Monthly Archive for January, 2008

World’s Oldest Photographic Lab, Discovered

Published on January 30, 2008 in architecture, art, cameras, Film, photo and photography. 1 Comment Tags: collodion, daguerrotypes, France, lab, Niepce House, Petio-Groffier, photo, photography, Pierre-Yves Mahe.

oldest darkroom, Petiot-Groffier

The discovery of the World’s Oldest Photographic Lab opens the door to Petiot-Groffier‘s photography darkroom, closed for 152 years. Complete with cameras, chemicals sealed in glass bottles, and notebooks for processing and printing Daguerrotypes and Collodions. The room was revealed when the building changed hands and the new owner entrusted Pierre-Yves Mahé, the initiator of the Niépce House in Saint-Loup de Varennes, France, to preserve and protect the long hidden treasures.

photos Pierre-Yves Mahé

Romancing the “Darkroom” by Michel Campeau

Published on January 29, 2008 in art, cameras, Film, photo and photography. Closed Tags: book, cameras, darkroom, Film, michel campeau, photo, photography.

darkroom campeau

“For a photographer like myself, who in fact has not worked in a darkroom for over years, these images are horribly familiar. Those fix stains in the sink, the eerie red light, reminiscent of a brothel, the wonky enlarger and a profusion of different tapes holding the whole thing together. . . I feel lucky to have escaped and yet there is something very alluring about these images. . .” — from the introduction by Martin Parr

View the photos, Buy the book.

{via darius himes}

Helvetica or Goudy Bold for President?

Published on January 29, 2008 in advertising, culture, graphic design, politics and type. Closed Tags: edwards, hillary, huckabee, mccain, obama, rudy.

A Boston Globe story by Sam Berlow and Cyrus Highsmith who work at The Font Bureau Inc. of Boston. Berlow is general manager; Highsmith is a senior designer.

{via designobserver}

Robert Capa, Mexican Suitcase Lost and Found

Published on January 27, 2008 in art, cameras, culture, Film, New York, paris, photo, photography, politics and war. Closed Tags: Film, ICP, photo, photography, Robert Capa, Spanish Civil War.

Robert Capa

“The Falling Soldier” by Robert Capa

The discovery has sent shock waves through the photography world, not least because it is hoped that the negatives could settle once and for all a question that has dogged Capa’s legacy: whether what may be his most famous picture — and one of the most famous war photographs of all time — was staged. Known as “The Falling Soldier,” it shows a Spanish Republican militiaman reeling backward at what appears to be the instant a bullet strikes his chest or head on a hillside near Córdoba in 1936. When the picture was first published in the French magazine Vu, it created a sensation and helped crystallize support for the Republican cause.” Quoted from the New York Times

Boxings Broken Faces, Denis Rouvre

Published on January 26, 2008 in art, book, cameras, photo and photography. 2 Comments Tags: denis rouve, photography, rugby.

Some pretty amazing photos of British rugby players by Denis Rouve. Great site too.

http://www.rouvre.com/

Church + Renovation = Home

Published on January 25, 2008 in architecture, art, culture, designer and photography. Closed Tags: architecture, chapel, church, friars, home, Netherlands, Zecc.

church

“The decline in church attendance over the last several decades has meant that countless churches across the Netherlands have lost their function. They are crumbling, are demolished, or are put to new uses. Their specific architectural municipal exhibition hall, and if, for example, a residential use is chosen, the original spatial qualities are usually lost. A dutch firm named Zecc has converted an old chapel into an apartment, carefully respecting and enhancing the character of the original building. The chapel was part of a large housing complex of the Friars of Utrecht, which at its height, around the mid-20th century, housed 217 residents. The remaining 13 elderly friars, however, moved to a nursing home in 2005, and the complex was divided up and converted into about 40 apartments.”

quoted from freshome. Many more images here.

{via freshome and metafilter}

Blood Simple Advertising

Published on January 24, 2008 in advertising, cities, culture, illustration, photo and photography. Closed Tags: advertising, photo, photograhpy, Red Cross, san francisco.

Red Cross ad

“Nothing grabs an audience’s attention more effectively than a clever optical illusion. Combine that with an ingenious ad campaign and you get this brilliant mobile billboard for The Red Cross, currently gracing the streets of San Francisco.

