A Lansing man devoted hours of his time to create one “whale” of a snow sculpture.
A ‘kriller’ masterpiece: Lansing man makes ‘whale’ of a snow sculpture
Bronze leg sculpture outside Spokane Arena goes missing
The Spokane Arena lost some spring in its step after one of the two bronze sculpture legs outside the venue went missing a week ago.
Unsung hero of Ramayana, a squirrel sculpture to convey railway’s message of commitment and devotion at Ayodhya Dham Junction
The Lucknow division of Northern Railway is set to unveil a 15-foot tall Corten steel sculpture of a squirrel at the Ayodhya Dham junction. Inspired b
In the World’s Largest Cypress Forest, Surf Durrani Captures Atmospheric Autumnal Colors
“Rust in the Swamp.” All images © Surf Durrani, shared with permission
A cardiologist by day, Surf Durrani ventures around the world with his camera in his spare time, drawn to lush scenery and magnificent vistas. “I find the natural world profoundly beautiful and spiritually moving,” he tells Colossal. “In nature, I see art forms everywhere that are emotionally very satisfying for me.” One recent series takes us on an atmospheric journey through the Big Cypress Bayou at the edge of Caddo Lake in eastern Texas—part of the largest cypress forest in the world—reveling in the unique effect of the trees as they transform into autumnal shades of orange and yellow, draped ethereally in moss.
Drawn to the region last year after he saw photos of the area, Durrani decided to make the trip to Texas from his home in Northern Virginia. “I am blown away by the beauty of the cypress forest in the swamp draped with the Spanish moss and egrets and herons living in their magical, hidden little corner in Texas,” he says. “There is a two-week period in November when the colors come alive, and the lake becomes magical.”
As he travels, Durrani looks for an array of vibrant landscapes, from the villages of Provence to the otherworldly expanses of Iceland. “I photograph places and animals mainly as a form of therapy for my own self, but I also want other people to see through my eyes and lens and enjoy the moment of discovery and joy that I feel when I capture a sliver of time,” he says.
Durrani is currently in the preliminary planning stages to implement an art therapy program in his hospital. Find prints available for purchase in his shop, and explore more on his website and Behance.
“Riot of Red and Gold”
“Angels of Caddo Lake #1”
“The Secret Light”
“Caddo Cove”
“Caddo Lake Autumn Beauty”
“Secret Rendezvous”
“Stumps”
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In the World’s Largest Cypress Forest, Surf Durrani Captures Atmospheric Autumnal Colors appeared first on Colossal.
What DWR’s Champagne Chair Contest Reminds Me About Design
Architects are inclined to believe that they can design anything and everything – often with reckless abandon – so when I was invited to participate in Design Within Reach’s (DWR) Champagne Chair Contest, in partnership with Pommery, I knew I had to do it. But to avoid falling victim to the same hubris, or producing a chair that looks like it was plucked from the screen of commercial software, I made a visit to my alma mater at Syracuse University to thumb through texts in the School of Architecture’s proprietary reading room where I first fell in love with periodicals while working for a storied specialty librarian. Leaning into nostalgia, I unpacked my original studio kit and set up shop in the building where I made some of my fondest memories and the most exceptional of friends – thank you to the school for letting me have my moment, again.
This years marks the 20th anniversary of DWR’s now philanthropic event. Makers and purveyors of iconic home furnishings, they challenge the public and invitees alike to create miniature iconic chairs from a short list of champagne bottle materials. Participants of this competition may enter in one of three categories: most original design, best likeness to an iconic design, or Pommery prize for the design that uses the novel materials provided – I chose the latter of the three.
In the spirit of Beaux-Art tradition, I approached the task as a charrette where students are presented a creative brief and meant to ideate, iterate, and bring their concept to fruition within the allotted time. The kit contained packaging from Pommery including two of each caps, wrappers, corks, and the stickers from fresh bottles of their champagne – all of which must fit within a 4″ x 4″ x 4″ volume once assembled into a miniature chair.
The process took roughly five hours from start to finish, but the best decisions weren’t made until the very end when I had no choice but to trust myself and produce. The first challenge was carving “cushions” from the corks to create the sculptural forms that give the chair its visual weight – a back that is tall and broad before tapering to meet the seat. The foil wrappers serve as two-tone upholstery to provide a bold body in contrast to a bright, reflective base from which the upper portion blossoms, and in some cases, appears to float. It is a completely self-supporting structure made from the cages that not only secure various sections together, but also articulate trim around the base. And the curling treatment, which fashion foil arms, is the final embellishment imbuing the chair with a classical sensibility – contemporized twin volutes borrowed from the ionic order.
Like most studio projects, what began with a seemingly clear vision, and the accompanying sketches, was soon turned upside by the process. I could not implement my original plan, nor could I properly manufacture the elements as I had imagined – in part because I failed to bring the correct blades, glue, or pliers. But if you’re doing it right, design should be a mixture of challenging, rewarding, and humbling. This unique shared experience is a peek behind the curtain and all that goes into thoughtful making, which our throwaway culture desperately needs. “The contest provides our community a place in the larger design conversation. It’s not pretentious or exclusive,” says Omar Nobil, VP of Product Design and Brand Creative for DWR. “Anyone can enter, and every concept is accepted. Design is universal, and we want to make it accessible through this fun and festive initiative.”
In the liminal space between an initial confidence in my craft and later relinquishing of control to the material, I was reminded how cathartic making can be. For many, creativity is an affliction, a need to exercise an idea where relief only comes once it is fully realized. But to arrive at that place requires oneself to embrace the potential for failure, something I was often unable to do during my studies. Once I stopped treating everything as precious I was able to tap into the ingenuity and resilience my education helped me access long ago.
