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kirliancamera1 · 3 years

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Rede Vamp Brazil (https://redevampirica.com) interviews Elena Alice Fossi of Kirlian Camera (English text attached hereunder) 🔥🔥🔥

Question 1: Be very welcome to AcessoRedeVamp, it's a true honor to realize this interview with you Elena Alice! You are a great singer and more every time we see you on stage your performance transmits great emotion and this electrifies all of us! You tell a real story with your performance and this is amazing and rare these days! At the same time, we perceive an expressive revolt against an old world and its stagnant postures. How have you handled 2020?

*** EAF – First of all, I wanna thank you for your words. Being able to communicate with the people who follow us is the most important thing to me. Singing becomes ephemeral if doesn't convey a message. Also for this reason I consider that the stage is the base of a musician, so you can imagine how I miss it. In this sense, it can be said that the category we belong to is very unlucky, not only because it's forced not to work, but rather 'cause concerts are pure lifeblood for a musician's soul. In any case, both Angelo and I can't stand self-pity people, so we immediately jumped into new musical projects, putting top concentration on composition. At any rate, we couldn't be simple observers of an event on this scale, so right from the beginning we tried to dig deep, looking for, and comparing news, data, statistics, whether they came from mainstream channels or from alternative sources. In Italy, for example, the economy has been torn to pieces and furthermore, the same politicians who mourn the dead on TV... cut so many funds for health facilities for a long time, so they may be considered taking part in such a mess. This situation has created a real drama, especially for families who have lost their loved ones without even having a chance to say goodbye one last time. But, it's also true that the worldwide exploitation of this pandemic has given us, we citizens, an opportunity to wake up. No need to use words such as anarchy or rebellion to understand that the old world is showing all kinds of holes. "Divide et impera" is the motto of several governments, so we citizens must not fall into the trap of making war on each other, each nonsense comes up! This is the time to show ourselves united. And, most of all, it’s time not to turn ourselves into servile dogs of a “Power” becoming more and more antidemocratic.

Question 2: Do you feel that the marks left by the year 2020 will bring some effective changes to this "abstraction" called humanity? Will there be a "new normal" or will we just return to an average 2019 when this whole pandemic passes?

*** EAF - If I’d been told about what we have experienced for almost one year, I’d have thought it was a joke, bullshit. But unluckily this is not the case. Such an event has brought much grief and is ruining the economic system of many nations, as already said. But in addition to the injury, here it comes the insult from the absurd and chaotic dictates imposed on us. I'll give you some examples of what's happening here in Italy. “Don't go out after 10 pm”. While people keep on getting sick or even dying, here comes the policeman with a ticket 'cause you left home for a goddam moment. I have this picture on my mind, of a person in pajamas, carrying the garbage bag full of stinking mussel shells at less than one hundred meters from home in a totally deserted night. At that point a flash on him. It’s the police who writes a ticket to that dangerous criminal. And then, for everyone's sake, the Christmas mass was moved from the usual midnight to 8 pm. How the hell can you think it's not a mockery? And... the last “gag”! Before Christmas, our Minister of technological innovation made an appeal to telephone companies so that video calls were free on Christmas days... But what year does she live in? But... is she not able to understand that in Italy almost everyone has either unlimited gigas or wifi? Nothing changes if the telephone companies for a couple of days give us video calls because we already use free services such as Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom, Telegram, and so on and so forth... Ok, in a vain attempt to avoid death, they are putting us in an induced coma! Seriously, all this offends our intelligence! And, when you realize you are inside a joke, you don't like to discover you're the main character, do you?! So, to answer your question, I couldn't foresee how a post-covid society will be reshaped, but the severe weakening that now is burdening us will have some major impact, no doubt. Currently, most folks are obsessed with fear, so are unable to reflect on the consequences of unconstitutional actions such as those foolishly propagated by many States. Furthermore, the pharma companies, the giants of the online shopping industry and many other powerful satanic puppet masters who are used to appear as philanthropists are ready to get their hands on everything, well pleased with the next “big reset”. So, after the pandemic, things will change a lot! For sure, from a human point of view, the feelings will be devitalized.

Question 3: Hologram Moon is a great name! Evokes conspirations like what really is the moon and this strangeness opens a vast creative field to find answers or even new questions... please tell us a bit more about this album, his name, songs...

*** EAF - "Fake is your face" is one of the phrases that most resonate in me when I sing "Holograms", or when in “Lost Islands” the old world said “Goodbye”! It's as if you had to face a new reset, as if you discovered everything you've always believed is swept away in an instant. There's the awareness that in the face of a new and suffocating truth, when the sky collapses, only true love can resist and guide you. In this sense, the final track of the album, “Travellers’ Testament” is a real stone on my heart, as it describes a fantastic journey to a planet. The astronaut is now impatient to fulfill his dream, but he will never arrive on that planet. The landing will take place on a space station. The moon landing's been questioned over and over again and certain evidence of the fact's inconsistency eventually seems credible. But we cannot say what reality is in any scientific way, especially when we're already prepared to believe a reassuring source. This is a simple starting point to embark on our history. More than finding answers, our sacred duty is to open the door to new questions, ask doubts, not take anything for granted. “Hologram Moon” is a purely poetic vision, but also a way to question everything. The mind can atrophy very easily. Habit, for example, can be complicit in this and the so-called comfort zone can be just complicit as well. The hypnosis that we suffer every day without realizing it, also grinding so many and bad TV shows, and so on... So, let's remain thinking and dreaming! This is a message from us.

Question 4: How was the experience of working with Covenant's Eskil Simonsson on the beautiful "Sky Collapse"?

*** EAF - We had come across Covenant several times before doing this collaboration; on festival occasions, in the dressing rooms... But it was a chaotic situation, so... we gave each other a fleeting smile, a kind greeting, but nothing more. Then, when Angelo and I wrote “Sky Collapse”, we immediately thought that a deep and sincere voice like Eskil's would add something precious to the song. Even before recording the two-voice song, we met at a charity festival. We had called him as a guest just to sing this song together, which was yet unreleased. He made himself available immediately. It was a nice gift for us and when the moment came, I think that on stage you could feel my strong emotion all the way down the hall!

Question 5: Well, I think now we will have our fan moment! Let's talk about some Kirlian Camera songs that our DJs and the audience of the REDE VAMP love it? Do I speak the name and may you tell a little about the meanings, influences, or a curious story?

*** EAF ***

>>> NIGHTGLORY. It refers to the triumph of the night, perhaps as a momentary spiritual retreat. I'm talking about that precious moment that regenerates your very existence into yourself. The music of this song was born in a symphonic form, very different from how Nightglory was then arranged. This is a song and an album that has been appreciated by many people only after some time, partly because of a promotion that described the album as the most commercial in our history, which is absolutely harmful and misleading. Invisible Front and Eclipse were even more listenable, for example... Sometimes words spoil your work. It would be better to listen to music only, ignoring its promotional presentation. Fortunately, Nightglory has recovered over time till becoming one of the most requested live songs of ours.

>>> BLACK AUGUST. In this song there are various hints coming out from a dark moment in my life, I mean a period that risked devouring me. Wounds that take time to heal. Sky Collapse can be considered the final act of that period, even if the music of the two songs sounds very different, as you know. Black August blends various stylistic dimensions in a single “body of music”, so many didn't know how to label it at the time, as it effectively goes running free, out of the box. A very atypical song that has gained some actual success despite its distinction, which has also brought us closer to fans of dark metal and so-called electronica.

