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VISUAL ARTETT VENTERTALKS PHOTOGRAPHY

in this issue

issue 01 august 2012

DEBRA HAMPTON - IMME VAN DER HAAK - JULIAN FONGPHOTOSHOP Cs6 EXPLORED - KINECT FOR WINDOWS - TRIBES ‘BABY’

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Movie of The Month

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12

INDEXDEBRA HAMPTON / IMME VAN DER HAAK / JULIAN FONG

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE RHINO

WE EXPLORE PHOTOSHOP CS6

MARKETING TO WOMAN

ETT VENTER TALKS PHOTOGRAPHY

BATMAN - THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

TRIBES - BABY

KINECT FOR WINDOWS

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Hi guys, first and foremost thank you for downloading the first edition of our monthly mag. We trust you will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Glab, which was initially a mon th l y news le t te r has decided to spoil you with a bit more information on design, tech and art. All compiled into one interactive booklet. Feel free to share the mag with friends and colleagues.

If youd like to contact us feel free, you can do this by emailing us on:

info@gravitylab.co.za

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log onto our website:

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Enjoy the reading, see you next month.

THE IDEA

Glab Magazine is a bi-product of Gravity Lab (Pty) Ltd. Its main purpose is to treat you with a delicious and tasty fix of up to date design and tech news. It also serves as a platform for young aspiring artists, designers and tech geniuses to post there views and opinions and also get a bit of exposure.

The world we live in is filled with beauty a lot of which is hidden to the naked eye, we are here to expose that beauty, be it in up coming trends, things you would not have even dreamed of or simply bringing to light an old beauty that may have slipped your memory bank.

GLAB MAGAZINE 4

DESIGN DEBRA HAMPTON / IMME VAN DER HAAK / JULIAN FONG

Dutch artist Imme van der Haak is behind the project, Beyond the Body, where "photos of the human body are printed onto translucent silk which will create the possibility of physically layering different body’s, ages, generations and identities." The results are a bit jarring, intriguing, especially in video, where the dancing actors with the silk over their bodies confuse your perception of identity and, in our most honest assesment, the age of the performer. As van der Haak notes, "The movement then brings this to life. Beyond the body brings into being an ambiguous image that intrigues, astonishes or sometimes even disturbs."

Custom LEGO builder Julian Fong took over a year to create the custom LEGO Street Fighter mini set, just in time to celebrate the landmark video games 25th birthday. The hand-painted gures have even been submitted to become an actual series.

There are endless possibilities in the universe of collage art, and we really like what Debra Hampton has done with this series of works. Combining magazine cut outs, watercolor, and ink on panel, Hampton reimagines, arranges, and removes most identiable elements of the model or person she is borrowing from and turns it into a surreal restorm. The artist was born in the suburbs of Los Angeles and now works in Long Island City, NY.

DEBRA HAMPTON

IMME VAN DER HAAK

JULIAN FONG

mixed media

beyond the body

street fighter lego

GLAB MAGAZINE 5

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE RHINO ECO

Increasing alarm for the fate of the two rarest rhinoceros species, and growing concern over the increased illegal hunting of rhinos and demand for rhino horn affecting all five species, has prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to declare 5 June 2012 as the start of the International Year of the Rhino. President Yudhoyono took this step at the request of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other conservation organisations, because the future survival of both the Javan and Sumatran rhinos depends on effective conservation action in Indonesia.

In the last decade, two rhino subspecies, the western black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) in Cameroon and the Indochinese Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) in Vietnam have gone extinct. Today, the populations of two more subspecies, the northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) and the mainland population of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotus), both listed as critically endangered on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, are perilously close to extinction because of an increase in illegal hunting and non-traditional use of rhino horn.

“We warmly welcome the announcement of the International Year of the Rhino by the president of Indonesia and the related commitments that have been made,” says John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES. “Strong and clear political messages from the highest possible levels are required to combat the illegal killing and trade in rhino and the message coming from the president is loud and clear. We hope that this bold initiative by Indonesia will serve as a catalyst for further high-level political support and commitments to protect the rhino in the wild across all concerned States."

Effective conservation by governments in Africa and Asia, in some cases with the support of non-governmental conservation organisations, has been successful in bringing back the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) from the brink of extinction. It is clear that highly-focused management and improved conservation measures can lead to increases in the populations of rhinos, and it is now urgent that this is also implemented for the Javan and Sumatran rhinos, as the Indonesian president has stated.

