RSS
 

Archive for January, 2014

Walkability & Hyperdensity: 14 Concepts for Future Cities

07 Jan

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

Urban Future Walkable Car-Free Cities Main

The city of the future addresses problems like overpopulation, pollution and sprawl by building high-density vertical neighborhoods that are interconnected at all levels so residents can move freely from one place to another on foot. These 14 city concepts, some of which are already under construction, emphasize walkability, sometimes going so far as to ban cars altogether.

Car-Free City in China

Urban Future Car-Free China 1

Urban Future Car-Free China 2

China is creating a totally car-free city from scratch, building a new urban center around a high-rise core housing 80,000 people. Great City, planned for a rural area outside Chengdu, will be entirely walkable and surrounded by green space. Getting from the center to the outer ring of parks on foot takes just ten minutes. Other nearby urban centers will be accessible via mass transit. The city will use 48% less energy and 58% less water than a more conventional city of the same size, and will produce 89% less landfill waste.

Masdar, World’s First Zero-Carbon City

Urban Future Masdar Eco City 1

Urban Future Masdar Eco City 2

The world’s most sustainable metropolis – with no cars or skyscrapers allowed – is currently under construction in the desert outside Abu Dhabi. Masdar, the world’s first zero-carbon, zero waste city, will feature a public rapid transit system in place of personal automobiles, and will be fueled by solar, wind and geothermal power. Giant ‘sunflower umbrellas’ designed for the city center will provide movable shade during the day, store heat, and then close and release heat at night.

Shan-Shui City

Urban Future Shan Shui 1

Urban Future Shan Shui 2

MAD Architects envisions Shan-Shui City as the city of the future. Inspired by the worship of mountains and water in China, the concept is made up of large-scale mixed-use buildings with lots of public spaces where people can gather, communicate and enjoy nature. High-density living and making all necessary resources readily available within easy walking or public transit distance is a far more sustainable way of building a city than the current trend of “boxes spreading all over,” say the architects. The concept makes access to nature just as vital as access to schools, health care and work.

Dubai Sustainable City

Urban Future Dubai Sustainable City 1

Urban Future Dubai Sustainable 2

Baharash Architecture proposes a sustainable Dubai incorporating “the best practices in environmental building technologies,” with a strong focus on community connections and social interaction in green spaces. The design consists of 550 residential villas, organic farms, educational facilities and 600,000 square feet of solar panels. The city will produce 50 percent of its own energy through solar power and offset its carbon footprint via mass transit.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Walkability Hyperdensity 14 Concepts For Future Cities

Share on Facebook



[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


    




WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Walkability & Hyperdensity: 14 Concepts for Future Cities

Posted in Creativity

 

Panasonic formally launches Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH

07 Jan

panasonic_nocticron.png

CES 2014: Panasonic has formally announced the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH fast portrait prime for Micro Four Thirds. The lens, first revealed in prototype form back at the Photokina trade show in September 2012, offers an 85mm equivalent field of view and the brightest aperture of any autofocus lens on the system. As with the announcement in August 2013, no details of price or availability have been given.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Panasonic formally launches Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Add Storage Space to Your Computerwith the Nifty MiniDrive

07 Jan

Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3

Stacks on stacks of bulky external hard drives are so 2013.

Meet the bulk-free Nifty MiniDrive! It’ll hold a microSD card flush inside your Macbook, adding simple, fast, nearly invisible extra storage space for your photos and other files.

Just slip in a microSD card (up to 64GB!) and stick it into your computer.

MicroSD cards are virtually impossible to destroy. They’ll survive big fall, into a puddle, under a ladder, next to a black cat. Dry it off, and it’s good to go.

If you’re sick of lugging around a fragile external hard drive that’s just adding bulk to your laptop bag, or you’ve never backed up your photos at all (gasp!) grab a light-as-about-three-feathers Nifty MiniDrive.

