Cool

Outstanding Time-lapse Of Europe's Architectural Masterpieces (5 photo + 1 video)

A key part of any holiday is taking a zillions photos of your travels, but few of us would have the dedication and resolved displayed by Luke Shepard, a 23 year old videographer. He set out on a whirlwind tour of Europe, visiting 36 cities across 21 different countries within the EU. His sole aim was the document and record some of the most loved and celebrated architectural masterpieces in the world. In total he came back with a staggering 20,000 photographs. Many of these that went into making his Kickstarter backed project ‘Nightvision’, a stunning timelapse of all of those historic monuments at night, away from bustling crowds and searing heat. Here’s what he wrote to all of his Kickstart supporters: “After several months of hard work the project is complete. We came out of this journey with just over 8 minutes of successful footage. Mind boggling, I know! Keep in mind, the footage is composed completely of photographs (25 photos/second). Now, after a month of planning, a month of raising funds, a few months of shooting, and a couple months of editing, I have a final product that is approximately 4 minutes in length! I am quite pleased with the outcome and forever grateful for this opportunity which you have given me. I could never thank you enough.” Rest assured, you’ve rarely seen Europe look quite so beautiful.

A key part of any holiday is taking a zillions photos of your travels, but few of us would have the dedication and resolved displayed by Luke Shepard, a 23 year old videographer.

The Haunting Tale Of Charles Addams Creator Of The Addams Family (1 photo + 1 video)

Released in 2006 (but only surfacing online now) is the mini documentary titled ‘You Rang, Mr. Addams?‘ which tells the fascinating tale of Charles Addams, the twisted creator behind the creepy and wildly loved Addams Family characters. It tells the story of the dilapidated houses that littered his walk home from school and which served as the inspiration for the iconic Addams Family house, through to rather strange penchant for having picnics in the cemetery with his wife. In short, it’s an illuminating insight into the man so few us truly know about, but who’s work and mischief-making has enchanted and captured the imagination of millions around the world.

Released in 2006 (but only surfacing online now) is the mini documentary titled ‘You Rang, Mr. Addams?

Impressive Collages Pieced Together From US Dollar Bills (7 photo)

There’s a lot you can do with a dollar bill, but not many make use of it in quite the way visual artist Mark Wagner does. He creatively bends, twists, cuts and glues one dollar bills into these striking and complex portraits. When asked about his work, Wagner had this to say: The one dollar bill is the most ubiquitous piece of paper in America. Collage asks the question: what might be done to make it something else? It is a ripe material: intaglio printed on sturdy linen stock, covered in decorative filigree, and steeped in symbolism and concept. Blade and glue transform it-reproducing the effects of tapestries, paints, engravings, mosaics, and computers—striving for something bizarre, beautiful, or unbelievable… the foreign in the familiar. The likes of Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama and George Washington are all brought to life and creatively assembled over hours of painstaking adjustment and planning, but the end results we think you’re all agree are almost priceless.

There’s a lot you can do with a dollar bill, but not many make use of it in quite the way visual artist Mark Wagner does.

Breaking Bad Characters as Chemical Diagrams (10 photo)

In anticipation of the return of AMC's Breaking Bad for the second half of its final season, Shutterstock analytically assembled "chemical diagrams" to represent significant characters from the show. The graphic series that the blog calls Bad Chemistry: The Character Elements of Breaking Bad features nine of the show's most prominent characters, from high school chemistry teacher-turned-meth cook Walter White and his former student-turned-sidekick Jesse Pinkman to fast food chain owner and drug kingpin Gus Fring. The clever minds behind the diagrams have used the show's thematic design choice of abbreviating words like chemical elements found in the periodic table to concoct their own skeletal models of each person's chemical makeup. Like a bunch of Heisenbergs, each chart the blog produced is a unique "Blue Sky" that reflects character virtues and flaws, accompanied by a quote and a few significant icons.

