American architect Julia Morgan once said, “Architecture is a visual art, and the buildings speak for themselves.“.

Indeed, architecture serves as a voice to express the artistic stance of the architect at that time. Photography takes a step further to interpret architecture in several ways. What used to be an accurate portrayal of the structure has now gradually evolved into a manipulation of different perspectives to bring out the interesting elements of a single structure. The art of photographing architecture takes on many forms. Whether it is photographing the exterior or interior, many awesome images can be resulted with the correct techniques and more importantly, the observant eye to spot the different points of view.

Like other types of photography, what lies ahead is always a series of challenges for photographers before an excellent shot is taken. However, there are two main challenges in architecture photography – Lighting and Image distortion. When photographing the exterior, natural lighting is all you have got and you have to capture the building at its most glamorous moment. Image distortion occurs when the building has lines running horizontally and vertically and they appear distorted. The right equipment and the right angles would prevent that pitfall.

Interior architecture with repeating patterns and geometric shapes is a bonus to photographers. Employing the use of different camera angles would reveal the beauty of these designs. Architecture with unique and unusual structures also tend to catch our attention. We can’t help but start to ponder how it was made (or maybe built) possible. Photography comes into play as it does justice to impressive architecture.

You probably haven’t seen all the architecture in the entire globe, so we shall bring you bits of the world. Here is a collection of architecture photography that will keep you bedazzled. If you are amazed at these images, your jaws will drop in awe when you get to see the real McCoy.

Golden ceiling of Budapest Parliament | jackfre2

Balcony Harmony | roevin

Void of silence | Mindcage

Caracole | Giulio Ercolani

Lost in lines | Semir

St. Peter’s Basilica | jborowski_photo

Swirling at an angle | wonder_lick

86 Down Below | NazZmedia-Photography

Vortex | stefano longhi

Taj Mahal | sensorfleck

SOH Sails | Susie Knudsen

Way Up | christian_wind

“Vers une architecture” Towards an architecture | * galaad *

Cloisters at Durham Cathedral | Coiled_Pasta

Escaleras Helicoidales Spiral staircase | SoWhat -

Esplanade Singapore | Jusup Sukatendel

Architecture in Rotterdam | Dennis Veldman

Soaring buildings | Sebastian Trandafir

Aussie Architecture | ‘ Toshio ‘

Cathedral of Stairs | shutterBRI

Ceiling of Budapest | kimbar

Octagonal Chapter House of York Minster | KCLam

City of the Arts and the Sciences of Valencia, Spain | mhdezhdez

Arrow Heads of Esplanade Singapore | Guang Ye

El trono episcopal | SoWhat -

Let’s dance | Myxi

Alien architecture | Austrittswunde

ljusterapi | Dezeen

Observer | Kamuro

Perforated Roof | roevin

Symmetrical watercube | toomanytribbles

Underground Starship | roevin

It’s a long way up | nicksflix

Hyatt Lobby, Atlanta | scilit

Space architecture | Carsten Velten

Musical Architecture | Mauro Mendula

Architectural Contrasts | Alexandra Baltog

About Author – Kelly Swee is a new media consultant from Singapore. She specialize in video media platform and has a keen interest in digital media design artworks.

Photoshop is cool, and we mean really cool! With the right technique and some creativity you can totally turn any image into something extraordinary with a bigger impact. It’s fun to just take a photo, manipulate and see what output becomes.

Today we want to show you some amusing photo manipulation – the robotic animals. These images comes from our talented friends over at worth1000 who took Photoshop into the next level by manipulating photos of normal animal and turned them into robotic creative by injecting mechanical parts into their body. We hope this inspires you and help your creativity.

Quick article recommendations for animal lovers:

• 50 Amazing Wildlife & Animal Wallpapers
• 21 Excellent Examples of Animal Web Mascots
• Beautiful Black and White Photography of Animals

Enjoy!

Note: No animals were hurt during these photo manipulations.

Are you one of those job seekers who have been sending far too many resumes and been hit with far too many disappointment? The problem may not lie with your qualification or skills set. Employer filters tons of resumes on daily basis, only the outstanding ones get noticed.

A creative resume is fairly important. Not only it resembles your personality, it also speaks your capability and creativity. Putting more effort and thoughts into creating an impressive resume is definitely worthwhile, as it is usually the first thing any employer sees before flipping through your entire portfolio.

Today we want to bring to your attention a collective of 45 creative and beautiful resumes that will definitely impress an employer. Let’s not take any chances to let your dream job slip away (again). Full list after jump.

Curriculum Vitae by Jonny-Rocket
A CV that probably laid the author the job and great at attracting attention among several hundred applicants.

Resume by Pau Morgan

Me, Myself Curriculum Vitae by Novisurjadi

Life Chart Resume
Author’s first take at visualizing general tasks he does daily between age 0-32. It also highlights significant events of the last 20 years.

Resume by Arianedenise

Resume on Fabric
Just a creative way to get a graphic design job, while expressing author’s parallel interest in fabric and sewing.

Curriculum Vitae by Mistis
A retro and vintage CV with pictures.

Curriculum Vitae by iTudor

Curriculum Vitae by Verine

Curriculum Vitae by bulooji

Curriculum Vitae by Fransanchez

Vinyl Record-Themed Resume
A relatively clean teaser of a graphic designer’s resume, black and white version. Made to match a vinyl record-themed portfolio design.

Michael Anderson Resume Infographic
A different perspective on the typical time-line theme resume. This is just concept art, as there are almost no real metrics represented except for time.

Resume by ChuckDLay
A copy of author’s resume included in each issue of DESGINERD toward the end where the novelty ads would normally be.

Resume by Adam Stephenson

Resume by Anna Yenina

Personal Resume Draft by Steven Duncan
An eye catching resume illustrating author’s education and work-place experience since high school.

Graphic Design Resume by SunnyBlack
A resume that designed for a typographic class.

Resume Advice by Gusbodr

2009 Resume SID Santos
Resume on a paper cup, tissue paper and a piece of receipt.

Resume Passport

Resume Confidential 2008 by Sercan Tunali

Resume by Kelly Haller
A newly designed resume for my business practices class.

Server Resume by Matthew Villalovos
A resume that designed for someone who was applying to be a waiter at a restaurant.

Resume and Card

2004 Resume SID Santos
Fold the resume to become a 3-D box.

Box Ad 2.1
A resume/self-promo box and big enough to print out and fold up.

Original Resume T-shirt
Resume T-shirt by BlackBirdTees.

Curriculum Vitae by Greg Dizzia
This is an appendage to a traditional resume, to be included as a forward page in portfolio.

Curriculum Vitate by Sofiane42

Curriculum Vitae by Uito2

Curriculum Vitae by AkiDesign

Curriculum Vitae by fede-moral

Curriculum Vitae by Michael Farrow
8 pages booklet type CV.

Curriculum Vitae by 802.11

Timeline Resume
A timelie resume and work history by Robert Berg.

Work Resume by Yingzhy Luqiu
A non-traditional resume.

Resume by David Bonggas
Resume in urban-art version and done with adobe photoshop CS3.

TLS Resume 2008

Character Resume by SeanMcNally

Resume by Rush.Me

A2 Poster CV by Hippiedesigner
CV interpreted into a A2 poster. A poster designed to be printed A2 size, put in a A4 envelope and mailed to prospective employers.

Visual Resume by Oona
A resume that more cuter and eye-catching than type-on-paper-crap.

Typographic Resume by Christa
A typographic resume by Christa.

Resume by Krista Gregg

Black & White Photography is one of the oldest forms of photography. For many decades, black and white photography ruled the scene even when colors were introduced. In the fine arts industry, monochrome prints have a propensity to command the highest prices. Many of us are still stunned by the purity and beauty of black and white photography.

There are a lot of similarities between animal photography and hunting. You have to sneak up on them; you got to have patience to capture the perfect moment. A stunning animal image can be priceless, timeless and compelling at the same time. Today we are going to show you some examples of the beauty of black and white photography through photographing various animals. Enjoy!

