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ryazand-blog · 8 years ago

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Adulting 101: 30’s is the new 20’s!

Adulting 101 — Goodbye 20’s and hello to the new chapter of my adult life the BIG 30! My 20’s had been one hell of a roller coaster ride. Surely it did have lots of ups and downs, triumphs and struggles, people have come and gone, some are here to stay. All the idealism in my teenage years has slowly faded out to the reality of life.

2007: My graduation day in PLM

There were few life milestones, happened in my 20’s, and I’m grateful for it.

In my 20’s, I graduated in a reputable university in the Philippines. I got my first job straight away as a tour organiser in a prestigious travel agency in Manila. I’ve experienced heartbreak when my ex-boyfriend and I split up because of his American dreams. On a lighter note, I met my husband and learned to love again.

On our wedding day

I took my first international flight to what became my second home — the UK. I went to the UK with an adventurous spirit and feelings of trepidation.

Adulting 101: My life in the UK in my 20’s

Circa 2009: In Birmingham, UK

I come from a poor family, so hard work is something that is not new to me. I faced all the challenges abroad from cultural adjustments up to adhering to the tightening rules of UK immigration. It was not easy; there were times that I didn’t even have money to buy food. I had to ask friends if I could crash at their place, even for a night or two and sometimes I slept in a freezing cold room. I convinced myself, that these were only challenges and I have to keep myself focused on my goals. It was not all roses and rainbows, but I am proud that I coped in these difficult times.

Money doesn’t come easy; you need to work hard for it. I was in a sticky situation before, I lost my first job here in the UK, but still needed to send money to my parents in the Philippines and pay for my schooling and living expenses here in the UK. I had to make a move. Any move to survive! I asked my fellow Filipinos to help me to find a job to sustain myself here in the UK. Eventually, I found employment in a care home.

Our recognition day in London

I was determined to work again in the hospitality and tourism sector, so I enrolled myself in a hospitality training course in London, and even before I finished the course, I managed to bag a new job in a four-star hotel. Since money was tight, I had to have two jobs. I managed to get a job at the local hospital as a part-time receptionist, and I managed to work my way up to a Data Analyst.

Eventually, I had to give my hotel job to focus on my personal life goals. I started blogging and began to learn photography. Oh, I also passed my UK driving test and became a dual citizen and an adopted child of Britain!

On my UK Citizenship ceremony

Here are the few life lessons that I’ve learned in my 20’s:

Be kind to yourself.

It’s great to have a personal timeline and plan. However, life can be a bitch sometimes and will knock you around when you least expect it. Don’t be disheartened; you are not a superhero! No one is invincible; no one is perfect! So don’t bloody kill yourself to become one.

Don’t easily trust anyone.

Trust is a big word and should be earned. Protect yourself from being a victim of false promises and lies. People will come and go, some will stay, and some will only be there because it’s convenient for them. Carefully pick the people that you will let in your “circle of trust”.

Not everyone will like you.

You can’t please everyone, and that’s perfectly ok. You are unique, and people have their personal preferences and values. Just carry on doing what you want and have to do to achieve your goals in life.

Treasure life experience

Money is not everything. Cliche as it sounds, please don’t get me wrong. Money can buy you comfort, but it can’t buy you real happiness. Life experience is more valuable than any precious metals or gems. No, I won’t advise you to quit your job and travel! Many of us have “adulting” responsibilities in life, but I will encourage you to go out of your comfort zone and explore places as frequent as you can.

Stay focused on your goals

No matter what happens, stay focus. Don’t be a busybody procrastinating on the things that you want in life. It will be scary as hell to not know what will happen in the future. However, great journeys always begin with your first bold step outside your comfort zone. Be stubborn with your goals, and be flexible on your methods.

I’m happy to embrace the challenges, triumphs, frustrations and everything in between in this new chapter of my life. In my 30’s, I aim to achieve my life goals and set more attainable ones! So amigo, go out of your comfort zone, and you’ll be amazed at how strong and capable you are.

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Adulting 101: Welcoming the New Chapter in Adult Life Adulting 101: 30's is the new 20's! Adulting 101 -- Goodbye 20's and hello to the new chapter of my adult life the BIG 30!

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ryazand-blog · 8 years ago

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Let's cross the bridge when we get there! 📷: Hadsel Bridge in Stokmarknes, Norway More of the throwback Arctic Circle posts soon.❄ #EverythingZany #Norway #ArcticCircle (at Stokmarknes, Norway)

#everythingzany #norway #arcticcircle

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ryazand-blog · 8 years ago

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The novelty and excitement that I felt staying in an ice hotel was so surreal.