It’s photo journalism, meets Hollywood blockbuster movie poster, and it is turning plenty of heads wherever it parks itself. Enthusiastic onlookers have been snapping up photos of the mobile billboard and posting, uploading and sharing them online with friends. This is a brilliant example of how an audience can further promote the exposure of a great advertising campaign through mobile phones, blogs and sites such as flicker. ” quited from the coolhunter.net

The ad was created by Hal Rine.

{via thecoolhunter}

Forgotten, Detroit Book Depository

Published on January 24, 2008 in book, cities, culture, photo and photography. 15 Comments Tags: architecture, book, decay, depository, detroit, photo, photography.

Detroit Public Schools Book Depository

“This is a building where our deeply-troubled public school system once stored its supplies, and then one day apparently walked away from it all, allowing everything to go to waste…All that’s left is an overwhelming sense of knowledge unlearned and untapped potential.”

{via metafilter}

Beautiful Decay, Photographer Rob Dobi

Published on January 22, 2008 in architecture, art, cities, culture, industrial design, photo and photography. 1 Comment Tags: camera, New England, photographer, Rob Dobi.

Rob Dobi

Even as a child I questioned the significance of abandoned buildings and the stories they could tell by simply walking through them and seeing what is left, or more importantly, what isn’t.

Due to years of neglect, these sites have typically become eyesores for those who pass by them everyday. What remains inside tells a different story altogether. Whether it be industrial or insitutional, each doorway within is another opening to the past, behind each one a unique story is told, Each stairwell leads to another chapter.

I find as a photographer I am able to give these abandoned structures a second life of sorts, preserving them in a picture for others to see and interpret the history for themselves.

quoteded from Ron Dobi

There are a lot of photography sites of decaying America. For me Rob does it right. Well worth the trip.

QIU ZHEN, Chinese Photogapher

Published on January 21, 2008 in art, cameras, cities, culture, illustration, photo and photography. Closed Tags: china, chinese photographer, couple, photo, photography, Qiu Zhen.

Qiu Zhen

In October 2006, FotoFest International, China Hewlett Packard and a team of Chinese photographers and businessmen collaborated to create an international portfolio review program for Chinese photographers. Modeled on FotoFest’s portfolio review program in Houston, TX, the Meeting Place FotoFest Beijing was an unprecedented event in China. From 278 Chinese photographic artists, this web gallery presents 34 artists selected by participating reviewers.

Above, Quoted from Fotofestchina.

Qiu Zhen is just one of the may facinating Chinese photographers to view at the link below. I only wish there was some more information about Zhen on the site.

{via fotofest also see fotofest main site}

In other “News”, Levere IKEA Poster Hits the USA!

Published on January 21, 2008 in architecture, art, book, cameras, cities, culture, New York, photo and photography. 5 Comments Tags: architecture, Ikea, New York, new york changing, photo, photography, Poster, rephotography.

LEFT PHOTO, ABBOTT, SEVENTH AVENUE LOOKING SOUTH FROM 35TH STREET, MANHATTAN, 1935
RIGHT PHOTO, LEVERE, SEVENTH AVENUE LOOKING SOUTH FROM 35TH STREET, MANHATTAN, 2001

I guess this is only big news for me, but my Nelson Tower South image that is selling at IKEA is not not just available in the UK anymore. You can now find it at your local US IKEA. You will have to go to the store as yet it is not available online. Below, I have included a view of the pair of images as displayed in my book New York Changing rephotographed from. The Abbott on the Left and Levere on the Right.

Election Maps to Love, from the NYTimes

Published on January 17, 2008 in art, cities, culture, designer, graphic design, New York and politics. Closed Tags: AIGA, culture, design, Election Graphics, maps, New York Times, politics.

Election maps, The New York Times

I love good graphics. Here find another good New York Times political graphic. Follow the link for more info from the AIGA Design Archives about it.

{via AIGA}

MacBook Air anyone? or Everyone?

