The Associated Press news organization has cut ties with freelance photographer Narciso Contreras after he admitted to digitally altering a photo taken last September in Syria. The photo in question shows a Syrian opposition fighter taking cover during an exchange of fire. In the original photo, a fellow journalist’s video camera can be seen in the lower left corner. Contreras cloned out the camera before sending back to AP editors. Learn more
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
[ By Delana in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]
Romanian photographer Dan Cretu loves to play with his food. His series of food-themed photographs takes everyday foods and turns them into something that looks far more permanent.
Cretu takes normal pieces of food, then cuts and bends and twists them into shapes that make up objects we see and use every day. The exceptional food sculptures are created without the use of Photoshop or other digital manipulation.
What Cretu does require, however, is speed. All of his sculptures have to be constructed and photographed within a few hours before the food begins to get squishy and unattractive.
One of the more interesting aspects of Cretu’s series is the juxtaposition of the very temporary pieces of food and the far more permanent objects they become in the photographer’s hands. Cut oranges which right now look just like bicycle wheels will, very shortly after the photograph, look like withered piles of decaying fruit.
Reserve judgment until you see the absolute masterpieces that the following artists have managed to create from simple foods you can find in the kitchen.
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For most, lunch has become a disappointing time spent in front of a microwave; however, a lot of people are compensating with beautiful food aesthetics.
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12 examples of precariously balanced houses of cards, collages made of playing cards and paintings inspired by playing card imagery.
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[ By Delana in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]
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Fashion and fine art photographer Thomas Park shares the shortcuts that he finds most useful, along with tips for combining them in a fast, fluent manner. While many of these shortcuts and techniques may be familiar to you already, they can be combined to minimize context switches for maximum efficiency. Learn more
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The SpiderPro Holster provides a secure, durable camera-carrying system that takes away the strain caused by traditional camera straps.
Many moons ago, someone had the idea to attach a strap to two points on a camera and hang it around their neck. While it may have seemed like a good idea at the time, it’s tough denying that traditional camera straps pose certain problems. Personally, I just don’t like that weight hanging around my neck for several hours at a time, especially if I’m using a longer lens like the 70-200mm. Getting the camera off my neck and over my shoulder isn’t a great alternative, because whether it’s around my neck or over my shoulder, the weight is a strain and at least one hand is always on the camera, making sure it’s not bumping into anything or anyone.
Sling straps were a good step in the right direction, but they don’t always work well when I’m carrying a camera bag. They also only partially solve the upper-body strain that comes with carrying a pro DSLR (or two) for an extended period of time. All that changed for me, though, when the Spider Camera Holster came along. Suddenly, I could completely ditch the strap. By providing a secure, balanced carrying solution at my hip, Spider gives me a truly hands-free carrying experience, and takes the strain off my neck and shoulders. Available in two models with various accessories, Spider has a reliable set-up for almost every situation.
The Pro Kit includes the holster, pin, belt, pad, and accessory plate.
The holster and pin are at the heart of the Spider system. Made of stainless steel and hardened cast aluminum, the holster provides a durable, safe, and secure place to mount your camera at your hip. A two-position lock gives added peace-of-mind. In its locking position, the camera is locked in place each time the pin slides into the holster. A 15° turn of the lock releases the pin, allowing you to smoothly and easily remove your camera from the holster. In its second position, the locking mechanism is disengaged, allowing for quicker, one-handed removal of the camera from the holster. While I personally don’t recommend disengaging the locking mechanism, some sports or event photographers might prefer this quicker release. Proceed with caution if you do.
The red circle shows the locking mechanism in its locked position.
Lifting it until it clicks into the “up” position disengages the lock.
The pin attaches either directly to the bottom of the camera, or to the included accessory plate. Once attached to the camera, the pin slides into the holster at a 90° angle and locks in place. The camera then swivels into its proper position–upside down, with the lens pointing behind you. It is the very nature of this swivel joint that keeps the camera securely in place, preventing any accidental bumps from dislodging it from the holster.
The two-inch, reinforced belt is size-adjustable and has a three-way locking buckle to ensure yet another added level of security. The integrated pad helps support the heavier loads of professional size cameras and longer lenses. In the single camera configuration, the holster is actually bolted to the belt. Trust me when I tell you that it’s not going anywhere.
When loaded properly, the camera will hang upside down, with the lens pointing behind you. The holster offers a comfortable balance, even if you are using a flash or a 70-200mm lens.
