Author: Igor

8 Ways to Travel Differently

We live in an age when it has never been easier to set sail and explore the world. However, it’s true that this ease of travel comes at a cost — we typically end up having the same kind of travel experience. It looks like this: we board a flight, check into our hotel, use a chauffeur service like Driven worldwide roadshows and spend a couple of days checking out the local attractions. While there’s nothing wrong with this, there are plenty of other ways to see the world. Below, we take a look at a few different options that will spice up your travelling adventures.

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Go Independent

There are plenty of companies who can help you have a fluid journey. They’ll take care of the flights, the hotels, and even the attractions, if you want them too. These are fantastic options if you’ve never been on your own trip out of the country, but once you have a little bit of experience, you’ll find that it’s much more enjoyable to do your own thing. For starters, it’s usually cheaper, and it’s more exciting. Plus, you’ll find that there’s more satisfaction to be had from organising your own travel adventure, rather than just turning up after someone else has done all the work for you.

Pick by Theme

It’s normal to simply pick a destination of which you’ve heard good things, and turn up and see what it has to offer. However, it’s not necessarily the best way. Instead, take a look at picking a theme, and using that as a base for your trip. For example, if you love, say, coffee or craft beer, then you could visit a European city with the sole intention of sampling what they have to offer. This offers a stable anchor from which the rest of your trip will grow. You generally can’t go wrong if you’re visiting a place that’s famous for food and drink products, or music.

Avoiding Tourist Traps

Now, we know that it’s somewhat popular to talk bad about tourist hotspots, but we don’t want to do that. However, we will suggest that you may want to look at other places on your travels. While these places are usually popular for a reason, in certain areas they’ve simply become too jam-packed, and they don’t offer a true representation of the area. Big chain companies have moved in all around the world’s most popular attractions, and driven local businesses away. For wherever you’re going, try to research the best neighbourhoods to explore rather than specific attractions. You’ll leave feeling that you’ve seen a real part of the city/area.

Getting Around

The usual path to pick a destination, and then get there via plane. But this isn’t the only option, and it’s certainly not always the best. Sure, if you’re flying long-distance, then it’ll be the most convenient, and can be enjoyable, but if you’re not going too far, then it’s worth exploring other options that you have. Flying isn’t always fun; it’s just a way of getting to the place you want to explore. But if you’re travelling via other means, you’ll find that the journey can add to your adventure. The getting there will be nearly as enjoyable as being there. Arguably the most fun way to move is to hitchhike, but that’s not always an option. Train is another exciting option, as is travelling by ferry. If you have your own set of wheels, look at driving. Driving is a great way to give you the freedom and flexibility to do your own thinga s and when you want. You can get off the beaten track in a 4×4 and explore sites that public transport may not take you. Or get yourself a nippy Ford Focus used car to zip around news towns and cities exploring quant and undiscovered parts of town at your own leisure. Whether you ship your own vehicle, rent a vehicle or car pool, even visiting places far away from your home is doable if everyone in the vehicle chips in for the costs.

Longer-Term Travel

We’re used to boarding a plane, briefly exploring a destination, and then returning home. We only ever get a glimpse into the place we’ve visited. Wouldn’t it be much better to have the option of really getting to know a place, over a longer period? When you rent or own a flat overseas, that’s just what you’ll be able to do. If you’re going to explore this option, then take a look at finding a place that’s located nearby like apartments from Stay Líbere to other destinations of interest.. Southeast Asia, for example, is terrific for this type of thing. If you have a Singapore hdb flat, you won’t just be able to effortlessly take a trip to Singapore; you’ll also be able to make the most of all the affordable flights to the surrounding countries, too. With more time there, you could even try your hand at a cooking course or music lessons at the LVL Music Academy, whatever takes your fancy! You’ll find that you see new, enjoyable sides to famous attractions when you spend so much time there. You’ll see it like a local, eventually.