For each entry, MillerKnoll Foundation donated $50 (up to $20,000) to United States Artists, a nonprofit that supports and celebrates their essential role in society. To read more about the competition and see previous entries visit dwr.com.
Photography, video, art direction, and light cajoling by Kollina Dacko.
What Saul Leiter Teaches Photographers About Color
Photographer Saul Leiter is a fascinating case study for many experienced and budding photographers. It’s well known that also did many painted photos. This fusion of the mediums can be observed today with various different types of photography. Some of it involves intentional camera movement, while other photographers like Tarryn Goldman go all out and make their images look like paintings. Saul passed a little over a decade ago, and his work is still appreciated today. At the Howard Greenberg Gallery in NYC, there’s an exhibition of his work on display until February 10th, 2024. If you’re intrigued by this post, we recommend that you stop by there to see more of his work in person.
All images by Saul Leiter. Provided to the Phoblographer with permission on behalf of the Howard Greenberg Gallery.
Use Color to Lead the Eye Around a Scene
Saul often used color very specifically in a scene. Like Steve McCurry does, he also tries to work with only three basic colors in his photographs. The lead image shows us black and white — which can pretty much be eliminated as negative space — only to have us concentrate on the red umbrella. In the image above, we also see the same pattern mixed in with the color of the man’s skin.
The red specifically stands out in the scene to make our eyes travel to those parts of the image. If you’re viewing the image as a whole upon first viewing, then your eye can start almost anywhere in the frame and be lead around. But if you’re viewing the image while scrolling down on a website or app, then you’ll probably view the photo from top to bottom. In either case, your mind will stop and pay attention to the reds in the scene if you’re not mindlessly scrolling past.
Leiter’s photographs are unique in their seemingly fleeting nature. The tones are warm, the focus is soft, and the composition is painterly. In “Snow“, a photograph from 1960, a man is visible through a frosted pane that has been partially wiped, giving a somewhat clear view of the man. His lower half is obscured by streaks and frost. A yellow truck sits across the street, and to the left of the man in the midground is a person completely obscured by the frost. This photograph could easily have been a painting that would have adorned the wall of a museum.
Through the Lens: A Look Back at Saul Leiter
In 2024, we should all try to stop mindlessly scrolling and fight the brain drain. It’s otherwise a massive disservice to ourselves and modern art.
Different Shades of Color
Peruse through Saul’s work, and you’ll see that much of it also uses different light intensities on colors. If you’re editing a photograph, then saturating one color over another can greatly change how it’s percieved. So too can adjusting the luminance. The two are different things as saturation turns a color from grey to very vivid. Luminance, on the other hand, adds in brightness or darkness. It’s the difference between the look of a dead or sprightly red rose.
Softness is Better Than Sharp
Photographers these days are very obsessed with sharpness. But there are many of us who embrace using things like Glimmerglass and Pro Mist filters. These tend to soften the image for a stylized look. Saul’s color images are very soft. Sure, this can be attributed somehow to the gear at the time. But there’s also still a very painterly aspect to them. Humans are so at ease with paintings because they represent a dreamy rendition of reality. They aren’t reality but more of the artist’s interpretation of the moment. We get this very much through Saul’s images as well. At times, it looks like you’re peering at the world through a dirty windowpane. These ideas are much different from what we see in every day media consumption, and so they appeal to our more artistic and calmer side.
Godox Xnano: Revolutionizing Photography with Compact Wireless Flash Trigger
Godox Xnano: Revolutionizing Photography with Compact Wireless Flash Trigger
Evoking the sleek aesthetics of an Apple Watch, the Godox Xnano—known as the Flashpoint R2 Nano in the U.S.—represents a remarkable revolution in the realm of photography gear. With its compact design, this new wireless flash trigger promises a minimalist and efficient approach to equipment management for photographers worldwide. It debunks the notion that traditional flash triggers have to be bulky and cumbersome, offering, instead, a model that fosters ease of use and portability.
Intuitive Touchscreen Interface
The Xnano’s defining feature is its high-contrast OLED touchscreen interface. It provides an adjustable brightness setting, ensuring versatility across diverse shooting environments. Much like a smartphone, the device has a lock feature to avert accidental changes—an essential feature considering the contentious nature of touchscreen technology in photography.
Impressive Functionalities
The Xnano encompasses an array of functionalities that will appeal to both photography newbies and seasoned professionals. These include TTL, multiflash mode, HSS, front curtain sync, rear curtain sync, and a two-way TCM for seamless switching between TTL and Manual modes. The device utilizes the reliable 2.4GHz Godox Wireless X system for efficient communication with Godox lighting equipment.
Compatibility and Pricing
For photographers already using Godox products, the Xnano’s compatibility with the built-in receivers of lights like the Godox AD600 pro and AD200 pro strobes offers additional allure. With a price tag of $89, the Godox Xnano is now available for pre-order. It is compatible with multiple camera brands, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus. This new addition to the photography equipment market not only provides a compact and efficient solution but also redefines user experience with its innovative design.
Exploring Michigan: Gaze in awe at the fantastical ice sculptures at Zehnder’s Snowfest
FRANKENMUTH, Mich. – This time of the year, after the holidays are through and the Lions are usually out of the playoffs, (hopefully not this year), you may sit
Exploring Michigan: Gaze in awe at the fantastical ice sculptures at Zehnder’s Snowfest
2024 ice block – WEYI
Exploring Michigan: Gaze in awe at the fantastical ice sculptures at Zehnder’s Snowfest
FRANKENMUTH, Mich. – This time of the year, after the holidays are through and the Lions are usually out of the playoffs, (hopefully not this year), you may sit