Since cameras are designed with only one accessory hole on the bottom, those of us who have more than one thing to attach are usually forced to sacrifice something. The Spider Holster gets around that by using an accessory plate that allows plenty of room for attaching the pin, as well as additional threaded holes for a tripod quick-release plate. If tripod use is not a concern, you can–as mentioned–attach the pin directly to the camera. During my test-drive, however, I found that using the accessory plate configuration placed the camera in a more comfortable position in the holster.
The accessory plate and included allen wrench make the system easily adaptable for tripod use.
The Black Widow Holster is designed for lighter DSLRs and smaller cameras.
The Black Widow Holster is designed around lighter weight, entry-level DSLRs, mirrorless systems, and smaller point-and-shoot cameras. It works almost identically to the SpiderPro, with a few key exceptions. For starters, the holster itself is made of tough, durable plastic, with stainless steel where the pin locks into place. The locking mechanism on the Black Widow only has one position, meaning that disengaging the lock is not an option. Additionally, since the Black Widow is designed with an eye towards lighter cameras, it can be used with either the kit belt or your own.
Fresh out of their respective boxes, both kits are ready to go. Both can also be accessorized, tailoring the experience to your own specific needs. In addition to being able to buy each component separately, the following accessories are available for the SpiderPro and Black Widow.
The locking mechanism on the Black Widow has only one position– locked– and cannot be disengaged.
The Spider holster systems do what they say they do and they do it really well, providing a balanced, secure, comfortable, and durable camera-carrying experience that takes any possible strain to the upper body completely out of the picture. With what appears to be high-quality materials and workmanship, I’m confident that both of these products are built to last. I’d be remiss, though, if I didn’t offer a few words of caution.
First and foremost, make sure your camera is properly locked in the holster before letting go. This is absolutely vital. A drop of even just a couple of feet can cause very expensive damage. Secondly, be careful when kneeling while you have a camera in the holster–particularly if you have a flash attached. This applies primarily to photographers who may be using two holsters at once, as well as those who may opt to disengage the locking mechanism. You could accidentally damage your camera or slide it from the holster while kneeling if you aren’t careful.
No system is perfect, but the SpiderPro gets me closer than I’ve ever been. I still enjoy my sling strap, but when I’m working long hours in a fast-paced event or teaching situation, I find the relief to my upper body that Spider Holster provides to be just what my neck, back, and shoulders ordered.
The post Spider Camera Holster Review by Jeff Guyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.
[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Global. ]
Quintessentially British, this boutique suite sleeps six, features a wood-burning stove and much more, but perhaps most amazing of all: the vehicle remains road-worthy, despite its conversion to a sweet retreat.
The Big Green Bus was originally part of the west midlands metro transit system and purchased by its new owner (and renovator) Adam Collier-Woods for approximately $ 7,500 at auction on eBay.
The still-working bus, driven back into the countryside by its buyer (and moved around on demand), required more than $ 15,000 to be turned into a unique three-bedroom accommodation, including a functioning kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Currently set on a “glamping site in the heart of the Sussex countryside,” the bus has its “own decking area, a fire pit and all this next to a beautiful pond.” The rural property can accommodate extra campers for parties larger than six who wish to enjoy a stay. In addition to pantry essentials (tea, coffee, milk, herbs and olive oil), logs for the fire pit or stove are available on request.
More from its maker and operator about its present location: “A gorgeous 15 minute walk away through country lanes to Chiddingly is the Six Bells pub, a classic traditional country pub, luring all sorts of music, poetry and arts lovers to its various festivals. Brighton is close by too with all its various charms, is 25 minutes drive down the road, or leave your car at Glynde and take the train. Lewes has more trains per hour, Make sure you get to the Lewes Farmers Market on the first Saturday morning of every month.”
Think the daily grind on public transit is commuter hell? Try taking a double-decker bus for a drive in the Australian Outback… just don’t try taking it back.
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Flimsy, factory-made RVs have nothing on these totally customized, cozy buses converted into compact rolling homes. Dusty, run-down clunkers of school buses …
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Known for its naval power, England has a great many leftover army and sea forts. Some have been turned into private islands, radio station or micronations, but …
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[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Global. ]
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If celebrity gossip, comic books or certain shades of monochrome are higher on your reading list than classic literature, no need to feel bad. Just grab your camera and library card and listen up!
In a few quick steps we will show you how to use your photography skillz to hide your favorite (if slightly embarrassing) reads in plain sight.
