Incredible Plumes of Ink Photographed Underwater
Photos by Alberto Seveso
Italian photographer and illustrator Alberto Seveso works in Bristol, UK and as of recently, he is typically known for his commercial work for digital brands, magazines, and album covers. However, his latest work is a creative series titled a due Colori, where he photographs plumes of ink underwater. It sounds simple, but the textures, details, colors, and organic shapes created against the black backdrop he uses are absolutely incredible.
Check out some of the images from this series below. Also be sure to check out more of Alberto's illustration and design work here. His work is truly unmatched and very distinct.
[Via This Is Colossal]
Google Seeks Patent to Integrate Cameras Into Contact Lenses
Photo credit: Google
The tech super giant that we all know as Google, has applied for a patent that details a way to integrate a camera into a contact lens. As if announcing the development of a contact lens that could continually monitor blood glucose levels of Type 2 diabetics wasn't enough, they continue to outdo themselves with this latest patent that is intended to help people with visual disabilities. This sounds phenomenal.
According to I Fucking Love Science, the lens is meant to work like this: "a small camera will be embedded out of the way of the pupil so it will not obstruct vision. Blinking activates the sensor for the camera. An advantage to using this lens instead of something like Google Glass is that the camera is able to follow the eye’s precise movement. Even the smallest sideways glance will still allow the camera to face the point of interest. The data collected by the camera can be processed to recognize a variety of properties including faces, motion, color, light, and certain objects." Basically, by fitting a camera into a contact lens, users could process all kinds of data that could then be relayed to a connected smartphone. Developers also hope to add a zoom to the camera, reducing the need for binoculars.
For those with a visual impairment, the lens will give an auditory warning to let the user know when it is safe to walk in the direction they are heading. The chip in the lens will also help identify friends and family through facial recognition by connecting to a database.
Although there is no telling when the contact lens will be available to the open market, the patent is groundbreaking, and to some of us photographers, it's a dream come true. However, some have argued that the idea is intrusive and even creepy. What do you think?
[Via I Fucking Love Science]
ProCam App turns your iPhone into a DSLR for FREE
Ok, the ProCam app may not literally turn your iPhone camera into a DSLR, but in terms of user interface and camera functionality, it offers a long list of features that allows you to have much more control in the photo-taking experience. What's even greater about this app is that for a limited time only it's FREE, so you may want to download it right now.
Although it's no secret that the iPhone 5s already has one of the best smartphone cameras in the industry, we also know that Apple’s camera software is also one of the most basic camera apps out there. Unlike rival companies like Nokia, Samsung and HTC that add innovating new features to their camera software, Apple continues to rely on third-party developers to issue camera enhancements for the iPhone. Then when you see a popular camera app like ProCam in the App Store, and it’s easy to understand why Apple does this.
ProCam for the iPhone is undoubtedly one of the most versatile iOS camera apps out there, and it was created by notable developer Samer Azzam. The app gives your iPhone camera 12 different shooting modes, DSLR-like settings, a bunch of photo enhancement options, and even allows you to switch the type of lens your using (like Vignette, White vignette, Fisheye, Tilt Shift and Kaleidoscope). The only thing it lacks compared to a real DSLR is the image quality, of course.
Check out photos below for a closer look. To see a full list of features from ProCam’s description and to download it in the App Store, click here. Let us know how it works out for you.
[Via Yahoo! News]
Life in the Largest Vertical Slum in the World
Photos by Iwan Baan
For almost 20 years in the center of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, stands an unfinished 45-story skyscraper, known as the Tower of David (Torre de David). Unfortunately, the building was plagued with misfortune since early construction. First the developer died, then with the nation's failed economy and banking system, the building construction has gone unfinished ever since. What was supposed to be the third-highest skyscraper in Venezuela is now the largest vertical slum in the world.
Over the past 8 years, people have begun inhabiting the unfinished building, and is currently holding about 750 families, establishing it's own self-contained community. Besides the many apartments in the tower, it also has shops, grocery stores and other services on each floor, even a church and a common gym on the roof. However, plagued with poverty and government neglect, many hazards have fatally injured residents, plumbing and electrical services are poor, and running water only reaches the fifth floor, leaving most of the lower levels smelling like sewage. Aside from all of this, the building is also known as a base of operations for Criminal gangs. The building's general manager, Elvin Marchan, has even admitted, "if someone caused problems, pushing them off a higher story or shooting them would have been the way of dealing with it." There is no question that this is one of the largest slums in the world and an example of the kind of life that most people here in Caracas, a city reported to have the highest per capita murder rate in the world.
