Category: WOW

Nestled in the Dorset woodland, a few hours west of London, green woodworker Guy Mallinson has built a luxurious retreat foisted above the ground amidst spectacular oak trees. The Woodsman’s Treehouse cost £150,000 (almost $184,000) and five months to complete, with the design evolving during the building process. Mallinson and his crew have embraced the aesthetic properties of wood from the outset, with the facade clad in cleft sweet chestnut log stacks, oak laths, and hand cleft oak shingles.

Built with local materials, it was paramount to the team that the natural ecosystem remained untouched. “We don’t touch the trees at all, allowing rain water to run down the stems and wildlife to travel up and down in the normal way, hence maintaining the delicate ecosystem of the oak tree,” Mallinson explains on his website. “We don’t stress the trees by imposing a heavy loads on them or by fixing bolts into them. We believe that the tree has grown in response to its environment and as such should be left well alone.”

The treehouse, which sleeps two people, is fitted with all the comforts of a luxury hotel. The circular interior contains a king-sized bed, kitchen, a double-ended copper bath, and a rotating fireplace. When you are surrounded by spectacular scenery, views are important. With this in mind, the space is fitted with a window in the floor to view the stream below, the bedroom contains a window in the ceiling for spectacular views of the canopy, and picture windows ensure you will be one with nature even while indoors.

Outside, a series of decks reveal further luxuries, such as a wood fired pizza oven, a rooftop hot tub and sauna, an outdoor tree shower, and a large slide to bring you quickly to ground level. The treehouse, featured on the UK’s Amazing Spaces, has already been a hit with visitors and is available from £620 (roughly $760) for a minimum two night stay. Mallinson also teaches a variety of courses on the grounds, so you can fully embrace your woodland vacation.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5bPpldyVIA?rel=0&w=750&h=422]

Woodsman’s Treehouse: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Business Insider UK]

There’s the old adage for photographers that “the gear doesn’t make the picture,” but it’s the composition and storytelling that produces a truly memorable image. Skyler Adams has self-diagnosed “gear acquisition syndrome” and wanted to challenge her condition by shooting with a $1 camera for an entire month—which would hopefully break her of the mindset that new equipment will always yield better-quality photos.

“While in Japan,” she wrote on PetaPixel, “I found a Canon Sure Shot camera in a thrift store, and bought it along with an expired roll of Fujifilm Superia 400 film for $2.” She then began photographing her surroundings, including the urban environment complete with public transit and advertisements, as well as tranquil parks along the water. The images have a slightly grainy appearance that seems to age them, like memories of a time long past.

Adams was “pleasantly surprised” at the quality of these images. “Most of the battle is finding good light,” she lamented. All told, the film processing and scanning cost her $8, bringing the total price tag to a modest $10. It also impressed an important lesson: “Thinking about the cost of each photo has helped me compose photos better.” Adams is now continuing the challenge with a disposable camera. We’re curious to see the results!

Skyler Adams: Instagram
via [PetaPixel]

Photographer Peter Adams-Shawn of Memories of Tomorrow Photography is known for the unconventional way in which he captures happy couples on their wedding day. Using reflections as the conceptual jumping-off point, we’ve previously marveled at his series Ringscapes that displays minuscule portraits of the newlyweds in the glint of their wedding rings. In a sister project, Adams-Shawn has created Eyescapes, which features one half of the couple (often the bride) reflected in their lover’s eye.

Impressively, all of the images in Eyescapes are created as single exposures—there aren’t any digital composites assembled later. Everything is “done in-camera on the wedding day,” Adams-Shawn told us in an email. The results are often subtle, and you’ve got to carefully look beyond the subject’s eye to see the small figure in the reflection. Once you discover that mirrored person, however, you get the sense of how their beloved views them—it looks a lot like love.

Peter Adams-Shawn: Website | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Peter Adams-Shawn.