“We congratulate President Yudhoyono of Indonesia for his commitment to rhino conservation,” says Simon Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. “In announcing the International Year of the Rhino, Indonesia is encouraging the government engagement and public awareness that is essential for effective conservation. We urge all rhino range states, as well as the counties in which there is demand for rhino horn, to participate in this initiative.”

"WWF offers its full support for the commitment made by Indonesia's president to secure a future for the country's critically endangered rhinos,” says Dr Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia. “There is an urgent need to decrease pressures on habitats and to establish a second Javan rhino population in a safer and suitable location. This will be a big endeavour that will require true leadership from government and critical partnerships among scientists, conservation organisations and local communities.”

INTERNATIONALYEAR OF THE RHINO

“In the last decade, two rhino subspecies have gone extinct”

GLAB MAGAZINE 6

WEB PHOTOSHOP CS6

Better Layer Right-click MenuNow the layer color can be set via the layer right-click menu. In the previous versions, it requires 5 clicks to set a layer color (right-click on the layer > click Layer Properties > click on the color dropdown > click to select a color > click Ok). Now it can be done with just 2 clicks (right-click on the layer > click to select a color). That is 3 clicks less!

Crop ToolIn CS6, the crop grid automatically activated as soon as the Crop tool is selected (this reduces one mouse drag). The new Crop tool allows you to rotate the image instead of the crop handles. It also introduced some nice crop options such as constrain ratios (16x9, 5x7, 2x3, etc.) which are great for cropping photos for print.

Transformation ValuesCS6 added transformation values which is very handy. When transforming an object, it tells you the dimension of the object. This is useful when sizing an image on the mockup. The transformation value can be turned off at Perference > Interface.

Searchable Layers PanelFor an average design mockup PSD, it can easily contain more than a hundred layers. Sometimes it is quite difficult to look through the layers. The new Layers palette allows you to filter the layers by kind, effect, mode, color, etc. or search for specific layer name.

Character & Paragraph StylesFor web designers who use Photoshop to design mockups, the new Paragraph and Character Styles is a big thing. Think of it like CSS styles. You can create styles for body text, headings, titles, links, captions, etc. and apply to the text layers. When you edit the styles, it will automatically update the text layers. Not only will this save time, but it also makes your mockup text more consistent.

Layer Group = LayerNow the layer group is treated like a single layer. This means you can apply layer effects directly on the layer group. Before CS6, you need to either flatten the layer group or convert it to Smart Object in order to do this.

I've been using Photoshop CS6 for a while and I have to say that the interface and user experience is a big improvement. Instead of releasing more new tools, Photoshop CS6 put a lot of focus on the basics — the essential tools that we use very often such as crop tool, type, layer group, and save. For example, now you can apply effects on layer group, keep cropped pixels, type styles, and save in background. These simple enhancements result in increase productivity.

WE EXPLOREPHOTOSHOP CS6

GLAB MAGAZINE 7

MARKETING TO WOMAN MARKETING

1. Women Are More Likely to Purchase Brands They Follow

It makes sense, really, considering women are more present on social media than men. On Facebook alone, women are 55% more engaged than men. Similarly, 55% of women are more likely to purchase from brands they interact with on social media.Bonnie Kintzer, CEO of Women’s Marketing Inc., offers some initial advice for small business marketing strategies targeted to women. “First you have to know your customer and whom you want to reach,” she says. “Who is she and how does she buy? What media does she see and what channels does she shop in all day long? Once you know that, you know where to focus.”

2. Women Use Social Media to Connect Different Aspects of Their Lives

Four out of 10 women feel that the primary benefit of social media is to connect with family and friends. But not far behind, 37% of women think the primary benefit is being alerted to coupons, promotions and deals by connecting with brands on social media.This data demonstrates that women are primarily on social media to forge meaningful connections with their personal circles, but a similar set is also willing to interact with brands. As a small business, look to combine the two different kinds of outreach into a sincere and personal marketing strategy. In other words, humanize your brand to create a social media presence that women are willing to connect with — and share with friends.Almost three-quarters of women (72%) like to use social media to connect various parts of their lives. “Women use social media to integrate disparate roles – family, work and personal — online, says Kintzer. “They use it to connect with family, friends and brands.”