Learn More About the Nifty MiniDrive
$ 40 at the Photojojo Shop


© laurel for Photojojo, 2014. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
with the Nifty MiniDrive”>del.icio.us

Post tags:


Photojojo

 
Comments Off on Add Storage Space to Your Computerwith the Nifty MiniDrive

Posted in Equipment

 

6 January, 2014 – Last Minute Antarctic Berth Available

07 Jan

Due to a sudden illness one of the people attending our Antarctic Photographic Expedition which begins later this month has had to drop out. 

If you are able to join this exciting trip on short notice please email Kevin Raber right away for further information on what to do.

If a shooting trip to Antarctica later this month is a bit soon for your schedule, we still have a few places left in our Jan 31 to Feb 9, 2015 Antarctic Expedition.


The Luminous Landscape – What’s New

 
Comments Off on 6 January, 2014 – Last Minute Antarctic Berth Available

Posted in News

 

Small cameras, large zoom: Canon’s new PowerShot ELPH 340 and SX600

06 Jan

PowerShot_ELPH-340-HS_Purple_02.png

CES 2014: Canon has unveiled two new low-cost cameras that pack big zoom lenses into compact bodies. The PowerShot ELPH 340 HS (known as the Ixus 265 HS in Europe) is slim and stylish, and sports a 25-200mm equiv. lens, 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, and 3-inch LCD. The SX600 is just a bit larger than the ELPH, but gains an 18X, 25-450mm equiv. lens along with 1080/60p video recording. Both cameras have Wi-Fi with NFC, which Canon says is easier to use than on previous models, plus numerous scene modes and special effects.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Small cameras, large zoom: Canon’s new PowerShot ELPH 340 and SX600

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Canon shows off new PowerShot N100 ‘Story Camera’

06 Jan

PowerShot_N100_White_06.png

CES 2014: Canon has announced the PowerShot N100, which it’s calling a ‘Story Camera’. The feature that gives it this moniker is its rear-facing camera, which captures an image of the photographer at the moment the shutter is released (this works for stills and video). The photo or video from the rear camera is then put into one of the corners of the image that was taken. Photo quality should be a strong point, as the N100 uses the same lens and sensor as the PowerShot S120. Other features include a 3-inch LCD that tilts upward by 180 degrees, 1080/60p video recording, and Wi-Fi with NFC.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Canon shows off new PowerShot N100 ‘Story Camera’

Posted in Uncategorized

 

5 Ways to Create Detail Photos

06 Jan

Want more creative photography tips and insight? Download Dan’s entire photography ebook bundle and get four titles for only $ 29. Dan’s 3-eBook bundle: Going Fast With Light, How to Become a PRO, Making the Image is on sale now for only $ 29 at SnapnDeals!

Like any form of art, compelling photography is not simply about reproducing your subject, it’s about representing your subject with visual hints and clues that suggest the larger scene. Accuracy isn’t what’s going to excite your viewer and draw them into your image, it’s feel, style and message.

details-photography-01.jpgWhen composing your photos, you don’t just want to show your audience what they can already see when they look at things in real life. Instead, you want to give them an abbreviated version of the scene that will make them try to visualize what lies beyond the borders of your frame. Your goal is to make a creative depiction of the world that invokes the imagination and emotions of your viewer. If you can activate not just their eyes, but also their brains, you’ll go further towards holding their attention with your shot.

One way to shoot abbreviated scenes is to accentuate details that your viewers might not notice as they speed through life. These kinds of shots often make for powerful photographs because it’s an easy way to fire up your viewer’s imagination. Let’s explore a few different examples of how you might approach shooting these kinds of detail photos.

5 Ways to shoot detail photos

1. The single detail

Sometimes can show a single aspect of the scene without giving away any other information about the rest of the scene, other than what is clearly apparent in your image. Just about every type of subject lends itself to this type of photograph: architecture, travel, environmental features, landscapes and even action.

When shooting the single detail, make sure you focus on creating a simple yet powerful image. Since your subject matter will be limited, the strength of your image will depend on a good composition and the strong use of light, colour and form. (see photos above and below as example)

Details photography 02

2. Details that give a sense of place

Including more elements in your shot often hints about how the subject relates with its surroundings. This can really add depth to your shot, because it starts to imply reference and narrative, instead of just being about a single thing. You’ll want to include enough information in the image that suggests a greater story about the scene to your viewers, without giving away too much information or weighing down your photograph.

