Saturday, June 2, 2012

Saturday Steam 6/2/12

First up,  some eye candy in the form of over two dozen steampunk portraits by Rebeca Saray:

 Most have been digitally manipulated to the point that you'd never know they started as photographs - and a few end up looking like the covers of cheesy fantasy paperbacks - but there's a lot more good than bad here.

Cheesy on the left, but super-duper awesome on the right. (Am I right?)

Even so, I found this before and after shot on Saray's blog to be the most fascinating of them all:

I could stare at stuff like this all day. Notice how she fixed the model's back roll? And added more eye liner? I'm in awe of talent like this! (Of course, the first thing I noticed was that the goggle lines on her face don't match the shape of her goggles, but that's just me being nit-picky. Heh.)

Katherine G. sent in this video, which she described as "charmingly dark." I'd say that description is bang on:

It's in French, so I have no idea what they're singing about, but the video has a nifty Burton-esque feel to it, plus a clockwork heart and some kind of Ent-like creature. So clearly you guys are going to like it. :D (And if any of you speak French, please post a translation in the comments for the rest of us!)

I've featured the octopus chandeliers of Adam Wallacavage before, but here's a new one:

 All of his chandeliers are gorgeous, colorful fun. Hit the link up there to see more.

For my fellow interior design lovers: 16 Submarine-Themed Rooms

 I was pleasantly surprised to see some new stuff here, like this room from an Extreme Home Makeover episode. I so wish themed rooms like this weren't seen as just "kid stuff" - they're so much more interesting, and show off so much more of your personality! (Thanks for the link, Kaitlyn!)

And finally, the coolest steampunk belt buckle I have ever seen:


"Rosenstein's Galvanic Matter Transpositor Belt Buckle" $165 at Clockwork Couture

Awwwwesome.

25 comments:

  1. Here's the translation for Tais-toi mon coeur. Dionysos is one of my favorite groups.

    For me it's time to throw into trash
    my wooden heart, for good,
    it's the skull set with sparks
    that I come to give my resignation.

    Go, birds of my body
    close your pretty mouths of passion.
    dozens of accidents of love
    have never give me reason.

    Be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    Be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    Oh, be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    Be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    I only know the one who gets carried away.

    I fabricate myself a stone heart,
    to become a big boy
    the one whom you would be proud of
    and could keep a house.

    But a sunny day like this you raise up
    with a stupid idea
    of digging memories and dreams
    in the trash of passion.

    Be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    Be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    Oh, be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    Be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    I only know the one who gets carried away.

    I have cracks
    in my shoes.
    It is certainly
    my stone heart
    which makes me earthquakes.
    Be quiet my heart.

    Be quiet my heart; my heart, that's you
    I thought that you had killed yourself and she
    wouldn't remember you.
    Besides it's not worth
    of break yourself like that;
    you are going to frighten her again.
    Oh be quiet my heart,be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    listen to me, -I don't recognise you.
    be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    listen to me, -I don't recognise you.
    Oh, be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    Oh, be quiet my heart, -I don't recognise you.
    -I don't recognise you.

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  2. Here is a version of the video with subtitles in English, though the sound quality is much worse than the one you've shared:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9QtJERu_2E

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  3. That is a lovely video! I looked around, and found a version with English subtitles, here: Tai-toi Mon Coeur (Subtitled)

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  4. Not to be preachy, but I think the part I hated about this post "she fixed the model's back rolls" that and looking at the actual picture, I really didn't think it was much of an improvement. Even though the art is phenomenal I don't like how much thinner she made the models in the pictures. It's unrealistic (but that's the point isn't it?) and little disheartening.
    Really I'm a big fan of this blog and everything you post, Jen, it's just that little thing that is *apparently* my biggest pet peeve.

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  5. I have to admit, my inner feminist gets cranky at the idea of "fixing the model's back roll" in those portraits. Healthy body image, damnit! But other than that, very cool.

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  6. i noticed the goggle outline didn't match the goggles in the first pic and it was bugging me until you finally said something =)

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  7. I noticed the shape of the goggles right away, too. Funny, the things that stand out. I've got an idea for some steampunk jewellery and that belt buckle has given me another idea.

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  8. I thought the same thing about the goggle lines!

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  9. It's interesting that she felt the need to make the models thinner. There was nothing wrong with the before.

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  10. Wow, thanks for sharing that video, it is EPIC! :D

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  11. I decided to look at more vidoes for Dionysos and found this:

    It's called Song For a Jedi
    http://youtu.be/2P1j6iToe9o

    Google translator is giving me iffy translation from the lyrics I could find so far, but it is still pretty neat!

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  12. Yeah, about that after photo...Maybe I've been spending too much time looking at Eschergirls, but because her back (and stomach) were "fixed" it now looks like she's missing a few internal organs.

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  13. Fun fact: Tais-toi mon coeur (the song with the cool video), is part of a larger concept album, which is in fact (sort of) the soundtrack to a steampunk book called "La mécanique du coeur" (It has been translated into English as "The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart).

    The band's lead singer, Mathias Malzieu, is also an author, so the album's songs follow the book's story.

