For the past few months, I have been researching seriously about what DSLR camera I should get. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a DSLR for over a year. I’ve been learning a bit about the mechanics of a camera and lenses, TLR, SLR, mirrorless, ¾, full frame. But I'm still having great difficulty on deciding what I want.
In terms of cameras, my family has always owned a canon camera – we use to shoot on film. Then I got 2 canon point and shoot cameras, the ixus and ixy. I love my canon cameras; it’s easy to use, produces great colored pictures, has some nice art filters. So naturally, I would stay loyal to the brand and get a canon DSLR like the 60D, 600D right?
Well, that’s what I initially thought. After going to camera stores and picking the brains of experts, my friends and watching DigitalRev TV my mind has changed some what.
Let me tell you about DigitalRev TV, well it’s a show about cameras. It’s one of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen, I’m absolutely obsessed with the show now. Think of UK’s TV show Top gear but instead of featuring cars, the show features cameras. Like Top Gear, DigitalRev TV has 3 hosts: Kai, Lok and Alamby.
Kai is the frontman of the show, his humor is similar to Jeremy Clarkson’s – it’s blunt and he comes up with some classic one liners. In one video he referred to Justin Bieber as a singing foetus. His humor is bloody brilliant.
From the show I learnt that Canon cameras are large plastic things and the lenses are cheap plastic. Olympus OMD M-5 has a magnesium alloy body with weather sealing. All the features of the SLR are in a more compact size in the OMD M-5. The smaller camera is more ideal for the traveler. Currently I'm leaning towards the Olympus M5, but I shall ponder a tiny bit longer about it. I want to be 100% happy with my purchase.
Back to DigitalRev TV, some of my favourite moments include Kai and Lok painting DSLR cameras (they are not cheap) PINK! Such as a canon 600D, Nikon D7000 even a Leica M8 camera!!! I enjoyed their smoke photography tutorial (let me mention they nearly burnt the apartment down!! Don't worry, they had a bucket of water lying nearby LOL!)
I’ve posted one of my fave DigitalRev episodes below, check it out =) This is where they just abuse a canon 7D camera to test out its durability. You'll be surprise at how much the 7D could handle.
My new fave Aussie show this year is 'Bollywood Star'. This delightfully entertaining family show is on the search to find Bollywood's next superstar in Australia.
In this 4 part series, contestants go through a grueling audition process to discover who has the talent, star quality, appeal to succeed in Bollywood.
A diverse group of contestants of different backgrounds went to Sydney to dazzle the judges. Amongst the good, the bad and the ugly auditions, the judges uncovered remarkable talent that shined through the crowd.
In the second episode (aired 9th June), the contestant pool was narrowed down to the final 6. The 6 include G-Luv, the only male to make it to the finals. His personality is huge, unmissable on the show, making him one of the most memorable faces on the show. He is what I would describe as Bollywood meets hip hop. He has a lot of hip hop attitude, the way he speaks and poses. The way Bollywood is modernizing for the younger audiences, G-Luv may as well find a fanbase in Bollywood.
The final 6 will now fly to Mumbai for the next round of auditions. Tune in next Saturday on SBS at 7:30pm to see what happens next!
Starting this Sunday at 8:30 on SBS, the documentary - 'Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta'
This in-depth 3 part documentary series explores the history of the Vietnamese community in Cabramatta, Sydney.
Here is the synopsis on the SBS website:
"Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta is the never before told story of Australia's first significant influx of migrants post White Australia policy. This groundbreaking documentary takes you behind the headlines of turbulent Cabramatta in the 80's and 90's as the Vietnamese people finally find their voice – speaking up to claim their rightful, democratic place in Australia against all odds.
Told by politicians, social historians, police and for the first time from the Vietnamese people themselves, these are the stories of a period that changed Australian migration forever."
Action star Maggie Q is back for season 2 of Nikita. The second series premiered last Friday with 1.8 million viewers in America.
The episode opens with Nikita and Michael (they are finally a couple) plotting to take down Division. Alex, once Nikita’s ally and protégé is now her enemy. It’s interesting to watch how the dynamic between the characters change as the series progresses.
