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These Photos Will Make Your Jaw Drop

May 20, 2011 Leave a Comment

Taking photos is easy, especially with the high tech cameras one can easily purchase these days. You just turn the device on, point, and then shoot.

Taking awesome photos is a totally different story, though. I don’t know how those guys do it – they must have a special gift within them that they have nurtured and honed over the years. While it is true that the subject does have a huge role to play, there must be something else that makes certain photos as powerful as they are.

National Geographic has a photo of the day section, and true to their reputation, they showcase only the best that one can see. ((National Geographic Photography))

When I first saw this photo, I told myself, “Forget the old saying that pictures say a thousand words!” This photo goes beyond that. It takes the need for words away. It inundates you with all the words you know. It just is amazing.

This photo was taken in Namibia by Frans Lanting, and it shows camel thorn trees in Namib-Naukluft Park. It looks like a painting that only a master can create, but it is a photo!

This one is of the Aurora Borealis in Iceland and is taken by Olgeir Andresson. Doesn’t that make you want to hop onto a plane and go see it with your own eyes?

Taken in California (Bodega Head) by David Liittschwager, this photo of sea grass atop rocks with the lone starfish at the center is nothing less than awesome.

Aren’t these lovely images to take with you over the weekend?

Dr. Seuss Does Pokemon

May 9, 2011 1 Comment

Or maybe it should be Pokemon does Dr. Seuss. Whichever way you see it, the results of the Draw2D2 Dr. Seuss-Pokemon Mashup which was held in the past two weeks are worthy of viewing over and over again. There isn’t much to be said about the “contest” – the contributors of the blog were simply tasked with coming up with original art work that would put elements from Dr. Seuss and Pokemon together.

As they say, one’s imagination is the limit. And boy, do these people have awesome imaginations! If their work is anything to go by, there should be some pretty interesting worlds and characters in their heads.

There are several pieces showcased in the blog ((Draw2D2)), but here are the three that I like the most.

This is by Ian Brauner. Dr. Seuss meets Pikachu and fish. I don’t know, but the fish reminds me of Klaus (Heissler) in American Dad. And don’t you just love the umbrella?

This is by Andy Hunter. Seusemon, indeed! I can’t decide which I like better – Grinkachu or Hortopillar. On the one hand, Grinkachu sounds so much better, but Hortopillar looks better visually.

I think this is the best of the lot – it’s drawn by Jason Welborn. The art is simple but the rhyme that goes with it is superb. Click on the image to better read the text. Theodor Seuss Geisel himself would be proud of this work, don’t you think?

I think these guys should put their heads together and make their own version of not-so-common children’s books.

Get Your Own Strandbeest Via 3D Printing

May 5, 2011 Leave a Comment

Remember those awesome “beasts” that were introduced to the world by Dutch kinetic artist Theo Jansen? They are called strandbeests, and they are made of every day materials such as water bottles, rods, plastic tubes, and rubber rings. The amazing thing about these creations is that they are self-propelling. Given the size of a strandbeest, seeing one in action is probably one of the most amazing sights ever.

Now, the average person will probably not have the opportunity to build or see one of these in real life. It’s a pity, especially since the amount of work and effort put into a single strandbeest is impressive. But what if there was a way to have your very own strandbeest? Not life sized, but something that can join your already huge toy collection.

With 3D printing, this is actually possible! I was quite a skeptic in the beginning with regard to 3D printing and its use, but the more I read about its applications, the more I am convinced about the whole concept.

Now Theo Jansen himself has shared his mini-strandbeest created using 3D printing! It really is fascinating, especially since the creature works just like its big brothers. Here’s the artist showing how it’s done.

http://youtu.be/nt8oHv09e_k

I have to admit – it looks like a tiresome process; but then again, I bet the original beasts were just as bothersome, if not more. You also have to think that in order to make something that is worthy of a permanent place in science fiction (as the strandbeests are), you have to go the extra mile. Now 3D printer manufacturers – make them so ordinary people can get hold of these devices!

What a Bored Math Teacher Can Do With Pencils

April 20, 2011 Leave a Comment

For some reason, I have always had a good relationship with my math teachers in grade school and high school. Now college professors were always touch and go – with all the math courses I had to take, I was bound to meet one or two that didn’t exactly become a bosom buddy. In any case, one thing that bugged me about certain branches of math was the fact that they didn’t seem to have immediate practical applications. All those equations and computations just seemed fruitless to me as a student who wanted to make something useful. I am sure many students have felt – and feel – the same way.

If it were up to this particular math teacher, though, I bet that students would have more practical applications of what they learn in class. Or maybe not.

What’s for sure is that he found some free time in his hands, a whole lot of pencils – 80 of them, and different kinds of glue. Throw in some geometric principles and a dash of inspiration, and this is what you get.

That’s called the STAR – Standardized Testing And Reporting, which is actually the test that his students are taking this month. (That’s where some of the inspiration came from!)

This is the same sculpture taken from a different angle.

In his blog, Mister Math Teacher ((An Ocean of Knowledge An Inch Deep)) talks about other sources of inspiration: work by George Hart ((Geometric Sculpture)) and Carlo H. Sequin ((Carlo H. Sequin’s Web Site)). He also reveals just how he got his pencil sculpture made. If you have an excess of pencils, why not give it a try?

Now I wonder if his star pupil will get the sculpture at the end of the academic year?

Be Your Own Souvenir

April 8, 2011 1 Comment

Calling all narcissists, or those with narcissistic tendencies! Here is the ultimate device for you guys: an installation that can scan you – or whatever you want to be – and then create a mini you. This installation was made by blablabLAB ((blablabLAB)) with the goal of “connecting street users, art, and science.”

And how is this achieved by playing on the love of self of people? Imagine this. You have always wanted to be a great guitarist immortalized through your music. The sad thing is that it doesn’t seem like the guitar responds to your fingers tender manipulations. Is there any way you can ever realize your dream? If you were to pose holding a guitar, acting as if you were playing in the biggest concert of you life, you just might be able to capture that memory via the Be Your Own Souvenir installation.

Using 3 scanners – no less than the Microsoft Kinect, a 3D image of yourself will be created. This image is then translated into a more tangible object via 3D printing, and before you know it, you will have yourself as a souvenir to take home!

The installation was tested in Barcelona on the first month of this year, and it seems that it was a huge hit. Locals and tourists alike stopped by to watch it at work, and not a few indulged themselves as struck whatever pose they fancied. See for yourself.

Be Your Own Souvenir! from blablabLAB on Vimeo.

I think this is brilliant, despite the joke about narcissism earlier. ((Or maybe my narcissistic subconscious is making itself felt.)) If anything, you can create toy figures of the people in your life.