Picture perfect.

Since a very young age, I've been very intrigued by all sorts of cameras. I don't know why, but they just seem to excite me. From old school film-cameras, to compact cameras to a SLR, then a DSLR and more that I probably can't name.

Not that I've superb photography skills, cos I don't, but because of my dad's interest in this field, (and nope, in case you wondering, he's not a photographer) I've a collection of more than 10 different cameras at home.

Isn't it amazing how cameras have evolved over the years? 

Just a fun fact I found online: Alhazen (Ibn Al-Haytham), invented the first pinhole camera, around the1000AD(also called the Camera Obscura.) And the first camera with a true photograph was in 1826 by Joseph Niepce.

Some brands I had my hands on previously are, KODAK, Sony, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Casio and Samsung. Samsung has gotta be one of my current favourites!

Back to the point of today's post, some of you may have already guessed it....... I'd be sharing about my new camera, the Samsung NXmini today!!! :D 

*Grins*

The Samsung NX Mini: Carry the Style, Capture the Best 

As a blogger, or even as a girl, it's required of me to take pictures most of the time, whether it's for advertorials or just to update my Instagram and it becomes a HUGE problem when there's no one to take my photos for me. 

Sure, we have tripods and even selfie sticks these days, but it's such a hassle to race from your camera to your ideal position and rather unsightly to hold a selfie stick in the middle of (for example) town. Hence, most of the time, I've to take at least 10 photos in order to get one good shot. YOU KNOW HOW SUCKY THAT IS?! I think any girl would be able to relate to that. 

Besides, it's even worse when the camera doesn't have a flip screen and my photo would end up looking ridiculous as hell. Thinking I'm standing in the right position where I fit into the frame, and BAM! *Checks picture* It's either anything but myself, or a super unglamorous picture like...

Anyway, my life was made a lot easier when I was introduced to cameras with swivel screens. Which is exactly the point of this post, cos what's so special about the NXmini if there are so many cameras out there that has this feature as well? With so many people raving about it, and how its features sound soooo promising, is it really as good as it claims to be? You'll find out more today. 

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First, it comes in 4 trendy pastel colors such as Mint Green, Pink, White, Brown. And as indecisive as I always am, I had a super hard time picking because the first 3 happens to be my favourite colours, and I thought brown was kinda cool as well because it has a vintage look to it. (Black's not available in S'pore.)

In the end, I went with Mint green cos I felt like it's the most uncommon colour amongst the rest. Pink would've been a good choice too, but I thought it was a little too girly for me... So nah.

Besides how it's obviously extremely slim (22.5mm Body) and light (158g Body) here are some of the things I love about the camera.

1) Auto on with just a quick flip of the display & Beauty Face Mode

You know how at times, you just wanna take an immediate selfie, but even though it's just a button away, it gets a little annoying to wait for the camera to start up?

Well, what the NXmini does is that it switches on automatically once the screen is flipped, it also has a 3 seconds timer function that allows you to kinda prep yourself before the shot is taken, and I LOVE its beauty mode!!!

Then again, almost every camera has a beauty mode today, but I swear it's different!!! I don't know if it's just me, but most cameras with the beauty mode gives this "dreamy" effect and even though it hides my flaws, it looks extremely artificial. However, the NXmini doesn't and the pictures end up looking rather natural.

Here's a picture taken with the camera.

Makes my skin look pretty flawless, doesn't it? Don't be fooled. :P

2) Built-in and external flash.

Not only does it have an internal flash, the product comes with an extra external flash as well. But honestly, with a little help from the ISO and Aperture, the flash lights aren't even necessary. Which is another good point about the camera.

3. Long Battery Life (Up to 530 shots; 2,330mAh) 

4. Tag & Go (Able to transfer photos from NX mini to any NFC-compatible smartphone seamlessly)

6. Bundled with Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 5

3) Touch screen shutter

To your lives a lot easier, you can also take your pictures simply with just a single touch on the screen.