More related entries:

• Black & White Photography: 100 Pieces of Exquisite Portrait
• Black & White Photography Tips
• 50 Amazing Wildlife & Animal Wallpapers

Full list after jump.

25 Beautiful Animal Black & White Photos

Sequence photography is a technique of shooting a series of images in where the subject is captured in successive motion. Sequence photography is a wonderful way of conveying motion in a static image. A merged photo sequence can radically show a different perspective much more than what can be captured in a single image.

When you’re creating a sequence photo make sure you get all the action you need. This can be done by choosing shooting a moving. Make sure you have a camera that able to do high shutter speeds. A DSRL that can shoot 3-5fps can get you great results. Then set the camera up on a sturdy tripod so displacement between frames. Then determine the exposure and multiply by the quantity of frames you are going to shoot. Another way would be to quickly shoot a series of separate frames and merged them all together later with the help of photoshop. Below are some truly amazing examples of sequence photography. We hope you enjoy them.

More on photography:

• Tilt-Shift Photography
• Toy Photography
• Captivating Fire Photography
• Urban Decay Photography
• Macro Photography I, II
• Night Photography

Full list after jump.

More on Sequence Photography

• Sequence Photography – Flickr
• How to Create a Radical Photo Sequence – Abduzeedo
• How to Create a Sequence Photo in Photoshop – eHow

By Shane Ward. Shane Ward is a contributing editor of the art/lifestyles sites: Freshbump, Collect3d, and Format Magazine

He’s short and pudgy with a thing for Peaches. He’s an Italian plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom. He is Nintendo’s mascot, and probably the most popular video game character ever. You know him as Mario.

Mario has appeared in over 200 video games, mostly bearing his name, mostly as the iconic smiling plumber with blue overalls and a mustache. But his persona is open to interpretation.

These artists have re-interpreted Mario (and his famous sidekick Luigi) into different styles and moods, offering a fresh take on the character we’ve all come to love.

Anthony Jones
In what looks like oils, Anthony Jones paints one of our favorites, interpreting Mario and Luigi as refined old-style Italian men.

Bob Dob
Mario and Luigi may look like good guys in the video games, but don’t get it twisted. Eating magic mushrooms, head-butting/destroying government property, and a streak of flower-power pyromania have landed the brothers in prison according to Bob Dob.

Darq-V
Luigi looks a little, how do we say, ‘fancy’ in this depiction and Mario looks like he’s gone off the mushroom that landed him in Bob Dob’s jail. Either way, both of them are having a good time.

Dirk Eric Schulz
It’s just a game guys and gals. When the power shuts off, it’s all love and harmony in the Mushroom Kingdom. More.

FeignJoy
He’s just a defenseless Koopa. Pick on someone your own size.

Gabe Swarr
This is what Mario would look like if he was a cardboad box to be personally assembled.

Handre de Jager
We’re not sure what style this is inspired by, but if you can tell us in the comments section you warp to world 6-9.

Javier Burgos Arroyo
The look on their faces says it all. They’re not sure where they are, and we’re not sure what this piece is about, but it sure looks cool!

Jennifer Piazza
Like playing Mario in video games isn’t enough? Next time you’re going all-in at the poker table, we hope you lose your chips for having too much Mario in your life.

Joshy Artist
This looks like Joshy Artist wants to depict a powerful Luigi throwing a fireball, but it looks more like a wimpy Luigi tired of being a side-kick, throwing a temper tantrum.

Jublin
From an artistic stand-point, this is another one of our favorites. Stylstically, it’s extremely fresh and well-done.

Julian Burford
This design is screaming to become the next poster on your wall.

Justin Coffee
We’re not sure what Mario and Luigi have to be sad about, maybe they’re upset you haven’t been playing with them lately? Turn on your Nintendo.

Karrey
Perhaps the most disturbing interpretation in this set, Karrey envisions Mario as a ballerina, who for some reason is holding a cake.

Kazcorro
This is what Mario and Luigi would look like if they were British.

LuigiL

Malinko
Mario, scared? No. Never.

Matt Synowicz
Super Mario equation; grow bigger with a red mushroom or fireball ability with spectrum flower.

Mike P Mitchell
Ya’ll best not come around here agin. Ya hear?

Mike Stefanini
Simply genius, Mike Stefanini could have illustrated mustaches on their own or on just about anyone, but there is no better choice than Mario.

NationPoo
You can call me Disco M.

Pixeloo
This is probably the most unintentionally creepy image we’ve seen in a while.

Rex Hackelberg
Mario party games.

Ryan Wood
Someday we all have to get a real job.

Serioja Inc
Is it just me or do these guys have Gary Coleman syndrome?

University of Fraser Valley
UFV’s pushpin Mario gets virtual, and some very real, attention.

Yves Bourgelas
Perhaps the hardest level ever with all these rivals.

Resouces:

• Create your own Typography Portrait with Photoshop
• Typographic Portrait like Grammy’s Posters

About Author: Kelly Swee is a new media educator from Singapore. She specialize in video media platform and has a keen interest in digital media design artworks.

Fire is a very powerful element. Fire in its physical form can do for you what the sun itself does for our planet. The time fire was discovered, it changed human life forever. Just think about the times you sat facing a bonfire or fireplace. There’s something enchanting about the way the blaze sizzle and pop. Then suddenly, you started staring. That’s how hypnotic it is.

Further References

• Fire Dusk – Association of fire art, juggling and fights, offering pyrotechnic shows for any kind of event.
• Bali Fire – Photos by Jean-Manuel Nadeua, fire dancing performance by Mia Watson & Jean-Manuel.
• Fire Drums Fall 2006 – Small, occasionally rainy, and very fun gathering of fire dancers.
• Fire poi dancing.
• Nocturnal Sunshine – Santa Cruz-based fire troupe dancing on a warm summer evening.
• Thailand Fire – Some special photo shoots from Pai and Koh Phangan, Thailand.

More Photography entries

• 25 Breathtaking Examples of Nature Photography
• 60 Examples of Beautiful Night Shots
• High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography: Tutorials, Tips and Stunning Examples
• Urban Decay Photography
• Tilt-Shift Photography

Christmas may be over but here’s another reason to shop; and this time it is for your love ones.

Valentine Day is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to start planning what you want to buy for your loved one. Now, a dozen roses or a box of chocolates may be appreciated for a while, but if you really want your sweetheart to swoon, here are some low cost Valentine’s Day gifts for all the loved ones on your list.

This post is written by Edward Khoo, a tech enthusiast based in Malaysia. He blogs at EdwardKhoo.com & would love to hear from you on Twitter.

Most of us are intrigued by the amazing graphical character designs of our all-time favourite animated movies like the Shrek, Monster Inc., Ice Age etc. In fact, CG (Computer Graphics) character designs for computer games makes up an integral part of the gaming process. Much as we often take for granted these creatively detailed designs, there is always a tedious behind-the-scene effort needed to make this characters come ‘alive’ by first creating an animated 3D model.

The CG characters you are about to see are created with powerful 3D tools like ZBurhs, 3DMax, Photoshop, etc. In order to appreciate the beauty of our favourite on-screen characters, one should see how the 3D models are first created. In essence, it is analogous to the molding of the characters before we give life to them through animation. We hope this list will give you a greater understanding on the complexity of making 3D CG characters.

More:

You might also be interested in: Masters of Paper Art and Paper Sculptures

Pixel art, where images are created and edited at the pixel level, seems to be the trademark for old-school computer games rather than the sophisticated visual graphics of contemporary games. Thanks to advanced technology, the simplicity of pixelated images that was prominent during the early days of computer technology may be irrelevant to most of us today where sharper graphics can be created. Still, others may be jaded by all the complex graphics we take for granted today and instead adore the retro feel that pixel art brings.

For starters, pixel art are typically categorized into isometric and non-isometric type. Isometric pixel art is created in a near-isometric dimetric projection (i.e. about 30 degrees angle from horizontal), as seen in some old games where they provide a 3D view of scenes. Non-isometric pixel art refers to those that are not isometric, for example, views from top, side, front, bottom or perspective views. Don’t worry, we’ve separated these two categories to provide you with a better understanding of the two kinds of pixel art.