In anticipation of the return of AMC's Breaking Bad for the second half of its final season, Shutterstock analytically assembled "chemical diagrams" to represent significant characters from the show.

Makeup Artist Transforms Herself Into Pop Culture Icons (14 photo)

Self-taught makeup artist Carly Paige transforms herself into various pop culture icons. There are no limitations to her list of subjects as she tackles all shapes, forms, ages, races, and genders. From Angelina Jolie and Pamela Anderson to Michael Jackson and Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, the Montreal-based creative manages to reproduce the image of some of the world's biggest celebrities with her raw talent and a few stylish wigs. Paige thoroughly researches each of her subjects, saying, "I spend a while studying at least three different shots of someone. One for their face shape, one for their make-up or style, and one for their expression. Kim Kardashian's expression was really funny to try to perfect." Though, she admits, "Some are really difficult, especially if I have to paint detail on my eyes or if my face shape is different. Still, once I've decided on one, I spend ages trying to get it right. It is rare that I give up on one like that." It's hard to believe that the 26-year-old only began artistically challenging herself with this personal special effects makeup project in October 2012. She continues to perfect her craft in the hopes of working on films. In the meantime, she works at Sephora, playing with potential materials for her next transformation.

Self-taught makeup artist Carly Paige transforms herself into various pop culture icons. There are no limitations to her list of subjects as she tackles all shapes, forms, ages, races, and genders.

Blending Iconic Faces From the Past and Present (6 photo)

Then and Now is a powerful collection of mash-ups by photographer and graphic designer Marc Ghali. In the series, the Canada-based photographer creatively blends old black and white photographs with sections of colorful, modern images. He perfectly arranges the new and old fragments so that, upon quick glance, viewers might believe they are looking at just one subject. However, each compilation features two faces representing the past and the present. The subjects are often related in regards to professions, ranging from singers and actors to historical leaders. Some of the mash-ups include Rihanna and Diana Ross, Brad Pitt and James Dean, and two British princesses, Kate and Diana. It appears that Ghali really has an eye for matching faces as the many similarities are quite striking. The artist says, "I wanted to do something fun creatively. I was inspired by a series [by George Chamoun] called Iconatomy, and wanted to draw on parallels between influential figures pasts and present in an interpretative way." It's certainly fascinating to see how the world really hasn't changed much across so many decades of time.

Then and Now is a powerful collection of mash-ups by photographer and graphic designer Marc Ghali. In the series, ...

This is What 24 Hours in New York Look Like in Just One Picture (9 photo)

Taking a picture usually involves capturing a single moment, a motionless fragment of time. However, New York-based photographer Stephan Wilkes has managed to capture the passage of time in a single photograph. His “Day to Night” photo series explores the many changes that take place in Stehphan’s beloved city of New York as it transitions from day to night. Completing this project took great dedication on Wilkes’ part. He had to actually stakeout the city in one spot for approximately 15 hours for each composite photograph. He had to take hundreds of pictures of the Big Apple and its most famous places and then spend 4 months picking out 30 to 50 suitable ones. The selected photos then had to be blended into one composite image that reflected the changes that took place in that location between sunrise and sunset. By creating this photography project, the artist expressed his fondness and love for his hometown. Thanks to his dedication, the photographer brought seemingly surreal photographs to life and filled them with movement, vitality and the passage of time. Wilkes’ “Day to Night” series proves, once again, that New York City is the city that never sleeps. Also, be sure to check out the time lapse series by Fong Qi Wei. Singapore-based photographer captures the passage of time in visually beautiful layered collages.

Taking a picture usually involves capturing a single moment, a motionless fragment of time. However, New York- ...

Cute Little Girl in Imaginative Settings (20 photo)

This is Kanna. Her dad, Nagano Toyokazu took these photos of her on the same road in different situations. The result is too cute for words!

This is Kanna. Her dad, Nagano Toyokazu took these photos of her on the same road in different situations. The result is too cute for words!

