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When Dan and Caren Mahar’s daughter Katie was diagnosed with Xeroderma Pigmentosa (XP), a disorder where the skin is extremely sensitive to UV light produced by the sun, they decided the condition would not prevent Katie from living her childhood to the fullest. In 1995, the Mahars founded the XP Society to support other afflicted patients and families through research, information, and advocacy. Shortly thereafter, the idea of a “night camp” formulated during an XP family retreat in Poughkeepsie, NY. After seven years of advocacy and generous donations, Camp Sundown Retreat House opened its doors in 2013.

For children like Katie, even short exposure to the sun or other types of ultraviolet light can cause dry, flaking skin and third-degree burns that can develop into skin cancer. Participating in a traditional summer camp would have been extremely difficult, uncomfortable, and potentially life threatening. At Camp Sundown, all typical camp activities take place at night when it is safe for XP patients to be outside. For families and children dealing with XP on a daily basis, this is a dream come true.

Camp Sundown holds gatherings for a week each year in Craryville, NY and serves as both a camp for XP families and a medical conference for leading researchers on the subject. The camp is fully staffed and volunteers are trained and committed, with medical consult just a phone call away. What’s great about Camp Sundown is that there’s no admission fee for the camper and one parent or guardian. Additional family members up to a total of five per room are welcome for a modest $50 per person to cover added costs of food, lodging, activities, and field trip transportation.

You can get a glimpse of what life is like at Camp Sundown for those who suffer from XP by watching Sundown, a touching and beautiful short film by Liz Mandelup, below.

Camp Sundown: Website | Donate | Facebook 
Lisa Mandelup: Website | Sundown 
via [Laughing Squid]

All images via Camp Sundown, XP Society, and Sundown.

Many of us admire tattoos, but not everyone wants to take the plunge and get one permanently inked on their body. Luckily, there are alternatives that allow you to sport faux body art without lifelong commitment. TATUL is a “tattoo tights” shop that features hand-painted motifs over nude-colored stockings. When worn, all that’s seen is the design—creating the illusion that your bare skin suddenly has some fantastic new ink.

Silvana Ilieva, the brainchild behind TATUL, calls her painting method a “modern interpretation of ancient Asian techniques.” By taking this approach, the design’s colors are softer and warmer, plus they are stronger and more durable. This way, subjects like flowers, trees, and cats will retain their shape and detailing, outfit after outfit.

TATUL currently sells a variety of socks and tights through Etsy.

TATUL: Etsy | Facebook
via [So Super Awesome]

Brooklyn-based “media-agnostic designer” Ramzy Masri believes in a “brighter world through design.” While this colorful approach is evident in his sleek and stylish graphics and bold typographic projects, it is particularly—and quite literally—apparent in #spectrumedit, his polychromatic collection of colorized buildings and scenes of city life.

To create each vibrant piece, Masri starts with an architectural photograph that inspires him. None of the photos featured in #spectrumedit are taken by the artist. Rather, he appropriates images from his favorite Instagrammers and transforms them into experimental, colorful creations—with this approach, the featured locations are limitless. In addition to the New York sites that surround him, Masri has also spruced up scenes of Austin, Boston, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bilbao, and Lisbon. Fittingly, the skilled photo editor shares his series exclusively on his Instagram page.

In #spectrumedit, both intimate interiors and grand-scale exteriors receive the technicolor treatment. Masri edits the images in meticulous detail, dying everything from individual bricks to tiny window panes in wonderful washes of color. Once colorized, the inside of Los Angeles’ famous Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall resembles an abstract painting, while museum hallways and atriums become colossal kaleidoscopes. Similarly, the familiar art deco façade of the Empire State Building is transformed into a dazzling display of pastel pigments, while San Francisco’s famous “Painted Ladies”—a row of already-colorful Victorian homes—are turned into a radiant rainbow.

With his focus on capturing and creating art that is both beautiful and uplifting, Masri uses #spectrumedit to challenge traditional perspectives and invite you to “find the rainbow in your day tomorrow.” 

Ramsy Masri: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Behance | Dribble 
via [Fubiz]

All images via Ramzy Masri.

Like a glittering oasis in the valley, Zaha Hadid Architect‘s planned Urban Heritage Administration Center will be a standout landmark in the Saudi Arabian city of Diriyah. The firm recently won the competition for the new 95,000-square-foot head office of the Heritage Museum, an educational institution founded to preserve the UNESCO world heritage sites of Diriyah and the surrounding Wadi Hanifah valley. Wishing to strike a balance between authenticity and innovation, the winning design engages with the area’s geographical and cultural context. Diriyah is a natural oasis within the Wadi Hanifah valley, thus the building is centered around a large water feature in an atrium marked with branching columns, and the exterior has four scooped oases carved into a seemingly solid facade.