Here’s the collection of wonderful pixel art from all over the web. Enjoy!

Isometric Pixel Art:

Boxed Town 2
via Howling

The Ultimate Maze
via Xluluhimex

Don’t Forget To Fix Your Polaroids
via Pixellent

Medieval Castle
via Docdoom

City Work
via Pandaemas

Fast Pixel Food
via Jujuqui

BASH City
via Ajiebash

Coke Studios Moscow
via Polyfonken

Coke Studios Goa

Coke Studios

Bugpixel
via Bugpixel

Protomen 1

Reader’s Digest Art

Steampunk Factory

Beachside Marina

Reo Resort

Época SP – O Melhor de São Paulo 2010
via Marcus Penna

Pixel Candy City
via MisaCharisma

Poster
via Simon Page

Christmas Pixel Art

TechnoTron Inc.
via Zoanoid

Trocaire Village
via Kaiusdesign

Blogger’s City
via Noyz Isobar

Pixeltown
via Stridenoble

Butron Castle Pixel Art
via Chocolerian

Gaumont District
via Hellagood88

Coca-Cola
via eBoy

Hollywood

Construction Site

Fortune 500

Honda

Amnesty

Yahoo Poster

Stop Cover

MSH Poster

Edge Pixel Poster
via Edge-Online

Salford Uni Poster
via Army of Trolls

In The Middle Of Nowhere
via Fool

Orange
via Orange Label

Large City
via Love Pixel

Army T-026

Aircraft Carrier

Yard The Water-Mill
via Zi

Non-Isometric Pixel Art:

Anita Blake Pixel Dolls
via Nekomancer-Tei

Pixel Wars
via Deviantdash

Crocktown
via Fool

Colossal Katamari
via Snake

Depp Trilogy
via Jaeden

Protomen 2
via Bug Pixel

Everyone
via Simon Page

About Author – Michael Poh is a freelance blogger from Singapore. He is currently an undergraduate in National University of Singapore majoring in Psychology. He is an enthusiastic video gamer and has a keen interest in CG artworks.

If you’re a nature lover you definitely going to like this collection. This post highlights 25 of the most stunning shots of nature photography. There are plethora of places and scenes on this earth we must at least see for once. Nature photography tends to put a more importance on the aesthetic value of the image than other types of photography. Most nature photographers prefer no human present in their photos, they want to attain pure, immaculate landscapes that are devoid of human influence. Below we present to you a collection of nature photography shots that would really took your breath away.

Here are more related articles we’ve previously published that you might be interested:

• Winter Photography: A White Escape
• Fireworks Photography
• Beautiful Nature Wallpapers

Full list after jump.

It’s that time of the year again when we kick off our shoes from work and enjoy the festive season. As we welcome the year ahead, I’m sure most of us have made some kind of resolutions for ourselves. Needless to say, many of us have been unable to stick to our previous resolutions to go on a diet or keep to an exercise regime, perhaps due our hectic schedules. What then, is more important than a calendar in order to manage time well and stay organized?

Unless you switch one, you will be looking at your new calendar for the new year for the next 365 days. Why not get a thought-provoking, creatively designed or aesthetic calendar that you can appreciate each and every day? Here, we have compiled some of the best designed calendars over the recent years to let each of you have an idea on the variety of calendars that designers have came up with. Enjoy!

Ink Calendar
via Oscar Diaz
This innovative calendar lets the ink from the bottle diffuses across the days of the month.

Square-Comics Calendar 2010
via Alone-zino
A comic-inspired calendar.

Spiral Calendar 2010
A unique calendar design in the form of a spiral.

Scratch A Date
via Yanko Design
Welcome each new day by scratching off to reveal the date!

Russian Creative 2008 Calendar
via Fenyu
Interesting calendar where each month is a different traffic scene as viewed by a trucker.

Calendar 2009
via Rekord
Each color corresponds to different days of the week.

2008 Calendar
via Tim Pokrichuk
A unique calendar with a web-like design.

Spiral Calendar
via Carlos Coelho
Yet another spiral calendar with colors assigned to each individual day of the week.

Calendar Made of Matches
via Yurko Gutsulyak
Every date is made of matches.

2010 Bubble Calendar
via Perpetual Kid
Enjoy pressing bubble wraps? You should get this.

Barometer Inspired Calendar
via Lindsey_muir
As you can tell, you have to turn to circles to represent the correct month, date, day and even the weather.

An Apple A Day
via David Weik
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Peel off the label of each apple you eat and stick it to the date.

Happy New Year From Happy Milo
via Jonathan Davies
A spectrum of color across the months.

March 2008
via Jennifer Daniel

Helvetica Calendar
via Guilherme Pontes
A calendar that uses the Helvetica typeface and an enticing range of colors.

Moma Perpetual Calendar
via Gideon Dagan Design
A 3D structure as a calendar.

Edible Calendar
via Dmitry Kutlayev
Chocoholics, limit your intake of chocolates with this edible calendar.

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories: Calendar
via Sudler & Hennessey
The message of this calendar: Smoking shortens your life span.

"Dorogaya" Magnetic Calendar
via Serhiy Chebotaryov
Magnetic calendar that you can place on your fridge.

Dodecahedral Calendar
via Dave Gray
A twelve-sided polygon as your calendar for the year.

Calendar Gregory
via Calendar-Game
Connect each line to a new date everyday. Kids will love this.

Camera Lens Calendar
via Sharad Kaksar
A camera lens inspired calendar for avid photographers.

Calendar Tells Me Everything
via Maksim Biriukov
This calendar tells you the present year, month, date, day and even the time.

Napkins Calendar 2009
via Stas Aki
Napkin and calendar combined.

Corian Calendar
via Niels Kjeldsen Design
Plastic blocks with dates and months.

Office Calendar
via Qaaim Goodwin
This wooden structure is a creative switch from the usual paper-style calendars.

Recycle Bin Advent Calendar
via Kelanew
A hand-crafted calendar using recycled materials.

Kalenteri 2008
via Pulse247
Circular calendar with a spectrum of colors.

Teacup Calendar
via Takeshi Nishioka
Drink tea from this calendar.

Typographic Tear-Off Calendar
via Parachute
Check out the different typefaces each day of the year.

Tickler Calendar For The Slip Method
via Judyofthewoods
Slip in your appointments and to-do lists into each date.

Voskhod: Calendar
via Voskhod
Yet another scratch calendar, but this time it reveals funny pictures, jokes, riddles, etc below each date.

Typodarium 2010
via Slanted
See a new typeface for each day.

Twelve Calendar
via Thomas Williams
A unconventional layout for a calendar. Those dates that are shaded are the weekends.

Calendario 02
via Quintohache
A 3D calendar made of Lego-like bricks.

Google Lego Calendar
via Keso
Another lego-inspired calendar by Google.

Axe Schedule
via Elma+Alt+Shift
A cute calendar showing each date with people in a building.

Nie Auction Calendar
via Iheartlinen
A calendar for you to feel and appreciate the texture of linen.

October 2009
via The Digichick
A hand-drawn calendar with photos of family.

Perpetual Calendar
via Etsy
A calendar display of cards for month, date and day.

Pink Letterpress Calendars 2009
A cute calendar with cute messages and pictures.

Pop-up Calendar
via Johann Volkmer
Open each new month and be dazzled by the fine craftmanship of pop-ups.

Spin Calendar 70s
via Presentandcorrect
Turn each ring to indicate the correct dates and months.

Human Calendar
via Human Calendar
An amusing use of photographic portraits of people for each squares of the calendar.

Finn & Rockwell’s Counting-House Calendar
via DezinHQ
An old-fashioned calendar design.

2008 Map Calendar & Poster By Lart C. Berliner
via Little Otsu Publishing
Each month is drawn in manner to make it look like individual regions of a map.

2008 Calendar
via Kate
Another hand-drawn calendar using only black ink.

Timor Calendar
via Unicorn Graphics
Classic 20th century design desk calendar inspired by railway signs.

