The Cooperative of Photography received a lot of attention recently for a video featuring seven easy photographic hacks using household items. Now they’ve released a follow up video with seven more neat tips and tricks. It might just help you kick of a fun weekend photo project. Learn more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
[ By Steph in 7 Wonders Series & Travel. ]
A retirement community for circus freaks, a village of Chinese dwarves and a gated community for people who claim to speak to the dead are among the world’s weirdest settlements. Going beyond mere unlikely locations for human habitation, these towns are intentional communities devoted to the strange and unusual.
Is an amusement park full of little people dressed up to amuse paying visitors exploitative? Maybe. But the nearly 100 people who reside at Dwarf Empire have come from all over China for guaranteed housing and, reportedly, fair wages. They live and work in tiny castles, dress up as fairies and medieval soldiers and put on shows for hundreds of guests each day, and receive dance training and English lessons. The park owners hope that many more little people – who often have difficulty finding work in China, and end up living on the streets – will help the village expand to 800-1,000 residents in the near future.
A group of spiritual mediums came together at the height of the spiritualist movement in the late 19th century to found their very own village, where only people who can read minds and communicate with spirits (and their families) could reside. Established in 1879 on the shady banks of a New York lake, the town of Lily Dale has been the setting for seances, ‘automatic messages’ that appeared on chalkboards and other such phenomena ever since. Visitors still flock to Lily Dale to talk to dead relatives or marvel at the gated-off ‘Inspiration Stump’ where mediums once called upon spirits to show themselves. Mediums who want to work in the town must pass three 30-minute test readings evaluated by officials of the Lily Dale Assembly.
Where do carnival workers go when they’re not on the road? Many live in ordinary houses in ordinary towns just like anyone else, but in the mid-20th century, some sought a refuge where they could get away from the civilians who gawk at the unusual physical features that drew them to become a part of the carnival life. Gibsonton, Florida was a small town of fishermen and lumber workers before carnival legends like Al “The Giant” Tomiani (who was 7’11″ tall) and his wife Jeanie “The Half-Woman” (2’6″ tall) bought property there. The town ultimately drew many more so-called ‘circus freaks,’ including Grady Stiles Jr., known as Lobster Boy for his claw-like hands, whose infamy was enhanced by the fact that he murdered his daughter’s fiance on the night before their wedding and was subsequently murdered in a hit taken out by his ex-wife and stepson. The town has a museum-like meeting hall with old photos of the carnivals and their stars, and features its own retirement village.
An unforgiving stretch of the Colorado Desert near an active bombing range in southeastern California is the unlikely location for a lawless ‘alternative living community’. Slab City started as Camp Dunlop, a World War II training ground preparing United States Marines for combat duty. The camp was abandoned after the war, but a handful of chemical company workers set up trailers there in the early 1960s, and when Riverside County ordered people to leave a camping area at nearby Painted Canyon, the community grew. Today, it’s half squatter haven, half off-grid experiment, taking up some 600 acres. Home to RVs, trailers, vans, campers and shacks, the “Last Free Place in America” is home to anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand people depending on the time of year (only the hardiest can withstand the summers.) The state of California generally turns a blind eye to the community despite issues with trash and human waste. Slab City’s entrance is marked by ‘Salvation Mountain,’ a colorful hill covered in bible quotes.
From small towns to entire cities, here are some of the most amazing, strange and surreal urban abandonments of the post-modern world.
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Unbelievable as it may sound, there are those who track urban wonders of all kinds – from the narrowest to the most windy streets of the world and more.
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Humans burrow into the Earth out of anything from necessity to superstition, driven by coincidence or coerced by circumstance.
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[ By Steph in 7 Wonders Series & Travel. ]
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[ By Steph in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]
If knocking pack a pint in a subterranean Victorian urinal doesn’t sound like a good time to you, read on. Extensive renovations have transformed the most unlikely of settings into quirky and often beautiful places to have a drink, from dumpsters and sheds to historic bank vaults and gothic churches.
Once dark, dingy and far from sanitary, a subterranean Victorian urinal is now a popular pub in Manchester, UK. One of the city’s smallest bars, the Temple nevertheless offers a vast array of foreign bottled beers. Meanwhile, in London, a urinal from the same era has now become an eatery after a $ 150,000 renovation.
Europe is brimming with former places of worship that have since been converted into private residences, hotels and more due to an overabundance of churches that just don’t draw the same crowds that they used to. The Oran Mor in Glasgow, Scotland is just one (particularly stunning) example, which has become one of the nation’s hottest nightspots after a major renovation that includes trippy murals painted all over the ceilings.
It’s not hard to see why John Plumridge’s handmade backyard structure won Shed of the Year in 2012. After all, not many sheds are lined with hundreds of bottles of ale. Plumridge spent 4 years converting his Woodhenge Pub Shed into “a great venue for family and friends to party in.”