    Basically, it's about a victorian scottish boy, born on the coldest day the world had ever seen, whose heart froze upon birth, so they replaced it with a clockwork contraption. He has to stay away from any strong emotions, or else the device might be overworked and break, but then he meets a beautiful circus performer...

    They've also "casted" all the parts, reaching out to other famous singers for cameos (since there are many characters in the book, but only one singer in the band, so they "recruited" more, lol).
    They even did a cool photo shoot where they dressed everyone up like their characters! http://www.myspace.com/lamecaniqueducoeur/photos/15263734#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A15263727%7D (It has an ever so slight 1800's vibe. Really pretty pictures, without being "too" steampunky).

    They also have some songs with a "clocky" sound (is that even a thing?). Quite neat! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ulFj-z986o

    Apparently they're doing an animated film, due out for 2013...

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  14. I have to agree with the others, nothing wrong with that model as she is and I am surprised the need was felt to word the manipulations done to the shot as "fixing".

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  15. I'm sorry if my word choice offended you guys re: that photo re-touching. I suppose "removed" would be more accurate/less controversial than "fixed!" I just didn't think of it as having anything to do with the model's weight; I figured the artist was simply smoothing out the curve of her back, since that strap was too tight & created a bit of a bump. I certainly didn't mean to condone improper body images, though, and rest assured I've been sufficiently chastised - no more discussions of photo-retouching for me! ;)

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  16. Jen, have you seen the artist/illustrator Karen Hallion's work on Etsy? I just discovered it. If you haven't go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/khallion?ref=seller_info. I thought you would appreciate it.

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  17. I'm going to chime in against "fixed her back roll" as well. I saw the original picture and thought "thank god, even skinny girls get that." And then you said fixed. I am ALL rolls, what is supposed to be done with me? Love you, Jen, you're amazing, but that really hurt.

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  18. Hey Bubbles - I'm guessing you've never seen me, or else you'd know that I'm "all rolls" as well! Sometimes I forget you guys don't know that! Anyway, obviously I'm not out to hurt or insult anyone, much less my fellow curvy girls out there, so maybe remember to take things like this (an innocent word choice) with a grain of salt before accusing me of some kind of hate speech. 'Cuz believe me, that hurts, too.

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  19. Hi Jen,

    I don't think that bubbles meant to accuse you of anything - certainly not hate speech.

    I think that she just wanted to express her feelings - that she felt hurt, not implying that you meant to offend or belittle her in any way. I feel that she was responding to the conception that is reflected in the use of the word "fixed" - implying that in the our thought (most of us, even ourselves at times) - we see our bodies and appearances as something that requires fixing in order to reach perfection - which is never attainable in real life.

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  20. Jen, hate speech was the furthest thing from my mind. I've seen fat-based hate speech, I've had it directed at me from plenty of sources, I want to completely and totally say I don't regard one off-handed comment as hate speech, and I realize that wasn't your intent at all. That doesn't mean it didn't still hurt. If someone steps on your foot, wheteher they meant to or not, it still hurts. For whatever reason that comment struck me, and it took me a while to shake it. The funny thing is, I think I could have brushed it off a lot easier from most any other blogger because of the sheer fact that I do think you are amazing and do amazing things. I would have been irritated, but not hurt. And that all comes from me, because you don't know me. So yes, the grain of salt means I know that you didn't mean to be hurtful towards anyone. But I did want to let you know you stepped on my metaphorical foot.
    Based on the pictures I have seen of you, I don't think of you as being all rolls, especially not compared to my 5'4" 325 pounds worth of rolls. (In a roll measuring contest, though, does anyone really win? Unless the prize is cake, then I am out to win. Anyhow, I do love my rolls.) But we all see our bodies our own way, and I don't know what's going on under your clothes. (Nor do I want to. We're both proper married ladies, afterall. ;) ) I also don't know how you regard your body. I did wonder how the model might feel to hear that her body had been fixed. Raising a daughter in a time of rocketing elementary school eating disorders, I worry about how my daughter would feel to hear that someone's body had been fixed. So yeah, this is a subject I'm a bit sensitive on. Because of that, I did post before reading through the comments completely, and before seeing your response to the comments that had been made.
    I'm not sorry I told you I was hurt. I am very sorry that it came across as accusing you of hate speech. I do think you are awesome, and I'll keep supporting you and Epbot and Cake Wrecks (and John) in any way I can, including passing links along and praising the heck out of you for the amazing things you do, especially those in service of the next generation of girl geeks.

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  21. Thanks for the clarification, Bubbles. I need to know when something I say hurts because it hurts, and when it hurts because folks pre-judge or assume something about my motivation - and sometimes that line gets blurry online! I think I've learned my lesson, though, and I'll be much more careful with my words in the future. [insert virtual hugs & sprinkles here!] :)

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  22. I appreciate the clarification on 'fixed,' Jen--I was among those who were thinking "Aww, man, even my girl JEN thinks it needs to be fixed... :( "

    And Bubbles--fantastic foot metaphor. Still hurts, regardless of intent--but any lingering resentment can be mollified through clarification (in this case) or apology.

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  23. Yay! Hugs and Sprinkles!
    I wish I could take credit for the foot metaphor. I've seen it on Tumblr several times from different bloggers.

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