>>> HELLFIRE. I chose this piece to add an echo to the dark period I was talking about above, in order to exorcise all that negativity, so we went to deal with a theme showing gospel traits but containing some demonic references in the lyrics. Then I didn't know THE 8th PRESIDENT was waiting for us at the SCARLET GATE OF TOXIC DAYBREAK, with his COLD PILLS! A wordplay whoever is following us will understand!

>>> K-PAX. I wrote this piece in a night when everything seemed dreamy and I almost didn't realize where I was anymore. No, I wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but all my memories were mixing in tremendous chaos that needed to reinvent itself and turn into an immaterial fog, in a light but lost dream. Angelo literally translated the music and melodies I had written on the staff, giving both them and my voice the perfect terms to guide the journey. In fact, it's not a complete and static text, but a sequence of dreamy and painful phrases at the same time. I felt that Angelo listened to me attentively since he knew how to translate my notes so perfectly into written sentences as if he were sending me back into my music. It was magical and at K-Pax Angelo and I discovered the other life of ourselves, bringing to light so many breathtaking emotions and it was just the departure, after the suffocating mists of Still Air, an album we love, and the crepuscular decadence of Stalingrad Valkyrie.

Question 6: There is a cover of Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd from Kirlian Camera that is a true work of art. The Mad World cover performed by Spectra Paris is fascinating. Are there more covers from other bands that you would like to record?

*** EAF - Well yes, there are ideas, but we prefer to evaluate which are the best. Meanwhile, I tried to produce a version of a Johnny Cash song and I made Angelo interpret it: I really like the result. It may be used by Stalingrad Valkyrie.

Question 7: I love your lyrics! What can't Elena be missing when creating new lyrics or musical arrangements? Are there any poetry, films, books, comic books, or other influences?

*** EAF - Mostly everything happens unconsciously. You don't know how many times I realize why I wrote a certain phrase only after a song was released! But I can say that my imagination works mostly by processing images. So, the movies are very helpful in this. Similarly, Angelo and I tap into imagery that could be part of the quantum physics new era, where multiverse and multidimensionality are both playing an important role. This world appears like a really tiny thing when compared to everything else.

Question 8: Elena, I read in an older interview about a "Young Ladies Homicide Club" I found an undeniable reference to the films Noir and the figure of the characters called "Vamp" and all the charm and spectral magnetism ... but I was a little curious. .. what is this "Young Ladies Homicide Club"?

*** EAF - Let's say I imagined an unreal club created by apparently dead or so to say "disappeared" models in order to get rid of fashion people who were acting a bit too naughty! The work to clean up that world wouldn't be lacking, as, after all, it happens in all professional areas. As for myself goes, I gladly opted in a flash and without second thoughts for singing and making music, leaving everything behind, buying a couple of synths and a decent microphone, which I then enriched with various electronic devilry, kicking away possible easy money, foolish nights, cocaine, heroin, stereotyped relationships, and absurdly worshipped wines! Every so often I like to play with the ridiculous and grotesque ghosts of some fashion designers, photographers, and evil spirits, then going to recreate noir stories in which everything happens. I also drew some digital comics with a noir-glam flavor, a few years ago... It was a fun pastime, while with Kirlian Camera I'd been exploring deeper and more fundamental universes.

Question 9: Is there more news on the way for the incredible Spectra Paris and also for Stalingrad Valkyrie? May you talk a bit more about them?

*** EAF - Stalingrad Valkyrie is a project I am very fond of, in a special way. So I insisted on getting it back to life after a period of hibernation which lasted too much in my opinion. "Martyrium Europae", the most recent album, proved me right, even if it’s not a commercial project. Well, it seems our listeners have appreciated the attempt to combine different musical sources in a unique style, certainly linked to the more symphonic and dramatic Kirlian Camera pages, but also quite free to express itself on his own, trying to avoid the most standard patterns of neofolk, progressive and industrial, without on the other hand completely ignoring their now distant origins. So, in its small way, the new album turned out to be a success and I'd really like this project to keep on living with further fresh ideas. We're currently working on a new chapter that will be released on vinyl and some digitals, which contains previously unreleased songs and versions.

Question 10: Elena, our Rede Vamp is a platform about Cultural Vamp and Vampires production ... and there is a question that our interviewees never escape. Is there a character or perhaps a vampire story that you never forgot?

*** EAF - Needless to say the vampire who most impressed me over time can't be anyone other than... Angelo Bergamini!!! Not many know that Angelo was the leading actor in a short film entitled "Himre Bakai", shot in the late nineties or so, directed by Antonio Bocchi, the later owner of the dark-electronic project Lux Anodyca and author of detective books. I don't think the film is regularly available or downloadable at the moment, but I know it was also screened at the time in various festivals and reviews, also getting some good feedback! Angelo (Himre) and Antonio told me that one day the film "will see the light ”, but at the moment... he lies in the dark, by the book, of course!!!

Question 11: Elena, thank you so much for your time and generosity! You and Kirlian Camera have many fans on our events and radio shows, please leave a special message for our audience! Are there plans for a new gig in Brazil after all this pandemic?

*** EAF - While it's true that we've never been able to play in Brazil so far, I'm sure your Land is actually right for us, 'cause I can feel that's full of feeling and passion, so we'd love to perform for you very much, 'cause in spite of the fact it's so far away, I feel a deep affinity and a certain familiarity with your world. And while we wait, confident that sooner or later we'll succeed in our aim, I wanna greet all those who had the kindness to listen to me, with a quote from the American scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

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freckled-words · 5 years

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Count The Teeth - Part Two

Did I make any progress on the story today? No. Did I add more content to my plot breakdown list? Yes. AKA = I made more work for myself instead of achieving work on this. YAAAAAY ~

Edited by @the-wild-ego

PART ONE

Needless to say, you did not like NateMare.

Your friends and coworkers went nuts when they saw the tattoo. Thankfully it only appeared to be a tattoo to them, even when you were moving around.

Every morning, when you looked in the mirror and saw it, you felt a strong urge to dig your nails into your skin and try to shred it off.

It was only the knowledge that this was a temporary curse that kept you from going through with that thought.

Though each time NateMare showed up on your balcony, in your kitchen, or in your bedroom, you felt that instinct come back.

The damned chain was either relaying information to him, or he was, in fact, stalking you. Despite his numerous vague denials. There was no other explanation as to how he knew when you had days off from work, or when you were home on your own.

Over the past three weeks of this happening, you learned only the bare essentials about the man.

First being that he was not, in fact, a man, he was a Phantom Siren. He boasted about being one of two. Since it made him so special and rare.

When he wasn’t looking, you were rolling your eyes and silently mocking him.

The second being that there were more than just him and the vampire running around out there. When you asked for a little more clarification, he refused to share, saying instead that they had to be discovered on their own. Something about reinforcing their existence.

The rest you learned about NateMare was conveyed through his pain-in-the-ass personality.

He’d show up in a way that would scare the crap out of you. Drag you to one library or another, then make you do all the researching. All the while he’d be on his phone or reading manga.

Regardless of all the times, you’d remind him, “This would go a lot faster if we were both looking.” He would wave you off and keep doing whatever it was he was doing.

By the fourth week, you were just about ready to try the experiment of strangling a phantom.

It was getting late, the library would be closed in an hour. NateMare, wonderful research buddy that he was, was fast asleep on the table top. He’d been asleep for the past 20 minutes. The thought of ditching him was tempting, especially with the picture of him being woken up by the cross librarian being added onto it.

