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Posts Tagged ‘Block’

Leaked photos of the a9 II and details about Sony’s event a mere block from PhotoPlus

28 Sep

Earlier this month, we caught our first glimpse of what might be Sony’s next flagship full-frame camera, the ‘a9 II.’ Now, a new photo has been leaked showing the mystery camera out in the wild yet again.

The leaked photo, seen below and shared by Sony Alpha Rumors, features what could be an a9 II attached to a taped-up battery grip and a Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS lens. The button placement and overall look is identical to the header image, which was leaked earlier this month.

As noted when the first image emerged, one noticeable change is the lack of the Focus Mode dial lock release button found on the a9. Aside from that, the externals of the camera appear largely unchanged from its predecessor.

As for internals, we don’t know much. Sony Alpha Rumors is reporting the camera will feature a 36-megapixel sensor, but that rumor has yet to be confirmed.

PhotoPlus 2019 is being held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center roughly a block away from the Creative Space NYC location where Sony is hosting its event.

If it’s indeed real, we’ll no doubt find out soon enough. Sony has shared the details for an event at ’Creative Space NYC,’ that will take place just around the corner from the convention center where PhotoPlus 2019 is going on. The ‘Creators’ Playground,’ as Sony is calling it, will be open from October 24 through the 26.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Beat creative block with these 5 tips

25 Aug

In his latest video YouTuber and photographer Jamie Windsor offers a collection of inspiring tips to lift us out of those dead-end moments when creativity temporarily abandons our world. When ideas seem to dry up it rarely feels like a temporary situation, even though experience proves that with time masterpieces will be made again. The problem is how long it takes to regain our mojo.

In A Few Quick Thoughts On Staying Creative Jamie discusses creative block and his theory on how it happens – and most importantly how to accelerate the return of fresh inspiration. He tells us to put ourselves in the way of new ideas, to listen to others plans and to try a new environment – and to review the ideas we have been working on.

If you are going through a dry spell at the moment this might just lift you out of it, and if you aren’t it could be your insurance for next time one comes along.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Shopping Block: 20 Deservedly Abandoned British Stores

18 Sep

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

These charming British shops and boutiques just couldn’t compete with big box stores but that’s not the only reason they’ve bitten the biscuit.

Why try owning and operating a store selling niche items when Asda (owned by Walmart), Tesco and of course Amazon can stock most of their inventory in a single aisle? While lower prices and greater convenience are welcome benefits of this socioeconomic transformation, the carnage inflicted on Britain’s shopping streets was, is and continues to be staggering. Take “Bling” for example… an abandoned East Yorkshire accessories boutique displaying (as of March 2010) only a broke-ass Venus de Milo surrounded by stripped shelving units.

Let It Go

“Fridges, Freezers & Fridge Freezers” could be a follow-up to Monty Python’s legendary Spam sketch – all that Spam, Spam, Spam, Baked Beans & Spam needs to be stored somewhere, amiright? The erstwhile owners of this Doncaster, West Yorkshire kitchen chillling appliances outlet at least had sufficient space on the facade to display their phone number… twice.

Priceless Characteristics

Allow us to state right here and now that all of our featured images were captured by Flickr member and urban landscapes photographer extraordinaire leon S-D (littleweed1950). We’ve cherry-picked from well over a thousand eerily beautiful images of closed and abandoned UK shopfronts including the befuddlingly-named “Characteristics and Electrotec” in Bridlington, East Yorkshire. That’s just off the charts, even for Quainte Olde Englande.

What the heck did this store sell (or at least TRY to sell), anyway? Radios, CBs, “Fancy Goods”… is that last one a euphemism for something? Who can put a price on “Characteristics”? Nobody now, it would seem. In any case, the photographer thought this shopfront was so nice, he visited it twice – in September of 2009 and again in January of 2013. Curiously, though the shop remained abandoned the facade was mildly rejuvenated with a coat of blue-green paint, thus improving its visual characteristics.

We All Float

“I’m going to need to stock up on unsinkable meats and produce,” said no one ever. Seriously, even the captain goes down with the ship and he’s not going to be upstaged by some leftover broccoli. You’ll find the bubbly former “Buoyant Foods” store in Town Centre, Grimsby, Lincolnshire where it looked rather grim in November of 2009.

Keep Us In Sus-Pants

Have you noticed that British real estate agents use the term “To Let” on their “for sale” signs? Have you also noticed the two-word phrase looks alarmingly like the one-word er, word “Toilet”? Even more so here in beautiful downtown Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, where the agent’s typical triangular sign leaves the former store’s name as “S-TY PANTS”. Now what could that really be, hmm? We’re sure the neighboring shop’s sign (“The POO”?) isn’t influencing our thoughts at all.