Something that you should definitely experience once in your life and include on your travel bucket list. The staff gave us a little welcome note and encouraged us to look around.

Through the archway and past two massive ice wall carvings was our ice cabins for that evening. Each ice cabin has different designs on its wall. My ice cabin’s ice carving was polar bears! So sleeping in an igloo (ice cabin) in the Arctic region with polar bears! It can’t get any better than that! Plus, the magical northern lights displayed a wonderful show that evening.

Hotel Review: Kirkenes Snow Hotel in the Arctic

Photo Credit: Runar Larsen

It was a cold winter morning in Oslo, I rushed to the airport to catch the 2-hour flight to the Kirkenes, one of the most northern town of the Norwegian Arctic circle for a week cruise exploration.

I’m ecstatic and still can’t believe that I’m literally on the (almost) top of the world. The serenity of the place and the surrounding was filled with snow as far as your eyes can see was just mind-blowing. The sub-zero temperature was ignored due to the adrenaline of excitement. After I’ve been welcomed and transferred, there was a small briefing about what to expect during our stay in this Kirkenes hotel. We were ushered to the wooden Norwegian/Scandinavian style lounge restaurant of the hotel to settle in before we started our afternoon activities.

Our adventurous afternoon exploring the frozen fjords on a snowmobile and a quick stop for a King crab safari was a blast! We were not far from the boundaries of Russia and Finland, where you can be in 3 different countries all at the same time!

After our activities, we went to warm up in the arctic cabin style restaurant of the hotel. They served us the arctic beer and the homemade reindeer sausages that we needed to roast in the little fire in the middle of the cabin. It was tasty! After our little snack inside the cabin, we were ushered to the ice bar of the snow hotel. It was incredible! Another welcome drink was served; this time it was crowberry juice. Crowberry is a fruit almost similar to berries but this is can only be found in the arctic and sub-arctic regions.

After our dinner, the staff of the snow hotel gave us very detailed instructions on how to survive the night and get the most comfortable night sleep in the ice cabin. After all, this will be a night to remember.

Sleeping with the Polar Bears in the Ice cabin

Here are some tips on how you can have the most comfortable stay in an ice hotel.

Wear layers of clothing

To tackle the sub-zero temperature inside the ice cabin, you need to wear layers of clothing. This will give you great comfort and insulation throughout the night. In case you feel that you feel too hot, you can just quickly strip off a layer of your clothing. I prefer to use thermal clothes, as it really helps retain your body heat. The snow hotel will provide you with woolly socks, balaclava and gloves (or you can use your own gloves).

Skip the shower

For your own safety, to avoid hypothermia it is strongly advisable to skip the shower. Water obviously will get frozen overnight. The outside temperature that evening was -30 degrees centigrade and inside the ice cabin it was -6 degrees centigrade. I’m sure you can now picture how bitterly cold it felt that night. Also make sure to empty your bladder, as it would be a pain to get out of your comfy and snug sleeping bag to go to the toilet.

Courage to stay in the ice cabin

Not everyone is a fan of the cold surroundings, especially staying in an ice cabin might not be an ideal scenario. You have to really make sure that you really want this personal challenge on your travel bucket list and enjoy the novelty of staying in an igloo. If you feel that you can’t stand the cold temperature, the hotel staff will give you an alternative sleeping arrangement.

Make sure you are not claustrophobic

During this epic night in the ice cabin, you will be sleeping in a sleeping bag. The hotel will provide a sleeping bag that can withstand up to -30 degrees’ centigrade temperatures, so you can rest assure that you will be warm and snug the whole night in your ice cabin. A flat sheet will also be provided as an extra lining and for hygiene purposes while you are in the sleeping bag.

Buddy up

Sharing your room with a buddy is a great option to heat up the ice cabin even a tad bit. Moreover, it’s going to be an awesome way to share this experience with a friend or loved ones.

I had an incredible night sleep in the ice cabin. These tips will help you to survive and have a restful sleep. It’s definitely worth it and a night to remember!

A Night In An Ice Hotel In The Arctic Region The novelty and excitement that I felt staying in an ice hotel was so surreal. Something that you should definitely experience once in your life and include on your travel bucket list.