I love Maggie Q! In an interview, she said she took on this role because she wanted to bring movie quality action to TV. She sets a high standard for herself and pushes herself to meet that bar everyday. That is passion and dedication.
I want to send out a big THANK YOU to Faustina Agolley for chatting to me. Thank you for being the first celebrity guest on the CherriiPOP Show.
Faustina is an inspiring person! I can't emphasize that enough. I am thrilled to have had the chance to chat to her. I hope you guys enjoy listening to our chat.
Faustina is a music expert. She has interviewed the biggest names in the industry including Usher, Rihanna, Missy Higgins, on Australia’s iconic music show Video Hits! She’s a local girl, who studied at Melbourne Uni and RMIT. She’s also a model, dj and spokesperson for numerous charities. She is one of Australia’s most loved personalities!
Listen to Part 1 Asian Pop Music, Modeling, TV, University, Channel 10
Faustina being a music expert; I asked her if she listened to Asian Pop Music. She talks about her journey to her dream job of hosting the iconic music show Video Hits. In her first year of hosting Video Hits, she was studying to complete her double degree. She explains why she chose to complete her degrees and not defer it after landing her dream job.
Faustina Agolley on CherriipopPt 1 by CherriiPOPShow Listen to Part 2 Video Hits, Alicia Keys, Future, New York, Inspiration
Faustina talks about the end of Video Hits and what she will miss most about the show. Did you know her favourite artist to interview was Alicia Keys? Faustina describes that moment as a career highlight. She is about to start a new chapter, Faustina shares her future plans. Faustina tells us who have been the biggest inspiration in her life.
Faustina Agolley on Cherriipop Pt2 by CherriiPOPShow Online podcast special Faustina talks about her passion for geography and how she hopes to get more people interested in this area.
Faustina Agolley on Cherriipop Web Exclusive by CherriiPOPShow
There has been so much hype about this TV action/drama show; critics are raving about it and certainly the promos for the show look enticing with such a handsome cast. Hawaii Five-O is not an original concept; it’s a remake of the 1968-1980’s series where the series follows an elite state police unit out to fight crime in exotic Hawaii. With these ingredients: handsome cast, Hawaii, beaches, action it’s bound to make entertaining TV. With all these remakes and reboots of TV series like Hawaii Five-O and Nikita… I wonder if they plan to re-do Baywatch? Hmmm…
Back to Hawaii Five-O, the impressive cast includes Aussie Alex O’Loughlin - Is it me or is it now a must for every US TV show to cast an Aussie in a leading role? (which is pretty cool). Examples: Simon Baker – The Mentalist, Toni Collette – United States of Tara, Rachel Griffiths – Brothers and sisters, Rose Byrne – Damages, Tammin Sursok – Pretty Little Liars.
Alex plays Lietenant Commander Steven who is in charge of the unit. Scott Caan (Ocean 11 movies) plays his partner Detective sergeant Danny Williams. Rounding off the team are Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) playing Police Officer Chin Ho Kelly and Grace Park playing Kono Kalakaua a newly police graduate. Did you know that Hawaii Five-O wanted to cast Maggie Q? But Nikita secured her first. Seems like Daniel Dae Kim can’t get off the island Hawaii! Lost was filmed there, now Hawaii Five-O. With this series going great guns, Daniel might be stuck on Hawaii for a number of years.
You can catch this exciting new series premiering on Channel 10 on January 30th 8:30.
In Utada's final TV interview before her hiatus, she opens up to Chris Peppler and talked candidly about her experiences and future plans. Utada is quite a twitterbug, it seems that she will stay connected with her fans during her hiatus. You can follower her here: www.twitter.com/utadahikaru
Chris [C]: “When did you start thinking about being an artist?”
Utada [U]: “I’ve always loved music, but I didn’t want to be an artist because both of my parents are artists, and they put so much passion into it, like selling a car to pay for the studio fee. They didn’t hesitate to spend money on music, even when they didn’t have an income. They could not rent a house because their income was unstable.
Witnessing those things as a child, I wanted a job with more stable income; I didn’t want to have an unstable life, in which you go up and down with your emotions, passions, and overall living. Therefore, I believed that I would provably go to school and get a job.
