Creativity: 'Im a rebel like my T2i'

Choosing a DSLR for the frist time is the most exciting and nerve racking decision.
As an amateur photogrpaher there were many things i had to think about and ive put this review together to give you an overall feel of the camera as well as a short guide to buying your first DSLR.

5 Things To Think About
1. Budget
2. Make (Canon/ Nikon/ Olympus)
3. Model
4. Lenses (macro / telelphoto/ zoom /focal length/ appature)
5. casing and SD cards

My first tip is to research!!!

Speak to as many DSLR users as possible. Especially photographers who shoot a similar style to you. Their advice is gold! They can assist you on long-term purchases. Theyve been through the process of buying the body and lenes (a collection that will burn a hole in your pocket overtime) which are a very specfic and personal choice.

Read as many reviews as possible. Some great review websites are:
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.cameralabs.com/
http://www.digitalreview.ca/

Blogs are also very useful - because they will be written most likely by people who have used the product. They will upload their own pictures which i find really helpful to judge quality.

Google! Google reviews or comparisions of cameras you are choosing between. They will layout the good and bad points for you, and you can decide whether that affects you or not.

After your so sick of looking at images of the camera you are so desperate to hold, look for a bargin!

Top Tips For Buying
The cheapest deals are online.
HOWEVER make sure the seller is reliable (especially if your buying off eBay)

Its not always best to get a lense kit, it may seem like a cheap deal at the time but saving that money to get a good prime lense in the future can be better off.

Make sure that this is the camera you want. If you are buying online go to a local store and hold the camera. Its important to get a feel of the camera, it can also be a good way to decide between models, instinctively.


'Im a rebel like my T2i'



I picked up my canon 550D T2i + 18-55mm lense kit on pixmania for £605 incl. delivery.
I saved at least up to £50 from other sellers.
The lense isnt great and I could have spent £200 more for a 18-135mm lense kit HOWEVER for my use, im interested in buying some macro lenses rather than zoom.

Apart from having to charge it- anticipation almost killed me!
I literally began shooting anything in my radius.
Every image amazed me. I havent taken it through any tests yet but Im planning a shoot in decemeber which will proove excactly how good the camera is.

Features I was looking for:
1. Frames per second. (at least 4)
2. Auto-focus modes
3. Video capapbilites (To support my interest in filmaking)
4. Portability
5. Amatuer use

For now, I must say im impressed. The feel of the body is comfortable, its light weight and easy to manage. Its not hard on the eyes and shoots instantly in atuo mode. The lense will do for now but I am already searching for a 50mm macro lense and telephoto lense.

Final word: I would recommend the T2i to first time DSLR users, you can pick it up for a price that wont hurt your pocket too much for what you are getting. Keep posted for my first T2i pics!

Film: Top 5 low budget Films

1. El Mariachi
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Budget: $7000

2. Requiem for a Dream
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Budget: $4,500,000

3.Paranormal Activity
Directed by: Oren Peli
Budget: $15,000

4. The Blair Witch Project
Directed by: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez
Budget :$22,000

5. EraserHead
Directed by: David Lynch
Budget: $100,000

Inspiration: Dirty Money

As we move towards Christmas, I thought it would be apt to begin by reviewing something with the theme of partying associated with it. The term party can be defined in a relatively simple manner, but different age groups associate with it different cultural products and it’s usually the youth who make a mess of it all in the end, quite literally. It’s true; the party itself may be as glamorous as can be, but there isn’t much shine or sparkle left at the end of it all. Today, the culture of partying amongst the youth around the world is such that the mess that is made at the end of the whole party determines whether it was just a ‘good’ party or in fact a ‘great’ one.

It’s quite a paradox as to how this mess is considered to be invaluable in delivering the final verdict on the rating of a party and yet be one of the most frustrating and irritating aspects of the day because it needs to be cleaned up.

Enter the ‘Hangover Helpers’. I happened to stumble upon this link on Facebook (special thanks to Anshuk Megharikh for posting it), and was drawn in by the simplicity of this idea. What began in the form of cleaning up party houses (to earn extra cash) for Marc Simons during University, actually inspired him to start up this relatively simple business, targeting a specific niche market. Hangover Helpers take care of cleaning up the mess made at a party and also supply energy drinks and mouth watering Mexican food. Amazing isn’t it; you get fed and energized for letting them clean up your mess.

