Visual Artists: Samir Belhamra’s “Mesmerizing Meadows From Soaring Perspectives” In Provence

From a MyModernMet.com online article:

Samir Belhamra Visual Artist - Valensole by Night, South France, Provence 2To many nature photographers, no muse is quite as magical as a field of flowers. This tried and true subject is particularly popular with aerial photographers, whose atmospheric shots allow us to explore the mesmerizing meadows from soaring perspectives. One photographer taking this trend to new heights is Samir Belhamra, a visual artist whose love of aerial photography landed him in a lavender field in France.

Situated in Valensole, a picturesque town in Provence, this field of flowers blankets the golden landscape in shades of purple. In order to capture the extent of the site’s sprawling beauty, Belhamra begins his video at ground level. Slowly, he directs his DJI Mavic Air drone toward the sky in order to showcase the perfectly organized and seemingly endless rows of flowers from various vantage points.

https://grafixartphoto.com/

To read more click on following link: https://mymodernmet.com/lavender-video-samir-belhamra/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=2019-08-29

Health Studies: High Levels Of Optimism Can Increase Men’s & Women’s Lifespans By Up To 15%

From a PNAS.org online release:

Optimism Study PNASOur results further suggest that optimism is specifically related to 11 to 15% longer life span, on average, and to greater odds of achieving “exceptional longevity,” that is, living to the age of 85 or beyond. These relations were independent of socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, social integration, and health behaviors (e.g., smoking, diet, and alcohol use). Overall, findings suggest optimism may be an important psychosocial resource for extending life span in older adults.

Participants with highest versus lowest optimism levels had 1.5 (women) and 1.7 (men) greater odds of surviving to age 85; these relationships were maintained after adjusting for health behaviors. Given work indicating optimism is modifiable, these findings suggest optimism may provide a valuable target to test for strategies to promote longevity.

To read more: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/08/20/1900712116

Top European Events: 30th Anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution In Berlin On Nov. 4-10, 2019

From a SmithsonianMag.com online article:

“History is best told at the original locations,” Moritz van Dülmen, CEO of event organizer Kulturprojekte Berlin, says in a press release. “To better understand the Peaceful Revolution and to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Wall, we will recount the events of 1989/90 precisely where they took place.”

his November, Germany’s capital is set to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall with a festival featuring large-scale video projections, concerts, open-air exhibitions, an augmented reality app that temporarily resurrects the fractious barrier between east and west, and a floating art installation made up of 30,000 handwritten messages.

https://mauerfall30.berlin/en/#

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/berlin-will-mark-30th-anniversary-walls-fall-week-long-arts-festival-180973018/#dFgCcckczBeP5Zxo.99

Top Mobile Houses: Land Ark RV’s “Draper” Is Optimally Functional, Sophisticated Travel

From LandArkRV.com website:

Land Ark RV Draper InteriorOptimized for an individual or a couple, this mid-century modern design delivers a functional layout in a sophisticated package. The mud room entry features a 7 ft.+ width wardrobe, a separate W/D utility closet and a nook with a bench and cubbies. Connecting this space to the rest of the interior is a gallery with recessed lighting and clerestory windows. From the gallery, ascend up the custom designed oak ladder into the sleeping loft enclosed with large windows. A compact, yet surprisingly luxurious bathroom features a vanity, wall-hung toilet and a full size, walk-in shower with recessed lighting and a window. Flooded with natural light, the main living area opens up to a large galley kitchen and a convertible U-sofa that transforms into a queen bed for the occasional guest. Living extends outside through the sliding patio door onto a large hardwood deck that can be raised and closed for transport.

Website: https://landarkrv.com/models/draper/

Technology Innovations: Inmergo Headphones By Rocco Giovannoni – “Like You’re Inside The Song”

From a Dezeen.com online article:

Immergo Headphones Rocco Giovannoni websiteGiovannoni describes it as “immersive omnidirectional” sound with richer bass. “It feels like you’re inside the song,” says one wide-eyed subject in Inmergo’s user testing video.

Water rather than air carries sound in designer Rocco Giovannoni’s Inmergo headphones, which promise rich audio even for people who are hard of hearing.

A 2019 graduate of the Royal College of Art’s MA in Design Products, Giovannonidesigned the soft silicone headphones to improve upon current bone-conduction audio technology.

To read more: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/09/01/inmergo-headphones-rocco-giovannoni-design/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Dezeen&utm_content=Daily%20Dezeen+CID_ea960a6d9fc2f1bafc2e4790608c91f1&utm_source=Dezeen%20Mail&utm_term=Water-filled%20Inmergo%20headphones%20by%20Rocco%20Giovannoni%20allow%20immersive%20listening

Top New Travel Videos: “Skyglow – Ancestral Nights” Features Southwestern U.S.

Directors/Producers/Shooters: Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan
Editor: Harun Mehmedinovic
Music: Richard Lacy & Jeff Dale

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

Scattered across the United States, from the Southwest, all the way to Hawai’i, ancient astronomy petroglyphs and archaeoastronomy structures sit weathering in the landscape. Carved and built by diverse group of tribes, from Native Hawaiians, to the Paiutes of Bishop, California, and the Ancestral Puebloans of the Southwest, these petroglyphs and structures reflect the long standing interest in Ancient Astronomy which grew stronger as many of the tribes went from the Hunter Gatherer to the Agrarian societal orders. From references to the Sun carved in the rock, and interest in using the Sun to predict seasons (entire buildings built to essentially serve as sundials and calendars, a critical element in the farming communities) to those of 13 moons (lunar annual calendar), to carvings of stars and constellations, interest in celestial bodies is ever present across the indigenous communities of the United States.

