Originally from Budapest, Hungary and now based in Vienna, Akos Major shoots with an eye for simplicity. He often places his subjects close to the center of the frame, and uses intentionally spare background composition to make his work geometrically pleasing.
We think Major's "Lumen" series is a great example of his work with color. The series, shot in an unrecognizable field of white snow, focuses on an object or series of objects with one strong color. The objects appear as interruptions in the white background, and with Major's attention to symmetry and balance, the photos give the otherwise innocuous forms a new context. Think Richard Misrach's Desert Cantos with a touch of humor.
Photographers with a knack for experimentation fashion DIY pinhole cameras from coffee cans, shoe boxes and pretty much any other recycled material they can get their hands on. But Elvis Halilović, the Slovenian industrial designer behind the ONDU pinhole camera, takes a more exacting approach. For his line of six cameras, Halilović uses only locally-sourced chestnut and maple wood, and shapes each camera body in his family's wood shop. His design uses strong magnets instead of visible screws, and he finishes the wood with a natural oil varnish.
Moments of information addiction are inevitable. If you find yourself stuck in a technology loop, endlessly bouncing back and forth between email and Twitter and whatever else you need to check, designer Chelsea Briganti's Blokket bag could help slow you down. The bag's fabric is made of a nylon and silver blend that blocks cell phone reception while keeping your phone out of sight. Although leaving your phone in the bag all day might drain your battery, a few minutes of peace wouldn't hurt. [via BLTD]
Chelsea Briganti is the co-founder of the New York product design studio The Way We See The World. Blokket is in stock at the MoMA store. 

For some of us the aughties were all about the emergence, or re-emergence, of dance punk (summed up by James Murphy as "live drums and synthesizers") and no one did it better than DFA, the New York record label founded by James Murphy, Tim Goldsworthy, and the often unsung Jonathan Galkin. Directed by Max Joseph, the vid does a nice tidy job of summing up the label and its sound, artists, and attitude with brevity and a sense of humor—and also gives us a gimpse inside the label offices and studio.
From the same technology that is used to design buildings, Hot Pop Factory, the jewelry line known for its 3D-printed style, has produced yet another interesting collection. The Boreal collection is made with recycled cherry and polymer wood from the Boreal forest in Canada. The collection is as unique as the forest itself; the chain and closure on each necklace appear exceptionally delicate when paired with the bold design of the wood pendant. There are eight different styles available from $74-$98.
The Boreal collection is now available online from Hot Pop Factory.