Urban Calendar
See the entire year in a towering skyscraper-like wooden calendar.

About Author – Michael Poh is a freelance blogger from Singapore. He is currently an undergraduate in National University of Singapore majoring in Psychology. He is an enthusiastic video gamer and has a keen interest in CG artworks.

Snow, ice, and the crispness that comes with freezing temperatures can add a new dimension to your photos. And with winter just around the corner for much of the northern hemisphere, it’s a great time to find some inspiration in winter photos.

From the first snowflakes in late fall to the dripping icicles that come with a spring thaw, winter photography can provide you with ideas for any kind of design. A muted color palette peppered with bright accents made even more striking by their backdrop can be adapted to your web and graphic designs.

Below are 70 excellent winter photos to help inspire you, everything from snow-filled landscapes to macro photos and close-ups.

Frozen Heart
by David Cleland

#20 Winter Chickedee
by JMitaStudios

A Winter Bokeh
by Kuddlyteddybear2004

A Winter Tale..
by Nilgunkara

Barn in Winter
by James Jordan

Blue Winter ….
by Alf07

Cardinal in Winter
by LittleREDelf

Chase Winter Deer
by Johnmuk

Crater Lake, Winter
by MarcAdamus

Classical Russian Winter
by Doberman4ik

Field Mint in Winter
by Yksin

Farmstand in Winter
by Muffet

Grand Canyon in Winter
by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

Happy Winter Solstice Day
by Kuddlyteddybear2004

Horse In Winter Field
by Darwin70

Holga Winter
by Rakastajatar

Law Library (Winter)
by Dgermony

The Lone Boatman in Japan’s Winter Light
by Okinawa Soba

On Winter…
by Matt McGee

Onset of Winter
by Ssilence

Winter Textures
by Grant MacDonald

Struma River in Winter
by Klearchos Kapoutsis

Tail End of Winter
by Melissa Maples

The Tree That Refused to Believe It Was Winter
by EJP Photo

Winter
by 6Artificial6

Winter
by Valyeszter

Winter 8
by Aniabeata

Winter Apple
by Rabasz

Winter
by Behindmyblueeyes

Winter
by Dinarakey

Winter
by Fragoline

Winter
by Voorikvergeet

Winter Flight
by IgorLaptev

Winter Freight on Salt Creek Trestle
by Ahockley

Winter Fur
by Orvaratli

Winter Field
by James Jordan

Winter Morning
by Leenik

Winter Night
by Orvaratli

Winter
by Amymillerphotos

Winter on the City 3
by Aniabeata

Winter Puffball
by Thrumyeye

Winter Scenery III
by Steffe

Winter Star
by Randihausken

Winter Surprise II
by Joffo1

Winter Theme
by Dobrych

Winter Thrush
by Gavatron

Winter Wonder Land 2
by Art Rock (Hennie)

Winter Wonderland
by Pieter Musterd

Wisconsin Winter Wonderland
by WisDoc

Winter at the River
by Lanier67

Winter
by 1g4

Winter
by Latimeria

Winter
by Trifoto

Winter Day!
by Marcos Vasconcelos Photography

Winter Grasses
by Shazz Mack

Winter Komm
by Igloolita

Winter Memorie
by Valyeszter

Snow
by Babakch2

In the Snow
by Kuru93

Snow
by Palnk

Winter Wonderland
by AnnMe

Winter Will Come
by Inside-my-ART

Blizzard Ballet
by Intao

Winter Dream
by James Jordan

Blizzard
by Kelen-olga

Early Snow
by Tidesend

Winter Willow
by FigoTheCat

Winter
by Jjuuhhaa

Winter in Bloom
by TheEducatedFool

Winter Wonderland
by Deadstarx

Early in Winter II
by Blessedchild

About Author – Cameron Chapman is a professional Web and graphic designer with over 7 years of experience. She writes for a number of blogs, including her own, Cameron Chapman On Writing. She’s also the author of Internet Famous: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Online Celebrity.

Image credit – Winter Wonderland II by Philipp Klinger

Taking amazing photos is something many aspiring amateur photographers strive for. And HDR effects can really make your images pop.

Below is a complete toolbox to get you started with HDR photography on your own. Whether you want to go all out and learn how to take real HDR composite images or if you just want to learn to fake it in Photoshop, the information below can get you started. And, to really inspire you, we’ve also included a showcase of fifty phenomenal HDR images.

What is HDR?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. In other words, HDR photos cover a large exposure range, allowing for deeper contrast in both shadows and highlights. HDR photos are striking to look at, but the effect can easily be overdone.

Image credit – Amsterdam II by MorBCN

There are two basic types of HDR photos. The first are true HDR composite photos, created by taking multiple shots of a subject at different exposures and combining them. The second technique involves using Photoshop effects and adjusting the shadows, highlights, and other settings.

Basic Equipment for HDR Photography

If you’re interested in creating real HDR images, you’ll need slightly higher-end equipment than many amateur photographers have. Here’s a list:

• A camera capable of taking images in RAW format
• A good quality tripod
• Software such as Photomatix or Photoshop

The RAW format camera is going to be the main sticking point for many photographers. There are some point-and-shoot cameras out there that can save to RAW (such as the Leica D-Lux 3), but they’re pricier than most other cameras with otherwise similar capabilities. Most DSLR cameras will let you take RAW format images, but it’s something to double-check before purchasing a new camera. It is possible to create decent HDR images using JPEG or TIFF originals, but they won’t be as striking as those created from RAW originals.

If you want to create faux HDR photos, all you really need is a good point-and-shoot (or DSLR) camera and Photoshop. Everything in this technique is done in post-processing, so you’ll just want a camera that’s capable of taking high-quality originals with a good exposure range.

10 Real HDR Tutorials

The tutorials included here are based on combining multiple photos with different exposures into a single HDR image, using Photoshop or other tools.

Photoshop CS2 HDR – This tutorial covers using Photoshop CS2’s automatic HDR function to combine multiple photos into a single image.

The High Dynamic Range (HDR) Landscape Photography Tutorial – This is a huge tutorial that covers using Photomatix and/or Photoshop to create stunning HDR images from as few as three exposures.

Photomatix Tutorial – A short tutorial for creating HDR images with Photomatix.

HDR Tutorial Guide Thing for Photomatix – Another very extensive tutorial on using Photomatix.

HDR: High Dynamic Range Photography – A great tutorial that talks about tonal mapping to create HDR images.

How to Create HDR Photos – HDR/Photomatix Tutorial – A great tutorial from Abduzeedo on HDR photography with Photomatix.

How To: HDR Photography Basics (Part 1) – The first in a three-part series of beginner tutorials.

HDR Photos with the GIMP – A tutorial for creating HDR composite images using the free, open-source GIMP software.

Merging HDR in Photoshop CS3-CS4 Tutorial – A great tutorial from Photoshop Cafe for using newer versions of Photoshop for creating HDR composites.

10 Faux HDR Tutorials

It’s not complicated to create your own HDR-style images using Photoshop or GIMP. While they’re usually not quite as striking as the real thing, you can use virtually any image to create them. Just be careful of overdoing it and creating something that’s obviously fake.

Tutorial – HDR from 1 JPG – An excellent tutorial from Flickr user Christiaan L on creating a faux-HDR image from a jpeg original.

HDR Tutorial – A spectacular, slightly-grungy Photoshop tutorial.

Gritty HDR – One of my all-time favorite HDR tutorials, resulting in a very gritty, grungy final image.

How to Produce Fake HDR Images – A simple eHow tutorial for creating HDR images with GIMP.

How to Easily Fake an HDR Effect in Photoshop – A tutorial from Flickr user KolNedra on creating fake HDR images with Photoshop.

Fake HDR Effect Using Photoshop – A very basic tutorial that offers two separate methods for faking HDR images.

HDR Style Results Using Layers in Photoshop – A great tutorial for using multiple layers to create an HDR-styled image.

Fake HDR Look in GIMP – A very in-depth GIMP tutorial for faking HDR photos.

Fake HDR Photoshop Tutorial – A simple, 8-step tutorial for creating fake HDR images with Photoshop.