The Woman with the Guinness World Record Hair Do  (23 photo)

Aevin Dugas is a 37 year old is an American social worker from Napoleanville, Louisiana. Her remarkable natural afro, which she has been growing since she was 14 years old, has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. Her hair big that it often gets caught in trees, doors and earrings and she cannot drive with it loose as she can’t see out from under it.

Aevin Dugas is a 37 year old is an American social worker from Napoleanville, Louisiana. Her remarkable natural afro, which she has been growing since she was 14 years old, ...

Guy Builds an Anime Doll (42 photo)

One guy builds a soft vinyl anime robot doll that has big breasts and looks kind of sexy.

One guy builds a soft vinyl anime robot doll that has big breasts and looks kind of sexy.

One-Armed Fighter Nick Newell (16 photo)

27-year-old Nick Newell is an American lightweight MMA fighter. Nick Newell is a one-armed fighter, with his left arm ending just after the elbow. As of August 2013 Newell remains undefeated.

27-year-old Nick Newell is an American lightweight MMA fighter. Nick Newell is a one-armed fighter, with his left arm ending just after the elbow. As of August 2013 Newell remains undefeated.

A real Russian Mouse (6 photo)

This is - a real Russian mouse... painted in khokhloma style.

This is - a real Russian mouse... painted in khokhloma style.

Man Whose Amazon Package Was Stolen Gets Awesome Justice (1 photo + 1 video)

A thief may have taken off with an Arizona man’s Amazon delivery, but his sense of humor is clearly intact. Tim Lake has a surveillance camera stationed outside his home, which caught a woman making off with a package he received from Amazon. He created a very lighthearted poster in the hopes of finding a woman and sat down for an interview with a local TV station, in which he sheds fake tears.

A thief may have taken off with an Arizona man’s Amazon delivery, but his sense of humor is clearly intact.

12 Clever 'Lost' Posters We Wish Were Serious (12 photo)

“Lost” posters are usually pretty sad, because an adorable little puppy ran away or a kitten went missing. Ughh, it’s awful. But the good news is we’re not talking about that sort of stuff. In fact, we’ve scoped out lost notices that are really clever and don’t make us think about a child crying somewhere because his parakeet, Corporal Jenkins, has gone missing. While these posts are all jokes, you’ve gotta give it to the makers. Like, if your Nutella went missing, wouldn’t you want it back asap?? Duh. Here are some clever lost posters that will make you chuckle:

“Lost” posters are usually pretty sad, because an adorable little puppy ran away or a kitten went missing. Ughh, it’s awful. But the good news is we’re not talking about that sort of stuff.

PBS Offers Some Fake Reality Shows We’re Surprised Aren’t Real (1 photo + 1 video)

Reality TV has made it acceptable to put shows on the air focusing on just about anything. And PBS has decided to have some fun with this sad fact. After launching an amusing photo campaign promoting fake reality programs to get people to watch the public service channel, PBS has taken it a step further with clever videos parodying the reality TV trend. So, sit back and take a look at these faux commercials for fake lowbrow series ‘Long Island Landscapers,’ ‘Clam Kings’ and ‘The Tanners.’ The sad thing is you get the feeling any one of these shows could actually be real. Well done, PBS. Well done. Maybe you guys can do a reality show taking viewers behind the scenes of this humorous ad campaign.

Reality TV has made it acceptable to put shows on the air focusing on just about anything. And PBS has decided to have some fun with this sad fact.

Spectacular Animal Sculptures Crafted From Nature (8 photo)

The majority of the artworks we feature on the site are either hanging from gallery walls or spray painted onto city walls. One of the last places you’d expect to find works of art is amongst the flora and fora in your garden. But that’s precisely what you’ll find on display in the Montreal Botanical Garden’s right now. As part of the Mosaïcultures Internationales Montréal 2013 – Land of Hope (MIM2013) 50 mind-blowing artworks from around 20 countries are on display – all of which are comprised from natural materials. Hundreds of leaves, branches, flowers, vines, roots and meters of foliage are twisted and styled into some of the most stunning creations you’re every likely to see. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the entire exhibition is 100% sustainable having received green certification from the city itself. You’ll be pleased to know the exhibition still has a few weeks to run, it ends on September 29 2013. Tickets range between $10.25 and $29.50, incredibly reasonable for a day that will surely take your breath away don’t you think?