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ryazand-blog · 8 years ago

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Things That You Should Know In An Interracial Relationship

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#British #Europe #Philippines

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ryazand-blog · 8 years ago

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The King of Reggae Music, Bob Marley was remembered by the world on his 72nd Birthday (6th February) #MARLEY72.

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Bob Marley is one of the respected artists of all time. During the height of his career in the 70’s, he made loads of powerful songs that deliver a strong message of hope, empowerment, wisdom, love, political situations, poverty, struggle, hardships and self-identity.

Born as Robert Nesta Marley, a country boy who grew up in St. Ann Parish and eventually moved to Kingston, Jamaica. He was exposed to an environment of struggle, poverty, and chaos during his stay in Trenchtown in Kingston. Bob Marley was a Rasta and one of the most famous followers of Rastafarianism.

Bob found his way out of the ghetto thru his love and passion for music. He built his career and started “Bob Marley & the Wailers”, and the rest was history.

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When I went to Jamaica, reggae music was being played in every corner with different beats and rendition of the songs. Different Bob Marley’s portraits were painted as street graffiti with utmost respect dotted around the country.

You can find his story by watching this documentary and reading the book written by Rita Marley.

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Here is the list of my 10 Bob Marley Songs that will inspire you:

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Concrete Jungle

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Album: Catch a Fire (1972)

A song with a strong message of longing for a better life, hope and struggle.

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2. War

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Album: Rastaman Vibration (1976)

The popular speech of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in the UN Assembly. This song discusses equality and race.

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3. One Love

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Album: Exodus (1977)

A Grammy Award Hall of Fame song! A heartfelt song that can possibly be a universal tune in every part of the world.

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4. Trenchtown Rock

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Album: African Herbsman (1973)

This song depicts how music can be a powerful tool to deliver an important message of unity, love and hope.

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5. Three Little Birds

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Album: Exodus (1977)

One of the feel-good music of Bob Marley. I’m sure this will also put a smile on your face too! So don’t worry about a thing!

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6. Them Belly Full

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Album: Natty Dread (1974)

A beautifully made and strong political song. You can definitely feel the struggle and hardships in its lyrics.

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7. So Much Trouble in the World

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Album: Survival (1979)

A political song that narrates the all the chaos and irony of our time.

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8. Crazy Baldhead

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Album: Rastaman Vibration (1976)

A well-crafted song about poverty, ignorance, struggle and politics

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9. Ambush in the Night

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Album: Survival (1979)

Another political song the describes the attempted assassination of Bob Marley and the political chaos in Jamaica.

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10. Redemption Song

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Album: Uprising (1980)

One of the most famous songs of the Bob Marley about Black empowerment. The Redemption song is included in the last album he recorded before he passed away in 1981.

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Disclaimer: This blog post has affiliate links with no additional costs to you, but the few pence I will get will help me to run this website.

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10 Bob Marley Songs That Will Inspire You The King of Reggae Music, Bob Marley was remembered by the world on his 72nd Birthday (6th February) #MARLEY72.

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ryazand-blog · 8 years ago

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The UK is known for some of the best castles and palaces in the world.

I think every little girl’s dream is to become a princess. Yes, I’m one of them. I’m fascinated to learn about and visit castles and palaces in the UK. Since I moved to the UK back in 2009, castles and palaces are always on my list every time my husband and I go travelling around the country for a short break.

We both like to learn the history of the place we’re visiting. So, castles and palaces are one of the best places to start to discover the history of the area. Besides, it is imperative to know the history so you can appreciate the present.

Difference of Palace and Castle

Castles and palaces are meant for royalties, but they were built with a different purpose. Castles were mainly built to show power, supremacy and designed for protection. The massive thick walls of the castle can protect the people of importance in times of siege. While on the other hand, Palaces were built specifically as royal residences. The lavish and glamorous designs of the palaces were made to impress and entertain royal guests.

Here are the list of castles and palaces in the UK that you shouldn’t miss.

1. Blenheim Palace

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The Blenheim Palace is the royal residence of the Duke of Marlborough located in the beautiful countryside of Oxfordshire. This is the birthplace of the respected Sir Winston Churchill, the late Duke of Marlborough and Prime Minister of the UK during WWII. The palace was a gift from Queen Anne to John Churchill (1st Duke of Marlborough) back in the 18th century.