Giving Back

Most people want to go on a travel adventure in order to have fun. But there’s more to life than simply living the good life. We should also give back. You can do your bit to make the world a better place and also get your fill of travel by looking at overseas volunteer opportunities. There are a couple of ways you can go with this. You can dedicate yourself to a program with a charity, which you usually have to pay for, or you can connect with locals, and help out with whatever they need. You’ll have all the enjoyment of doing something new and different, while also getting the satisfaction of helping others. It’s a win-win situation, essentially.

Challenging Yourself

You may also want to look at using travel as a way to challenge and improve yourself. It’s a big old world out there, and it’s not always a walk in the park. There’s much you can learn about yourself by trying to say, complete the Santiago de Camino in Spain, when it’s just you, out there on your own, trekking through the outdoors. Indeed, you’ll learn more about yourself in that environment than you ever could in a city, but if travel fails to deliver, consider a challenge closer to home such as violins for beginners. Here you will find 16 violins to suit any budget, a great way to learn more about your possibilities and limitations, and to find your creative spark.

Without a Plan

Finally, put an extra dose of excitement into proceedings by travelling without a plan. You don’t need to organise everything, or even anything, in order to have a good time. You’ll find that it’s a lot more exciting to simply figure things out as you go!

June 12, 2016
Thisispaper Store

Thisipaper is a multidisciplinary design studio founded in 2011 and based in Warsaw. Working on different projects, ranging from graphic design and art direction to retail design and print publishing, Thisipaper have established themselves as one of the most exciting studios emerging from Poland.

You might know Thisispaper because of their magazine and nicely curated blog, but they also design their own bags, all made by hand in their workshop and using local materials. Until recently, all their products were only available through their online shop but now you can also visit their new space on Odolańska 6/8 in Warsaw.

The new store features a quiet and clean interior as a result of the transformation of a dental clinic from the soviet era and it is located just next to the studio. Apart from the Dieter Ram’s Braun Audio 1 Stereo which fills the interior with sound, the main element of the space is the wall-to-wall shelving system designed in collaboration with Polish design firm TYLKO and showcasing all of Thisipaper’s products.

www.thisispaper.com

Store images by Maja Wirkus
Product images by Max Zielinski

June 11, 2016
Become An Expert In Accessorizing

If you want to look your absolute best, you need to make sure that you are aware of how to accessorize. The ability to accessorize whatever you might be wearing is one of those things that can really make all the difference in the world in terms of how your overall appearance looks. If you are keen to make sure that you are engaging in the kind of style which is likely to work for you, then an awareness of how to accessorize properly will certainly come in handy. As it happens, there are some rules and general advice which anyone can follow if they hope to be able to accessorize better, and we are going to take a look at just some of those in this article today. Consider the following if you want to be considered accessorization royalty.

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The Value Of It

First of all, it is incredibly helpful if you understand and appreciate why it is that accessorizing is quite so important. The better that you understand this, the more tempted you will be to get better at it, and the more likely you will be to know how to approach it. The goal of accessorizing in general is to give any outfit or look a sense of completeness. You should approach it with a sense of vibrant creativity, as it is essentially a form of art which you need to be creative with. By having fun with it and keeping it simple, you can create styles upon styles, and ultimately have a much more complete sense of what your own style is too.

Less Is More

There are many times in life when less is more, and accessorizing is absolutely the perfect example of this. In general, you want to go for a few, understated items at once. This will ensure that you are not overdoing it in a way which might make your outfit look absurd, and it will mean that you keep the practicalities of it simple enough for you to practice too. With this approach, you are aiming to find two or three simple items for each outfit, and no more. Stick to that kind of approach, and you should find that you are doing it in the right way – and if something doesn’t work perfectly, it won’t matter quite as much as if you had gone over the top with your accessories on the whole.