The center is wrapped in an outer skin that is carefully perforated in order to allow a visual connection with the surroundings while limiting interior sun exposure—the double facade also acting as a contemporary nod to the rammed-earth construction found in historic Diriyah. The firm shares that “the design relates to Diriyah’s local vernacular, not through mimicry or a limiting adherence to references of the past, but by developing a deeper understanding of its traditions and composition—expressed in a contemporary interpretation informed by the same natural forces that defined Diryah’s historical architecture.”

A permanent exhibition gallery, library, lecture hall, educational spaces, and a new scientific institute that will conduct field research at the archeological sites will also be housed within the center, which was one of 36 projects initiated prior to Zaha Hadid’s passing early this year.

Zaha Hadid Architects: Website | Facebook | Twitter
via [dezeen, Zaha Hadid Architects]

All renderings and animation via Methanoia.

Inspired by the all-American aesthetic of the vintage Volkswagen, Dub Box USA designs modern trailers with a retro twist. While its premiere model—a classic camper—has the look of yesteryear’s “silver bullet” motorhomes, it comes equipped with various contemporary perks, from solar panels to a Bluetooth speakers. In addition to its camper, Dub Box USA also sells state-of-the-art food trucks, event trailers, and, in just a few months, the brand new Dinky Dub camper.

Adorably named for its small stature, the Dinky Dub is a miniature model born out of a recent trend in less expensive, tiny trailers. “Over the past couple years the team has listened to the buyer market and know that offering a smaller, simple, lightweight trailer would meet many of their needs,” Dub Box USA explains on its website. “With a basic floor plan, modular approach, and keeping with the unique retro styling of its big brother, we can now offer a fun trailer at a lower price point.” Priced at just $12,800, the Dinky Dub makes traveling with a trailer more affordable than ever.

At 6 feet tall, 5.5 feet wide, and 9.5 feet long, each Dinky Dub camper is 25% smaller than its full-sized counterpart. Inside, it features a dinette that converts into a cozy bed for two, a kitchenette with a sink and laminated cabinets and countertops, and vinyl flooring. Each Dinky Dub camper is also highly personalized, allowing purchasers to choose their own paint color and customize its accoutrements. “We realize that many of us own camping gear,” Dub Box USA explains. “Our options are modular and give you the ability to add what you need and use what you already have.” You can even “build your own” model, picking and choosing each detail to create your dream caravan.

In addition to its compact camper, the company will also release other small Dinky Dub models: a “Fun Hauler,” a “Half Pint Kegerator,” and an event trailer. While the entire Dinky Dub line is still in its final stages of design, you can reserve one now so you’re ready to hit the road as soon as possible!

Dub Box USA: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Inhabitat]

All images via Dub Box USA.

You’re never too old to try something new—even if it’s as bold as strutting your stuff down a fashion runway. An 80-year-old grandfather named Wang Deshun is proving that designers should look to the older population when it comes to modeling clothes. Last year, the actor and artist rocked some seriously stylish attire during China Fashion Week, looking at home among the crowd.

As he grew older, Deshun sought to defy the aging process by staying fit—he works out for three hours a day—and keep his mind sharp by trying new things. According to The New York Times, he’s a creative type and worked in radio, film, and theater when he was younger. In addition, Deshun taught runway modeling and organized shows, but only recently made his runway debut.

The fashion show was a tipping point for Deshun and thrust him into the national spotlight. He’s now referred to as China’s “hottest grandpa” and inspires others to always live their dreams. “It’s about your state of mind. It’s not about age,” he explained. “Nature determines age, but you determine your state of mind.” Heeding his own advice, he already has his next adventure in mind—parachuting.

See Deshun’s infectious spirit in a short video, below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX4saxIfPYw?rel=0&w=750&h=422]

via [The Huffington Post]

She loves to doodle and create emotive characters. His passion is photography. Together, they are Doodledeux—an Instagram account which presents the travels of a young couple in a most novel way. After many coffee dates and selfies of them here and there, they had an idea to document their journey together through drawings rather than conventional pictures of them smiling at the camera. Thus, the two characters, Abang and Neng, were brought to life on paper and now travel everywhere with them.

Wherever the real couple goes—whether it’s Java, Singapore, the zoo, or the local pool—Abang and Neng are also there and ready to be held up for a snapshot. The doodles are drawn differently every time to reflect the exact experience and emotions felt by the traveling couple. In one shot, the characters float in a 2-D paper hot air balloon over a majestic mountain, while in another photo, they hug in front of Universal Studios. Abang and Neng peek over gigantic $1 ice cream sandwiches in Singapore and utilize their own selfie stick in front of ancient ruins. Much like Flat Stanley, these paper-made cartoons get around.

