Author: Igor

  • The Most Inspiring Music Artists In History

    Nobody creates music in a vacuum. Everyone has their heroes: people who “showed them the way” and introduced them to incredible new sounds. 

    When you’re just starting out creating music, though, you don’t always know where to draw inspiration. Sure – focus on your particular genre. But a lot of the most successful artists in history looked to the past to create their sounds. Maroon 5 went back a long way, borrowing from Beethoven to come up with their catchy tunes.

    Of course, if you read this blog on the 5 Online Must-Have Music Tools, you’ll know that there’s more to a successful music career than just pure artistic inspiration. You need technical skills too. But don’t underestimate just how much particular artists could inspire you to create incredible tracks.

    U2

    U2 probably isn’t the first band that springs to mind when you’re looking for inspiration. But there is no doubt that the band created the modern soft rock sound. Before Bono and The Edge, rock was very much rock ‘n’ roll. After them, it became way more progressive.

    The Beatles

    Pexels – CC0 License

    The Beatles are widely regarded as the most influential band in history, beating out Bob Dylan, the Stones, and even the mighty Elvis himself. 

    The reason this band is so influential has to do with the sheer number of new sounds it introduced, plus its ability to rock a crowd. It might be more than fifty years old now, but the music still feels fresh somehow. Who knows – it might yet come back around? We’re currently seeing an eighties revival. What about a sixties one too?

    Jimi Hendrix

    Jimi Hendrix was probably the greatest guitarist to grace the surface of the Earth. The man was able to riff like nobody else before or since. And he had a knack for coming up with melodies that strummed on your soul.

    He was also very influential on how music looked. Like Elvis, he understood the importance of visuals. 

    Bob Dylan

    It’s hard for any history of music to make sense without mentioning Bob Dylan. The man was a musical genius, and he’s been touring around the planet since the 1980s. That’s a long time for anyone to spend on the road.

    Bob Marley

    Bob Marley’s genius was to take traditional reggae and somehow repackage it for a western audience. You might not think it, but practically every reggae tune you’ve heard in your life came from Marley. He is so dominant in the genre; it is ridiculous. Now many people know his music because modern artists sample it so often.

    Michael Jackson

    Michael Jackson was a massive influence on music, especially during his heyday in the eighties with Bad and Thriller’s release. The man combined dance moves with exciting visuals and vocal inflections. He had a knack for working up a crowd and making his music participatory. He might have been one of the strangest people in the industry, but that was also a part of his genius. It’s a shame it all ended so tragically.

  • Why You Should Take Up Film Photography

    Can you believe that even five or six years ago, digital cameras were all the rage? Now we simply have our smartphones which do all the work for us – no need for anything else. Unless you are a professional photographer who needs hyper-focus lenses for work, in which case you may still have a digital SLR which you use often, the chances are you take most of your photographs on your phone. Companies like Samsung and Apple have gone to great lengths to make their smartphone cameras second to none, ensuring that the only camera you will need when you’re out and about is already in your pocket. 

    So what’s the deal with analog photography? You might remember, if you are old enough, that all cameras used to operate using film. Each film canister had a limited number of shots you could take, and after that would have to be dropped off at a developer to be exposed in the correct conditions. Then the photos would be returned to you in physical form. No? Nobody remembers this? It wasn’t that long ago, people! Anyway… Believe it or not, analog photography is still alive and well, despite the existence of much more efficient cameras nowadays. So why is film photography still so popular, despite its inefficiencies? In this blog, you’ll learn about why analog photography remains sacred, and why you should take it up as your next hobby.

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    Understanding Film Photography

    If you love taking photographs, you will love the beauty and elegance of film photography. This medium involves being mindful about the shots you take, because of course, each shot uses up film – even if you mess it up! This means paying more attention to the lighting, composition and colours in the picture, which will create beautiful shots you can treasure forever. 

    British film photographer George Muncey said in an interview, ‘I also am just a strong believer that photography exists best in print, whether it’s in a book or on a wall.’ This sums up the beauty of film photography in its greatest forms. Photographs used to solely exist in print; now they almost entirely exist digitally. Modern analog photography is bridging this gap, creating meaningful moments and experiences for photographers, while preserving the craft of film photography in the modern day. 

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    Why Try Film Photography?

    You might be thinking, ‘This sounds nice, but so what? I just take photographs to make memories.’ For most people this is true. Yet film photography in the modern day supports this – you don’t have to lug around huge, ancient cameras in order to have fun with film photography. Here’s a breakdown of why film photography is an awesome medium which can boost your creativity, even if you aren’t yet passionate about photography. 

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    • Experimenting With Light

     

    One thing that film photography heavily relies on is light. If there is too much light travelling through the lens when the photo is taken, the film will be over-exposed, meaning that the photo can appear bleached and without detail. If there is too little light, the photo will not be clear either. So when you get into the nitty gritty of film photography, you can experiment with the functions of the camera which help let in the right amount of light. Some film photography fanatics purposefully over or under-expose their photos to create cool effects, kind of like a natural Instagram filter!

     

    • Waiting For Results

     

    In the contemporary technological world, we seem to have lost the art of waiting to see how things turn out. With film photography, this discipline is returned. Instead of taking a photograph and immediately checking how we look in it, you are forced to wait until the whole roll of film is finished and developed to see the results. This brings the joy back into taking pictures of loved ones and landscapes – and even ourselves – because we aren’t just focused on seeing ourselves in the photo, but in the moment itself. 

     

    • Digital Availability

     

    Film photography in the 2010s has developed a long way since before the internet existed. Now, most reputable film developers will offer a scanning service, meaning you can access your film photographs digitally as well as physically. This means that you can still post your photographs to Instagram and send them to friends and family, even if they were taken on an analog device.

    This also means you can share your photos in all the innovative, fun ways you can share photos in the modern day. You can send your analog photographs to Pixa Prints and have them made into a fun mouse mat or phone case; or you can still post them to your grandmother in a sweet envelope. Whatever your style, you can do it with film photography. 

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    What Camera Should I Buy?

    There are two distinct types of 35mm film cameras: SLR and point-and-shoot. 

    1. An SLR is a completely analog camera which does not need batteries to function, although it will need them if you want to use the light meter. SLRs need to be manually focused and adjusted to suit the light conditions. This is a more technically specific camera which might involve more trial-and-error, but the chances are you will take more beautiful and high quality photographs with an SLR!
    2. A point-and-shoot is an updated version of an SLR. Battery powered with a built-in flash, you literally just point it at the object, and click. These are auto-focus, auto-lit and are smaller and more compact too. These are great for simple memory-making, not studied, carefully curated shots. 

    Final Thoughts

    If you want a new hobby that can enhance your passion for taking great pictures while testing your creativity, film photography is for you. Make sure to utilise all the available free resources online, such as YouTube tutorials and reviews, so you can be a self-taught film photographer in no time at all! 

  • Edinburgh Roxburgh’s Court Art Project

    Edinburgh Roxburgh’s Court Art Project

    The Chris Stewart Group, The City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh College of Art have recently partnered up to transform Roxbourgh´s Court  – an undiscovered gem in Edinburgh’s Old Town – into a destination.

    More than 30 Product Design students from Edinburgh College of art have entered a competition to come up with an innovative urban design to bring more attention to this area of the city. In teams, the students presented a total of 9 different entries from which 3 have been short-listed and are now part of a competition where people can vote for their favourite entry to be turned into a real project.

    Future-Positive-Roxburgh-Court-Edinburgh

    Douglas Bryden, Programme Director of Product Design at ECA emphasised on the challenges of site-specific designs and how the students have responded to them:

    “The design brief set by The Chris Stewart Group provided a great opportunity for Product Design students to learn more about one-off site-specific design. We challenged the students to research, design, and finalise an installation design concept for the site at Roxburgh’s Court within a day. The students responded incredibly well, working intensively to explore a variety of creative approaches to change Roxburgh’s Court and the adjacent closes into an interesting destination for both tourists and local residents. The students are very excited about the potential for the winning design concept to be evaluated and developed for fabrication and installation at Roxburgh’s Court.”

    Our favourite entry is Night guide, which proposes illuminating Roxburghs Court for pedestrians during night hours using motion sensors and LED strips. You can see all the entries and vote for your favourite on the link below:

    www.lateralcity.com/roxburghcourtartproject

  • Specifications Of Nissan Livina 2020 Model: Why you Shouldn’t Compare with Mitsubishi Xpander!

    The Nissan Livina 2020 model is one of the automobiles that’s making vast popularity in the auto industry. But do you know there’s a lot about this sporty package that you’re yet to discover? Keep reading to find out more.

    Since it innovated in 2007, the Nissan Livina model has always attracted the attention of MVP lovers. From the ultimate three variants to the SV and XV, the Nissan Livina model has been a considerable choice for motorists. But the latest All-new Nissan Livina 2020 comes with a new package that’s making the talk of the town.  

    Unlike the previous generations, this drive comes in very different specs. Although many folks consider it to be a twin of the Mitsubishi Xpander, the All-new Nissan Livina 2020 has its powerful aspect. 