Polluted waterways are a fact of life in many parts of the world, taking a valuable resource away from populations in need. Janine Hung’s Jellyfish Lodge, designed for Inhabitat’s Biodesign Competition, helps combat this issue with an innovative, yet familiar, form.

Shaped like a jellyfish, the solar-powered structure contains an aquaponic garden where four kinds of fish could be raised, in addition to plants like lettuce, basil, and oregano. Local residents who helped maintain the structure would be able to benefit from the garden. Beyond nourishing the population, Jellyfish Lodge’s biggest achievement is owed to its tentacles, which trap floating garbage and test water level toxicity. Polluted water flows through the tentacles into round microbial chambers that treat water, which, once purified, is returned to the water system or stored in one of four spherical cistern tanks. This clean potable water could be used domestically or for aquaponics.

Each lodge also contains a living area, kitchen, private quarters, and compost toilet inside the bell of the jellyfish. Hung’s design, which received an honorable mention in the competition, brings life to unsafe waterways, restoring them as a space for community benefit.

via [Inhabitat] 

All renderings via Ian Go.

As the world is increasingly digitized, stationary has shifted from being a necessity to a deliberate choice that celebrates the written word. The joy in these products comes from their beauty, and the newly-released Blooming Cherry Blossom Pencil is no exception. A timeless writing utensil with a playful side, it’s a unique homage to Japan’s beloved floral.

The wooden pencil features a five-point shaft whose curved edges evoke a stylized cherry blossom shape. It’s available in two symbolic colors—a light pink that’s based on the Somei Yoshino variety, and a bright pink like the flowers on the Kawazuzakura cherry blossom tree. But the whimsy doesn’t end there: once sharped, the shavings resemble the petals you’d find on the real plant.

The Blooming Cherry Blossom Pencil was the winning submission from a contest held by Sun-Star Stationery based in Tokyo. It won back in 2015, but has only recently come to fruition through the company’s manufacturing. Now for sale, these pencils are intended as a special gift and includes space to write a heartfelt message to the intended recipient.

Sun-Star Stationery: Website
via [RocketNews24]

Childhood should be a period in which the imagination thrives, and clothing can play a festive role in this exciting time. Olive and Vince is an online brand—created by two moms named Naomi and Nat—that infuses whimsy into everyday attire with their animal-inspired outerwear. The playful coats and capes are adorned with furry ears and tails, as well as ladybug antennas and bumble-bee stripes. As the child steps into the creature-themed designs, they get to play make-believe and pretend they’re a sly fox, floppy-eared bunny, or black cat.

Many of Olive and Vince creations are subtle in their frivolities, with only ears or furry patches for tails—kids can still wear the garments without looking like they’re dressed for Halloween. In terms of construction, the pieces are produced with high-quality felt for the outer layer and include a medium-weight lining. Plus, the finishings are the same you’d see on adult’s outerwear and feature chunky toggle-style buttons or sweet ribbon to tie.

Olive and Vince boasts “fuss free” clothing for toddlers, and all items are both beautiful as well as comfortable. You can find their entire selection on Etsy.

Olive and Vince: Etsy | Facebook
via [So Super Awesome]

Election Day is right around the corner (November 8th) and if you’re still unsure of who you’re going to vote for, there may be a new Third Party that’s right for you and our nation: Dogs For President. Proud humans are sharing photos of their stately dogs online, as if they were campaign posters…and these dogs mean business. Many are dressed in red and blue ties, white collared button downs, and suits proudly adorned with “Vote for Me” buttons, while other dogs choose to show their support with general “Dog for President” pins.

Reddit has become a popular forum for canine candidate selections. “I know how I’ll be voting in a few weeks: my corgi Pancakes for president,” wrote Redditor klundtasaur. In a quick response, Redditor bojangles001 wrote “Don’t vote Corgi, vote Dachshund! He is a good boy” and shared a photo of the Dachsund representative. There are many other furry friends with their eyes on the presidential prize, including the Pitbull, Boston Terrier, German Shorthaired Pointer, and Husky nominees. Like any election, arguments between voters have arisen—particularly about whose policies on face-licking, brands of dog treats, and bathroom clean-up will be best for our country.