While Doodledeux’s photographs showcase their travels, they also document their love for one another. Abang and Neng’s close body language and facial expressions emote the joy and unity cultivated during an exploration of the world with a loved one. Indeed, instead of selfies—which often just show two heads smiling and not “participating”—the character doodles allow for a truer representation of their creators’ adventurous experience and loving relationship.

Doodledeux: Instagram
via [Bored Panda, Neatorama]

As an art student, Jon Sparkman was introduced to the Rule of Thirds, which are guidelines for how to compose an image. Essentially, the picture is divided into a grid, and the intersecting points are where the impactful parts of the picture should take place. Sparkman, however, makes use of its “superior, wiser, and elusive brother,” the Golden Ratio (aka the Fibonacci Spiral) to construct his compositions.

The UK-based photographer demonstrates how the Golden Ratio creates a dynamic image that’s less static and more engaging than the Rule of Thirds. Its sweeping curve and tight coil is “like a giant subliminal road sign pointing the eyes towards where you want them to go.” To prove his theory, Sparkman has placed the curve over several of his photographs. By doing so, he showcases areas of drama and movement. Even though these aren’t action-packed shots, the clever arrangement of the characters and environment makes us feel like we’ve stepped into dramatic and/or emotional moment from a play or film.

Armed with the knowledge of the Golden Ratio, Sparkman uses it to inform series like Through a Door. His compelling and voyeuristic project is much different than the fashion photography that he was convinced he’d pursue. While in school, however, he heard some hard truths. “I wasn’t interested in showing off the clothes,” he tell us in an email. “I was interested in telling stories, moving people and annoying others.”

After studying classical art lighting and working with models and actors, a theme began to emerge. Sparkman wanted his “pictures full of tension and strife.” This desire is less about showcasing the adversities of others and more of a poignant look at how we tackle (or ignore) our own issues. Talking specifically about British culture, he explains, “We’re not fond of confronting our dilemmas or problems, we usually just look the other way and hope it goes away,” he says. “It’s always fascinated me how odd a trait that is for the entire country to share, so I based my stories around them.”

Through a Door features carefully-constructed narratives of individuals as they deal with the minutiae of everyday life. Primarily focused on relationships, none of the characters interact with each other, and they appear ambivalent to their surroundings. To Sparkman, this is the opposite of “outwardly optimistic expression,” making each image a break in a “stoic facade” that challenges us to look at both these people as well as ourselves.

Jon Sparkman: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Jon Sparkman.

Disney’s beloved animated film Beauty and the Beast is getting a live-action remake, and after much anticipation, new scenes from it have finally been revealed. Shared exclusively by Entertainment Weekly, the stunning images convey the magic of the original 1991 release that inspired a long-running Broadway musical and countless little girls wishing they were Belle.

Emma Watson shines as Belle, who was enamored with the role ever since she was a little girl. “I can’t even think how many times I watched it as a child,” she told EW. “I knew all the words by heart. I knew all the songs by heart.” Watson is seen in the sneak peek photos donning the iconic yellow dress—wearing it as if she was always meant to.

Included in the series of photographs are other lovable characters; Gaston (played by Luke Evans) shows off his swords, while the Beast (Dan Stevens) looks through a dusty book with Belle by his side. And let’s not forget the delightful Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Lumière and Plumette—they’ll make an appearance, too.

Beauty and the Beast will be released on March 17, 2017.

Beauty and the Beast: Website
via [The Huffington Post]

All images via Laurie Sparham / Disney.

When you think of a map, you most likely envision a collection of countries, cities, and roads—but there are countless ways to visualize land. Geographer Robert Szucs has done so using waterways, focusing specifically on river basins. To show their paths, he applies vibrant colors to the feather-like motifs as they extend across large areas of the world.

Szucs takes us on a journey from the United States to South America to Europe to Africa. Each map is set against a black background and the rivers are highlighted in an array of neon colors that are electrified against the dark surface. This aesthetic makes the plot points resemble something other than waterways—rather, the designs have a more decorative appeal than a scientific one.

Szucs uses open-source Geographic Information System software to generate these maps. Afterwards, he color codes them into catchment areas—the area from which rainfall flows into a river—which accounts for the changing hues. All of his maps are currently available as downloadable high-resolution prints on Etsy.

Above: United States

California

Africa

Europe

France

European Union

Germany

Iberian Peninsula

Balkans

Robert Szucs: Etsy
via [Boing Boing]