These photo magazine/book holders will make your shelf look perfectly respectable while your secrets are still just a quick reach away.
Go put on your dark coat and sunglasses – we are going undercover!
Learn How to Make Your Own Incognito Magazine Holders
(…)
Read the rest of Incognito Magazine Holders (243 words)
© Erika for Photojojo, 2014. |
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[ By Steph in 7 Wonders Series & Global. ]
Haikyo is the Japanese term for ‘ruins’ and intimates infiltration and exploration of the country’s abandoned places, of which there are many. The economic highs and lows of the past century have produced abandonments that are every bit as colorful and fascinating as the nation’s culture, from love hotels with genitalia-shaped rock gardens and ghost clinics full of human body parts in jars to a concrete tower deemed the world’s most perfect anti-zombie fortress.
Japan is famous for its ‘love hotels,’ places where busy parents, people carrying out illicit affairs and anyone who’s just plain curious can pay by the hour for bizarre themed rooms, which might feature anything from a real Japanese bridge to a carousel or a human-sized cage. But inevitably, some of these hundreds of hotels are going to go under – and what’s left behind can be eye-popping. Take, for example, Fuurin Motel in the small town of Chiba. Documented (along with many other fascinating Japanese abandonments) by Haikyo.org, this ten-room love hotel is still strewn with beds shaped like carriages, statues of knights, gold-painted bath tubs and zen gardens full of penis-shaped rocks.
Nichitsu is a former mining village in Saitama Prefecture that was once home to 3,000 people in the 1960s, and is now completely abandoned, tucked away in a valley that’s often shrouded in fog, making its yawning, deteriorating architecture even more eerie. While the entire town is worth a look, it’s within the wooden walls of a relatively unassuming-looking clinic that real horrors can be found. The entire place is strewn not only with debris, furniture, x-rays and arcane-looking doctor’s tools, but jars of human body parts – including the ear seen above, tucked away under a fern leaf just outside. Urban explorers like French photography Jordy Meow, who took these photos, report that these jars are disappearing, apparently taken home by tourists as macabre souvenirs.
Looming above the landscape in all its ugly concrete glory, its face stained and its legs often covered in ivy, the abandoned Shime Tower has so much character, it’s become the subject of countless memes. It’s all that’s left of the abandoned Shime coal mine and has been decaying for the last half-century. The wisdom of The Internet has deemed it the greatest anti-zombie fortress ever and thus made it the subject of one amazing photoshopped image after the other, depicting it as a Transformer, an AT-AT and the last thing standing on the beach after the Planet of the Apes apocalypse. In reality, the tower completely dominates the entire town of Shime, but the citizens don’t seem to mind. They erected a playground at its base and even installed uplighting so it glows like some kind of dystopian castle after nightfall.
It looks like a military warship from afar, but bring your boat a little closer and you’ll see that this decrepit collection of concrete off the coast of Nagasaki is actually an island. Gunkanjima, or ‘Battleship Island,’ is the nickname for Hashima Island, a dense abandoned metropolis once packed with 5,259 people. It started as a small reef, but when coal was discovered there in the 1800s, it was quickly developed and expanded. It was used as a mine from 1887 to 1974 and its concrete architecture was designed to withstand typhoons. The switch from coal to petroleum in Japan led the mine to close, and for decades, accessing it was forbidden. The public is now allowed to explore a limited range of the island as part of an official tour.
Zombie Apocalypse? Bring it on! I’ll be safe and sound above the fray in the partially moss-covered concrete winding tower at Japan’s abandoned Shime coal mine.
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A Russian ghost town on a Norwegian island in the Arctic, decaying modernist houses in Sweden and woodland homes taken over by wildlife in Finland are among …
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An ancient city made of intricately carved stone sits silent at the bottom of a lake, a replica of Paris complete with an Eiffel Tower is eerily empty, and a …
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[ By Steph in 7 Wonders Series & Global. ]
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Nicht vielen Fotografen gelingt es, die abstrakte Schönheit von Pflanzen und der Natur so einzufangen wie Iwona Drozda-Sibeijn. Ihre Arbeiten zeigen diese Magie in den kleinen Details, die jeder kennt, der gern mit einer Kamera und einer Makrolinse durch Wald und Wiesen zieht.