You touched the phantom chain on your throat and decided against it. The last thing you wanted was for him to retaliate while you were on the bus home.

You yawned again, hard enough this time to make your eyes water. As you rubbed and blinked away the extra moisture, your vision blurred. You saw someone walk by your table, but couldn’t get a very good look.

NateMare stirred, his body twitched and a small growl left his lips. He settled again once the stranger was walking past the reception desk and out of the building.

Hearing that growl, which was not a noise a human would make, gave you confirmation about your decision to stay.

You closed the book you had in front of you, deeming it to be another dud. You had a small pile of books to choose from, and all of them had been less than promising when you took them off the shelf.

Your sight narrowed in on a thin volume sitting on the top of the pile. Its cover was a russet red, and if you weren’t mistaken, made of leather.

You had no memory of finding this book on the shelves. Picking it up you confirmed your guess about the leather covering.

There was no title or author anywhere in the book. There wasn’t any library barcode, either. Had someone put down a personal book by mistake?

Opening the book, you were met with the smell of aged paper. Which wasn’t hard to believe with how yellow the paper was.

The words on the page were handwritten or printed in a way to be handwritten. If it was written by hand, it was the most elegant handwriting you’d ever seen. Only people that took the time to learn calligraphy could produce letters like this.

A skim over the first page put any thoughts of finding the proper owner out of your mind. You properly read the next couple pages and found yourself getting excited.

You kicked NateMare in the leg, “Wake up, I think I’ve got something.”

He grumbled and cracked an eye open, “Check the book out and give me the cliff notes tomorrow.”

You kicked him again, “You wanted my help finding information. Here’s the information. I’m not a lackey you can bully into doing what you want. If you want to find the vampire, do some work.”

You shoved the book under his nose, with it opened to the passage you read last.

Both his eyes opened and he scowled down at the book in confusion. Picking it up he brought it closer to his face. You heard him breathe in deep, “Where did you find this?”

“I didn’t find it. It found us. It just appeared on the top of the pile. I think it’s someone’s personal journal or something.” You didn’t follow up with the question about what he was doing with it. From what you could tell, he was trying to get a scent from the paper.

He growled something to himself that you didn’t quite catch. You filed it away as a curse since he settled on glaring at the book while he read.

You could see the wheels turning in his head as the words processed. His posture switched from ‘annoyed, uninterested student’ to ‘invested intrigue’.

He turned the page, and what he read next made him smirk, “I knew it.”

“Knew what? You got ahead of me in the reading material, so you’re going to have to share with the class.” Despite having been forced into this, you were curious.

NateMare read aloud, “‘Born from concentrated energy and fear, vampires seek blood to keep themselves tethered to the physical realm.’ This fucker is just like me, only a little more twisted.”

A brow raised, you asked, “You were born from concentrated energy and fear?”

“No, concentrated energy from my host’s fans.” He answered idly as he scanned over the pages.

This, of course, made even less sense than the explanation for vampires.

Feeling left out, you stood from your chair and leaned in closer to try and see the pages.

His grip on the book suddenly became tighter, you were worried he was going to rip it in half, “What is it?”

He threw the book down and stood from his chair. Putting his hands over his face, he began to growl and curse. If not for his hands he’d be yelling more than loud enough for the librarian to ask them to leave.

You took the book and looked over the passage that had hit a nerve for Mr. Smokey Ghost.

“Once a vampire has come into existence, the first blood it tastes becomes its host anchor. The vampire will take on the appearance of the most influential of a bloodline’s generation. This allows them an easier means of obtaining sustenance. Once their chosen host passes, they assume the appearance of the next generation, and will continue to do so until the bloodline ceases to be.”

By the time you finished reading NateMare had gotten himself under control. He had his hands on his hips, and his sight fixed on the floor. Sensing that the smallest thing might set him off you asked, “I take it this is why he resembles you? Same host source?”

NateMare opened his mouth, then closed it, pressing his lips together. A minute passed where you thought he was trying not to explode into a smoke bomb. He lifted a finger, pointing it towards the book he finally huffed out, “If that thing is telling the truth, then yeah. I gotta go. Keep that book, or I’ll turn you into smoked jerky.”

There were wisps of smoke seeping from the corners of his eyes as he left.

You didn’t dare move until he’d stomped his way through the doors.

Exhaling in relief you looked back at the book, “I think you just got someone in a whole lot of trouble.”

#NWTB #NateWantstoBattle #NateMare #fanfiction #vampires #Count the Teeth #Part Two

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rust-en-orde · 4 years

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and in the name of love, she’s coming back.

although it’s fairly confusing to point out the only one thing that CL lacks to make her own breakthrough in the US impossible, because duh, she has everything upon her sleeve, I think we can come to a final conclusion that it’d be good management.

what else does a leader of 2NE1, one of the pioneers in K-pop whose influence and contribution could never be denied since 2009, conceivably not have, unless a company with at least a functional brain which will let their artists release a goddamn album? y’all tell me.

the fact she’s from YG Entertainment (the shittiest company in South Korea, fyi only tho, just in case you’re clueless) had been the prominent reason for all the widespread frustrations growing from both important parties in this case (CL and her loyal fandom, GZB) since 2015.

2015 was like the perfect timing for her grand entry to the US, wasn’t it? her swaggering single ‘Hello Bitches’ was getting massive recognition, the high anticipation from both the general public and GZBs was rising higher than ever. not to mention her extensive connection! the relationship with all peeps from another side of the world that she builds throughout the years was beneficially helping to spread her brand out as an all-around rookie singer who’s more than ready to pull off ‘CL paves the way for Asian artists debuting in the US’ card.

and here’s the most ridiculous joke of the decade; instead of dropping a ton of remarkable albums which she has worked on either in South Korea or the US, all she could have was a longass hiatus after the release of her debut single ‘Lifted’ (which I always think as a mere warm-up song lol) in 2016.

can y’all imagine that?

she’s a top-notch performer. her number one mission has always been to stun everyone the moment she’s stepping on stage. she was one of two artists that being asked to represent South Korea at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic closing ceremony and she ate the whole stadion alive.

imagine being none but a literal idiot for wasting her unmatched talents, her golden age, her unstoppable stage presence? I simply can’t be one because nah that certain level of stupidity is beyond my ability.

another painful story is, as many as GZBs who decided to faithfully stay and wait for her music, there was also a large number of them who heavily chose to leave. if you’re starting to wonder who to blame, whose fault is it? well, to be frankly honest, no one (it’s YG Entertainment’s fault tho but I had enough talking about that garbage so).

let me break the situation down for you.

she couldn’t release any song she have produced by herself, she’s basically getting locked up. the desperation was painfully too much to be borne, both for herself and GZBs. dozens of new groups get to debut every year. they’re fresh and young, they have a dozen of chances to promote their songs frequently, to showcase their capabilities. and how’s CL doing? what exactly has she been up to? not even one single fleeting glimpse existed. GZBs were left by confusion, were hanging by only futile hope to listen to her new album which seemed wouldn’t be getting released anytime soon. inevitably, some chose to leave yet the rest wanted to stay. they, whose commendable persistence, truly did.

when the news of her departure from that sexist company broke out in November 2019, following the announcement of the ‘IN THE NAME OF LOVE’ release (in less than a month since she left that broke agency, a glo up I aspire to have tbh) there was a huge relief within me. yes, solely a relief.

there was no scene of weeping a bucket of tears, or more extreme, an agonizingly painful blow within my chest, just like when they announced 2NE1’s disbandment three years ago. picture that as a twinge of irony, because it felt like years ago since the last time I could be just free of worry towards any news coming from K-pop artists I love (and in general tho tbh, 2019 is not definitely the best year of K-pop). that time, I couldn’t resist to pat my head and, if I may add, to give myself the highest praise for making a good decision. yes, hon, once in a lifetime. hashtag I’m indecisive and I knew it.

