Tron Legacy /  by Kevin Olsen

Jeff Bridges in TRON: Legacy (image source: www.collider.com)

Jeff Bridges in TRON: Legacy (image source: www.collider.com)

This film is quite inspiring, not because of the film's subject matter, but instead how its development came out of the vision of architect Joseph Kosinski. The story is he was brought in to do the concept art for Disney, but after seeing the depth of his vision Disney decided to appoint him to direct the film. The film's plot line is a bit uninspiring, but the cinematography, costumes, graphics and music are all top notch.

Speaking of the soundtrack, which is a fantastic synthesis of electronic and orchestral textures into one piece, Daft Punk knocked that out of the park in one hit. Only a few artists have ever achieved that synthesis of mediums; The Bourne Trilogy scores are high on the list, as well as some other Hans Zimmer works.

So Excited, Formula 1 is Coming to Austin! /  by Kevin Olsen

This is such a big honor and quite a surprise.  It may seem a little out of place, the South being known for Nascar and the Midwest for Indy, but this is Texas and we're neither the South or the Midwest, we're Texas! 

 It's definately a cheesy remark but I think the point is clear, Austin is a great fit for Formula 1.  I was absolutely in shock when I heard the news, thanks to a friend who called immediately, and was in disbelief. 

 So it turns out that this is a perfect segway into my announcement that I'm accepted to and going to attend UT Architecture in the Fall of this year.  It's quite a nice little treat to have F1 so close to home and I couldn't be happier!  I'm going to closely follow the tracks development and the impact it has on the city.  I will be hosting and promoting the event through the website The Austin Grand Prix and hopefully selling t-shirts and other things to spread the word.

KO

 

A Hands On Approach: Gem Faceting /  by Kevin Olsen

In Fall of 2009, I took a class offered at UT called 'Gems and Gem Minerals.'  After learning extensively about the many types of gems and their composition, unique properties and ways to identify them, we learned how to actually facet gems ourselves.

 More Images Here

This was one of the most unique and interesting challenges that I undertook while studying at school.  This process allowed my visual and creative skills to manifest into a tangile product, instantly.  A hands-on approach has always been an important part of my education, from the early projects in the backyard with my father, to working with my hands in Engineers Without Borders, I have always been an active learner.

Though the level of equipment needed to actually facet gems is fairly extensive, I plan on keeping my interest in gems throughout my life.

KO

Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany: Before the Art /  by Kevin Olsen

In late July 2009, I had the pleasure of visiting the Neues Museum while under construction for it's opening later in October.  To be honest, it was quite a treat to visit a museum before the exhibits are installed, relying on the architecture instead to set the stage for your experience.

Built in the mid 19th century by Friedrich August Stüler, a notable student of Schinkel, the museum was severely damaged in WWII and left alone since.  Under David Chipperfield's design, the museum has been revised in Berlin's spirit of critical reconstruction, integrating modern functionalism within a historical backdrop.

Some more pictures here

RAW Workflow: Improving Post Processing /  by Kevin Olsen

RAW photography is phenomonal, it just can't be compared to any other form of digital capture.  Gone are the days of lossy compression like JPEG and many others.  After discovery of the flexibility of RAW photography, my shooting process and post processing workflow have dramatically simplified and made my life easier.

 This is largely due to two things my Nikon D90, a fantastic camera that offers great performance in a resonable form factor, and my newest favorite tool, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Lightroom combines all of the amazing capabilities of Camera RAW, a plug-in for Photoshop that allows the modification of RAW settings like white balance, exposure and sharpness, and the file management interface from Adobe Bridge that makes organization and cataloging of files much easier.

I suggest you throw away that JPEG shooter and get a camera with RAW capabilities and Adobe Lightroom, I promise you'll never look back!

KO