Shawn Rocco and his camera phone images. Shawn had video from his photo session with then presidential-candidate Obama, where he put down his SLR and pulled out his cellphone to grab a shot. The crowd roared with applause. ~~You have to see it if you get a chance.~~

Update: Shawn uploaded his presentation to YouTube. Obama is at the 5:14 mark, but watch the whole thing.

Paolo Pellegrin showed his work from the New York Times Magazines “Great Performances” issue, which included images that hadn’t been published. Love it!

There were easily a thousand people watching the slideshow — a good cross-section of both photographers and people in the community that have embraced the festival as their own.

The festival is taking a one-year hiatus next year to recharge and recalibrate. But we’ll see you again in Charlottesville in 2011!