“smart of you to not ever forget her, to never have any slightest thought for leaving the fandom, to simply stay,” I told myself.

‘IN THE NAME OF LOVE’, a meaningful gift for her friends and GZBs. but above all, a thoughtful letter written by herself to herself which for the most part saying that it’s always okay to start all over again.

it’s an extended play (EP) that contains six songs in total and every two tracks will be dropped in one week. she just released the first two songs, +DONE161201+ and +REWIND170205+, and the responses are nothing but hearty applause. oh anyway, the numbers in each song correspond with the date when the songs were written, as if it’s a kind of diary that depicted her feelings over that time.

in spite of the fact that it’s written 3 years ago, ‘Done’ is an enjoyable and super catchy bop. it’s like a peaceful break-up anthem, something that you can claim as rare topic because recent break-up songs outhere are mostly about the wounded pain and sleepless nights (SHOUTOUT TO AKMU’S HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK WHEN YOU’RE THE ONE I LOVE they can have all the waters from my eyes I truly don’t mind). the lyrics are very straight-forward (which I appreciate the most) and somehow I can’t help but squeezing out some memories from my teenager days by listening to it religiously.

“don’t hit me up

don’t show up on me

the one who left me

baby boy, that was you

please don’t hit me up

don’t call me

I told you that you would regret this, you fool”

2NE1 was widely known for their empowering songs back then, remember? you are allowed to have a sort of vague or even a clear-cut distaste towards the songs they made in their peak of career, but you definitely can’t disregard the truth that they’re effin good at conveying “you broke up with me so you better get your ass out and never come back to me and say you regret everything because duh boy adios” message. been a devoted Blackjack (2NE1’s fandom name) since 2010, it’s just really delightful for me to finally hear their distinctive sound again in newer production provided by the leader. if any of you are in desperate need of a clean break-up jam, Done is a decent choice. btw my personal favorite part of the song is:

“tears I shed for you is my last gift for you

what’s done is done”

(IT’S WAY TOO RELATEABLE I,,)

moving on to the second track, ‘Rewind’ aka a song that turned me into a miserable mess the first second I listened to it. I’m not a genius in music and its magical pieces of stuff but it doesn’t take a genius either to understand the meaning of this song is THAT deep.

“where did we go wrong? I don’t know

it’s too late to say goodbye

let’s try solving this unpromising puzzle

you don’t wanna let me go, me neither

the curtain between us

open it up and let’s rewind”

I think she’s like talking to herself. she’s questioning why everything is falling apart, why things aren’t right in the first place. then after dealing with not-so-momentary confusion and hesitation, she came up with a decision that she only had to go back to the beginning and start over. and it may not be the easiest thing to be done, but even so it’s not a serious problem because she knows that she’s more than capable of proving herself, that she’s never alone along every step in another big journey ahead of her. I’d say ‘Rewind’ is a very encouraging song, it feels so uplifting to be heard on your heavy days.

also, the music videos for both songs are quite personal and emotionally soul-stirring. she produced the video by herself hence you can easily notice the simplicity and creativity she carried on there. one thing that ought to be highlighted is the people who were shown in the music videos. they are her closest friends slash constant supports which are playing an irreplaceable part in her life, especially when times were rough for her with all US debut preparation and everything. on a lighter note, I’m profoundly thankful to know she’s never alone while facing all hardships she got to encounter, that she’d never be obligated to dissemble her feelings because she’s surrounded by her own people who are always all ears for her.

to sum everything up, ‘IN THE NAME OF LOVE’ is a heartwarming start.

it’s not the main release for her high-anticipated return to the music scene, but instead, it brings a long-awaited comfort to the table as if she’s saying “hey fam guess what? I’m still here, I won’t ever give up, let’s do it now” to GZBs. her previous agency had done nothing but ruined her chances to make everything big on time and as now she’s no longer prisoned (I sound so bitter ok I know), I simply can’t wait to see what she got in store and am beyond ready to give my utmost support for a ton of albums she will be releasing from now on.

4 years filled only with the long stretches of waiting have passed, and that, surely not in a blink of an eye. but somehow, she made it. so did GZBs.

welcome back, CL. been long time, hasn’t it?

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dailymihyun-blog · 6 years

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Top Ways to Make Your Photos Look Professional

There is no silver bullet to making a professional picture. It often takes years of practice; however, as a newer photographer you'll find that there are some things that will dramatically improve your photography without much effort.

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But here are the simplest things you can do to quickly see an improvement in your photos.

Tip #1: Capture Interesting Lighting

Lighting is number one on this list for a reason. It's easily the most overlooked aspect of photography for beginning photographers, but professional photographers obsess about it. Lighting is the most important thing to making a photo look professional.

Now what makes lighting look interesting? First of all, it's different from what we normally see. Second, it highlights the subject and presents it in a good way.

There are many ways to make a portrait photo have more interesting lighting. You could simply place the person in the shade in order to put even lighting on their face, or you could turn their back to the sun so that hard shadows don't rake across the face.

With landscape photography, time of day is absolutely imperative. 95% of the landscape photos in my portfolio of the best shots I've ever taken were photographed in the very early morning at sunrise or late in the evening at sunset. Beginning photographers often overlook this important tip and try to make a photo in the middle of the day. That's rarely a recipe for success.

Chose a Clear Subject By Zooming In Tight

If you're having a difficult time getting a composition to make sense, the problem is most likely that you've chosen too many subjects at once. Decide on what one subject will be the center of attention, and you'll have a much more interesting picture.

It's incredibly rare that I see a photo that is photographed TOO tight. Zooming in on one part of the scene is almost always the right answer for new photographers. It takes most of my students a year of learning photography before they finally dare to zoom in tight. How long will it take you?

ON THE “BEFORE” PHOTO ON THE LEFT, YOU SEE WHAT A PHOTO LOOKS LIKE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE CAMERA. ON THE RIGHT, I SHOW THE SAME PHOTO AFTER APPLYING ONE OF MY ONE CLICK LIGHTROOM PRESETS. YOU'LL GET SOME OF MY FAVORITE PORTRAIT PRESETS ALONG WITH THE LIGHTROOM AND PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEO TRAININGS.

Digital Styling

Often, I see photos submitted to me in a portfolio review (starting at only $39) that is beautiful, but just hasn't been styled yet. Digital styling is applied in Photoshop and Lightroom and allows the photographer to creatively change the colors, contrast, and exposure.

While I personally am not much of a fan of the filters on Instagram, we have all seen a photo that looks much more trendy and creative when a filter is applied to it.

If you feel like you're ready to learn this part of photography, I highly recommend getting Lightroom and taking my Lightroom 101 class to help you get started with the software.

If you just learning photo retouching basics, you can address professional photo retouching services online like WeEdit.photos or FixThePhoto that can do any photo enhancement for several dollars.

WHILE DOING A SENIOR PICTURE SHOOT LAST MONTH (WHICH WAS FILMED FOR MY “PHOTOGRAPHY START” CLASS), THE MODEL MENTIONED SHE HAD HORSES. OBVIOUSLY THE SHOOT SUDDENLY INCLUDED THE HORSES BECAUSE THEY ARE AN INTERESTING SUBJECT. I WANTED TO TAKE A PHOTO SHOWING HOW MUCH THE GIRL LOVES HER HORSE, SO I FOCUSED IN ON THE FINE DETAIL OF JUST PART OF THE HORSE TO CAPTURE THIS SHOT.

