Weekly Obsession: Photo Heat Maps

Recently I ran across this article on PetaPixel called Big City Heat Maps. A guy named Eric Fischer went and collect geolocation data from sites like Flickr and Picasa and created these maps. The blue points represents photos taken by the locals, red points are tourists and yellow are points taken from people that couldn't be determined. It really does shows the "hot spots" of these frequently visited cities and it's very interesting to see it this graphic form. It's even fun to point out the San Fran bridge and Alcatraz and the many spots in Paris. I think it could also stand alone and make some interesting art, especially for map lovers like me!

Photo 1: San Francisco
Photo 2: Paris
See other photos here at PetaPixel

Weekly Obsession - Gigapixel Images

I love how photography is catching up with technology in new and different ways. More and more these gigapixel panoramic images are coming out and they are awesome! You can pretty much surf a city from a bird's eye view and get to know a place without even stepping foot there. And it's always fun spotting people doing weird things. Above I have pictured Dubai, Harlem and Prague. Some other fun ones are Dresden, Yosemite, a coral reef and the Swiss Alps. Oh and be sure to check out a past post with Paris!

Images & Links found on Wikipedia

Weekly Obsession - A La Carte

I just ran across these beautifully hand drawn maps via Notcot and I'm in love. I am incredible jealous of those that can sketch such wonderful things from their travels. Well, hand drawn maps I think are even more fantastic! I just drool over this stuff. A La Carte offers maps from Barcelona, London, Munich, New York, Paris, Shangha, Tokyo, Vienna, Washington, D.C. and Zurich. These maps are a combination of "guidebook, tourist map and a piece of art all in one." It's kind of like a friend of yours that lives in that particular place hands you a map with all the hot spots, interesting tips, things off the beaten track and what to do and see. Perfect for those spontaneous adventurous Flashpackers and journal keepers alike looking for the best kept secrets. What a great way to make a memory. Shoot, time to place an order.

Buy maps at A La Carte

This Week's Obsession:

Art In My Coffee

Today, when I was surfing for some web design ideas, I ran across this lovely little site dedicated totally to....coffee art! How people can draw such detailed perfect figures in their foam and milk, I don't know. But I do know that I am jealous of this talent. If I was ever handed a cup of coffee with a bear starring back at me, I don't think I'd be able to drink it. Check out the other 600 some designs tomorrow when you're bored at work and really wanting a cup of coffee.

Photos via Art In My Coffee

This Week's Obsession:

Tilt Shift Photography

I had seen this done on some videos a while back and didn't know what this effect was even called to research it. It made me go crazy with wonder! I just kept looking at the videos, that I knew were real, but everything looked like a miniature. But today I hit the jackpot and found my answers. What I thought would be a difficult process was actually very easy in photoshop. Just a little mask here, gradient blur there, a hue/saturation adjustment to top off the toy like character and you're there! Really nothing much is done to manipulate the photo at all. It's all just a trick of the eye. It's really about the narrow depth of field. With the foreground and background completely blurred out, you lose all sense of scale. It's an effect that works best when taken from above. And here are two samples I came up with. I love how this brings a whole new life to my photos!

Tilt Shift Maker : For those non photoshoppers.

Photoshop Tutorial: For the photoshop genius.

50 Beautiful Examples from around the world.

Photo locations: Guanajuato & Tulum, Mx