RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Under’

Behind the scenes: Mountain bike self-portrait under the Milky Way

03 Sep

Here in Marlborough, New Zealand, I’ve been able to indulge two of my passions: night sky photography and mountain biking. But my time in this part of the world is almost up, and lately I’ve been wondering how I can combine these. So a couple of weeks ago I did a bit of location scoping around the outlying hills. I jogged to the top of the mountain bike park, and ended up at a spot that I might be able to make something of.

Back in front of the PC I consulted the planetarium software, Stellarium, and checked the moon phases. Conditions looked OK in just a couple of days, but would the forecast cloud cover hold off?

On the day I set my internal alarm and had a glance outside, almost hoping there would be cloud so I could retreat under the covers. Not to be, so I leapt on the bike and put the hammer down to get up the hills in time. I really had to shift it as the galactic arc was dropping rapidly—anything too long after 3:30am would be too late. After a brutal hill climb in subzero conditions (and the odd wrong turn in the dark) I made it to the spot. Time: 3:31am.

I allowed myself a minute to catch my breath and then set up the equipment for the panorama. The idea was to radio trigger the flashgun and position it on the fence line, but with frozen fingers and a lack of time I decided to keep the strobe in the hotshoe instead. To get myself into the frame I simply used the self-timer.

A number of attempts were needed to position myself and then get the flash output on point. Because I had decided to shed my heavy jacket for the shoot, there was a degree of urgency before I froze solid. Finally I was satisfied, and then there was the dicey descent back to civilization.

The great thing about night sky photography is the surprise that awaits back at the PC when you stitch the images together. Not bad, I thought. It would have been nice to have a bit more moonlight on the singletrack, and the arc a bit higher, but for a first time Milky Way Mountain Bike Self Portrait… I’ll take it. Thanks Marlborough.

Sarnim Dean is a photographer and loyal DPReview reader who has been featured previously in a reader showcase here on DPR. To see more of his work, be sure to visit his website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Behind the scenes: Mountain bike self-portrait under the Milky Way

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Secret Studio: Suspended Mobile Room Slides & Hides Under Busy Overpass

25 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

Designer Fernando Abellanas has built a remarkable micro-dwelling in Valencia, Spain, that slides into position under a bridge, suspended safely out of sight from the traffic passing by above.

The clever construction of the room’s frame allows it to roll over tilted sections of beam, making its way between a lofted and secluded position and the top of a slope on the other side for entry and egress.

A hand-crank lets the dweller move the enclosure back and forth without any need for an external power source. Furniture and fixtures, meanwhile, stay put, attached to the vertical span of bridge supports where the room docks.

Embracing a minimalist approach and industrial palette, this urban refuge has flexible walls that can form an enclosure and act as privacy screens, allowing the occupant to hiding completely behind raised plywood surfaces.

A light-touch approach means the structure leaves essentially no footprint – it glides lightly around existing infrastructure. And its built-in mobility mechanism assures castle-like protection, vertical space acting as a natural moat.

Indeed, the designs were based on childhood fantasies and real-worldassociations with hard-to-access spaces like tree houses and table forts easy for children to access but hard for adults.

The dull hum of the road is a bit like the buzz of a family going about its business — the buffer of concrete also dampens some of the noise, making the space less loud than it would be to occupy a space alongside the highway.

Abellanas has long been fascinated with furniture as well as forts, and his work with other artists and architects reflects an ongoing interest in paradigm-challenging designs do-it-yourself guerrilla interventions.

Slide & Hide: Stealth Staircases Save Space in Micro-Suites

Maximizing usable space in a series of compact short-term apartments, these retractable steps slip back into a wall, all but disappearing beneath lofted bedroom areas when not needed. Drawers …

Hide-a-Room: Flip-Out Wall Furniture Puts 3 Rooms in 1 Space

Wooden slats and white surfaces shape both the aesthetic and function of this all-in-one interior design, becoming part of the visual language of the walls while also revealing which pieces and …

Borrowed from Libraries: Mobile Shelving for Modular Rooms

When libraries want to save space, they employ a rolling stack system that allows access to only one or a few aisles at one time. When not in use, the walkways between disappear as the bookcases …

Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Secret Studio: Suspended Mobile Room Slides & Hides Under Busy Overpass

Posted in Creativity

 

Radbahn Berlin: 6-Mile Sheltered Bike Path to Run Under City Train Line

23 Jun

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

A long unused strip of space weaving through Berlin is set to become a bicycling boulevard, sheltered by the tracks above and lined with bike service stations, recreation areas and food trucks. This latest rails-to-trails project has six miles of space to work with, connecting major roads and multiple neighborhoods. Completely disused aside except as illegal parking and intermittent strips of sidewalks and seating, the area below the U1 line is ripe for rehabilitation.

