How much more welcoming would a city environment seem if it were filled with friendly creatures? German artist Timm Schneider is filling Weisbaden with very strange beings that are not only unexpected, but also completely lovable.

(all images via: Timm Schneider)

Timm Schneider is a graphic designer who found that his job sometimes left him short on artistic fulfillment. To soothe his creative soul, he began creating street art. Graffiti was too limited for him, but he eventually stumbled onto the type of urban intervention that delighted him and his neighbors.

Schneider’s project is deceptively simple: he makes eyeballs out of styrofoam spheres and sticks them onto inanimate objects, making them look like creatures rather than things.

His art can be seen all throughout his city, adorning everything from public fixtures to products in shops to waste bins on the street. Once the little eyes are stuck onto something, that object is instantly transformed into something lovable and silly.

This type of urban intervention has helped to satisfy Schneider’s need for meaningful art, but it also helps viewers to shift their perceptions ever so slightly.

Instead of walking by an object and tuning it out like we do so often, Schneider’s interventions encourage people to slow down, take notice and see their surroundings in an entirely new light – even if it is only for a moment.

The newly-invented personalities taken on by these urban objects might cause a smile on the face of a city dweller, and for Schneider that is what matters. His interventions are all about pushing the world in the right direction…one pair of googly eyes at a time.

(via weburbanist)

Logo Lounge, for the past nine years, has posted annual logo design trend reports and they have just released the 2011 logo design trends report. I would love to hear your thoughts on the showcased trends.

Do these identity / branding trends effect you or your process? Do you agree with these suggestions? Have you noticed any other trends?

• Logo Lounge: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
• Disucssion on JCD: 2011 | 2010 | 2009

Disclaimer

On this topic of trends, one should not follow trends for the sake of following them. As Bill Gardner points out:

Every year, it’s worth noting that this is a report on trends, not a recipe book of styles. It is also not a finite list: There are other valid trends out there that are not mentioned here.

The report should serve you as an ongoing view of where logo design is headed. The word “trends” in itself can have a very negative cast, but in truth, trends aren’t bad. They reveal our growth. It’s our take on them that allows us to move even further forward.

2011 Logo Design Trends

Gradients

Juvi

Vibrate

O

Earth

Monoline

Series

Brown

Dandruff

Concentric

Loopys

Banded

Comma

Buckys

Fruit

Back Again

Isometric

Blackhole

PickUpSticks

Reactive

Medallions

Do these identity / branding trends effect you or your process? Do you agree with these suggestions? Have you noticed any other trends?’

© Artwork shown is copyright of their respective owners. Designer’s names & clients can be found on the original posting linked above. Original compilation by Bill Gardner.

(from justcreativedesign)

Irina Werning is a photographer born, and currently living in Buenos Aires.

I love old photos. I admit being a nosey photographer. As soon as I step into someone else’s house, I start sniffing for them. Most of us are fascinated by their retro look but to me, it’s imagining how people would feel and look like if they were to reenact them today… A few months ago, I decided to actually do this. So, with my camera, I started inviting people to go back to their future.

What have you seen, lively crabs, smart foxes, cute pandas, and other kinds of animals? Not exactly, because what is shown here is merely one thing: lips, and of course coming with various patterns. Isn’t that incredible, our lips now can create impressive paintings too?!

Posted from .

The plots on the island of Sentosa are not large and neighboring buildings are built close to the sides of each house. Thus our strategy was to build a solid wall to each side neighbor to provide privacy where possible,  while creating a central light and stair well which would funnel the sea breeze through the centre of the building.

The front and rear of the building meanwhile, terrace back allowing each storey to have visual or actual access to greenery. The intention was to try to allow each roof garden provided a base for the storey above allowing the layered effect to make each storey feel like it was a single storey dwelling sitting in a garden…..as much as we could do in the close confines of Sentosa island and with such a large building!!

(from freshome)

Hengki Koentjoro was born in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, in 1963. He is a graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California where he majored in film. He now lives in Jakarta where he specializes in fine art photography both underwater and on land.

Posted from .

Guerilla marketing catches one by surprise, and instantly generates a ripple effect through the most coveted advertising holy grail: word of mouth. When cars, such a large part of our typical lives, are thrown into unique and wild advertising campaigns it’s difficult not to tell one’s friends.

(Images via core77, artculture, graphics, kosmograd)

Wireframes models are indispensable to car designers, enabling them to manipulate the shape of vehicles before they’re created. How cutting edge would a new car have to be to escape the confines of the computer before it’s even able to be produced? It’s possible a random side street holds the answer.

(Images via omgbestru4realz, paid4space, hastalacreative, mactalk, designboom, jetsetta)

Smartcars are not known for fulfilling the typical American car values: Power, Looks, and Size, but it’s hard not to be won over when they own their small size as their biggest asset. Creative advertising equate their economical qualities as similar to that of a bicycle, and their small size is accentuated by being showcased in oversized vending machines.

(Images via theinspirationroom, toxel)

Just try slipping this into the shopping cart without the wife seeing… It looks like someone managed to fit this full sized Alfa Romero into a typical shopping cart, though it definitely didn’t escape notice.

(Images via theinspirationroom, funniest-commercials)

When would someone least expect a car advertisement? When they’re moseying down the beach looking for shells to add to their collection. To add to the unexpectedness of such an encounter, these sand sculptures are sure to trigger the ecologically minded subconscious into relating these cars to nature.

(Images via businesspundit, guerillasushi, guerillapromos, guerrillasushi)

One of the few things worse for a car than getting a deep scratch, is getting an overzealous paint job. Throwing paint liberally onto a car is a great way to accentuate an advertisement that’s straining to exceed its boundaries, and an even better way to get tags wagging.

(Images via transportspecs, tomgooday, adsoftheworld)

The best guerilla ad campaigns are temporary, but thanks to the elephantine memory of the internet, the best campaigns live on. One can’t get much more temporary than cars carved to the last detail out of ice, casually parallel parked on a typical city street.

(Images via coloribus, gdpsu, francescomugnai, graphicdesignatl)

A billboard is most effective when it’s parked in front of one’s door. There’s a lot more room for creativity when an ad isn’t stuck in a rectangular shape hanging high above the road. One example of great (though inefficient) marketing, are the empty wheel well graphics that say “got insurance?” on the other side.

(Images via toxel, whatsalltheracquet, weedguru, paper-plane)

What’s more fun than crushing a car? Nothing. That’s why it’s one of the most effective and eye catching ways to advertise a product. These products may not be larger than life, but at least they’re larger than a car.

(Images via worldphotocollections, worldphotocollections, hotfunnynews, cartype)

Sometimes it’s hard to take the billboard out of an ad campaign, so why not spice it up with a life sized vehicle? Adding a little bit of flair isn’t conventional, especially when an ad campaign goes a little overboard.

(Images via dailyshite, adsoftheworld)

Guerilla campaigns don’t only involve cars when new cars are involved. A great message can be passed along and a little creativity doesn’t hurt.

(Images via norcalminis, restartithere)

Mobile guerilla advertising bring the show on the road, catching eyes and proving a point with every mile driven and every passenger’s attention caught. It’s little doubt guerilla campaigns are the best way to get people interested, though it’s doubtlessly too expensive to do on as large a scale as companies would like.

(from weburbanist)

Your head spins, your stomach clenches, your heart pounds furiously. You’re thousands of feet above the ground with nothing but glass keeping you from teetering over the edge in a lengthy and final fall. Do you have the guts to look down? Hundreds of feet in the air, these 13 tower platforms and observation decks – often with transparent floors – offer absolutely breathtaking views of cities like Shanghai and landscape features like the Grand Canyon.

Burj Khalifa Observation Deck, Dubai

(images via: unique buildings, mithunonthe.net, le grand portage)

You’re never going to get a higher vantage point from a free-standing structure than that attainable at the Burj Khalifa observation deck in Dubai. Unless, that is, somebody builds a structure even taller than this world-record tower, which reaches half a mile into the air. The observation deck is on the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa (formerly known as the Burj Dubai) and on a clear day, it provides absolutely jaw-dropping views of practically the whole of the United Arab Emirates.

Stockholm SkyView at the Ericcson Globe

(images via: globearenas.se)

You’ll literally feel on top of the globe when you hitch a ride in one of the glass ‘gondolas’ at Stockholm Skyview, a moving observation deck that travels up two sets of rails on the exterior of the Ericcson Globe Arena in Sweden. Each gondola can take 16 people over 426 feet into the air for an unforgettable view of the city of Stockholm.

Top of Tyrol, Austria

(images via: aste architecture)

Virtually invisible against the snow in the winter, ‘Top of Tyrol’ was designed to blend seamlessly into its environment and provide a vantage point that most people couldn’t achieve without some serious mountain climbing abilities. Designed by Aste Architecture, Top of Tyrol cantilevers nearly 30 feet out from the pinnacle of Austria’s Mount Isidor, about 10,500 feet above the ground.

Shanghai World Financial Center, China

(images via: kanegan, bernt rostad, le grand portage)

Before the Burj Khalifa came along and shattered all kinds of records, the observation deck at the Shanghai World Financial Center was about as high as it got. The glass observation corridor, which spans the summit of the building, is half a kilometer in the air – but the faint(ish) of heart can still get a thrill by checking out lower decks on the 94th and 97th floors instead.

Five Fingers Viewing Platform, Austria

(images via: goldenrochs.at)

Get five different views with five different features in each jetty of ‘Five Fingers’, a viewing platform in the Austrian Alps. The first has a picture frame for souvenir shots, the second a glass floor for that vertiginous feeling, the third a trampoline for the foolhardy (this one is only open for special events, lest tourists bounce themselves right over the cliff), the fourth a hole in the floor to peek through and the fifth, a telescope.

Sands Skypark, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

(images via: marinabaysands.com)

On the top of three skyscrapers, 656 feet in the air, Singapore boasts a 1,246-foot-long rooftop deck by architect Moshe Safdie offering an incredible view of Marina Bay. The curving Sands Skypark is shaped like a ship and equivalent in size to the Eiffel Tower laid on its side. Among its most notable features is a 150-meter-long infinity swimming pool, which makes guests feel like they could swim right over the edge.

Landscape Promontory, Switzerland

(images via: etienne deffinis, architonic)

Designed by Paolo Burgi, Landscape Promontory is a suspended metal platform that almost looks like an insanely oversized, modern version of a carnival ride – except that it (thankfully) doesn’t move. The viewing platform extends out from Cardada mountain in Switzerland and is marked with symbols and explanations that tell of local history and literature.

Willis Tower Skydeck, Chicago

(images via: charlotte speaks)

Step out onto the deck of the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower ‘Skydeck’ – an enclosed balcony made almost entirely of glass – and you’ll feel, for a moment, as if you’re about to hurtle to a rather unpleasant death on the streets below. Or perhaps, if you’re the brave type, the height won’t phase you at all and you’ll just be completely entranced by an unparalleled, uninterrupted view of the Chicago skyline.

Aurland Lookout, Norway

(images via: todd saunders)

You know that stomach-clutching, heart-in-your-throat sensation you get on roller coasters just as you’re coming up to the edge of a terrifyingly steep drop? That moment is drawn out indefinitely at the Aurland Lookout in Norway, a stunning wooden overlook that puts nothing but a sheet of plate glass between you and the countryside below. Designed by Todd Saunders & Tommie Wilhelmsen, the minimalist structure celebrates the region’s natural beauty and exemplifies its spare, modern design sense.

Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne

(images via: eurekaskydeck.com)

They named this thing ‘Eureka’ for a reason – it’s about the tamest exclamation that would emerge from your mouth as you walk out onto it. As you look down through the glass floor, you become acutely aware of the fact that you’re nearly 1,000 feet above street level. Jutting 9 feet out the side of the building, the Skydeck offers the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere.

Grand Canyon Skywalk, Arizona

(images via: vistor.com)

Stepping out onto the Grand Canyon Skywalk is probably the closest you’ll ever get to walking on air. The U-shaped walkway, considered quite a feat of engineering (or an over-developed eyesore, depending on your viewpoint), extends 66 feet from the canyon’s edge and its two-inch-thick glass floor lets you gaze down 3,600 feet to the canyon floor below.

House on the Rock Infinity Room, Wisconsin

(images via: panaramio, gadling)

As you emerge from the cluttered depths of one of America’s most bizarre roadside attractions, The House on the Rock, you can clear your head on a cantilevered viewing platform that extends 218 feet over the forest floor. Once you reach the end of the ‘Infinity Room’, which has 3,264 windows, you can look out the final pane of glass, which is set into the floor at the tip.

i360 Tower, Brighton, UK

(images via: e-architect.co.uk)

England’s Brighton Beach will get a 600-foot needle tower with a circular glass viewing platform that can hold 125 people, following years of delays. The i360 Tower – which might get a name change by the time it’s complete – is set to become Britain’s highest observation tower, granting 360-degree views of the coast.

When snow begins to pile up, snow plows head out to take it down. These glorified power shovels are a triumph of basic technology against the forces of nature, and even then there’s room for adaptation, customization and decoration. So clear the way for these 10 cool cutting edge snow plows… or better yet, let THEM do it for you!

Porsche 968 Snow Plow

(images via: Eastbounddown and Pelican Parts Forums)

Ever wonder what the snow plow driver drives? No, it’s not a shop… but the Porsche 968 Snowplow isn’t exactly what it appears to be, either. “In honor of April Fools Day, each April I write my column about something humorous,” explains Bruce Corwin, owner of the 968 above. “One year I took the snowplow off a friend’s truck and parked my 968 behind the plow. I took a few photos that looked like the plow was attached to the front of the Porsche and wrote a column about the Porsche ‘snowplow option’.”

(image via: Found Shit)

We’re guessing the Corvette Snow Plow above was “constructed” along the same lines, though the flashing orange light on the roof is a nice touch.

Roofus Radio-Controlled Robot Snow Plow

(images via: ConceptPop and Gizmodo)

Meet Roofus, the Radio-Controlled Robotic Snow Plow who’s gonna tell ya somethin’ good: plowing your driveway just got as easy as playing a video game! Shiny orangeRoofus was originally designed to clear snow from roofs – hence the name – but snow is snow and Roofus just eats it up. Roofus rides on twin caterpillar tracks and packs two electric motors plus a gasoline engine – it’s Mr. Freeze’s Prius! Bolt on some peripheral attachments and Roofus can mow your lawn, sweep the drive and more… actually, YOU can, by just flexing your thumbs.

Russian Jet-Powered Snow Plows

(images via: Mileanhour and Dark Roasted Blend)

When General Winter gets all ornery-like and threatens to put the kibosh on your holiday travel plans, who ya gonna call? Snow Busters!… now equipped with Klimov VK-1 jet engines upcycled from Red Army surplus MiG-15 fighter planes. These bizarre jet trucks are used in Russia and the former Eastern Bloc to clear snow off airport runways and, on occasion, de-ice airliners. If you thought flying Aeroflot sucked, guess what? It blows, too.

(image via: Dark Roasted Blend)

Train tracks also get the blow-dry treatment in eastern Europe, as the makeshift snowblower above illustrates. Now that’s one loco locomotive!

Yuki-Taro Robotic Snow Plow

(images via: Pink Tentacle and Geekologie)

Anyone for some Japanese over-engineering with a dash of cute overload? Arigato, snowplow roboto! The cute (of course) creation above is Yuki-Taro, an environmentally-friendly snow plowing robot that seeks out snow with two video cameras (one in each “eye”) and an on-board GPS receiver.

(images via: Ubergizmo and Techeblog)

Yuki-Taro was designed to help elderly homeowners clear their driveways and walkways. As for what to do with the cleared snow, 880 lb Yuki-Taro simply eats it – whereupon internal compactors form the snow into uniform bricks which are then excreted out the back. If a coalition of several Japanese universities and research institutions didn’t design Yuki-Taro, we’d have to guess a bunch of Japanese kids did. Toss in the eyebrows and the Pikachu mod and we’re sure of it.

Fabulous Fifties Snow Plows

(images via: Travelpod/Hildreth75 and Perimeter Run)

They say time goes by slower up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and the winters, well, they seem to last forever. That still doesn’t explain this four door, four wheel drive, 1955 Buick snow plow. We can’t explain it either, so simply gaze upon it in awe and wonder.

(image via: Club Chopper Forums)

One of the most iconic cars of the finned, fabulous Fifties was the 1957 Chevy, ideally as a fuel-injected 2-door Bel Air convertible. The snow plow sedan version… not so much. Even so, you’d have to be Mr. Plow to be any cooler than the driver of this tricked out, chrome-bedazzled rig.

Hybrid GOAT ROBOT 22T Lawn Mower/Snow Plow

(images via: Techeblog)

“Hybrid Goat Robot” sounds like the title of a very bad B-movie we’d nevertheless love to see, but the Hybrid GOAT ROBOT 22T from Eva Tech is actually a tank-like treaded vehicle that maintains your yard and drive season in and season out.

Check out the Goat Robot 22T making a baaad winter goood:

Remote Control Snow Plow, via Lmedinaxyz

(image via: Eva Tech)

You’ll need to put out $11,999 for the pleasure, mind you, but that’s probably cheaper than keeping your own living goat – and they don’t plow snow all that well.

Hell’s Snow Plow

(images via: TheAllisonRose and ZhenPanda)

Train snowplows are all kinds of awesome from the get go and there’s really no need to jazz ‘em up – so when that happens, it’s off the rails awesome… so to speak. Take the Evil Clown artwork on the train snowplow above… Hell’s Snow Plow indeed!

(image via: John Vass)

When this Bozo on expired steroids comes roaring down the track somewhere in the wilds of rural Montana, be afraid, be VERY afraid, be Stand By Me afraid! Oh and we love the single gold tooth, nice touch there.

RoboPlow

(images via: AutoMotto)

When Robocop wants to plow his driveway, you’d better believe he’s not plowing it – he’s a robotic cop, right? Besides, odds are he’s got RoboPlow: the leanest, meanest, robotic snowplow there is. Don’t be surprised if if rolls up – on 6 wheels, no less – and booms out “Clarence Boddicker, I’m here to shovel your driveway!”

Here’s a promotional video from RoboPlow’s creators, IdeaLABORATORIES, showing this badass mutha in action:

ROBOPLOW, via IdeaLABORATORIES

(image via: Godlike Productions)

RoboPlow sports a wicked 50” wide angle-able blade and packs 660 amps of power. It features a pair of 10-watt LEDs for night-plowing (not the same as night-putting), a pair of flashing red LED brake lights and a fully articulated camera on top to freak people out – if looking like a runaway dwarf casket wasn’t enough. When the cam turns your way, you half-expect a Martian heat ray to blast forth! Available in any color you want – as long as its black.

Pedal-Powered Snow Plow

(images via: 1World2Wheels and Simply+Green Solutions)

From the wild to the mild – we give you the pedal-powered snow plow. No motors, no LEDs, no GPS or frikkin’ laser beams and yet, it’s still awesome… AND fun! It might not be mean but it sure is green. “It probably took me 50 to 80 hours to complete the pedal plow,” says crafty DIY-er Kevin Blake. “With a little bit of mechanical aptitude, some metal working resources and a couple of old bikes, just about anyone can make a pedal-powered snowplow.”

Pedal Powered Snowplow, via MrPlowKevin

(image via: Mother Earth News)

Thanks to Kevin’s exhaustively complete directions, just about anyone CAN build themselves a pedal-powered snow plow. We’re not sure what Kevin’s regular job is, but with ideas like these he should tell his boss to “take this job and shovel it!”

Long Island Railroad Snowplow W83 “Jaws III”

(images via: RMLI and TrainWeb)

Looking like a cross between the boss Blue Meanie from Yellow Submarine and a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in Flying Tigers livery, snowplow W83 “Jaws III” was probably the most exciting thing to ever ride the rails of the Long Island Rail Road. Built by the LIRR machine shop atop a 1907 flatcar way back in December of 1915, W83 cleared snow along the main line for decades before being rebuilt and repainted in November of 1978.

(images via: TrainWeb)

After a further 8 years of faithful service, the LIRR finally retired snowplow Jaws III (or perhaps by then, “Dentures III”) in 1986. The larger than life, toothy rolling shovel was handed over to the Railroad Museum of Long Island and remains parked just outside the Greenport Freight House.

(images via: Busted Tees and Culturish)

“Call Mr. Plow, that’s my name, that name again, is Mr. Plow!” Ahh yes, Mr. Plow cruised into pop culture consciousness on November 19, 1992, on the ninth episode of The Simpsons’ fourth season. There it has remained, stuck like a snow plow buried beneath an avalanche on Widow’s Peak. Just consider, though, if “Plow King” Barney had been driving any of the above 10 snow plows he’d never need to be rescued and consequences (and Springfield history) would never be the same.

(from weburbanist)

If you are sited infront of your computer the angry one is on the left and the calmed one on your right.

Now if you walk away from your computer and increase the distance you will see that the calmend one is now on the left and the angry one on the right. Incredible now they are in an opposite position.

This image was created by Phillippe G.Schyns and Aude Oliva from Glasgow University

Look again, the brunette on the back is not naked. It’s the front girl’s left arm.

The blond is not hairy… It’s some guys’ leg.

Evol is a Berlin based artist who is his own kind of urban planner. Like Russian dolls, Evol�s creations are a city within the city; he specializes in stenciling intricate building details onto surprising surfaces. Three dimensional balconies, windows, and mini graffiti create a realistic building facade in the middle of the sidewalk. Here is some of his coolest work:

Stenciled Creations

(Images via picasaweb, printeresting)

Evol uses complicated stencils to quickly tag powerboxes and other worn urban surfaces with the details of a true skyscraper. While the police might not agree with this public art project, they no doubt enjoy the end result.

Art Gallery Shows

(Images via brooklynstreetart, artoutthere)

Evol has been recognized by several highly regarded art galleries, and has showcased his work in shows. While seeing his creations sitting on a hardwood floor might not hold the same effect as stumbling upon them in the middle of a neighborhood street, it�s still damn impressive.

