Photographer has an eye for the Big Sky

Val Almos loves to capture the sky and Montana is one of the best places to do that. Almos has been an amateur photographer for 47 years now. She uses a Canon Rebel and keeps a smaller camera in her purse, just in case she’s sees something cool on her travels from her rural Columbia Falls home.

She used to shoot film, but in 2009, some stole all her gear, so she switched to digital.

“I love it,” she said. “Now I can take as many pictures as I want.”

Her favorite subject is Montana’s skies, as she holds up a scene from the National Bison Range. It’s a small herd of mule deer grazing in a huge patch of arrow leaved balsam root, with a big blue beautiful sky in the background.

Custom framed by a friend, it’s a one-of-a kind print.

Almos and a host of other area crafters will feature their works at the Love INC. craft fair Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Valley Community Room in Columbia Falls.

Almos is also a member of the Christian organization, (The INC stand for In the Name of Christ) which collectively helps families and people who have fallen on tough times.

Eleven local churches are involved in the organization, including the Hungry Horse Chapel, where Almos is the church ministry coordinator. The idea behind the organization is to pool resources and address problems that one church alone could not.

Almos will also have some of her inspirational poetry books for sale. As an aside, one of her books is in a women’s prison in Mexico, she noted. They asked her for her book after she visited the prison on a mission trip.

This is Love INC.’s first sponsored craft fair. Folks interested in signing up for a booth can do so until Nov. 1. For application forms and information, please contact Nancy Kimball at nancy.kimball77@gmail.com.

The fee for the booth goes to support Love INC.’s mission.