all the best in 2009!

i hope you agree - better late than never... to all my blog-'followers' ;-)

new (photo) toy for me

i love to take photographs... and i just got a new gadget to express myself::

a new canon powershot sd 790 is (canon ixus 90 is).
by:: canon (japan)

i like the simple slic design in retro style, and the metal camera body. also some of the features, such as ...

:: face detection technology

... ensures superb people shots by automatically setting optimum focus, exposure, flash and white balance. face select and track lets you choose and track your primary subject, so you never lose a special face in the crowd ::

:: motion detection technology

... there’s no need to worry about blur with motion detection technology. this clever feature compensates for camera shake and subject movement while maximizing image quality ::

... come in handy when dealing with moving objects, such as concrete*tots :-)

unfortunately, there is no review yet @ my favorite camera review site
digital camera resource page by jeff keller (s.f. bay area, ca)
:: an unofficial resource for current and future owners of digital cameras. it is aimed more towards the consumer end, rather than the high end professional cameras ::

at least they have one @ steve's digicams (page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, sample pics)

:: think about what it consumes ...

... before buying ::
(belgian government public services:: "www.energyvores.be" campaign)
photos:: frieke janssens (belgium)
ad agency:: leo burnett brussels (belgium)
via:: epica award 2006 (silver)

art? ... no, pain

looks like art, but unfortunately the title would be 'mri of migraine' ...
and this is how the inside of my head looks like today ... x-(

'case study houses' by taschen

... and this one is the best coffee table books ever::

thanx to hubby santa claus will be able to read my mind ;-)

@ 'taschen'::
:: modernist experimental homes. prototypes for everyone::
the 'case study house' program (1945-66) was an exceptional, innovative event in the history of american architecture and remains to this day unique. the program, which concentrated on the los angeles area and oversaw the design of 36 prototype homes, sought to make available plans for modern residences that could be easily and cheaply constructed during the postwar building boom ... a monumental retrospective of the entire program with comprehensive documentation, brilliant photographs from the period and, for the houses still in existence, contemporary photos, as well as extensive floor plans and sketches. ::

i especially love the floor plans and sketches ... they might come in handy if i ever happen to have enough funding to design my own house!? ;-)

author:: elizabeth a. t. smith
editor:: peter gössel
(hardcover 15.7 x 12.2 inch, 440 pages, ISBN 978-3-8228-6412-8, $ 200.00)

new:: 'modernism rediscovered' by julius shulman

this is definitely on my wish list! new 'taschen' book (actually 3 vol.) about architecture (modernism) and its photography. will appear this month ...

event::
julius shulman at the 'taschen store beverly hills' to sign his new book, october 25, 2007 (see webcam)

@ 'taschen'::
:: paying tribute to residential and commercial buildings that had slipped from public view, shulman`s stunning photographs uncovered a rarely seen side of california modernism. this extensive, three-volume follow-up to that remarkable volume brings over 400 more architectural gems into the spotlight. not just restricted to the west coast this time, the images were taken all across the united states as well as in mexico, israel, and hong kong. ::

watch the interview with julius shulman & benedikt taschen

(3 vol. in a slipcase 11.4 x 14.5 inch, 1008 pages, ISBN 978-3-8228-4287-4, $ 300.00)