Published on January 15, 2008 in advertising, designer, graphic design, industrial design and product. 1 Comment Tags: , advertising, apple, computers, laptops, mac, macbook air, thin.

apple notebook

MacBook Air is ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else. But you don’t lose inches and pounds overnight. It’s the result of rethinking conventions. Of multiple wireless innovations. And of breakthrough design. With MacBook Air, mobile computing suddenly has a new standard.

{via apple}

Watch the apple guided tour here:

Perhaps the World is Flat

Published on January 15, 2008 in art, cities, culture, graphic design, illustration, New York and type. Closed Tags: , art, maps, new york city, Paula Scher, subway.

maps by Paula Scher

Paula Scher is a powerhouse designer, having worked for the vernerable Pentagram for years.

“There were a couple things that really struck me when I saw the maps by Scher. The immense scale was the first thing that hit me. Between that and all the layers of information and colour it was really mesmerizing. It was one of the few times when I was drawn into the work and really just got sucked in. I didn’t spend hours with the work but I’ll definitely visit those maps again before the end of the show. I also managed to get a gallery catalogue of all the maps. Reflecting the scale of the show, the book is quite large as well. ” Quote from designnotes

{via designnotes huffingtonpost}

Quentin Shih Photographer

Published on January 14, 2008 in advertising, art, culture, graphic design, illustration, photo and photography. Closed Tags: advertising, art, china, commercial, photo, photographer, Quentin Shih.

Quentin Shih

A must view is the commercial photography work of Quentin Shih in China. It reminds me of the quality, excitement and creativity of work from New York City but from the Asian point of view.

Jeffrey Docherty, Graphic Designer

Published on January 13, 2008 in designer, graphic design, illustration, New York, product, type and Uncategorized. Closed Tags: Graphic Designer, Jeffrey Docherty, New York.

Jeffrey Docherty
Great design and illustration on a wonderfully simple website.

{via design:related}

Jonathan Harris’ Whale Hunt, Visual Story Telling

Published on January 12, 2008 in art, cameras, culture, graphic design, illustration, photo and photography. Closed Tags: interactive, jonathan harris, photo, photographer, photography, whale.

Whale Hunt

For seven straight days, Jonathan Harris took at least one photograph every five minutes on an Alaskan whale hunt. In the process, he may have reinvented how we tell stories. Magnificent.

I have to admit I did not get it the first time I viewed it. But now that I understand the concept I do enjoy the process of viewing this unique site. You have to go to the website to begin to understand what you are looking at above.

The Whale Hunt

{via design:related}

Xerox Transformed

Published on January 12, 2008 in advertising, designer, graphic design and type. Closed Tags: advertising, design, designer, logo, type, Xerox.

Xerox today unveiled the most sweeping changes to its logo and brand in the companyss history. This morning CEO Anne Mulcahy and president Ursula Burns hosted a town hall meeting and live webcast that first revealed the new logo and brand identity to Xerox’s 57,000 global employees.

Developed with Interbrand, the new identity is a big departure from previous changes to the brand. The new logo better reflects Xerox today, a company that has transformed itself in recent years far beyond its roots in copier systems. The new design is meant to make people pause, and take a new look at the iconic brand.

You can see the full press release and the new brand identity, including the new wordmark with symbol at www.xerox.com/news. There you will also get a preview of changes that will take place tonight on the Xerox website, when it goes live. The company’s award-winning advertising will be updated immediately. Xerox will start changing the logo on products, facilities, vehicles and marketing materials over the next 18 months.

Quoted above {adgoodness}

Paul Turounet, Photographer

Published on January 10, 2008 in art, culture, Louisiana, New York, photo and photography. 2 Comments Tags: blog, Louisiana, New York, Paul Turounet, photographer, photography, smoking.

Paul Turounet

Images from photographer Paul Turounet’s project Cancer Alley – Louisiana and New York. I came across this while reading his blog. The blog being a great combination of photography class notes and creative inspiration. Check out his other portfolios as well, great work.

Sleep Heaven

Published on January 10, 2008 in architecture, designer, industrial design and New York. 1 Comment Tags: architecture, design, hotel, modern, New York, sleep.

Guest room design by Lucio Santos for the James Hotel on 57th Street, Manhattan. I believe this is just a rendering. WOW, what program gives these results?

{via LucioSantos}