Isolated Showcases

(Images via ceciliahalling, onemoremusicfan, kunstlercast, bestofremodeling, kunstlercast)

The extensiveness of Evol�s work is typically limited by the surfaces he finds available, so most of his mini skyscrapers stand alone, gracing random street corners.

(from weburbanist)

It�s happening all around the world: people are taking pictures of their friends awkwardly lying face-down in all sorts of unlikely places. On top of statues, in the middle of roads, in front of famous landmarks � absolutely anywhere you can conceivably fit a horizontal human body, you�ll find someone playing the bizarre game. The weirder the place and the more people looking on, the better. You may ask why, but the people behind The Lying Down Game would rather ask �Why not?�

Lying Down Game creators Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon describe their creation as �Parkour�for those who can�t be arsed.� In other words, this is the lazy person�s urban navigation sport. There�s no dangerous jumping or athletic climbing required; just the ability to lie down and stop moving for a moment along with the bravery to tolerate people staring at you as if you are crazy.

Feel brave enough to participate? The rules are simple, according to the creators: �1) The more public the better. 2) The more people involved the better. Please be aware that the palms of your hands must be flat against your side and the tips of your toes pointing at the ground. Just as if you were standing, but vertically challenged. FACE DOWN!�

The game has been around as a Facebook group since 2006, but the meme really reached its peak in the summer of 2009. Mainstream media picked up on the story and the game was featured by news outlets around the world. After the attention, participation soared and the submitted pictures grew more and more outrageous. The game was at the center of a few controversies as people were caught lying down at work and in some rather unwise places, but lying down enthusiasts continued to play.

Aside from being a silly thing to do to amuse yourself, the Lying Down Game strikes us as a brilliant public art project. Seen separately, these photos suggest thousands of weird people all willing to do something a little crazy. But taken together, the photos of people all around the world lying face down in odd locations looks a lot like collective performance art. It helps that they all seem to be having fun while lying down.

The Facebook page for the group is still going strong after all this time, and it has now reached well over 100,000 members. Want to play? Be prepared for some stares and the occasional �Are you alright?� � and don�t forget to bring a friend with a camera to capture the ridiculous places you find to lie down in.

(from weburbanist)

With the constant innovations of advertising in new media, it�s easy to forget the tried and true forms of advertising that once dominated media buys. The old fashioned billboard tends to be plastered with text and ugly graphics, but there are pioneers who are pushing the limits of a once conservative business. Here are 16 creative billboards that step out of the bounds of an old media:

(Images via danvertising, artatm)

Billboards can do something even the most complicated online display advertising can � and that�s break through the boundaries and become truly interactive with the real world. There�s something about the tactile nature of this kind of ad that impels one to talk about it with friends.

(Images via andersonf, toxel, mymodernmet)

Sometimes it�s not what�s on the billboard, but rather how empty space is used. Removing part of a billboard to make a point is wonderful because it�s both eye catching, and shows that the advertiser took the time to study the environment the billboard would inhabit, and stylized it to interact uniquely.

(Images via inquisitr, billboardom, billboardom, fistofblog)

It�s amazing what you can do with a simple rectangle, and bringing in a little creativity with shape and texture can make a typically two dimensional ad medium really pop out. People expect something from a boring billboard, so it�s great when those expectations are ruined.

(Images via geekologie, greensboring, viviangrant, greensboring)

Bloom supermarkets have pioneered the most interactive billboards yet, by creating two different billboards that emit smells into the surrounding area. The first such billboard wafted steak scents for passing motorists, and the second incorporated a fallen muffin and wonderful blueberry muffin smells.

(Images via dailygalaxy, otakuchick)

Billboards can be a surprisingly effective platform (literally) for environmental causes, as exemplified by these creative setups, which destroy expectations of what�s possible with a rectangular space.

(Images via davewilliamsdesigns, thecrapbox, pedrogoico)

These billboards truly step off the board and enter the real world with their off the wall uses of 3 dimensional features. Figures escape the boundaries of the ad and become compelling entertainment.

(via weburbanist)

From severed arms to crosses made from marijuana, shocking imagery in ads aims to get our attention � and that they do. Advertisers are using bold and bizarre visuals to draw eyes in an increasingly cluttered world and their attempts range from disgusting gross-out tactics to clever interactive displays. Some of these 15 ads effectively help us remember what might otherwise be an obscure brand, while others fall flat, or worse, make us sick.

Finetra: Where Even Nightmares Come to Rest

(image via: scary ideas)

Finetra�s bedding is so comfortable, your razor-toothed evil alien demons will give up on their nightmarish intentions and just curl up with you instead.

You Eat What You Touch

(image via: adpunch)

Mmm, hamster muffin! This ad for Unilever�s Lifebuoy antibacterial soap tries a gross-out tactic to make people paranoid about what germs might be lingering on their hands when they eat.

If You Aren�t Totally Clean, You Are Filthy

(images via: creative advertising world)

A similar ad for Just Liquid Soap states, �If you aren�t totally clean, you�re filthy.�

Exhibit Yourself

(image via: trends updates)

The grotesque image of a man holding open the flayed skin of his chest, showing off his internal organs to the world, is meant to tempt viewers into �exhibiting themselves� at HypeGallery.com, a place where users could show off their artwork and films.

Farewell to Arms

(image via: trendhunter)

A severed arm on the street would definitely attract some attention, and it was a fitting guerrilla stunt for the DVD release of Quentin Tarantino�s gory 2007 movie, �Death Proof�, in Amsterdam.

Mmm, Roach Pizza

(image via: ads of the world)

Imagine devouring an entire pizza and then seeing a cockroach in the box. A pest control company calling itself Dr. Barata (Dr. Cockroach) made up these boxes to scare pizza consumers into calling for help� or maybe just calling health inspectors on the pizza joint that thought these boxes were a good idea.

This Might Make You Puke

(images via: ads of the world)

Italian B-movie store Bloodbuster brought on the gags with a series of puke-themed posters that say �you can�t please everyone.� Doesn�t it make you want to rent one of their movies?

Get Them Off Your Dog

(image via: hooked on ads)

Gross out tactics aren�t the only way to get attention. Clever and interactive, this massive Frontline poster on a mall floor turns people into fleas when viewed from above.

Kiss My Glass

(image via: ad hunt)

Does this ad campaign imply that wearing Glassino sunglasses makes you look like an ass?

Samsung MP3 Player

(image via: ads of the world)

Evidently, this ad for a Samsung MP3 player is telling us that using their product is like having a tiny rapper yelling into your ear. Which is to say, awesome.

We Protect Your Cattle from Almost Everything

(image via: pixel pasta)

Barbed wire company Ideal Alambrec is up front about their product�s limitations: it�ll protect your cattle from almost everything. But when it come to aliens, there�s simply no guarantees.

Does It Matter How You Achieve Your Spiritual High?

(image via: ad freak)

Wonder Cafe, a forum for spiritual discussion, courted controversy with this startling ad featuring two joints formed into a cross. Whether the ad is interesting or crass may depend upon your own religious views, but it definitely attracted some attention.

Those Are Some Dangerous Nose Hairs

(images via: animal)

In what seems to be a bit of a safety hazard, Panasonic twisted power lines through the nostrils on a series of billboards in Indonesia to push nose hair clippers.

Come As You Are (Darth Vader)

(image via: advertolog)

McDonalds told the world to �come as you are� in a long print ad campaign that featured some unexpected characters � like Darth Vader here, who somehow doesn�t seem too happy with his meal.

Don�t Talk While He Drives

(images via: fubiz)

This Bangalore public safety ad, aiming to prevent cell phone-related accidents, tells us that if you keep someone on the phone while they�re trying to drive, you could end up with blood on your hands� and on your face� not to mention splattered all over your clothing and bedding. Careful, that stuff stains.

(via weburbanist)

Unusual bus stop designs

Creative and unusual bus stop designs that make the time you spend waiting for the bus a bit more bearable. (Pics)Futuristic public transport bus stop in Curitiba, Brazil

Curitiba Bus Stop

Football goal posts were placed in bus shelters around Sao Paulo, Brazil to promote the World Cup

Guarana Antarctica Bus Stop

Yummy strawberry bus stop from Japan.

Strawberry Stop

Beautiful Yosemite Falls trail bus stop is perfectly suited for the setting.

Yosemite Falls Bus Stop

Relax while you wait for the bus to arrive.

Hammock Bus Stop

Fully enclosed stop with air conditioning in Dubai.

Air Conditioned Bus Stop

This minimalist structure that looks like a single sheet of white concrete was designed by architect Justo Garc�a Rub�o and located in Casar de Caceres, Spain.

Casar de Caceres Bus Stop

No ordinary bus stop decorated by Iris Hynd in Cornwall, England.

Moroccan Style Bus Stop

Beautiful bus stop design from Estonia.

Estonian Bus Stop

Creative watermelon bus stop in Ishaya, Japan.

Watermelon Bus Stop

Unusual �school bus� bus stop from Athens, Ga.

School Bus Bus Stop

Creative London bus stop by Bruno Taylor gives commuters a chance to have a little bit of playtime while they wait for the bus.

Swing Bus Stop

Bus stop designed for the Vitra design museum in .

Vitra Bus Stop

Creative bus shelter with grass roof in Sheffield, England.

Sheffield Bus Stop

Designed as part of the smart mobilities project, this bus stop was presented in in 2008. Users waiting inside the bus stop could engage via a touch screen interface while pedestrians waiting outside could interact with a 6ft. custom LED display.

LED Bus Stop

(via Toxel.com)

Like any good burgeoning artistic movement there are already a bunch of brilliant online resources aimed at iPhone photographers offering great galleries, talent showcases, app reviews, exhibition news and more.

Read on for 10 great sites from around the web that we�ve bookmarked for iPhone Photographers and photo-lovers alike. Your favorite not on this list? Please share any other great iPhotography sites you like in the comments below.

1. Pixels at an Exhibition

This site describes itself as a �gallery of the most beautiful and ground-breaking iPhone art on the web and home to an ever-increasing number of visionary pioneers in the exploration and development of this nascent and vibrant new medium.� With a daily pic to inspire you, easy browsing by category or a tag word cloud, featured artists and exhibition news, iPhotographers will find lots to like on this site.

2. iPhoneogenic

Run by Edgar Cuevas, an iPhotographer in his own right, iPhoneogenic is a lovely site to visit. Described as �a place for highlighting the iPhoneographer,� it offers enlightening interviews with iPhotographers from all over the world that sometimes include interesting how-tos on certain techniques. It�s always a fascinating read.

3. EYE�EM

EYE�EM is about more than just iPhotography � it�s a hub dedicated to mobile photography as a whole, where �creative minds from all over the world unite to share their images and create a unique stream of mutual inspiration and creative expression.� You can browse through pics, follow photographers you like, search by location and tag words, comment on photos, and share images. You can also jump into the fray by creating your own stream.

4. iPhoneography

Glyn Evans� great iPhoneography blog covers iPhone photography and videography with app news and reviews (including great info on app updates), photographer showcases, news from the iPhotography community around the world and more. There�s also a user forum for discussions on the topic where you can post questions and help others with answers.

5. The Best Camera

Chase �the-best-camera-is-the-one-that�s-with-you� Jarvis� worldwide hub for mobile photography is the sister site to the app of the same name, with photos from iPhotographers globally uploaded via the app. Viewing a real-time stream of these images is great fun but you�ll get the most out of this site if you post your own content thanks to the great management and sharing options that are available.

6. Life in LoFi

Life in Lo-Fi is the iPhoneography blog of Marty Yawnick, a freelance graphic designer and iPhotographer. Yawnick offers his readers app news and reviews, links to relevant articles of interest he spots around the web, curated Flickr showcases, some of his personal photography and regular promo code giveaways.

7. iPhoneArt

A relative newcomer, iPhoneArt�s aim is �to build a grassroots mobile art community where professionals, beginners, and developers alike can share and discuss all forms of mobile art.� Despite being in its early days, user-generated content has helped create a huge gallery of more than 6,000 photos. The site includes a �Studio Talk� forum, a robust app review section and the option to sign up to create you own online gallery with a unique username-based URL.

8. The Big Hipstamatic Show

Fans of the titular app should definitely look up its sister-site: The Big Hipstamatic Show. The guys behind Hipstamatic run regular contests for best photos under certain titles. The current contest, for example, is �Fields.� You can view the leaderboard to see the hot contenders or view past entries for a wonderful showcase of iPhotography.

9. iPhone Photo

�Gently� curated by Caleb Kimbrough, iPhone Photo is a very simple site offering an online showcase of what Caleb considers �the best user submitted iPhone photography.� Dating back to July 2009, it�s an eclectic collection with some strong photography.

10. Flickr

No, we haven�t gone mad. We know everyone (and their dog) is well aware of the world�s largest photography site, but besides being a place to upload your own pics, it�s a really good resource for iPhotography inspiration, artist discovery and app research.

Many iPhotographers will name the apps they�ve used for specific photos, giving you an idea of what the different photographic options can produce. Did you know there are more than 30 million iPhone photographs on Flickr? You can browse pics by camera model or head for one of the iPhoto groups � there are tons of them and some amazing photography to enjoy.

(from mashable)

Paint your walls, try out some hardwood flooring, rearrange the room, furnish your home or build a house from scratch � all without getting off the couch. These 10 digital home design tools (9 of them entirely free) let you play architect or interior designer in 2D and 3D, getting a realistic and accurate look at your design ideas without spending a dime on unflattering paint colors and furniture that doesn�t fit.

Floor Planner

It doesn�t get much easier than FloorPlanner.com, an online modeling tool offering both 2D and 3D views. It�s free if you want to just save one project at a time, or you can go pro with a premium account. While objects like furniture, doors and other design elements are somewhat limited, you can specify dimensions for each object and get a good feel for how your furniture will fit into a space.

IKEA Planner

You can stare at those IKEA cabinets for hours, but unless you�ve got a good imagination, you won�t get a real sense of how they�d look in your kitchen. Enter the IKEA home planner, a free online tool that gives you virtual versions of IKEA furniture so you can make your home look like your very own IKEA showroom (whether that�s a good thing is for you to decide). Of course, you don�t have to go overboard with it � and it would probably help you determine whether that huge Expedit shelf system would totally overpower your living room.

Arrange-a-Room by Better Homes and Gardens

Not a design professional? Don�t worry about trying to figure out complicated programs just so you can determine a good furniture layout in your home. Better Homes and Gardens has an online tool that doesn�t take long to load and is a snap to use. BHG online user registration is required but the tool is free. Choose a room shape or customize your own, then add and arrange furniture.

Colorjive

Don�t you hate it when you fall in love with a color at the paint store, then get it on your wall and realize it�s all wrong? Worst of all is when you don�t realize that it doesn�t work until the whole room is painted. Save time, money and frustration by trying out paint colors on photos of your room at ColorJive.com.

Shaw�s Try On a Floor

Having trouble visualizing how various flooring options would look in your home? Upload your own photo and �try on� virtually any flooring thatShaw Floors offers including carpet, ceramic, hardwood and linoleum. It�s entirely web-based � no programs to download � and free.

Autodesk Homestyler

From the designers of AutoCAD comes Autodesk Homestyler, another free online tool that offers both 2D and 3D modeling so you can custom-create an interior and then decorate it with brand-name products from FLOR, Sherwin-Williams, Kohler, Dupont and more. Users have called this program �intuitive�, saying tutorials aren�t necessary to pick it up.

SeeMyDesign

If you�re just looking for a basic online tool that lets you create everything from scratch, you�ll like SeeMyDesign. This older program lacks much of the functionality of other online home design tools, but it�s perfect for homeowners just looking to play around with ideas. Build your room, arrange furniture and add details like paint without any unnecessary extras. This tool, with its built-in cost calculator, is also useful for determining how much paint you need for a particular room and what you should expect to pay for it.

Sweet Home 3D

Wannabe interior designers looking for a downloadable program that�s truly free � without ads or limitations � should take a look at Sweet Home 3D. Like other digital design tools on this list, it offers both 2D and 3D views of the space you�re designing and a host of objects that can be dragged and dropped into the room. Users report that it�s easy to learn and use.

Google Sketchup

Design your own concept architecture, shed, interiors or even vehicles with Google Sketchup, the free and easy-to-use 3D modeling program with loads of design objects, textures and landscapes to choose from. But Google Sketchup has just a few extra bells and whistles that professional designers in particular will appreciate, including a �Match Photo� feature that lets you trace a photo to build a model and a Google Maps tie-in that allows you to assign a geo-location to your model. This program has been lauded for its wide range of uses, and it�s quick and easy to learn. Sketchup Pro ($495) adds the ability to export your designs to CAD and create visual presentations.

Live Interior 3D

Design enthusiasts will love the realistic look of Live Interior 3D, home design software designed exclusively for use on a Mac. The program comes in both standard ($49.95) and pro ($129.95) versions, with the latter introducing the ability to edit 3D objects directly within the program using Google Sketchup. Homeowners can get an incredibly accurate sense of how their improvement projects will look with an extensive database of objects and surface materials and the ability to customize the smallest details including lighting within a room. Perhaps the coolest feature is the ability to �walk through� your design in 3D (a view familiar to first-person gamers), and you can even create virtual tours.

(from weburbanist)

How do you make a full-sized commercial airplane look like a toy, or give the illusion that your human subject is touching a cloud? Photoshopis an easy answer, but a much more low-tech method produces results that are just as amazing: forced perspective photography. Just as in filmmaking when miniatures convincingly stand in for buildings, landscapes or fantastical creatures, the trick is all in positioning, lighting and timing.

The Old Tower of Pisa Trick

(image via: martyportier) Everyone is familiar with this iteration of the forced-perspective photography trick: pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It�s all about where you place your subject in relation to the background. At least this photographer took a different tack, giving his model a �relaxed� pose.

Pluck a Sphere of Light

(image via: mr. moog) Take that same idea and apply it in a new way and you�ve got the kind of photo that makes you look twice. To achieve this effect, photographer Lee �Mr. Moog� used shallow focus and allowed the lens of his camera to render out-of-focus points of lights as little floating spheres.

Mind Your Step

(image via: maybemaq) Is that the foot of a giant descending from the sky to crush a priceless historical site into bits of gravel? From this angle, it sure looks like it.

The Scariest Watering Can Ever

(image via: froodmat) When a watering can is big enough to suck you up into its spout, you�d better run.

Blowing in the Wind

(image via: jeppe olsen) Photographer Jeppe Olsen took a whole set of forced perspective photos out in the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, which provide a minimalist background ideal for deceptive shots like this one, making both the foreground and background subjects stand out equally.

Fixing the Washington Monument

(image via: mjsmith01) What kind of monstrous crane would be required to pluck the Washington Monument right out of the ground? The silhouetted crane and illumination of the monument make this photo even more effective.

Miniature Woman

(image via: alexandre duarte) Forced perspective photography takes more than just selective focus or using the blur/sharpen tool in Photoshop. Clever positioning and light are also crucial elements in a successful photograph.

Tiny Plane Crash

(image via: maybemaq) In some cases � like this one � timing is everything. No special effects or Photoshop necessary.

Hold On Tight!

(image via: emikw) One of the famed natural formations in Arches National Park, Utah is in the palm of this photographer�s hand when sharp focus is maintained on the entire image.

Giant Jesus and the Toy Plane

(image via: david leeth) Even 900-foot-tall stone Jesus gets bored sometimes, so having a toy plane to play with is a plus.

Toy Cars, or Giant Man?

(image via: erkannix) This is definitely one of those photos that make you go, �what?� It�s hard to tell exactly how the photographer achieved this effect, but according to his Flickr, there was no Photoshop involved.

Please Don�t Fall, Cloud

(image via: p0rg) The artist says �I kept messing it up and not aligning myself ( I was using tripod & self timer) and did it about 10 or so times. When I was happy with the result, I turned and saw that an old man walking his dog had stopped to watch my bizarre antics. He smiled and walked off. I must have looked completely mad because he was not in line with the cloud, so he would have seen my press my camera, run like a madman to the same spot 10 times and preform a melodramatic pray to god.�

Hanging Out

(image via: laura deangelis) �Three years ago, I picked this guy up, put him in my pocket and claimed him as my own,� says photographer Laura DeAngelis.

Splitting Headache

(image via: the moronic inferno) Believe it or not, this photo wasn�t staged. Photographer Dave Brownlee calls it �serendipity� that the heads and bodies of four separate people just happened to line up so well.

Puzzling Place, Indeed

(image via: richard heeks) In this case, it�s the location that�s providing the illusion, not a trick of photography. The Puzzle Museum in Keswick, England contains an oddly-shaped room with a sloping ceiling, walls and floor so that from a certain vantage point, turning one person into a terrifying giant.

