In some ways, viewing this VR image (zoom in to see incredible detail) is better than visiting in person, because you don't have to listen to constant shushing and be packed in a small space with more than a hundred other people!
The picture above was adjusted in Photoshop after a screen grab, and shows Michaelangelo's famous The Last Judgement.
The best part? It also works on the iPad. Check it out here: Virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel.
tl;dr: Odds are 725:1 you'll love this book! If you enjoyed Star Wars (IV-VI), if you want to learn about moviemaking, if you appreciate art—you'll love this book by J.W. Rinzler.
I've watched the original Star Wars trilogy too many times to count. My Dad introduced me to the series in the late 80s, and since then I've watched the movies as they were adapted for VHS, TV, LaserDisc, DVD, and now Blu-Ray.
I have strong opinions about who shot first, which of the trilogy was the best movie (this has changed as I've grown), the proper viewing order of all six existing Star Wars motion pictures, and which cut(s) of the film(s) were best (I don't believe the 'original theatrical cut' was the best—and I wonder how many people who advocate such a release realize that there were more than one...).
The image below was taken today (March 19, 2011) at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome, Italy. This icon is the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and depicts Mary holding the child Jesus, with two angels on either side of them.
I've had a DVD from Prometheus Entertainment/History Channel sitting on my desk for a year and a half, and I had almost forgotten why I had it by the time I finally sat down to watch the DVD. The DVD is of the show "Angels & Demons Decoded," which aired on the History Channel on May 10, 2009.
While I was watching a part about Bernini's artwork, I noticed a photo of the 'West Ponente' direction marker in St. Peter's Square very similar to mine at 1:08:12 — this wasn't my photo, but was close enough a match to warrant further inspection.
Towards the end of the documentary, when the narrator was talking of the interaction between faith and science in the Church, I found my image at about 1:28:35:
Whoever did the matte on that image (a) had a lot of patience, and (b) is quite good at it! I don't think I've ever attempted to cut out such an intricate photo.
You can view the original photo on Flickr here: Eucharistic Adoration - Monstrance.
I'm glad I was finally able to sit down and watch the show. I also watched Angels & Demons (the actual movie) on Netflix, and thought it was a heck of a lot better (all around) than The Da Vinci Code. But it's still not a greatly historically-accurate film, in my opinion; like most Hollywood flicks, the director and producers played fast and loose with many theories and historical fact. But I don't let it ruffle my feathers :)
I'm definitely not the nerdiest guy in the world, but I sure do try! See the pumpkin in all it's halloween glory on Flickr: Druplicon Pumpkin - Druplikin.
Over on Midwestern Mac, LLC's blog, I posted my latest artistic endeavor... the DrupliGolf Ball (based on the famous Drupal mascot, Druplicon):
Read more about the making of the DrupliGolf Ball on Midwestern Mac, LLC's blog »
I don't think I would mess around in someone's home if I noticed these guys lighting up the place. I imagine if someone could afford a solid gold lamp in the shape of an M4 Carbine, a Glock, or an MP5, they could probably afford to hire a guard carrying the same to shoot anyone attempting robbery.
(Somewhere near Rockafeller Center, NY; image taken with a Canon PowerShot G11).
A quick photo of the Statue of Liberty taken from the Staten Island Ferry just after sunset.
Creighton model NFP students will recognize the dancing baby above. I am starting work on a project related to NFP, and I was in need of the image. So, being handy in Illustrator, I snapped a shot of my fiancée's chart, zoomed in on one of the dancing baby stickers, and hand-traced the lines in Illustrator.
I might clean it up a little more sometime, but for now, this will do. After a second glance, it almost looks like a cage-fighting baby. Hmm...
These images speak for themselves, but I will offer a few asides to help explain why I was saddened after visiting the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago a few months ago.
What... the... I think they might reserve the Body of Christ somewhere in that mess.
To think that, before the fire, there was probably very beautiful, meaningful and symbolic imagery in that stained glass. Now it's an abstract, and dare I say, boring sight. My eyes grew tired trying to see what was up there.