Sketching New York City

Brooklyn-based artist and professor, Willy Hartland, is raising money on the increasingly popular crowd-funding website, Kickstarter, in efforts to finish production on his short film. Entitled, New York City: An Animated Documentary, Hartland has spent the last several years sketching over a thousand portraits of The Big Apple. His drawings capture the urban lifestyle of New Yorker’s in subways, parks, bars or anywhere people rest long enough to be drawn.

What sparked his fire: Watching total strangers face everyday challenges and creatively capturing them in that moment.

Imagine a documentary using this method was created for all major cities, which would be your favorite?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team

Turn your iPhone into a 3D camera

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The iPhone is quickly becoming the camera of choice to document people’s lives. This trend, which was demonstrated in a recent Apple commercial, has spawned a number of gadgets that bring the smartphone’s features to the next level. Meet Poppy, a $49 device that will turn your iPhone into a 3D camera. The design is very simple, no buttons and no batteries, just an iPhone. Designer Ethan Lowery and Joe Heitzeberg’s goal is to allow consumers to capture their own lives (family, sports, etc) in 3D. The project has been on KickStarter since late June and already has three times its pledged goal. Shipping should begin in early 2014, but given the online popularity, it could happen later this year.

What sparked our fire: The transition from one dimension to another… and back again.

When will the mobile photography bubble burst?

Enjoy!

– Canopy Team

Swim the East River?!?

Ever dreamed of swimming in New York City’s East River? + Pool (Plus Pool)  is making this a reality very soon. +Pool, designed by FamilyNewYork, will float in the East River, while cleaning and filtering the river water. Not only will this process allow New Yorkers to swim in the iconic river for the first time in over 100 years, it will expedite the daunting process of cleaning up New York’s rivers.

What sparks our fire:  Sustainable solutions that provide access, encourage engagement and clean the environment.

Would you swim in this pool? Why or why not?

Checkout the video and the pictures below:

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team

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