Antipodes

Anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I have a problem drinking tap water. It’s not me being a snob. I just don’t believe water should have a “taste”. And I find that water packaged in glass bottles is especially tasteless. Doesn’t hurt if the glass bottle is well designed either!

New Zealand Water, across the board is renowned for its purity.
Antipodes comes to the surface from a deep aquifer and is bottled at source in Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
To quote the rather dry but authoritative Geohydrological Assessment of the BOPRC Technical Publication No.2, 1998:

“The groundwater of the Aquifer is of very high quality.
It has been recognized as the deepest, highest quality groundwater in New Zealand”.

And yep, you guessed it; this source is now less boringly known as Antipodes.

Tags: Antipodes, Aquifer, Bottled Water, New Zealand, Whakatane
Posted in Graphic Design, Inspiration, Packaging Design | No Comments »

Soldier of Love – Be excited!

There’s a new record from Sade on the way. Slated for a Feb. 8th 2010 release, if the music on the album sounds even half as classic and lush as the album art looks, I will be a very happy individual.

Tags: Album, Sade, Soldier of Love
Posted in Graphic Design, Inspiration, Packaging Design | No Comments »

Texture Experiment No.1

For reasons I won’t get into, I had yet to test my Alien Bees ABR800 Ring Flash. So after 8 or 9 months of collecting dust on it… today is the day.

I grab my subject, request a shiny ensemble and get set up. Concerned that the nude colored wall might be a bit “blah”, I opt to tack up a colored backdrop. So you can imagine my excitement when I spot this pea soup colored throw instead! Not only do I love the color but it’s got this gnarly woven texture to it. :-)

Ultimately, what seemed like a cooky idea to start, results in a rather impressive test shot. I’m most happy with how the texture softened up in the light. This was fun! Looking forward to the next attempt.

Tags: ABR800, Alien Bees, Experiment, Ring Flash, Texture
Posted in Inspiration, Photography | No Comments »

Cracked Texture

I happened across this today and just kinda marveled at it. It’s amazing just how much information is communicated in texture. I’m not sure just what this newly discovered fascination will lead to, but I plan to conduct some concentrated experiments. I’ll be sure to post my findings… stay tuned.

Tags: Texture
Posted in Graphic Design, Inspiration | No Comments »

Gala Shoe Campaign

There were some really imaginative shots here.
The following is the one that stuck out most for me.
Photographs & Concept: Mariaelisa Duque

Model: Carolina Arango
Styling: Dinamita / Natalia Vanegas

Tags: Dinamita, Gala Shoes, Maria Fernanda Orrego, Mariaelisa Duque, Natalia Vanegas
Posted in Inspiration, Photography | No Comments »

The Helix Hotel

Leeser Architecture has won a competition for the design of the Helix Hotel that is to be built in Zayed Bay in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Called the Helix Hotel for its staggered floor plates, it rests in the bay, partially floating in the water and adjacent to the serpentine Sheik Zayed Bridge currently under construction by designer Zaha Hadid. With the Helix, Leeser Architecture has devised a new way to consider hotel culture in the Emirates, highlighting elements that are usually unseen, and playfully enlivening those parts that traditionally remain static and mundane.

Zayed Bay will be a comprehensive development built along a new road, and the site will include office buildings as well as condominiums and retail along the water. The Helix is the centerpiece of this new development.

Visit Leeser Architecture’s website – here for more information.

Tags: Abu Dhabi, Leeser Architecture, The Helix Hotel, Zaha Hadid
Posted in Architecture, Inspiration | No Comments »