Achieve HDR Style Effects Using Photoshop and the Lucis Art Filter – An interesting tutorial that uses a slightly different Photoshop technique for faking HDR.

50 Stunning HDR Photos

Below are fifty stunning examples of HDR photos to inspire you to create your own. Some are “real” HDR, made from composites of multiple images. Others are faux HDR, created in Photoshop or GIMP. Can you tell the difference?

The Cow Whisperer
By caese

The stair of Carlos V
By caese

Cadaqués
By MorBCN

Casa Comalat – Barcelona
By MorBCN

Creek Walk @ Changi Boardwalk : HDR
By Demarcus Romero

Dead Tree
By Subadei

Mist Lifting Off Cedars
By DJSchulte Oxherder Arts

Palacio REal, Nocturno
By R.Duran

G to the G – in HDR
By Jasen Miller

Bremen “Muhle am Wall” HDR
By Maschinenraum

Musee du Louvre – HDR, Museum, Paris
By Al lanni

HDR Landscape
By Paul Stevenson

Back to the Crazy HDR’s
By Footloosiety

Hatley Castle HDR
By Brandon Godfrey

Evergreen Plantation HDR
By Corey Ann

Monument Valley HDR 2
By Chris Isherwood

HDR Barn Door
By Hawleyjr

St. Aidan’s Church, Bamburgh (HDR)
By Left-hand

Victoria B.C Skyline from Mount Tolmie (HDR series)
By Brandon Godfrey

Go Ahead
By Ageel

Let there be light
By Philipp Klinger

Blooming Apple Tree HDR
By Tambako the Jaguar

HDR Kurdi Kurdistan
By Kurdistan 4 all

Hamburg – Speicherstadt – HDR
By Johannes Pape

Feneos Valley HDR
By Leonidas Tsementzis

BRP_HDR_23
By Sporadic

Crater Lake HDR 1
By ArtBrom

Sierra Juarez de Oaxaca (HDR)
By Phylevn

Lake Morning (HDR)
By Iowa_Spirit_Walker

Sagada Pond HDR Version
By Jonicdao

The Tower (HDR)
By Edbrambley

La Vista Dal Mio Giardino (HDR)
By Francesco Sgroi

Laveria Brassey – Abandoned mine
By Joep R

HDR Creek
By Peter Pearson

Tokyo International Forum
By Galactic.supermarket

Ala Moana Evening HDR
By Madmarv00

Broadhaven Sunset – HDR and Tone Mapped
By Pemb Dave

HDR
By Zero159

Lizard Point (HDR)
By Left-hand

Mountainboarding . HDR
By Cest

Darmstadtium
By Philipp Klinger

Houses of Parliament London
By Joep R

Looking out over the Thames
By Joep R

Red boat – Venice
By MorBCN

Time travel in color
By Kris Kros

Remains of the day
By Petervanallen

Lookout
By caese

Stuck in India – Humayun’s Tomb
By Stuck in Customs

Barcelona HDR
By MorBCN

Further Resources

• 19 Tutorials for Creating Beautiful HDR (High Dynamic Range) Imager – Speckyboy Design Magazine
• HDR Tutorials Roundup – TutorialBlog
• 85 Examples of Beautiful HDR Photography – 2ExpertsDesign
• HDR Creme – Gallery of HDR photos.
• 35 Fantastic HDR Pictures – Smashing Magazine
• 60+ Stunning HDR Images – [Re]Encoded
• 80 Examples of Stunning HDR Photography – Phototuts+

About Author – Cameron Chapman is a professional Web and graphic designer with over 7 years of experience. She writes for a number of blogs, including her own, Cameron Chapman On Writing. She’s also the author of Internet Famous: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Online Celebrity.

From the dreadful art work created for Nosferatu in 1922 till the present, horror movie posters has evolved with time, immensely. Having celebrated the twisted, the sick, the ghastly, the disgusting and the terrifying, this genre of art is highly evocative. It may be just another creepy photograph conveying malicious promises, or an abstract interpretations rendered by an elaborate painting, designers are experimenting with their creative juices from time immemorial to bring out the ghastly effect in their posters.

Creepy typography, high contrast illustrations, horrific creatures and ominous taglines are trademarks of effective horror movie posters. Creating an aura of mysteriousness while freaking out your audience simultaneously, works best for these posters. Raw terror, suspense and a hint of fright-fest are the things that your poster needs to convey to stimulate the nightmares and excite the curiosity of your potential moviegoers, so that they cannot help but check out for themselves what the movie has in store.

However, it isn’t easy to create a spine-chilling poster, which looks both brutal and spectacular at the same time. Like, blood smearing across the poster may make it look like a finger painting by a kid. The potential of a true designer is revealed in subtly arousing terror in viewer’s imagination by making this ordinary blood look extraordinarily ghastly.

To draw inspiration from some of the best horror movie posters of all time, you can check out our collection of 50+ horror movie poster designs in this article.

Nosferatu (1922)

F.W. Murnau’s German silent classic is the original and some say most frightening DRACULA adaptation, taking Bram Stoker’s novel and turning it into a haunting, shadowy dream full of dread.

Dracula (1931)

This is the first screen version of Bram Stoker’s famous tale based on the smash hit stage production. Count Dracula arrives in London and immediately works to enrapture and transform into vampires young Lucy Weston and her friend Mina Seward.

Frankenstein (1931)

Scientist Henry Frankenstein and his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz, embark on an unholy mission by stealing a body from a graveyard and a human brain from a medical college. Unbeknownst to Frankenstein, however, Fritz takes a violent and murderous abnormal brain.

White Zombie (1932)

After arriving in Haiti to meet her fiance, a blushing bride-to-be is quickly transformed into a pallid, soulless body by creepy voodoo master Bela Lugosi, at the behest of a jealous rival who desires her.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

A masterly mix of horror and black comedy, is the first in a series of sequels to FRANKENSTEIN. Mary Shelley resumes her gothic tale after the face-off in a burning windmill between Henry Frankenstein and his horrific creation, the Monster.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

Jean Frollo, chief justice of Paris. Spying a spectacularly beautiful Gypsy woman named Esmeralda in church, he sends his factotum, Quasimodo, to abduct her. Frollo’s plan is foiled by Phoebus, captain of the guard, and the hunchback is sentenced to public flogging and exposure.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

When uncle is found murdered on the grounds of the family estate, Sir Henry Baskerville arrives from abroad to claim his ancestral home on the fog-shrouded Devonshire moors.

Village of the Damned (1960)

For 10 hours, something — or someone — causes all the residents of a small British hamlet to black out. Shortly thereafter, several women end up pregnant, and the babies they give birth to have startling physical similarities: they’re white-haired and frozen-faced, with formidable intellects and the ability to communicate telepathically.

Psycho (1960)

Bates presides over an out-of-the-way motel under the domineering specter of his mother. The young, well-intentioned Bates is introduced to the audience when Marion Crane, a blonde on the run with stolen money, checks in for the night.

The Birds (1963)

Wealthy reformed party girl Melanie Daniels enjoys a brief flirtation with lawyer Mitch Brenner in a San Francisco pet shop and decides to follow him to his Bodega Bay home. Bearing a gift of two lovebirds, Melanie quickly strikes up a romance with Mitch while contending with his possessive mother and boarding at his ex-girlfriend’s house.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Seven people secluded in a Pennsylvania farmhouse face relentless attacks by reanimated corpses seeking to eat their flesh. The group, which includes a married couple and their daughter, a pair of young lovers, and an African-American man, try to keep their sanity as the living dead keep trying to enter the house.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

A young, happily married couple, waif-like Rosemary and struggling actor Guy, move into a spacious apartment in a venerable old building off Central Park. They are befriended by the elderly couple next door, Roman and Minnie Castavet, who seem to take a special interest in Rosemary’s well-being.

The Exorcist (1973)

Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old who is possessed by the devil. After exhausting all other practical options, Regan’s mother, Chris, acknowledges the supernatural nature of her daughter’s condition and recruits Father Damien Karras to stage an exorcism.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Five unsuspecting teenagers driving in a van through sun-scorched rural Texas. After a terrifying exchange with a demented hitchhiker, the group ends up at an old farmhouse. At first, the house appears to be abandoned, but soon, the evil residents begin to wreak havoc on the youngsters’ lives.

