I think it’s safe to say that the arrival of high quality, inexpensive digital SLR’s is enabling more of us to see the world in a way we never thought possible. Today’s Video of the Day from photographer Dustin Farrell is a breathtaking compilation of both day & night landscape timelapses from the great states of Utah and Arizona.
Using a Canon 5D Mark II with servo motors to take individual stills, Dustin pieced each frame together in Quicktime to create the finished product. If you’ve ever seen the renowned “Qatsi” films of the 80’s (Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi) or Baraka, then these scenes might seem familiar. Still, it’s amazing that relatively anyone can create similar images now without a million dollar budget.
Have you given timelapse photography a shot? We’d like to see it! Leave a comment below or submit your best stills to our Gadling Flickr Pool and it could be our next Photo/Video of the Day.
Are you in the market for some real estate with a scenic view? Are you looking for a place that will let you get away from it all? If so, then I’ve got just the deal for you. The beautiful Trees Ranch, located right next to Zion National Park in Utah is on the market, and can be yours for just $30 million.
The ranch, which consists of nearly 2200 acres of land, is bordered on two sides by Zion, but the other two neighbors aren’t bad either. One of the other boundaries is the Canaan Mountain Wilderness and a fourth border sits next to acreage that is overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. I think it is safe to say that this prime piece or real estate has the “scenic view” covered quite nicely.
And what exactly do you get for your $30 million? Glad you asked! Trees Ranch comes with 2066 acres of pristine land, 200 of which are dedicated to an organic apple orchard which provides inventory for the the Springdale Fruit Company. There is also several ranch houses, an on site vineyard, a stable and corral, and even a lake complete with a dock for launching boats. There are several historic sites on the premises as well, including an old pioneer homestead and cemetery, as well as ruins from the Anasazi Indian tribes that once lived in the area.
Best of all, the natural landscapes that surround the ranch are amongst the most beautiful in the entire western United States. Zion is well known for its towering rock spires and walls, while Canaan Mountain Wilderness is nearly 45,000 acres of public land, bounded by wind swept sandstone cliffs. The ranch exhibits much of the same scenery, giving the buyer of the property their very own personal national park to explore.
Seems like the perfect haven after a long day at the office. Now if only I could come up with down payment.
The 83rd annual Academy Awards are coming up in a few weeks and the Oscars race is on. This year’s nominations contained few surprises, with many nods for Brit period piece The King’s Speech, Facebook biopic The Social Network, and headtrip Inception. While 2010’s ultimate travel blockbuster Eat, Pray, Love failed to made the cut, there’s still plenty to inspire wanderlust among the Best Picture picks.
Read on for a travel guide to the best movies of 2010 and how to create your own Oscar-worthy trip.
127 Hours – Location: Danny Boyle’s nail-biter was shot on location in Utah’s Blue John Canyon near Moab and on a set in Salt Lake City. Go there: Should you want to explore Moab’s desert and canyons while keeping all limbs intact, check out Moab in fall for bike races and art festivals.
Black Swan – Location: Much of the ballet psychodrama was shot in New York City, though the performances were filmed upstate in Purchase, New York. Go there: To see the real “Swan Lake” on stage at Lincoln Center, you’ll have to hope tickets aren’t sold out for the New York City Ballet, performing this month February 11-26.
The Fighter – Location: in the grand tradition of Oscar winners Good Will Hunting and The Departed, the Mark Wahlberg boxing flick was filmed in Massachusetts, in Micky Ward’s real hometown of Lowell, 30 miles north of Boston. Go there: For a map of locations in Lowell, check out this blog post and perhaps spot Micky Ward at the West End Gym.
Inception – Location: The setting of this film depends on what dream level you’re in. The locations list includes Los Angeles, England, Paris, Japan, even Morocco. Go there: There are plenty of real locations to visit, including University College London and Tangier’s Grand Souk. Canada’s Fortress Mountain Resort where the snow scenes were shot is currently closed, but you can ski nearby in Banff.
The Kids Are All Right – Location: Director Lisa Cholodenko is a big fan of southern California, she also filmed the 2002 Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. Go there: Love it or hate it, L.A. is still a top travel destination in the US and perhaps this year you can combine with a trip to Vegas, if the X Train gets moving.
