Hello hello readers of Lindsay Land! How are you? Just wanted to let you know that I’ve moved – to LindsayMuller.com, my new website! I’ll be blogging over there about my music, self love, positive affirmations and more. I invite you to come take a look – just click the image below!
Peace, Love and Harmonies,
Lindsay
I hired the illustrator Wallok to create the album cover, which I absolutely love:
Here’s a video of the song “Mr. Sun” that the boys and I recorded this past weekend. It’s pretty cute!
Do you find it challenging to take good photos with your smartphone? If so, this post is for you.
This week I heard about Aura Frames, a company that makes next-generation smart digital picture frames that automatically show you the best photos of the people you love.
They are working to start a conversation about tips to take good photos with your phone(or in my case, iPod). I love taking photos with my iPod because it’s so easy to whip out of my pocket and snap away. I tend to use it around the house to take a quick pic of the kids, or when I’m going out in public. Especially here in Brazil, I am more careful about taking my Nikon DSLR camera out of the house.
So here are my 5 tips and some of my favourite photos that I’ve taken with my iPod.
Light is absolutely the most important thing whether you are taking photos with a DSLR, film camera or your phone. If you are taking a nature/landscape type of photo, morning/evening light is soft and lovely. I took this photo in the morning:
This one was in the afternoon, which created lovely contrast and shadows:
When taking selfies, I always face a window or other light source. This one is in my bedroom, facing a window(and don’t you love the blue wall? I do.):
And this one is in my garage, which is my go-to place for good light(you can read more about that in this post).
2. Make it interesting.
The photo quality on my iPod isn’t nearly as good as what my camera produces, so I try to compensate by making the photos interesting. Reflections in water and windows are a good place to start:
I liked the “You are Beautiful” sign in this window. I could have taken a shot of just the card, but I knew that including my reflection would make it a more interesting photo.
3. Tap on the screen
I’m not sure if this works for all phones, but on my iPod, I can open up the camera and tap on different parts of the screen to make it lighter/darker. For example, if I’m taking a picture of the sunset, I’ll tap on the brightest part of the sky and that will set the exposure correctly(make sure it’s not too bright or dark).
4. Real emotion
Obviously this is just for people photos… but you just can’t beat a photo with some real emotion there. That’s why photographing kids is so fun. They express themselves so freely and aren’t afraid of looking silly.
Whether it’s being happy…
Or grumpy…
Do you know why this photo is so great? Real emotion + awesome light. Yes, it was right in front of a window.
5. Keep it simple
Some of my favourite iPod photos are ones with a lot of negative space:
Simple yet lovely:
That’s it for my tips!
Aura Frames put together this nice infographic that I found helpful:
Do you take photos on your phone/iPod/device? What’s your best tip?
Learn more about Aura Frames here, or order one here!
Welcome to my little corner of the Internet. I love photography, music, travel, and food(to name a few) and I have the urge to share it all with you! This blog is the place I go to share what I’m learning, thinking, photographing, and experiencing. You can find out more about me here.
I have a few projects on the go at the moment, should you want to check them out:
A few weeks ago I heard about Light, a new camera technology company. They have recently developed a SmartPhone-sized camera which claims to give you “DSLR quality in the palm of your hand”. It was the first time I’d heard of such a thing, and I was intrigued. I absolutely love my Nikon D300S, but it’s difficult to bring with me everywhere I go, for practical and safety reasons. My iPod, on the other hand, fits in my pocket, so I find myself shooting with it much more frequently. I would absolutely LOVE to try out this new camera to see how it compares. 
Light asked me to be a part of their #VantagePoint project in which bloggers talk about their favourite place to shoot and share a photo from the location. It was hard to pick one place, especially given all of the beauty that surrounds me here in Florianópolis, Brazil. I love the beaches, the forests, and the Portuguese architecture. But my favourite place to shoot right now is actually at home, in my own garage.
Photo taken by Garett from As We Go
During the past year, I’ve studied the light that comes into this covered space and have realised it makes an ideal situation for portraits. Except at sunset, the light is always indirect, making it comfortable for subjects to look into. If the subject is looking outwards into the yard, their entire face is evenly lit. I’ve taken great posed portraits as well as cute candid shots of the kids. I couldn’t pick just one photo, so here’s four of my favourites.
My son, Shasta, looking extremely hip: 1/500s, f2.8, ISO 200
My younger son, Sebastian: 1/125s, f 1.4, ISO 200
For each of these photos I used my Nikon D300S camera with a Nikkor 50mm/1.4 lens.
I chose my garage over the beach as my favourite place to shoot because I’m so familiar with it. I know that if it’s cloudy, sunny, or raining, I can still get a well-lit shot. I love the colours of my garage and it’s a place where people feel comfortable, so it’s easy to capture them naturally. I love doing clean, simple portraits, so having a place with predictable lighting is a wonderful thing. It’s almost like a studio.
At sunset, the light is a bit harsh, but still lovely for candid shots like this one of me and friends Adriano and Pedro on my 31st birthday this past June.
Suggestions for budding photographers: In portrait photography, if not all photography, lighting is always the most important thing! Spend some time observing the light around you – in and around your house, in your neighbourhood, etc. See how it changes during the day. Study your subjects. Are faces fully lit, or are there shadows? Is the light too bright/harsh? My go-to conditions/locations for good lighting are in the shade, by a window, golden hour(at sunrise/sunset), or an overcast day.