(via weburbanist)

***Copyrighted Material: The images below are copyrighted against unauthorized use. We were granted special permission to feature them in this Matador photo essay. Please visit the photographer links for licensing conditions for each photo.***

1. Uluru, Australia
The massive rock — a.k.a. Ayers Rock — is climbed by 250 every day, despite pleas from local indigenous groups to refrain from doing so.
Photo: Chris Harrison

2. Diving with whale sharks
The whale shark is the world’s largest fish species and can grow to be longer than 40 feet. This shot was taken off Christmas Island, Australia, in January 2005.
Photo: Rob Hughes

3. Cotopaxi, Ecuador
This volcano just south of Quito reaches an elevation of 5,897m (19,347ft) — often higher than the clouds.
Photo: david_rombaut

4. Redwood country, California
Taken in Stout Grove, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, this picture shows me (in red) straining my neck next to the Stout Tree.
Photo: Aya Padron

5. Sea Kayaking, solo
Big water, small boat. Shot taken walking the Southwest Coast Path from Land’s End to Plymouth, England.
Photo: nixwilliams

6. Great Ocean Road, Australia
The coast along one of the world’s most spectacular roads is also good for a walk.
Photo: Andrew Ferrier

7. Ponoras Cave, Romania
Things can get large underground too. Here, spelunkers from CSA explore “Mammoth Hall” in Romania’s Transylvania region. The light trail was produced by a fast-moving caver with a headlamp.
Photo: Bela Nagy

8. Snowfields, Rocky Mountains
This is no photoshop. It’s Matador senior editor David Miller getting in some late-season turns in Rocky Mountain National Park. Read about it in The Dharma Shack Chronicles.
Photo: David Miller

9. Desert, southern Peru
Sand accumulates into massive dunes in one of the driest deserts on Earth. Notice the city of Ica, Peru, in the distance — also dwarfed.
Photo: guilherme cecílio

10. Camping under the stars
So many stars. And camping the best way to let them overwhelm you. This shot was taken near Maupin, Oregon.
Photo: Ben Canales

11. Mount Bromo, Indonesia
This very active Javanese volcano attracts lots of tiny visitors up to its steaming rim.
Photo: Jiang

12. Yosemite National Park, California
That’s me again, this time feeling very small (and a little dizzy) at the top of Half Dome. Notice the gloves — not a fashion statement, but what you use to pull yourself up the cables on the final ascent.
Photo: Aya Padron

13. Antarctica
Travelers to Antarctica report losing all sense of distance — the geographic scale is so immense and the ice fields so flat and white. This is Lake Fryxell.
Photo: Nicolas Arthur Salava

14. Preikestolen, Norway
This rock has a great view of Lysefjorden and is a good place to get close to the edge.
Photo: Sonya Kanelstrand

15. Mont Blanc, France
Europe’s tallest mountain tops out at 4,810m (15,782ft) and sits in one of The 6 Best Starter Ranges for Mountaineering.
Photo: Sarah Brigden

16. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
This salt plain is the world’s largest and traps rainwater during wet winter months, creating a tripped-out sky mirror. Find out how to get there.
Photo: Carlos Díaz

17. On a cliff ascent
This one happens to be the curved limestone face of Malham Cove, North Yorkshire, England.
Photo: Dubris

18. Iguazu Falls, Brazil
The majority of the falls lies in Argentina, but according to the photographer, “the great thing about the Brazilian side of Iguazu is that there are no limits on taking pictures at any time of day….(unlike the Argentinian side).”
Photo: SF Brit

MatadorU Travel Photography Program

MatadorU’s Travel Photography Program gives you direct feedback on your work, and lifetime access to the most supportive, dynamic, and fun community of Travel Writers, Travel Photographers, and New Media Professionals on the web.

(from matador network)

Halloween parties are an excellent chance to show off creative cooking skills, and explore the darker depths of your mind’s pantry for spooky and gross ideas. Here are some examples of ghoulish appetizers and disgusting main courses that round out your already awesome Halloween party:

Dismembered Heads

(Images via divinedinnerparty, petitchef, instructables)

You can’t go wrong sculpting dismembered heads out of food products. There’s something inherently disturbing about digging a fork into something shaped like a human face, no matter how delicious it is. This is a great way to get the creep juice flowing.

Writhing Worms

(Images via octoberlicious, easycupcakes, instructables)

One of the simplest, yet most effective, grossout techniques is to create a plate full of writhing worms. Get the right coloration and the perfect pasta selection, and you’ve got a disgusting dish that’s certain to creep out your friends.

Classic Skulls

(Images via notmartha, hubpages)

The only thing better than feasting on a human head, is feasting on a decomposed human head. Take a slice of that skull and try not to cringe as you feel the crunch as you chew down…

Gross Creations

(Images via mentalfloss, crazyfunnypictures, ljcfyi)

Halloween is a time for creativity, so don’t just stick with the typical ghouls and ghosts – flex your disturbing mind muscles and come up with anything and everything that will make your friends struggle to eat your food. Organs, bugs, and strange animals are always a hit.

Ghoulish Fingers

(Images via whatdoveganseat, window-blinds-project, marthastewart, maplespice)

Dismembered fingers are easily reproduced in food form, with gory (and delicious results). I especially love the fake fingernails, which look incredibly crunchy and cringeworthy.

Plucked Eyeballs

(Images via maplespice, fancyflours, mentalfloss, halloweenexpress)

Dangling eyeballs are the star of any Halloween costume, and eyeball dishes are no different. Easy to make, versatile, and totally disgusting, when in doubt, throw in an eyeball. They can be added to a stew, made out of cupcakes, or even crafted into giant cakes.

Brainnnnnssss!

(Images via petitchef, annies-eats, ghoulfriday, partyideasparade)

Cold brain is disgusting to think about, but with the wonder of the internet and brain shaped molds, it’s easy to craft them out of jello, or decorate your favorite baked goods with the tell tale twists and turns of human gray matter.

(from weburbanist)

What I do have with me is my iPhone 3GS (waiting for the iPhone 4).

I am pretty happy with the quality of photos and videos the iPhone 3gs does, and I am looking forward to the iPhone 4 which is much better.

For the photos I would like to recommend 3 apps that will make you a better iPhone photographer:

Autostich

Autostich is an app that will allow you to make panoramas, so you don’t need wide angle lens ;-)
The beauty of this app is that you take photos that overlap a 20 to 30% side by side and they the app puts them together on a single panoramic photo.

In addition to this you can even take a second row of photos and add it too!

Here you have a couple of photos using this app:

Hipstamatic

Hipstamatic transforms your iphone into an old camera. You can change the lense from the typical John S, to a Jimmy, Kaimal Mark II, Helga Viking, Lucifer VI, etc…

Also you choose the film: Blanko, Ina’s 1969, Ina’s 1935, Kodot Verichrome, Blackeys B+W, etc…

And the flash (simulated), from a dreampop to redeye gel or berry pop…

The results are amazing. Take a look at the photos I just took:

Pro HDR

Pro HDR is a great app for when you are facing a contrast, like a photo at home with the window. Either the inside is OK and the outside is burned, or the outside is OK but the inside is black.

HDR has been introduced to the iPhone 4. The technique is simple, you take an overexposed photo and an underexposed and you mix them. The result is not natural but it is great. I use this technique with my nikon too. I read that this app is far better than the one coming with the iPhone 4.

Take a look at the photos:

“I created the first one in 2009 because at that time there was an energy crisis in Europe,” Mr. Tsvetkov said. “I just created it to amuse my friends but when I put it up on my website so many people liked it that I decided to really focus on the project of mapping the stereotypes based on different places in Europe. I was surprised by the reaction because I never really expected it to take off like this.”

Europe according to the French

Europe according to the Germans

Europe according to the Italians

Europe according to the British

Europe according to the Americans

Timelapse Montage from Mike Flores on Vimeo.

Bulk Rice.

Mixed Meat for the choosing.

Orange Juice And Cooking Oil (fish?) pack.

Turtles and other stuff.

Who knows…

Walmart Brand Spirits.

Rib Cages.

Assorted Dried Reptiles.

Beautiful Boxes Of Liquor.

Frogs.

A Large Selection Of Chopsticks.

Ducks on a rack.

Great Value Brand Beef Granules.

Pig Faces.

Antibacterial Bikini Underwear For Men.

Diet Water.

Meat Water.

Specialty Pickles.

100% Powdered Horse Milk.

Calling all shopaholics and sacks addicts: we’ve got your fun bags right here! These 15 weird & wonderful shopping bag designs take the concept of “love handles” to a whole new level while consigning the basic, bland, brown bag to the boredom bin.

Shopping Unplugged

(images via: Ads Of The World)You know those Smart Electricity Tips your power provider often includes with your monthly electric bill? The ones you glance at and then toss in the trash? Meralco (the Philippines’ leading power company) had a better idea: give away cool designer shopping bags that have “Electricitips” printed on them.

(images via: Ads Of The World)Not only do Filipino power users keep their electricity tips handy, they also look cool toting the reusable, faux power cord handled shopping bags wherever they go.

Leather & Laces

(images via: Kong Online)Kong Shoes wants you to remember them, any time and any lace… laces, actually. Yes, it’s the old “cinch your bag by tightening the shoelaces” trick, gets me every time. I guess that’s the idea.

Not Your Father’s Golf Bag

(images via: Wisdom By Woody and I Believe In Advertising)When French advertising agency Agence V was charged with raising the visibility of the VW brand at the 2009 Paris Auto Show, they whipped up this neat shoulder bag that displays part of the door from a Volkswagen Golf GTI, then gave out free bags to everyone who attended the show.

(images via: Creative Guerilla Marketing)Not only was traffic at the VW booth noticeably higher, show-goers took the versatile bags home with them, thereby spreading the VW brand long after the auto show ended.

Bags Under Your Eyes?

(images via: Coloribus)The somewhat disturbing “Eye Bag” was conceived and created in 2009 by the Leo Burnett Frankfurt advertising agency to help promote Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara. The cute yet creepy bags were distributed to customers at selected department stores and included a free sample of the mascara inside.

Amused By Muse

(images via: This Next and AdGoodness)The Muse Beauty Salon (c/o Tokyu Agency Inc., Tokyo) has come up with an ingenious alternate use for those twisted and braided samples of dyed hair commonly displayed at the hair dye rack. Maybe “twisted” cuts a little too close to the bone, but carrying ANYTHING by its hair just seems a little odd. On the other hand, it’s so easy a cave man can do it.

Bag Those Braids

(images via: ThinkAboutIt and Humor.com)Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko‘s claim to (fashion) fame was her trademark golden hair braid. At least, it’s better than being known as the “Gas Princess”. In any case, someone with mad photoshop skills decided her crowning glory could be put to a more prosaic use – carrying a load of perogies, perhaps?

Bags To Make You Blush

(images via: Adverbox)So you’re a lingerie store in the heart of Berlin, Germany, and you want to show the general public how nice your lingerie is – by showing how nice it would look on your customers. That’s the challenge thrown down by Blush, the Berlin lingerie store, to ad agency BBDO. We think BBDO did a great job if the photos above are any indication. Then again, we haven’t seen photos of Hubbies or grandmothers carrying the bags – danke schoen!

No Waisted Effort

(images via: Lab092)This cleverly designed bag – called the “Burn Bag” – was used in the Philippines to advertise GNC‘s Burn 60 fat-burning supplement. If only it were that easy to shrink your waist a few inches… which seems to be the message GNC’s trying to tell you.

LIFE (Or Other Magazines) Behind The Burka

(image via: Duval Guillaume)When P Magazine from Belgium wanted to get people thinking of what life behind the burka was like, they came up with this clever shopping bag that burka-izes the beauties featured on their magazine covers.

(image via: Adtention)The idea for the Burka Bag grew out of an article in P Magazine about the daily life of women in Afghanistan, where wearing a burka is commonplace. The magazine commissioned over 100.000 black bags designed with a burka cutout at the level where most standard-size magazines show the eyes of their cover girls. Indeed, as the above image shows, most any magazine featuring a full cover shot of a woman can get burka’d by being bagged.

Shop Until You Drop

(images via: AdGoodness)Graphic artist Antje Gerwien treads a fine line between groovy and grotesque, the the above bag designs illustrate so well. According to ReVital, who commissioned Gerwien to create the bag design, the intent was to “focus on putting the demographic curve back to normal”. We see… so, are we there yet?

The Choice Of Teabaggers Everywhere

(images via: I Believe In Advertising and Mastione)This shopping bag was designed in the form of an extra-EXTRA-large Lipton Clear Green Tea bag. Created by the DDB Integrated advertising agency of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the bags included actual sample bags of Lipton Clear Green Tea and were given to shoppers at area malls.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Of Champions

(images via: Bored Panda)Wheaties, more than most breakfast cereals, has always striven to break new ground in attention-grabbing advertising. The “six-pack abs” bags above are a prime example. Lift a few fullWheaties shopping bags on a regular basis and you, too, could look like a champion!

Migraine, No Gain

(images via: Directory Journal)Panadol wants to be what you grab when you’ve got a headache, so they whipped up a series of excruciating ad bags to bring that fact to your attention. The full effect is realized when you either grab the bag by the grips (above left) or swing it by its strings.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

(images via: Directory Journal and Ads Of The World)One of the classic trompe l’oeil (“deceive the eye”) techniques involves associating a real object with the image of another. The shopping bags above do just that, with an orangutan and a human child.

Case Closed

(images via: PicForMe)Speaking of six-packs… no need to brown-bag your bottles anymore, thanks to this graphic bag that literally has nothing to hide. Designed to advertise Shumensko, a Bulgarian beer, this bag comes in handy when you need to tote anything beer-related or otherwise – there’s an otherwise?
(image via: Odd Stuff Magazine)With the use of shopping bags as advertising media on the upswing, one wonders how long before we’ll see bags featuring flexible OLED screens showing video ads and commercials. We’re guessing it won’t be long… can you handle it?

(from weburbanist)

Radial engines are used in aircrafts having propeller connected to the shaft delivering power in order to produce thrust its basic mechanism is as follows

Steam engine Principle

Steam engine once used in locomotives was based on the reciprocating principle as shown below

Sewing Machine

Maltese Cross Mechanism

this type of mechanism is used in clocks to power the second hand movement.

Manual Transmission Mechanism

The mechanism also called as “stick shift” is used in cars to change gears mannually

Constant Velocity Joint

This mechanism is used in the front wheel drive cars

Torpedo-Boat destroyer System

This system is used to destroy fleet in naval military operations.

Rotary Engine

Also called as Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine has a unique design that converts pressure into rotating motion instead of reciprocating pistons

(from world of technology)

The article written by The Seattle Times Rebecca Teagarden is titled “Tiny apartment shows the value of a good fit” and talks about Steve Sauer’s 182-square-foot Seattle condo which shows the value of a good fit, from the soaking tub built into the entry floor to the “video lounge” tucked beneath the “cafe area.” Sauer shopped Ikea for many of his home’s furnishings, such as a little table, and used tabletops to fashion cabinet fronts.

Photos by Benjamin Benschneider of the Seattle Times

Steve Sauer watches television in the video lounge, which has seating for two. The horizontal band around the condo, accenting the powder-blue walls, is coated with blackboard paint.

Saurer’s says, “What I really wanted was one place with exactly what I needed and wanted. Quality is more important than quantity for me, and extra space only a problem,” he has written, describing his nearby too-big-for-him, one-bedroom condo.

Sauer relaxes in the cafe area of his 182-square-foot condo. “I was worried as I filled in all the upper spaces that it would feel cramped, but it didn’t,” he says. The window is at street level. The little table is Ikea. It has a glass top that swivels open, providing storage.

“I wanted to compress my home to squirt me back out to the community,” he says, taking inspiration from dwellings in Scandinavia and Japan, places where space is dear. “That was one of the philosophical reasons. I want to be able to shop daily, not store a lot and eat really well.”

Sauer checks his messages at the dining table, which includes a leaf to expand for company. The undercounter refrigerator is Frigidaire, from Lowe’s.

When Sauer couldn’t find the things he needed, he designed them and built them: The stainless-steel shower caddy, towel bar. For other pieces, “Ikea came through again.” Lighting, cabinet pulls, and butcher block for shelves, the table top and cabinet fronts. The rich flooring, Brazilian walnut, was installed by Matt Messenger. A bureau from West Elm fit to 1/8 of an inch, and so it was ordered.

Sauer designed the tiny condo for two. Just inside the door is the bathroom to the left, and a soaking tub inserted into the floor and covered with a 3form Chroma panel.

“My dream is to put 300 of these in a building and not have it be a tenement.”

Read the Seattle Times article here.

One bike is tethered to the ceiling for storage. Steam heat comes from the building’s system. The ventilation chimney runs across Sauer’s ceiling, and was easy to pipe into. “It was passing through here anyway.”

The bathroom wall is covered in 1-inch tiles from Tiles for Less. Light filters into the room through a 3form Chroma panel, shared with the kitchen. The ceiling is tempered glass meant for a table top from Ikea. The toilet is Philippe Stark for Duravit. Sauer designed and manufactured the stainless-steel shower caddy and towel bar.

The video lounge is tucked beneath the cafe area and next to the dining table. “All along the way this project’s had good chi, so that’s good,” Sauer says. The bureau is from West Elm. “It fit to within 1/8 inch. It was a nice find. I didn’t want to build another piece of furniture.” The floor is Brazilian walnut.

(from tinyhouseblog)

Chances are you already know Steve McCurry as the man who took one of the most iconic photos of our time. It was of a 12-year-oldAfghan refugee girl who’s piercing green eyes told us her harrowing story. The image itself was named as “the most recognized photograph” in the history of the National Geographic magazine and her face became famous as the cover photograph on their June 1985 issue.

Beyond just that one photo, McCurry has shot over a million images spanning 35 years. More than anything, he is one of a few that has that amazing ability to capture stories of our shared human experience. As he says “Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape that you could call the human condition.”

Looking through his large body of work, we get to experience fantastic faraway places we can only dream about visiting. It’s in his incredible photos that we feel connected to the world at large, appreciating our similarities and our differences, our cultures and our histories, and our past and our present in a truly unique and everlasting way.

Afghanistan

Yemen

Tibet

Cambodia

India

Burma

Eastman Kodak let McCurry shoot the last ever produced roll of Kodachrome transparency film. The film, known for its rich saturation and archival durability of its slides, was discontinued last year. The roll will be the subject of an upcoming documentary by National Geographic. Can’t wait to see it.

Steve McCurry

(from mymodernmet)

All praise the zipper: the ubiquitous, maintenance-free, no muss, no fuss fastener that trumps both buttons and Velcro! Zippers operate smoothly, silently and safely day in and day out, often in close proximity to our most sensitive bodily parts yet they rarely – “There’s Something About Mary” excepted – cause us anxiety or grief. These 10 toothy examples of zany zipper art illustrate the mix of appreciation, admiration and YKK-stamped tabs by which society holds these fascinating fasteners.

Zippered Walnut

(images via: Ellen Rixford Studio and WebMD)

Artist Ellen Rixford knows how to grab one’s attention, as this zippered walnut shells, er, shows so well. The walnut is actually crafted from clay, is 6 inches long and is highlighted by an industrial zipper. Rixford created this striking image for a drug company advertisement… perhaps regarding a non-surgical treatment to replace testicular surgery.

Juming Museum’s Zipper Lotus Pond

(image via: BIG art)

Fly fishing anyone? Get your rod (and reel) to Taiwan, where the lushly landscaped grounds of the Juming Museum are graced with a most unusual pond. Designed by respected Taiwanese artist and sculptor Ju Chun, the Zipper Lotus Pond was completed in 2009.

(images via: My Confined Space and Broccoli City)

Sharp eyes may notice that the zipper slider carries the logo “JU-JUN”. It’s not clear exactly what the artist’s intent was in using this logo though the similarity to his name may offer a clue.

Zipper Tongue

(images via: Stylelist and Snopes)

When zipping your lips isn’t enough… yes, this is a photoshop. Not completely though, the zipper hardware was added to an actual “lingua bifida” body modification for a Worth1000 photoshop contest. Considering the increasing number of bodymods that have crossed the Net of late, we may yet see an actual zippered tongue some day. You just won’t see it in my bathroom mirror.

Life In The Fastener Lane

(images via: Pixyard, TACO and Telovation)

This group of images highlights zippers that have been painted or otherwise integrated into streets, avenues, boulevards and other paved pathways. One might ask (in a Seinfeld-esque voice),“What’s the deal with zippers and roads?” Perhaps artists note some correlation between the role of roadways in society and the functionality of zippers on an individual’s clothing. Or, maybe they just need sufficient space.

(image via: Impact Lab)

While paint and chalk make sense for roadway artwork, more obtrusive installations such as the Big Zip above are best suited to sidewalks and soft shoulders. Pedestrians and bicyclists may disagree, however.

Sebastian Errazuriz’s Zipper Dress

(images via: Britannica and Newslite)

Guys who already have trouble “unwrapping” their dates aren’t going to be thrilled by the Zipper N3 dress. Designed and created by 31-year-old Chilean artist Sebastian Errazuriz, the intention wasn’t to facilitate hanky panky but instead provide women with a so-called “credit crunch dress” that can be adapted to form over 100 different styles. Errazuriz used 120 zippers to make the dress, which he hopes to have mass-produced by a major clothing firm.

Amalia Versaci’s Upcycled Zippers

(images via: AmaliaVersaci and Amalia Versaci – ETSY Shop)

Amalia Versaci has got a name made for fashion and indeed, the Rhode Island School of Design grad focuses her creative energies on clothing and accessories. Her special emphasis is on the zipper, however, and her designs often employ zippers and parts thereof in original yet appealing ways. Versaci has taken a special interest in vintage and upcycled zippers, taking inspiration from the shapes and designs popular when zippers were as new, exciting and futuristic as Velcro is today.

(images via: Amalia Versaci)

Hear no evil with Amalia Versaci’s zipper slide earrings! I SAID, HEAR… ok, we’ll move on. Upcycling vintage zipper slides and adding today’s colors, tones and shades adds up to an attractive combination well suited for today’s New Traditionalists.

(images via: Amalia Versaci)

Jewelry isn’t the only purpose Versaci dedicates her zipper creations. Above are magnets made from heavy-duty YKK industrial zipper slides and collages crafted from vintage zippers still attached to their backing fabric strips.

Hirotoshi Itoh’s Grinning Stones

(images via: ScienceBlogs Bio-ephemera)

Part of the fascination of fossils is that what’s been locked in rock for countless millions of years is suddenly displayed before your very eyes. Hirotoshi Itoh’s zippered stones are something like that, except weirder. From skull-like grinning boulders to congealed coin purses to a soupcon of seashells secreted in silica, Itoh offers a glimpse into the heart of rocks whose concealed treasures are revealed with a mere casual zip.

(image via: Jiyuseki)

Creepiest, of course, are Itoh’s granitic grinning stones. Funny, I don’t recall Han Solo smiling as he gazed out from Jabba’s imprisoning block of Carbonite… unlike Itoh’s mouthy marbles, I guess he just wasn’t into it.