Once Marc had realized the full potential of what he was actually doing, he teamed up with Alex Verre-Nicol and formed Hangover Helpers. It’s quite a simple theory – The products available in the market today cater to almost everything we need. Hence, what people want most is interaction and a personalized touch, some form of service. And this is exactly what these two friends have done; they are providing invaluable service (what the people want) at a time when people need it the most. Marc claims that he had found a relatively profitable niche in spite of the bad economy. I don’t know whether you sense it or not, but it definitely tells me something – If you cater to people’s wants at a time when they need it the most, in the form of a service, no material, tangible product can be as valuable as the service provided.

Lights, music, cups and alcohol may cater to the temporary desires of entertainment and enjoyment, but at the end of the day it takes a human touch to make you truly happy. So, I say we seek inspiration from the Hangover Helpers and begin to help one another more so that we all may mutually benefit from each other!

The next article I will be doing will be a follow up to this, but it branches off very interestingly into a theme of our social world, so watch out for that!

Here is the link to the short write up about Hangover Helpers: http://www.coloradodaily.com/ci_16719213#axzz16jZr45Er

Food: Pret A Porter, Pret A Laver, Pret A Manger

Those times when you're starving, but you've already had lunch, and it's only a couple of hours away from dinner, those times are the worst. Mc Donalds seems like a viable choice, even tempting, a cheap burger and fries to set you on your way. Oh but the guilt! The cheese, the unnatural ingredients, not to mention the never eroding fries that will keep your stomach gurgling for hours, imagine having to explain that to the person who has cooked you a delicious dinner, oh no. Mc Donalds won't do.

Walk a little further, down the street, turn either to your left or to your right, you're probably wondering where, well, anywhere! In central London that is.

Pret A Manger is on every corner, near every main station, and if you're those in Liverpool street and Victoria, well then you're spoiled for a choice of three Prets!

A chain this big is probably boasting, a rich boring company that does not care for its customers, just for the money. Well maybe, but it does sandwiches better than your mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles. Broad statement I know, but once you dig into one of their caramelised onions and brie sandwich, it would be very hard to disagree. The flavor of the mild brie compliments the poignant sweet onion, and it's all brought together with freshly baked french bread.

If you go specifically to have lunch or breakfast there, the sandwich is simply not enough. The food stations are cleverly sectioned out into drinks, snacks, salads and sandwiches and... dessert, much like shopping in a supermarket or Ikea, for spare parts to that desk you were meaning to build. And once you feel you have your selection of a healthy meal, your subjected to the cashiers treats, "Would you like anything else with that?" the healthy crisps, vegetable snacks, popcorn, and even... Chocolate. Damn my wallet! Why do you always stretch further when in the presence of Pret, I could probably find the same crisps cheaper, the chocolate more enjoyable, and the popcorn freshly made, it's the power of marketing my friends. Never underestimate it. 

There's no real art to making these sandwiches, just fresh ingredients and a taste for what goes well. Some are simple, such as the dolphin friendly tuna, mayo and cucumber. Some are more extravagant, like the hoisin duck wrap.

But one thing is for sure, they are all 'kiss the ground and beam me up' delicious.

If you're having trouble finding one (you shouldn't), but just in case:

http://www.pret.com/find_a_pret/findapret.cgi

Can you say 'Mmmm'?

Film: Io non ho paura (2003) Review

Directed by : Gabriele Salvatores

            Running Time: 108 minutes

            IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326977/

Io non ho paura ( I’m not scared) is a beautifully crafted film set in Southern Italy (1978). It follows the discovery that nine year old  Michele has stumbled upon and how he deals with it.

While exploring an old abandoned house, Michele notices a trap door and looks inside. To his surprise he sees a very fragile/malnutritioned child squinting back at him and it gives a Michele a huge scare. It turns out, the child’s name is Filippo  and strangely he thinks he is dead.