Interesting Subject

Capturing an interesting subject is usually the simplest part of photography. Even non-photographers know that some things are more interesting in a photo than others.

My advice here is actually the opposite of what you may think I'm going to say. It's not that you should find something interesting to shoot (though you certainly should).

My advice is that you should be careful not to be TOO taken by the subject. If you are too excited about the subject, it can be easy to forget about all the of the other things on this page. Capture an interesting subject, but once you've found it, remove yourself a bit from the excitement and pay attention to everything else you need to do.

Crisp Sharpness

There are so many factors that impact the sharpness of a photo that it can be difficult to know what is causing a reduction in sharpness in your photos. But I have found after coaching thousands and thousands of photographers that the problem is usually that the photographer did not get the focus quite right.

When taking a picture of a person, it's essential to put the focus point exactly on the eye of the person you are photographing.

If you want to learn to focus properly, I highly recommend reading my article with 10 tips on getting sharper photos.

CAPTURING THE SKYLINE FROM AN UNUSUALLY HIGH ANGLE PROVIDES A MORE INTERESTING LOOK THAN FROM DOWN IN THE STREETS.

Unique Perspective

Sometimes I find an interesting subject, but just not an interesting place to photograph it from. If you look at professional photos, they are very often taken from non-obvious spots. For example, a photo of a CEO will be photographed from down low, looking up at the person to make him or her look more powerful. Or, in the case of photographing a city, we often want to get to a very high perspective to shoot down and see the whole city.

Such was the case a few months ago while I was speaking at a conference in Chicago and photographed the skyline from the top of one of the tallest buildings so that I could see the whole city at once.

Creative Composition

Composition is probably the most difficult thing on this list to teach in a short amount of time, but it makes a tremendous difference.

If you have an important upcoming shoot, I highly recommend that you start learning composition by at least learning the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is the most basic rule of composition that basically tells the photographer to imagine a tic-tac-toe board on the frame of the picture, and to put the most interesting part of the photo on the intersection of those lines.

SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD TO PICK UP ON THE “TOUGH GUY” MOOD I SET FOR THIS PHOTO OF AN ATHLETE THAT I TOOK WHILE TEACHING A FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP EARLIER THIS YEAR. BUT NOT EVERY MOOD NEEDS TO BE SO OMINOUS. THE MOOD COULD BE BRIGHT AND CLEAN JUST AS EASILY.

Mood

Mood is an oft-overlooked aspect of photography, but I find that it's an excellent way to learn to make a photo more impactful. As you take pictures, ask yourself “What mood will this photo convey?”

By asking yourself that question, you will avoid taking a photo of a person with a blank expression. You'll recognize that the person's expression isn't conveying a mood and you'll change it. This can also happen in a landscape. Look at the photo below of the bird in front of the sunset and you'll see that the exposure which was too bright did not convey a serene mood.

Proper Depth-of-Field

Depth-of-field is a hallmark of professional photography–especially professional pictures of people. Shallow depth-of-field means that the subject of the photo is sharp, and the background is blurry. Learning this technique can instantly transform your photography to something much more professional looking.

To take a picture with shallow depth of field, follow ALL of the steps in this recipe:

Put on your longest lens

Set the camera to aperture priority

Set the aperture as low as it will go

Step as close to the subject as you can while still allowing the lens to focus

Place the subject far away from anything in the background.

Put the focus point on the subject

Take the picture

WITH AUTO SETTINGS, THE CAMERA TOOK THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT. IT'S OKAY, BUT IT ISN'T INTERESTING. THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT HAS A CREATIVELY DARK EXPOSURE THAT MAKES THE COLOR IN THE SCENE POP. THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT CONVEYS A MUCH MORE IMPRESSIVE MOOD.

Proper Exposure

Exposure means the brightness or darkness of a photo. It's probably the thing that beginning photographers put the most work into learning.

There are three ways to control the exposure of a photo: aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. If you're not sure how they work together and how to set them, take some time to read my free photography basics series.

Digital cameras are very good at coming to a neutral exposure, but the truth is that the neutral exposure is not always the best exposure. For example, suppose you are taking a picture of a person on a bright sunny day. The camera will likely make the face of the person dark and the background too bright. The “neutral” exposure is mid-way between exposing for the face and the background.

But as the photographer, you know that the face is far more important than the background, so you will brighten the exposure for the face and let the background go bright. Go for the proper exposure, not the neutral one.

BY SHOOTING A PANORAMA IN THIS LOCATION, I WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THE GENTLE CURVE OF THE RIVER, WHICH MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE PHOTO. MY GUIDE, ANDY BEALES, POINTED OUT THIS LOCATION TO ME AND IT WAS A WINNER!

Viewing the Photo Large

After you apply all of the other tips on this page, the way you present the photo will also make a major difference in how it is viewed by those who see it. Don't you dare put a tremendous amount of work into a photo and then print it out at 8×10. Show your photo large to have a bigger impact!

Have you ever walked through a photography gallery? Notice how HUGE the photos are? It's because almost any photo looks better and more captivating when it is viewed full screen or on a very large print.

Learn Photography!

If you're ready to sink your teeth into photography and learn to master it, I highly recommend you read my free photography basics article series. I poured hours into that tutorial to make it the very best way to learn photography, and tens of thousands of people read it every month. I'm sure you'll love it.

Conclusion

If you can only do a few of these things in your photo, make it these: capture interesting lighting, use a creative composition, and remember to digitally style the photo afterward.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Harmer

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Jim Harmer is the founder of Improve Photography, and host of the popular Improve Photography Podcast. More than a million photographers follow him on social media, and he has been listed at #35 in rankings of the most popular photographers in the world. He blogs about how to start an internet business on IncomeSchool.com..

Comments

REPLY Vic Anthony Vallejera

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REPLY Summer

Very helpful tips and I want to learn light room editing

I love photography!!!! I am just a beginner!!!your advices mean a lot!!! Tanx in advance!!!

Good basic advice. I have found that myself and others tend to pick up a new camera and want to get out there immediately snapping pictures, it’s human nature. However, learn what your camera has to offer to improve your photography with little effort on your part. Most of us are impatient, and when we get things working finally, we tend to forget that there are tonnes of features in our cameras that we haven’t even touched on. I slow down, take the manual, set up on a tripod with an appropriate subject for trying everything with the camera, like a brick wall, or the fireplace facing, or even a stuffed animal or doll, and go through the manual in detail, you’ll know your camera much better. Happy snapping.

REPLY Rick

Sometimes camera features can actually get in the way of taking good photos, especially for a beginner. For people who are just starting out, I always recommend learning the exposure triangle (ISO, exposure time and aperture) and learn how those three components work together. Experiment with different settings and see what happens. Reformat your card and start over again. Waste some pixels in order to learn those basics. Once you get a feel for the exposure triangle, it’s much easier to get out of auto mode and start using some manual settings to get what you want. I bought my 5DmkII almost five years ago now, and I have no idea where the manual is. I don’t think I’ve seen it since I opened the box.