Location: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP

Ticket Prices: Concessions, child & family tickets are also available. For Palace, Park and Gardens — £24.00/adult For access to garden and park — £15.30 / adult

An annual pass will be given to you once you purchased the Palace, Park and Gardens pass. There are available scheduled group tours available at the lobby of the Palace.

On a nearby church (St. Martin’s Church, Bladon), you can find the burial ground of Sir Winston Churchill. The little small town church is worth visiting too.

2. Windsor Castle

Photo Credit: Jean-Marc Astesana | CC BY-SA 2.0

A visit to the UK won’t be complete without paying a visit to this iconic castle. The castle is the royal residence of Queen Elizabeth II. Located in the beautiful countryside of Berkshire and an hour away from London.

Location: Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1NJ

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Adult Ticket = £ 20.50 Child Ticket (under 17) =£ 12.00

The ticket includes a visit to the royal apartments and other parts of the castle, the amazing doll collection, St. George chapel (where you can see the burial place of Prince Albert). The change of the royal guard is one of the highlights when you visit this castle. The Change of Guard starts at 11 am. So make sure to look out for a perfect spot to see this parade.

The Windsor Castle is the oldest and biggest occupied castle in the world where the British monarchs live for more than a thousand years.

3. Bodiam Castle

Photo Credit: Nick Rowland | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Bodiam Castle is an excellent portrayal of authority. This 14th-century medieval castle is picture perfect from every angle. The castle ground is massive and a great place for a picnic. The castle was built by a knight named Sir Edward Dalyngrigge. The primary purpose of this castle was to defend the area from the French during the medieval war.

Location: Bodiam Castle, Bodiam, Robertsbridge TN32 5UA

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Adult = £ 9.30 Child = £ 4.65

4. Tintagel Castle

Photo Credit: barnyz | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This beautiful castle by the cliff is something you shouldn’t miss when you visit Cornwall. The castle is linked to the popular folklore of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. The castle was built in the 13th century, so only the ruins and remaining artefacts are the only things that you can see here. The picturesque landscape is worth a visit. When we went to visit this castle, I was in awe to experienced the beauty of the area.

Location: Tintagel Castle, Castle Road, Tintagel, Cornwall, PL34 0HE

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Part of the English Heritage, members can visit this for free. Adult = £ 7.90 Child = £ 4.70

5. Warwick Castle

Photo Credit: Nathan Reading | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

My husband and I had our first date visiting this castle, so it’s pretty special for us. The castle is a popular attraction in the West Midlands, as there are loads of fun activities for the kids, mini aviary and different shows with a medieval theme. The Warwick Castle was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and for more than a thousand years is still standing proud. The galleries and interiors of the castle are well preserved.

Location: Warwick Castle, Warwick CV34 4QU

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Adult = £ 19.20 Child = £16.80 You can get an advance discounted tickets. There are coupons from various food packets here in the UK can be found that can give you a two for one entry to the castle.

6. Tower of London

Photo Credit: Andy Sedg | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This famous castle in London was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. This castle has the witnessed so much violence and grandeur throughout its history. At present, the tower of London is the home of the Royal Crown Jewels of the British Monarchy.

Location: Tower of London, St Katharine’s & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. You can get a discounted price if you buy your tickets online. Adult = £25.00 Child = £12.00

7. Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle is one of the most popular castles in Wales and lies by the Conwy River. Built by King Edward I back in the 13th century as the monarch’s residence in Wales. The strong walls are still standing tall and proud overlooking the beautiful countryside scenery in Northern Wales.

Location: Conwy Castle, Rose Hill St, Conwy LL32 8AY

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Adult = £7.95 Child = £ 5.60

8. Buckingham Palace

Photo Credit: The Buckingham Palace by JP Licudan of the Rustic Nomad

The Buckingham Palace is probably the most famous palace in the world. Sitting in the buzzing heart of London, this palace is truly an iconic landmark and symbol of the British Monarchy. The palace has seen loads of monumental events in the UK’s history. The palace serves as the receiving place for the all the dignitaries and royalties who pay a visit to the Queen.

Location: Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA

The Buckingham Palace is only open to the public during summer. This will give you an opportunity to visit the royal gallery, staterooms and the Royal Mews. Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Adult = £ 39.50 Child = £ 22.00 (under 17 years old/ FREE admission for under 5)

9. Holyrood Castle

The Holyrood Palace also known as the Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland. The palace was originally built as a church in Edinburgh in the 12th century and was then converted into a palace for the British Monarchy.