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

This video journeys to National Park Service sites from California, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, many of whom give us a glimpse of how the night sky may have appeared to the ancient inhabitants of those lands. Many of these places were named International Dark-Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association, partly due to their remote locations, and partly due to the hard work by the National Park Service to preserve the quality of the night skies through lighting retrofits and educational programs about the night sky heritage and astronomy.

The video also features 2018’s epic Lunar Eclipse, a.k.a. “Blood Moon,” seen at 1:03.

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

This video was filmed as part of SKYGLOW (skyglowproject.com), an ongoing crowdfunded quest to explore the effects and dangers of urban light pollution in contrast with some of the most incredible dark sky areas in North America. This project is being produced in collaboration with International Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org), a non-profit fighting for the preservation of night skies around the globe.

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Locations:
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
Bishop, California

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

Website: http://www.bloodhoney.com/

Boomer Interviews: Singer Patty Smyth Talks About Her Nearly Four Decade Career (Podcast)

From a Cincinnati Public Radio WVXU interview:

Patty SmythPatty Smyth & her band Scandal will appear on PNC Pavilion‘s stage with Rick Springfield and Greg Kihn on Friday, September 6th at 7:30 which also features a pre-show wine tasting.

Elaine began their conversation mentioning that she saw Patty (now 62)on tour with John Waite many years ago.  They discussed the members of her band, multi-generational fans, and a new recording that’s coming out in January.  Patty also mentioned that she calls New York City home with her kids and husband tennis legend John McEnroe.  They also mentioned her self-titled 1992 album (that went gold), the song “Hands Tied,” and covers of “Whole Lotta Love” and “Piece of My Heart” that she probably won’t be performing this tour.

To read interview: https://www.wvxu.org/post/patty-smyths-tour-rick-springfield-greg-kihn#stream/0

Top Photographers: Christian Vizl Shot The World’s Oceans In Black & White For Three Decades

From a MyModernMet.com online article and interview:

Silent Kingdom A World Beneath The Waves Christian VizlI have always loved the ocean and also photography. I started taking pictures as a teenager and was very inspired by black and white masters like Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson, but didn’t combine these two passions until 2010 after a dive I did with an underwater videographer friend. During this trip, we made an immersion when he suddenly gave me his camera and left. After a while, I turned it on and loved the feeling of having a camera underwater. That’s when I decided to buy my first underwater camera…

Award-winning underwater photographer Christian Vizl has been inspired by the ocean since childhood. Born in Mexico City, his career spans more than thirty years and in that time he’s earned an international reputation for his artistic documentation of life underwater. In particular, he’s recognized for his powerful black and white underwater photographs, which harness light and shadow to reveal different aspects of marine life.

https://www.christianvizl.com/index

In his new book Silent Kingdom, published by Earth Aware Editions, Vizl shares his vision of the underwater world. Schools of fish, sea lions, jellyfish, and manatees all get equal treatment in the book. Vizl manages to capture the elegance of life below sea level by using his keen eye for symmetry and composition.

To read more click on the following link: https://mymodernmet.com/christian-vizl-silent-kingdom-underwater-photography/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=2019-08-29

Top Restaurants: Winvian Farm In Connecticut Is “Seed-To-Table Dining”

From the Winvian Farm brochure:

Each dining area is dramatic in contrast and each is designed to harmonize with thecuisine created to suit that space—breakfast on the sunny Terrace, tasting menus in the Private Dining Room, light snacks in the casual Solarium to name a few. The Seth Bird House and The Smith Ell are freely accessible to all of Winvian’s guests, whether to play some games, sit by the fire with a hot toddy or chat with like minded souls.

Winvian Farm Restaurant Connecticut exterior

Far from the madding crowd, in the Litchfield Hills, lies a quiet getaway. Set on 113 acres and bordering extensive woods and lakes, Winvian was created to recharge and indulge. A place like this is difficult to describe for it lacks nothing. Winvian aspires to host you with no airs but graces, no extravagance or opulence, only warmth and treats. The  cuisine, the wines, the spa and the team are as unexpected as the experiences that
one ultimately enjoys.

Website: https://www.winvian.com/

Top Events In Europe: “Open House London 2019”, Free Entry To City’s Top Buildings On Sept. 21-22

From a TheModernHouse.com article:

Open House London 2019 collectionsRunning the course of a weekend, from Saturday 21st to Sunday 22nd September, Open House London gives the public free access to over 800 buildings in all of the capital’s 32 boroughs, ranging from the iconic (10 Downing StreetBarbican Centre) to the prosaic (a tour of Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility, anyone?). To help you plan your weekend, here’s our edit of what to see at Open House London 2019.

https://openhouselondon.org.uk/

Goldfinger’s London
In the 53 years Hungarian-born Ernő Goldfinger spent in London, from his arrival in 1934 to his death in 1987, the man who unwittingly gave his name to one of Ian Fleming’s villains (so notorious was his temperament) made a profound and lasting contribution to the city’s built environment. Any exploration of his legacy should begin with a trip to the home he built for his family in Hampstead, 2 Willow Road, an efficient, well-proportioned modernist vision crammed with artworks by Duchamp, Moore and Ernst.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.themodernhouse.com/journal/what-to-see-at-open-house-london-2019/?utm_source=The+Modern+House+Newsletter&utm_campaign=510c9ffe5f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_18_07_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1141c98ca6-510c9ffe5f-95015105&mc_cid=510c9ffe5f&mc_eid=7dc3496ab5

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