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Shopping Block 20 Deservedly Abandoned British Stores

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[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Cellular Urbanism: Analyzing the Anatomy of Functional City Block Designs

30 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

We all understand intuitively that different urban layouts lead to different kinds of cities, but a new book analyzes these on a block-to-block basis to illustrate how this civic anatomy works on a cellular level. In Urban Being: Anatomy & Identity of the City, Robin Renner uses anatomical-style classifications to look at urban landscapes through a kind of giant microscope.

Overlaying use patterns and transit networks, the reader begins to understand what types of urban “cells” make for functional built environments. Think of it like genome sequencing: through it, planners and architects can learn how to identify problems and, in some cases, address them or head them off in advance.

A combination of topography, transportation networks and design ambitions go a long way toward shaping cells in global cities, forming grids and networks familiar from satellite views of cities. All this in turn shapes the kinds of buildings and functions one finds within a given city.

At the most basic level there are “block cells” made up of arterial routes — these tend to be packed with activity, though specific functions vary on long and short sides of a block (shorter are often busier). These are often found in financial centers of major metropolitan areas.

There are also “linear cells” where two single-direction roads pass one another, which can form the basis of walkable commercial hubs.

Inside “central cells,” where traffic is pushed to the periphery, pedestrians can dominate, generating demand for things like stores and restaurants. Barcelona, for instance, has been implementing a plan to turn sets of blocks into single superblocks, leaving central zones free of cars.

In the process of analyzing all of these types and how they work together in neighborhoods, Renner has devised some rules of thumb, like: residential cells should be between 1200 and 2400 feet across. Industrial cells, which often grow up around transit routes (railroads, rivers and lakes) can grow too big and isolated unless located close to worker housing or connected via public transit. These kinds of decisions, says Renner, can help cities keep a healthy balance of livability and functionality.

“There is a long tradition of comparing cities with organisms as they have similarities in their anatomy, explains the author. “But since cities are brought into life by the presence of people, they are less living beings than urban beings with their own identity. This is based on the behaviors, needs and requirements of the residents. In other words, the anatomy of the city informs its identity.”

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[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Ten ways to shake ‘photographers block’ for good

16 Jul

Get your groove back

Have you ever found yourself in a photographic rut, feeling uninspired to go out and shoot? Most of us have – it’s a frustratingly easy place to end up. So what’s the best way to reclaim your inspiration when ‘photography block’ strikes? Through self discipline, which can be a breath of fresh air at a time when memory cards are large enough to feel limitless and social feeds provide an endless stream to flip through.

What follows are 10 tips to help you not only feel refreshed in your photography, but to stay inspired to go out and shoot. Think of these tips as a workout routine to lead you toward a healthier creative state. They are meant to supplement your photographic goals, not replace them, and they’re geared towards nurturing the skill sets that will help make you a stronger photographer. Get ready to get disciplined!

All photos by Dan Bracaglia unless otherwise credited

Switch up your medium from time to time

If you primarily shoot digital, try your hands at film. Or if you only shoot film, try digital. Why? Because the inherent nature of both mediums offer separate benefits that will help you to improve your photography. Digital gives instant feedback, which is useful for honing technical skills as well as better understanding the behavior of your gear, while film teaches us to take our time and be decisive.

These are two very different skill sets that when practiced together, create a well-balanced photographer.

Try shooting in green square mode

Take your beloved digital camera and throw it in ‘green square’ mode or whatever other fully automatic mode is offered. This will force you to work around the camera’s chosen parameters which in turn will force you to think outside the box and get creative.

It will also teach you a little bit more about how your camera behaves when it’s left to make its own decisions. Understanding the default behavior of your camera is important, even if you mostly shoot full manual.

Limit your memory card size

Want to simulate the limitations of the film era without the actual hassle of shooting film? Grab some 1GB memory cards. Depending on how you shoot (and what you’re shooting with) you’ll get a pretty limited amount of shots per card (a 1GB card in my personal camera is about 30 images). This will help you to be more decisive and intentional with your shots.

For an even more difficult challenge, disallow yourself from viewing images in playback, or deleting files. Just shoot, and swap your card for a fresh one when it’s full.

Shoot with a prime

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘zoom with your feet,’ and as hackneyed as it sounds, this is still some of the best photography advice there is. Shooting a single focal length forces you to move around more, which in turn opens up new compositional paths. But that isn’t the only benefit. You also generally have the advantage of shooting with a lighter, less obtrusive lens, compared to a zoom (there are of course large, heavy primes).