The palace is located at the end of the Royal Mile near the Scottish Parliament. It’s one of the iconic landmarks to visit in Scotland.

Location: Holyrood Palace, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Adult = £21.50 — Royal Visit Ticket, including the entrance to the Palace, royal gallery and history tour. Child = £14.00

10.Edinburgh Castle

The castle that you absolutely won’t miss when you visit the Scotland’s capital. The castle sits on the top of castle rock which was formed from a volcanic eruption a million years ago. The castle has been a royal residence of the previous monarchs of Scotland until the crowns of England and Scotland were united back in the 17th century.

This castle is now an iconic landmark of Scotland; a must visit when you go to Edinburgh.

Location: Edinburgh Castle, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG

Ticket Prices: Concessions and senior tickets are available. Adult = £16.50 Child = £9.90

If you have been lucky enough to visit these castles and palaces in the UK, please share your experience in the comment box below.

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Best Castles and Palaces to Visit in the United Kingdom The UK is known for some of the best castles and palaces in the world. I think every little girl's dream is to become a princess.

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ryazand-blog · 8 years ago

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Here are some photography tips for beginners that I can share based on my experience.

I love Photography. Pictures can tell a good story and can paint a thousand words. Who doesn’t want to take good pictures?

Even before I started my blogging life, I loved taking pictures on my point and shoot camera and mobile phone. Growing up in the Philippines, where everyone loves to take photos. Getting used to be in front of the camera was a norm. There was even a point that I have to borrow our neighbours or relative’s camera to capture special family moments like birthdays, graduation, etc. My family was not privileged enough to buy our own camera.

Anyway, I always ended up with hundreds and hundreds of photos of the places that I’ve been and lots of selfies. I know, I’m guilty. However, not anymore! Good thing, we were using a digital camera, so you can quickly erase photos.

During my trip to Istanbul, I met my friend / co-blogger JP Licudan of The Rustic Nomad. Like me, he is into photography. He inspired me to do more and enhance my skills in photography.

Here are the things that I reckon will help anyone who intends to improve their skills in photography. Trust me, the process of learning photography is never ending, and I’m merely at the beginning.

Interest and Passion

Whether you want to pursue photography as a hobby or as a professional, passion is the key. The interest in learning photography should come from within you, not because your friend told you so, keeping up with the Joneses or because it’s a trend!

Remember, you will have to learn and understand by heart all the rules, concept, style and techniques of photography. Not to mention the post production of editing your photos.

Knowing the Exposure Triangle

On your quest to learn photography, you will have to familiarise yourself with the three pillars that comprise the Exposure Triangle: the ISO, F-Stop or Aperture and Shutter Speed.

ISO

ISO is the sensitivity of the camera to the light. It can make your photos go light or dark and determine the noise of an image.

F-Stop or Aperture

Understanding the F-stops / Aperture is also an important thing to learn in photography. F-stops are one of the things that will determine how sharp or blurry your photos will be. Aperture helps you to separate your subject from the background and give a blur effect which is known as Bokeh.

Shutter Speed

The shutter speed determines how quickly or slowly the light hits the camera sensor. The shutter speed can also give you the creative effects of long exposed images and can freeze the moving subjects.

Depending on they type of photography, getting the balance of these three will give you an excellent image every time.

The composition is also an important part of a beautiful image. The one that will give you sense and feeling to the image with its leading lines, texture and proportions. As a rule of thumb, following “the rule of third” is important however rules are made to be broken. So be creative! Depending on the subject and goal of the image this golden composition rule can be broken.

Support Group and other resources

Having a support system in photography is important. There are plenty of youtube tutorials that you can watch to understand all the nitty-gritty details of photography.

Instagram is one of the famous visual type social media platforms. I love browsing pictures on IG that tell a story, gives inspiration and push you to be more creative.

Follow me on Instagram — @everythingzany

A photo posted by Ryazan Tristram (@everythingzany) on Dec 30, 2016 at 10:25pm PST

Photography books are also an excellent source of information. Since I’m interested more in travel, nature and portrait photographies, I find that these books from lonely planet really helps a lot.

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I also joined a local photographic society to help me enhance my skills. It’s nice to be surrounded by people who are also passionate about their craft. I recently joined a PDI photo competition where I won a photographic award for the Long Exposure theme.

Snooker

I also took few photography courses and photo walks here in the UK. It is definitely worth doing it! The photography class prices vary if it’s a classroom or online.