REPLY Shirly Lutchavez Lim

Hi! im looking for someone who can practice with me taking picture of my self. i really want to be a Model. but i cant send PORTFOLIO to Agency becuase i cant afford someone taking pictures of me. Agency need a good picture from me. im Asian from Philippines age 28 years old. no kids. my vital status. 75-F – 33 – 37. im here in Sweden. if you know someone please refer me. thank you so much

kindly Regards Shirly Lim,

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Nice article thank you for sharing

This is so helpful even for beginners like me. Following all the way from Kenya.

thank you for sharing these valuable tips!

Loved this article. Full of interesting and helpful tips. Good work again from the IP team

This makes a good checklist of considerations before taking photos. Thanks for sharing!

LOVED IT! It was very helpful

The way you teach us feel listening to a class without any boring. Makes more interesting to learn Photography skills.

Great collection of tips! Nicely written. Thx

HI just bought a cannon 70 d upgrade from my 450 D, interesting reading some comments about getting good lens than a new camera , just what the guy in the shop said looking at the quality of pictures . Being mainly an amateur and having not really spend time with the manual and settings on the previous camera ,really appreciate a comment above Dennis P . I think learning the difference between the snaps under different settings is important,.Like wise learning to take the same snaps in different lighting especially outdoor settings .

Just a question? What editing program do you use to edit photos like these? or what do you suggest?

AuthorREPLY Jim Harmer

@Kara Riley – Almost every pro photographer I know uses Lightroom for most of their editing.

Just a question? What editing program do you use to edit photos like these? or what do you suggest?

Definitely, this post is very effective for the photographers. You are targeting on some vital things about photo. This helps us to make a photo more attractive and real. Thank you,.

When I take photos I often focus too much on making them interesting, weird, or funny. I love taking photos of my daughters dress up parties. However, not being a professional I don’t often think much about lighting or background clutter, there is a lot of the latter in my home. How much of this kind of stuff can be fixed with photoshop?

I just wanna say this has been so helpful, to me and my kids. Because I’m a normal mom, and you wanna know how to take good pictures. Not for you but for your kids, also, the future. When you kids look at old pictures it’s VERY, important to see. How they used to look when were younger, how they changed, do they still look the same? That’s how I feel.

Sir, when we click a portrait behind a landscape, do we position the person in the center of the image or any side?

Sir, when we click a portrait with landscape as background, do we position the person in the center of the image or any side?

Hello,

I am new to photography and I am attempting to open an Etsy shop so I can make a living selling online. I am however, having trouble with the photography portion of this experience. I purchased a very expensive macro lens from Canon ($600), thinking this would solve my problems but I feel it has just made me become even more confused about how to take good photos that sell the product well. Not all of my photos are bad, but I am using a professional lighting (soft box-just one) to light up my jewelry in a lifestyle shot. It is doing the opposite and making the jewelry appear dark and everything else appears sort of colorless and washed out. I dont know how to correct this, and I feel like I have tried everything. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

REPLY Unity Paledi

If you use too much lighting ,you gonna need to increase your ISO, to maybe 800,1200,3200, or lower your exposure to -2,-3,

you have to keep on changing to settings depending on your environment,

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ljln · 7 years

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Show Me the Way to Forgive You: Maternal Conflict (repost)

Posted on July 30, 2014 It’s taken a while to get to a place where I can forgive my birth mother for leaving to eventually play mom to someone else’s kids. It wasn’t until I was twenty-three that it dawned on me that if I was having a helluva time trying to take care of myself, how could she and my dad have felt about raising two kids? I knew at twenty-three I wasn’t ready to have or take care of kids, and I might not be ready ever. but anyway, I had that epiphany, and while I’m not saying what she did was right or okay, I understood how overwhelmed and trapped she may have felt. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I’m in the same place when it comes to my stepmom. If I had to hazard a guess as to why, I would say that the effects and consequences of having her help raise me and my siblings have been far-reaching and so pervasive as to be deeply entrenched into my way of thinking that it’s caused havoc in my career, my marriage, and the way I relate (or not) to others. Don’t get it twisted, I know I have my share of blame and responsibility, but I contend that my parents’ lack of self-awareness and immaturity didn’t do any of their kids any favors. Organizing the narrative of this section has proven a challenge, because the best way I can think to show and convey what I’m talking about, I have a mish-mash of isolated incidents and general behaviors: • At one point, my stepmom said she hated fat kids, and there I was, along with my younger brother, being fat and offensive. she would often try to put us all on diets which never lasted long (see the last entry on weight and body image issues). • Spending entire days in the NICU when her reprobate of a sister, due to drug use, gave birth to a premature boy who would later develop epilepsy and be semi-retarded—along with driving him three to four cities away for healthcare, but bemoaning having to spend ten dollars for a copay when her daughter, my (step)sister was having painful back spasms. • Ingraining in our heads that a bad something was better than nothing, and that we had absolutely no right to complain about anything. This would set the pattern in the future for bad relationships of all kinds. • Ingraining in our heads that to be a good person, one has to be a martyr and never expect any type of reciprocity. You’re supposed to give, suffer, and give some more with no thought of your own well-being. Never mind if you can’t take care of yourself. Never mind if you can’t meet your own kids’ material or emotional needs—someone else’s kids needed you more than your own, who could take care of themselves. • Praise was rarely given, while criticism was abundant. Getting good grades, doing chores, doing volunteer work for the church, and being a “good” kid were things we were supposed to do anyway. We never had a lack of critical feedback, though: We were almost always too loud, too fat, too mouthy/smart-assed, too ungrateful to be worthy of anything other than constant judgment. • Constant denial that I was going through something beyond the usual teen angst, and dismissing me as a drama queen. For the longest time, mental illness was indicative of a spiritual problem instead of a physiological one. What’s worse is when I was out of high school, she told me flippantly that I just needed Prozac. I always took that to mean I needed medication to be in a mood she and the rest of the world would approve of, as opposed to actually treating me like an adult capable of dialog. In short, she and my dad just didn’t want to deal with me. • The sheer hypocrisy and contradictions dealing with sexuality. See, she was a teen mom who had three different children from three different men (my dad being one of them), and even though she said she would take us (my older sister and I, and my younger stepsisters when they were of age, I’m sure) to get birth control, she was convinced that my sister and I had the same lack of judgment she did (it’s noteworthy to mention that my siblings and I grew up in the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and comprehensive sex ed was still being taught). She would constantly send my younger siblings to spy and report on me, and freaked the hell out if I even kissed a guy (for some reason, my older sister was spared the same scrutiny). This, combined with spending my adolescence in a fundamentalist Baptist church that can be accurately described as “this close” to being a Christian Taliban cell, and yeah, sexuality has been an issue. • One afternoon before I started at a state university to finish/get my BA, I got an angry phone call from her saying that my dad wanted to sell his motorcycle to help me out with school, and that I needed to figure it out and how dare I be so selfish? My family had all gone to Oklahoma for reasons unknown, and I knew there was nothing there for me (and I would have to live there for a year to establish residency to avoid paying out of state tuition fees). Understand that all throughout my college career (if you can call it that), I knew I was on my own in providing for myself. Yes, my parents didn’t charge me rent, and my dad bought my first car from a neighbor for twenty bucks (or was it two hundred?), but I was responsible for tuition, books, supplies, gas, insurance, and repairs/maintenance for the car—and my chore load at home was still more than my younger siblings despite going to school full-time and usually working two jobs. I knew better than to expect anything more than nothing, and to not bother asking. Anything extra was an unexpected and appreciated surprise. • Constantly packing an already full house with her awful niece, who was a teen mother who constantly dangled her daughter in front of my parents, threatening to run off to parts unknown if my parents didn’t give her what she wanted (weekends off from parenting, among other things), and her semi-retarded nephew, who was catered to and allowed to get away with most behaviors that would have seen the rest of us grounded or subject to some embarrassing punishment (she was really fond of having us stand with our noses to the wall, even as teenagers and young adults). Her niece was also catered to and did nothing more than consume resources and boss my brothers and sisters around—that was my job. After I called her out for what she was, she punched me, and my stepmom yelled at me, demanding to know what the hell was wrong with me and I should know better than to upset her, because she could take her baby and run at any moment. Never mind that said niece was sleeping with her half-brother and stepfather under the same roof that wouldn’t allow me to even kiss a guy at twenty years old without being ripped a new for it, I was in the wrong for telling the truth and not being tolerant of double standards, hypocrisy and utter bullshit. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. sure, there were some good things, like learning to stretch a few dollars, her advocating for me any time I had a problem with school officials when in junior high (thankfully, rare, but it happened), and sitting on her lap the first day of eighth grade to tell her it sucked (those were some of the meanest, elitist kids I’ve ever met), the hard truth is that all the bad shit overshadows the few good moments or positive attributes. As a result of the above and more, I spent most of my life believing that I was never good enough, that I didn’t deserve shit, to be territorial, to never fully trust anyone, to be hypercritical of myself and everyone else, and to be a spineless, resentful and seething people pleaser. It’s a devastating and enlightening thing to trace the how and why of my more detrimental traits back to the lessons I learned growing up the way I did with my parents. The sad truth of the matter is that it may take years to undo twenty-plus years of this twisted-ass programming and dysfunction. I guess, this writing is a huge part of it. I know someday, I’ll be at a place of forgiveness. I know, cognitively, that forgiveness is more for the person giving it than the one receiving it, but the only thing I can say for myself is that it still feels that to forgive would mean to convey that what happened is okay—and while I understand that the same principal applies to my birth mother, at least my birth mother knows and acknowledges her wrongs and trespasses, and knows that my forgiveness isn’t a pass—and she’s making an honest effort to be a mom to me (my older sister and younger brother, understandably, aren’t there yet). My stepmom, on the other hand, has never once admitted to doing anything wrong and has apologized for nothing, even though the effects of her methods can be seen to varying degrees amongst the six of her kids (remember, we never really did the whole “stepmom,” “stepsisters,” “half-brother” thing). I may get to that place someday, but not today.

