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Posts Tagged ‘Adults’

12 City Slides Turning Urban Settings Into Playgrounds for Adults

13 Sep

[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

urban slide LA 2

Slides actually make a lot of practical sense in urban environments, potentially zooming over busy streets and transferring pedestrians from high ground to low ground faster than an escalator or set of stairs. That is, as long as people use them in an efficient manner and don’t clog them up. A mainstay on playgrounds around the world, slides can add a sense of fun to urban settings for adults, too. These examples of slides integrated into architecture, temporarily installed in city streets and doubling as public sculptures offer some exciting inspiration (take the hint, architects and city planners!)

Skyslide Los Angeles

skyslide

Zoom from the 70th floor of Los Angeles’ U.S. Bank Tower to the 69th in a fully transparent, 45-foot-long glass slide with thrilling (or terrifying, depending on your feelings about heights) views of the city below. The Skyslide opened this year on the West Coast’s tallest building, and though the glass is only 1 1/4 inches thick, the slide is said to be earthquake- and hurricane-proof.

Giant Water Slide in Bristol by Luke Jerram

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‘Park and Slide’ by UK-based artist Luke Jerram temporarily turned Bristol’s Park Street into a waterpark, drawing in 65,000 visitors to watch 360 lucky lottery winners ranging in age from 5 to 73 slide from one end of the street to the next. “This massive urban slide transforms the street and asked people to take a fresh look at the potential of their city and the possibilities for transformation,” says Jerram. “Imagine if there were permanent slides right across cities?”

Transfer Accelerator Slide for Commuters

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Designed as part of the Overvecht train station’s redevelopment, the Transfer Accelerator slide in Utrecht makes leaving the train station a little bit faster, and a lot more fun. The slide was integrated into the stairs outside the station as part of a push to encourage more commuters to take the train instead of driving.

Cliveden House Slide

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This four-lane stainless steel slide at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire, former home to Waldorf and Nancy Astoria, distracts visitors from ongoing restoration work and offers an alternative way to get back to lawn level rather than the scaffolding-covered stairs. It’s not often that you see a theme-park-worthy slide attached to a regal old manor house – it’s too bad it’s not a permanent feature.

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12 City Slides Turning Urban Settings Into Playgrounds For Adults

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Private Playgrounds: 13 Amazingly Fun Houses

If you had your own pirate ship fort, multi-story slide, climbing wall or indoor skate park, would you ever want to leave your house? Some homeowners have turned their residences into private …

City Museum: Abandoned Warehouse Full of Caves, Rides & Slides

Somewhere between a huge funhouse, playground and circus, the City Museum of St. Louis may be the most entertaining and interactive urban architectural experiment in the world. And if you are …

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[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

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Fantastic Cities: 48-Page Urban Coloring Book Made for Adults

19 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

fantastic aerial view

Coloring books are no longer just for kids, as this one designed for adult colorists illustrates in beautiful black and white. Showing urban scenes both real and imagined, these fictional, actual and hybrid views could take hours each for enthusiasts to fill in, and, psychologists argue, may even profit mental health benefits beyond the fun of simply reliving a childhood activity.

fantastic citiesss

fantastic cities book

Canadian artist Steve McDonald, the man behind Fantastic Cities, is known for works of a similar style, but these have historically been found in galleries and collections: “small on-site studies that are usually done with pencil/chalk on colored paper and large format studio work which is usually done with pencil & charcoal/chalk with acrylic washes on paper. Steve has also gained a lot of attention for his highly detailed ‘ bird’s eye view ‘ renderings of villages, cities and rural scenes as well as his compositions of machinery and his popular flying vehicle series.”

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fantastic filled in color

In this book, Steve selected scenes from major cities like New York and San Francisco, providing aerial drawings of real places but also stylized works based on the architectural and urban character of other cities, all with extreme levels of detail that leave readers with much to color.

fantastic cities urban cityscape

There may even be psychological benefits to coloring: “by engaging multiple parts of the brain, coloring allows us to focus on the lines, movements, and colors in front of us, use our imaginations and be creative, and de-stress.” More about the book: “This unique coloring book features immersive aerial views of real cities from around the world alongside gorgeously illustrated, Inception-like architectural mandalas. Available July 7th from Chronicle Books.”

fantastic cities books

fantastic cities black white

Nor is this an isolated piece – according to the New York Times, “major publishers are seizing on the trend. This year, Little, Brown will release four illustrated coloring books for adults, all subtitled ‘Color Your Way to Calm.’ The books, ‘Splendid Cities’ by the British artists Rosie Goodwin and Alice Chadwick and three titles by the French illustrator Zoé de Las Cases, feature detailed cityscapes with famous landmarks, cafes and street life. Promotional materials for the books emphasize the health benefits of ‘mindful coloring,’ noting that the activity “has been shown to be a stress reliever for adults.”