Urban waste and a dumpster became a tiny, charming bar as part of the Foundation Projects by designers Rikkert Paauw and Jet van Zweiten. This adaptive reuse project shapes found materials into little dumpster houses that have practical purposes throughout the cities in which they’re built.
A beautiful 1926 bank vault in Chicago with many of its historic features still intact – including that incredible door – is now known as The Bedford, a local kitchen and bar serving food and cocktails in a signature mix of German and Southern cuisine.
Named for its hop-on, hop-off rear platform, the Hop On Inn is a renovated 1966 London double-decker bus that now hosts a full bar downstairs and a lounge area upstairs complete with a stage and removable roof cover for live music. The bus, which once served Piccadilly Circus, is among the last classic Routemasters that were taken out of service in 2005.
Temples, cathedrals and churches express mankind’s eternal desire to create something heavenly on earth. These 15 immaculate constructions showcase the best of …
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These 14 buildings are full of hot air – literally – ranging from goofy inflatable pubs to awe-inspiring pneumatic pavilions and even inflatable insulation.
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This stunning 15th-century Dominican church is dedicated to much more than just one book – it contains thousands of them, in fact, stacked row upon row …
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[ By Steph in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]
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[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]
These twelve abandoned observatories tell no universal tales; their heavenly visions now fatally fogged as their expansive domes lie locked and shuttered.
(images via: Jakab Aron Csaba)
Vlad the Observer? The abandoned observatory in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Transylvania, Romania was abandoned before it was even operational. Construction began in 1889… make that 1989 (images can deceive) under the auspices of the autocratic Ceausescu regime which was rapidly nearing a violent end. By 1990, Romania had shrugged off communism and pre-approved projects like the observatory at Odorheiu Secuiesc found their funding cut off.
(images via: Belief In Ruins and UER)
Considering the reputation England has for inclement weather, was building an observatory in Cornwall really such a great idea? A group of amateur astronomers thought so, and in 2000 they demonstrated their confidence by volunteering time, materials and skills to build two domes with plans on paper for a third. The group was also confident local and regional governments would contribute funding to support the project, which in hindsight (and even foresight) was a huge mistake. By 2002 the project was deep in debt, all work stopped and vandalism began. A pity these so-called observers weren’t more, er, observant.
(images via: U-M Astronomy and Joe Mynhardt)
The stately Lamont–Hussey Observatory located on naval Hill in the city of Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa, opened in 1928 and featured a 27-inch (0.69 m) refracting telescope. Conceived, built, owned and operated by the University of Michigan, the Lamont–Hussey Observatory closed in 1972 after its usefulness as an astronomical instrument had been superseded by numerous other such facilities.
(images via: Wikipedia/Tomwsulcer, AFAR and Rutgers Rarities Investigations)
Few abandoned buildings look as good as the Greek Revival-style Daniel S. Schanck Observatory, located on the Queens Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Architect Willard Smith took inspiration from the Tower of the Winds in Athens, Greece when designing the octagonal observatory building, which opened in 1865. After the observatory closed in the 1960s, the building suffered from neglect and occasional vandalism before being cosmetically renovated by Wu & Associates, Inc in 2012.
Casualties of war, funding, politics and light pollution, these 15 eerie abandoned observatories have definitely seen better days… and nights.
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These 10 eerie abandoned orphanages were once repositories for unwanted, illegitimate and unsupportable children from a fast-fading, socially unenlightened age.
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In some cases disaster strikes. In others, changing technologies render old designs obsolete, leaving majestic airplanes and giant steamers to rust and gather …
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[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]
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[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]
Would a cute, artistically designed chameleon sculpture make you feel better about being watched? A new series of CCTV camera cases by Italian designer Eleonora Trevisanutto transforms ugly, ordinary security equipment into decorative objects that make surveillance seem a little less intimidating.
You’re still being watched, sure, but by a lizard, squirrel, grasshopper, owl or an adorable abstracted bird. It’s like a kinder, gentler Orwellian vision of the future. “The camera is no longer a ‘looming control’ means, but a decor element, an integral part of the place in which it is located.”
The need for less intimidating CCTV cameras does make sense for places like retail stores, daycares and other businesses where security is necessary, as well as private homes. The models don’t just differ visually; each animal offers its own individual functions, equipped with vision systems that can perform different operations like face recognition. That’s right – that lizard knows exactly who you are.
While many of us are so used to seeing ordinary cameras virtually everywhere we go that we don’t even notice them anymore, Parson’s ‘Animal’ series was made to be seen.
To celebrate the 110th birthday of deceased British author George Orwell, famous for his dystopian visions of the future, Front404 roamed the streets of …
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If you ever get that feeling you are being watched, well, for once it really is just your imagination – this fleet of surveillance cams is inactive but …
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There is something simply elegant about type-embossed metal – in part the association with classic high-end manual cameras, reprized in this classy logo series.