The King’s Speech – Location: A prince and a commoner in the wedding of the century. Sound familiar? This historical drama was shot in and around London, though stand-ins were used for Buckingham Palace’s interiors. Go there: It might be hard to recreate the vintage look of the film, but London is full of atmospheric and historic architecture and palaces to visit. If you’re a sucker for English period films or places Colin Firth has graced, tour company P & P Tours can show you around many historic movie locations like Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.
The Social Network – Location: Another Massachusetts and California movie, this very academic film shot at many college and prep school campuses, but none of them Harvard, which hasn’t allowed film crews in decades. Go there: If you enjoyed the Winklevoss rowing scene, head to England this summer for the Henley Royal Regatta June 29 – July 3.
Toy Story 3 – Location: The latest in the Pixar animated trilogy is set at the Sunnyside Daycare. Go there:Reviews are mixed, but Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a new Pixar parade, to let fans see their favorite characters in “person.” Visit any Disney gift shop to make your own toy story. True Grit – Location: The Coen brothers western remake may be set in 19th century Arkansas, but it was filmed in modern day Santa Fe, New Mexico and Texas, taking over much of towns like Granger. Go there: If you’re a film purist or big John Wayne fan, you can tour the locations of the original film in Ouray County, Colorado.
Winter’s Bone – Location: Many moviegoers hadn’t heard of this film when nominations were announced, set and shot in the Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri. Go there: The difficult film centers around the effects of methamphetamine on a rural family, but travel destinations don’t get much more wholesome than Branson, Missouri. Bring the family for riverboat shows and the best bathroom in the country.
The folks over at Pleated Jeans have come up with a funny yet painful new map of America. It doesn’t show our cities or rivers or mountains, it shows our flaws. As you can see, each state is singled out for what they’re worst at. Maps reveal a lot about the territory they cover, and this one shows more than some people may want to see.
I’ve lived in three different states and I have to say that I wasn’t too surprised by the results. New York has the longest daily commute? My job there certainly had the longest commute I’ve ever had to do. Arizona has the highest rate of alcoholism? There was a bar near my house that served $1 pitchers of beer. Missouri being ranked highest in bankruptcy didn’t come as much of a shock either, although I would have guessed somewhere in the Deep South.
I also wasn’t surprised at Utah having the highest rate of online porn subscriptions. Harvard economics professor Benjamin Edelman, whose study came to this conclusion, noted, “Subscriptions are slightly more prevalent in states that have enacted conservative legislation on sexuality.” Ah, the good old religious double standard!
In Washington state, they don’t need online porn because they’re humping animals at a higher rate than anyone. The source for this has a very small sample size, so maybe Alaskans are better at keeping their huskies quiet and Texans take their steers far out on the range.
Do you agree with the assessment of your own state? Tell us what you think in the comments section!
The Canyons ski resort announced the winners of their Ultimate Mountain Gig contest earlier this week, selecting not one, but two, applicants to fill the role as their official ambassadors for the remainder of the 2011 ski season. The contest, which was announced last September, gave skiers and snowboarders an opportunity to compete for a job that offered $40k in salary, a full season ski pass, plenty of gear, and room and board at the Waldorf Astoria that is located on site at the Park City, Utah resort.
The co-winners of the Ultimate Mountain Gig are former Olympic ski racer Kaylin Richardson and ex-British soldier Andy Campbell. Richardson has been a member of the U.S. ski team for ten years and has won four Alpine National Championships and competed in two Olympic games. Campbell served his country in a variety of locations, including Iraq, but was paralyzed from the waist down in a climbing accident in 2004. That hasn’t slowed him down one bit however, as he still scuba dives, skis and paraglides all over the world.
Campbell and Richardson were selected for the gig from a pool of 450 applicants. The pair have already gone to work for The Canyons, writing about their experience at the Ultimate Mountain Gig website. Over the next four months or so, they’ll be helping to promote the resort by writing blog posts and producing video diaries about their experiences. I’m sure they’ll also find plenty of time to hit the slopes and interact with the guests too.