4) Wink and Smile Shot

Super impressed with how these two work. Apparently the camera detects your smile or wink and captures a picture for you, which saves you the extra effort from clicking on the shutter. 

The only downside is that the sensor isn't really sensitive when you've more than one person in the picture, because it loses focus. But well, I prefer using the normal one most of the time though, so it's not much of a problem for me.

5) Interchangeable lens

Comes with a 9-27mm Lens, wide lens (which means that you can capture more of what's around you) or you can get a 9mm pancake lens which makes it extra light and portable. 

It would've been better if it has more bokeh, and not that "flat" though. It's a lot lesser compared to the other Samsung camera (EX2F) I own. (In case you don't have a clue what bokeh is, refer to the pictures below. It is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens.) However, after all it's just a 9-27mm lens, so it's understandable if it doesn't produce as much of that effect.

Here's the compartment on the side where you charge, insert/remove your card, transfer your pictures etc.

It uses a Micro SD card and unless you've an adapter, it can't be inserted to your computer. To compensate, at least it comes with a cable that allows you to connect to your comp. And what I like is that Samsung cables are compatible with many devices.

The NX mini also comes with some filters you can play around with. And also something extra special: the full version of the Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 5! Exciting news for Photoshop junkies! ☺

6) Wi-fi and Tag&Go function

It has a built-in Wi-fi and NFC which makes it possible to share your photos within seconds and send them to a smartphone or tablet, as well as upload directly to social media sites including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter etc. In addition there is support for uploading to cloud storage, including Dropbox, so that you can quickly and easily backup your photos without having to use a computer.

My other cameras that have the Wi-fi function would usually reduce the size of my photo for quick transfer, but one thing that I'm fond of of the NXmini is that it allows you to send the original image to your smartphones without affecting its resolution and I've tried transferring 30 images previously, which took me only about 3 minutes.

Pull, twist, and turn to unlock the lens.

Switch to manual mode if you wanna adjust your settings to your own preference.

Did I also mention that it provides Full HD 30fps video? So not only can you take chio photos with this, you can start recording your own videos as well. Also, with so many things running, I bet you guys would expect it to run off battery really quickly... To my surprise, it doesn't! It says to last up to 530 shots; 2,330mAh and I guess it's true? Cos I actually used it for three days consecutively, and I still have one bar left! Kudos to that!

It is extremely user-friendly and handy, although it does feel a little flimsy and hard to grip onto due to its really thin body and the plastic material use on the body of the camera gets a little slippery at times too. 

Nonetheless, it is a camera I'd definitely recommend you to invest in if you love taking photos and looking to settle for something that's less complex compared to a DSLR. It may have functions that a variety of cameras can deliver, but how often can you find one that performs as well as how multiple cameras do? So I think you should own one too!

Ending this post with some photos taken with the camera, without filter. You can judge the quality for yourself!

Find out more on the camera (here) and on this video that Jian Hao did: 

This will definitely help you decide whether you wish to get one for yourself or not! :D

Thank you Samsung Asia Pte Ltd for sponsoring me :)

Update X PinkaOlive

Just a quick update before I get to the point of today's post.

3rd trip to Perth.

I don't think I've mentioned this to any of you yet, but I'd be on a vacation to Perth next month for about 2 weeks. Been dying for a getaway since my exams ended, and I'm so stoked. Weirdly, I'm a little afraid to set my hopes too high, cos I'd usually just end up being really disappointed for the things I have high expectations for. *Crossing my fingers that everything goes well*

Just a random fact... I've always wanted to be my own pilot on a private jet, fly freely, preferably not too high above the clouds, where I could still have a crystalline view of the skyline of the city. And when Mr Sunshine calls it a day, I'd find a gleaming skyscraper to land on, and gaze at the breathtaking dark vault above, where the stars are spangled. 

Yearning for the day this unrealistic dream would be fulfilled. If only fairy godmothers exist... Well, just another one of my little idiosyncrasies.