Eventually Michele befriends Filippo and brings him food and water daily. Michele does not tell anybody of his discovery at first as he clearly does not understand what the reality of the situation is as he is only nine years old.

As the plot progresses, the film becomes an intense ride as Filippo’s story becomes evident and Michele gets caught up in a web of unfortunate circumstances. 

Salvatores takes his time to get to the climax. He depicts how Michele’s secret grows in his mind. That is to say that for Michele there were also other things to think about, as for when he longs for a toy blue truck that belongs to a friend, he strikes a bargain to get it. Essentially, the urgency of the situation only gradually grows in Filippos mind.

This film is a helpful reminder that in childhood days seemed to last forever. Parents were by far a law that was not to be questioned, as they had demonstrated that they knew best and that we were only children. ‘ Io non ha paura’ is a depiction of true childhood, of it’s fears and doubts, of the way a conversation can be overheard but not understood, of the innocence of a child.

This film works perfectly, the acting is impressive, the cinematography is beautiful and the director’s story telling through the eyes of Michele is captivating.

ENJOY!

Music: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West

Arrogant- maybe, full of himself- completely, a self-proclaimed asshole- definitely, but hey- at least he’s honest, and there is no denying that Kanye West is a modern-day musical genius. His latest masterpiece is entitled My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. How rare is it to be able to buy an album where every single song is even more amazingly well made than the next and you don’t have to fast forward when you stumble upon a less than enjoyable track?

West was always first and foremost a producer, and while he remains heavily criticized by musicians and music lovers alike for using samples for his music rather than organically creating his own, I have a romantic retrospective theory that all the great music and songs have already been made, so it’s really not his fault. It’s also worth keeping in mind that it’s often times more difficult to write an essay using different sources and putting it in your own words than to write a book- if you get my metaphor.

His songs generally seem to revolve around 3 main themes, the struggle with faith (in God), the struggle of the sexes, and the struggle of the races. He has an uncanny ability to sing about pornography one minute and effortlessly connect it to the politics of porn in the very next line, then round it off with a comment on African slavery in America, which is what he does in ‘Hell of a Life’. A master of thematic album making, a common thread can be identified in the eclectic songs of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, this might sound like an oxymoron but then Kanye West manages to constantly contradict himself.  A mix of classical background notes such as the piano at the start of ‘Runaway’ and the electric guitar which provides a ‘soulful’ rocky edge, paired with the mandatory hip-hop beats, often incorporating African drums that are reminiscent of those heard on his last hit ‘Love Lockdown’ on 808 and Heartbreak make his songs unpredictable and unique in the context of hip hop.

West views himself as a creative, a storyteller and a ‘soldier of culture’ and he expresses this in his 35 minute film Runaway, named after one of the albums songs, a kind of extended video clip. He enjoys enlightening his fans by exposing them to new cultures “just the opportunity I have to show the world, like ballerina meets hip-hop... these are just things you don’t really see together” he says in an interview with Access Hollywood. In an another interview with Ellen Degenres, West discusses Runaway, “It has like 9 other songs from the album, I’ve always had a dream of having a full length that shows visuals for all these songs that deserve videos, but instead of the regular construct of video they have this full length thing...it’s very important for me to bring the highest form of art to the culture because of the fact that I have so much exposure.”

After taking a year off traveling the world due to the tumultuous reverberations of his verbal hit at Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMA’s it’s safe to say he’s back with a bang. But this man still has something to say about everything, and ultimately he will be heard, even through the gag and muffle imposed on him by the American media. On the day My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was released, less than a week ago on November 22^nd, it dominated iTunes album sales, with the explicit, clean and deluxe versions of the album in the top three of the chart. I could keep on writing about this, but I think everyone should check it out for themselves, it won’t disappoint. 

To watch the full length feature Runaway film: http://kanyewest.com/

Creativity: Vernacular Unquestioned

You'd think it be a modern poets dream to see how far hip hop has come.
From the New York streets to our t.v screens we are blessed with cultural voices of pain, confusion, struggle and passion.
These struggles go beyond ghetto street corners and fatherless childhoods to civil rights animosity and inequality.
Whose to blame when it comes to artists that claim to be the truth when in reality they are constructed and act as puppets to mass money making corporations.