Benoit Lemoine: The Zip Tape Experiment

(images via: Benoit Lemoine and Design-Milk)

The cool thing about zipper tape is that it can be used to reveal heretofore un-noticed shapes and structures that COULD be zipped but aren’t. Forked tree limbs, bipod street lights, anything that conforms to a Y-shape (don’t get cheeky now)… just zip it! Benoit Lemoine has made somewhat of an artistic career for himself being the Banksy of Zipperdom, an odd avocation if there ever was but hey – someone’s gotta do it.

(images via: Stupid.com)

A variation on the zipper tape Lemoine chooses to use is Popped Zipper Tape, which makes your parcel, package, briefcase or whatever look like it, well, popped a zipper.

Karen L. Davidson’s Zipper Mosaics

(images via: Zipper Mosaics by Karen L. Davidson)

Winters are long & cold up in Minot, ND, and residents have come up with some interesting ways to avoid cabin fever, snow blindness and the like. One of the coolest (sorry) ways to get through those frigid months – the ones with an R in them – is Original Zipper Art as practiced and promulgated by Karen L. Davidson. From pins to plates to Christmas Trees and more, Davidson knows how to make a zipper do tricks that’ll bust your buttons.

(images via: Zipper Mosaics by Karen L. Davidson)

Davidson takes advantage of the wildly diverse color palette bestowed upon today’s plastic, polyester and metal zippers by manufacturers, thus avoiding messy paints and volatile solvents. A bonus is that the colors are either baked on or mixed into the zippers’ substrates. Designed to be long lasting from the start, Davidson’s zippers do the same for her art!

Zipping Across The Ocean

(images via: Asiajin)

Japanese artist Yasuhiro Suzuki set out to make a big impress ion at the 2010 Setouchi International Art Festival, and one would have to agree his zany zipper motorboat helped him succeed in spades. Suzuki must have noticed that the long, radiating wakes left by boats on smooth water look a lot like zippers unzipping… well, somewhat. In any case, inspiration led to construction and the result was the world’s only Zipper Motorboat. Here’s a short video of Suzuki unzipping Neptune’s fly:

Zipper Motorboat at SIAF 2010, via Shumiyama

(image via: Funny-Potato)

Zippers: where would clothing (and zany art) be without them? Buttons and Velcro have their good points but zippers are faster than buttons and they make a cool sound; not that painful ripping sound that so irritated Morty Seinfeld and doubtless many others. The Art of the Zipper simply completes the zipper’s long interaction with modern society by meshing the functional with the creative. Not much more to say… so I’ll zip it.

(from weburbanist)

We drink beer from bottles, but even with a small single-serving wine bottle there is always a glass – so why not combine the two in to one and save everyone some hassle? These plastic glasses might not go over well at a formal dinner party, but for a toast-on-the-go or quick picnic they could just be the perfect table(-free)wares.

One inventor did just that, and then founded Wine Innovations around the concept. Though his yogurt-style, peal-off lid initially did not go over well with potential investors it ultimately has led to booming sales in Great Britain.

Think about it: sports games, large celebrations, all without the worry of broken glass underfoot and with the easy-carry advantage of walking around with non-spill, pre-filled glasses of wine. Hopefully they can do not just red and white but sparkling wines as well, since these would be ideal for something like a sizable New Years Eve event.

Whether this one-use disposable partyware is a step in the right direction in terms of sustainability is another question. Still, the units can be recycled, and surely it is at least a better design than handing out both miniature bottles and plastic cups (as they do on airplanes, etc…) for wine.

(from dornob)

Here you have some:

Carrefour

Living in France and having Carrefour supermarket all around Europe, it is only now that I realized that there is a “C” in the white part of the logo. Carrefour is one of the biggest European retailers, and it’s also French for “crossroads”. The logo symbolizes this word via two opposite arrows. They also added the first letter of the name, because if you look closely you’ll see the letter C in the negative space between the two arrows.

Toblerone

You’ve probably seen the Toblerone logo dozens of times – it’s just a mountain, right? Look closer. There’s a bear shape hidden in the negative space within that mountain, symbolizing the city of Bern, Switzerland where the Matterhorn mountain that inspired the logo is located.

Sony Vaio

VAIO was originally just an acronym for Video Audio Integrated Operation – since changed to Visual Audio Intelligence Organizer. But the strange, seemingly abstract logo derives from another lucky coincidence: ‘VA’ represents an analog wave and ‘IO’ represents digital binary code, perfectly illustrating the integration of analog and digital technology.

Presbyterian Church

How many symbols can you fit into one relatively uncluttered, uncomplicated logo? The Presbyterian Church logo is a pretty good example of making this work: you’ve got a cross, a bible on a pulpit, a pastor’s robes, a dove, a fish and fire all within the same basic shape.

Northwest Airlines

Before they changed it to something far less interesting – and then faded into oblivion by merging with Delta – Northwest Airlines had one of those logos that contain a bit of symbolism entirely  unnoticed by the vast majority of the public. Sure, it’s got the ‘N’ and ‘W’, seemingly placed inside a circle for no good reason – but check out the location of that little triangle making up the upper corner of the ‘W’. It’s the arrow of a compass, pointing northwest.

Museum of London

Well now, isn’t that a pretty… blob. But there’s more to the Museum of London logo than an artsy splash of watercolor; the various colored circles actually represent the changing shape of London throughout history.

Milwaukee Brewers

Sure, it was just a bit of luck that gave the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team a name with the initials ‘M’ and ‘B’, but it took a great logo designer to see how those letters – combined with the negative space in a lowercase ‘b’ – could form a mitt with a baseball in it.

London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra escaped its staid reputation a bit with this redesigned logo, featuring the letters ‘LSO’ in a modern script that forms a single wavy line. But what you may not see immediately is the abstract image of a conductor waving with one arm and conducting with the other.

Hope for African Children Initiative

In this trick of the eye, you’re actually drawn to look at the negative space first – the continent of Africa in white, albeit a rather unfaithful rendering. A closer look reveals the shapes of a child and a woman on either side in shades of orange.

Elefont

Designed by Mike Erickson (otherwise known as Logomotive) for a fictitious company, this logo has three different elements combined into one simple and visually striking symbol. That curving lowercase ‘e’, which stands for ‘elefont’ and highlights an elegant font, also has an elephant trunk shape hidden inside it.

Eighty 20

Do you ever see a logo and think to yourself, what was the designer thinking? How does this random image contribute to or identify this brand’s identity? In this case, at least, you’re simply not in on the joke – unless you’re a math nerd. If you view the dark squares as ‘1′ and the light squares as ‘0′, the two rows read 1010000 and 0010100, which read 80 and 20 in binary.

Cluenatic

Perhaps it’s not the most readable logo ever, but it works flawlessly as a visual representation of the puzzle game ‘Cluenatic’, which involves unraveling four clues. Each of the four letters in the world ‘Clue’ are nested inside each other like a puzzle or a maze.

Bison

Designed for a rock band from Vancouver, this logo is like one of those left brain/right brain quiz images: what do you see first, the picture or the word?

Amazon

This logo doesn’t seem to hide much at first sight, but it gives you a little insight in the philosophy behind the brand. First of all, the yellow swoosh looks like a smile: Amazon.com want to have the best customer satisfaction. The swoosh also connects the letters a and z, meaning that this store has everything from a to z.

Baskin Robbins

The old logo of Baskin Robbins had the number 31 with an arc above it. The new logo took this idea to the next level. The pink parts of the BR still form the number 31, a reference to the 31 flavours.

Big Ten

Big Ten is an academic union which was founded in the year 1896. Until 1990, this union consisted of 10 universities, but in June 1990 Pennsylvania State University was added. They didn’t want to change their name, so they added the number 11 to the logo.

Continental

Continental is a manufacturer of tyres. You could actually see this in their logo, because the first two letters create a 3-dimensional tyre.

Eight

Every letter is made of the number 8.

Fedex

This is probably one of the best known logos with a hidden meaning. If you look closely, you’ll see an arrow that’s formed by the letters E and x. This arrow symbolizes speed and precision, two major selling points of this company.

Formula 1

At first, this logo might not make much sense. But if you look closely, you’ll see the number 1 in the negative space between the F and the red stripes. I also love how this logo communicates a feeling of speed.

GreenLabs

I know this logo looks like a simple, boring green tree, but if you look at the tree crown, you’ll see that it can also be interpreted as a brain. The logo lays emphasis on the strong intellectual capabilities of the company’s staff and also reflects ‘green’ and ‘labs’ parts of their name.

Hartfort Whalers

This logo also uses a negative space to create the letter H. You can see three different parts: the letter H and W and a whale’s tail in blue.

NBC

The NBC (National Broadcasting Company) is one of the biggest American television networks. I think most of you have already seen the peacock in this logo. The peacock has 6 different tail feathers, referring to the six divisions at the time that this logo was created. The peacock’s head is  flipped to the right to suggest it was looking forward, not back.

Roxy

Roxy is a company that specializes in clothing and accessories for girls who love snowboarding, surfing… The company is actually a part of Quiksilver. The Roxy logo is made of two Quiksilver logos that form a heart.

Sun Microsystems

The Sun logo is one of the most famous ambigrams in the world. You can read the brand name in every direction; both horizontally and vertically. This logo was designed by professor Vaughan Pratt of the Stanford University.

Tostitos

If you look at the centre of this logo, you can see two people enjoying a Tostito chip with a bowl of salsa. This logo conveys an idea of people connecting with each other.

Twins

This logo was made for twins. To reflect the essence of the duo, a bold typeface was created to reflect the boldness of their approaches. The number 2 was integrated to show the creativeness of their ideas.

Unilever

Unilever is one of the biggest producers of food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. They produce a huge amount of different products and they wanted to reflect this in their logo. Each part of the logo has a meaning. For example: the heart represents love, care and health -  feeling good, a bird is a symbol of freedom. Relief from daily chores – getting more out of life.

Body Wisdom

In this case, a logo design for a high end day spa,the hands effectively convey massage, while the proximity of the “eyes” within the owl shape created by the hands clearly say “wisdom”.

Amnesty International 30th anniversary

This logo was designed by Pekka Piippo from Finland, for the Amnesty International 30th Anniversary of Finnish Division. Clever multiplication of 5 fingers on 6 hands mark the occasion of 30th Anniversary occasion.

ED logo

The designer of ED – “Elettro Domestici”, “Home Appliances” in English, changed the concept of traditional logo designing through this logo. The designer has amazingly used the negative space to demonstrate the letter “E” and “D”

Fuga

It is a logo for Architecture Center Of Budapest. It might seem something like a maze but if you follow the white space, the four lettered company name will become evident.

!N3K8

It is a business and IT consulting company based in the UK. The logo explains the word “intricate”

Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette (Paris), you will notice that it’s logo represents Paris with its joined letters “t” to form Eiffel Tower.

Marriage

What better logo can be used to symbolize a marriage with two mirrored “R” in the middle. No frills, no shadows, still so powerful and meaningful.

Mosleep

Very cleverly the designer have integrated a bed and the letter “M” in this logo. You cant miss to love it.

Piano Forest

If you notice the logo closely you will observe the trees placement form the keys of a piano. An intelligent way to display two different terms, “piano and forest”, through a single logo concept.

Yoga Australia

At first glance the logo is a simple picture of a young girl doing her yoga but if you watch it carefully the body posture is creating the Australia Map.

8 fish

I am sure, at the first glance you can’t figure out the 8 fish instantly or maybe I am being a little dumb. The designer, very creatively, uses the negative space and monotones to show 8 fish in one logo.

Academy of Fine Arts

The logo shows merger of the lower case letters “A”, “S” and “P”.

B

Although you might think it is a simple “Symbolic Logo” showing a “Bee” but what makes it more appealing is the portraying of the letter “B” and the real “Bee” through a simple symbol.

Minimum

This wavy logo looks like “a queue of letter ‘U’ but I would like you to give a second look. Designed by Kilment Kalchev, the logo spells the word minimum in an unrecognizing manner. I really enjoyed figuring it out

New Man

The reversible Newman logo. This logo is the best example of simple but clever logo.

Treacy Shoes

This logo is the cutest example of hidden logos. The hidden shoe packed between the company initials conveys the company message in a very stylish and interesting way.

Anthropomorphic design is nothing new, but these furniture objects are quite literally made of people. A cross between art photography,performance artand home furniture design, these strange shots show us a surreal artistic perspective on everyday household objects. These photographs may not be safe for work … nor are the creations they depict safe, and they do not really work.

From stacked human shelves to place settings set on structural bodies, arched figures holding entertainment systems to a lamp-headed person, these images shot by photographer David Blazquez feel almost uncomfortably raw and personal.

The feeling of discomfort is augmented, of course, by the nudity of the posed figures – but is also tied to the surreal depictions of familiar forms. The composite ‘people furniture’ seems at once stable and solid yet also simultaneously soft and poised to collapse.

Sensual or sexist? Simplistic or sublime? It is said of the best and most controversial artists in history that they were masters of their craft before they broke away from mainstream techniques, materials or approaches. Likewise, Peter Rolfe did not simply start by making suggestive and erotic pieces of furniture – he began by becoming a master of fine wood furniture design and construction.

These forms may come as a shock to moral sensibilities – or might not, depending upon the cultural context of the viewer. Either way, however, the layered, carved and polished wooden forms are incredibly well-made despite the complexities involved with having opening and closing doors, drawers and other moving elements.

Whether sublime, sexy or something else entirely, each part is carved with incredible delicacy and precision – from the human forms themselves to the props with which they interact – such as the supporting object above designed to look the part of an remarkably life-like cloth draped over a dresser.

Before you begin to wonder whether this work is more sexist than sexual, it is worth noting that he has crafted male forms as well as female ones.

Still, some of the women are modeled with arguably unrealistically ‘perfect’ curves by societal standards – and the locations of some of the drawer openingsand storage spaces do leave open questions about just how erotic these pieces truly are. But perhaps that is their purpose, or at least part of the point: to create conversations, spark controversy and question our avoidance of sexually suggestive forms in contemporary furniture design.

(from dornob)

(all images copyright Clark Little, used with permission)

Clark Little is pretty well known today as the foremost shorebreak art photographer (his art has been seen on “Good Morning America”, and featured in a number of glossy magazines all over the world). But as much as we like the fantastic shots of various wave’ innards, we are even more impressed to see him pitched against dangerous, massive amounts of water – violent waves, where you only have a moment to make that shot and to get out of the harm’s way.

With exclusive permission of Clark Little Photography we publish today the rarely-seen photographs of Clark Little heading with his camera into…

Into the Vortex!

(Clark with his camera “inside” and “under” the waves)

Encounter with a Wave (almost alien-like in intensity, if you ask me):

The Result: Out of This World

A glorious, almost Mandelbrot-like complexity is simply striking in this “Glitter” photograph (our favorite):

Unusual, over-saturated colors show up inside crystal clear waves, reflecting kaleidoscopic world around them:

There is also a place for pure abstraction, even psychedelic touches:

This image is titled “The Twelve Disciples” – see if you can spot some faces inside that wave, too:

Here is perhaps his most famous image: the wave’s “mohawk”, an amazingly colorful splash, featured recently inside National Geographicmagazine:

Another singular splash:

Inside the belly of the beast: “The Twister” photograph shows what a violent wave is made of -

Even in the absence of killer monster waves, the shorebreak art can look slightly alien… Here is the little “Frosty” guy:

(all images copyright Clark Little)

The Book! The Ultimate Spectacular Photo Book!

Can’t get the computer screen wide enough and HD TV capable enough to give justice to Clark Little’s slices of glorious wave eye-candy? Well, now you can order his book, a coffee table-sized huge book, in fact arguably a “mother of all coffee table books”: 182 pages, over 100 photographs, 12×12 size, weighing close to 7 pounds.

Make sure you own a coffee table big enough to do this book justice (you might have to move your coffee cup closer to the edge, but then you might be already seating at the edge of your seat – with excitement over Clark Little’s fantastic images).

(Clark Little with Jack Johnson (musician) and Kelly Slater (9-time Surfing World Champion) at book signing)

Some of Clark’s newest images can be seen here… don’t forget to look for his book in your bookstore, or order it online.

(from dark roasted blend)

And there are more!

Power Rangers Zeo

Scrubs 6×16

A texasi láncfrészes

Everybody hates Chris 2×05

Modern Family 1×16

Angel 3×04

Lucky Louie - 1×06

A Murder of Crows

Desperate Housewives - 2×13

No Country For Old Men

Craig Tracy is dedicated to creating surreal moments in time. Without the use of digital manipulation or photographic tricks, he creates dazzling body painting compositions that have elevated this particular type of artistic expression into the realm of fine art. He recently opened a gallery in New Orleans: the first gallery in the world dedicated to fine art body painting images.

Although he’s been an artist his whole life, it took Craig Tracy a number of years to truly find his passion. His first professional art job was airbrushing t-shirts in a shopping mall. This experience gave him the foundation that would later lead him to discover that he could – and should – paint on unusual surfaces.

After college, Tracy went on to become an illustrator. Like many artists, he found the work dreary and depressing. With no artistic freedom and no way to imbue the projects with his own style, he felt trapped. After retiring from illustration and declaring his freedom from stuffy commercial work, he discovered that body painting was the only type of art that truly made sense for him. Starting out painting faces, he progressed to painting bodies and eventually began showing and selling prints of his body paintings in his own gallery.

Since then, Craig Tracy’s work has developed into a full-time passion. His body paintings show the strength and aching fragility of human bodies, juxtaposed perfectly with the fluidity and transience of the pigments in which they are covered. In some paintings, the model blends with the background, creating a stunning illusion. In others, the painted model is the focus of the piece. The above piece (bottom right), named “Butterfly” as a reference to the subtle butterfly disguised as a nose, features a woman as the leopard’s nose bridge. Her bottom forms the big cat’s top lips. The artist took 24 hours to paint the model and backdrop, pausing only for a one-hour nap.

Unlike Emma Hack, an artist who uses body paint to melt models into the background of her paintings, Tracy seems to celebrate the human form present in his work. Rather than hiding the model, he allows the curves and shadows of her body to interact with the entire piece, adding a depth, texture and powerful mystery to the paintings.

In doing this, he travels to a rather artistically dangerous zone. Just how much should the model’s form be allowed to influence the shape and direction of each piece? At what point does the body cross the line between canvas and subject? Each of Tracy’s paintings seem to play with these limits, exploring the human form as both the focus of the painting and an incidental part of it. Between those two extremes are many shades of grey, each of which is explored lovingly by the brush of the artist.

(all images used with permission of Craig Tracy)

The result of his playful and experimental approach to art and his obvious passion for what he does have made Craig Tracy one of the most respected contemporary body painting artists in the world. If you’d like to see more of the artist’s work, Craig Tracy Gallery can be found in New Orleans. It’s the only gallery in the world dedicated to fine art images of body paintings, and it also features videos of the body painting process for those interested in seeing the paintings unfold.

(from weburbanist)

Jumbles of beheaded bodies, limbs entwined, torsos twisting, hands reaching out – in compositions that are both glaringly Asian-influenced and psychedelic – call to mind some orgiastic body painting experiment, until you focus on the strange perspective and profusion of hands in various sizes.

This is no ordinary example of beautifully crafted body painting, and as stunningly realistic as the images appear, they’re actually computer-generated. Contemporary Korean artist Kim Joon uses 3D animation software to assemble the perfect body for each piece, building the form and grafting on skin texture before moving on to the intricate designs.

One piece, entitled ‘Neverland’, pays respects to Michael Jackson, but deeper behind this lies an homage to what Kim admits is his idea of the perfect male body: ebony-skinned and powerful. But the real star of each digital work is the body decoration, which Kim identifies as tattoos. To Kim – who says his single biggest influence is Jimi Hendrix – tattoos are sensual markings that simultaneously represent desire and repression, beauty and scars.

“I would like people to be able to think about their own tattoos and re-examine their lives through seeing my work. Tattoo or tattooing symbolizes the multi-layered composites of desire and will, emotion and action, pain and pleasure of self and other (tattooist) which can be translated as a complex system of complicit activities,” Kim told Art Radar Asia.

“This is much like the way in which our lives are conducted in the larger social matrix. I want people to be able to feel the tension between human (in)ability to control desires and situations. That we have less control than we think in defying forces in capital driven society.”

(from weburbanist)

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but there are times when the packaging matters just as much as what’s inside. When you’re shopping for anything from a bottle of juice to a new pair of shoes, the package is what catches your eye long before you consider the merits of the actual product. That’s why designers spend so much time and energy designing the perfect container for every product imaginable. Some are perfectly sensible and some are so far out that you can’t help but wonder what they were thinking. These packaging designs are some of the most eye-catching and wonderfully inventive from recent years.

Fast Food Fun

(images via: TheDieline)

Eating at a fast food restaurant is always fun for kids, but what about grown-ups? This Burger King concept from designer Bernadette Coughlin would let adults have fun creating their own Burger King from their various food packages, and switching his appearance by changing out the pieces.

(images via: TheDieline)

Just as fun is this suite of interactive, modular takeout packages for the Food City chain. The boxes are totally waterproof and free of glue, and the customer transforms them from box to eating tray. Add-on containers hold sides and sauces, making for a customizable experience without any excess waste.

Healthy Foods Can Be Fun, Too

(images via: TheDieline)

On the other end of the spectrum is this brilliant brand of healthy snacks called VitaMeal. They’re aimed at reducing childhood obesity by putting appropriate serving sizes of healthy foods into places where kids congregate, like schools and recreation centers. Each product has a “personality,” making them easy for kids to get excited about. The vending machines themselves are modular in nature so they fit into the available space, and they’re designed to work with special “credit” cards that bear the likeness of one of the snack characters. Parents put credits onto the card and decide which snacks their little ones can and can’t buy.

(images via: Toxel & Gajitz)

Making healthy foods more appealing is often just a matter of the way they’re presented. Above, fruit juice is packaged in boxes that look and feel like real fruit skin, making them interesting to the touch as well as delicious to the taste buds. Just below that, a new concept for packaging healthy foods puts carrots, celery and blueberries into packages usually reserved for very unhealthy products. Carrots are packed like cigarettes, celery comes in a French fry container, and blueberries are in a blister pack like chocolates…all in the hopes that consumers will want more fresh, healthy foods if they come in unusual packages.