Jaws (1975)

During the height of beach season, the Massachusetts resort town of Amity Island is terrorized one summer by surprise attacks from a great white shark. Three unlikely partners team up to hunt down the rogue and destroy it: the new chief of police from New York, a young university-educated oceanographer, and a crusty old-time fisherman.

Carrie (1976)

Carrie White has her first period while showering after a physical education class. Her mother, Margaret, a religious fanatic, never told her about menstruation, so Carrie thinks she is bleeding to death. Her cries for help are met with abuse by the entire gym class. The gym teacher, Miss Collins is horrified at Carrie’s naivete.

Halloween (1978)

An exercise in simple, pure horror, HALLOWEEN takes us into the world of a mad killer, Michael Myers, who at a very young age stabbed his older sister to death. Locked away for many years in a mental hospital Michael escapes one night and returns to his hometown to continue his killing spree.

Alien (1979)

Inside a crashed ship, the crew members come upon strange pods, one of which spews forth a repellently fleshy insectile creature that locks on to the face of the unlucky Kane. Despite Ripley’s advice, science officer Ash allows Kane to return to the ship, where the creature finally releases its grip.

Friday the 13th (1980)

The film begins in 1958 as two summer camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake sneak away from a campfire sing-along to have sex. Before they can completely undress, an unseen assailant sneaks into the room and murders them both.

Salem’s Lot (1979)

A writer returns to his New England home town only to find its genteel citizens are turning into vampires. This cable version of SALEM’S LOT was released theatrically overseas as BLOOD THIRST and… A writer returns to his New England home town only to find its genteel citizens are turning into vampires.

The Shining (1980)

Jack Torrance, a Vermont schoolteacher working at the Overlook as a winter caretaker. The glorious early-20th century resort only operates in warm weather because the snowy roads deny access in the colder months, so Jack brings his wife, Wendy, with him, as well as his young son, Danny, who possesses some unique psychic powers.

The Howling (1981)

Popular female reporter in Los Angeles who cannot escape the horror of a traumatic experience that she suffered while trying to capture Eddie Quist, a dangerous serial killer. When her psychologist recommends a retreat to “The Colony,” up the Northern California coast, she reluctantly agrees, hoping to recover from her nightmarish visions.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

David Kessler and Jack Goodman are two American students on a backpacking tour of Europe. Wandering the backroads of gloomy East Proctor, England, they find a pub where the unhelpful locals act suspiciously strange. The unsuspecting boys flee the pub in search of lodging after being warned to avoid the moors.

Poltergeist (1982)

Life in the Freeling family’s tract home is comfortably bland, but frisky poltergeists soon put a little excitement into their daily routine–moving furniture and communicating with their youngest daughter, Carol Anne, through the television set. Unfortunately, harmless pranks quickly turn nasty and the previously friendly ghosts kidnap Carol Anne, trapping her in the spirit world.

The Thing (1982)

A group of weary scientists enduring the winter in an isolated camp deep in Antarctica chance upon an alien spacecraft buried in the ice. Near the strange craft is the body of an alien being, frozen solid. Thinking they have made the find of a lifetime, the scientists bring the alien body back to camp and thaw it out.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A replusive, decaying figure with razor-sharp appendages (and an even sharper sense of humor!) suddenly appears in the dreams of four Los Angeles teenagers. It is the ghost of Freddy Krueger. A replusive, decaying figure with razor-sharp appendages (and an even sharper sense of humor!) suddenly appears in the dreams of four Los Angeles teenagers.

The Hitcher (1985)

When a young man, driving to California by himself, naively picks up a hitchhiker, he gets more than he bargained for: the hitcher is a serial killer who mercilessly slashes anyone he meets. When a young man, driving to California by himself, naively picks up a hitchhiker, he gets more than he bargained for: the hitcher is a serial killer who mercilessly slashes anyone he meets.

Aliens (1986)

Ripley, the sole survivor from the original ALIEN, is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space, her stories disbelieved by Company executives who tell her that the alien’s planet is now inhabited and colonized. When contact is suddenly lost with the colonists, Ripley returns to the planet with a squad of marines, an android, and a Company executive with a mission of his own.

The Fly (1986)

Spaced-out scientist who invents a genetic teleportation machine and accidentally transforms himself into a fly. In the horrifyingly graphic detail that is his trademark, Cronenberg depicts the scientist’s painful mutation from human into insect.

Hellraiser (1987)

The tale of a man and wife who move into an old house and discover a hideous creature–the man’s half-brother, who is also the woman’s former lover–hiding upstairs. Having lost his earthly body to a trio of S&M demons called the Cenobites, he is brought back into existence by a drop of blood on the floor.

Evil Dead II (1987)

Group of people are trapped in a cabin while ancient evil lurks outside and threatens a fate worse than death. Can brawny wiseguy Ash save the day, or will his dead girlfriend come back to cause more trouble?

Child’s Play (1988)

The Lake Shore Strangler, a mass murderer who has plagued the Chicago area for months, meets his untimely end when he gets shot in a toy warehouse. Left for dead, the killer summons the strength to.

Pet Sematary (1989)

Dr. Louis Creed, having just moved to Maine with his wife and two children, is heartbroken when he finds that his daughter’s beloved cat has been hit by a truck and killed. Thankfully, a strange, elderly neighbor called Jud knows a secret that may spare the young girl’s tears.

Arachnophobia (1990)

The film’s opening moments picture an insect expert digging up and then tracking the travels of a poisonous male spider who has burrowed in the coffin of one of its victims from the Venezuelan jungle to California. Although the scientist knows they are deadly, he wants to pursue his research regardless of the danger.

Misery (1990)

Romance author Paul Sheldon longs for parting with Misery. Sheldon’s plucky heroine of seven novels has delivered Sheldon fame and fortune and recognition beyond the average writer’s dreams, but she is also interminably linked to him.

Cape Fear (1991)

Public defender Sam Bowden served as the attorney for brutal rapist Max Cady at his arraignment. Shocked by the violence of Cady’s crime, Sam duplicitously withheld information regarding the sexually promiscuous activities of Cady’s rape victim–information that might have won Max’s acquittal.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent by her supervisor to interview ferociously intelligent serial killer Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lechter at his cell in a Maryland mental hospital. The FBI hopes Lechter can provide insight into the mind of killer-at-large, Buffalo Bill, whose current abductee happens to be the daughter of a senator.

Army of Darkness (1993)

Through a magic spell, Ash, a modern-day discount-store employee, finds himself back in the middle ages. Given the key to return home by an alchemist, he bungles the incantation and, instead, releases the forces of darkness. Now Ash has one job to do before transporting to the future: defeat the army of the evil dead… if they don’t defeat him first.

Seven (1995)

Set in a perpetually gloomy unnamed city, the film follows Somerset, a retiring police detective, as he experiences his final week on the job, reluctantly working with assertive newcomer Mills. When an obese man is found brutally murdered in his home, the seasoned Somerset realizes this is no ordinary killing–someone tortured him because of his appetite.

Scream (1996)

A hyper-intelligent serial killer preys on the teenage denizens of a small town, using their fascination with horror movie conventions to set up his diabolical doings. An intelligent, well-crafted… A hyper-intelligent serial killer preys on the teenage denizens of a small town, using their fascination with horror movie conventions to set up his diabolical doings.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The film is composed entirely of reportedly “found” footage shot by three missing college students who made a journey to the woods of Western Maryland in 1994 with the purpose of making a documentary about a “witch” of local legend who is linked to murders and mysterious occurrences spanning 200 years.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a successful Philadelphia child psychologist who is haunted by the sudden reappearance and suicide of a former patient. Months later Dr. Crowe encounters Cole Sear, a troubled, withdrawn young boy who bears a striking similarity to his earlier patient. Dr. Crowe is compelled to help Cole, not only for the boy’s sake, but for his own redemption.