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sui-senka · 7 years

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Part 2 of determining my type

Why I see myself as INxP, as opposed to something else. So essentially; as you've figured out I'm talking about INFP and INTP. Initially - I tested as INFP and ENFP, then I tested as INFJ and everything else went downhill from there and I tested as everything else. (I basically had an existential crisis - No joke) My current profile type of 16personalities is INTP. Both types share 2 functions in common - Auxiliary Ne and Tertiary Si. @mbti-notes defines auxiliary Extroverted intuition as: "Auxiliary Ne (INxP): Dominant Ti and Fi have a tendency to be far too narrow in their judgments because of possessing overly individualistic beliefs and values, so Ne should be used to explore and visualize a greater range of ideas about what is possible in order to expand knowledge about the world beyond the personal. When a person struggles with developing the Ne function, they struggle between wanting to preserve individual freedom and independence versus recognizing the need to change and improve one’s relationship to the world. Without healthy Ne, INxPs often make unrealistic judgments that are implicitly marred by bias or self-centeredness because they cannot see beyond their own limited conceptualizations. Repressing Ne: closed-minded and unimaginative, tendency towards pessimism, lazy or apathetic or passive, unable to consider alternative possibilities, cannot make good progress in life (though you desperately want to) Overindulging Ne: impractical and unrealistic, unable to tell the difference between fantasy and reality, tendency to idealize and ignore signs of danger, cannot face negative consequences, prone to being addicted to mental stimulation, too easily distracted to learn in depth Healthy Ti-Ne: Your main goal is to understand cause and effect with precision so that you can prevent problems, fix inaccuracies, and avoid causing problems. Ne should help you mentally manipulate variables and visualize a variety of solutions so that you can better calculate which solution is most likely to lead to the best outcome. You prioritize the need to explore conceptual knowledge in order to find solutions that can maximize improvement and progress. Healthy Fi-Ne: Your main goal is to understand the depth of human experience so that you can always maintain personal and moral integrity in your value system. Ne should help you visualize different possibilities for realizing human potential so that you can approach human problems with more flexibility and imagination. You prioritize the need to explore conceptual knowledge in order to find interesting ways to foster personal growth and well-being." Here's more from the INTP and INFP pages: "INFPs’ Auxiliary Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne) INFPs use Extraverted Intuition (Ne) as their auxiliary function. Ne can function either perceptively or expressively. The verbal expression of Ne amounts to something like “brainstorming aloud.” When orating, NPs may not always seem to “have a point” as they haphazardly move from one idea to the next. Even ideas that seem inwardly cogent to the INFP may suddenly sound incoherent when they attempt to convey them through their Ne. In its receptive role, Ne prompts INFPs to gather information. Ne does not merely gather overt information as Se does. Se is more straightforward, involving a direct apprehension of information through one or more of the primary senses. Ne is different in that it goes beyond or looks behind sense data. This allows INFPs to discern otherwise hidden patterns, possibilities, and potentials. Their Ne is constantly scanning for relationships or patterns within a pool of facts or experiences. INFPs commonly employ the receptive side of their Ne in activities such as reading, researching, and conversing with others. They enjoy asking questions that allow them to gain insight or knowledge from others, often making INFPs good facilitators of conversation. Its extraverted nature makes Ne more divergent, extensive, and open-ended than its introverted cousin, Ni. Ni is more intensive and convergent, conferring a greater sense of conviction and closure. Once Ni has done its work, INJs are more apt to feel there is a single correct solution. NPs, on the other hand, because of the divergent nature of Ne, seem to disposed to multiplying rather than reducing the number of options or possibilities. INFPs also use their Ne to sniff out intriguing possibilities. They commonly enjoy and assume the role of wanderer or seeker. Rarely do they know in advance exactly what they are seeking, which is partly why they find operating in Ne mode so exhilarating. Ne involves a sense of blind anticipation and expectation, of not knowing who or what will manifest next in their life journey. Ne also confers an open-mindedness. It helps INFPs see truth on both sides of an issue without forming unwarranted judgments or premature conclusions, including an openness to alternative or Bohemian lifestyles. INFPs are among those most likely to suddenly become vegetarians, join a commune, or decide to live out of the back of a van. They often fancy the notion of a “raw” or organic lifestyle. Like INTPs, INFPs have a love-hate relationship with their Ne. They love the fact that it helps them remain open-minded, to see the bigger picture, and to see the value of different options or perspectives. INFPs also enjoy the sense of adventure, expectancy, and wonderment toward life’s mysteries that their Ne confers, of not knowing who or what will manifest next in their life journey. But living with Ne also has its challenges. For one, it can make it difficult for INFPs to arrive at firm conclusions or make important decisions. It often seems that at the very moment they are feeling good about a given conclusion or decision, their Ne steps in and causes them to start doubting it again. This has obvious implications for INFPs who are trying to find their niche in the world. It can cause them to feel discouraged and restless, worried that they may never find what they are looking for. They may feel frustrated by their seeming lack of progress toward anything substantial. INFPs’ Tertiary Function: Introverted Sensing (Si) Unlike, Ne or Se, Introverted Sensing (Si) is a conservative function. It involves a strong attachment to past precedent—to the routine, familiar, and predictable. Those with Si in their functional stack often eat a relatively bland or at least consistent diet. Since Si types “eat to live” rather than “live to eat,” they are less likely to overeat or consider themselves “foodies” than Se types. Si types are not only conservative with regard to their diet, but with respect to the material world in general. They are less apt to lather on make-up or concern themselves with current styles and fashions, opting for a more “natural” and less embellished appearance. Many INFPs end up as vegetarians, eat organic or whole foods, and sport a bohemian lifestyle. Like other Si types, they have less of a need for novel physical pleasures, lavish surroundings, or material comforts. This tendency toward material conservationism can also be seen in the creative and artistic approaches of NP types. Their approach often entails creative reuse or recombination of (Ne) existing resources (Si) to make something new. While this commonly involves the use of organic or natural materials, they are also known to supply their creative projects with items from thrift shops or garage sales. A most overlooked feature of Si is its perception of internal bodily sensations—the body as felt and experienced from within. More than any other function, Si perceives a raw and basic sense of “being” that exists apart from thought or outward stimuli. Historically, Eastern philosophical and religious traditions have done a better job exploring this aspect of human experience than those