Meanwhile, here's an ultimate fail horrendously-edited-extremely-self-delusional-and-hideous photo...

Actually it isn't that bad right?! Just allow me to bask in the glory of this rather "impressive" edit for awhile :p

New blog layout

As you can see there's a vast difference with my current layout compared to the last one I had. Unlike how it usually is, it wasn't because I was fickle-minded and got bored this time, but I felt like the old one was a little hard to navigate. Besides, even though my designer did a pretty damn good job, I believe that it's not exactly user friendly.

I guess sometimes, practicality has to come before beauty.

Therefore, I spent close to 8 hours working on the new design on my own, and I'm still in the midst of making some final amendments to it, so do bear with me for the time being.

Do let me know if you guys have any other questions you'd like me to answer, and I'll see if I could add it into my FAQ section. :)

FLEA / Meet & Greet @ SCAPE, 31st May, 3pm

Finally!!! After a year, I'm about to have my second flea at SCAPE again! Clothes from various blog shops and brands, priced from $5 onwards. This time, Jianhao and Danial Ron would be joining me, while NOC and more would be coming down to support us as well! So if you happen to be in town this Saturday, do drop by to take a look!

I only have such a session annually, so do make yourself available if you wish to meet me and the rest! Hope to see you guys there :)

Something to look forward to in the month of June

Besides my trip to Aussie, I'd probably be releasing two new videos as well, so stay tuned!!!

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Guess that's all I could think of for now in my clouded mind. For I've so many things to settle before I leave, I can get a little stoney every now and then. Forgive me.

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Onto the actual topic of today's post, I recently did something kinda out of my comfort zone...

In case you were wondering who I'm flying off with, I'd be spending those two weeks with Dan, Charis, and Hao. So the four of us were chillin' at bucks one day, and out of the blue, I came up with the craziest idea to have all our hair dyed platinum blonde (similar to what Hao already had), picturing in my head how it'd be kinda cool for 4 blondes to travel together, lol.

Me being me, I was extremely spontaneous at the thought of it and suggested that we do it asap... Hao, Dan and myself then visited Salon Vim the day after, while Charis DIY-ed her own.

I'm absolutely cray!!! #yolo

Spent two consecutive days at Salon Vim 313, while my hairstylist that day, Gary, (who happens to be the owner of Salon Vim as well) painstakingly bleached the sh*t out of my hair, and finally achieved the colour I wanted, with a mixture of Hot and Cotton Candy pink for the ends, over a span of 8 hours (two separate days) I was really happy until it hit me how hard it was to NOT get weird stares when I'm on the streets... Then I started to feel insecure and thought I go two shades darker instead.

I swear I'm like the last person any salon would ever want to serve, cos I waste an abundant amount of their resources. Hahaha.

I thought I'd get used to it after awhile, but I only felt worse. Hence, I decided to revisit Vim again. As mentioned above, to go a little darker.

This time, it only took approx 45 minutes for the entire process cos I just told Gary what I wanted and he gave me EXACTLY what I requested for, with the help of his two assistants.

Anyway, he came up with the colour on his own, so in case you wish to attain the same colour, you'd have to book an appointment with him. 

He told me to give it a name, and I hastily called it "Olive" in my futile attempt to sound sophisticated... not. Pink + Olive, that's how the partial title of this entry "Pinkaolive" came about.

AT LEAST I TRIED. Just so you know, I'm horrible at coming up with names... I'd probably name my future child by the first thing I see when he/she is given birth... Like, Blood perhaps. Kidding.

I've never loved any hair colour as much as this before, and I named it Olive cos it's a cool brown colour with a slight green undertone. 

Conclusion? I LOVE IT!!!

I'd say the same thing even if I was given a million bucks to say that I dislike it.

Okok, enough of my grandma-talk. Here are some pictures taken on the day my hair was done to end off this post off! 