Die Vorliebe für die Motive ihrer Fotografie entwickelte sich bei Iwona schon zeitig. „Meine frühe Kindheit habe ich auf der Farm meiner Großmutter verbracht“, erzählt die Künstlerin, „als ich in die Stadt gezogen bin, wurde mir klar, wie wichtig das eigentlich für mich ist. Ich liebe die Erscheinungsformen der Natur, die Stille, Komplexität und Unvorhersehbarkeit, man kann sie in jeder Lichtstimmung einfangen, was mir als Fotografin natürlich endlose Möglichkeiten gibt.“
Dabei gilt ihre Liebe sogar zuallerst den Pflanzen und nicht der Kunst, was sich in Bildern widerspiegelt, die einen sehr präzisen, aber seine Motive auch sehr liebenden Blick offenbaren: „Ich mag es sogar lieber, wenn ich im Wald rumlaufen und die Dinge angucken kann, als sie zu fotografieren. Es ist natürlich am besten, beides gleichzeitig zu tun, aber das ist ein endloser Konflikt.“
Vor einigen Jahren zog die gebürtige Amerikanerin in die Niederlande und gründete mit ihrem Mann eine eigene Firma, in der sie Design und Fotomanipulation professionell betreibt. „Ich lerne gern neue Dinge“, sagt sie, „am Anfang habe ich mich auf meine fotografischen Fähigkeiten konzentriert. Dann lernte ich, meine Szenen besser zu präsentieren und Komposition wie Diptycha und Triptycha zu machen. Zur Zeit mache ich viele CD-Artworks für andere Künstler und der nächste Schritt wird wohl zu Motion Graphics gehen.“
Iwona differenziert in ihrer Arbeit aber strikt zwischen Fotomanipulation, Design und der reinen Fotografie. „Das ist wichtig, dass ich die beiden Facetten meiner Arbeit trenne. Ein Foto würde ich nie auf dieselbe Art bearbeiten, zum Beispiel keine Elemente entfernen, den Kopierstempel verwenden oder Dinge einbauen, die nicht da waren. Ich könnte das leicht tun, aber es würde sich falsch anfühlen.“
In ihren Naturbildern verändert sie Details, Farben, man könnte fast sagen, dass sie den Pflanzen eine Schönheitsretouche verpasst. „Ich verbringe viel Zeit damit, die Fotos in die Form zu bringen, in der ich sie präsentieren will. Farben, Vingetten und solche Sachen, in diesem Prozess verwerfe ich auch viele Bilder. Die Details sind mir sehr wichtig, wahrscheinlich sogar zu wichtig. Oft lasse ich die Bilder erst einmal liegen und schaue sie später wieder an. Ich bin Perfektionistin und veröffentlich nur sehr wenig von meiner Arbeit.“
Der niedrige Zahl an Veröffentlichungen und das Streben nach den besten Bildern zahlen sich am Ende aus: Die machmal auch etwas düstere, aber immer sehr kraftvolle, fast magische Bejahung des Lebens in seinen pflanzlichen Erscheinungsformen in den Bildern von Iwona Drozda-Sibeijn ist einen zweiten, dritten und vierten Blick wert.
kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin
[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]
A pile of street cocaine mixed with gelatin is sculpted into a life-sized replica of a human skull in ‘Ecce Animal,’ a statement on humankind’s lingering tendency to lose control of ourselves. Artist Diddo created the piece as a private commission using street cocaine obtained the usual way – illegally – and declines to reveal the confidential details of the hows and whys.
Diddo had the cocaine tested at a laboratory before using it, and pharmacists and the unnamed facility discovered that mixed in with the pure cocaine was a number of other ingredients including “Phenacetin, Caffeine, Paracetamol, and a relative large percentage of sugars, most probably Mannitol or Inositol.”
The piece was initially released with no information other than a companion poem written by the artist, which reads in part, “It is frightening to look at the face of our animal side laid bare by comfortable excess; the spoils of aggression. But what exactly is it about this image that is so confronting?”
The artist reveals to Bullett that despite its initial appearance, Ecce Animal isn’t meant to be a statement on the destructiveness of addiction, but rather about our inherent nature as human beings. “We have temporarily outgrown the intended uses for our animal instincts. This leaves us in an uncomfortable conundrum. Where can we safely store them until we need them again?”
Madrid-based street artist Sam3 creates massive murals covering entire multi-story buildings in cities like Vienna, Valencia, Quito, Berlin and Atlanta.
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In what may be the world’s strangest residential renovation, an artist and restored this deserted structure into what may be the world’s largest handmade …
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With some of her works it is hard to tell where the two-dimensional art ends and 3D objects begin, blending as they do into one semi-continuous surface.
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[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]
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