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How To Photograph Shy Adults

22 Jul

Some people are not as comfortable in front of the camera as others. Perhaps they are shy, or perhaps they believe they have physical “imperfections”, so they aren’t at ease when it comes to having their photo taken. (I put quotes around that term because often these are not imperfections at all, but rather, beautiful parts of their body that they over-think.)

Unless they are a professional model, most people fall into this category to some degree. If they don’t feel comfortable, it will show in the photos. Luckily, there are things you can do that may help.

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Give your subject something to do

Holding a pose will often garner an awkward expression. Thus, photograph them as they move. People are much more comfortable when they are in motion, than when they are still.

They don’t have to do anything overly complicated. The movements can be subtle, like looking up from a head-down position or fixing something, like part of their clothes.

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Do your social psychology homework

Photographing people is part technical and part psychology.

For most people, you cannot start shooting the second your subject arrives and expect them to look natural, so communicate with them before the shoot if they are shy or concerned. Children aren’t the only ones who need time to warm up!

Make sure your subjects know how the shoot will go and what they need to do to prepare for it. If they are concerned about something, address it as quickly as possible. The longer a concern goes unresolved, the more it will grow.

Perhaps they have a scar on their arm they feel self-conscious about. Once you know that, you can address it, like letting them know you will try your best to avoid shooting it. Maybe they aren’t sure what to wear that will flatter their curvy body, so you can give them clothing suggestions or reassure them that you will use certain angles and lighting to accommodate this. Or maybe they are just plain shy, in which case, you want to make sure you talk to them! Let them know a little about you. Talk about common interests.

Making your subjects feel at ease is a very important and integral part of portrait photography.

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Avoid silence

When you have a shy or uncertain subject, being silent for a length of time can be unnerving for them.

Talk to them during the shoot, but be careful not to bark orders at them (ie. “Sit there, look here, put your hand like this, move your body like that!”) because that will achieve the opposite of what you want.

Rather, tell them what they are doing right, so they know to keep doing that, and explain what you are doing before you do it.

The entire shoot doesn’t have to be instructional or too commentated, but a little bit of talking will make your subject feel more confident and “safe”. With these feelings, personalities and natural expressions will surface.

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If you are photographing children, you’ll want to read: How to Photograph Shy Children as well.

Do you have any other tips for working with people? Please share in the comments below.

The post How To Photograph Shy Adults by Annie Tao appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Just Breathe: Portraits of adults with Cystic Fibrosis

10 May

ianp1.jpg

Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable, life-shortening genetic disease which affects roughly 70,000 people around the globe. Commonly thought of as a childhood disease, photographer Ian Pettigrew was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 37. He is currently trying to raise money to support a project entitled ‘Just Breathe’, which will feature portraits of adults living with CF. Get more details and make a contribution

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Just Breath: Portraits of adults with Cystic Fibrosis

09 May

ianp1.jpg

Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable, life-shortening genetic disease which affects roughly 70,000 people around the globe. Commonly thought of as a childhood disease, photographer Ian Pettigrew was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 37. He is currently trying to raise money to support a project entitled ‘Just Breath’, which will feature portraits of adults living with CF. Get more details and make a contribution

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Bounce House for Adults: Blow-Up Bubble Strung with Nets

21 Nov

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

Inflatable Bounce House for Adults 1

Admit it – you’re jealous of the little kids who get to romp in those inflatable bounce houses. Once we reach a certain age (or weight), we’re just not welcome in those primary-colored playgrounds any longer. But some lucky kids-at-heart got a chance to relive the fun of that experience with ‘Net Blow-Up,’ most recently installed near the waterfront in Yokohama by Croatian-Austrian design collective Numen/For Use.

Inflatable Bounce House for Adults 2

The inflatable play structure looks like a big white bubble in its spot beside the water, glowing like a lantern once the sun goes down. Inside, it’s strung with multiple levels black netting that’s just stretch enough to climb, jump and flip to your heart’s desire.

Inflatable Bounce House for Adults 3

Inflatable Bounce House for Adults 4

Watching it from the outside might be almost as fun as bouncing around within it, as the soft-sided structure deforms and mutates with each movement of those inside. “The outer membrane acts both like a ‘soft box’ diffuser of the outside light, or a projection screen in case of inner illumination of the installation,” say the designers.

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Inflatables are popular as temporary installations, since they’re so easy to install and take down. Plus, they tend to have a lighthearted, comical look. Two recent examples include the Bridge in Paris and the world’s first inflatable concert hall, the Ark Nova.

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Photographing Adults: the Hardest Group of All

06 Aug

Step one: surround them with kids or puppies or something so they relax and act normal.

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Okay, fine.  That’s not always possible.  It’s hard to get your hands on a bunch of puppies for one.  It’s a little easier to find a bunch of children, but then there you are…… stuck with a bunch of children.