No more home studios, no more basketball court battles just a cheap remastered beats or (in Kanye's case) a sample and some lyrics about struggling on what to buy next.
Don't get me wrong there is still talent out there and some artists have been loyal to hip hop's name, but we have to actively seek them.

You could push the blame on so many forces.
Money, for blinding the hunger of talented poets with a dream.
Record labels, for pushing catchy lyrics written by writers they represent.
Producers, for over selling compositions that become variations of their last beat.
Publicity, for molding a poet physically even mentally for financial gain.
All these forces are liable but the most liable is the poet for 'selling out'
A lot of people don't like to use this term but I know that for a serious lyricists your words are apart of you.

Let's think about.
When was the last time you heard a successful hip hop track without a pop artist singing the chorus?
The format has changed.
Few listen to the lyrics so artists don't put any time into writing them.
It's not about blame, it's about the future.
It's up to you, to choose what it is you listen to.
As a poet I listen to lyrics, I want to understand the struggle and that means something to me.
It's a choice.

I could layout my opinions and debate for hours but I'd rather your conscious make up it's own mind.
Instead let's make this a positive, because there is still so much talent that doesn't get the exposure it deserves.
Here are my top 5 lyricists

1. Mos Def

2. Talib kweli

3. De La Soul

4. Nas

 

5. Slick Rick



Click the name to check them out!

Food: There's Nothing Plastic About This Dolls House

Take a step back; well better make it thirty years back, as this is when The Dolls House On the Hill was born and gave home to some of our taste buds best friends. Situated on a hill, which gave Byron inspiration for his poetry, Churchill a home for his studies, and James Blunt an education while he wrote his emotional yet thought provoking lyrics; the hill marks one of London’s oldest landmarks. So it is no surprise that when entering this petite café, you have to wade through the hoards of people that want a table. 

On my experience going there it was clear that we would have to wait a while to have a chance to sit down and take in the views that stretch all the way to the central of London. However, their brisk and homely fashion allowed five people to sit on a four people table, quite comfortably.

We came here for the traditional English breakfast, and after dreaming of this fry- up for weeks, you can imagine my disappointment when I was told that breakfast stopped serving at midday. Not unusual for any café, restaurant or bistro, and I could hardly blame them for following the rules, however I could blame a certain male for waking up too late. Like any other trooper I read the menu intensely to see what could possibly match up to my daydream of succulent, farm fresh sausages and bacon. 

An egg mayonnaise sandwich, this may seem like a settlement offer from stingy business men, but as I saw it walk passed me on a plate, it called out to me. And of course, a pralines and cream milkshake, well, no-ones counting calories.   

All the orders arrived in regular intervals, nobody had to wait too long to dig in, except some foods looked more appetizing than others, what I thought was an egg mayonnaise sandwich on the other plate was in fact a brie and tomato. I wasn't complaining, it was a standard sandwich, I just expected more. Nothing fell short in the milkshake department however, it was creamy, and bulky in the right parts, just the right amount of ice-cream and just the right amount of milk. Just when I thought I couldn't be happier with my beverage, along came Tanya's Luxury Hot Chocolate with Cream and Marshmallows. That was a site better than an Oasis itself (the band or the mirage in the desert), just filled to the tip to allow the drinker a big spoonful, as if to say, "You can't drink it the way it is, it's going to go everywhere! Here, take my friend, the spoon, and sample a taste before you really go at me", and so we all did, one by one, melting at the taste of this delectable, soothing, Hot Chocolate.

The view didn't fall short either, if you're lucky enough to get a seat next to the window on a clear day, you can see from Harrow to Central London, a truly spectacular sight. 

See it for yourself:

The Dolls House On The Hill- Harrow on the Hill

Nearest Tube Station: Harrow on the Hill (Metropolitan Line)

Bus Routes: 258 from Harrow bus station

Address:

44 High Street
Harrow on the Hill
Middlesex HA1 3LL
Tel: 020 8864 9100 

Treat your taste buds to something tasty, don't hold out. 

Here have some visual stimulation: