SXSW 2013 has come to a close. Everyone who attended the music, film and interactive festival is no doubt spending this week recuperating. After having spent the last two consecutive years at SXSW, I'll admit that it felt weird to skip out on the festivities this year (however, Gadling's Robin Whitney was on the ground). I went searching for a good video from the event and found this one by Giovanni Gallucci. Pairing images of live events with the streets and everything in between, Gallucci captured the essence of SXSW well with these shots. Enjoy.

New York City is famous for never sleeping. The people within NYC are famous for rushing around. What if we could slow the whole thing down? James Nares gives viewers a glimpse of what this would look like with a video of NYC in slow motion: STREET. In a city as dense as NYC, magical little moments occur every second on a corner somewhere. Nares attempted to capture some of these moments, to give the small events room to breathe. And he did it beautifully.

[Thanks, Laughing Squid]

Laughing Squid published some awe-inspiring photos yesterday of Cold War-Era bunkers throughout Albania. According to the article, the country hosts over 700,000 bunkers. Laughing Squid breaks that number down by saying that means there's one bunker for every four Albanians. These bunkers are on farmland, beaches, city streets and residential communities. The photos published by Laughing Squid were taken by Dutch photographer David Galjaard. Check out the photos here and maybe make a point to photograph some of these bunkers yourself if you're planning a trip to Albania.

[Photo Credit: David Galjaard]

Alexis Wiener has a gift for photography and I knew that immediately when I saw her photos from Israel on her website. This photo, an expanse of the Negev Desert from Zin Valley, is striking. Wiener's words about Israel cannot be separated from the photo itself. Beneath the album for the country on her website, she writes:

"It was about two weeks into my journey in Israel that I found myself, surrounded by new family and friends, downing a final meal before my 12 hour flight back to the US.

This is a special moment for me because I recognized just how amazing this place really is and how generations of my family before me have had that exact same realization. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have been able to travel to Israel on four separate occasions.

At first, it seemed like culture shock, I'd watch: people crying, wailing, people praying, people, like me, not knowing what to do really.

Yet, as I've grown spiritually, pursuing various philosophies and wandering the world, the most important questions rush through me when I spend even just a few days, even hours, in Israel. How have I been doing on my path? Am I honoring my loved ones? Myself? My gifts? How can I do better?

Years later, still on my journey, I feel at home and rejuvenated in a way, whenever I return to this magical land."

Air New Zealand doesn't let you down with videos; that's for sure. This video, "Behind the Scenes of the Bear Essentials," starring Bear Grylls, is just that: a behind the scenes video from "The Bear Essentials of Safety" video, which saw over two million views. Focusing on the outdoors goodness New Zealand has to offer travelers (instead of just, say, the plane itself), this video is a few things all at once: hilarious, informative and inspiring. The dramatic landscape is offset by the gritty tactics of Bear Grylls. So take a minute, watch this video, enjoy a laugh, and then join me in the endless brainstorming on when to finally visit New Zealand.

It's nearly impossible to avoid Maya culture in the Yucatan, particularly during the month of December in 2012, when conspiracy theories detailing the "predicted" Maya doomsday were running wild like a pack of wolves through the Internet, dirtying websites with their footprints. When you can't beat them, you're instructed to join them. And so I went to Mexico in December alongside the wolves and I followed their trails, which of course led, in some divergences, to Maya ruins. The Dzibilchaltun Ruins, small and unassuming, were the ruins I liked best from the trip.

Located just 10 miles north of Merida, where I stayed for a few days, the Dzibilchaltun Ruins aren't as popular as other ruins in the Yucatan, but they were popular enough for me to have heard a Texan woman tell her guide, "We Texans are very familiar with rattlesnakes." I lived in Texas for two years. I'm happy to report that I am still not, nor do I hope to ever be, familiar with rattlesnakes.

Gallery: Dzibilchaltun Ruins

"Ten Days in Thailand" from fredparis11 on Vimeo.

This video of Thailand is gorgeous. Chronicling ten days spent in the country, filmmaker Fred Albrecht captures his moments spent in Thailand with precise beauty. It seems as though each shot could suffice as a telling photo on its own – a characteristic that truly distinguishes the best films from the rest. If you need a relaxing break from your day, take a moment to watch the scenes in this video unfold.

The reason I'm fascinated by extreme sport-type videos, like this one, has nothing to do with my own predisposition or lack thereof toward these types of activities. In fact, I don't longboard at all, let alone longboard like the skater featured in this video, Sean Spees. Rather, I enjoy these videos because, when artfully shot, they excel in staying quiet and letting the shots do the talking. And it just so happens that the shots, more often than not, include great scenery. Such is the case with this video from Original Skateboards. As this speed-demon skater shoots down the steep hills of San Francisco, quality images of the city are captured beautifully. Enjoy – and don't try this at home.

While meandering through Alaska with her family, photographer Alexis Wiener grabbed this shot while on a train. Capturing what so many love about Alaska all in one fell swoop – the snow-capped mountains, the lush and bright greens, the rolling pine and rippling water – Alexis' trip was documented with more than just this one photo. Her collection of photos from Alaska can be seen on her website. Do you have a photo to submit for Photo Of The Day? If so, just upload it to our Gadling Flickr Pool or get in touch with us via Gadling's Instagram page.

[Photo Credit: Alexis Wiener]

Although iPhone photography may still seem amateur to the professionals, let's face it: more and more of us are documenting the visuals of our lives with our phones. And even while we're traveling and relishing in picture-perfect scenery, many of us are capturing and sharing those moments. I include myself in this generalization – it requires quite a bit more forethought for me to take photographs with an SLR than with my phone. The fact that my phone is what's in my pocket when I happen to see the sunlight hitting a tree perfectly while out doing errands is what yields those photos, the ones I wouldn't have taken at all had I not had my phone with me. Enter Higher iPhone Education. Thanks to Laughing Squid, I now know about Photojojo University, which is now offering a four-week course in iPhone photography. The website is currently advertising an introductory special rate of just $5. So challenge the inner iPhone photographer within you and become well versed in the fundamentals before voyaging out for your next memorable adventure.

[Photo Credit: Photojojo]