The Packaging Is the Product

(images via: Treehugger 1, 2)

As beautiful as some packaging is, sometimes it’s simply excessive. With some products coming wrapped in two or three layers of plastic, paper and cardboard, it’s enough to drive any environmentally-minded person crazy. So when a company integrates their packaging into their product design, it’s a win on every level. At the top, Hangerpak is a box to ship tee shirts that transforms into a hanger once in the customer’s hands. Below that, Lite 2 Go is a modular hanging light kit that’s packaged inside its own shade, greatly cutting down on the amount of waste generated by each individual product.

(images via: Treehugger)

One of the worst parts of bringing any new product home from the store is having to deal with all of the wasted packaging – this is especially true of carefully-packed items like televisions. They usually come with layers upon layers of styrofoam, cardboard, plastic and plenty of little paper leaflets. But this packaging design from Tom Ballhatchet is different: it’s actually functional. The box formerly used to hold a television transforms into a stand for that television; the cavity that once cradled the TV and kept it safe turns into shelves for your DVD player and other accessories.

Smells Like Creativity

(images via: The Dieline 1, 2)

Women’s perfume is often packaged in lovely curved bottles, but men’s cologne is usually stuck in plain square or rectangle containers. These two concepts take men’s fragrance to a whole new level of packaging design. At top is Scent Stories, a concept from Polish design studio Ah&Oh. The bottles are all based on classic literature, featuring quotes from Poe, Orwell, de Sade and Laclos stories, along with tops that resemble characters from memorable pieces by each author. Below that is Levelus, a tongue-in-cheek package for a manly fragrance; the level is functional and can actually be used to straighten picture frames in the bathroom while you get ready for a big date.

It’s All About the Shoes

(Images via: LovelyPackage, Gizmodo, Treehugger)

It’s often said that you can’t improve on the design of the mousetrap – and the same goes for the humble shoebox. But that doesn’t stop some designers from trying to cut down on shoe packaging waste or simply make the box more interesting. At top is Milli, a concept from student designer Jenny Kim. Milli stands for both millimeters – the unit of measurement used for bullets – and milliseconds – the unit of measurement that often decides the winner of a race. Her bullet shoebox represents the speed and power needed by runners. Bottom left is a brand new packaging design from Puma that incorporates a less-wasteful box with an exterior bag, eliminating both the laminated cardboard box (which is often hard to recycle) and the single-use exterior plastic bag. Bottom right: Newton shoes are packaged in 100% recycled cardboard (rather like cardboard egg carton material) and instead of being stuffed with paper, the shoes are stuffed with a pair of socks and a reusable shoe bag.

Drink it Up

(images via: TheDieline, LikeCool, TheDieline and DesignYearbook)

Beverages – from sodas to sports drinks to alcoholic beverages – already come in a wide variety of packages. But often, when we go into a store not sure of what we want, a unique package can be the deciding factor for our purchase. Above, beverages packaged in these incredible bottles would be sure to catch any shopper’s eye.

(images via: Reuben Miller and TheDieline)

Not all packaging innovations are for the sake of aesthetics only. These unique packages were designed with a desire to make lives easier. Above, a resealable soda can would prevent bugs and dirt from contaminating an open soda while allowing advertisers a brand new spot to reach their audience. The rectangular soda bottles would be the first major change to the shape of plastic beverage bottles, but it could save untold amounts of money. Packaging beverages this way would allow them to stack more closely and save room, thus drastically reducing transport costs.

(images via: LovelyPackage, TheDieline, VisualAdvice, PackagingoftheWorld)

Although most of us don’t want to admit it, a product’s packaging has a huge impact on what we purchase. Would you rather have a package on your shelf with a boring plain label or one that has clearly been designed to please the eyes and be useful? Above: flavored vodka comes in astonishingly cool flasks, the design of which won a bronze award at the 2009 German Art Director’s Club Competition. Lower, the 360 Paper Bottle could dramatically cut down on plastic bottle waste and still give the consumer a fun drinking experience. The “Milk” package is a two-liter carton which was designed as an experiment in unique packaging and communication. Bottom, a visual representation of what’s inside: a spoonful of sugar.

Playful Packages

(images via: TheDieline 1, 2)

It can be almost painful to throw away the coolest packaging – when you select a product based on how it’s packaged and bring it into your home because you like the way it looks, tossing the package into the trash is a little heart-wrenching. These products allow you to keep the wrapping around. Top, a set of dice help you decide what to be for Halloween while the canister they come in is an endlessly entertaining toy. Below that, a package containing rolls of film also works as a pinhole camera. It comes complete with instructions to help you construct your own photographic masterpiece.

You’ve Got the Music in You

(images via: PackagingoftheWorld 1, 2)

Music, being creative and highly subjective, lends itself well to creative and innovative packaging. Here, Peter Gabriel and the band Marrow both went with unusual packaging ideas for their music.

(images via: Azltron)

Science vs. Witchcraft did something a little different with their CDs and packaged them in old floppy diskettes, complete with retro labels and paper sleeves. As an added bonus, users can play a text-based game when they insert the diskette into a computer.

(images via: PackagingoftheWorld)

You wouldn’t use just any earbuds to listen to all of that creatively-packaged music, right? Audiovox designed these packages knowing that many people choose their earbuds as a fashion accessory rather than an electronics accessory. They put them in these personality-rich packages to help consumers decide which personality fits their lifestyle and their needs the best.

Power Up: Health Products

(images via: PackagingoftheWorld and Gajitz)

Any parent knows that getting kids to take vitamins can be a rather difficult task. These Omega-3 supplements come in kid-friendly packaging that might once and for all end the battle over taking or not taking vitamins. Below, creative first aid packaging whispers, rather than shouts, what’s inside – leaving the product to speak for itself.

Beautifully Creative Packaging

(images via: PackagingoftheWorld and Freedom of Creation)

There’s really no question that we’re simply drawn toward creative, attractive packaging. Even if the product is exactly the same as the one next to it, we simply want the one that looks more interesting. Whether it’s Mr. Clean packaged in dumbbell-shaped bottles or L’Oreal skin cream nestled in a golden sphere, many of us will buy a brand other than our usual when a different product offers a more attractive outer wrapping. Even though the packaging often just ends up in the trash, that first impression in the store makes all of the difference. Most of us decide in a split second, right when we see a product for the first time, whether we’re going to buy it. Since we can’t test out every product in the store, we rely on the packaging to tell us part of the story and draw us in.

(from weburbanist)

A small shovel and a pail for sand are the typical beach goer’s adventure kit, but some people take their sand castles a bit more seriously. With ladders, and teams of workers, sand sculptors travelto the most exotic beaches around the world creating towering art and hoping for fair weather. The creations they come up with are inspiring, hilarious, and totally unexpected. Here are 37 sand sculptures that will inspire you the next time you’re at the beach:

(Images via barnesandnoble, mtanga, thecontaminated, nonch, kav p)

Dragons are found in mythology and lore in cultures around the world. Their fearsome power combined with effortless grace (and of course, huge size), make them a popular subject of the imagination. Beach sculptors like to take advantage of this reverence for the mythological beast by creating incredibly intricate depictions in the sides of dunes and coming straight out of the earth.

Children try to impress their friends with the size of their castle creations, and adults are no different. With enough people working on a project, sand sculptors are able to put together sprawling scenes that eat up half of the sand on the beach. These giant creations are bound to impress any passerby, as it’s not everyday you have to look up at something made out of sand.

The beach is a place for frolicking in waves and relaxing vacations, but that only increases the creepy effect of adding sand skeletons and sun bleached bones to one’s art. People love to comb the beach with metal detectors, searching for lost treasure, so it’s interesting to imagine coming across a full dinosaur skeleton or, the unearthed remains of pirates who vanished with their booty.

Scientists like to sunbathe too! Especially gigantic ones made out of sand. From Darwin to Michelangelo, scientists and scientific subject matter are popular in sand sculpting competitions. While some might not get as excited by a realistic bust of a long dead scientist (as, say, a dragon), there are plenty of undercover geeks who no doubt thrill at the sight.

Who says the mundane has to be boring? Everyday activities like lazing around in bed or on the couch are much more exciting when they’re sculpted on a beautiful beach. Comic scenes like a painful visit to the dentist, or a sleeping construction worker, can make the most common subject matter entertaining.

The human form is probably the most common subject for any type of art, and sand sculpting is no different. Taking a close look at the face of giant portraits is amazing, as the detail put into this sand art is surprising and incredible. One would expect a closer view to spoil the effect of the piece, but seeing wrinkles on a sand face has the opposite effect; it’s the details that make these sculptures so wonderful.

Characters from popular films and fiction spring up at a lot of sand art competitions, including Disney characters from our favorite animated films, and classics such as Gulliver’s Travels and Star Wars. I, for one, would love to see a Death Star made out of sand on my next vacation.

Sand sculptors like to let their imagination run wild when they’re out on the beach, and their subjects can seem incredibly random. Imagined castles and scenes from dreams are common, as are portraits of artists like Michael Jackson. You can see a large mural of Gollum from Lord of the Rings, as well as a group of monks that seem remarkably dwarven.

It makes sense that ocean scenes would be a popular subject for any beach scene, and ocean life is often portrayed in remarkable detail. Coral reefs come to life on the sand, as do mythical creatures like mermaids. Why go under the sea when you can bring it on to land?

Munich U-Bahn (Germany)

Shanghai Bund Sightseeing Tunnel (China)

(Link)

Moscow’s Komsomolskaya Station (Russia)

Frankfurt’s Bockenheimer Warte station

Metro Bilbao (Basque Country)

New York’s City Hall station (US)

Chicago’s O’Hare Station (US)

Dubai Metro Stations (UAE)

Pyongyang Metro (North Korea)

What can’t artists do with 3D computer graphics these days? Fantasy can be brought to life in ways never before imagined, and realistic scenes as clear as a digital photograph are illustrated with stunning vitality. These 18 CG images from 15 talented artists will blow you away with their depth and attention to detail, from the tiniest little pores on the skin of an elf to the fibers on a fuzzy sweater.

Piotr Fox Wysocki

(image via: cgsociety.org)

The texture of the fabric. The gleam of the metal helmet. The pores, tiny hairs and imperfections of the skin. Piotr Fox Wysocki proves his mastery of 3D art with “The Last Elf”, a truly mind-blowing testament to how powerful 3D modeling programs have become. The project was certainly a labor of love, as Fox Wysocki notes that “As far as I
remember there were 1,300,000 small hair in the fabric.”

Juan Siquier

(image via: siquier.cgsociety.org)

3D artist Juan Siquier has managed to stir together a complex pot of magical ingredients to make this image so believable and moody: perspective, lighting, texture, and all of the little details that make up a personal space. See it full-sized on CGSociety.org to really appreciate the artistry of this image.

Arthur Wiechec

(image via: djdrako.deviantart.com)

Polish artist Arthur Wiechec may design everyday items like wine glasses and chess boards, but he infuses an incredible amount of life into them. Only the physical impossibility of floating wine and precariously balanced quarters of a glass betray the source of the image.

Kuanfu Sun

(image via: apollo13c.cgsociety.org)

Macro photo of a bee, or work of computer art? Kuanfu Sun makes it hard to tell in this image, which is richly detailed down to floating bits of dandelion in the background.

Rodrigue Pralier

(image via: 3dtotal.com)

Principal Artist at Bioware Montreal , Rodrigue Pralier has worked on 3D characters and backgrounds for games like Mass Effect 2 . This particular piece was done using Zbrush, 3Ds Max and Photoshop.

“I wanted to do a piece with an old Samurai. He just had a fight and won over another samurai. He is completely detached, he has done it so many times before. Now he just awaits for the one who will beat him, and end his nonsense life.”

Hong Phi

(image via: hongphi.deviantart.com)

If you saw one of Vietnamese conceptual 3D artist Hong Phi’s interiors in a magazine, you’d never guess that it wasn’t a photograph of a richly appointed home. But all of these images – including the incredible food spread above – were made using CG.

Rick Baker

(image via: monstermaker.cgsociety.org)

Renowned makeup artist Rick Baker turned to CGI to create a stunning likeness of Frankenstein’s monster. “This piece entitled “The Monster” is based on one of my favorite stills, of my all time favorite monster Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s Monster,” he writes on CG Society.

“I used Modo ZBrush and Photoshop to create this piece. Jack Pierce had crude materials in 1931 to create this makeup but managed to create an image that the whole world knows. Besides trying to do a likeness of Karloff I hoped to show some of the emotion that he put into this character.”

Mauro Corveloni

(image via: maurocor.cgsociety.org)

Mauro Corveloni’s “Muriel” may not quite look like a real woman – there’s something sort of waxy about her – but what’s truly impressive here is both the lighting and all of those tiny, fuzzy fibers on her hat and sweater.

Finn Meinert Matthiesen

(image via: madmaximus83.deviantart.com)

It’s an idyllic scene – a romantic picnic with textured table linens, a glass wine bottle, fruit and a basket full of bread with a lilypad-covered lake in the background. German graphic designer Finn Meinert Matthiesen says he used 3D-Studio Max 2009, VRay and Photoshop to create this image.

Max Wahyudi

(image via: student.vfs.com)

It’s tempting to assume that Max Wahyudi must have just edited an image of Heath Ledger as The Joker for this image – such is its realism. But you can see the whole fascinating modeling process laid out step-by-step at Max’s website, as each element is carefully arranged and enhanced.

Max Kor

(image via: mkor.cgsociety.org)

Each tiny eyelash, fine little hair, bump, wrinkle and scar make this 3D CG image by Max Kor astonishingly realistic – not to mention the reflections on the figure’s chain mail. And this image isn’t even an example of the latest and greatest 3D technology – it was created in 2005, making it all the more impressive.

Ed Whetstone

(image via: edthehobbit.cgsociety.org)

“This project was all about texturing something deceptively simple, the Sultan of Slime, the humble snail,” artist Ed Whetstone explains. “Then, the challenge was to composite it convincingly onto a photographic plate. The trickiest bit was replicating the very particular pattern of bumps and protrusions that snails always exhibit. This particular snail isn’t based on any specificspecies, but a mishmash of ones I thought looked interesting.”

Pasquale Giacobelli

(image via: karma3d.cgsociety.org)

Pasquale Giacobelli’s images may not have quite the crispness and shocking realism as some of his fellow 3D artists, but his art has a special something that many of them are lacking – humanity. There’s something in the eyes of his subjects that seems more fully alive than most computer-generated portraits.

Cornelius Comanns

(image via: cernulois.cgsociety.org)

Reflections can be tough to get right in any artistic work, but Cornelius Comanns has certainly crafted them convincingly in this piece, featuring an ice cube and two ladybugs.

Alex Stratulat

(image via: alexstratulat.cgsociety.org)

It really takes a moment to realize you’re not looking at an actual photograph of a young woman in this 3D work of art by Alex Stratulat.

Floor plans for small houses often look cramped on all sides, drawn furniture crowding each interior space. Not so with the work of Atelier Bow-Wow, an architecture and design group that (as the dog-referencing name suggests) specializes in the creation of extra-small dwellings as well as tall residences on tiny lots that bridge the gap between ‘little’ and ‘luxury’ living.

There is an art to small space living and tiny home design that goes beyond making little lots feel bigger or making the most of what you have. Done right, a small structure can feel downright comfortable and cozy – not just livable or sufficient. These designers have no room for small minds, just big ideas for small spaces.

Take this tower home for instance: the plans above show just how small each level is, but the sectional models reveal a series of interconnected spaces – and photos of the finished structure are the most amazing of all, illustrating the clear visibility up, down and all around inside the house.

Other architectural projects from this firm may look more conventional on the outside by have amazing details, like the wooden walls, shelves and staircase structure of the more conventional-looking house with plans and sections as shown above.

Even their own live/work studio spaces fit into an extremely skinny lot – a simple tower with much more going on inside than you might first realize.

Again: the use of open-tread stairs, warm materials and generously-sized windows make these places more of an adventure than most homes could hope to be. Besides, with all of the new technology available today for building structures we sometimes forget that the best way to go green is to build small.’

(from dornob)

Pocket CV by Temitope Shoda. If you have to go to several jobs interviews in one day, this resume is, besides creative, very easy to carry.
(Link)

Michael Anderson’s portafolio not only shows he can create great graphics, it also proves he is able to turn ‘boring’ facts and figures into something exciting.
(Link)

Very creative resume from Kristian Leigh Walsh, inspired in Game of Life. Check the video:

(Link)

T-shirt resume. Very creative but you won’t be able to sue for sexual harassment if your future boss starts starring at your boobs.
(Link)

Samuel J. Mallett folded resume
(Link)

Resume in a box by ~Pixcaliba
(Link)

Eugene Isaac was trying to land a writing job at a magazine, so he came up with this creative magazine cover resume.
(Link)

Tired of writing or typing? How about sewing your own resume like graphic designer Melissa Washin.
(Link | Photo)

Art director Katen Adolski used pencil tools to show her career evolution.
(Link)
(Extracted from oddee)

The world’s biggest motorcycle

Almost thirty feet (9 metres) long, ten feet (3 metres) high and weighing as much as a school bus, the name emblazoned along the side of this menacing two-wheeled beast says it all – it’s the “Monster Motorbike from Hell”. Designed and built in Perth, Australia, by stunt driver Ray Baumann where it’s been wowing fans with its car and caravan crushing capabilities, the Monster Motorbike is powered by a Detroit Diesel truck engine and six-speed Allison automatic and uses a two-speed Eaton differential from a road train to drive a massive chain on each side of the one-metre wide rear wheel.
Taken from a Caterpillar 80 tonne front end loader, the wheels and tyres alone are almost 10 feet (3 metres) high.
Weighing in at 13.6 tonnes (picture 10 family cars or a school bus), the Monster Motorbike is heading to Australia’s east coast where it’s sure to be a star attraction at the Melbourne Motor Show beginning in late February.link

The Motorcycle Tank

The Kettenkraftrad, type HK 101 is one of the most unique vehicles developed during the Second World War. The “tracked motorcycle” concept was conceived and patented by a German inventor, Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, in June of 1939. This was in response to a request for a fast, tracked vehicle capable of moving small loads in mountainous terrain.
The web sites say there were about 8400 Kettenkrads produced during the war and over 500 afterwards. Some collectors keep them going
Specs say they could get up to 45-50mph with the 4 cylinder, 1478cc gasoline engine sourced from Opel, while the vehicle itself was made by NSU..link

Man attaches full-sized car to his motorcycle

There are motorcycle sidecars, and then there are motorcycle sidecars. This particular mash-up is dubbed the “Snaefell” and is the work of Francois Knorreck. It took him a whopping 10 years and over $20,000 to complete. The motorcycle is a Laverda, and the car itself is actually cannibalized from several different vehicles.link

Alligator Motorcycle

Jim Jablon used the skin of a dead alligator to create one of the strangest bikes ever seen on the roads of Florida.
Ironically enough, Jim Jablon’s ‘Gator Bike‘ was created using the skin of an alligator killed by authorities, but it’s now used to raise funds for a wildlife foundation. Alligator are constantly culled, in order to keep their numbers under control, and most of the skins end up pinned up in people’s yards. So Jim thought to put one to good use and get some exposure for his Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando (WROH) foundation. That’s basically how the Gator Bike was born.
The Gator Bike took Swedish leather expert Benny Ohrman a full year to complete. The skin and tail come of the bike, but the alligatorhead is fixed in place and has the speedometer and the rest of the gauges in the back of the head.
It’s worth mentioning the Gator Bike comes with a powerful Ultima engine, and over $86,000 to make. link

It’s Not a Motorcycle, Baby. It’s a Mobile Barbecue Pit.

When Andrew Fishel, the owner of New York restaurant RUB, wanted “the sickest, baddest thing in the world,” he commissioned Orange County Chopper (of the American Chopper TV show fame) to create a mobile BBQ pit.
Was it really that good of an idea to have what amounts to a giant wood oven inches from a gas tank? But the RUB guys have already cooked ribs, brisket, and pork butt on it, and they aren’t dead yet. When asked if it was dangerous, Fischel replied breezily, “I don’t know. No one’s ever built one of these before.” Let’s hope we don’t find out the hard way. link

The VW Motorcycle Sidecar

This VW sidecar was built by Jason Dyer of Resto-Tec out of the UK, which makes sense since the side car is on the left side of the Lambretta scooter. It was featured in July 2007 issue of Scootering magazine. link

Motorcycle Motorhome

Everyone knows the biggest problem with motorcycles is that they lack a trunk, which makes it hard to take them very far since you have no place to put your stuff. Well, that’s no longer a problem with this crazy motorcycle motorhome which has the front end of a chopper and the back end of an RV. Of course the RV part has flames on the side so you can maintain your street cred with the biker
set.link

World’s fastest Bike

The Dodge Tomahawk, powered by a Dodge Viper V10 engine that produces 500bhp / 525 lb-ft torque, is claimed to be the world’s fastest motorcycle, rocketing from 0-60mph in just 2.5-seconds. It has an estimated top speed of 300mph. To maintain traction, the bike has two custom made Dunlop P120/60R-20 tires up front and two P150/50R-20 in the rear. link

(from uphaa)

While the majority of consumers are content to purchase the newest brand of name brand shoes, in the same color and style they always get, this doesn’t hold true for everyone. In our daily lives we only come across the occasional individual who truly works at expressing their personality via their shoes. Here are 13 groups of the wildest shoes you wouldn’t even see on the most outrageous free spirit:

(Images via fashionvictim101, popgloss, twolia, hellishhumor)

Fur coats are common, but fur shoes, not so much. In the Native American tradition of using every part of an animal, some creative shoe designers have taken this philosophy to the next level… creating shoes that appear animalistic to an extreme.

(Images via splendidcity, thefashionpolice, fashionvictim101, funalso)

Designers are always pushing the boundaries between form and function, in the hope of inspiring new lines that can be sold to a wider audience. Some designers add new features, while other try to go so minimalist that they remove entire sections of a shoe to reveal what’s beneath.