The Ring (2002)

Group of teenagers all die suddenly and inexplicably exactly one week after watching a mysterious videotape at a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest. Journalist Rachel Keller, a relative of one of the victims, begins an investigation that leads to a mountain resort where she discovers the tape, which contains footage of random and surreal images.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Joined by Shaun immature and ever-present roommate, Ed, Shaun excels at nothing except drinking pints of ale and watching television, which causes friction with his girlfriend, Liz. Before Shaun can save his relationship, however, he’s got to fend off a horde of zombies that are slowly taking over the city.

Saw (2004)

A young man named Adam wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon. Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted, but instructions left on a microcassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

The action begins with nurse Ana waking up to discover her boyfriend has become a tasty midnight snack for a formerly cute neighboring kid. To her horror, she realizes that the whole town is in a similar state of ghoulishness, until she runs into still-alive cop Kenneth; the levelheaded Michael; and Andre, a rebel with a pregnant wife in tow.

The Amityville Horror (2005)

When George and Kathy Lutz come across a beautiful river-front colonial home being sold for a steal, they suspect a catch. Once informed that the home was the site of a grisly mass murder, they decide to buy the house anyway and eagerly move in, bringing with them Kathy’s three children from a previous marriage.

Hostel (2006)

Paxton and Josh have embarked upon a hedonistic tour of the continent, and somewhere along the way they picked up an Icelandic lunk named Oli. In Amsterdam the trio partakes of the pastimes most dear to frat boys everywhere: weed, prostitutes, and nightclubs. But when a fellow traveler tells these thrill-seekers about the decadent scene that awaits them in Bratislava…

The Omen (2006)

Robert Thorn is unaware of such dark prophecies. Thorn, a senior American diplomat, has other things on his mind. His wife, Katherine, has endured a difficult delivery and she’s as yet unaware their newborn child has died. Devastated by the loss, Thorn’s concern turns to Katherine, who had suffered two previous miscarriages. The news will surely devastate her.

28 Days Later (2007)

Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes to plan.

The Mist (2007)

This film adaptation of a Stephen King novel is an intense and terrifying ride from beginning to end. The monsters are scary to be sure, but it is the humans that provide the real horror.

Shutter (2008)

A newly married couple discovers disturbing, ghostly images in photographs they develop after a tragic accident. Fearing the manifestations may be connected, they investigate and learn that some mysteries are better left unsolved.

The Eye (2008)

The remake of the Hong Kong film “Jian Gui”, a woman who receives an eye transplant that allows her to see into the supernatural world.

The Uninvited (2009)

Anna Rydell returns home to her sister (and best friend) Alex after a stint in a mental hospital, though her recovery is jeopardized thanks to her cruel stepmother, aloof father, and the presence of a ghost in their home.

Pandorum (2009)

A pair of crew members aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities.

My Bloody Valentine (2009)

Tom returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine’s night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a homecoming, however, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders, and it seems like his old flame is the only one will believes he’s innocent.

About author: Dainis is blogger from Latvia. He is webmaster of Psdeluxe.com (Photoshop deluxe) – Design community where you find photoshop tutorials and useful resources for web and graphic designers. Follow Dainis on Twitter

Comment styling is an often-overlooked part of blog design. After all, they’re at the bottom of the page, not seen until visitors already have an impression of your site, and they’re really there for function more than anything else. Why invest a lot of time in styling them and making them really stand out?

But good comment styling can set your designs apart from your competition. Taking the time to design your comments, and your comment form, can make a huge impression on your regular visitors. It subconsciously implies you care about their opinion and want them to engage in discussion on your site. Below you’ll find some best practices and examples of creating a beautiful commenting system on your next blog design.

Styling Comment Views

How you style your comments can have a huge impact on the overall perception visitors have of your blog. It shows that you care enough about what your readers have to say to take the time to show off their remarks in a stylish and user-friendly way.

Threaded View or Flat View?

Whether to have threaded comments or simply order them chronologically is always a tough question. There are a few things to consider when trying to decide. First, if you want your visitors to actively discuss your posts with each other, then threaded comments go a long way toward promoting that, especially if you have a high volume of comments.

FreelanceSwitch uses a threaded comment format.

On the other hand, threaded comments are sometimes abused. Commenters might respond to the first comment on the thread with something completely unrelated, just to make their comment show up closer to the top of the comments (of course, you can always moderate these to prevent this, but it’s an extra layer of work for the admin). If you’re more interested in having commenters reply directly to the article and not to each other, then having flat comments makes more sense.

Both options come with their own pros and cons, so you really have to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of each one before making a decision.

Best Practices

Here are some tips for creating more effective comment designs.

1. Emphasize Author Comments
   When designing your comments, you should do something to make the author or admin comments stand out from the others on the page. This might be by adding an icon to the comment or changing the background color. This type of styling makes it easier for commenters to see replies directly from the author, and can help to increase discussion.
   
2. Include a Gravatar
   People like to see other people’s faces when they’re having a discussion. By enabling Gravatars, you automate this process and encourage discussion. Bonus points: Use a custom Gravatar image for those who don’t have their own, rather than the standard geometric images or monsters.
   
3. Separate Comments from Trackbacks
   Trackbacks really aren’t part of the discussion (at least not the part taking place on your blog), and shouldn’t be included inline with other comments. Give trackbacks their own special area, either above (if you usually get more comments than trackbacks) or below all the other comments (if you generally get more trackbacks than comments).
4. Use Design Elements That Make Sense
   When styling your comments, think of design elements that make sense in regards to the type of content. Speech bubbles, quotation marks, simple borders, and alternating background colors all enhance your comments and improve readability.
   
5. Paginate Your Comments
   If you routinely get more than 20 or 30 comments on your blog, consider paginating those comments to improve your page load times. Paginated comments can also make it appear you have more comments than you do, as navigating to new pages almost always makes people feel like there’s more content.
6. Make It Possible to Link Directly to Individual Comments
   Including an anchor link to each individual comment makes it easier for visitors to share their comment with others. If someone is having a particularly good discussion in the comments on your blog, they might want to invite others to join in, and having a direct link to their last comment, or the thread they’re commenting in, makes that easier.
   

Examples: Neat Comment Views

Rockbeatspaper

Baekdal.com

Subtraction.com

GoodBytes.be

Squarespace

BlogLESS

Snook.ca

Particletree

The Hickensian, Hicksdesign

Dezinerfolio

Designing Comment Forms

Your comment form has to be user-friendly and encourage visitors to get involved in the discussion happening on your blog. While good comment form design alone probably won’t get you tons of comments overnight, a poorly designed form can definitely prevent your readers from commenting.

Considerations and Best Practices

There are a lot of things to consider when designing your comment form, from whether to include extra spam precautions to how to handle replies. Below are some tips for making those decisions, as well as some others.

1. Positioning Your Comment Form
   This is a very important consideration when designing your overall commenting system. Do you want your comment form to be directly under the post itself, or at the end of the comments? The best way to decide is to ask yourself whether you want commenters to actively discuss the post with each other or just focus their comments on the post itself. If it’s the first option, then place your comment form at the end of the comments. If it’s the latter, then place it directly below the post, above the comments.
2. Spam Prevention
   Even if you use a spam-prevention utility like Akismet, adding a bit of spam protection directly to your form can further reduce the amount of spam you get. There are two common options: one is a captcha, which can be difficult for many users to decipher (though some captcha systems are markedly better than others); the other is a question-based system, often using a simple math equation commenters have to answer before their comment will be submitted.
   
3. Requiring an Account or Allowing Alternate Logins
   If you get a particularly high volume of spam comments, or if you have issues with abusive comments, then requiring commenters to have an account can be beneficial. Other options include letting users log in with another account they have, such as Twitter, Facebook Connect, or OpenID. Requiring a login makes people feel more accountable for the comments they leave, which can mean fewer abusive or spam comments. Of course, requiring a login can also reduce the number of comments you get, as some people just won’t bother.
   