Thoughts or questions? Shoot me a message and I’ll be happy to help.
Find out more about Light.co and their exciting new technology on their website, on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
How is it December 2017? O tempo está VOANDO! (Time is flying!) This will be my fourth Christmas in Brazil. And while I enjoy spending the holidays by the beach, it always feels a bit weird. Being Canadian, I associate Christmas with cold, snow, family gatherings, and a full schedule of potlucks, parades and parties. Being far away from loved ones it can be lonely(my first Christmas here there were a lot of tears) and I find it tricky to get into the “Christmas Spirit”. I’ve polled a few experienced expat friends on the matter: Sarah Reimer, a Canadian living in Thailand, Kathryn Cross, a Canadian living in Australia, and Kristen Wruck Hammer, an American living in Brazil. These are some things we do to make it feel more Christmasy even when we’re sweating.
Stuart is great any time of year…
Sarah’s spice mix
Some more thoughts:
Sarah:
Though I truly love living abroad, I find one of the major challenges is being away from home/family during holiday times. Being in Thailand, I have felt especially removed from bustle of the Christmas season that I’ve known for so many years. As Christmas music has begun already in early November at home in Canada, I am over here lathering on sunscreen and heading out the door in flip flops. When I don’t own anything warmer than a jean jacket, I definitely have to use my imagination to get in the Christmas spirit! Aside from listening to Christmas music at home, and watching “Home Alone” (one of my faves), here’s a couple things that really help bring back that Christmas-y feeling:
I always look forward to Christmas Skype calls with family at home. Last year I skyped them from a beach in the south of Thailand! My husband and I also made sure to whip out our Santa Hats and wish others that we saw on the beach a Merry Christmas 🙂
Sarah and her husband Zack spending Christmas in Koh Lanta, Thailand
Kathryn:
I get out the Christmas stuff/music earlier than I would if I was in Canada…having it around and set up longer helps.
Keeping some traditions I grew up with helps it feel “real,” like opening Christmas jammies on Christmas eve, and having a large fake Christmas tree.
Planning to celebrate a meal with friends so you get that “family feel”
Don’t try and cook a traditional Christmas meal… it’s too much effort, and at least for me I don’t feel like eating heavy food when it’s 40 degrees out or having the stove on for hours…
Try and embrace some local traditions (going to the beach, eating salads and bbq seafood, playing cricket – or not….etc)
Doing some kind of Advent Calendar if you have kids helps build the anticipation! We like “Truth in the Tinsel”
Kathryn and her family keeping cool in Perth, Australia
Kristen:
View from Kristen’s home in Florianopolis, Brazil
Here’s a fun Christmas diddy to get you started!
Have you spent Christmas abroad? What did you think?
Expat friends, Christmas 2015
I recently listed six photos for sale in my Etsy shop as digital downloads. They are $7.00 CAD each and the file comes to you straight away. They print very well in all sizes. Here are the photos I am selling(clicking on a photo will take you to the item in my Etsy Shop):
Lower Post, British Columbia, Canada
Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon, Canada
Haliburton, Ontario, Canada
Lucky Lake, Yukon, Canada
Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada
Click here to go to my Etsy Shop. I also have notecard sets for sale. If you want to buy a photo of mine you’ve seen before not shown here, please send me a message and I’ll see what I can do!
“Spiced Lentils” is a recipe I created sometime in the last two years since moving to Brazil. You don’t have to follow the spices exactly – you can omit any, add more of or less of – it all depends on your taste. But these are the measurements that I use when making lentils and for me and my family, it’s the perfect blend – flavourful without burning your mouth.
You can eat them as a side dish or a main dish. Serve with rice or couscous, or you can be more elaborate with ideas and recipes I’ve listed below.
Ingredients:
1 cup green(or brown) dry lentils, rinsed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (a mixture of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon)
1/2 tsp pepper
Few shakes of cumin
4 cups of water
Mix everything together in a pot on high and cover with lid. Bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat to low. You can simmer lentils for about 40 minutes or until the water has been absorbed,
OR,
Boil for 5-10 minutes, turn off the heat and let them sit with the lid on for at least an hour and a half. This is definitely the most economical and environmental option and the one I use if I have time.
Here are a few different ways my family eats spiced lentils:
Enjoy, and if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask in the comments below.
To commemorate two years of living in Brazil, I’m sharing my favourite songs from this wonderful country. I adore Brazilian music, in its many forms and styles, particularly bossa nova, samba, pagode, and MPB(Popular Brazilian Music). I feel I’ve only scratched the surface – there is so much more yet to discover – but this list is a start. If you like new, good music, have a listen to my playlist of twenty songs from different genres of Brazilian music.
We have Natiruts, a talented reggae-pop group who filmed an entire concert on top of a mountain in Rio(it’s nice to watch as well as to listen!), Djavan, my current personal favourite, Tom Jobim, one of the fathers of bossa nova, and many other past and present artists and bands: Seu Jorge, Marisa Monte, Skank, Ferrugem, Max de Castro, Jair de Oliveira, Tim Maia, Axel Bahia, Vanessa de Mata, and Tribalistas.
Here’s an overview of the songs:
And if you’re craving more after that, I recommend all of the Putumayo Brazil CDs, some of which are on Youtube:
What would you add to the list?
You may also enjoy my other playlists:
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