Fixed lens compacts, like the Fujifilm X100 series, Ricoh GR series and Sony RX1 series are great carry-everywhere cameras that will also force you to zoom with your feet.

Consider a disposable

Hey, did you know disposable cameras still exist? They’ve survived the dawn and maturing of the digital area and can still be found at many local corner stores (in the US, at least). So why on Earth would you shoot one? Because they are the perfect tool for living in the moment, while still being a photographer. With a disposable, neither framing nor exposure are precise arts, so there’s no need to put a lot of effort into either. The only thing you, the shooter can truly control is moment the shutter is snapped, the general direction of the camera and whether the flash fires.

Disposables also do a surprisingly good job at close distances, balancing flash with ambient light. And they’re the perfect companion for a rowdy night with friends (a time when some of the best/worst images get taken), while your expensive gear stays home, safe and sound.

Keep a camera on you, always

You’re a photographer – act like one. Whenever you got out, whether its to the store, the doctor or the circus, bring a camera, any camera! Because inspiration plays by its own rules, but you can beat it at its own game by always having a camera on you.

Point and shoots, whether film or digital, are perfect for this (I personally like the Olympus Stylus Epic and Ricoh GR II). And while a smartphone can offer image quality comparable to many compacts, the act of carrying and using an actual camera is arguably more beneficial to your photographic improvement.

Compose pictures even when there’s no camera

OK, this contradicts the previous slide, but allow me to explain: Once in a while, make the choice to not bring a camera along to something you’d ordinary shoot. And while you’re there, challenge yourself to compose mental photographs. The more you get in the habit of doing this, the more you’ll recognize compositions you like when you do have a camera on you.

Photo: Wenmei Hill

Draw, doodle, sketch

This one plays off of the previous slides’ advice in terms of preparing yourself for desirable compositions before they present themselves. Even if you are a terrible with a pen or pencil, spend some time pre-visualizing and drawing out scenes you like, whether abstract or realistic. This exercise can also be surprisingly helpful at helping you to better understand the concept of 3D space on a 2-dimensional plane.

Look at more pictures

Get in the habit of consuming quality photography every day. Social media is both a savior and a curse when it comes to daily consumption of imagery. The relentless nature of ‘the feed’ can lead to binge consumption – try to slow down and take the time to look into images, not at them. Apps like Instagram allow you to easily curate and view only the work of those photographers that inspire.

Better yet, view photography outside the context of a screen: go to a museum or gallery show. Photo books are another great way to quickly inspire. Keep one or two favorites easily accessible, so when you’re feeling creatively drained, you need only pop them open to recharge.

Post your images, watch your progress

Maybe you aren’t ready to share your work with the world just yet, no problem! Start a photoblog anyway. Even if you don’t share the link with anyone, by maintaining a place you update often, you’re making a record of your photographic progress. So when you’re feeling uninspired or low about your work, simply look back on how much you’ve improved to lift your spirits.

Because hopefully, you will have.

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Have any other tips? Share them in the comments below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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New kid on the block: The YI M1 Mirrorless ILC

29 Nov

Key Specifications

  • 20MP Four Thirds sensor
  • 3″ 1.04M-dot touchscreen LCD
  • 81 Point Contrast Detect AF system rated to -4EV
  • Touch to focus and one touch image capture
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K/30P video recording capability
  • Built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE

YI is a China-based company that has already made its mark in the action cam market, earning a recommendation in our recent roundup. But it clearly has ambitions beyond this and has announced its entry into the consumer-level compact ILC market.

We were lucky enough to get our hands on the YI M1, the company’s first ever mirrorless camera. YI has attempted to capitalize on an already well-established camera mount, but decided to put a new spin on it in the form of an almost entirely touchscreen-based user interface.

YI tells us its name refers to ‘young innovators,’ so its no surprise its target demographic is a group that is looking to move on from their smart phone based camera, but perhaps isn’t ready or interested in, taking the plunge into the realm of a traditional DSLR or mirrorless platform.

 The YI M1 features an all-metal lens mount and a 20MP CMOS sensor.

The YI M1 is built around a Sony-designed 20MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor that boasts Raw capability in the form of DNG output files and the ability to shoot 4K/30P video. As with its action cameras, YI publicly lists where its key components come from and the Sony IMX269 instantly suggests good things about the camera’s potential.

The big news is the all-touchscreen interface (the body only has two physical buttons), which aims to give a simple, more smartphone-like user experience. However, the company doesn’t treat these users as undemanding, just because they don’t want a conventional camera.