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[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]
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HTC has unveiled the One Mini 2 which is a scaled-down version of its current flagship phone, the One M8, with a similar design but with downgraded internal components. And in a slightly surprising move, HTC has also decided to not deploy the 4MP “ultrapixel” sensor in the One Mini 2. Instead it comes with a 13MP chip. Learn more
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
One of the ways in which you can minimize the amount of work you need to do in post-processing is to calibrate your camera. Many digital photographers are familiar with calibrating their computer monitor to help them get accurate results when adjusting images. But few think of calibrating their camera. Professional travel photographer Steve Davey explains why and how to set up a custom profile. Learn more
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Communicate with people across time zones? Make two additional clocks available with a mouse hover over the Windows 8.1 Taskbar clock.
Do you often need to communicate with co-workers, extended family, or friends that live across the country or world? Stop waking them up at odd hours of the night or sending them an electronic mail or Skype request by not knowing their local time zone.
Two additional time zones can be added to the Windows 8.1 Desktop Taskbar, accessible by hovering over the clock. Clicking on the clock can display larger clocks of each configured time zone….
Read more at MalekTips.
New Computer and Technology Help and Tips – MalekTips.Com
The “AddThis” extension for Google Chrome lets you easily share content on a variety of services.
Do you frequently share content on a variety of blogs, bookmarking services, and social networks, as well as via web-based e-mail, using sites such as Facebook, Gmail, Pinterest, Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Twitter? Tired of installing extensions for each individual service to share content or relying on website share buttons?
The “AddThis – Share & Bookmark” extension for Google Chrome adds a button to the Toolbar that lets you share content via, according to the author, over 300 services. These include the aforementioned as well as AOL Mail, Blogmarks, Digg, Evernote, LinkedIn, Plurk, Xing, and many, many more….
Read more at MalekTips.
New Computer and Technology Help and Tips – MalekTips.Com
Are you one of those photographers who finds there’s a million other things that demand your attention and get in the way of pursuing your passion for photography?
You’re not alone. The work/life balance is a delicate dance and it’s easy to get sidetracked by the endless tasks of day to day life, even when things are going well. As a professional photographer you’d expect I spend a great deal of time out there shooting, but the truth is that I don’t get to shoot anywhere near as much as I’d love to.
There are a few things you can do however, that ought to help you scratch that creative itch and satisfy your photographer’s heart.
Sounds like a hassle right? But you don’t need to have it on your person at all times, just leave it in the car and maybe carry a spare battery so that when inspiration strikes you’re not cursing yourself for leaving the camera at home.
I’m guilty of this all the time. While driving, I often see lots of cool and interesting scenes along the road. I sometimes tell myself ”Oh, I’ll shoot it tomorrow on my way back”, but often you’ll find that this might be your only chance. Pull over, take 10 minutes and get that shot, more often than not you’ll be glad you did.
If your spouse is not that into photography, you’ve no doubt had to endure a grumpy ride home after making your beloved wait in the car for an hour while you get caught up in a sunset shoot. Plan ahead and build up some brownie points with the other half so that you can cash in those chips when you need it most. Some preemptive grovelling can go a long way.
If you have a friend that loves photography, it’s much more fun to go out and shoot together or plan short little shooting trips on a semi-regular basis. Join camera clubs or meetups to find like minded souls that share your passion. You’ll feed off each others energy and maybe even have a little healthy competition.
Dedicate a one to two week trip at a tremendously epic location and shoot as much as your family, friends or partner will tolerate. You can even become the official ‘trip photographer’ and if you get some great shots you’re more likley to have the family appreciate your need to do photography. Getting your loved ones ‘on side’ will give you a lot more freedom to dedicate time to your art.
There’s nothing better than slapping a new piece of high end glass on your camera and seeing things with new eyes. If you’ve got an interesting trip planned, it doesn’t cost that much to rent a top notch lens for a weekend or a few days. It’s like getting a new camera that you already know how to use.
I’ll admit that I don’t have the patience or time for going on long hikes to discover new locations. I prefer to put on my running shoes, hit the trails and burn some calories. I can cover lots of ground in a fraction of the time it would take to hike and I’m always finding new beauty spots that I can revisit when the conditions are right. If you run daily you will also discover the best times of day for beautiful light.
I don’t know about you, but nothing motivates me more than seeing the amazing work of my peers and thinking ‘I could have shot that’. The old adage of ‘right place, right time’ is so true in photography, so the more time you spend shooting, the more chances you’ll have at getting some amazing shots that will inspire your peers.
I’m starting to sound like one of those awful life coaches here but seriously, procrastination will only lead to frustration. If you’re a complete beginner, it might take a while before you nail your first unbelievable shot, but when you inevitably do, it might just be the catalyst that kicks your photography into overdrive and once you’ve been bitten by that bug, there’s no turning back. Just don’t let your spouse read this.
What suggestions do you have for getting motivated to do more photography? What motivates you? Share with us some of your tips in the comments below.
The post How to get Motivated to do more Photography by Gavin Hardcastle appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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