(Images via babydoll, declubz, myamazingfact, gemersiksufi, anshul, ebaumsworld)

Almost all shoes are designed in the same boring fashion, but there are definitely exceptions. Whether a designer utilizes a smoother, waving form, or manipulates the shape into something that hardly resembles a shoe, they all let their creativity go wild.

(Images via messandnoise, oddee, coutureavenue)

There aren’t any rules when it comes to design, and some creative innovators try to redefine what we consider set in stone. Some of the results are too radical for most people’s taste, but the occasional design will strike a chord with a larger audience (or a wealthy customer), and become a true success.

(Images via hem, specialfootwear, designswan, 2dayblog)

When you’re dressing up in costume, it’s important not to forget your feet. You can go for the realistic, disgusting look, or put on a pair of rats that look way too real. Either way, you’ll leave a trail of groaning friends in your wake.

(Images via aioviga, misslalaland, timetranscript, highheelshoemuseum)

High heels give a graceful, elegant look, and the height of a model. Just like anything, though, extremes can be ridiculous. Incredibly tall high heels can add an artistic flair to a model walking down the runway, but there is an element of very real danger. A lot of women have twisted their ankles, and taken bad spills.

(Images via interestingfacts, toxel)

Some shoes are made out of alternative materials in order to be more environmentally friendly, or add an interesting twist to a typically mundane clothing item, but this isn’t always the case. Necessity breeds invention, and sadly, this means that some of the poorest people are forced to make shoes out of any materials they can get their hands on.

(Images via sarahselectronicblogride, meganginter, geekscape, sikendi)

Not all mainstream shoe makers are boring. Shoe makers will make special edition shoes that appeal to a niche group of consumers, and advertise the brand as something unique. Form fitting shoes are meant to give better feedback to one’s feet, while still protecting them from the elements, but they look as out of this world as a pair of a dinosaur sneakers, or as ridiculous as a tennis ball shoe.

(Images via designswan, popgloss)

While it may not be incredibly functional, shoes can be a fantastic medium for artistic endeavors. There’s something inherently interesting about a common, and typically boring, element from our everyday lives being turned into something creative and unique.

(Images via freshvintage, fashionandnonsense, stylefeeder, nypost, effamadha)

Quirky and outlandish shoes are a great way to stand out in a crowd and express an artistic spirit. You can search high and low for rare and exotic designs, or add to an already existing model and make it your own. The true DIY fanatic will find a way to make anything unique.

(Images via declubz, funnypictures, impactlab, blacklognz)

Like a novelty clown nose, or gigantic foam hands and hats created for sporting events or special occasions, there’s a seemingly endless variety of shoes meant to cause a laugh. The stereotypical clown shoe is just the beginning, as almost any item can be turned into a semblance of a shoe, though it might not be the most comfortable thing to wear.

(Images via designswan, showmeyourshoes, gizmodiva, thefashionpolice)

Most people who have worn high heels will attest that they’re not the most comfortable clothing item in the world, but some designers express this in an industrial, and blatant way, by adding heavy, painful looking spikes and metals, and turning an elegant item into something intimidating.

(Images via cemilanmata, fun-maniac, myspace, twolia, untitiledarchive, weirdositylives)

Memoria Casa Joaquin is a house located in Spain and designed by A-cero Architects. The rich, pure and volumetric qualities of the forms are also apparent in the structure, which includes concrete walls that create the outlines of volumes. The design process is intended to discover new visions of everyday life directly related to Galician culture, like making life in the kitchen area. The architects sought the concept of a family home and paid equal attention to the urban development, architecture and details.

(from design milk)

While spending 30 seconds on an escalator, where do you look? Most people just stare straight ahead – making escalators an ideal location for advertising. But some ads are more colorful, clever and controversial than others, using both the ideal eye-level platform and shape of the stairs to their full potential. These are the kinds of ads that make people pause and marvel for a moment before continuing on their way.

Canadian Red Cross Escalator Ad

(image via: allbusiness)

From the top of the stairs, this ad looks so realistic that it could prompt people to rush down so quickly they injure themselves – completely undermining the purpose of the campaign. Created for the Canadian Red Cross, the decal intends to promote the knowledge of first aid with a message reading “Know What to Do.”

DHL Gridlock Escalator Ad

(image via: adoholik)

Hong Kong traffic is notoriously nightmarish. But even the gridlocks of this city can’t stop DHL, or so they insinuate with this escalator ad which depicts their trucks speeding down a convenient (though imaginary) fast lane, located on the moving handrail, as the rest of the cars remain at a maddening halt.

IKEA Staircase Ad

(image via: directdaily)

IKEA is practically synonymous with “organization”, something nearly everyone could use a little help with. That makes these stair stickers that much more effective, depicting neatly stacked clothing and linens in drawers.

Hopi Hari Escalator Ad

(image via: adland)

When people momentarily forget they’re on an escalator, imagining themselves having a great time at an amusement park instead, you know that an ad is special. This one for a Brazil amusement park called Hopi Hari turns each step into a snapshot of a couple enjoying a roller coaster.

Nationwide Staircase Ad

(image via: ads of the world)

Bad things happen every day… like bizarre automobile accidents that send your car flying in the air like the General Lee, if this Nationwide Insurance staircase ad is to be believed. It certainly takes full advantage of the huge set of stairs at the end of Fashion Show Drive in Las Vegas.

Revita Beauty Center Shiatzu Escalator Ad

(image via: adland)

When possible, it’s best to avoid stepping on people – unless you’re a professional masseuse. While this ad may make some people uncomfortable, others may be reminded of just how good it would feel to let someone work out the knots in their backs.

Table Soccer Staircase Ad

(image via: ads of the world)

An outdoor guerilla ad campaign to promote the first international table soccer world cup featured realistic-looking flyers shaped like table soccer figures on stair handrails around the city of Hamburg, Germany.

Consol Energy Coal Mine Escalator Ad

(image via: ads of the world)

Consol Energy reminds people of what it takes to power our world with coal – descending into deep, dark, dirty mines – with an ad bound to make environmentalists cringe.

Coca-Cola Escalator & Staircase Ad

(image via: ads of the world)

Coca-Cola engaged in some targeted marketing in a joint campaign with McDonalds. Regular, full-calorie Coke was advertised to people who take the stairs, while the people getting less activity by taking the escalator see ads for Diet Coke instead.

Jeep Parking Space Ad

(image via: toxel)

Capitalizing on the Jeep’s reputation as a vehicle that can go places other cars can’t, these guerrilla-style ads create parking spots in the most unlikely places – like stairs. No word on whether Jeep owners that took the ads up on their offer got reimbursed for pricey parking tickets.

Gillette Venus Escalator Ad

(image via: ads of the world)

Who was the advertiser that looked at the side of an escalator and thought, ‘hmmm, that looks like a leg’? Someone had to have made that questionable connection to come up with this eye-catching ad by Gillette, which featured small decals of razors on the handrail.

Greenville Literary Association Staircase Ad

(image via: toxel)

It’s not hard to grasp how book lovers at the Greenville Literary Association came to see a stack of books in a flight of stairs. This ad, created to generate book donations, takes full advantage of the shape of the advertiser’s chosen medium.

Juice Salon Escalator Ad

(image via: adland)

How many different haircuts can one man possibly get? This creative example of escalator advertising attempts to answer that question, putting a different style on every step, each of which briefly join with the man’s face at the bottom of the escalator to demonstrate the effect.

South Carolina Time to Thaw Stairs Ad

(image via: bounce agency)

The same agency that came up with the creative Greenville Literary Association book stairs also turned a set of stairs into stacks of suitcases, inspiring passersby to “pack your bags: it’s time to thaw.” The ad encourages travel to South Carolina.

Pizza Kingdom Escalator Ad

(image via: ads of the world)

Is the sight of a pizza lying on a dirty escalator, stepped on by thousands of pairs of feet, really all that appetizing? A chain called Pizza Kingdom hoped that it would be with this strange ad, designed to demonstrate “extra cheese” stretching from step to step. Amazingly, it worked: revenue increased by 53% within a month.

(from weburbanist)

A bench is a bench – except when it’s also a platform for a surprising, thought-provoking, memorable advertisement that sometimes even functions as urban art. The best bench ads turn ubiquitous public furniture into interactive displays that entreat the public to get fit, go on vacation, try a new product and even conserve resources.

District 9 Bench: For Humans Only

(image via: aharvey2k)

Before anyone heard of a little film called District 9, signs barring non-humans from using benches and restrooms could be seen in major cities such as Los Angeles. With a phone number and a warning that “non-human secretions may corrode metal”, these advertisements blurred the line between reality and the fictional world created by the filmmakers in typical guerilla fashion.

Fed-Ex Bubble Wrap Bench

(image via: advertolog)

Fed-Ex can ship practically anything – including benches, as ‘demonstrated’ by this bubble-wrapped bench. The ad series, conceived by BBDO New York, was created to announce the opening of FedEx Kinko’s locations in fairly remote locations.

Instant Ski Vacation

(image via: adsneeze)

Can you picture yourself on an adventurous ski trip, heading up the slope on a lift that provides stunning views of the surrounding landscape? If not, Alberta Travel is happy to help with this creative bench ad that even emulates skis on your feet and snow down below.

Use Only What You Need

(image via: advertolog)

Ads promoting water conservation might be easily overlooked by a public that has begun to tune out conventional modes of promotion. But, it’s hard to pass by this bench, created by Sukle Advertising & Design advertising agency for Denver Water, without taking a second look and absorbing the message: use only what you need.

Skinny Bench for Skinny People

(image via: scaryideas)

A similarly skinny bench communicates something different altogether: if you can’t sit here, perhaps you need to lose some weight. Slim Fast helpfully points people in the right direction with a plaque that reads “Donated by Slim Fast”.

Collapsing Bench for Special K

(image via: coloribus)

Similarly, one cereal brand hopes that consumers will be enticed to try their product after finding that a public bench caves in beneath their weight. This bench in Germany was made with a flexible material to shock people into thinking about how heavy they are, and convince them that 99.9% fat-free Special K was the way to fix the problem.

A Weighty Matter

(image via: businessweek)

Of course, if undersized or collapsing seating areas don’t work, there’s always a more potent way to shame the overweight public: a bus shelter bench with a built-in scale that broadcasts their weight to the world at large. This one in Amsterdam was created by the world’s third-largest gym chain, Fitness First.

No Choice But to Get Closer

(image via: directdaily)

Just try sitting on this slanted bench with somebody else without sliding right into each other. It literally forces people to “Get Closer”, which happens to be the ad slogan for a Czech liquor called Becherovka.

A Stroller Fit for a Baby Giraffe

(image via: ads of the world)

This extra-tall stroller – or pram, if you’re not American – certainly catches the attention of anyone who happens to sit on the bench beside it. The unusual ad by Calgary Zoo uses an embroidered blanket to tell the public that “the baby giraffe is here”.

Nivea Says Goodbye to Cellulite

(image via: directdaily)

Sitting on cellulite isn’t pretty – unless it’s in the form of a dimpled blue bench. This ad by Nivea promoting its Goodbye-Cellulite lotion manages to convey the message that smooth skin is superior to cellulite without anything too disturbingly skin-like.

Homey IKEA Bench Makeover

(image via: culture-buzz)

IKEA proves that even the ugliest, most worn-out bench you can find in an urban environment can be instantly transformed into a homey, welcoming space to relax with some inexpensive Swedish fabric and accessories.

Kit-Kat Bench

(image via: Noah Dylan Goldblatt)

Seeing the brown slats of a bench partially enveloped in a Kit-Kat wrapper begs the question: why didn’t they think of this earlier? It’s a perfect fit that undoubtedly had many an onlooker suddenly craving chocolate-covered wafers.

Istanbul’s Book Benches

(image via: adrants)

Istanbul is an open book – 18 of them, in fact, all written by Turkish poets. This ad campaign not only promotes reading and publicizes the work of native writers, but turns boring public furniture into functional works of art.

Amnesty International ‘Electric Bench’

(image via: funforever)

We might let important social issues slip our minds while going about our daily lives, but Amnesty International is here to remind us that “More than 4000 condemned until death are waiting for their execution. No to Capital punishment”. Accompanying these words at a Barcelona bus shelter was a bench designed to look like a pair of electric chairs.

‘Extra Safe’ Credit Union Ad

(image via: thefinancialbrand)

If this ad and others in the same series were put out by an insurance agency, one would have to wonder whether the “extra safe” message really implies that consumers are buying way more coverage than they need. But the ads were actually created by FirstOntario Credit Union to assure the public that their short-term investments are secure as can be, even in this shaky economic climate – so it works.

(from weburbanist)

The galleries do not look as cool as with smugmug but you have a ton of cool features such as HD video (up to 2Gb per file) support or a desktop client.

Give it a try!

I still have not decided how to back up all my photos (around 50.000 with raw and jpgs…) may be just a backup service of S3 in amazon… as I have my own galleries at http://norai.net with a selection of good photos and http://norai.net/gallery with the rest.

I still need an offsite backup though even if they are all in raid mirror and external HD… but looking at the prices of backing up at amazon S3, dreamhost or others, I rather buy an external HD and put it is a friend’s house.

You can get them at prankplace or at amazon.

I just ordered the first and second one for Kai in ebay. Search for: billy bob pacifier

Johansson seems to live in a surreal world where roads unfurl like fabric, giant mirrored objects dangle from the sky, humans spring forth from the soil like potted plants and disturbingly elastic faces pop out of joint to swallow oranges whole.

The Swedish artist takes all of his photos himself and manipulates them digitally in Photoshop CS4, spending 10-20 hours on each photo. “I got my first digital camera when I turned 15, I did some changes to the photos and thought it was fun. But I really started in 2007 when I bought my first SLR camera. That is when I started to do some serious photo manipulations,” Johansson told Abduzeedo.

In an interview with Don’t Panic, Johansson said, “My goal is to make pictures as realistic as possible, but at the same time impossible. Many photographers try to look weird, so I try to make my shots as plausible as possible. I would say I try to use humour a lot and I rarely have a didactic message. Sometimes I want to tell something, but mostly I want people to interpret.”

“A lot of young people think they’re fascinating but the older generation don’t really believe in Photoshop. They think photos should be a pure image. Myself, I’m never satisfied with them but I think that’s a healthy instinct.”

(from weburbanist)

Lean, mean and sometimes even green, concept motorcycles often make us want to head out on the highway and look for adventure. These bikes may not be quite ready to tear up the road as we zoom into the wind, but we wish they would move from concept to reality very soon! As we take a look at concept motorcycles, here are 20 of the most bad-ass bikes to hope for in 2010.

Lamborbiker Inspired by Lamborghini

(image credits:tuvie)

Flavio Adriani took his inspiration from two great names in invention, engineering and design, Nikola Tesla and Ferrucio Lamborghini. Flavio has created some stunning motorcycles from his concept. We want this bad boy to become reality soon!

Nuclear Fusion Motorbike 2050

(image credits:The Design Blog)

Romain Herment has a motorcycle concept that uses nuclear energy as a power source. He calls it “Motorbike 2050 version 2.” This futuristic bike uses two inexhaustible natural elements, deuterium and tritium, allowing a sustainable ride in the days to come. The motorbike consumes 1 liter of water for a 100 km drive.

Mad Max Aitu Motorbike

(image credits:coroflot)

The Aitu seems to be rough and rowdy, ready for Mad Max to take it for a spin. Designer Renato Gschwend is hoping to attract adventurous souls who want to make heads turn if this bike ever hits the street. It features a powerful V-twin 1800cc engine and non-silent exhausts to ensure you’re heard roaring down the highway.

Electric Motorbike: ZEVS

(image credits:www1.uni-ak.ac.at)

Three designers Bernhard Ranner, Anders August Kittilsen and Rudolf Stefanich, worked to make ZEVS, “The first electric motorcycle for the “real biker.” It’s designed for “real men” and dusty roads, in the spirit of Harley Davidson, Custom Chopper culture and the good old Route 66 romance.

Carbon Fiber For Fast, Light Cruise

(image credits:The Design Blog)

Designed by Julian Silva, this concept motorcycle is covered in carbon fiber for a fast and light ride. The framework is made of aluminum and wrapped with carbon fiber panels that store the mechanical systems. This motorbike was designed to encapsulate the pilot´s arms, legs and back through the secondary red panels and to keep the driver safe in case of a fall.

Super Green Super Dangerous Super Bike

(image credits:Yanko Design)

Designer Pierre Yohanes Lubis thinks if you would like a very fast, very dangerous, very tiny motorcycle, then the Halbo might be for you. If it gets beyond concept and hits the main highway, let’s just hope you don’t hit the pavement too because it could be much worse than road rash. However, it does have a BMW stamp on it and is electric powered.

Super Skinny Swordfish & Stalker

(image credits:coroflot)

Designer Alexander Kotlyarevsky peered into the future and then created both these concept motorcycles. He molded their alloy frames into a minimalistic design. The sleek silver hotrod is called Swordfish while the metallic pink bike is called Stalker. This futuristic duo is like his and hers for a rebel ride.

Harley Davidson Circa 2020

(image credits:Yanko Design)

Will the Harley Davidson Hog of the future resembles this beast? Designer Miguel Cotto believes so. The large 883cc engine is coupled with a Tron-like body. The wheel hubs are actually giant bearings.

STRIDER – Super Hero Motorcycle Concept

(image credits:Industrial Design Served)

Designer David Gonçalves has created more than one futuristic motorcycle. This project, however, started with a request from one of his clients who needed a bike for a cartoon superhero. A female superhero at that. Inspiration struck him and the concept of Strider was born.

Sleek Sci-Fi Superbikes

(image credits:The Design Blog)

Designer Matt Williams created a superbike called KTM Motorbike. Vroom must have been the mantra playing while creativity blossomed. KTM looks ready to leap forward, looks fast even when parked. The V-twin engine is hidden within the frame. Its hub-center steering system provides a more usable steering angle than telescopic forks while the center is a more stable and predictable ride.

Icare Bike Concept

(image credits:hypebeast)

Conceptualized by Enzyme Design, the Icare motorcycle is meant to be the Aston Martin of the two-wheeled world with a six-cyclinder 1.8 Honda engine. It looks like a muscle motorcycle of the future, ready to rip up the road and outrace the cops in hot pursuit.

Jaguar M-Cycle

(image credits:m-cycles)

This roaring jaguar is the result of interior designer Lee J. Rowland teaming up with motorbike fanatic Barend Hemmes. Jaguar concept motorcycle has only been taken up to speeds of 55 mph, but you better believe heads turn as fellow bikers drool. The big cat is powered by 1200cc Harley-Davidson V-twin engine. The shape of this sleek cat is not suitable for anyone under 6 feet, meant to have feet propped far up front on the pedals as a real drag-style riding machine.

The Bull Concept

(image credits:m-cycles)

Designer Lee J. Rowland was struck again with inspiration after the Jaguar and tackled this shiny bull. He had to think hard and long to figure out how to get the bull’s horns positioned on this bike. Red, loud, and shiny, the Bull concept motorcycle will surely call to some bike lover to be made into a reality.

Ghost & Devil Motorcycle Concepts

(image credits:En Derin,En Derin)

What does a ghost and devil have in common? They’ve been turned into slick speed machines, or at least concept motorcycles. Designer Muhammad Imran designed Ghost while keeping a flying falcon in mind. He was also inspired by the bike tribute of “Ghost Rider.” Ghost calls out to the young and reckless and will hopefully offer fantastic future fun to those who really have a need for speed. Designer Robert Liddell aimed to give his motorcycle features fitting for the name Devil Bike. He created it with V-twin engine, so this shiny black bike will fit the personality of the young with a passion for speed and style.

2015 Honda CB 750

(image credits:Yanko Design)

Designer Igor Chak came up with this concept bike, 2015 Honda CB 750. The brains of the bike is the on-board computer that can be controlled through a 5” OLED multi-touch display positioned right on the fuel tank. There are 3 menus: GPS, drive modes, and diagnostics mode. CB 750 gets its power from a four-cylinder liquid hydrogen engine. Ready, set, rocket outta here!

Speed Racing Motorcycle Inspired By Aliens

(image credits:Tuvie)

Designer Daniel Bailey was inspired by two things, making them clear in his concept motorcycle. Speed and the alien characters in “Alien.” This speed racing bike is rugged yet sleek. The design is aerodynamic and based on Kawasaki ninjas stats (height, wheel base etc…), so will future road ninjas or aliens be seen riding it?

Magic Tricycle

(image credits:Car Design News)

Iranian designer Javad created the Magic Tricycle to drive on all three wheels for normal highway use, but can rotate around a longitudinal axis running from the front to the rear right wheel with the left wheel elevated into the air so the vehicle can be ridden as a motorcycle in more congested areas. To facilitate this, the seats rotate to keep the occupants sitting upright and the airborne wheel opens up blades which work like a helicopter tail propeller to aid stability.

Ferrari V4 Superbike Concept

(image credits:autoblog)

Designer Amir Glinik conceptualized this Ferrari V4 superbike. He created his design around the theoretical application of the Ferrari Enzo’s V12 engine, chopped down to four cylinders and modified to drive in a motorcycle frame. Hopefully this hot puppy will be hitting the highway soon. It’s lean and mean.

Dodge Tomahawk Concept Motorcycle

(from weburbanist)

When we go to bed at night, are the contents of our refrigerators, utility shelves and medicine cabinets throwing wild parties, getting amorous, acting out plays and engaging in cannibalism?  Maybe not, but it’s fun to imagine them getting up to all kinds of mischief behind closed doors, and that’s exactly what a photo series called “Bent Objects” by Terry Border illustrates.

“Bent Objects” began with the artist making little wire sculptures to sell. Border took photos of his creations and posted them on his blog, eventually finding that people were more interested in photographs of the sculptures acting out comical scenarios. Over 70 of Border’s funniest photos are featured in his new book, “Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things”.

