Starting something new
You would find a new blog format!!
If you were kept from blogging due to the fact that you were uninspired by the "typical" format of blogs what would happen to you?
I am happy to introduce my new found freedom from the tradional style of blogging. Join me as I express myself with not only the words and pictures I post but how I post them. I am bey0nd excited by the experince!
Wani Olatunde
We did a little Q&A with Wani Olatunde of Wani Olatunde Photography. Her images, which range from intimate family portraits to wedding and street photography, speak volumes about her artistry.
Tell us a little about yourself?
Ooh, what do you need to know about me? I'm a professional wedding and lifestyle photographer based in Lagos, Nigeria. Although my business is primarily shooting weddings and portraits, I love watching and observing people, so I do love my street photography as well. I'm a Nigerian, German, Scottish melting pot and I spent my formative years in the UK, which I still consider home. I have a Masters in Electronic Engineering and was an investment banker for over 6 years working in the UK, South Africa and Nigeria. I am very excited and humbled to now be able to pursue my passion, which is of course, photography.
How did you get into photography and how many years of experience do you have?
Photography has always been in my life - my dad made me the official family photographer when I was around 10 years old giving me his beloved Minolta film camera, which I guess was a huge vote of confidence. Travelling to beautiful countries like India, South Africa and Thailand further spurred my interest in photography. I would say I gradually made the transition from ardent hobbyist to professional photographer over the last 3 years.
How did you master your craft?
I definitely wouldn't say I have mastered my craft as there is always something new I can learn. However, I am a sponge when it comes to photography, I attend workshops, online courses, buy educational books and network with other photographers in order to continue to grow as an artist. Most importantly, I am constantly shooting in a range of environments and lighting situations, which I believe is the best way to learn. The legendary fashion photographer Helmut Newton said: “The first 10,000 shots are the worst” and it excites and motivates me to know that although my images today are better than yesterday, they are going to be even better tomorrow.
What kind of camera/lenses do you use?
I am a Canon girl - it was the first DSLR camera I bought and I love it. I use a range of lenses depending on what I'm shooting but my go to lens is the 50mm f1.4. I'm saving up for the Canon 5D MK III and 50mm f1.2 but I'm hoping that if I drop enough hints, friends and family will contribute towards the cause - it's worth a try.
When did you realize that photography was more than a hobby?
My love for photography is something that has grown the more I shoot. When I realised that I was spending every spare moment studying and thinking about photography, it occurred to me that this might be something I wanted to do professionally. I became a weekend shooter, so effectively working two jobs and then finally this year, I was fortunate enough to be able to go full time and I have truly never been happier.
How would you describe your aesthetic, where does your inspiration come from?
I am still figuring out my style but I am drawn to beautiful, emotive, evocative imagery and this is what I seek to create with my wedding, portrait and street work. It's amazing the unexpected places you can find beauty if you really set your mind to it. Initially my inspiration came from other wedding and portrait photographers but now I am starting to look at other types of photography and art forms to really try and discover who I am as an artist.
What are your favourite kind of photo shoots and why?
It depends on the genre of photography I'm shooting. For weddings, I love the couples session just after the ceremony. The couple look amazing, they are in their own little love bubble and can't keep their hands off each other. It really is an honour to be able to capture these sort of moments that will help my couples relive their wedding day every time they look at my images.
Describe your fantasy shoot?
Oh wow - a million ideas race through my head. I am not a fashion photographer but I am looking to do more fashion inspired portrait work. So I would want an amazing team consisting of a stylist (Rihanna's or Blake Lively's would do), makeup artist and hair stylist. I would want a limited access location such as the Taj Mahal and then a stunning couple who are comfortable in front of the camera (Brangelina would be acceptable). I would shoot at sunset, so there would be lots of colour, lots of drama and simply stunning imagery. Never say never!
What is your end goal with photography, where do you hope it takes you?
I haven't decided on an end goal quite yet since I am pretty early on in my photography career. Ultimately I think I may want to become an international destination wedding photographer as this would combine my love of travelling with my photography but only time will tell.
What is your advice to beginning photographers (are there any resources you would recommend)?
The most important piece of advice I can give to any amateur photographer is to learn the basics of photography in terms of the exposure triangle and the basics of lighting etc. This will allow you to take control of your photography and understand how to get the image you want in any environment. I can highly recommend the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson, which gave me a lot of "a-ha" moments and completely transformed my photography. In terms of online resources, there is an endless list but two of my absolute favourites are Digital Photography School and Elizabeth Halford Photography.
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Connect with Wani
Art & Entertainment
Joe Biden as Crypt Keeper during the Debate?
Coincidence?
Hot vs. Hot
Outtakes Paul Ryan Working Out (lol)
NO PAIN - NO GAIN
Outtakes from Time Magazine/ Paul Ryan photo shoot that was inspired by his Facebook photos showing him working out with P90X creator Tony Horto - Via: Time
Killer Rice Wine in Vietnam
Posion hooch has killed 66 people in the last five years in Vietnam and affected another 183 people in a total of 196 cases, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported Thursday.
Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai together accounted for almost a third of the cases, it said quoting a report by the Vietnam Food Administration.
Most of the deaths were caused by ruou de (glutinous and non-glutinous rice wines) with high methanol content and rice wine made using poisonous herbs, the report said.
Vietnam has 328 units, including family-run ones, producing a total of 360 million liters of rice wine a year, it said.