The camera comes with either the 12-40mm zoom, the 42.5mm prime or a kit that features both the prime and the zoom, a camera strap, USB charging brick and a Micro-USB cable. While the camera sports a hot shoe for an external flash, the current kit doesn’t have a flash included.

Lenses

The two lens choices that come in the kit were a bit of surprise for us, and in a very good way. It’s not too often that a camera company decides to include a prime lens and a zoom in an ILC starter kit, but that’s just what YI has done. There’s a macro-capable 42.5mm F1.8 prime as well as a more conventional 12-40mm F3.5-5.6 zoom in the box, both equipped with image stabilization, since the body itself does not offer any.

The 42.5mm F1.8 prime lens can be seen on the left and the 12-40mm F3.5-5.6 can be seen on the right. The focus ring on the 42.5mm prime doesn’t actually move – it’s just for show although the camera does allow for ‘manual focus’ via the touchscreen.

The lenses are constructed of a mostly plastic body and are extremely lightweight. I definitely wouldn’t suggest getting them wet, as they don’t appear to have any sort of weather-sealing. The lens mounts are made of a plastic composite material.

Oddly, the 42.5mm prime doesn’t offer true manual focus – the ‘focus ring’ is purely cosmetic. You are able to adjust the focus with an up and down arrow via the touchscreen interface. In any case offering a prime lens, particularly a portrait-friendly 85mm equivalent one, is a really nice touch and is sure to please folks moving from a fixed-lens smartphone to an ILC platform. 

Being that this camera is on the MFT platform, YI claims that it will be compatible with more than 50 other lens options. We’ve tried several Panasonic and Olympus MFT lenses and they all seem to work great, so that’s very promising. 

The YI M1 offers five JPEG shooting modes: a high contrast black and white mode, a standard black and white mode, portrait, vivid, and lastly a standard shooting mode. Unfortunately you currently aren’t able to shoot Raw + JPEG, so you will have to decide which format you would like to shoot in before heading out with the camera.

Autofocus

In terms of autofocus the YI M1 has an 81-point contrast detect AF system with touch to focus and touch shutter. It also offers face detection and both AF-S and AF-C shooting modes. It’s also important to note that the AF also lacks any sort of subject tracking outside of face detection. 

Autofocus is possible during video capture; AF-C is automatically enabled while shooting video. Unfortunately, the YI lacks a dedicated AF control switch, which makes switching AF shooting modes a bit difficult. Novices coming to the YI may find they’ll need to pay more attention to their autofocus point placement than they did with their smartphone. 

Video

The M1 has several video shooting modes- the highlight of which is its ability to shoot in 4K/30P. It also offers 2K/30P, Full HD 1080 and 720 at 60, 30 and 24P. Autofocus is available while shooting video in the form of single point AF-C, but if you’re using the 12-40mm F3.5-5.6 zoom lens you will also have the ability to use manual focus with focus peaking, which can definitely come in handy because the autofocus is fairly slow to lock focus while in video mode. 

Pricing and Availability

The YI M1 is available in three different kits. It will cost $ 499 USD for the kit with the standard zoom lens (12-40mm F3.5-5.6) and $ 599 USD for the kit that comes with the 42.5mm F1.8 prime. If you wish to purchase the camera and both the zoom and the prime lens it will set you back $ 699 USD. It will be offered in two colors; Ice Silver and Storm Black.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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LEGO at Large: Modern Block Vehicles Hit the Historic Streets of Rome

11 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Photography & Video. ]

block-car

A sports car parked in a residential alley, train emerging from a tunnel and helicopter landing next to the Colosseum are all believable sights in Italy’s capital … except in this case they are constructed from LEGO.

lego-train-tracks-tunnel

lego-landing-helicopter

Italian photographer Domenico Franco imagines these block-built vehicles at human scale in his series LEGO Outside LEGOLAND, masterfully faked scenes of photo-realistic quality.

lego-race-car-unloading

lego-large-in-rome

In his series, normal conveyances are swapped with LEGO creations that stand out as simplified block forms against the rich historical fabric of Rome.

lego-parked-speeder

lego-construction-vehicle

While some are clearly toys writ large, others are more convincing: a passing glance at a tractor trailer doing road work might not immediately belie its fictional origins.

lego-car-tight

Landmark buildings and aged cobblestone roads come alive thanks to the contrast created by intervening toys. Ordinary gray-blue weather and aged architecture seems even more real than in a normal photograph.

lego-ambulance-parked

“The aim is to transform ordinary contexts in extraordinary ones,” says the artist, “thus compelling the toys to get out of the idyllic and politically correct landscapes belonging to their perfect and idealistic cities, with the result of instilling in them those vices, virtues and desires typical of human beings.”

