Ready, Set, Take a Stunning Photo

After falling in love with Chris Nguyen's home, I thought I'd ask him how get got his photos looking so natural and wonderful in his latest tour at Unplggd. He kindly answered:

"I actually don't process my photos that much, save for some mild color correction in Photoshop. Finding the best exposure using aperture priority is how I start. Shoot multiple frames in one sitting also helps as you'll be surprised how much a few movements one way or the other can change the feeling of a composition. A must though, at least for me, is shooting in RAW, so that I have the full range of editing capabilities should I need them."

There you have it. The take-home message: 1) Shoot in Aperture Priority, 2) Shoot in RAW, and 3) Shoot multiples.

Up In The Air Review

Great direction. Believable character dynamics. Excellent cinematography and superb pacing all around. In a nutshell, a very enjoyable film despite the serious subject matter in today's mood and spirit. Oh, and it makes me want to buy postcards again. 9.0/10.

The Fun Minimalist

Who said being minimal had to mean boring? This poster by Hey Studios balances a busy bookshelf backdrop filled with magazines and manuals with - you guessed it - Helvetica on a fun stripey adventure.

Data Visualizing with the Wu-Tang Clan

Simply put. Yeah.

Mad Skillz Club Re-Branding

"Always moving forward, constantly changing; an open forum for mad skills exchanged by graduate students for graduate students." Inspired by high-end branding from New York designers, coffee shops, and Japanese marketing masters KIKSTYO, I set out to create a memorable identity that could be used on both print and web.

I'm about 70% there.

That's Zhou Fan-tastic

Zhou Fan's contemporary abstract pieces are works to behold. Colorful, engaging, and fun, they're the freshest pieces I've come across in a very long time.

Where the Wild Things Are Review

Usually when hype reaches a certain level, there's no way a movie can match the expectations of such a diverse audience composed of viewers young and old, far and wide. However, Spike Jonze pulls it off somehow. He redefines the adaptation with something magical. He characterizes life and emotion into a visual treat that can only be described as beautiful. With special effects all spot on, wonderful cinematography, and performances of all of the characters - especially Max (the kiddo) - brings the unlikely story of a self-proclaimed king of a world that's not the easiest to grow up in... to a believable fairy tale life. Loved it. 8.5/10.

Baroque Outdoors

What's trendier than baroque period furniture these days? That's right. Nothing. Which is why you need to pick up a few of these colorful offerings from SAW Design in Italy to show the outdoors what's up.

Boondock Saints 2 Review

While being a huge fan of the first film, it's kind of difficult to give this project a passing grade. It is so bad that it actually saddened me as I walked out of that theater. If I could pinpoint a culprit for my sentiments, it would be difficult. Not only is there no direction, but the acting, casting, cinematography - pretty much everything felt terribly crafted and unoriginal. Even of the introduction of the Rocco-replacement made little to no sense, let alone the rest of the plot. In other words, skip this movie like the plague. It is terrible. It will destroy the first movie for you. 4.1/10.

The Spectrum of User Experience

Oh, how I love iA infographics. Except this time, I felt white did it more justice, so I inverted it. Though, by doing that, all the usability flaws come out in terms of readability.

Brooklyn Fantastic

Eclectic chic never grows old in my opinion. Or when it does, you can always store it in a shed and take it out 40 years later and it'll be new again.

Very Well, James Lear

Sometimes the most understated designs are the most brilliant. James Lear does it again, this time with a do-all pine table.