3. Different Women, Different Outreach

Although you probably wish you could reach all women with one marketing strategy, the reality is that women of different ages and backgrounds access social media in various ways.In general, 46% of women first turn to their smartphones first thing in the morning; 31% access their computers. This data indicates that to reach the largest female audience possible, you should tailor a strong mobile campaign.However, also think about the age group and demographic of women you’re targeting. These factors strongly influence the type of marketing content a woman encounters. Women under 40 are more likely to check their smartphones first thing, whereas women over 40 are more likely to check their computers and/or watch TV. Furthermore, full-time employed women more often turn to smartphones, but female homemakers rely on computers for their first doses of information.“Consumption of traditional media, such as print and TV, goes up at night and on weekends,” adds Kintzer. “To reach women, know who she is and what media she consumes all day long. Plan an integrated campaign, because all the channels feed off each other. If a potential customer hears or sees your message in more than one context or venue, she will remember it, and it is far more effective.”Overall, 30% of women report they have become more social offline since participating in social media. That doesn’t mean they’re spending less time on social media. It certainly means, however, that the more often women interact with your brand online, the more likely they are to carry that experience into their everyday lives.As a business, never discount women’s roles as strong brand influencers. Just remember that they overwhelmingly prefer a personal component in their online activities. Develop a way to combine the two and you will have created a promising marketing strategy indeed.

keep these three facts in mind...MARKETING TO WOMAN

VISUAL ARTS ETT VENTER

“I'm more interested in my photos doing the talking”

GLAB MAGAZINE 8

GLAB MAGAZINE 9

ETT VENTER VISUAL ARTS

ETT VENTER

Contact Ett:

talks photographyI'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about myself - I'm more interested in my photos doing the talking, but here's my deal in a nutshell: I'm a portrait and wedding photographer based in Pretoria. I didn't study photography (or art, for that matter). I studied IT, but a couple of months after I finished that, God told me to stop doing that and pursue photography as a career instead. So now I spend my time looking through the lens of a camera. I started off with street photography, and now 90% of what I do is portraiture and wedding work. I love bacon, coke, black & white, and autumn.

I've grown to love properly lighting the subjects I photograph. When I just started shooting, I avoided flash like the plague, because it was all so confusing. At first, it is; you are dealing with two completely different exposures simultaneously when you use flash, after all. But you get your head around it really quickly, and then it comes down to how you like to light. Personally, I love big, soft light; so I use a number of softboxes for my photographs. As far as camera goes - It doesn't really matter all that much, it's way more about glass than about your camera. I shoot with a D7000, and 90% of the work I do is with an 85mm f/1.4G lens. That lens is absolutely perfect for portraiture. It's obscenely sharp, even wide open at f/1.4, which I really like, because I'm definitely a shallow depth of field kinda guy. I have a few other lenses, but I don't use them much. A camera and a bunch of lights is all I really care for these days. Special meters, tripods, studio lights, all that stuff - I couldn't care less. I'm also really partial to black & white photos. I'd go out on a limb and say that a good 60% of my work is black & white.

If you need some photos taken, give me a ring. 90% of what I do is portraiture related, but I do some corporate work too. Weddings, families, couples, etc. Get hold of me at , 082 424 4222 - mail@ettventer.com www.ettventer.com

GLAB MAGAZINE 10

GAMING/MOVIES BATMAN - THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 superhero lm directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan and the story with David S. Goyer. Featuring the DC Comics character Batman, the lm is the third and nal installment in Nolan's Batman lm trilogy, and is a sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). Christian Bale reprises the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, with a returning cast of Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane. The lm introduces the character of Selina Kyle, played by Anne Hathaway, a cat burglar whose appearance in Gotham City sets in motion a chain of events that will lead Batman to come out of retirement, and Bane, played by Tom Hardy, the story's antagonist.

Christopher Nolan was initially hesitant about returning to the series for a third time, but agreed to come back after developing a story with his brother and Goyer that he felt would conclude the series on a satisfactory note.Nolan drew inspiration from Bane's comic book debut in the 1993 Knightfall storyline, the 1986 series The Dark Knight Returns, and the 1999 storyline No Man's Land. Filming took place in various locations, including Jodhpur, London, Nottingham, Glasgow, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, and Pittsburgh. Nolan utilized IMAX cameras for much of the lming to optimize the quality of the picture. As with The Dark Knight, viral marketing campaigns began early during production to help promote the upcoming lm. When lming concluded, Warner Bros. refocused its campaign; developing promotional websites, releasing the rst six minutes of the lm and theatrical trailers, and sending random pieces of information regarding the lm's plot to various companies.

BATMAN

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

the dark knight rises

GLAB MAGAZINE 11

TRIBES - BABY MUSIC

While a new year brings a flock of debut albums from bands all hoping to make it ‘their year’, Camden four-piece Tribes might just achieve that with their long-awaited LP, Baby. The second half of 2011 saw the band take their guitar-heavy pop around the world with festivals and constant touring but 2012 will see the band up their game.

