ThingsAmongMany

One day I shot a picture of my lunch. Pretty much out of boredom. I got a chuckle out of it, and that was it… Until I did it again the next day. And the next. Eventually it just became a bit of a “thing”. Now I try to grab a shot of my lunch every day. It’s not something I do for “health” reasons. I’m not trying to track my calories during lunch. I don’t shoot photos of any other meals. And I don’t generally freak out if I miss a day. It’s just something I do for fun (though I do have a couple of ideas on how to extend it that I’d like to pursue later).

I also started a group on Flickr where other people could join in the fun. Of course, the group was just me for quite a while. But then someone else joined. We chatted. It was nice. And suddenly, over the last week we’ve had an influx of about a dozen new members! It’s starting to feel like a real group!

And, to top it off, we’re being featured on Flickr Group Roulette tomorrow. Not familiar with this group? Well, neither was I, but of course I stopped by to check it out when I learned that they’d be borrowing our theme. Basically, they’re a self-portrait per day type group (there are quite a few on Flickr), but they’re different because each day is supposed to follow a theme of some sort. Tomorrow’s theme? You guessed it: “What I Had For Lunch Today”.

Sound interesting? Please, join up, submit your photos, and take part in tomorrow’s theme!

Single serving web experiences are becoming increasingly popular; in a world “do everything” sites that offer an overwhelming experience, there’s something refreshing about landing on a page that does one thing and does it well. Case in point, check out the little POKE project we talked about a while ago called UPL8.tv.

Another great example is the newly formed Postcard.fm. A great way to send a smile to a friend (or a really sappy love song to your significant other), Postcard.fm has what can only be described as a stupid-simple interface. Pick a photo (the postcard part), pick a song (you can either upload your own, or enter a title and let them help you find it), and enter your friend’s email address.

The site launched on September 1 and managed to send over 3,000 audio postcards in the first week! Have a look, send a song, make someone’s day!

Tom directed me toward James Nachtwey’s photography yesterday. I barely even know where to start or what to say about it. His ability to capture the essence of conflict around the world is at once stunning and horrifying. The raw emotion behind his photos and the fact that he’s shooting moments that have effects worldwide make his images all the more impactful.

Nachtwey is a self-taught photographer who learned while traveling the world in various manners: merchant marine, truck driver, and eventually photojournalist. In 1976, he started his career as a photographer in New Mexico, eventually moving to New York in 1980. After two decades of shooting wars and social issues around the world, he helped to found VII, a photographic agency focusing on conflict photography.

His images of 9/11 are particularly haunting, as is the story of his shots:

On September 9th 2001, VII announced its formation. On the following night, covering for the missed return flight of a colleague, James Nachtwey arrived at his Manhattan apartment close to the World Trade Center. The next morning, he photographed some of the most haunting pictures of the collapse of the towers, at the same time eloquently conveying the destruction of a way of life.

Have a look at Nachtwey’s work on his personal site, or on the VII site.

As you can probably imagine, there’s a lot of random web stuff that gets passed around our office. Somehow the other day, we landed on a discussion of airplanes and the airline industry. That, inevitably led to random videos we’ve seen online that have to do with air travel (like this crazy wing load test from a Boeing 777).

In the midst of all this, someone mentioned what a cool site Airliners.net is. At first blush, yeah, it sounds a little goofy (unless you’re an airplane fanatic, of course). But the way it was described actually makes a ton of sense: pilots travel all over the world. During their travels they see some amazing things. Many pilots document those amazing sights photographically. Airliners.net is the collection point for those photos.

Doesn’t sound so goofy now does it? Airliners.net has one of the most amazing photography collections I’ve ever seen. it just happens to be centered around the theme of flight. Yeah, there’s a ton of shots of airplanes, but most of them are captured superbly well. Check out this photo album by user Tino92 which includes this shot:

Somewhere in my recent web travels, I came across byAMT Studio, the design entity of Alissia Melka-Teichroew (get it - “AMT”…). A graduate of both Design Academy Eindhoven and RISD, Alissia now calls Brooklyn home to both herself and her studio.

You’ll probably recognize some of her work. I know I’ve seen her Inside Out Glasses written up a number of times, and her new project, Tree Hooked has been making the rounds across design sites for the last couple of months.

I’m also a fan of her Diamond Ring, shown here in silver (also available in acrylic and gold). Seems like it could be the perfect “almost-gag-gift” for that loved one when you’re not quite ready for the real thing.

Alissia’s site photography by Lisa Klappe is also really impressive.

Ever wonder what goes into someone else’s creative process? You wander by a cool piece of art or see an amazing photo online somewhere, and you just can’t help but stop and wonder what was going through the person’s mind when they created it…

Well, a couple of Minneapolis-based designers were wondering the same thing. So they did something about it. They went out and created We Are Digging For Fire, a blog devoted to delving into the creative process of various artists. WADFF consists entirely of artist interviews and their work. Seems like an awesome idea to me…with just one minor issue. It appears that We Are Digging For Fire is now defunct. Somebody needs to pick this back up and run with it. Or, can anyone direct us to a similar effort? We’re all for getting new artists in front of more people…

(And, on that note, have a look at the Flickr album of samolo_99 who shot the image above.)

Think you can shoot? Weekend warrior who hasn’t had the gumption to get out there and get “discovered”? Then it looks like the EXPOSURE competition might be right up your alley. The Artists Wanted organization has initiated their latest call for entries. This time photography is the topic of choice.

They’re looking for submissions of four images from up-and-coming, previously undiscovered, or already out there photographers. The prize inside? First place will net you a collection of your photos printed billboard-size around NYC along with a gallery opening and $2008. There’s also a student prize of $1000, including an additional $500 educator’s grant for their teacher, and a People’s Choice award of $500. The organization also claims to keep an eye on the entries for anyone else that they can help be discovered along the way. So even if you don’t win, you just might score a gig for your trouble. Entry costs $25 and the deadline is fast approaching.

And, for a moment of shameless self-promotion, you can check out my entries here. If you like what you see, please take just a second to vote.

This fun little animation was created entirely from still images, then put together into an animated short. Think twice before you take your next bite of mac ‘n cheese.

Created by Flat33.

Boogie is a Brooklyn-based photographer who focuses primarily on street scenes. While some of his images are on the dark/depressing side, they tell some very distinctive stories. I’ve wandered through the same subway stations and streets, and rarely do I capture an image with as much backstory as many of these shots. Boogie’s work certainly serves as fodder to make me want to become a better photographer.

Patryk Resbisz’ short film between you and me. Shot entirely on a digital still camera.