Many of the situations that the animated objects find themselves in would be disturbing if the subjects were people – as in “Cereal Killer”, in which the remains of a cornflake drowned in milk are mourned over by two relatives. But there’s just no denying the humor in anthropomorphized food with wire limbs.

In an interview with Neatorama, Border explains how he gets some of his ideas. “I’ll tell you a secret – a lot of times I’m not trying to be funny at all. I’m just creating the saddest situation I can think of while using a certain object. Sometimes, while I’m photographing a scene, I’m like ‘Oh man. I’ve gone too far here. People are gonna see how sick I am, and make me get psychological help.’”

“Know what though? Those are always my most popular images. People see them as funny. There are a lot of sick people out there, just like me. Hello out there, all of you sickos!”

(from weburbanist)

Home speakers were once ugly, boxy things that you hid away from sight because they did nothing for your décor. But smart designers have been working to make the home audio speaker an attractive part of whatever room it’s in, and some of their designs are positively unbelievable.

The Grand Enigma

(image via: Dvice)

The Grand Enigma from Kharma may just look like a wall of speakers, but they’re a little more than that. Like, a million dollars more than that. Yes, the above setup is the world’s most expensive set of speakers, and there’s only one of its kind. You’d have to be a truly hard-core audiophile to drop a million bucks on a sound system.

Soundshelf

(images via: Technabob)

When you have a small space to work with, single-functionality items just won’t do. Everything in a small space should do at least double duty to maximize the area. These speakers/bookshelves do that in the most delightful way, by combining music, books and sweet design (three of our favorite things) while saving floor space. Created by Polish designers Witek Stefaniak and Anielka Zdanowicz,these awesome speakers are sadly only a concept for now.

Bandai Diorama Speaker

(image via: Akihabara News)

If your goal is to actually draw attention to your speakers rather than hide them, you couldn’t find a more perfect product. Thislimited-edition speaker from Bandai (of Power Rangers fame) features a very noticeable plastic model of 1955 Ginza on top. For about $2230, this is obviously the best choice for classy ladies and gentlemen everywhere.

Equalizer Speaker

(image via: I New Idea)

Let us go on record as saying that if these speakers ever became commercially available, we would walk barefoot over hot coals to get one. The familiar equalizer design lets you adjust the individual audio levels to your personal preference, and in a fun tactile way. Each slider is a speaker, lending a fantastic aesthetic quality to an otherwise sort of mundane activity.

Zimku Floor Speakers by Parrot

(image via: Wired)

Parrot is already known for their wireless headphones, but recently they branched out and joined forces with designer Philippe Starck to come up with these sophisticated-looking tower speakers. They are designed to be used in pairs and connect to each other wirelessly via Bluetooth. But even better is their wi-fi capability, making them able to stream music from your computer or cell phone. Or if you’d prefer, pop that iPhone or iPod onto the integrated dock. Their $1500 price tag suggests that you might want to be pretty serious about your music before lusting after the Zimku speakers.

Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus

(image via: Bowers & Wilkins)

The Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus has inspired countless designers all over the world to design a sleek, sexy speaker. But few even come close to the incredible stylishness and unbelievable sound quality of the Nautilus. It’s a design classic, and one that continues to be on the wish list of every audiophile.

Serpent Wireless Speaker Design

(images via: Yanko Design)

Sometimes the best design is the simplest one. That’s certainly the case with Ben Wahrlich’s Serpent Speakers design. The wireless speakers wouldn’t be big enough for a whole-room listening experience, but they would make perfect computer speakers. The flexible bodies can bend into any configuration and stay put when you twist them up. They’re only a concept at this point, but it’s easy to imagine this simple, common-sense design popping up in stores soon.

Eclipse TD712zMK2

(image via: Tech Digest)

Despite the inscrutable and very forgettable name, the Eclipse TD7127MK2 speakers show off a memorable design. They look a bit like tiny jet engines stuck atop two metal poles. And they bear other similarities to jet engines: namely, their price and size. A pair of these will set you back about $10,000, and each speaker weighs in at around 55 pounds.

Imu Vibrating Speaker

(image via: Gadgetshop)

While the design looks a little NSFW-ish, the Imu’s product page gives a pretty enticing description. It claims that, due to a magical Navy substance called Terfenol-D, this little device can turn any hard, flat surface into a speaker.

Yorozu Sound Revolution Kit

(images via: Japan Trend Shop)

The Yorozu Sound Revolution Audio Kit works on a similar principle, and claims to be able to turn just about any flat surface into a speaker. It comes with a milk carton-shaped box to start you out. After that, it’s up to you to start sticking the little conductor onto anything and everything in reach.

Body Speakers

(image via: Like Cool)

If the Imu wasn’t quite suggestive enough for you, the Body Speakersfrom Bob Turek just might be. The designer wanted to put music into a new context, and he succeeded admirably. Now if we could just stop blushing long enough to plug this cord in…

JVC Sound Garden

(image via: Engadget)

Music and gardening are both relaxing on their own, so why not combine them? This speaker concept was seen at the Designer’s Week competition in Tokyo, and combines a multi-directional speaker with a small planter. The units can be joined up to form a speaker array/garden that ultimately seems pretty dangerous, given the electricity + water equation.

Harman Kardon Soundstick II

(image via: Harman Kardon)

When it comes to speakers, excellent sound is one thing; when it’s accompanied by superior design you get even more enjoyment from your music. The Soundstick II system sounds amazing, but the sleek and curvy design actually makes it look good on your tabletop or desk. The clear acrylic subwoofer and satellite speakers feature blue LEDs to give them an almost ethereal look, and the system features minimal wiring to keep your desk clutter under control.

Audi-Inspired Sonic Rings

(image via: MadeByMakers)

Young Danish design firm Made By Makers held an internal workshop to see what innovative new speaker ideas they could think up on three days. One of the designs was this doughnut-shaped surround-sound speaker that was inspired by the Audi logo. The idea is that you pick up a wireless ring and take it with you to enhance your surround sound experience wherever you are in the room.

Brionvega Radiofonografio

(image via: The Cool Hunter)

When the original Radiofonografio was invented in 1965 by the Castiglioni brothers, it was a marvel of modern music. A radio, record player and amplifier all in one sleek, attractive package revolutionized the way the world thinks about audio. Now, Brionvegahas reinvented the landmark piece by updating its appearance somewhat and adding a CD/DVD player. Luckily, they kept the “friendly robot” look.

Altec Lansing OMNI

(image via: Yanko Design)

Although these gorgeous speakers are just a concept, we can easily picture them in an ultra-modern home design. They look like tall decorative vases, but the tops of the objects actually have cone-shaped speakers in them, allowing them to distribute sound in all directions.

Neil Poulton’s USB-Powered Speakers

(image via: A + R Store)

Well-designed and affordable computer speakers are very hard to come by, but this set manages to do both pretty nicely. The design is simple and streamlined (they look like steam vents!), with no overly ornate bits to get in the way of killer sound. And at just $66, you won’t be afraid to actually use them.

Davone Rithm

(image via: Gear Crave)

The graceful curves of the Davone Rithm speakers bring to mind fine instruments, and indeed they were crafted with the same painstaking care of a top-shelf violin. The many layers of pressed wood are carefully molded into the fluid shape of the cabinet which acts as an effective sound damper. Inside the cabinet, the tweeter is actually inside the woofer, giving a clean, uniform sound for both high and low frequencies.

JBL Control Now

(images via: Amazon)

Any audiophile knows that flexibility is a huge plus when you’re setting up your home sound system. Being able to move and combine components is the main idea behind the JBL Control Nowline, which lets you mount speakers pretty much anywhere. The quarter-circle speakers work well alone, but you can also use them in custom arrays of up to four.

Sound Seed

(image via: DesignBoom)

Sound Seed, designed by Richard Hunt, takes everyone’s biggest speaker complaint and turns it into an asset. The design uses the power cord, usually an unsightly tail that combines with others to take up half of a room, to suspend the speakers gracefully. They float in mid-air and can be positioned at ear level to get just the right sound without taking up any precious floor space.

The Wailers

(image via: John Caswell Design)

If you tend to listen to woeful emo or screaming metal, why not have the speakers to match? These adorable ceramic speakers, designed by John Caswell, look like they’re singing (or wailing) your music to you.

Panasonic SC-ZT1

(image via: CNet)

Panasonic’s new wireless speaker design (unveiled at CES 2009) has interior decorating enthusiasts sitting on the edge of their seats. The surround-sound system features four elegant towers instead of the usual boxy speakers to deliver 4.0 surround sound in a much less cluttered fashion. Because of the system’s lack of a separate subwoofer and the limitations of only four speakers, this can’t be called a true audiophile’s surround sound system. But for all of those households that have been holding out on surround sound because of the ugly wires and speakers involved, it may be just the thing to catapult them into a higher plane of listening pleasure.

Jabra Wireless Bluetooth Headset/Speaker

(image via: Engadget)

Ok, so maybe including this design in a list of home speakers is cheating just a little. After all, these are mostly for personal use. But this amazing contraption goes from personal headphones to desk speakers to bluetooth headset, making it a completely versatile gadget to have around. We can’t imagine the sound quality in speaker mode would be the best you’ve ever heard, but the convenience factor makes them attractive nonetheless.

Proclaim Audio DMT-100

(images via: Proclaim Audioworks)

These bizarre-looking sound pods are actually carefully engineered to bring you the best sound experience. The spherical shape is intended to control the acoustics of the sound more than the room in which they sit, and their special stand lets you position the upper speakers in the best place for your particular needs. And you can always pretend they’re alien eyes watching you go about your business.

Cabasse La Sphere

(image via: Stereophile)

For the best and creepiest alien eye speaker experience, though, you’d be better off with the Cabasse La Sphere. The giant ball looks like a terrifying watchful eye that’s just waiting for you to do something laser-worthy. It reportedly sounds pretty good, but for the whole system you’ll end up dropping $165,000, which is just a touch more than most people care to spend just to be scared in their own home.

Symbio Designs Alpha Speaker

(image via: Symbio Designs)

The original design of the Symbio Alpha heavily favored form over function, but after a positive reception by everyone who saw these strange objects, the team decided to go back to the drawing board for the speaker components. They came up with a technical profile that matches the beauty of the speakers’ physical form, making the Alpha a truly desirable object for both music lovers and art lovers.

Xount

(image via: Engadget)

Put this speaker into a room and ask your friends if they can tell where your music is coming from. Chances are they’ll never suspect the stylish lamp sitting over in the corner (unless they actually listen for the source, of course). The Xount uses flat speaker technology to deliver smooth, even sound throughout the room. If you aren’t satisfied with sophisticated white, there are also several covers available to let you change the appearance of your lamp/speaker.

Nendo Music Cage

(image via: Dvice)

Insert appropriate “tweeter”, “for the birds,” or “caged bird singing” joke here. This bird cage is actually a speaker which can be set on a tabletop or hung from the ceiling. Either way, it’s a lovely, retro way to disguise your speaker while keeping it right out in the open.

X-Mini iHome Capsule Speaker

(image via: ThinkGeek)

If you like to take your music with you around the house or to the office, a good portable speaker is essential but hard to find. The X-Mini is surprisingly robust for such a tiny speaker, and when you expand the body it gives a respectable amount of bass. It’s rechargeable via USB and will go almost 8 hours on a single charge, meaning you can annoy everyone at work with obnoxious Christmas songs all day long.

Artcoustic Canvas Speakers

(image via: Artcoustic)

For the ultimate hidden speaker, you can’t do better than these art-covered speakers from Artcoustic. The company offers high quality speakers disguised as artwork, so you can hang your speakers on the wall right next to your TV and not have to cringe every time you see them.

Ferguson Hill FH001

(images via: Ferguson Hill)

On the completely opposite end of the spectrum are some of the most conspicuous home speakers ever. These giant acrylic horns will likely take up most of your living space, but they will sound terrific while doing it. Their $16,000 price tag makes them even more conspicuous, though Ferguson Hill does have a slightly smaller set for a more reasonable $600 or so.

Woofer Speakers

(images via: Generate)

If you like everything about dogs except for the part of them that makes noise, or if you want to send a rather horrific message to the dog lover in your life, you might enjoy the Woofer speaker systemdesigned by Sander Mulder. The rest of us are a little creeped out by them. A set of two headless dogs will run you a little over $1400, so we hope you’re really committed to whatever statement you’re trying to make.

Sound Bulb

(image via: Yanko Design)

Whether or not the technology exists to actually make this designpossible is beside the point. It’s an awesome idea for combining two common household items: the light bulb and the speaker. We can see this being a great design for a dorm room or other ultra-crowded space, or for torture rooms where the goal is to drive your captive mad with Spongebob music (we saw that on an episode of Law and Order).

Freewheeler Rolling Outdoor Speaker

(image via: Technabob)

Technabob says of this hefty speaker that it “looks like a tire [and is] priced like a car.” We couldn’t have said it better. The Freewheelerwas designed by Rod Arad and Frances Pellisari to be a durable, rolling speaker that you can take outdoors with you, presumably so you don’t miss a beat of Jimmy Buffett while roving between kitchen and patio, refilling your margarita glass. For $21,000, though, we’d rather just buy a whole lot more margarita mix. Or a new patio.

360 Degree Speaker

(image via: Pieter Maes)

There isn’t a lot of information available about this speaker concept, designed by Pieter Maes, but its simple, intuitive design is irresistible. The designer says that the speaker cones are attached to a spider-like structure which is invisible from the outside. We can picture several of these hanging from the ceiling, providing a whimsical kind of decoration while filling your house with sound.

Dragon Speakers

(image via: Axelsson)

These Dragon Speakers from Axelsson Design don’t hide the nature of the speakers, but they also don’t skimp on style. We love the fabulous colorful resin shaped like a fierce dragon. The kitschy design is small enough to fit on a bookshelf, so you don’t have to worry about it taking up too much space.

Aura by Paul Scarfe

(images via: Yanko Design)

This innovative speaker concept from designer Paul Scarfe takes the classic audio-enhancing cone and pairs it with the sound-magnifying ability of glass to create a unique new speaker. The treble output is through the top, and the bass erupts from the bottom. As lovely as this ornamental speaker is, if you owned it you would probably hear visitors constantly wondering aloud why your blender is in your living room.

Ice Cream Sundaes

(image via: SG Custom Sound)

These are truly the most bizarre speakers we’ve ever seen. Designed to look like giant ice cream sundaes, these speakers from SG Custom Sound will set you back a cool $1250 per pair. We can actually see these looking pretty sweet on the counter of a diner.

Pea Speaker System

(image via: Yanko Design)

For people who like to share their music, the  Pea Speaker Systemconcept is a creative way to give several friends a song. Each of the little “peas” is a separate Bluetooth speaker. They all have to stay within range of the home unit, of course, and they won’t work as surround sound, but this concept looks like a fun way to fill a room with music without all of those nasty speaker cords.

Sound e-Motion

(image via: Sound e-Motion)

We’re suckers for beautiful rich-sounding wooden speakers, and that’s exactly what Sound e-Motion delivers. The gorgeous wooden cabinets give a deep concert hall sound that can’t be matched by resin cabinets. The spherical shape is said to give better acoustics than any other speaker shape. We just think it makes them look nifty.

(from weburbanist)

In a world of Photoshop and special effects, artistic craft wrought by hand is getting harder to come by. But Liu Bolin doesn’t need any fancy technology to produce the jaw-dropping illusion of invisibility – his urban camouflage photography is all paint and pure talent.

The Beijing-based artist spends hours studying his chosen locations and painting himself and other subjects, while carefully taking perspective and texture into account for spectacular results that render them almost invisible.

But Liu’s work is more than just a cool-looking feat of trompe l’oeil. In the past, works depicting anti-government imagery, including some in which his Chinese subjects are in the grips of police officers, have resulted in the Chinese government shutting down his art studio.

“In my photography, historical statues, costumes and architecture become symbols of that which confines us,” Liu says. “I am expressing the desire to break through these structures. I portray subjects that seem to disappear into these structures and become transparent. The subject is released from social constructs and he is free.”

“Living in the red hot China, I feel that I am not in control of my own life. However, I have an indescribable burning desire inside of me. Art is a weapon that helps us untangle the chaos in our lives. I hope that my artworks can calm people down during this period of constant change, but at the same time, inspire people to re-evaluate our environment and reconsider the problems arising in our society. In this transition period, I can hear the voice of Hamlet whispering, “for in the sleep of death, what dreams may come.”

(from weburbanist) ]]> http://tokao.com/2009/12/06/weburbanist-urban-camouflage-liu-bolin-the-invisible-man/feed/ 0 http://tokao.com/2009/12/03/oasis-of-the-seas/ http://tokao.com/2009/12/03/oasis-of-the-seas/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:14:24 +0000 dani http://tokao.com/?p=2620 We were thinking about going on a cruise once our baby is born… so I looked for options, and I found a floating paradise. Judge for yourself, it is the world’s largest cruise.

The massive $1.5 billion vessel is nearly 40 percent larger than the industry’s next-biggest ship and five times larger than the Titanic. It has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members. The ship also features various “neighborhoods” — parks, squares and arenas with special themes. One of them will be a tropical environment that will include palm trees. The Oasis of the Seas will embark on its first cruise on Dec. 5. Hundreds of onlookers turned out to greet the ship from shore.

Photographs of Japan from the Meiji and Taisho Periods (1868-1926) have captivated viewers around the world since they were first circulated. One photographer in particular captured Japanese life so beautifully that his work has been seen by countless people all across the globe. Until very recently, though, his name was virtually unknown. Now we know that the prolific photographer’s name was T. Enami – or rather, that was his trade name. He was born Enami Nobukuni, and his work made a deep and far-reaching impact on photography.

Some of T. Enami’s most popular and memorable works were his stereograms: two nearly-identical 2D images taken from slightly different angles that, when viewed together through a stereograph, appear three-dimensional. Here they are animated to give the 3D effect, but all of the originals can be seen on Okinawa Soba’s Flickr collection.

Enami started his career as a traditional photographer, but later embraced the more “modern” stereoviews and lantern slides. Judging from his carefully staged stereograms, he approached his work with a great deal of attention to detail. The colors on these stereograms were all hand-painted, and the resulting product was sold around the world. Today, collectors treasure these exquisitely detailed antique images.

T. Enami ran a photography studio in Yokohama until his death in 1926. His work spanned a multitude of areas, including postcards, large-format prints, private portraits, glass transparencies, photo processing and print-making, and numerous commercial photography projects. His photographs have appeared several times in the pages of National Geographic, a true honor for any photographer. One of his half-stereoview images was even used on the cover of their 100th-anniversary book Odyssey: The Art of Photography at National Geographic.

Despite his monumental contributions to early Japanese photography, T. Enami’s identity was not widely known outside of Japan until around 2006, when his descendants shared information about him with biographers and collectors. He was the only photographer of his era known to work in all contemporary commercial and artistic formats, and it can be said that his work has been seen by more people than that of the more established “masters” of his time.

The appropriate credit is now being given to thousands of Enami photographs that were previously unattributed or simply attributed to the wrong photographer. Enami is now, finally, in his rightful place amongst the most influential early Japanese photographers. A detailed biography of T. Enami can be found at T-Enami.org, and even more of his animated stereograms can be found at Pink Tentacle.

[Whoops! Double-WU Jeopardy: Also See: This Just Published]
The opportunity to catch a glimpse at life in a long-ago era in 3D is rare indeed, but thanks to the stereoviews taken by photographer T. Enami, Meiji Japan in the early 1900s momentarily appears vivid and immediate. Enami was Japan’s most prolific stereo-photographer, and his stereoviews have appeared in National Geographic Magazine and many books.

Each pair of images captured by Enami, ranging from landscapes and sedate scenes of country life to humorous photographs of beefy men bathing nude, has been assembled in a Flickr gallery by Okinawa Soba and transformed into animated GIFs by Pink Tentacle.

In traditional stereoscopic photography, a three-dimensional illusion is created from a pair of 2-D photographs that represent two slightly different perspectives of the same object or scene. The deviation between the two photographs is similar to the perspectives that both eyes naturally receive in binocular vision.

Such images are normally viewed in 3-D using a stereoscope, but ‘freeviewing’ is also possible, with a process that involves putting one’s eyes directly over the images and slowly backing away while focusing on the single merged, out-of-focus picture that appears.

Enami was an enigmatic figure for many decades after his death, but information provided by his descendents in 2006 helped bring together a stunning collection of work. The online archive of his photographs represents only a small fraction of his remarkable legacy.

What do stormtroopers do on their days off? Feed bread to gigantic pigeons, jam out on Guitar Hero, catch fish in a toilet and send vaguely insulting emails to Luke Skywalker, according to these photos by Stefan Le Du.

The amateur photographer is shooting daily photos of stormtrooper action figures posed in various scenarios, either performing everyday tasks or recreating famous film scenes, for a project called Stormtroopers 365.

Several miniseries within the series follow themes, like “D’oh!”, wherein one of the stormtroopers repeatedly gets himself into trouble whether getting his head stuck in a bottle or finding himself upside-down in a box. Another, “Not the Droid”, has the stormtroopers running into Wall-E, Calculon and others while searching for C3PO.

But don’t for a second imagine that they don’t have important tasks to get up to, like “Getting rid of swine flu, one pig at a time.”

See the whole series on Stefan’s Flickr page.

(from weburbanist)

Remember going to birthday parties or the carnival as a child and getting your face painted? Face painting is fun and magical, and it lets us temporarily transform ourselves. You can be just about anything, from a fierce animal to a dainty fairy to a weird celebrity look-alike. Unfortunately, most of us stop getting our faces painting when we become adults. James Kuhn, however, picked up the habit as an adult – and ran with it.

James Kuhn has considered him an artist for his whole life, but it wasn’t until he grew up that he began painting his own face with a new theme every single day. He decided to do one new face painting a day for a year, in the vein of the other “365 days of self portraits” projects. He didn’t enjoy other 365 projects, saying they were self-indulgent or silly. So he decided to take another (arguably also silly) route by creating a masterpiece every day.