The majority of the artworks we feature on the site are either hanging from gallery walls or spray painted onto city walls.

Here's What Happens When You Mix Soap, Oil & Ink Together (5 photo + 1 video)

Whilst you use ink in your stationary, oil for your bike and soap to wash yourself everyday, its rare that all three liquids come into contact with one another. What would happen if they did? Would blending ink, soap and oil produce something similar? Or would they just cancel each other out into a soapy sludge? That’s precisely what Russian visual artist Ruslan Khasanov was compelled to find out and so he decided to embark on a series of fun experiments to test his theory. His inspirations came whilst cooking one night, when he noticed the mixture of soy sauce and oil separating out into small black beads in his dish. Taking the same logic, he mixed different quantities of soap, oil and ink together and filmed the results. Amazingly, his unique concoction produced a vivid blend of yellows, magenta, whites and blues – all completely experimental and all mesmerising to look at. You can experience more from the project via his official Behance profile

Whilst you use ink in your stationary, oil for your bike and soap to wash yourself everyday, its rare that all three liquids come into contact with one another.

So THIS Is What Wi-Fi Actually Looks Like... (3 photo)

These days we take Wi-Fi for granted, this invisible energy field that keeps us all constantly connected wherever we are in the world. But do you know how it was initially created? It was actually the by-product of a fail research project conducted by one John O’Sullivan an Australian radioastronomer. At the time he was trying to detect exploding mini black holes the size of an atomic particle, but instead found a solution that made wireless LAN fast and reliable. Not a bad days work in the office I’m sure you’ll agree. But if we could see it, what would Wi-Fi actually look like? Thankfully Dr. Vogel a professor and former NASA employee teamed up with visual artist Nickolay Lamm to answer just that question. Dr. Vogel adds: Wi-Fi is an energy field that is transmitted as waves. The waves have a certain height, distance between them and travel at a certain speed. The distance between Wi-fFi waves is shorter than that of radio waves and longer than that of microwaves, giving wifi a unique transmission band that can’t be interrupted by other signals. Wi-Fi waves are about 3 to 5 inches from crest to crest. Below is the result of their unique collaboration, was it what you were expecting?

These days we take Wi-Fi for granted, this invisible energy field that keeps us all constantly connected wherever we are in the world.

Pokemayans, Pokémon Illustrated in the Style of Mayan Art (4 photo)

Mexico-based artist Monarobot has created Pokemayans, a series of Pokémon illustrations in the style of Mayan art. You can find more of the stylized illustrations and even commission other Pokémon at Monarobot’s Tumblr.

Mexico-based artist Monarobot has created Pokemayans, a series of Pokémon illustrations in the style of Mayan art.

8-Bit Teatime, Sugar Cube Art of Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Tetris (3 photo)

Russian artist and photographer Dina Belenko has created “8-Bit Teatime,” a collection of photos featuring sugar cube art of classic video games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Tetris.

Russian artist and photographer Dina Belenko has created “8-Bit Teatime,” a collection of photos featuring sugar cube art of classic video games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Tetris.

Vegetable Silverware Designs That Look Real Enough to Eat  (4 photo)

Boring, white plastic silverware is old news to artist Qiyun Deng. Recently, the innovative product designer developed a collection of environmentally-friendly, but still disposable, silverware and serving bowl concepts that look just like everyday plants and vegetables. The series, entitled Graft, features objects constructed out of bioplastic PLA, a material pulled from renewable sources like vegetable fats and oils. Graft was produced as part of Deng's diploma project at the École cantonale d’art de Lausanne in Switzerland and it is strongly inspired by nature. The artist crafted forks, spoons, and knives that blend nature together with manmade objects that we use everyday. Although the shapes mimic vegetables, they are designed to properly function as utensils. The handle of the fork looks just like a stalk of celery and the handle of the spoon looks just like a carrot. Deng asks, "By waking both visual and haptic sensation it brings along a question: Will you throw them away easily?"