As in other cities with similar programs, the Radbahn aims to serve not only as a traffic corridor and green trail but also to activate adjacent spaces. Pocket parks and commercial vendors are expected to spring up along the route, and side extensions can bring bikers down to adjacent waterways and other natural features.

Meanwhile, riders can enjoy a rain-free experience (it rains over 100 days per year in Berlin). Cyclists looking to take the train can also park their ride in sheltered spaces below the rails near stations. The minimum width and consistent coverage of the tracks above provide for a sufficiently wide trail from start to finish, while studies have shown that train noise below tracks is reduced as compared to adjacent space.

Per the proposal, the goal is “revitalize the former space along the iconic U1 line to a pulsating urban artery. It thereby acts as a playground for modern mobility, innovation and leisure activities.” In typical German fashion, the project designers and engineers have already extensively documented and mapped opportunities throughout the route, which you can explore in greater depth by visiting their website.

Underline: 10-Mile Park to Trace Path of Elevated Rail in Miami

Following in the footsteps of the High Line (and Low Line) of New York City, the Underline project aims to take the underutilized space below Miami’s elevated MetroRail and transform it into a …

Disused 15-Mile Railway to Become Country-Wide Park in Singapore

An ambitious infrastructure conversion project in Singapore will turn 15 miles of a abandoned rail corridor into a continuous mixed-use trail-and-park system stretching from one end of the …

High Line West: Chicago & LA on Track for Elevated Greenways

Following in the footsteps of the United States’ largest urban center, the 2nd and 3rd most populous cities in the country are each (respectively) developing and building extensive elevated …

Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Radbahn Berlin: 6-Mile Sheltered Bike Path to Run Under City Train Line

Posted in Creativity

 

Raining Pitchforks: Artist Lures Visitors Under 300 Spikey Forks of Doom

12 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

When someone exclaims “It’s raining pitchforks and hammer handles out there” they rarely mean it quite so literally. Dubbed The Crusher, this installation sounds as much like a pro wrestler or horror movie as a piece of art. And as the ominous name suggests: it is something to be awed … and perhaps at least a little bit feared.

British artist Simon Birch works in a variety of mediums, but this installation in a Los Angeles is a bit of a departure from his safely-on-the-canvass oil paintings. The 300 suspended forks feature three to five prongs for a total of over a thousand points on which one could be impaled.

Visitors to this site-specific work are invited to view it now just from the side but also from beneath. The rundown appearance of the surrounding structure and variety of aged potential death traps above do little to assuage one’s anxiety while going below (or watching others do so).

So far, the work has been hugely popular, but one has to wonder: what if there were an earthquake, or one of the forks slipped loose somehow?

Simon Birch “has also ventured into film and installation work … These large multimedia projects integrated paintings with film, installation, sculpture, and performance housed in specifically configured spaces” (via MMM).

Eye on the City: Visitors Dangle from Urban Art Installation

Take a seat, fasten your seatbelt and allow an usher to wheel you into a giant eyeball dangling outside of a building so you can take in all of the sights without anyone else present. The …

Light Touch: Sensual Installation Lets Visitors Feel Luminescence

In a new light art installation dubbed Sense of Field, Tokyo artist Hitomi Sato lets visitors simultaneously see, touch and shape shimmers of light all on sides.

The immersive experience …

Gravity-Defying House Gives Visitors Climbing Power

Some London residents have recently acquired an incredible ability to scale walls with ease. They climb the facade of a building, sit quietly on windowsills, and simply enjoy their ability to see …

Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Raining Pitchforks: Artist Lures Visitors Under 300 Spikey Forks of Doom

Posted in Creativity

 

KeyMission 360 firmware update improves stability under iOS 10.2

11 Apr

Nikon has issued a firmware update for its shockproof and waterproof KeyMission 360 spherical 360-degree action camera that improves stability under iOS 10.2. It specifically solves an issue with unstable connections between the camera and Apple devices running the iOS 10.2-compatible version of the Nikon SnapBridge 360/170 app.