They might have already cracked Japan and left some dents in Europe but the potential of Baby is huge, and early comparisons of a new take on ‘grunge’ get laughed off straight away. Tribes will be making the big stages their homes as their sing-a-long chorus’ could not be more fitting in a climate where guitar bands have been struggling to make an impression on the mainstream. Baby goes down two routes, the big pop rock anthem and then the stripped-back, campfire soundtrack; together they highlight influences from various sources keeping the album exciting and diverse, the prolific start to the album does lose its franticness towards its ending, but that is of course intentional.

The three already released singles (We Were Children, Sappho and When My Day Comes) might be hook heavy but Baby offers plenty of instant classics as well as the much needed growers the extend its longevity. Once Whenever, the opener gets going the catchy unmistakable Tribes sound kicks in with a shouty chorus created to be yelled back but this isn’t just any-old ‘pop rock’ song, the structure is interesting, the texture diverse. The record continues to flow in a frantic manner with the song for a generation of twenty-somethings, We Were Children and the intense and passionate Corner Of An English Field. The four-piece focus heavily on childhood, where growing pains mix with rose-tinted glasses well, where love and lust merge into one as lyrics talk of religion and beliefs with emotion and heart. There is nothing throw-away on this debut.

By the time you reach Nightdriving, the album’s highlight you have already heard the catchiness of Sappho, the charming Halfway Home and the stadium filling Himalaya. What sets Tribes away from other guitar bands who failed to connect with the masses is their honesty and lack of pretentiousness whilst questioning serious subjects – it’s not just drink, drugs and sex. Lloyd reflects in Nightdriving ‘What use is God if you can’t see him, what use are friends if they don’t want in’ bravely as he battles and teases with confusion, making the lyrics more than just words.

When My Day Comes is the final burst of energy for the album where it is effortlessly brilliant, full of enthusiasm, youth and innocence, there are no tedious cliches, it is exactly what you want from a band ready to take on the charts. As the album comes to its climax you are reintroduced to their gentle-side as the slow drum-beat of Alone Or With Friends dictates the pace like a funeral march for the Seattle grunge scene that the distorted vocals on this track are one of few moments on the record that take influences. And, that other moment is in the Pixies sounding closer, Bad Apple where whiney guitars partner heartfelt lyrics.

Tribes have had an exciting 2011, the buzz at times might have over-powered them but the eleven tracks on this fine debut highlight their worthiness.

TRIBES‘Baby’

GLAB MAGAZINE 12

GADGETS KINECT FOR WINDOWS

Microsoft has announced that Kinect for Windows will be arriving in South Africa, and according to CAREN CROUS of Xbox 360 South Africa, this will change the way we interact with computers.

Microsoft’s Kinect motion sensor changed the way people play video games by recognising movement and speech. Now the company aims to redefine the way we interact with computers with the release of Kinect for Windows in South Africa later this year. This is according to Caren Crous, product and marketing manager: Xbox 360 South Africa, who has confirmed that, along with Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Russia and Austria to name a few, South Africa will be welcoming the technology this year.

“This is a game-changer for Microsoft and the industry,” said Caren Crous, Kinect product and marketing manager in South Africa. “This isn’t about video games or Windows. This is about the future of computing, and will create entirely new ways of working with computers.”

The Kinect for Windows device is already being used in a variety of work settings. Car manufacturers are using the technology to enable virtual tours for customers. Hospitals are using its gesture-recognition

ability to view CT scans without touching a keyboard or mouse. A clothing store in Los Angeles has created a pod that houses eight Kinect devices in a circle, which will scan a customer’s physique, take measurements, and recommend a pair of jeans.Crous says there are numerous applications for the device in the education field as well, including helping people with special needs. Kinect for Windows includes the ability to track the head, neck and arms of either a seated or standing user, which broadens its functionality significantly.

“The Xbox team is also hard at work on the 1.5 release, which will be available at the end of May,” she says. “New to this version is

Kinect Studio, an application that allows developers to record, playback and debug clips of users engaging with their applications.

“Also coming is what we call ‘seated’ or ’10-joint’ skeletal tracking which provides the capability to track the head, neck and arms of either a seated or standing user working in both default and near mode. There will be four new languages for speech recognition – French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, and Xbox will be releasing new language packs that enable speech recognition for the way a language is spoken in different regions.”

The sky’s the limit for local developers too. Microsoft has already released the Kinect for Windows sensor and software development kit (SDK) for commercial applications. The latest release of the technology will include Kinect Studio, an application that allows developers to record, playback and debug clips of users engaging with their applications.

KINECT FOR WINDOWSthis will change the way we interact with computers.

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