We have some good candidates this year, folks. Scroll down to familiarize yourself with each dog’s profiles before November 8th…and remember, Vote for Dog!

Above image via Reddit/klundtasaur

Image via @pointerproblems

Image via Reddit/bojangles001

Image via @2cresteds_and_a_pibble

Image via @thunderpuppy96

Image via @boswellmopsthefloor

Image via Reddit/poised

Image via @jasmunoz

Image via @lola.b.bostonandfamily

Don’t forget to exercise your right to vote on November 8th!

via [The Dodo]

Tokyo-based artist Makiko Azakami intricately and skillfully crafts paper into realistic replicas of everyday objects.

Azakami’s 30-year penchant for paper began as a hobby, when she spontaneously yet skillfully cut and pasted the material into a miniature sculpture of Godzilla. Inspired by the “beguiling creature,” she produced more paper pieces, eventually turning the craft into a career.

Azakami implements only paper, tape, tweezers, scissors, and a knife to create the strikingly lifelike sculptures, which vary in size and span subject matter—from delicate jewelry to ordinary office supplies. Through careful cutting and meticulous handcrafting, Azakami breathes new life into humdrum objects and creates pieces that are deceptively fragile and extraordinarily detail-oriented.

HPGR Gallery in New York is currently showing I ♥ Tools, an exhibition of new works by the artist. 

Makiko Azakami: Website | Facebook
via [Adventures of Yoo]

All images via Makiko Azakami.

Artist Jason Ratliff is known for using superhero-centric images to inspire and empower children throughout the world. In his collection called Super Shadows, he depicts portraits of kids whose exaggerated shadows reflect the fictional figures that they admire most—like Batman, Ironman, and Captain America. By combining children with superheroes, he makes the powerful statement that these young people are already great and can be anything they want to be.

Ratliff has since continued these engaging artworks that boast bright colors and a bold, geometric style to include new kids and more heroes. Aptly-called Super Shadows II, the second part of this ongoing project reminds children that superheroes are of all races, genders, and abilities. Not all heroes wear capes—being true to yourself, defending others, and doing good is just as honorable as Superman, Deadpool, and Wonder Woman fighting evil in comic books and movies.

Ratliff’s Super Shadows II collection is now available as purchasable prints on Curioos. It just launched and, until October 22, 2016, 50% of all sale proceeds will be donated to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Jason Ratliff: Website | Instagram | Curioos

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Laura Greb.

What kid doesn’t want to be a superhero? When 3-year-old Nellee shared her dream to become Wonder Woman with her father Josh Rossi, the commercial photographer didn’t just head to the nearest Halloween aisle—he created an entire photoshoot. Spending $1,500 on a custom, hand-made, leather Wonder Woman costume and props, Rossi pulled out all the stop to make his child’s dream become a reality.

As the Wonder Woman film won’t be released until the summer, Rossi had only the trailer to work off of for inspiration. Nellee and her mom put in hours studying the video and 1970s television show in order to perfect Wonder Woman’s moves and facial expressions. The shoot itself took a day, with a full Justice League team on hand to help Nellee get into position, especially for a flying scene, which in the final image shows her soaring above an apocalyptic landscape. For many of the images Rossi relied on composite shooting, photographing several body parts individually to create one final image in post production.

The end result is a series of eight images that transport Nellee into the world of Wonder Woman. Now she just needs a shoot with Gal Gadot. See more finished and behind the scenes images below, as well as a short video detailing the making of the adventure.

Nellee’s costume was created by McGrew’s Studios in Salt Lake City.

A combination of simple Photoshop effects and complex compositing were used to achieve the final look.

The most difficult shot required several people helping Nellee into position, with her mom working as her “acting coach.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WW5l67xBqM?rel=0&w=750&h=422]

Josh Rossi: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Petapixel]

All images via Josh Rossi.