4. Handling Replies
   If you’re going to enable your visitors to reply directly to other commenters, it’s important to decide whether you want an inline comment form that appears when a commenter hits reply, or if you want it to just take them to the comment form already on the page. Either one is fine, though the first option is sometimes less confusing (as you know that you’re definitely replying to a particular post, instead of commenting in general).
5. Positioning Form Fields
   How you position and label the fields within your comment form can have a big impact on the usability of that form. Usability Post has a great article that covers this more in-depth.
   
6. Form Instructions
   Make it easy for your commenters to see which fields on your comment form they’re required to fill out. Also make it clear to them that things like their email address won’t be made public.
   
7. Validation
   Your comment form needs to indicate to your commenter that their comment has been successfully posted, even if you hold all or some comments for moderation. If you do moderate comments, make sure you indicate that the comment will appear once it has passed moderation, so your visitor doesn’t end up posting multiple comments, thinking the first one didn’t go through.
8. Provide a Preview
   Letting your commenters preview their post before submitting is a nice usability feature that many blogs overlook. This can also mean your blog gets higher-quality comments, as commenters are more likely to read through and edit their comments before posting.
   

Examples: Comment Forms

Internet Zillionaire

Authentic Boredom

FreelanceSwitch

Oaktree Creative

BrianYerkes.com

Abduzeedo

WPDesigner.com

Designworkplan

Doc4 Advertising Agency

Mac Appstorm

Productivedreams.com

Sources & Resources

• Blog Comments Design Considerations – JankoAtWarpSpeed
• 30 Must See Comment Designs for Web Designers – Blog Design Blog
• 77 Inspiring Blog Comment Form Designs – 1st Web Designer
• Design Analysis: Comments – Snook.ca
• Interface Design Inspiration: 36 Clean Comment Form Designs – Dzine Blog
• 15 Nice WordPress Comment Form Designs – WPCrowd
• Styling Your WordPress Comments – Darren Hoyt Dot Com
• Top 10 Tutorials for Working with WordPress Comments – DesignM.ag
• Separating Trackbacks from Comments – Pro Blog Design
• Elements of Design – SmileyCat, specifically the Blog Comments and Blog Comment Forms sections

About Author – Cameron Chapman is a professional Web and graphic designer with over 7 years of experience. She writes for a number of blogs, including her own, Cameron Chapman On Writing. She’s also the author of Internet Famous: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Online Celebrity.

Bright colors can scare off a lot of web designers, especially when you use a few of them together. It takes more care and precision to create a design that uses eye-popping color well, without being overwhelming or looking amateurish. And if you’re combining contrasting colors, extra care needs to be taken to prevent your design from being jarring.

The blog designs featured below make excellent use of bright colors. Most use multiple colors together, though a few take a more monocromatic approach. Some are set against dark backgrounds; others are set against white. And in case you don’t want to jump into an original design like these, there are a number of blog templates at the end that use similar bright color schemes.

Here are more examples of beautiful blog design we’ve previosly showcased:

• 100 Nice and Beautiful Blog Designs
• Beautiful and Enticing Blog Design
• Blog Footer Design

Full list after jump.

Original Blog Designs

The sites below are original, one-of-a-kind designs, perfect to lend some inspiration to your own designs.

WebDesigner Wall
WebDesignerWall’s site uses a wide range of colors and a hand-drawn design. It’s artistic and fun, a perfect look for the site’s content.

Web Design Hobart
Web Design Hobart uses a bright watercolor design for its background with lime green accents, while the rest of the site’s design elements are a bit more subdued.

Brija.com
Bruja uses a more limited pallette, though the bright red and yellow are still very eye-catching.

Design Disease
Design Disease’s site uses a cyan blue and lime green, with additional shades of each color used throughout the rest of the site, and a few other bright accents.

Cult-foo
Using bright colors against a muted background color (like gray) makes the colors pop even more, as shown by Cult-foo’s website.

Danilo Fiocco
The bright colors and cartoon character lend a very informal feel to Danilo Fiocco’s site.

Eric Dies
The lime green really stands out against the gray background on Eric Dies’s site.

Designministeriet
Cyan and lime green with hot pink accents makes Designministeriet’s site feel very modern and young.

Dezine Zync
A bright background stands out more when mixed with transparent elements, as shown on Dezine Zync’s website.

Dreamling.ca
Mixing slightly muted bright colors with a white background gives Dreamling.ca’s a very feminine look.

Depthinfinity
Depthinfinity’s site combines a bright, multi-colored background with lime green and other bright accents to create a very fun and artistic site.

Ezobase
Ezobase uses a CMYK (Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black) color scheme, which looks very fresh on a website.

Joshua Giblette
Shades of a single color when set against a neutral background can have a huge visual impact, as displayed on Joshua Giblette’s website.

Nimbupani Designs
Mixing multiple bright colors can be tricky, but is executed well on the Nimbupani Designs site.

Krftd
A bright, graffiti-esque background is mixed with cyan accents within the text to really make Krftd’s site pop.

Super Girl
Super Girl is another great example of bright colors used with a white background to create a feminine look.

TruSpeaks
Combining a header with bright colors with a bright but monochromatic background makes the content on the TruSpeaks site stand out and creates a very modern and hip feeling.

Almost-Famous.TV
Combining a single bright color with a white background makes Almost-Famous.TV’s site look very pulled together while allowing the layout to look like it’s trying to break free from its grid-based design.

Entropia Blog
Mixing very bright colors both in the text and background image makes the Entropia Blog look fun and fresh.

Brian Jeremy Kupetz
A graffiti-esque painted background mixed with accents that take their color cues from the background itself make for a very pulled-together yet lively look.

Ilovecolors
Ilovecolors mixes bright colors with grunge-influenced elements to create a very unique design.

Moradito
The bright, pixelated background of Moradito really stands out when it’s combined with transparency and a few colored accents.

Hello My Name is Heather
A lime green background and brightly-colored header combined with bright accents and images within posts makes for a very cheerful design on the Hello My Name is Heather site.

Duirwaigh Studios – Message from the Muse
Duirwaigh Studio’s Message from the Muse blog mixes bright colors with a vintage-inspired design to create a background that really pops.

Veerle’s Blog
The steel-gray background of Veerle’s Blog mixed with bright orange accents and a bright header looks very original.

Inspiredology
A rainbow-colored header image combined with cyan and magenta accents makes the Inspiredology site look welcoming and original.

Celebrific
Celebrific’s bright pink and light blue color scheme really pops and makes the site’s content really stand out.

Colorful Blog Themes

If you’re unsure of designing a bright theme from scratch, turn to one of the pre-made themes below.

WP Coda
The WP Coda theme’s purple design mixed with brighter accents lends a very fresh but still professional look.

Acosmin Grungy
The Acosmin Grungy theme combines bright colors with grunge elements to give an edgy feeling.

Infinity
The Infinity theme makes great use of transparency mixed with bright colors and cartoonish illustrations.

Colourise
The Colourise theme’s dark background makes the bright colors stand out even more and lends a very masculine feel.

Notepad Chaos
Notepad Chaos’s theme combines a bright background with a limited color pallette to give a fresh and informal look.

Tribal Music Theme
The graffiti-inspired look of the Tribal Music Theme makes it feel very young and hip.

Lightsource
The Lightsource theme is available in multiple monochromatic color schemes, all of which lend a fresh feeling to any blog.

Ambience
Ambience is a great theme that mixes bright colors with transparency.

Digital Farm
The Digital Farm theme mixes a very bright, illustrated header with an otherwise muted color scheme, and is a very young and fun theme.

Color3
Color3 mixes a brightly-colored background with bright green accents and very subtle transparency.

Colors
Colors is another great theme that mixes a very bright, neon-colored background, a bright header, and bright accents.

Anatomyinc
The Anatomyinc theme is an artistic-looking theme with transparency and a bright background.

Liquid Magazine
The Liquid Magazine theme’s half-tone inspired background is bright without taking focus away from the content.

About Author – Cameron Chapman is a professional Web and graphic designer with over 7 years of experience. She writes for a number of blogs, including her own, Cameron Chapman On Writing. She’s also the author of Internet Famous: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Online Celebrity.