Photographer and urban documentarian Iwan Baan, was able to capture captivating images of life inside the unfinished tower, as he continues to travel the world capturing the relation of people to the architecture and structures they inhabit. Besides his pictures of the Tower of David below, he participated in a TED Talks conference where he shares more of his findings.
[Via Policy Mic]
Stockholm’s Stunning Underground Subway Art
Photos by Alexander Dragunov
Considered the world’s longest art exhibition, Stockholm’s stunning underground subway art runs at almost 70 miles long. A casual subway ride in Sweden's capital city becomes quite a treat for the eyes of passengers, consisting of paintings, sculptures, mosaics and installations created by 150 artists since the 1950's, in more than 90 of the city’s 100 stations. With every station being completely unique, Russian IT specialist Alexander Dragunov shares a few of his amazing photos of some of the most dramatic installations.
The photos below were taken in the Solna Centrum station, where cave-like installations were created by artists Anders Aberg and Karl-Olov Bjor back in the 1970's. We can just imagine what the other stations are like, but take a look at these and tell us what you think.
[Via Bored Panda]
Nearly Lost Street Photography of NYC and Chicago from the 1950s-60s by Vivian Maier
Photos by Vivian Maier
Amazing New York street photographer, Vivian Maier, took thousands of photos in the 1950's and 60's that went unacknowledged until recently. In 2007, historian and collector John Maloof found a box with thousands her of black and white photography and film negatives, and struck gold. In 2011, only 2 year after her passing, he published a book of her photography and started traveling through exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe, gaining the acknowledgment that she rightfully deserved. A true story of fate and destiny.
For further background on this miraculous story, Maier was born in New York in 1926, lived in France and then returned to New York in 1951 where she lived for five years. In her time back in NYC, she wandered the streets with her Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera, and snapped pictures wherever she went. Later, she moved to Chicago to work as a nanny and did that for forty years, taking tons of photos into the late 1990's, all with a unique perspective. Throughout all these years, Maier ended up leaving a body of work comprising of over 100,000 negatives that she never shared with anyone, and many she never saw herself.
Now, her body of work has gone on to receive critical acclaim after 50 years of shooting them, and all to the credit of John Maloof. In 2007, after purchasing a box full of Maier's negatives for $400 at a local thrift auction on Chicago's Northwest Side, he realized that he stumbled upon an amazing set of photography to share to the world. And we're all glad he did.
Through the power and grace of black and white photography, the following photos capture a raw beauty of mid-century, metropolitan city life in America. The story and photography is all so captivating that it even inspired a documentary film, titled Finding Vivian Maier, and is showing in select theaters now. Also be sure to check out the official trailer, and more find more of her work here.
[Via Demilked]
Liberated Beyonce Covers the Power Issue for Out Magazine
Photos by Santiago & Mauricio
Beyoncé Knowles steals the spotlight once again as she channels her inner Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Out magazine's annual May Power Issue, on newsstands April 22. The issue was beautifully photographed by Santiago & Mauricio and styled by Lysa Cooper, and it's actually her first major cover since dropping her self-titled album back in December. With a sultry glance, platinum blond wig, and strands of pearls draping down her breast, the superstar embodies the legendary sex symbol effortlessly.
Aside from the stunning photo spread, the article includes an exclusive interview where she shares her opinion on the double standards in the music industry, and on the release of her most sexually liberated album to date. Going even further, the singer released exclusive remixes of tracks 'Blow' and 'XO' for the article. In defying typical marketing strategies for the release of her surprise self titled visual album, and wrapping up a successful world tour, there is no question as to why she was selected for this issue.
Check out the following photos from Beyonce's photo spread and let us know what you think.
[Via Out Magazine]
Racial Profiling Book: The New Global Mexican by Marina Garcia-Vasquez
Photos by Carlos Alvarez Montero
Statistically, Mexican Americans make up 10.9% of the United States' population with over 34 million documented Americans, making the US home to the second largest Mexican community in the world, second only to Mexico itself. With all this in mind, Mex and the City and photographer Carlos Alvarez Montero came together to curate a portrait series titled Racial Profiling. The series highlights prominent, influential Mexicans alongside Q&As to highlight their professional successes in New York, Mexico City, and Los Angeles.
What started out mainly as a project within NYC turned into a Kickstarter to grow support to fund their pursuit to publish a book. Titled Racial Profiling Book: The New Global Mexican, it will show the diversity of the global contemporary Mexican identity from NYC, LA, Mexico City, and London. This project will only be funded if at least $15,000 is pledged by
Check the following portraits and check out more here. If you would like to back this project, be sure to go here.
[Via Kickstarter]