My New Camera: Samsung NX500

I had been looking at getting a new camera for a long time for a number of reasons.
Firstly, so I can take better quality photos of my products for Kate's Craft Corner without having to get a photographer for photoshoots and using my iPhone in between, and to also take social photographs at the Karalee Tavern - the hotel I work at that family own - without having to pay for a photographer. It would also be a good investment personally as well so I can take better quality photographs while travelling. More importantly though, I recently gained a position at Scenestr and there is a lot of work requiring reviews and photographers. With a new camera, I'm able to get a bit more work out of this if I'm able to do photography as well as review.

So I began searching, but more importantly saving, for the perfect camera. I initially started looking at compact system cameras thinking it might be better to get something smaller so I can transport it a little easier. I also just really liked the look of them - they're quite high-tech but kind of vintage looking. I knew, however, that the look of a camera wasn't enough reason to purchase. I did a little searching and research and decided I liked the Olympus OM-D E-M5 best.

After a little more thinking, I thought, "to hell with it! why not get a full kit?"So I started looking at DSLRs. After a bit of research and talking to some friends, I decided on the Canon 1000D. The 1000D is the top camera of Canon's starter level digital SLRs and is recommended for first time digital SLR users who want quality photography - it sounded perfect.

But I still wasn't sure on which camera I liked more.
So I decided to go in-store and talk to a professional and see what they thought.

I told the gentleman there which cameras I had been looking at and why. He agreed they were both great cameras but had another in mind for me. He suggested the Samsung NX500.

I was immediately taken by it's moveable touch-screen and vintage look. It's a whopping 28 megapixels with 4K and UHD video! It can connect to wifi and can share photos straight to my smartphone via bluetooth. The salesman actually owned this camera himself. He said that after three weeks of him playing around with it in-store he bought it and abandoned his old DSLR kit. He said it does everything a DSLR can do but is lighter, smaller and easier to use. So after a little thinking while I browsed the CDs, I decided I was SOLD, and went ahead with the purchase. Better yet, it comes with it's own little flash and the lens was included in a package price, so I didn't have to break the bank in buying all the accessories.

The NX500 is quite automatic so there wasn't a lot for me to learn. I was a little anxious about getting a DSLR thinking it might take two years to learn to use! The Samsung NX500, however, is very simple to use. You can see a few of the photos I've taken with it in my previous blog posts. I'm happy with how they've turned out. None of them are edited or anything and I think they look good. I'm so happy with how easy this camera is for me to use and how wonderful the shots I'm getting are. It's also great for me to be able to transfer them straight to my phone and post them to social media instantly.

Now I just have to get plenty of practise and learn how to use Lightroom!

SITG Pre-party @ The Triffid

To kick off the Splendour In The Grass weekend festivities, Brisbane hosted one of two pre-parties at The Triffid last Thursday night, featuring The Dandy Warhols, Last Dinosaurs, Dune Rats and Circa Waves.

As with any night at The Triffid it starts with one of their signature Triffid Burgers and a beverage outside in the beer garden while waiting for doors to open. Once inside, we were first greeted by Liverpool band, Circa Waves, who started the night with a bang. They started to a room of about 20 people, but by their second song, the room was quickly filling. By their fourth song, I doubt there was a space left. Although jetlagged, Circa Waves produced a high-energy set, which proved to be a strong and impressive start to the night. They included hits from their new album, ‘Young Chasers’, including ‘Fossils’, ‘T-shirt Weather’, ‘Get Away’ and more - performed effortlessly.

 Following Circa Waves were Dune Rats. They were very pleased to be playing at home in Brisbane again. Dune Rats were definitely the contrasting performers of the night but were popular among the crowd. They were extremely high energy and I thought at some stage Brett Jansch (bass/vocals) was definitely going to break his neck from excessive head banging. Frontman, Danny Beusa (guitar/vocals) really embraced his crazy on stage with bulging eyes and even kicking the AV guy and spitting on the guitar tech. Although their set was nowhere near perfect and they experienced a brief technical issue with the lead guitar, their high spirits and energy was infectious. It was hard not to enjoy their set.

Last Dinosaurs took the stage after Dune Rats and performed a precise and polished set comprised of a mixture of songs, including ‘Zoom’, ‘Honolulu’, their new track ‘Evie’ as well as a standout cover medley of Spiller’s ‘Groovejet’ and Modjo’s ‘Lady’ that had everyone grooving along with them. Although their set was a somewhat subdued segment of the night, their talent displayed on stage made you stand back and watch as they played intricate riffs and rhythms. Youthful and dedicated, these tidy hipsters have a lot to look forward to after their second album release this year.

At this point in the night the audience could wait no longer; it was time for The Dandy Warhols. You could feel the anticipation in the room as the crowd whistled at every false-alarm-roadie that walked on stage as they waited for The Dandys to make their appearance.

