Kickstarter backers contributing $ 25 or more to the launch of a space telescope will get to have their photos taken in space. Planetary Resources, a company devoted to asteroid research, will thank its donors for their support by displaying their images in space and photographing them with the Earth in the background. Once launched, students and researchers will have access to the telescope so they can take their own pictures of the planet from space. Click through for more details.
[ By Steph in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]
A highly unusual houseboat bobs on the surface of the River Beaulieu in Hampshire, UK. ‘Exbury Egg‘ is a floating, mobile live-in laboratory used to study the wildlife of the estuary. Made of cedar using traditional boat-building techniques, this egg-shaped office includes a hammock, a desk, a stove and a bathroom.
Artist Stephen Turner collaborated with Perring Architecture & Design to develop the concept for the office and bring it to life. Measuring 6×3 meters (about 10×20 feet), the Exbury Egg is just large enough to house the necessary functions, including integral storage and display areas.
The egg is constructed mostly from reused and reclaimed cedar and other local, often scavenged materials. While the exterior is laminated, it will be allowed to take on a natural patina over time from exposure to sun and water. It is anchored to the shore, and rises and falls with the tide.
Turner intends to stay within the egg as he immerses himself in the natural setting, observing the cycles and processes that keep the estuary healthy. “The artwork created will stem from Stephen’s occupation, developing through direct experience an understanding of local natural cycles and processes and the relationship of the environment to the narratives of human activity in the unending calendar of seasonal life,” says the design team.
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[ By Delana in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]
At its best, advertising is entertaining, even useful. At its worst, it is invasive, abrasive, and perhaps even offensive. IBM’s new campaign from Ogilvy France skirts the line, featuring public objects that are useful but which somewhat invade the urban space.
The Smart Ideas for Smarter Cities campaign includes three billboards that extend out from city walls and into the urban environment. One is an awning of sorts, providing a dry space for residents to get out of the rain or a bit of shade to get out of the sun.
Another is a small bench which gives weary pedestrians the chance to sit down for a moment. The last is a ramp that covers a portion of a small staircase, letting cyclists or luggage-wheeling residents take an easier route.
The campaign is meant to inspire viewers to think differently about their cities and how some elements could be tweaked to be more useful for residents. It’s something of a risk, however, since this invasion of the urban environment may not be welcomed by residents who think that advertising is already too ubiquitous on city streets.
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[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]
In an Paris apartment with just over 200 square feet, it is almost impossible to imagine anything but the more bare essentials resulting a boring space. But that is where illumination enters the equation, flooding in to add depth and complexity to this abode. This, then, is a short story of light.
The architects, Betillon | Dorval?Bory, examined the limited space available architecturally, but also scientifically, testing the type and quality of the natural light to be found (and then suggesting what should be carefully introduced) across the existing interior zones.
A single wall was introduced, dividing the main bedroom area from daytime activity spaces like the kitchen, but not just (nor even primarily) as a visual barrier – it was intentionally and most-importantly designed to be a backdrop for two types of light.
On the ‘night’ side: a diffused orange streetlamp glow of the after-hours city that we associate with evening, which washes the walls in a more monochromatic direction (suited for sleeping and showering). On the ‘day’ side, a pure all-purpose white of the kind found in active spaces like offices – one which allows us to see things in black and color as well (suited for cooking and gathering).
Notably, the ‘night’ side lights can also be turned off (or overpowered by daylight), allowing the entire place to ‘open’ into a single space. If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is that physical objects are not the only things that form (or inform) the nature of space. Spatial variety can come via intangible elements like illumination, which in turn can serve equally powerful functions in fleshing out a space – particularly a small place with little room for solid decor.
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[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]
It is a strange fact that Coca Cola is so widely distributed it is easier to obtain in some places than clean water. That powerful distribution network has sparked a brilliant packaging idea: utilizing empty space is Coke shipping crates to house vital medication.
Like a pathogen finding a way to sneak a ride in past an unsuspecting immune system, ColaLife packages slips into the interstitial space between bottles to provide diarrhea medicine, addressing the second biggest contributor to childhood mortality rates in many parts of Africa. Unlike many design projects, the point is not what specifically is sent out, but how things can be shipped (the ‘what’ comes second).
Simon Berry credits his wife with the essential and (only in retrospect) obvious realization that the best way to piggyback on Coca Cola’s established process was to use the leftover area in the crates they are already shipping. Thus the AirPod was born – a small and strangely-shaped packaged made to be wedged in that extra sliver of void.
For now, the kits are subsidized as the system proves itself workable. But aside from donor contributions, at just $ 1.00 US, these life-saving packages may yet be profit potential for retailers in the developing world. Either way, they are breaking ground toward future social entrepreneurship possibilities.
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Austrian photography enthusiast Christopher Malin has produced a short film featuring time-lapse photography taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Captured with several Nikon D3S cameras, these sequences make for a unique and compelling view of the Earth and its surrounding environment. The film also includes a first hand account of the considerable challenges of photographing from space.
Some of the greatest human achievements have been the missions to explore the planets in our Solar System, and these endeavours have also produced some of the most important and visually stunning images in the history of photography. This post brings together a showcase of some of the best planetary space photos starting with Mercury, the closest planet to the Continue Reading
The post 12 Fantastic Deep Space Photos of the Planets appeared first on Photodoto.
Full course available at creativelive.com Zack Arias leads a lively three day workshop on studio lighting featuring white seamless backdrops, stages, models, and bands with Q&A and critique rounds to fill it all out.
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Chris Hadfield might be the hippest astronaut yet.
He shares recordings from space on Soundcloud, chats with William Shatner on Twitter, and plays guitar shows from the International Space Station.
Best of all, he shoots and tweets jaw-dropping photos of Earth from space every. single. day.
Sure you’ve seen a photo from space before, but not like this. Chris’ poignant tweets show us what it’s really like to have a daily view of Earth from far, far above.
Here’s a sampling of some of the best! (Word is he shoots with a Nikon and a 400mm lens.)
If you’re lucky, you could even get featured in one of his photo challenges! Chris will be in space through May 2013, so keep an eye out for more daily photos (see past ones on his Tumblr & Facebook).
Wanna shoot your own space photos? DIY it with a weather balloon or reverse it with this NASA tutorial on how to shoot the ISS from home. Also, the official Chris Hadfield photo contest.
Daily Photos Tweeted from Outer Space
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Astronaut Chris Hadfield is tweeting some impressive photos from his five-month journey aboard the International Space Station. Images are stripped of their data, so it is unclear what camera Hadfield is using. Popular Photography magazine speculates that it might be a Nikon due to the company’s history of cooperation with NASA. Click through to check the photos on connect.dpreview.com.