There are also loads of Facebook groups and channels on youtube that can give you support and help you to develop your photography skills. Here are the groups that I actively engage with:

I Shoot People! Photographers by Joe Edelman

If you want to learn more about portraits and wants to take your photography skills to the next level.

Links: Youtube channel and Facebook group

Michromatic by Mark Ryan Sallee

This channel will give you loads of handy insights about Micro Four Thirds a.k.a MFT. I own an Olympus camera which is MFT, so I find his videos really helpful.

Links: Youtube channel and Instagram

Digital Rev TV

When it comes to product reviews, I really enjoy watching this channel. Started by Kaiman and Lok, the reliable duo from Hong Kong.

Links: Digital Rev TV channel, Kaiman’s Youtube Channel and Lok’s Youtube Channel

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

As it says on the tin, this channel will help you to develop your post-production skills with Lightroom.

Link: Youtube channel

Digital Photography School

When it comes to photography blog and FB page, I love reading stuff from DPS. A reliable resource for learning photography.

Links: Digital Photography School Blog

Gear and Post process

There is a myriad of choices on which camera and gear you should buy to get into photography. Before I bought my MFT Olympus camera, I used a Samsung smart digital camera (point and shoot) and my mobile phone.

Micro Four Thirds is a mirrorless type of camera. The MFT pertains to the size of the photographic sensor of the camera. The popular DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) has the 35mm full frame sensor size.

RAW vs. JPG

Shooting in RAW and JPG has their own merits and disadvantages. RAW files can give you a great option to manipulate your images on the post processing stage, but the files can take up so much storage space on your memory card. The JPG files, on the other hand, are compressed files with a limited amount of colour data stored in your image. Hence, the post-processing of JPG files can be challenging at times. On a good note, since the JPG files are pre-compressed by your camera it takes less storage space on your memory card.

My Photography Gear:

My Cameras

Olympus Pen EPL – 7 and Go Pro Hero 4 ( Silver)

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I started using my PEN EPL-7 for almost a year now. I love MFT because of its portability and performance as if I’m using a full frame DSLR. The MFT range also has a variety of lens to choose from. I use Go Pro Hero 4 to take action and underwater images.

My Lenses

Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm 1:1.8 Prime lens, Olympus M. Zuiko 12mm ED 1:2.0 Prime lens (Manual focus), Olympus M. Zuiko 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 (Kit lens) and Olympus M.Zuiko 14 -150mm 1:4.0 – 5.6 (Zoom lens)

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Each lens has their specific expertise:

The 45mm prime lens is excellent for portrait shots. The 12mm Prime, Kit and Zoom lens are for my travel – landscape and wildlife photography.

Other Photography Gear and Accessories that I use:

These are the other products that I use on a regular basis for the type of photography I do. I will try to make few more post about these to explain in depth.

Sandisk 32GB Class 10 memory cards

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I prefer using class 10 memory cards as it has a quick capabilities to record heavy data. e.g. HD, raw photos etc.

Manfrotto Pixie tripod (Travel tripod) and Manfrotto Camera bag

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As I do a lot of walking with the type of photography I’m doing, having a little tripod and small camera bag to carry around is pretty handy.

Hoya Polarising filter – SMC Cir PL and Neutral Density Filter

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These filters are my saviour! For landscape/travel photography, these are the accessories you should have in your bag. The Polarising filter will help increase your image contrast, and the ND filter will help you for the long exposure shots.

Hahnel battery (Spare battery for EPL-7)

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As a standard, I always have an extra battery.

Reflectors

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An excellent way to bounce the light as a filler or sometimes the main source of light. Especially, when you are shooting outdoor where you can’t fully control all the lighting.

Photo Studio Kit

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Since, I’m trying to practice more of portraiture, so I’ve decided to set up a little home studio. This kit has got everything that you need to start shooting.

Editing Softwares

Adobe Lightroom

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A powerful editing software tool. Probably the most popular one. I edit the majority of my photos in Lightroom. It’s an easy to learn editing software yet very powerful.

Adobe Photoshop

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I only use photoshop if I desperately need a heavy pixel manipulation, otherwise I use Lightroom or Canva.

There you have it! If you have other handy tips on photography, please leave a comment below.

Be Creative and keep shooting!

Tips On How To Enhance Your Photography Skills Here are some photography tips for beginners that I can share based on my experience. I love Photography.

#photography #Travel

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