    Thus going through this guide would help you discover the unknown about Nissan Livina 2020!

    Interior

    The All-new Nissan Livina 2020 has a different internal setting with a seven-seater that’s very similar to the Mitsubishi Xpander. However, the Nissan Livina has more of a sporty interior facet because it utilizes dark colors for the inside view, and it’s easy for drivers to switch driving positions according to drivers’ posture. Another fantastic thing is you can adjust the seat height, and this happens for only this VLAT model Livina.

    Exterior

    The exterior aspect of the All-new Nissan Livina 2020 is very identical to Mitsubishi Xpander, especially the side design that is almost indistinguishable. Anyway, the front and back facet is relatively different because Nissan utilizes V motion grille in front to specify its brand identity.

    As for the back, it’s equipped with anti-skid plates and other stunning decorations on the bumper making it cooler and different from the Xpander. And the main lighting system uses halogen, which is good enough to enhance the driver’s sight.

    Engine & Transmission 

    The Nissan Livina 2020 comes in Automatic and Manual transmission, with a powerful 1.5-liter 4 cylinder engine coupled to a 4-speed automatic and 105PS and 141NM of torque transmitted to the front wheels.

    Safety

    The safety features of the All-new Nissan Livina encompasses the Driver Airbag, Passenger Airbag, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Rear Seat Belts, Parking Sensor, Seat Belt Warning, Engine Check Warning, Rear Camera, Door Ajar Warning, Child Safety Locks,  Front Impact Beams, Traction Control, and Side Impact Beams. There is no doubt that Nissan always put the safety first place.

    Conclusion

    After reading through this guide, it’s obvious you can now distinguish between the All-new Nissan Livina 2020 and Mitsubishi Xpander. From my perspective, it’s wrong to conclude Xpander and Livina are twins because the Nissan Livina has lots of mind-blowing features that surpass the Xpander that enables it to retain its LMPV image.

  • Graphic Design Basics for Beginners

    Graphic design is a high-level skill that involves creating digital designs using text, images, and other visual elements.

    The basics of graphic design are unchanging. The main aim of any graphic designer is to produce designs that capture people’s attention and communicate specific messages to evoke emotions.

    Image via Unsplash

    Graphic Design Basics for Beginners

    Whether you’re using a free banner design tool or you’re using paid editing software, you’ll need to learn basic techniques. There are certain design elements or principles that you can’t forget when you’re getting started as a graphic designer, and we’re going to discuss these below.

    The basic elements of graphic design are:

    • Color
    • Image
    • Line
    • Shape
    • Space
    • Texture
    • Type

    Color

    Colors have the incredible ability to evoke certain emotions in people. When you’re designing graphics, you can use color psychology to ensure that each of your designs conveys a specific message.

    Alongside choosing the right color combinations, you also need to choose the right tones and shades. Lighter, pastel shades and tones are associated with calming, less dominant emotions. Darker shades or tones are more ominous and powerful.

    Image

    When adding images to your work, make sure they are consistent with the message that you want to convey. Choose images that make a strong impact on your views and draw their attention to your designs.

     Line

    Depending on the length, thickness, and combination of lines you choose, your designs can convey certain emotions. Heavier lines communicate formality and stability. Simple lines convey organization and scribbled lines promote excitement.

     Shape

    Shapes can be geometric or free-flowing. The former comprises a series of straight or curved lines that create shapes. They’re simple and often abstract.

    The latter is more fun and creative. Free-flowing shapes can take on any form, and can be used to evoke a wide range of feelings and emotions in your audience.

     Space

    Space refers to the composition of your graphic designs. You can change the space between words and images to emphasize certain things and draw your viewer’s attention to specific parts of your designs.

    You also need to consider white space, which refers to the areas of your designs that don’t contain any fonts or graphics. White space is important to create clear and visually impactful graphic designs.

    Texture

    Texture is one of the more complex components of graphic design. Generating texture in your designs creates character and depth. Texture is an important component of making your designs look professional and complete.

    You can use textured typography or add texture to your images to enhance your designs. Even once your designs are complete, you can adjust the contrast, saturation, or transparency of certain elements in your graphic designs for added texture.

    Type

    Type is short for typography. The fonts that you use in your graphic design should be legible and cohesive with the other visual elements that you are using.

    Aside from the copy itself, you also need to consider the size, thickness, and spacing of your typography. You can use more than one style of typography in a single design but stick to a maximum of three different fonts to avoid making your designs look cluttered and confusing.