Boring, white plastic silverware is old news to artist Qiyun Deng. Recently, the innovative product designer developed a collection of environmentally-friendly, but still disposable, ...

A Sad Example of Where Expectation Does Not Meet Reality (18 photo)

When judging a possible hotel or resort destination online, it is important to realise that sometimes things are made to look better than they are. Here are some examples of a Mexican holiday resort in Puerto Vallarta where the pictures told a different story to the reality.

When judging a possible hotel or resort destination online, it is important to realise that sometimes things are made to look better than they are.

Firefighters Rescued a Giant Man  (13 photo)

Firefighters had to smash a hole in the wall to save a 882-pound man (400 kg). Michael Lehberger Riegelsberg, Germany, called emergency services when he had heart failure. Firefighters used a cat digger and an ambulance built for four people to take him to a hospital.

Firefighters had to smash a hole in the wall to save a 882-pound man (400 kg). Michael Lehberger Riegelsberg, Germany, called emergency services when he had heart failure.

Nirvana (21 photo)

Nirvana costs more than $300 million. It was designed by Sam Sorgiovanni and built by Oceano. Nirvana is 290 feet (88 m) long. It can go up to 22 miles per hour (about 19.5 knots maximum speed). The yacht has a reptile room, on-board spa and fitness center, interior elevator, and helicopter pad.

Nirvana costs more than $300 million. It was designed by Sam Sorgiovanni and built by Oceano. Nirvana is 290 feet (88 m) long. It can go up to 22 miles per hour (about 19.5 knots maximum speed).

A Dead Shark Has Been Found On The New York City Subway (3 photo)

I’m not sure if you guys have heard this or not, but it’s SHARK WEEK. Yes, you heard that right, it’s SHARK WEEK. I know, I know — it’s crazy because no one is talking about the fact that it’s SHARK WEEK, right? Well, maybe they will now, because a dead shark has been found on an NYC subway train and we’re sure this is a total coincidence and has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that it’s SHARK WEEK. Here’s what a tipster named “Mary M” told Gothamist about the dead shark that was found on a Queens-bound N train… “I board a car that’s not terribly full and as soon as I enter, a stench hits my nose. It’s not the typical urine/trash smell, it’s…fishy? I look down to the end of the car to see a dead shark on the floor. I think I stood there for a good minute just staring, thinking ‘Is this for real?! Oh come ON, NYC!’ One of my fellow passengers remarked ‘I’ve been riding the subway for 15 years, and this is the weirdest thing I’ve seen. And I’ve seen EVERYTHING.’ The train filled as we made our way to Astoria, every new passenger was getting excited about it. Once we got to Queensboro Plaza, an MTA employee made all of us move to another car.” And here’s a photo “Mary M took…

I’m not sure if you guys have heard this or not, but it’s SHARK WEEK. Yes, you heard that right, it’s SHARK WEEK.

Watch This: This 'Horrific Bowling Accident' Isn't Really Horrific (1 photo + 1 video)

A bowler named Troy Walker competed at the 2013 Luci Bonneau Doubles Charity Bowling Tournament in Houston over the weekend, and according to the very convenient video with announcers from a charity bowling tournament, he was the victim of a “horrific bowling accident!” So was his arm ripped off when he reached into the ball return to get his stuck ball? Did he wave his hand over the air blower only to realize that it was blowing out a flesh-eating bacteria? Did you he insert his fingers into the holes only to realize they were the eye sockets of his twin brother’s skull? No. He went to bowl his 12th-consecutive strike for a perfect game and for some unknown reason the rake arm came down and stopped his ball. Unfortunate? Yes. Horrific? No. Oh, and fake? I’m not sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

A bowler named Troy Walker competed at the 2013 Luci Bonneau Doubles Charity Bowling Tournament in Houston over the weekend, ...