KILLER MOONSHINE
Moonshine (Rice wine made with deadly herbs) kills 66 in Vietnam since 2007
Via: thanhniennews
Ouija Board - Access to Unconscious Mind
Canadian researchers have come up with an unconventional technique for investigating the unconscious using a Ouija board—a wooden board marked with the words “yes” and “no.”
The University of British Columbia (UBC) team hopes to apply what they learn to make things like planes, cars, and objects in the home more intuitive and safer to use.
“Most people think they have complete control of their minds, but they are wrong,” said study co-author Ron Rensink in a press release. “The truth is, we perform thousands of unconscious mental and physical tasks every day.”
Rensink gives driving as the perfect example: “In many cases, we are navigating through dangerous situations, thinking only about what we want for dinner,” he explained. “We get home and often remember very little about the trip.”
The researchers found that people gave more accurate responses when guessing the answers to questions with a Ouija board (65 percent) versus answering verbally (50 percent). In contrast, when participants thought they knew the answer, both response types had almost equal accuracy.
“These surprising findings suggest we have a powerful ‘second intelligence’ resting beyond our conscious minds that can be accessed under the right conditions,” said study co-author Hélène Gauchou in the release.
Investigation: Unconscious Mind
using the Ouija Board
Source: the epoch times
Halloween Fun Facts
The kids watch the opening of Thing From Another World, The (1951) on TV. Carpenter would later re-make this film himself in 1982 as Thing, The (1982).
Halloween was shot in 21 days in the spring of 1978. Made on a budget of $300,000, it became the highest-grossing independent movie ever made at that time.
According to screenwriter/producer Debra Hill, the character of Laurie Strode was named after John Carpenter's first girlfriend.
Inside Laurie's bedroom there is a poster of a painting by James Ensor (1860-1949). Ensor was a Belgian expressionist painter who used to portray human figures wearing grotesque masks.
Halloween takes place primarily in fictional Haddonfield, Illinois. Haddonfield, NJ is the home town of screenwriter Debra Hill.
The performance of Halloween's musical score is credited to "The Bowling Green Philharmonic." There is no Philharmonic in Bowling Green. The "orchestra" is actually John Carpenter and assorted musical friends.
HALLOCHEAP
Since the movie was actualy shot in spring, the crew had to buy paper leaves from a decorator and paint them in the desired autumn colors, then scatter them in the filming locations. To save money, after a scene was filmed, the leaves were collected and reused.
Due to its shoestring budget, the prop department had to use the cheapest mask that they could find in the costume store: a William Shatner mask, from the movie "The Devil's Rain." They later spray-painted the face white, teased out the hair, and reshaped the eyeholes
cool facts and it shows you don't need a big budget to make a horror classic.
Via: Film Halloween Facts
Purity
Purity
Your heart is filled with kindness and respect for every living being.
You keep the aim never to cause sorrow to anyone, including yourself.
RIGID at Now Contemporary Art Miami
Silence
Silence
Silence is the language of the pure heart. It is the voice of God, the music of love.
Your mental stillness opens the way to the light of God and the means to absorb ultimate love and strength. www.bkwsu.org
Beauty/ Fashion
Fitness/Health
Its very important to keep healthy and fit because it makes you feel good, look good, and most of important it prevents health risks. The reason you feel so good after you do exercise is because your body lets out a certain hormone called endorphins. So here are some health plans and some ways to stay healthy!
SMOOOTHIIEE!! Fruit smoothies are a great way to start your day with lots of vitmains and yummy fruit. The best thing about smoothies is that you can put anything in it. One of my favorite is berry smoothies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup of frozen blackberries
- 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup of plain fat-free yogurt
- 1 scoop of vanilla whey
- 2 ice cubes
- 1 tbsp of honey
- 1/4 cup of water
AND MIX!!!
OATS! Oats, depending how you eat them, have a medium to low GI (Glycemic Index) rating. This means that they release sugars into the bloodstream slower than other, usually more sugary, foods. The result is that you should feel fuller for longer and not snack so much. You can also add your favorite fruits and nuts!
SANDWICHH!! Having lunch is very important because is it "keeping you going" through the day. too heavy of a lunch leads to sluggishness and too light of a lunch leads to shaky hunger. a medium-sized, and BALANCED meal is important. A healthy sandwich includes multigrain bread (NOT WHITE), ham off the bone, lettuce, tomato and a homemade relish (so you know whats in it). Its also really good toasted!
LEMON & WATER!! Lemon mixed with water is great for anyone who has respiratory problems like asthma because of its rich source of vitamin C. A cup of warm water with lemon and a pinch of salt can help with weight loss and lower cholesterol. Adding lemon to your water will make it a bit more flavorsome. You can also add honey and mint which is good if you have a cold!
SNACKY!! Having a small snack between lunch and dinner will make you not eat as much for dinner and so you dont binge. Berrys and nuts are good healthy snack that you can eat when your on the go!
CHICKENN!! Chicken has a good source of vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is found in plentiful amounts in poultry and meat. It also had protein which is good for muscular tissue in your body, including skeletal muscle, heart tissue and smooth muscle found in the walls of your intestines. Also on the side of your dish you can add some steamed vegies which you can drizzle some honey on top to give it some flavor.
COCO!! Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure so EAT UP! Having a few squares a day can help you brain to stay strong.
StoneField
Prayer
Reason & Perception
Ride the night away
I am responsible for what I see. I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide what is the goal I want to reach. And everything that seems to happen me, I have asked myself, and those wishes are granted. A Course in Miracles, Chapter 21 Reason and Perception