The Dandy Warhols started their set heavy and deep with opening track ‘Be In’ but brought out popular favourites ‘We Used To Be Friends’, ‘Get Off’, ‘The Last High’ and ‘Bohemian Like You’ later on in the set which, surely enough, had the crowd hooked and going off. The Dandy Warhols are what I would describe as a band of moments. There were moments of reflection and surrealism, moments of depth and emotion, as well as plenty of moments of elation, fun and happiness all rolled into one short set. With a collection of material that dates back to 1995, you can expect The Dandy Warhols to take you on a journey as they play snippets of their timeless catalogue.

Courtney Taylor-Taylor (guitar/vocals) sported his signature pigtails and said very little, other than thank-you, throughout the set but still managed to have the audience hanging off his every sung lyric. It was amazing to see how much these guys seem to still enjoy doing what they’re doing. This was most evident on the face of drummer Brent DeBoer as he smiled his way through each track. Peter Holmstrom (guitar) performed flawlessly and pulled out the usual too-cool rock star moves. For anyone that has seen The Dandy Warhols live before, I don’t think I need say more about Zia McCabe (keys/bass/percussion), but if you’re wondering, yes, she’s still got it!

The night may have ended abruptly and a little prematurely but it definitely gave the audience a taste of what they might be seeing, or in some cases, missing out on, at Splendour at the weekend.

If the pre-party was any indication to what you might have experienced at Splendour In The Grass at Byron Bay, minus the mud, I'm very jealous!

To see this whole article, more photos from the gig, and a bunch more info on SITG, head to Scenestr. 

Regional Flavours Festival Southbank

A few friends and I had decided to head into Southbank and go to the markets last Sunday.
Little did we know, the Regional Flavours Festival was running that day as well!
Thankfully we had arrived on empty stomachs and were excited to see what was there.

After scouring the site three times over, I FINALLY decided on what to eat - Paella! It was delicious and such a good choice for me a the time; it was exactly what I felt like. I also treated myself to some iced green tea and bought some chilli and thyme marinated olives to take home.

My half eaten, but delicious, Paella.

There was so much of everything; it made it so hard to decide what I wanted. There were stalls representing some of the local restaurants in Southbank and Brisbane, as well as Australian produce stalls, wine tasting, a large variety of dessert stalls and master classes and cooking demonstrations.

Because we had no idea the festival was on, and just happened to be lucky enough to end up in the middle of everything, we hadn't made any plans to see anything in particular and didn't have as much time needed to experience it in it's entirety.

I was particularly impressed by the set up and decorations. The attention to detail was commendable. There were sections each with their own theme for certain cuisines and each little stall in the street was made to look like a pastel vintage food van even though it was just a table set up with required appliances behind the display.

It was very pretty to walk through and be a part of.  We were so happy to have stumbled across it.

Bat Nouveau/SXRC @ New Globe Theatre 18 July

It was my first time stepping inside the doors of New Globe Theatre.
I had gone to watch Soviet X-ray Record Club and test out my new camera (which I will be doing a review about soon). I arrived to their gig after work early enough to catch Sounds Like Winter and Bat Nouveau play. Unfortunately, I missed the first band, Nature Trails.

I was not impressed with Sydney Post-Punk/Goth/Darkwave band, Sounds Like Winter. It wasn't my chosen genre but I didn't feel as though they possessed a lot of talent. There was a father-son-duo on bass and guitar, and a middle aged man sporting a muscle singlet, with no muscles, on vocals with his laptop playing drum beats. Their music was definitely dark with themes of satanism/christianity backed up with a complimenting visual display behind them. 

This was the second time I had seen Bat Nouveau perform, and to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it. Again, their music isn't music of my usual taste, so it was unlikely I was going to like it in the first place. Listening to them a second time helped me to analyse their sound a little closer though. I actually really like their music. Between the two Melbourne brothers, they create a full and catchy Post-Punk, Goth Rock, Deathrock sound. The downside to that sound, however, is the vocal layer. If they weren't singing, I'd enjoy their performance so much more. Their vocal sound is monotone, colourless and droning. Take that away, and they're not bad.

Headlining the night were Brisbane band, Soviet X-ray Record Club. I have seen these guys countless times and am continuously impressed by them. SXRC had a tough crowd to deal with during their set. They were definitely loved; the crowd were dancing and singing along, but high as kites. One girl flashed the band and a couple laid on the stage. The keyboard even got unplugged by someone falling over and the bassist had a good leg-stroking by an audience member. I don't think the poor guys knew what to do with themselves. They kept playing, however, and put on a happy face - although you could tell they were a tad annoyed at the behaviour. They showcased a new track as well, but I won't spill too many beans on that one, you'll have to see it for yourselves.

It was a little disappointing having to enjoy a great set in a small room with seating but the whole audience were on their feet by the end anyway. 

SXRC @ New Globe Theatre Gallery

I took these pictures on my new camera; it was my first time using it. They're unedited. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. 

Brisbane French Festival

I'm a bit late writing about this one, but a few weeks ago Brisbane hosted the French Festival at Southbank.

It opened with a cabaret night on the Friday and continued with French themed live music, entertainment, food, stalls and drinks over the Saturday and Sunday. I had made plans to go with my sister after work on Sunday afternoon just to check it out in it's final hours. My sister bailed on our plans but I was still determined to go and experience it for myself; so I did!

I was still suffering from the flu at the time and probably shouldn't have been out in public on a cool and windy Sunday afternoon, but I soldiered on nonetheless. I was lucky enough to get free on street parking which never happens in Southbank! It was also only $5 entry which was super reasonable so I was even happier to be there.

When I got there I was so hungry and wanted food first thing. Unfortunately it was pretty packed at this stage and every food stall had a massive lineup. I decided to hold out on food and just took a look around the stalls instead. It wasn't a huge area; It was right next to the ferris wheel.

After looking around, I indulged in a Nutella crepe; dessert before dinner! It wasn't half as good as the ones I'd most recently experienced in Greece, but it was still enjoyable. I later had a Quiche Lorraine which was actually really good. I wasn't feeling very optimistic about getting a quiche, expecting it to be quite bland, however, this had to be one of the better ones I've had. Lots of flavour with bacon and mushrooms. I didn't have much to chose from to eat at this stage because everything was starting to close down. I was hoping to get some patè or cheese to take home but wasn't feeling well enough to wait in line for anything. I didn't stay long and headed home after I'd felt I'd seen everything I needed to.

I really wish I had of gone with a group of friends because it would have been great to share a cheese platter over a few glasses of French champagne. There wasn't a lot to do there other than eat and drink, which was fine by me, but if you were planning a trip to France, wanting French lessons or stocking up on French goods, you would have enjoyed it a lot more.

Travel Log: Greece

Mykonos

Mykonos is a hub of beauty.

It is here that we did A LOT of shopping and a lot of tanning!

Streets of Mykonos

We stayed at K-Hotels which was really beautiful. The room was small but had everything we needed and was nicely decorated. The pool and restaurant area was amazing. The high-class restaurant overlooked the well-kept pool. The hotel was also situated on a hill-top which meant beautiful views but it was a bit of a walk into town. It was probably only a 10 minute walk but was quite hilly but bearable. 

We arrived in Mykonos in the afternoon and tried to walk into town from our hotel but got a little lost and ended up wandering aimlessly in the heat. We found our way back but decided to have a late lunch by the pool, have an early night, and try again in the morning. 

We were successful in finding Chora, Mykonos town, and wandered the cobblestone streets lined with white buildings. Chora was everything you see in the photographs. It was right on the ocean line as well, like literally, there were restaurants the lined the water and if you weren't careful, you'd get wet! We took a walk to the old windmills which overlooked Mykonos and provided some great views.

Seaside restaurants

Me at the windmills

We had planned to take a beach tour day trip but the weather wasn't the greatest. I heard the beaches on the other side of the island are the places to go for a good time; especially Paradise Beach. We weren't lucky enough to venture to these parts but we were happy to enjoy the many shops, scenes and food we could experience in town and were also happy to laze by the pool of our hotel. 

One of the main things I'll remember from Mykonos were the wonderful crepes we had from a little late night store. The man there was very friendly. We went back the following night and he remembered us and our order! 

Mykonos is a must see!

Travel Log: Greece

Ios

I never thought I'd enjoy doing nothing so much as I did when I was in Ios.

It's a beautiful island full of beaches and not a lot else.

We stayed at hotel Dionysos located on Mylopotas beach. It was beautiful, not quite as elegant as our accommodation in Santorini, but peaceful and pretty nonetheless. 

Ios is great for couples who just want to relax, eat, drink and spend some quality time together, or groups of friends who are happy with sleeping all day and partying all night. There are plenty of water sport options available on the beaches as well to keep the more adventurous occupied. 

 We spent our days lazing around on the couches by the beach, swimming and enjoying bar service by the water, then dining for lunch a bit later in the day at one of the many restaurants before spending the afternoon tanning by the pool and taking advantage of the hotel wifi. The sun sets quite late in the evening, around 8pm, so the days were long and extremely relaxing. We travelled by bus into town, Chora, twice and enjoyed perusing the local stores. 

Stuffed squid I had for lunch one day. Delicious!

The weather was a fair bit warmer in Ios so we didn't have the energy for much else other than relaxing, swimming, eating and drinking. When the evening came, we took our pick of restaurants but didn't enjoy the nightlife as much as expected. There were a lot of insects that came out after dark which made it a bit unbearable for us. We bought repellant but they were thick and made it hard for us to be out after dark. We also didn't get our vaccinations before we went overseas because the only one we were recommended was for mosquitos and we didn't anticipate encountering too many of those during our trip. So we didn't want to risk getting eaten alive by mosquitos and other insects. 

Advice: bring some heavy duty insect repellant.

Mylopotas beach

We enjoyed many lovely meals and cocktails and were able to work on our tan and take relaxation to a whole other level while visiting Ios. We probably didn't need three days there and would have enjoyed it just as much in two, but it sure was a beautiful island.