TRENDING NEWS! George Takei Wants The 2014 Winter Olympics To Be Moved (1 photo)

George Takei, who is also quite the scribe in matters of gay rights, is now supporting a petition on change.org that has more than 59,000 signatures. Russia “intends to enforce its laws against visiting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) athletes, trainers and fans, meaning anyone even so much as waving a rainbow flag (and I presume many men enthusiastically watching and dramatically commenting on figure skating) would be arrested, held for weeks and then deported,” he writes in a blog post last week. “Given this position, the (International Olympic Committee) must do the right thing, protect its athletes and the fans, and move the 2014 Winter Olympics out of Russia.” (Via Yahoo! Sports) Takei also addressed one of the major semantic issues involved in the idea of moving something as massive and expansive as the Olympics, and that’s finding a city or cities that have the proper facilities available at such short notice. After all, it’s not like moving your weekly kickball kegger from one backyard to another. Instead of Russia, Takei recommended Vancouver as a repeat destination, as the facilities from the 2010 Winter Olympics are probably still in decent condition. Of course, you’d also have to take into account the travel arrangements of thousands of athletes, coaches, trainers and family members, not to mention all of the fans already planning to go cheer their countries on. But I’m sure that airlines and hotels will accommodate all of the changes. They usually seem pretty reasonable.

George Takei, who is also quite the scribe in matters of gay rights, is now supporting a petition on change.org that has more than 59,000 signatures.

Here's What Happens When You Mix Soap, Oil & Ink Together (5 photo + 1 video)

Whilst you use ink in your stationary, oil for your bike and soap to wash yourself everyday, its rare that all three liquids come into contact with one another. What would happen if they did? Would blending ink, soap and oil produce something similar? Or would they just cancel each other out into a soapy sludge? That’s precisely what Russian visual artist Ruslan Khasanov was compelled to find out and so he decided to embark on a series of fun experiments to test his theory. His inspirations came whilst cooking one night, when he noticed the mixture of soy sauce and oil separating out into small black beads in his dish. Taking the same logic, he mixed different quantities of soap, oil and ink together and filmed the results. Amazingly, his unique concoction produced a vivid blend of yellows, magenta, whites and blues – all completely experimental and all mesmerising to look at.

Whilst you use ink in your stationary, oil for your bike and soap to wash yourself everyday, its rare that all three liquids come into contact with one another.

Raising Poverty Awareness with New Homeless Signs (12 photo)

Signs for the Homeless is an art project started by artists Kenji Nakayama and Christopher Hope in an effort to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness around the Boston area. The basic concept behind the ongoing project is that the two artists approach homeless people on the streets who are holding signs and propose an exchange. As their tag line states: "A sign in exchange for donations and a hand painted sign." Essentially, Nakayama and Hope offer $10 and create hand painted signs for each person they come across.

Signs for the Homeless is an art project started by artists Kenji Nakayama and Christopher Hope in an effort to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness around the Boston area.

The Passage of Time Shown in Layered Collages by Fong Qi Wei (10 photo)

The beauty of photography, in its essence, is conveyed by capturing a moment in time and freezing it out of its context. Singapore-based photographer Fong Qi Wei, however, uses photography to show the passage of time. In his time lapse series called ‘Time is a Dimension’, Fong doesn’t use a typical long exposure trick. He captures the passing time by layering different photos of the same spot with clear edge lines of each frame. Each collage is digitally cut and created from pictures Fong takes within 2 to to 4 hours. Fong usually works at sunrise or sunset, as the light and color palettes are most varied at those times.

The beauty of photography, in its essence, is conveyed by capturing a moment in time and freezing it out of its context.