of the West. This dimension of Si is engaged during activities that direct attention to one’s internal bodily state, such as yoga, Tai-Chi, or meditation. INFPs interested in exploring this element of Si may find great delight and benefit from these sorts of practices." AND INTPs’ Auxiliary Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne) INTPs use Extraverted Intuition (Ne) as their auxiliary function. Ne can function either perceptively or expressively. The verbal expression of Ne amounts to something like “brainstorming aloud.” When orating, INTPs may not always seem to “have a point” as they haphazardly drift from one idea to the next. Even ideas that seem inwardly logical and sensible INTPs may suddenly sound incoherent when they attempt to convey them through their Ne. In its receptive role, Ne prompts INTPs to gather information. Ne does not merely gather sensory information as Se does. Rather, it goes beyond or looks behind sense data, allowing INTPs to discern otherwise hidden patterns, possibilities, and potentials. Their Ne is constantly scanning for relationships or patterns within a pool of facts, ideas or experiences. INTPs commonly use this receptive side of their Ne in activities such as reading, researching, and conversation. They enjoy asking questions that allow them to gain insight or knowledge from others, making INTPs good facilitators of conversation. INTPs may also use their Ne to sniff out intriguing possibilities. They commonly enjoy and assume the role of wanderer or seeker, rarely knowing in advance exactly what they are seeking. Ne also confers an open-mindedness, helping INTPs see truth on both sides of an issue without forming unwarranted judgments or premature conclusions. More specifically, their Ne can be seen as contributing to their openness to alternative or Bohemian lifestyles. INTPs are those most likely to suddenly become vegetarians, join a commune, or decide to live out of the back of a van. They are drawn to the idea and challenges of an unconventional lifestyle. Like other NPs, INTPs often have a love-hate relationship with their Ne. They love the fact that it helps them remain open-minded and grasp the bigger picture. But living with Ne also has its challenges. For one, it can make it difficult for INTPs to arrive at firm conclusions or make important decisions. It often seems that at the very moment they are feeling good about a given conclusion or decision, their Ne steps in and causes them to start doubting it again. This has obvious implications for INTPs who are trying to find their niche in the world. This can leave them feeling discouraged and restless, worried that they may never find what they are looking for. They may feel frustrated by their seeming lack of progress toward anything substantial. The fact is that INTPs desperately want to produce something of lasting worth or value, but they also want to ensure they get it right. They don’t want to leave any stone unturned before arriving at a conclusion. While INTPs typically enjoy this quest for truth, there comes a point when they begin to feel the pressures of life impinging on them. Questions about careers and relationships loom large as they enter their late twenties and thirties. This can be frustrating to INTPs as they feel like life is requiring them to make decisions long before they are ready. As is true of all IN types, they feel that life would be far better if they weren’t forced to consider practical concerns. INTPs’ Tertiary Function: Introverted Sensing (Si) Unlike Ne (or Se), INTPs’ tertiary function, Introverted Sensing (Si), is a conservative function. It involves an attachment to past experiences and past precedent—to the routine, familiar, and predictable. Types with Si in their functional stack, including INTPs, tend to eat a fairly routine or consistent diet, “eating to live” rather than “living to eat.” Si types are not only conservative with regard to their diet, but with respect to the material world in general. They tend to be savers rather than spenders, seeing excessive material consumption as unnecessary, or perhaps even immoral. Like other Si types, INTPs also have a diminished need for novel physical pleasures, lavish surroundings, or material comforts. They are minimalists to the core, relatively unconcerned with their physical surroundings. An often overlooked role of Si is its perception of internal bodily sensations—the body as felt and experienced from within. Perhaps more than any other function, it provides access to the raw and basic sense of “being” that exists apart from thought or outward stimuli. Historically, Eastern philosophical and religious traditions have done a much better job exploring this dimension than those of the West. This feature of Si is brought to the fore during activities requiring close attention to one’s internal bodily state, such as yoga, Tai-Chi, meditation, or various relaxation techniques. INTPs interested in exploring this element of Si may find great delight and benefit from these sorts of practices. They are especially useful in developing the body awareness necessary to relax and control anxiety." Why do I think I've got this function? - I tend to be broad end expansive with my ideas and I tend to be imaginative too. My humour tends to be a good indicator of this as I tend to be silly, random and a bit crazy, also thinking in analogies as well eg. thinking that those jet-firey things that they have in chinese takeaway stores that cook food are basically holes where they have baby dragons living underneath that cook food when they're needed. An example of this would be when a teacher asked me to create method of solving world poverty to improve everyone else's lives and I was thinking on the go - changing and vocalising my ideas out loud as I went along. It was something that I named horribly ("The warehouse of crap" doesn't sound that appealing, I know) but it was basically a UN funded cornucopia-thing in Antarctica where every country sent their best employees from every job sector to work there and work together to improve humanity in short and long-term ways. It makes sense to me as my way thinking tends to be chaotic, jumping from one way or another and whenever I have a discussion in a humanities/english class - I just feel ideas ebbing and flowing all the time - and I forget half of them too. Sometimes I go off tangent when I'm talking to someone cuz there's so many ideas in my head. It makes sense for me that it's auxiliary (ne) as I first evaluate any incoming info with what feels right to me by using my emotions or thinking (nitpicking stuff to see any conflicts/whatever) , THEN I'll go crazy and expand upon my ideas/concepts that arise from this function - eg. prosthetics that have mechanical stuff within them that essentially act as replacements for lost bone/tissue/nerve that are responsive and reactive to the user and made from high-quality polymer, (very sci-fi - esque) as opposed to what we have now. This makes me ME as I'm horrendously indecisive as a person because I feel the idea first - then I expand on every possibility ever - then I take ages to come back down to earth again. Si could most likely be my tertiary as when I was younger my mum (she's an ISXP) would get super annoyed at me for not appreciating the beauty of scenery whilst on a train or the colour scheme of clothing. What mattered to me was getting from A to B vs beautiful stuff. (hence the less of need for "excessive material consumption" or "lavish surroundings") Si is also described as "attachment to past experiences" which summarises my desire for nostalgia; old songs and watching old movies for the hell of it - because I love them a lot and they evoke fun memories from when I first saw them. eg. Rewatching disney movies when I have nothing better to do. Ok - as I'm doing this, this is turning out more and more of a mess so Eeeerrrrr..... next post I guess?!?!?!?

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