Adults are so awkward in front of a camera.  It’s just so much PRESSURE.  To look GOOD.  And NORMAL.  I’m am one of the biggest offenders of this.  A running conversation with me while I’m getting my picture taken goes something like this:

Is my hair doing something weird?  I feel like my hair is doing something weird.  

Oh man, you totally just noticed that my right eye is smaller than my left didn’t you?  I hate that.  I was always going to have it fixed, just as soon as laser eyelid reconstruction became available. 

Can you tell me when you’re actually shooting because I want to be sure I’m sucking it in and looking as skinny as possible. 

Why did I wear this shirt?  It only highlights my big weird left eye and my non-ability to suck it in.  That was so stupid.  Can you Photoshop in a different shirt?

Can you try to get my toes in the picture?  Because I painted them last night and that’s about the only part of me that probably looks okay right now.

Nope, scratch that.  I just saw a chip in the polish.  Great.  Just great.  

The whole thing is ruined.  No sense in even trying at this point, as clearly I will break your camera.

Now feels like a good time to mention that I’m not exactly low maintenance.  On any level.  But I also know that I am not the only one that does that, and I know this because every time I photograph an adult, this is the type of things I hear from them too.  Kids have it made when it comes to getting their picture taken—everything they do looks cute.  And if it doesn’t?  What do they care?  They have much more important things to worry about like why the chicken nuggets that are shaped like dinosaurs taste different than nugget-shaped ones.  (Though to be fair, I’m kind of curious about this too.)

Here are five tips for photographing adults without involving puppies:

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1. Keep them Busy

If I had a dollar for every adult I have asked to twirl and dance around, I would have enough dollars to buy this 200 pound St. Bernard I’ve had my eye on with enough left over to keep him in food for at least a week.  Adults fight me every time on this one, but I force it because I can, and hey, we’re all grown-ups here.  I don’t care about their twirling skills a bit.  What I want is for them to loosen up and let go of their worry over how they are going to look.  Ask for something to do something goofy and you’re likely to get a true smile and a natural stance.

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2. Use your Surroundings

Adults don’t often come with a car full of stuffed animals to include in the pictures (and boy if they do, I’m outta there so fast), so you have to find parts and pieces of the world around that are going to make the image interesting and personal.  I love me some sky if it’s an option.  I also don’t mind a little concrete but whatever it is, utilize it as a way to draw interest to the person and tell a little story.

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3. Give them Something to Do with their Hands

It’s a lot to ask of someone to just stand there and look cute and often the most awkward part of that is not knowing what to do with your hands.  Offer up anything but shoving them in pockets to avoid the inevitable “I don’t know what to do right now” look.

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4. Show them how You would do it

Every time I photograph an adult and have an idea for a pose or concept, I do it first.  ”I would lay down in this patch of dandelions like this, but you may find that it feels better to you to do it a little differently”.  I encourage them to try it and see what feels comfortable.  In reality you’re just giving them a starting off point.  Once they feel like they are “doing it right” they will become more comfortable and be able to sink into a place that feels natural to them.

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5. Reassure them….  Lots

While I am shooting, I’m always encouraging.  In an obnoxious and loud way because that’s just how I roll.  I’ll tell them I love what they’re doing, or that they look perfect in this light, or that I’m getting tons of great stuff.  Sure, every once in a while I admit that something looks stupid but only because my idea didn’t work out.  And I’m a big believer in adults thinking I have a magical darkroom where I sprinkle special fairy dust on everyone’s faces and wrinkles and dull skin and that extra 10 pounds you swear exists that doesn’t, just magically goes away.  And then I go out to my money tree and pick todays offerings.  Seriously though, adults take a lot of comfort in knowing that you look at faces all day long and can be trusted to make sure the end result looks great.

And it never hurts to mention that as far as you can tell, both of their eyes appear to be the same size and you like their shirt.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Photographing Adults: the Hardest Group of All


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GoGo & Multiplo: Modular Building Blocks for Kids & Adults

11 Jun

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

modular block bedroom set

Two very similar designs with somewhat different audiences, Multiplo emphasizes their kit-of-parts approach as a means toward making convertible adult furniture, while Gogo Blocks are presented as a way for children to build their own play spaces, forts and mazes.

modular blocks toys playspaces

Sinclair Smith designed the Blocks as a student project, and, when he came across Multiplo, celebrated and encouraged HeyTeam‘s development of its parallel project.

modular gogo blocks system

But the blocks can work as furniture too, writes Smith: “Gogo blocks are a children’s play system of foam pillows for building and imagining, and are specifically scaled to form a twin mattress for sleepover guests.”

modular blocks heyteam multiplo

As to Multiplo: users are welcome to invent their own configurations and transformations, but core starting suggestions include couches, beds and a square lounge pit for seating groups. Also, the color palette is a bit more passable for older users (at least: young adults), being somewhat less colorful than that of its cousin, Gogo.

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