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Jewellery Always Works

A most common form of accessory is jewellery, and with good reason. There are very few occasions when jewellery does not work, and the more that you are aware of what jewellery can do in certain situations, the more that you can make use of it to complete any look. Jewellery always works if you approach it in the right way, but you do need to be aware of what is likely to work for you and what might not be such a good idea. That means knowing when and where to wear cartilage earrings or a hippy bracelet, and knowing when to leave such things at home. By becoming an expert in jewellery, you will become an expert in accessorizing at the same time, so this is important to consider.

Experiment With Colour

Colour is arguably the most important element of any accessory. As long as the colour is something that works for the outfit and the occasion, you can generally assume that you are doing it right. Of course, colour is fun too, and it is one area where you should absolutely feel able to experiment to your heart’s content. If accessorizing is an art, then the colours are literally your palette, and you need to ensure that you are mixing them in a way which is both aesthetically pleasing and likely to be enjoyable for you to engage in and wear too. The better you understand how colours work together, the better your accessorizing will be.

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Bold & Simple

A good general rule to keep your accessories in order is to try and find ones which are simple and bold, and which you can then match with understated clothing. That is a pretty sure-fire way to make your accessories work out well, and you will find that it is the best way to ensure that you are learning how to approach the essentials of accessorizing itself. Think bold and simple, and you will almost certainly be making the most of it. Then you can start to experiment outwards from that essential starting point.

June 10, 2016
ECA Degree Show 16

Every year, the Degree Show at Edinburgh College of Art is a date not to miss in the arts calendar of the city. This year’s show just finished but we take a look at some of the student work that caught our eye.

Kate Livingstone – Masters of Fine Art MFA

Menzie Zhang – Fashion BA

Kirsti Beautyman – Illustration BA

Dorothy Jackson – Combined Studies BA

Performance Costume BA

Hugo Maximillian Ross – MAFA

Rachel Millar – Graphic Design BA

June 9, 2016
7 Photography Styles That Are Worth Trying

Photography is undoubtedly one of the most common outdoor hobbies worldwide. However, it isn’t uncommon for many skilled photographers to turn their hobby into a source of income. According to IBISWorld, America’s photography industry’s market size by revenue alone is $11.5 billion as of 2022. Many photography genres may appeal to you, whether you want to pursue a full-time career or simply take up a worthwhile pastime. Here are some of the top photography genres you should know about.

Travel photography

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Travel photography is definitely worth considering if you have a lot of wanderlust and are skilled with a camera. It is one of the broadest subcategories of people photography, involving the capture of life in other areas of the world. Travel photography is well-known for drawing inspiration from several different types of photography. For instance, you may set out to capture people and their lifestyles when you visit one area. However, you may notice and capture several landscapes and other elements of the natural world, like wildlife in that location that is picture-worthy. A good travel photographer perfects the art of taking excellent photographs when visiting new cities. These photographs typically capture the striking differences and similarities between people worldwide, making viewers feel more connected to and aware of how others live.

Aerial photography

The aerial photography genre is one of the fastest-growing photography fields facilitated by modern technology. Indeed, Allied Market Research estimates that the global aerial photography market was worth $2.26 billion in 2020 and will reach $8.52 billion by 2030. Admittedly, aerial photographs have been around as long as cameras and manned flights have been. However, aerial photography’s increasing popularity in recent times is due to the advent of high-quality drones. Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that capture views from above and give photographers different perspective shots. In the US, UK, and many other nations, you need a license before you can legally fly a drone. They are being used to capture everything, from real estate to wildlife. Top-notch drones such as the DJI Matrice 30 series are used by search and rescue personnel to locate missing persons in foliage. Therefore, the perspective drones offer in aerial photography comes in handy for aesthetic and life-saving purposes alike.

Wedding photography

Wedding photography is, without a doubt, one of the most popular genres out there. Many people pay for professional photography only once in their lives, and that time is likely to be their wedding day. As such, wedding photography is in very high demand worldwide. As a career, being a professional wedding photographer will entail taking a wide range of photos in various settings and groups. The role is pretty intense since there is a lot of pressure to take your best shot on the first attempt because you may not get a second chance in many scenarios. The emphasis is on taking candid photographs that the family will treasure for their lifetime. Besides being quick on your feet, you should also be a fairly good salesperson and must be able to handle customer service easily.

Furthermore, you must be adaptable, ready to shoot indoors during dimly lit dances and receptions and outdoors on sunny days. Finally, the couples you photograph will expect a lot of direction from you when posing. Therefore, you must be confident and capable of clear communication with the bride and groom. 2020 was perhaps the worst time to be a wedding photographer since the pandemic reportedly cut weddings by more than 50%. However, the wedding photography niche is picking up fast post-lockdown, so now is the perfect time to enter the industry.

Portrait photography

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Portrait photography, also known as portraiture, intends to capture the moods and personalities of groups and individuals. Portrait images may be posed or candid, full-body, or close-ups. However, the common constant is that the subject’s eyes and face are usually in focus. Portrait photographers rely heavily on lighting and backdrop to convey the right tone and emotions. In addition, you must make your clients feel as comfortable as possible to get natural expressions.

There is no shortage of people that need portrait photography services, so it is one of the most profitable genres worth considering as a career.Everyday patrons need portrait photos for every phase of life, so you can expect to take a lot of maternity and newborn, high school senior portraits, and general family photographs. You will also take several corporate portraits for employees that need to update their headshots for publicity materials and websites. Furthermore, professional and aspiring models need updated portfolios with current pictures to market themselves for jobs and agencies. Consequently, portrait photography is an excellent starting point for all professional photographers. A great portfolio of high-quality shots will generate more contracts, and you will also get several gigs from word-of-mouth marketing.

Product photography

There is no denying that great product photography is important for convincing potential clients to make purchases. Indeed, an estimated 90% of buyers say that photo quality is the most important factor they consider when purchasing online. As such, product photography is a mainstay of modern-day advertising, and you can position yourself for great success in this niche with the right strategies. One of the best things about product photography is that it covers a lot of ground. For instance, you can focus on the sub-niche of jewelry to make a lot of cash. Many jewelry dealers are eager to hire professional photographers because their products require the right amount of creativity to attract clients through images. Alternatively, you can specialize in food photography for restaurants that need to advertise meals and create menus.

Product photos are used for labels, packaging, and print and online catalogs, so there is a high need for quality. Consequently, the majority of product photography is done in studios that permit careful control of lighting, shadows, and backgrounds. As a product photographer, you may lose significant cash to studio rentals, so invest in creating a personal photography studio on a budget.

Fashion photography

Fashion photography is perhaps the most glamorous photography genre, but it is sadly among the most difficult to break into. Fashion photographers usually reside in the design districts of Paris, Milan, and New York, documenting the trendiest runway styles and taking cover shots for leading industry publications. However, they work in many other locations, including studios, open fields, and city streets. Fashion photographers use many skills portrait photographers are known for. For example, this job focuses on the models, so a lot of your time will be spent posing and directing them to get the desired shots. As such, you must have good teamwork and communication skills to effectively collaborate with models, creative directors, wardrobe specialists, makeup artists, and many other professionals.

Architectural photography

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Many people take pictures of buildings as a fun hobby, but others have made entire careers out of it. Architectural photographers work as freelancers or are employed by agencies to capture the essence of structures and buildings from their commencement to completion. You will capture details like the building’s interiors and exterior and any subtle elements that make the building’s design outstanding. Also, architectural photography needs special equipment and techniques to reduce distortion and perspective issues that are easy to spot from a building’s right angles.

Real estate photography is a great subdivision of architectural photography. Realtors always require top-notch photographs, especially in today’s market, where 87% of home buyers rely on photographs to make their decisions. Therefore, realtors are willing to pay top dollar for quality professional photographs, particularly in the high-end market.

June 8, 2016