Details photography 03 Details photography 04

3. Larger details

Detail shots don’t always have to be photographs of smaller objects and they don’t always have to be taken up close. There is enough detail of different sizes in the world that you can focus on nearly anything, as long as you can accentuate that particular subject matter in a visually appealing way.

This is where long lenses really shine. I love shooting long, suggestive shots, of distant subjects with my telephoto zoom lens. The narrow angle of view lets me focus on just two or three elements, and the shallow depth of field creates a soft background that doesn’t distract from the main subjects.

Details photography 05

Details photography 06

4. Lines and textures

Sometimes your shot will be more about simple graphic form and texture, instead of a physical object. When done right, you can still tell a powerful visual story with limited subject matter. Experiment with lines, shapes, colours, patterns and other abstract subject matter that appeals to you. Shadows can be powerful compositional elements because they suggest how your subject relates with other tangible objects around them.

Details photography 07

Details photography 08

5. Human details

People often make for the most powerful subjects, because as humans, we all relate with and respond to each other on some level. There is an unending variety of details that you can capture when shooting humans and their actions. Try focusing on elements such as interaction, motion, emotion and their association with others and with the world in general.

Details photography 09

Details photography 10

Less is more

Remember, you don’t always have to show the whole thing. Sometimes even a single abbreviated detail can be a powerful image. Experiment with cropping and zooming in on your subjects, to show the minimum amount of visual information needed to make a good photograph. You might be surprised at how little you need to show in order to create a compelling image.

As I like to say, any time you can invoke your viewer’s imagination, you’ve gone a long way towards creating a successful image. Strive for simplicity with your photography and see how far you can take this concept to its fullest potential.

What is your message?

Accuracy isn’t what’s going to excite your viewer and draw them into your image, it’s feel, style and message.


Want more creative photography tips and insight? Download my entire photography ebook bundle and get four titles for only $ 29 right now at SnapnDeals.

The post 5 Ways to Create Detail Photos by Dan Bailey appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 5 Ways to Create Detail Photos

Posted in Photography

 

6. Januar 2014

06 Jan

Ein Beitrag von: Sebastian Schlueter

Solitude © Sebastian Schlueter


kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin

 
Comments Off on 6. Januar 2014

Posted in Equipment

 

Focus on Blur: Bokeh Cityscapes Celebrate Color & Light

06 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Photography & Video. ]

bokeh urban color light

Stretching and reversing conventions for balancing foreground and background, one urban photographer in Tokyo is taking the Japanese concept of Bokeh to dazzling extremes.

bokeh vertical landscape city

Bokeh (which translates as ‘blur’) plays with a lens’s circle of confusion in which points of light become glowing discs, but instead of making the background fuzzy, Takashi Kitajima unexpectedly lets the foreground become the backdrop.

bokeh blurred city street

The result seems to highlight the chaos and movement of what is closest to the viewer’s perspective in a surreal but suggestive way that indirectly resonates with our actual experience of cities.

bokeh city angled view

bokeh statue monument focus

In turn, more distant monuments, buildings and bridges on the horizon or off to one side emerge as stable anchors, contrasted with a sea of light.

bokeh zoom foreground background

The net effect is something between a photograph and a watercolor or pastel painting, a fusion of concrete realism and playful abstraction.

Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Photography & Video. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


    




WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Focus on Blur: Bokeh Cityscapes Celebrate Color & Light

Posted in Creativity

 

Infographic Feature: Capturing Perfect Wedding Photos

06 Jan

There are many wedding photographers (or people who merely think they can shoot weddings), but there are also many who could brush up on their skills. That’s putting it lightly. We believe that wedding photography is basically a category onto itself because of the high degree of skill and specificity required to pull off shooting any wedding successfully. We’ve covered Continue Reading

The post Infographic Feature: Capturing Perfect Wedding Photos appeared first on Photodoto.


Photodoto

 
Comments Off on Infographic Feature: Capturing Perfect Wedding Photos

Posted in Photography