However, when I was around 12 or 13 years old, my parents suggested that I create my own song. Since I always loved to sing and I loved music, I started composing songs, playing my piano, and writing lyrics. Thanks to my parents, composing songs led to releasing CDs. When I think about my childhood, I used to hold the ‘Hikaru Show’ at home, sending invitations to my parents, and it was always my parents, me, and music together. So I think I was in the flow (to be an artist).”
[C]: “Let’s talk about your declaration for ‘human activity‘.”
[U]: “I believe that everyone only knows how you live your life, and you can only imagine how others live theirs. These past 2 years, I started noticing that I’ve been protected, and that I lived in such a small society. Although I’ve learned a lot, had many experiences, and gained some confidence as a professional artist over these 12 years, other things – such as living ability, being considerate of others’ feelings, knowing about people who are in different environment – those kind of things are what people experience naturally. But I was in an environment in which I did not have to experience things like that; it was like ‘ growing in a hothouse’.
I noticed that I might be an adult who would not be able to live without the agency or the manager.”
[C]: “What was the trigger to make you think this way?”
[U]: “I started visiting the countryside recently and felt the greatness of nature, how refreshing and important it is to go outside. I’ve developed an inclination to go outside more; I noticed that there was a potential for a new experience whenever I went outside, and that nothing would happen if I stayed inside of my house. So I tried to go outside at least once a day for something that wasn’t work-related, such as going for a short walk with my own legs.”
[C]: “Why did you choose live concerts as your last activity before you went on hiatus?”
[U]: “I held a tour in North America and in London during January and February of 2010. A tour at small live houses was something I’ve always wanted to do ever since I debuted.
Compared to other singers, I have less experience with live concerts. I feel that an artist should hold live concerts at smaller venues first, and then go on to bigger places; but in my case, it was the other way around. It was my first overseas tour, so a lot of people came over to my concerts, and I felt such a strong passion and love from them. It also made me feel that having live concerts are great, and that I want to sing more lives in Japan. I was the artist who spent more time at home on making music and singing at the studio, than holding live concerts. However, this feeling of wanting to sing in front of fans started growing on me. That’s how I decided to hold the live concerts.”
[C]: “How did you feel when you left the microphone on the stage, and walked the runway?”
[U]: “It felt refreshing at the live, and I was told by many people that the concert was filled with a mysterious and warm love. I was happy to hear that, because that feeling was in my heart. I was happy my heart was able to reach out to the audience through my songs and through my body.
These past 2 years, I’ve started thinking about ‘love’ for the first time. I never considered seriously what it meant to cherish or love something before, or maybe I just tried not to think about it on purpose because it’s scary. But this time, I was finally able to face it. I think before, I couldn’t afford to ‘tuck up’ others with my love, but at the concert, my fans were able to feel my love and how much I wanted to cherish them. I was also able to receive love in return from the audience. It was a very warm time, and the concert became very precious to me.”
[C]: ”How was to produce your own PV?” (talking about the PV for “Goodbye Happiness”)
[U]: “At first, I was going to have someone else do it, like I usually did, but there were some things I felt like ‘That’s not the same as my feeling now’, and it didn’t work out well even though I tried to explain it. Then I noticed that I’m the only person who could understand my current feelings, and that I won’t be able to make any music videos for a while [because of my hiatus]. Therefore, I decided to do everything I wanted to do. I also wanted to make myself do things which other directors wouldn’t ask me to do.
People tend to think that celebrities do or possess special things, but that’s not true. I wanted to show people that I’m just a regular woman, and I thought it would be meaningless if I make a video with myself merely acting the role of ‘Utada Hikaru’.”
[C]: “You are about to stop your activities as an artist for a while. What are you planning to do?”
[U]: “I think it does not matter what I will do, it’s more important on how I do things. The thing I want to do the most is to study with other people, and I want to volunteer overseas if I get the chance. I’m currently searching for that chance. I hope there would be something I could do, at a place where I can meet people in different environments, like in a nursing institution.
I will probably be making music and singing freely at home, because music is not all about business to me. But I will focus on the point of being a ‘Utada Hikaru’ who can take care of herself, and now have people there to support me. I think, in order for me to do so, I will finally understand how much people have done for me, and I also want to cherish time, myself, and the people around me.”
