Kworld Trend / window-swap .com site review, Some of us are lucky enough to have a window to help us cope with being inside so much. For those not so lucky, a new site called WindowSwap can help by letting you swipe through other people’s scenic views from around the world.
WindowSwap is a quarantine project by Sonali Ranjit and Vaishnav Balasubramaniam that allows you to use your browser to watch a video of a window and its unique view from various locations around the world. There are scenes from everywhere: there is a rainy street in Thailand, a small field with a gentle breeze on a sunny day in Austria, a mountain view from Switzerland, a busy street in London, a view of a boardwalk and the ocean in Japan, a cat watching birds in Qatar, a view of the city skyline In Singapore, and my favorite so far: an almost panoramic view of the ocean from Oahu.
window-swap .com site review
The videos are pre-recorded, which you might notice if you happen to land on the same window. Which every single day, and users submit them. The site requests 10-minute HD videos of “your window and frame,”. Along with the creator’s name and location. “Horizontal, vertical, square, circular or decorative, all kinds of windows are welcome!” site reads. It would probably be smart to follow a pre-recorded route, rather than using live webcams. To prevent the site from turning into something akin to Omegle.
There is something very positive about the experience. Strangers take the time. In order to share their favorite viewing spot to help those who may not have one (or are tired of being watched). It’s a small gesture of kindness and a reminder of the positive ways the internet can make the world seem smaller. I enjoy not only the view but also imagining what it would be like to the person sharing it. Based on the few clues that can be gathered in their space and choosing the scene to record.
It follows a similar project, Take Me Elswhere, created earlier this year by Negele Hospedales. And other like: Mikhail James, Husson Zaman and Alex Barakat. Take Me Elsewhere features an accompanying playlist, while Window Swap. Which shows video footage with the sounds of wind and natural birds, creating the feel of a live feed.
Ranjit and Balasubramaniam were inspired to create Window Swap after staring out of their window. For months at a closed state. “We often wondered how we would trade places with our friends. Just to be able to see something different outside our windows”. The couple says in a joint email to HuffPost UK.
They first shared the snaps with a close group of friends – and enjoyed the experience so much that they decided to open it up so anyone could join in. There are now more than 60 videos from 26 countries.
“We loved the experience so much, it really felt like an escape,” they say. “Although we are no longer confined to our homes, travel is still a distant dream.”
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Participation in the project is simple: users can send a short video clip of their window. Or balcony to an email address listed on the website. All videos are reviewed by the couple before they are uploaded.
Videos should be 2-10 minutes in length, shot horizontally and steadily, and preferably in HD. Ideally, at least one or two corners of the window or door frame should be seen in the shot.
They said, “We welcome all kinds of windows, whatever their shape, whatever the view. Because what we usually take for granted is someone else’s gold.”
The pair managed to source videos from 26 countries, ranging from Medellin in Colombia, Cordoba in Argentina, Rouville in suburban Melbourne, Bangalore in India, La Baule in the south of France, and a view of the Manhattan skyline in New York. .
“We have scenes with contented cats on window sills. Such as: church bells in Bergamo, Italy, cows grazing in Pampanga in the Philippine countryside, and cyclists in Copenhagen,” they say. “Each one of them is so unique and personal it’s hard to pick a favorite! It depends on the day and the mood we’re in.”
See more photos of the scenery below or visit window-swap.com for relaxing shots, bird sounds and all.