The new firmware can be installed by selecting Camera > Camera settings > Firmware version in the SnapBridge 360/170 app or Set > Firmware version in the KeyMission 360/170 Utility and checking the camera firmware version. More details and the firmware itself is available in the Nikon Download Center.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on KeyMission 360 firmware update improves stability under iOS 10.2

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Hovering Tiny Black House Haunts the Woods Under a Railway Bridge

18 Mar

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

black flying house 3

Looking like something out of a creepy fairytale, this little black house hovers in the air beneath the arch of an old railway bridge, a spindly ladder reaching down into the fallen leaves. If you weren’t expecting it to be there and happened upon it while on a walk, you might be a bit shocked to see it seemingly floating in space, its skylights glinting in the sun. From far away, you can’t see how it could possibly be supported, lending it a somewhat supernatural appearance.

black flying house 7

black flying house 1

The steel cables that support the structure become apparent as you walk up, and the ladder is usually hidden off to one side, requiring passersby to look around a bit for a way to get up.

black flying house

black flying house 8

But if you did happen to be brave enough to approach it and climb the ladder, not knowing what you’d find inside, you’d be greeted with a bare-bones but cozy hut from which to survey the surrounding woods, complete with a loft and a wood stove.

black flying house 5

black flying house 4

Set in an area that’s 15 minutes walking distance fro the city center of Pardubice, Czech Republic, the installation takes advantage of stark scenery left behind by disused infrastructure, aiming for the feel of a mysterious military complex.

black flyling house 2

Created by H3T Architekti and photographed by Maritna Kubesova and Tomas Rasl, ‘Flying Black House’ is a temporary installation daring passersby to give in to their curiosity, even if it makes them feel like the foolish protagonist in a horror movie.

Not in Kansas: Black House Lands in Front of Oz Museum

The childhood home of artist Ian Strange has literally landed right in front of the Art Gallery of South Australia as if it were picked up by a tornado and plunked there, Wizard of Oz style. The …

Fast Track: A 557-Foot Trampoline in the Russian Woods

Pedestrian roads would be a lot more fun if they were bouncy. Maybe that’s why Salto Architects decided to complete this unusual installation, a 557-foot-long (170 meter) trampoline walkway that …

A Tree Grows Inside This Modern Cylindrical Glass House

Would you give up all your privacy in order to live in a spectacular glass cylinder with a tree growing up the center? Perhaps the secluded forest location will help make that decision for you. …

Share on Facebook



[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Hovering Tiny Black House Haunts the Woods Under a Railway Bridge

Posted in Creativity

 

Worlds Under Glass: 33 Miniature Cities & Architectural Sculptures

16 Feb

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

thomas doyle 7

Sheltered by glass vessels like tiny self-contained biomes, these miniature buildings and cities seem to have their own atmospheres and variable gravity, with houses teetering on the edges of cliffs or springing out of clouds in the sky. Artists craft small-scale structures from balsa wood, paper, cardboard and other materials and house them under domes, bottles, teapots and Victorian terrariums.

Balsa Wood Architecture by Vera van Wolferen

wolferen 1

wolferen 2

wolferen 3

wolferen 4

Often incorporated into animations, Vera van Wolferen’s tiny balsa wood structures can also be structures telling their own stories. A recent series of structures perches tiny dwellings on stilts or stretches them several stories into the ‘sky’ beneath a glass dome, often emerging from cotton ‘clouds.’

Paper Cities by Ayumi Shibata

ayumi shibata 1

ayumi shibata 2

ayumi shibata 3

ayumi shibata 4

Slivers of two-dimensional cities and landscapes curl around each other within glass vessels in rosebud-like arrangements or stack up into faux hillsides to create a three-dimensional whole in these works by Ayumi Shibata. The artist uses traditional Japanese paper cutting techniques, noting that the Japanese word for ‘paper’ is ‘Kami,’ which can also mean ‘god,’ ‘spirit’ or ‘divinity.’

“Kami move freely beyond time, universe and places, appearing during events, as well as in our houses and our bodies,” she says. “These spirits also dwell in paper. In the religion of Shinto, white paper is considered a sacred material.”

Micro Matter by Rosa de Jong

rosa de jong 1

rosa de jong 2

rosa de jong 3

rosa de jong 4

rosa de jong 5

rosa de jong 6

Enclosed within glass domes or test tubes, Rosa de Jong’s ‘Micro Matter’ sculptures bring unfathomably small worlds to life, each one seemingly floating in its own low-gravity atmosphere. The works often feature dilapidated homes, farm buildings, mines and construction sites, exploring the ways in which built environments interact with nature. The sculptures are created in a way that’s similar to building a ship in a bottle, snugly inserting the pieces to fit their vessels just right.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Worlds Under Glass 33 Miniature Cities Architectural Sculptures

Miniature Cities in Motion: Tiny Animated Metropolis Made of Paper

Diminutive flags wave in the wind, ferris wheels the size of clock gears turn, cranes rise and fall and tiny cars zoom around in this three-dimensional world made out of paper. Artist Charles …

Secrets Beneath Cities: Sculptures Inspired by Nintendo Games

“The underworld is more fun,” says Luke O’Sullivan, the artist who painstakingly crafts stunning cityscape sculptures with intricate subterranean sections inspired by the seemingly …

Buildings in Bottles: Crafty Test-Tube Architectural Models

A tiny twist on miniature architecture turns simply-crafted models into hovering micro-habitats, suspended in test tubes like the science experiment of some mad architect.