All of James’ paintings are done on himself, and he usually takes his own pictures as well. These are some of the most unique self-portraits ever, since he looks quite different in every one of them. If additional pieces are needed, he usually cuts them out of cardboard, paints them, and sticks them to his face as needed.

James is always looking for new inspiration for his creations. He has used everything from cartoon characters to his favorite foods to famous duos and groups, and everything in between. Some of the most amazing face portraits are those featuring two or more people. It’s fun to decipher how he divides up his existing facial features to create features for the characters.

His particular form of artistic body painting is just for fun, though his other artwork has been displayed in galleries. He believes that, overall, making money from art shouldn’t be an artist’s top priority; their goal should be to push through their fear and their conventional thinking to create something new and thought-provoking. His incredible face painting has gained him international attention, and he’s been featured on TV shows and in newspapers around the world.

The artist, who lives in Michigan, describes himself as a face paint illusionist, drag queen, performance artist, and full-time Christian. He’s recently been featured in a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! picture book, and although the 365 days of self-portraits are over, he continues to create masterpieces on his own face. You can see many of his face paintings come to life on his YouTube channel.

(from weburbanist)

We’ve all seen the car driving down the street with a garbage bag duct taped over a broken window. As dangerous (and hilarious) as that may be, it is by no means the limit of amateur automotive engineering ingenuity. These pictures, from the always-hilarious thereifixedit.com, show just how creative people can be when it comes to making changes to their vehicles. From the hilariously haphazard to the creatively upcycled, these insane vehicle mods are perfect examples of do-it-yourself gone wild.

When you’re moving and you just can’t spare the $29.95 for a U-Haul, what can you do? Maybe…shove way more into the car than the car can possibly handle, and then duct tape a bunch of boxes onto the top? Yep, that sounds good.

For many car buyers, choosing between a sedan and a pickup can be a difficult decision. But this car owner decided to take matters into his own hands by combining a Volvo, a pickup bed, and some mad woodworking skills. Note the nice, even, sturdy-looking construction.

This truck owner, however, doesn’t seem to have the same level of car mod talent. This wooden truck bed leaves so many questions unanswered: where did the truck’s real bed go? Who thought constructing a new one out of wood was a good idea? Is it supposed to be an environmental statement? Is that even street legal?

When you really, really love your car, it can be hard to admit that it’s at the end of its life. But when it’s held together with trash bags, duct tape, bungee cords and what appears to a flannel shirt, it might be time to let it go to that great parking lot in the sky.

Apparently the load was a little heavy on the back end of this van, and maybe the bumper started scraping the pavement. Rather than, say, fix whatever is wrong with the frame that’s making the back end sag, this resourceful car owner decided to put some teeny-tiny wheels under the bumper. Problem solved!

Spare tires are expensive. But with some ingenuity and a few of the odds and ends that everyone has lying around their garage, there’s no obstacle that can’t be overcome. Hopefully the guy riding in the back of the hatchback is wearing his bungee-cord seat belt.

We may kid about these modifications and temporary solutions, but some of them actually serve a purpose, albeit a funny one. This shopping cart bike was concocted by Ryan McFarland and can solve the irritating problem of where to put your groceries when you go to the supermarket on your bike. If you’re itching to make one yourself, there are instructions here.

If you’ve got access to the equipment necessary to weld a whole new side panel onto your minivan, why not? It’s cheaper than buying a new van, and it’s not like it’s completely unsafe or anything, right?

Appliance delivery, like spare tires, is not cheap. You can accomplish basically the same thing with a car, a dolly, and a friend or two willing to ride in the trunk all the way home.

Who said you can’t put a trailer hitch on the inside of a hatchback? This insightful car owner knows that you can haul anything if you just put your mind to it.

At first this looked like a wood-burning stove in the back of a van. But on closer inspection, it appears to be some sort of creative vehicle recycling. We don’t know what it’s supposed to be, but kudos to the creator for using existing materials that might have otherwise gone to the junkyard.

Motorcycle seats can be very uncomfortable. So what’s a biker with a bad back to do? This looks like a pretty great compromise between car and motorcycle.

Motorcycles have another small problem for those who enjoy hauling things: very little storage space. There are, of course, trailers made just for motorcycles, but where’s the fun in that? This crazy modification turns the motorcycle into a tricycle, and the car hood into the awesomest trailer ever.

(from weburbanist)

While many of us go for a functionalist, pick’n’mix approach to home decor (”I need curtains: oh, that will do” etc.), let us be upstanding for the financially brave, creatively passionate and unashamedly geeky souls who transform their homes into miniature versions of their favorite corners of modern culture, as these 8 thoroughly unique examples illustrate.

(Images via: Hack N Mod via Geeky Gadgets)

If you wish that the Steam Age was still with us and have a thing for overengineered pipes and rocket-firing dirigibles, you would feel thoroughly at home in this Extraordinary Gentleman’s house in New Zealand. The house is designed to look like a beached  Twenty Thousand Leagues-style submarine, complete with rust, encroaching greenery and a working periscope! Feeling similarly inspired? Prepare to have your savings torpedoed – this beast cost $100,000 to build.

(Image via: Gizmodo)

Everyone wants a treehouse. (Even adults want a treehouse.) But is it going too far to build a treehouse in your bedroom?

(Image via: Gizmodo)

The Kidtropolis Magic Indoor Treehouse Bedroom is kitted out with everything a treehouse-hugger could wish for. As well as the bed (only accessible via ladder), the room contains trapdoor storage facilites and a table that folds down from the ‘fence’ running round the room.

(Images via: Illusion 360 and Sellsius)

Staying with wood, what happens when you want a plushly-paneled basement study and your budget won’t stretch? For Lexington (Kentucky) lawyer Charlie Fratzer, the answer was simple: pull out a pen and draw it. With nothing but a $10 Sharpie and a fertile imagination, Fratzer has decorated his basement with staircases, furniture, members of his family and historical & fictional characters including Winston Churchill, Sherlock Holmes and Bullwinkle & Rocky.

(Image via: Gizmodo)

Now for the work of truly dedicated parents. This is a kid’s bedroom (please let it be a kid’s bedroom) in a house currently up for sale…

(Image via: Gizmodo)

…and the centerpiece (if you can call something entirely filling a room a ‘centerpiece’) is a reconstruction of a Star Wars Y-Wing. If you are wondering where the bed is, it’s laid along the wing. All you need is a droid alarm clock and the illusion is complete. (”R2, that duvet’s broken loose again, see if you can’t tuck it in”).

(Images via: SlipperyBrick)

Or perhaps your scifi tastes lean more towards the other largest franchise in the known Universe – in which case this NCC-1701D (that’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation’s USS Enterprise” to us terrestrial folk) home theatre should push all the right buttons. Check out other 14 similarly creative / mad-as-a-fish examples over at SlipperyBrick.

(Image via: The Telegraph)

But for sheer unadulterated Trek-lurve, the prize goes to interior designer Tony Alleyne. After his marriage faltered, Alleyne decided to turn his flat into the ultimate geek bachelor pad – by modeling it on the set of Star Trek: Voyager.

(Images via: The Telegraph and The Mirror)

Press the doorbell and a voice says “welcome to the 24th century” – and from there it’s a Trekkie’s paradise, complete with a “fully-working transporter” (a what?), touch-panel lighting, command consoles and a replica of Voyager’s warp core that propels the ship between the stars. (It’s in the spot where the fridge used to be).  The price of all this geeky luxury? Fourteen maxed-out credit cards,  $160,000 in debt…and bankruptcy. Alleyne remains philosophical: “I’m still proud of what I created, but it’s been a financial disaster”.

(Images via: Wired)

If you constantly have the Mario theme-tune running through your head (like the creators of this little masterpiece), why not turn your home into a shrine to your favorite Italian plumber? That is what Antoinette J. Citizen has done, as reported by Wired. The walls are painted in jolly Mario colors and are studded with bricks that play the original sound effects when poked and pushed (and maybe even when jumped on). How many shiny gold coins did this cost?

(Image via: Daily Mail)

And finally, for all young girls pining to live the Cinderella dream (the glamorous ending, not the sitting-in-cinders part) then that dream can be a reality – if daddy is a premiership footballer with $80,000 to kick around, that is.

(Image via: Daily Mail)

The individually-tailored work of Mark Wilkinson Furniture, these luxury items of furniture include ornate murals and hand-crafted carriage beds. Some footballers have even come up with their own designs – leading the British media to label these creations the latest demonstrations of footballers having more money than sense. Would you like your darling treasures to grow up expecting to be treated like fairy-tale royalty?

(from weburbanist)

(Check out our complete collection of 70 Works of Recycled Art and Design.)

With the green theme growing in popularity across every stretch of the world, more and more people are turning to cargo container homes for green alternatives for office, and even new home, construction. There are countless numbers of empty, unused shipping containers around the world just sitting on the shipping docks and taking up space. The reason for this is that it’s too expensive for a country to ship empty containers back to the their origin in most cases, it’s just cheaper to buy new containers from Asia. The result is an extremely high surplus of empty shipping containers that are just waiting to become someone’s home or office. Design, buy or build your shipping container home today!

There are plenty of benefits of to the so-called shipping container architecture model. A few of these advantages include: they are plentiful, they are easily transported, they’re stackable, relatively inexpensive (as little as $900 for a used container), they can be prefabricated, and they’re extremely durable. Residential applications are also becoming a popular topic of conversation among green supporters. The first official 2-story shipping container home in the US was designed by Southern California architect Peter DeMaria in 2006. The only big obstacle that he encountered during construction of his shipping container pad was making sure that the house passed all of the strict guidelines of the Uniform Building Code (UBC).

In other parts of the world, places like Odessa, Ukraine already have the the biggest shopping mall in all of Europe which uses stacked shipping containers to form alleys throughout the 170 acre site. In Asia, the Dordoy Bazaar in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan is almost entirely composed of empty shipping containers stacked two high and chock-full of inexpensive trinkets and toys. So, in other words, shipping container architecture is nothing new, but it is new when it comes to residential and office applications.

This great example of shipping container architecture was created by architects Pieter Peelings and Silvia Mertens of Sculp(IT). They live and work in these shipping containers which are stacked four high. The entire space is 2.4 meters wide by 5.5 meters deep by 12 meters high. The bottom floor is used for work, dining room is located on the second floor, relaxation room on the third, and spectacular rooftop views from the fourth – including a relaxing spa.

This award-winning office design by Clive Wilkinson is made out of stacked shipping containers is the home office of Palotta TeamWorks, a US charity event company. The 47,000 square foot warehouse is filled with shipping containers that have been transformed into modern office spaces. This design layout saved the company a ton ofmoney on construction costs, and it allowed the entire space to be more open and airy.

The world’s first hotel built from recycled shipping containers has popped-up in Uxbridge, West London. Each prefabricated container comes fully-equipped with fixtures, furniture, and windows from a factory in China. The company, called Travelodge, says that constructing a hotel this way is 25% faster and 10% cheaper than the more traditional construction methods. Also, construction is much quicker, because all that has to be done is to fit each container together like it was a giant Lego set. Rooms at this London hotel start at about ï¿¡19 per night. The London area may see more these ‘portable hotels’ pop-up around the city as the 2012 Olympics approaches.

Opened in 1998, the Simon’s Town High School Hostel is constructed almost entirely of used shipping containers. This amazing place is constructed out of 40 large shipping containers to be exact, and it’s big enough to accommodate up to 120 boarders. The hostel manager gets his own 2 bedroom flat, while the other staff share 2 separate flatlets. Area residents were concerned that the project would prove to be an eyesore to the community since it was made from grungy old shipping containers, but the final result proved otherwise with a modern-looking structure that is incredibly durable and aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

This shipping container home from the so-called Zigloo Domestique project in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada is a residential home created by Keith Dewey. The home is built out of old shipping containers, and the owner chose to paint them with an industrial strength minty-green enamel, commonly found on shipping containers today, in order to maintain the container’s roots in the shipping business. While the exterior of the home may look a little rugged, due to the protruding containers, the 2,000 square foot interior of the house is quite comfortable and modern. The project cost about $150 per square foot, compared to a similar quality traditional construction project that can cost about $250 per square foot.

This stunning home is almost like a piece of art that you can live in. Constructed using 12 recycled shipping containers, the 12 container home home has all of the modern conveniences of a traditionally built home but with a unique element of style as well. A modern kitchen, huge wide-open floor plan, and gigantic windows that bring in tons of natural lighting are just a few of the great features of this home – plus, construction costs were relatively inexpensive when compared to traditional construction.

This 2,000 square foot home, built in 2001, is actually built around a smaller cottage-style house that has stood in that location for decades. The cottage house almost looks like a gigantic version of a dollhouse inside of the huge storage shed that forms the exterior of this innovative house. The 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home is also made from 5 large shipping containers – 3 on the bottom, and 2 stacked on top of those. This place also contains all of the modern features of a ‘normal’ home, but it’s supposedly built to last much longer. The creator of this innovative home is Adam Kalkin, and he’s actually selling these homes for as little as $76,000, or less than $100 per square foot – not a bad deal considering traditional construction of a new home averages about double that amount.

This 3,000 square foot L.A. home features multiple storage containers in its design – each with its own purpose. There’s a storage container for the entertainment area, library, dining room/office space, master bedroom, and bathroom/laundry room. This place has plenty of large windows which provide plenty of natural lighting as well as awesome views of the garden and koi pond outside. Aside from using recycled storage containers, this home also uses recycled steel scraps in its construction which further adds to the green vibe that this home resonates – not to mention saved a ton of money on construction costs.

(from weburbanist)

Railroad cars are big, heavy, and cumbersome. They’re notoriously hard to move into new locations off of their tracks, and because of their odd shape most people wouldn’t think of using them for anything else anyway. But in the spirit of recycling, green construction and shipping container homes, some enterprising people are recycling old train cars into homes, offices and even hotels.

(images via: Jag9889, The Manimal, The Greenest Dollar, and Ramon)

With the mortgage industry in trouble and more people making the shift toward green housing, reusing train cars as homes is a logical step. Like shipping containers, it’s relatively easy to do the conversion yourself, provided you have the resources to get the car to its new location. Cabooses seem to be the most popular choice for train car homes, but there are plenty of dining and sleeping cars being converted as well. If you’re able to shell out between $8000 and $45,000 for an old car, another several thousand to transport the car and put it into place on your property, and whatever it takes in material and labor to transform it, you can have a home for much less than a conventional house would cost. And best of all, it will be completely unique and as green as you want it to be.

(images via: kgw.com)

This converted rail car home in Portland, Oregon, is a great example of how beautiful a home a converted railroad car can make. The outside may look plain, but on the inside it’s surprisingly luxurious. The home encompasses an impressive 807 square feet and features 10-foot-high ceilings, DSL, thoroughly new everything, a full electric kitchen, and an incinerator toilet. The siding it’s currently situation on is rented to the current owner for $150 a month, and since it’s not technically real estate there are no property taxes. The home is currently for sale, so if you want the train car home experience without renovating one yourself, now’s your chance.

(images via: HGTV and Roadside America)

If you’ve ever passed by the northern edge of Richardson Bay in Sausalito, California, chances are you’ve seen some pretty unusual houseboats moored there. One of the most unique is this one, made from an old railroad car. The car was once known as #41 on the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railway in 1889. After it was retired in 1936, it was made into a land-based duplex and stayed put until 1979. At that time it was purchased to be made into this amazing houseboat. The home contains many of the original rail car bits, including the dining seats and some of the interior wood.

(images via: London Underground and Village Underground)

High above the London streets in Shoreditch, a few disused Tube carriages sit proudly, adorned with beautiful graffiti and shining with new life. They’re part of Village Underground, a collection of office and studio spaces that encompass the carriages above as well as a massive Victorian warehouse below. A wide variety of occupants take up the spaces, making a truly diverse and unique urban community encompassing some very distinctive recycled building elements.

(image via: Anne Vauclare)

Not all repurposed train cars are used as dwellings or offices. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of using the available material to solve the problem at hand. Though it’s not clear exactly where this train car bridge is or even how it got there – miles away from a highway or railroad network – it’s an amusing sight.

(images via: The Deptford Project)

In mid-2008, a remarkable project came together in Deptford, South London: a 1960s rail car was transported to the high street to become part of an urban reclamation arts project. The car was stripped and repurposed by designer Morag Myerscough, then turned into a café. The Deptford Project Café is now decorated with beautiful graffiti advertising its existence, and inside you can get a cup of sustainably-harvested coffee or a plate of locally produced treats.

(images via: Redcaboose Getaway B&B)

Some enterprising individuals put the homey feel of converted rail cars to good use as bed and breakfast rooms. The Redcaboose Getaway on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula manages to look both charming and exciting. If you ever wanted to be a train conductor as a kid, this is the place to live out that dream…sort of. The B&B features several cabooses, each of which is a separate guest chamber. There’s also a restored art deco dining car where the staff chef prepares breakfast each morning. The Olympic Peninsula is one of the must-see areas of the US, and this seems like an amazing place to call a temporary home while exploring the area.

(images via: Controversy B&B)

The Controversy B&B in Hoogwoud, Netherlands takes full advantage of the offbeat nature of the discarded train on its grounds. The compartment is 21 meters long and contains some truly wacky features: the sink basin in the bathroom is an old tire, the bed is a boat, and the jacuzzi tub is in the shape of a colorful sombrero. And if trains aren’t your thing, the transportation-themed property also features trams and a UFO.

(images via: Aurora Express B&B)

Fairbanks, Alaska boasts its own quirky railroad car bed and breakfast. The Aurora Express B&B features four historic railroad cars as sleeping chambers and one dining car. The cars were purchased from the Denali State Park Hotel for $1 each, with the agreement that the Wilson family would pay to transport them to their property. Today, the cars sit on 700 feet of private railroad track overlooking Fairbanks and the Tanana Valley.

(images via: English Russia)

Perhaps the most bizarre train reuse is the Russian trend of converting old train cars into Orthodox Christian churches. They range from the simple repurposing to the elaborate redesign, complete with adding an entirely new facade. The end result is an unusual butinspirational presentation, showing us that these industrial giants don’t need to be discarded when their working lives are over; they simply need someone who cares enough to give them new life.

(from weburbanist)

(see rights/credits of photos at flickr)

You still have the D3X with 24.5 Mp and the D3 with 12.1 Mp and also $5.500

Here you have the techspecs for the D3s. Looks like the s gives video to the nikons, like the d300s.

• ISO performance: ISO 12800 as standard, expandable to ISO equivalent of 102400 (Hi 3)
• Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor with 12.1 effective megapixels
• Improved D-Movie function including High-Sensitivity Movie mode and flicker reduction function
• Nikon’s Integrated Dust Reduction System including Image Sensor Cleaning function
• Incorporates Nikon’s original EXPEED digital image processing
• Active D-Lighting with bracketing for up to 5 frames
• Picture Control: Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Monochrome (Landscape and Portrait can be downloaded from Nikon website)
• Quick response with approx. 0.12 seconds start-up time and approx. 0.04 seconds shutter-release time lag
• 9-frames-per-second shooting rate in FX format, 11 fps in DX crop (CIPA Guidelines)
• Nikon’s original Scene Recognition System, utilizing 1,005-pixel RGB sensor, for more accurate autofocus, auto exposure, i-TTL flash control and auto white balance
• Multi-CAM 3500FX AF sensor module featuring 51 AF points
• Viewfinder with approx. 100% frame coverage and approx. 0.7x magnification in FX format
• Durable shutter unit proven by 300,000 cycles of testing on fully assembled camera
• Intelligent power management that lets you shoot up to approx. 4,200 frames per charge (based on CIPA Standards)
• Easy-to-access Live View modes with dedicated button
• Quiet Shutter-release mode for nonintrusive shooting
• High-definition (approx. 921k-dot), 170˚ viewing angle, 3-in. VGA LCD monitor with tempered glass.

Which one is for you?
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LoftLife takes a look into The Cement Factory loft, Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill’s legendary and unusual live/work complex in Barcelona. Originally, the space was, in fact, a cement factory but it also resembles a cathedral with its high, narrow windows and gothic-style arches.

Today, the factory serves as Ricardo’s personal home, as well as offices, laboratories, and a venue for exhibitions, lectures, and concerts.

Take a look inside.

Photos by Verve via LoftLife.

©2009 Design Milk | Posted by Jaime in Architectur

Emma Hack has made a name for herself as one of the most creative and visionary Australian artists to come along in years. But she doesn’t work on canvas or clay; her medium is the beautiful form of the human body.

Hack began her career as a makeup artist, hairdresser and children’s face painter. But her talents have continued to grow and evolve over the last two decades into the mature and fascinating form she works in today. Her paintings are applied directly to models’ bodies and match up perfectly with their background, acting as a kind of camouflage. But the bodies are not entirely hidden in the patterns; rather, they become part of the pattern and allow the background to flow even more beautifully.

The wallpapers featured are by the legendary designer Florence Broadhurst, licensed specifically for Hack’s use. The intricate designs can sometimes take up to 19 hours to apply. When finished, the model’s body is at once a continuation of the design and a completely unique work of art on its own. The designs accentuate, rather than hide, the fluid beauty and grace of the human form.

The wallpaper paintings began with Emma doing the painting herself and a photographer making the images. However, as she has continued to grow as an artist, Emma has taken over the photographyas well. She has experimented with adding creatures and other types of designs in to her paintings, adding a new element to the concept of her amazing body art.

Although most of her subjects have been female, Emma has also experimented with painting the male form. The wallpaper designs she uses with the male models are necessarily different; they highlight the strength of the male form and the very different curvatures of the male body. She calls all of her models her “muses,” and her affection for the art and for the human form is apparent in every painting. She manages to make the bodies of her muses look infinitely inviting, fragile and soft without once over-sexualizing them.

Emma’s work has been shown and celebrated all around the world, winning her several awards and establishing a firm following for the budding artist. She has done many series other than the Wallpapers, including “Cowscape” which features stunning paintings on cows. Her inspiration, she says, comes from nature and all of the diverse cultures of the world.

(from weburbanist)