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[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Photography & Video. ]

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Modest Modernism: Concrete Block House in Brazil Wins Award

08 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

mains home

An understated but award-winning Modernist dwelling design in São Paulo, Brazil, has turned a narrow lot into a lovely and low-cost habitat suited to the needs of its poor and elderly inhabitant. Terra e Tuma Arquitetos (images by Pedro Kok) used low-budget materials and simple design techniques to avoid depleting the owner’s funds.

maids home entry

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maids home living rooms

Structural concrete block was used to create both retaining and interior walls of the Vila Matilde, forming a kitchen, bedroom, living room and courtyard garden space on the main floor. The gaps between blocks are left exposed, adding a layer of smaller detail on the otherwise-monolithic surfaces.

maids home upper story

A guest room was intentionally situated above, given the age of the occupant and her increased difficulty in getting up stairs. Metal and glass windows, doors and balcony railings are kept slim and functional on both levels.

maids home living room

maids home first floor courtyard

In many ways, this home is quite aligned with regional vernacular, situated on the thin site and those elongated and with reduced hallway space (since corridors can dovetail with other uses), as well a deck above.

maids home second story

The project had to contend with demolishing the old and structurally-unsound home previously on the 15-foot-wide lot. During the reconstruction, the owner went to live with a relative.

maids home night

Indeed, part of her reasoning behind staying in the house was the abundance of family in the area. Rebuilding let her stay close to loved ones in a home of her own. All in all, this project is a great example of how architecture can help those of limited means live in something individualized and well-designed to their needs.

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Off the Block: 13 Out-There Apartment Designs in Japan

14 May

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

japan communal courtyard living 1

Japanese architects have come up with some of the world’s most extreme, clever and off-the-wall solutions for spatial challenges, manipulating the shapes and interior layouts of apartment buildings in unexpected ways. These creative designs make the most of small, irregular lots, combine communal and private spaces, prioritize access to the outdoors and even attempt to outsmart the aging process.

Mini Village

japan mini village 2

japan mini village 1

How can you fit three generations of a single family under one roof, while making sure everyone has their own private space? Y+M Design Office placed five individual house-shaped volumes under one giant roof for a family complex that feels like a miniature village. ‘Rain Shelter House.’ Each family member gets an enclosed, private room with access to the central communal spaces. Open-air on one side and extending all the way to the ground on the other, the roof keeps the courtyard cool and dry while maintaining air flow.

Undulating Inner Courtyard

japan apartments undulating courtyard

japan apartments undulating courtyard 2

Curving shapes cut into the main concrete volume of the Okurayama Apartment in Yokohama, creating a flowing courtyard on the ground level and terraces on the second floor.

Spiral House: A Series of Staircases

japan spiral house 2

japan spiral house 3

If you could stretch your living space either vertically or horizontally, which would you choose? Many people who don’t want to walk up and down staircases all the time would prefer the latter, but Spiral House by Be Fun Design takes the former approach. Four individual apartments are placed side-by-side in a rectangular structure, each occupying four levels. Spiral staircases lead from one floor to the next within each narrow and deep unit.

Asymmetric Plywood Interiors

japan asymmetric plywood interiors 2

japan asymmetric plywood interiors

Kochi Architect Studio cut a large geometric void into an existing two-story apartment building to create a vaulted common space connecting eight interior rooms. Each of the plywood planes is painted a different color to play up the angles.

Reversible Destiny Lofts

japan reversible destiny 1

japan reversible destiny 2

The looks of this apartment building lead to a lot of passersby murmuring “what the hell is that?” and the story behind the Reversible Destiny Lofts is even more unusual than its appearance. Japanese designer Shusaku Arakawa and his partner Madeline Gins sought to cheat death by creating a house with undulating floors and otherwise disorienting interiors that force residents to use their bodies in unexpected ways, keeping them young. They built the first version as their own home in New York, and then created a similar apartment complex in Tokyo.

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Off The Block 13 Out There Apartment Designs In Japan

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Your Basic Lighting Kit: A Spin Around the Block

13 Apr

So you bit the bullet and spent ~$ 100 for the stuff needed to turn your hot shoe flash into a mini portable studio lighting system. What do you with the box of stuff the UPS guy just dropped onto your dorstep? Where do you start?

That is exactly the gap we explore whenever I teach a beginner's lighting class. So today we are going to walk through a "first steps" exercise.

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