Book an appointment today at: 

SALON VIM BY CHEZ VOUS
313 @ SOMERSET ORCHARD ROAD
#04-07/08/09
Singapore 238895
TEL: 68847757 / 68847767 

OR 

@BUGIS
235 Victoria Street Singapore 188027
Tel +65 6837 0073 / +65 6837 0045

Barely Naked

It can get pretty tough for me to stay faithful to a handphone cover, because I hate how common they usually become after awhile, and since I've sweaty palms, they get dirty easily as well.

Hence, I've been using stickers for the longest time. However, I can pay up to 20 bucks for a regular one, and what I loathe is that:

1) If you paste it in the wrong position, and try to readjust it, it bubbles up, or probably doesn't even stick anymore once it comes in contact with dust.

2) At times, the image of the sticker tends to wear off after awhile, and eventually, my phone would just end up looking really trashy, and It really pisses me off!!! 

Well, it wasn't until I found out about BarelyNaked, where I was introduced to a world of difference between bad quality stickers and the ones they provide.

Besides, our phone or electronic gadgets are probably things we bring around with us all day, and everyday! So as superficial as this is gonna sound, beautiful things do please our eyes, at least it works for me. Hence, nothing's better than ditching the usual, boring covers, for something I could design to my own preference.

Lazy lazy me, as usual... Decided to take two designs off the web instead, customised them, and in less than 2 days, they are in my mail box! Extremely efficient on their end.

Customisation = Goodbye mainstream covers!!!

Right, so how does this work?

First, visit BarelyNaked, and on the top right-hand corner, click on "Create your own."

Next, select the device you'd be customising your sticker for.

Third, find your favourite image you'd want for your sticker, preferably in HQ. 

How to find HQ images? Simply click on "Search tools" 

Followed by "size," then select on a size larger than "1024x768."

Going back to BarelyNaked's site, you can then upload your image. Of course, you don't have to follow the procedures I've listed above, you can just upload any image you already have on your computer, or even from Instagram. :D

You can upload more than one image, and just drag it to the "device" like how I did.

You can then zoom in or out to your own preference, rotate it or even overlap your images. (Above is just an example, so please don't judge how stupid it looks. Hahaha)

Once you're done, you can click on "preview" to see how the end results look, and if you're contented, click on "add to cart" to proceed to checkout. 

You can select the quantity, or edit it again if you wish to make any final changes. The last step would be to click on "Submit order" and you should receive an invoice within the next few minutes.

And it's done! All you have to do is wait for your beautiful skin to arrive!

(Here's how it should look when you open up your parcel!)

So what's good about their stickers is that...

1) BarelyNaked 's skins are low-profile, laminated vinyl decals designed to protect and personalize portable electronic devices. 

So not only is it a design for your phone, it doubles up and act as a protector as well.

2) Made from a patented 3M material, BarelyNaked Skins provide protection against scratches and everyday wear-and-tear. 

It's extremely durable, and I've yet to witness any scratch marks after 2 weeks! Hence, proven to be accurate!

3) The adhesive is re-positionable, and will not leave any residue upon removal. Air channels in the material aid in applying skins to any device by allowing air bubbles to smooth out easily.

I'm really bad at pasting them, so I'd usually have to re-paste it several times before it fits perfectly; I was taken aback by how it was easily removable, and I could just paste it back effortlessly without any air bubbles forming like how the normal protectors do.

This is how the sticker looks! Its material feels a bit like a bandaid, and despite how it's extremely sticky, it doesn't leave any disgusting residue behind. Nothing's worse than this... 

So if you're afraid it doesn't protect the edges of your phone, you can always add a bumper (which usually wouldn't cost more than 10 bucks.)

And tada!!! I'm really impressed by how this works for the price of $12.90 only!

That's not the best thing yet, you can quote "BNNN10" to receive a 10% discount! 

Last but not least, they are currently having a giveaway! 10 winners chosen. Go on my Instagram, follow me @Naomineo_ and comment on my picture why you'd like to win! Winners will be informed in a week's time, 31st May next Saturday! Good luck ;)