Micro Matter …

Share on Facebook



[ By SA Rogers in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Worlds Under Glass: 33 Miniature Cities & Architectural Sculptures

Posted in Creativity

 

2016 Roundup: Best Camera Drones Under $1500

23 Nov

The past few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of drones, and they’re being used for everything from video production to aerial panoramas. It’s an exciting time to dive into this technology.

Drones can be expensive, but there are good values to be had, even under $ 1500. In fact, some of the models in this round-up have been used for prize-winning photography as well as for major feature films.

Before buying a drone, think about how you intend to use it. Some are better for video, while others may be better for pictures. Some still photographers prefer to shoot with 4K video and ‘frame grab.’ As with any tool it’s about picking what’s right for you.

One thing to remember is that specifications are designed to catch your eye. But remember, as with any camera, it’s not all about a single specification; it’s about combining the features and specifications that matter most to you and meet your needs.

In addition to core specs, many drones have features such as ‘follow-me’ or subject tracking modes that can be used to make operation easier, or even automate shots. For instance, if you want to shoot video but have a difficult time orbiting, spiraling, or doing a fly-by pan while keeping your subject in frame, these features can be an immense help (if they work properly). Also, consider how easy a drone is to fly. The guidance system and stability of the drone will help determine this.

It’s a crowded market and there are a lot of drones available for under $ 1500, but we’ll take a look at some of the most common models you’re likely to run into:

  • Parrot Bebop 2
  • DJI Phantom 3 Series
  • 3D Robotics Solo
  • Yuneec Q500 Typhoon 4K
  • Yuneec Typhoon H 4K
  • DJI Mavic Pro
  • DJI Phantom 4 and Phantom 4 Pro

Finally, we’ll try to help answer the question “Which drone should I buy?”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on 2016 Roundup: Best Camera Drones Under $1500

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Under pressure: Canon vs. Nikon in a hydraulic press

08 Jul

It’s a question photographers have been asking since time immemorial – or since the 1970s, at any rate: which is best? Canon or Nikon? The brave souls over at the Hydraulic Press Channel are committed to finding out. And they’re going to do so in the only way they know how – by using a hydraulic press. In the yellow corner: a Nikon FA. In the red corner: a Canon AE-1. 

We don’t want to ruin the outcome of this unconventional two-way test before you’ve watched the video (apart from anything else, we’re far from clear on the criteria of the contest) but we dare you to only watch it once.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Under pressure: Canon vs. Nikon in a hydraulic press

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Under the hood: A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

08 May

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

Panasonic’s LX100 is an ambitious little camera. It steps right over the 1″ sensor compact class with a 16MP Four Thirds sensor (though only 12.7MP is truly available), a 24-75mm equiv. F1.7-2.8 lens and 4K video recording. It all added up to a very favorable score and a gold award when we reviewed the camera. Now, thanks to the folks at iFixit, we can take a look at what’s inside the LX100 without ever picking up a screwdriver. 

See the iFixit Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 Disassembly Guide

Take a look at iFixit’s full LX100 Repair Guide

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

Removing the battery is a first and very important step. 

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

After removing plenty of screws from the body of the camera, removing this metal piece from the hotshoe reveals yet another set of screws.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

A spudger is the best tool for this job – with all of the screws out of the way the back of the chassis can be pried away from the camera body.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

Here’s a view of the back panel with the cover out of the way. The motherboard lies just below the buttons seen here.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

To get to the motherboard, the LCD needs to be removed. Here, the silver metal backing is pried away with a spudger. A ribbon cable also connects the screen to the rest of the device and is carefully removed.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

With the LCD gone, the motherboard and its related ribbon cables are visible.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

A couple more screws out of the way and the EVF pops right out. In that housing is an XGA 1024×768 panel.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

Next goes the motherboard, which is gently pried back and pulled away from the camera.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

Next to go is this copper plate. On the other side we’ll find the lens, but only after the next batch of screws is removed. 

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

No fewer than four different sized screws, from 4mm down to 3.1mm are used here. 

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

With the last (well, almost last) screws out of the way the lens casing is free…

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

…and then the lens can be removed as well. 

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

The top panel is ready to go too…

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

…and we can see what goes on under the dials and shutter release up there.

A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

And there you have it, the LX100 in all disassembled. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Under the hood: A look inside the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »