iPhone Photography Exhibit
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Art & Design
In my last post I shared what I think are Five Great iPhone Apps for Photography and Design. Lately, I’ve been really loving the iPhone photo applications. I’m becoming more and more interested in how the iPhone can be utilized as a tool for creating fine art.
I just learned of a recent exhibit, called Everything is Accessible: An iPhone Photo Exhibition, at the Studio 101 Gallery in Chicago. This exhibit explored the changing ideas of what can be considered professional photography. The following statement from the exhibition overview succinctly captures how I feel about the medium:
The world of digital photography is indeed changing. With new technology available to more people, art is becoming less intimidating and more inviting. To put it simply, camera phones make photography fun again.
Although the exhibit is now closed, I am learning of many others popping up around the country. Last night I submit three images for the forthcoming exhibit, iPhontography: Pixels At An Exhibition. Submissions are being accepted through January 10, and the exhibit is set to open at the Giorgi Gallery in Berkeley, CA in February 2010. This exhibit will feature 200 images in the gallery for the month of February. Images will be sold as individual works of art. A book will be published that will include all of the images along with names and a short bio of each “iPhontographer.”
Interested in participating? Here are the submission guidelines. Be sure to visit the iPhontography website after January 15 to cast your vote for images you feel should be included in the exhibit!
Here are the images I submitted:
Snowy Commute
Flight
Untitled
- Devon Akmon
Five Great iPhone Apps for Photography and Design
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Art & Design, Technology
Whether you’re an artist, designer, photographer or creative hobbyist, there are many excellent iPhone apps for you to use when inspiration strikes. Here are my top five recommended applications for creativity.
Color Expert
By Code Line, $9.99
This is a great tool for building color palettes when you have those moments of inspiration throughout your day. Did you see the foliage on a tree during peak Fall colors? Or was it the peeling paint on a building that got your creative ideas percolating? With Color Expert you can take a snapshot with your iPhone camera and get a color reading from the photograph. It’s easy to create a custom color palette when you’re on-the-go and inspired by what’s around you. The price tag on this app is a bit hefty, but having used the application for the past year I am confident it was a good purchase.
Features:
- Color Expert’s exclusive “snap & tap” technology. Just snap a photo and let your finger select that perfect color. From your eyes to the screen.
- Powerful, interactive color wheel with multiple color schemes including Monochromatic, Analogous, Complementary, Split Complementary and Triadic.
- Quickly search through PANTONE® solid coated, PANTONE® solid uncoated, PANTONE® Goe™ coated, PANTONE® Goe™ uncoated, Web Safe Colors, HTML Colors.
- Email your palette ideas to friends, colleagues and clients. Color Expert provides a rich, HTML based email you can send from your iPhone or iPod touch.
Brushes
By Steve Sprang, $4.99
Did you catch the cover art on the June 1, 2009 issue of the New Yorker? If so, you were looking at Jorge Colombo’s artwork, which was created using the Brushes application. This is another great app for creating artwork when you’re out and about. You can start with a photograph or you can begin creating finger sketches from scratch. Either way, this application let’s you create a digital canvas whenever you want. Be forewarned, this application is highly addictive. I should note that I liked Colombo’s cover piece so much that I purchased another print from him shortly after I saw the cover of the New Yorker!
Features include:
- Three different brushes ranging in style from smooth to bristly. Choose any brush size from 1 to 64 pixels in diameter. Erase with adjustable transparency.
- Each painting can have up to four layers. Layers can be rearranged, deleted, merged, and copied between paintings. You can also adjust their opacity.
- Select virtually any color (with transparency) using the familiar hue/saturation color wheel. Quickly choose black or white via the preset swatches. Fill the entire painting with any color (use a semi-transparent color to tint your painting).
Photoshop.com Mobile
By Adobe, Free
It’s what we’ve all been waiting for! Now you can edit and tone those iPhone photos. While this is a very stripped down app for those familiar with Photoshop, there are still several important features that make PS Mobile useful. Don’t despair photographers, you need to get this app if you haven’t already done so! Your iPhone photos will look that much better.
Features:
- Edit exposure, saturation, tint or convert to black and white
- Includes sketch and soft focus filters
- Ability to crop photos
- Includes several effects, such as vibrant, pop, border, vignette blur, warm vintage, and rainbow
QuadCamera
By Art&Mobile, Free
I was a huge fan of the Nickelodeon Photo Blaster. Do you remember it? This fun toy camera would break-up a 35mm negative into four frames so that you could compose funny, segmented photographs (144 images on a 36 exposure role). It was a fun way to tell a story.
QuadCamera is a digital version of this fun camera. This app allows you to adjust both the exposure speed and the number of exposures. For $2, this application is a steal. It’s a lot easier and much cheaper than searching for a Photo Blaster (but, it shouldn’t stop you from it either!)
Features:
- Custom layouts (2×2, 4×1, 4×2, and 8×1)
- Color (vivid, bright, dull, hi-con) or black and white mode
- Adjustable timer
CameraBag
By Nevercenter Ltd. Co., $1.99
Another great $2 camera application. Similar to QuadCamera, CameraBag is a digital version on many popular toy cameras. Take a picture and choose which effect you want to use! “Cameras” include: Helga, Lolo, Instant, 1962, Cinema, Fisheye, Colorcross, Magazine, Mono, 1974, Infrared and Original. With so many choices there’s bound to be a “camera” for each image you compose.
I should mention that I have been using all of the applications in this review for a least a few months. I know there are many other great photo and design applications in the App Store. Speaking to this, I plan on exploring several of these newer applications in the near future. However, the ones listed above are tried and true, and I recommend them all without reservation. Have fun! Create something!
- Devon Akmon
Tags: Art & Design, Technology
Sahten! Sunday Night Feast With Recipes
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Food
Friday and Sunday nights are generally special times in our kitchen. Friday evenings are usually reserved for exploring new pizza recipes (props to @mcburton and @rifferaff for the inspiration!) and Sunday is more free form. Some Sunday’s we try to learn ethnic recipes passed down through the family and others we choose new recipes from our favorite food resources. This evening we worked up three recipes: Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme, Salt-Baked Baby Potatoes, and Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème. All three recipes are on the simple end of the spectrum. And, most importantly, all three are incredibly delicious! To see additional pictures of the meal, go here.
Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme and Salt-Baked Baby Potatoes
Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme
Source: “Understanding Lamb.” Saveur October 2009: 48-69.
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4-lb. frenched rack of lamb
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, plus 4 sprigs
- 10 cloves garlic, smashed
Directions:
- Heat oven to 450˚. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12″ cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb fat side down and cook, using tongs to flip and sear the bottom and sides of the rack, until browned, about 10 minutes. Turn lamb fat side up in the skillet and scatter herbs over the top.
- Add garlic to skillet and transfer to oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of the meat reads 130˚ for medium rare, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing into chops and serving.
Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme
Salt-Baked Baby Potatoes
Source: “Spud Sunday: In Defence Of Salt.” The Daily Spud 11 October 2009. 13 December 2009.
Ingredients:
- Around 400g to 500g coarse salt
- Approx. 500g baby potatoes
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 400C
- Scrub the baby potatoes. If you like, you can cut some of them in half, so that you have roughly even-sized pieces. Dry the potatoes well.
- Scatter your ovenproof dish with a thin layer of salt. Lay the potatoes on the salt layer, cut side down for any that have been cut in half, and allowing a bit of room between each spud. Switch to a larger dish if your potatoes are squashed up against each other.
- Cover the potatoes with enough salt to cover them completely and bake for around 45 minutes to an hour or until the flesh is soft throughout. To test, just poke a small knife through the salt crust and into one of the spuds, it should slip through easily.
- Dig the little potatoes out from their salt bed, dust off any excess salt and enjoy.
Salt-Baked Baby Potatoes
Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème
Source: Prida, Stephanie. “Judges’ Choice: Dessert.” Food & Wine January 2010: 52.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 ounces Mexican chocolate, preferably Ibarra, finely chopped
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus shavings for garnish
- Unsweetened whipped cream, for serving
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk with the heavy cream and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until combined. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot milk, then transfer the mixture to the saucepan. Cook the custard over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Immediately add the finely chopped Mexican and bittersweet chocolate and remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large glass measuring cup or bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture into 6 small bowls and refrigerate until the pots de crème are chilled, at least 6 hours or overnight. Serve the pots de crème with unsweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème
- Devon Akmon
Tags: Food
Handheld Guide Survey and the AANM #handheldsurvey
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Technology, Work
Learning Times recently published the findings of its Handheld Guide Survey for museums. The goal of the survey was to gain “a better collective understanding of the museum community’s use and ambitions with handheld guides and mobile interpretation.” Our museum was among the many institutions that took part in the survey. For the sake of clarity, the term “handheld” refers to the following in this survey: all types of digital, mobile interpretation tools including audio tours, PDA/multimedia tours, MP3 download tours, iPod Touch tours/applications, interactive tours, and cell phone tours.
Not surprisingly, the three main reasons museums utilize handheld devices are to provide supplementary information to visitors, to create a more interactive experience and to provide multiple voices into the visitor experience. I would say that these all hold true for our institution. Additionally, the fifth-ranked objective – to provide a foreign language provision – definitely ranks in the top two for us. On the other hand, the majority of challenges facing other institutions haven’t been much of a problem for our museum. Updating content is definitely a requirement, but we don’t necessarily perceive it as a challenge.
Currently, our museum is hosting a cell phone-based audio tour for our guests. We launched this service in the Fall 2008. At the time there was only one other local museum utilizing a similar tour, and they had employed the service for a temporary exhibit. I have recently noticed several other large museums in our area are now using similar platforms. I’m curious to learn more about their success and failures (sounds like a good session for next year’s Michigan Museums Association conference!).
When we first began exploring cell phone-based audio tours in 2005, there were only two providers offering this service and very few museums nationwide hosting such tours. We initially planned on hosting a more traditional handheld experience, but we weren’t too keen on the costs of developing and hosting the tour. Further, we found that with some providers there were gray areas on who owned the copyright/intellectual property rights of the tour. Not good. In the end we chose to host our service through Guide By Cell, which is based in San Francisco. We met early on with founder Dave Asheim and really enjoyed his laid back approach to the service. He offered to let us try the service out and, if we liked it, we could sign up at a very affordable rate. If you’re interested in learning more on some of our early thinking on the project, see the second presentation below.
Our audio tour is delivered in two languages, English and Arabic (each has its own phone number), and it is made available through both cellular service and museum issued iPods. We piloted the first phase of the tour last year and it focused on the first “permanent” exhibition space, as well as a temporary exhibit in one of the rotating galleries. At this time we are finalizing the second phase of the tour’s development, which will feature ten stops in the Coming To America gallery. While usage of the tour has been decent, we get limited feedback through the integrated feedback system on the phone service. This has been a bit of a bummer. We are certainly looking for other avenues to break down the walls between the museum and its guests.
Unlike some of our peer institutions, our tour rarely features museum staff on the audio tour recordings. Because we are a community-based museum, we incorporate community members into the tour. Some recordings are scripted by the staff, others are spoken from the heart by those featured on the recording. We feel this adds to the user experience, considering most of our exhibits utilize the personal narrative as a means of convening information. I presume we will begin the third phase of the tour in early 2010 (we have the tour planned out over four major phases, with minor ones throughout the process).
In addition, we are always exploring new ways of delivering and exchanging information with our guests. Some projects that are currently in the incubator include iPhone apps, online mash-ups that include audio and potentially video (say yeah to the API!), and hopefully a mobile website for the museum. Further, we are tossing around ideas for GPS and location-aware applications for the phone. Most recently we launched a museum site on Apple’s iTunes U, which has gotten off to a great start. In addition to providing museum content 24/7, visitors can download audio tours, interviews, etc. straight to their mobile phone. We will continue to develop this promising tool as well.
- Devon Akmon
Tags: Technology, Work
The Return to Hypermiling!
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Environment
Back in the summer of 2008, when gas prices were hovering around $4.00/gallon, I began hypermiling to conserve gas and save money. Unfortunately, when the cost of gas dipped back down below $3.00/gallon, I returned to a much faster speed during my commutes to and from work. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about all of the things I would like to do in the coming year. Lessening my impact upon the environment is certainly on that list of things. Additionally, so are many new projects and classes I would like to take; all of which cost money. So, after reviewing our budget I have decided it’s time to return to the slower commute.
The first order of business will be to remove the Yakima roof rack from our car. Considering I no longer own a snowboard and have no real need for the rack in the winter, its removal seems like a smart decision. It will also add about 5 miles per gallon to my car’s fuel economy. Next, I will be driving at a sensible 55 miles per hour. Yes, I’ll be way over in the left lane with the semi-trailer trucks (so save the dirty glares and the unfriendly hand gestures)! The fun part of hypermiling is making a game out of your commute. Timing your speed for stop lights and “pulse and glide” are both fun strategies. In short, a commute can become more fun and less stressful through hypermiling!
If hypermiling piques your curiosity, head over to Ecomodder.com and check out some tips on increasing fuel economy. You can also create your own fuel log to track your mileage. The last time I tried hypermiling I averaged 38 miles per gallon over the course of a couple months, with a high of 43 miles per gallon on one tank of gas!
Learn more at Ecomodder.com
- Devon Akmon
Tags: Environment
DIY Bike Repair Stand!
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Cycling, Maker
I’ve wanted a bike repair stand for quite time. Having one makes bike repairs and tune-ups so much easier. However, the cost for a basic repair stand starts around $150. So, why buy one when you could just as easily build your own from scratch and save a few dollars along the way?
I was happy to find project plans for the DIY Bike Repair Stand via Make zine (Issue 18/Shaun Wilson). The total costs for this project runs between $50 to $75, depending on which hardware store you purchase your supplies from (as a side note, the instructions state the cost for the project will run $30; not a chance!). For those who prefer visual instructions, be sure to check out this video from the Make YouTube channel.
For the most part I am satisfied with my results. However, I’m determined to re-design the bike mount on the stand. The bike hooks aren’t cutting it, and the mount to the uppermost pipe is not the most secure either. A little time re-engineering this part and another trip to the hardware store should remedy the problem.
I should mention the bike frame in the picture below is that of the fixie I am currently rebuilding. So far I have stripped the frame and, most recently, had it powder coated. I’m hoping to have this bike finished by early spring!
DIY Bike Repair Stand w/ Fixie Rebuild
DIY Bike Repair Stand: Mount for Bike
DIY Bike Repair Stand Base
DIY Bike Repair Stand Joint
- Devon Akmon
Maker Faire Detroit: Maker City!
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Maker
It’s official! In case you haven’t yet heard, Maker Faire is coming to Detroit. I had the pleasure of attending the community meeting last month at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, and I was thrilled to meet Dale Dougherty and hear about his plans for Detroit! Mark your calendars and get ready for Maker City! I’m sure more news will be coming soon.
The Henry Ford Partners with MAKE Magazine For 2010 Maker Faire Detroit
July 31 & August 1, 2010
(Dearborn, MI – December 4, 2009) – Makers from all over the nation will make their way to The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan for Maker Faire, July 31-August 1, 2010. This two-day, family-friendly event celebrates creative and resourceful people in the areas of science and technology, engineering, food, and arts and crafts. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
“At its core, Maker Faire Detroit is about the possibility of what ordinary individuals can do,” said Patricia Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford. “It’s about people being resourceful and innovative, using their hands, and tinkering to create actual objects and, possibly, to use those objects to create change. The great innovators of our past—Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers—all believed in exploring new ideas, and making new things to create a better world. There is simply no better place to bring this event to than Detroit. We are the birthplace of modern manufacturing and today we are a hotbed of innovation. We are a region brimming with doers, thinkers and makers.”
Created by the publishers of MAKE magazine and makezine.com, Maker Faire draws tech and DIY enthusiasts. The event attracts families, school teachers, students, local science, hobby and tech clubs, as well as those who are drawn by a curiosity for the unorthodox and often whimsical MacGyver-like nature of Makers and their projects. Maker Faire will feature demonstrations and hands-on workshops over the two days. Visitors will enjoy arts and crafts, science and engineering, robotics, sustainable living, music and fine arts, fun for kids and families and more.
“We’re excited to partner with The Henry Ford, which celebrates the history of American makers” said Dale Dougherty, publisher of MAKE magazine (in print and online at makezine.com). “We’re also excited to bring our event to Detroit to showcase the technical and creative talent of the region.”
About Maker Faire
Maker Faire’s mission is to inspire, inform, connect and entertain thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers of all ages and backgrounds through the public gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkers, hobbyists, science clubs, students, authors and commercial exhibitors. Started in San Mateo, California in 2006, Maker Faire will hold the 5th annual festival in the Bay Area this May, 22 & 23, in San Mateo, California. As Maker Faire continues to grow in popularity and relevance, Maker Faire will expand to two new cities in 2010, Detroit and New York City. See the Maker Faire website for details www.makerfaire.com. Maker Faire is supported by MAKE Magazine, makezine.com, craftzine.com and O’Reilly Media, the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company’s books, conferences and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators.
About The Henry Ford: The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, is the world’s premiere history destination and a National Historic Landmark that celebrates American history and innovation. Its mission is to provide unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Its purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future. Five distinct attractions at The Henry Ford captivate more than 1.5 million visitors annually: Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates 485 students a year on the institution’s campus and was founded in partnership with The Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company and Wayne County Public Schools. For more information please visit our website thehenryford.org.
For more information:
Carrie Nolan: (313) 982-6126, carrien@thehenryford.org
Bridgette Vanderlaan: (727) 278-2828, Bridgette@oreilly.com
Tags: Maker
Logo Theft! Or not?
Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Art & Design
Lately I have been noticing that a lot of small businesses have logos that resemble larger corporations. Some are suspiciously close in terms of the design – color palette, font, etc. Others completely rip of the integrity of other business’ brands. Below you will find three examples of businesses that I have stumbled upon over the past couple of weeks. You be the judge. What are your thoughts on “borrowing” from other brands? Let me know in the comments section below, or send me a 140 character note on Twitter (@snugglecore).
This store in east Dearborn has a completely stolen logo. In the past the business was called Hudsons. Apparently they decided to skip Marshall Fields in between their re-branding initiatives.
This one here is from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Lastly, I found this one in east Dearborn. It’s not a completely stolen logo, but the color palette and name allude to the popular web browser! And, yes, they do sell computers!
- Devon Akmon
Tags: Art & Design
