Posts

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Celebrating a Milestone: My “Ghanaian Night” Featured in Artist Closeup Magazine

I am thrilled and deeply honored to share that my photography has been showcased in the prestigious pages of Artist Closeup Magazine. Among the stunning array of artistic talent, my selected piece, “Ghanaian Night,” has found its place, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this recognition.

“Ghanaian Night” is more than just a photograph; it’s a reflection of my profound admiration for the Ghanaian landscape and my unwavering dedication to capturing its essence. In this particular image, hues of blues and greens dance together in perfect harmony, encapsulating the serene beauty of a Ghanaian night sky. The tranquil atmosphere depicted in the photo evokes a sense of peace and wonder, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the enchanting allure of the scenery.

To experience “Ghanaian Night” and explore the incredible artworks featured in Artist Closeup Magazine, I invite you to visit the magazine’s website here. Join me in celebrating the magic of art and the transformative power it holds to inspire, evoke emotions, and bring joy to our lives.
View it here, Pg. 57: https://www.artistcloseup.com/magazine

 

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FEATURED ON EXPLORING STAMPS EPISODE

Having been an expat around the world for ten years, a photographer and a philately enthusiast, I decided to create my ‘Mail Photography’. At the moment I live in Ghana and I sent a postcard to Graham, star of the increasingly popular Exploring Stamp Youtube series. Almost unbelievably, my postcard travelled all the way from Accra and arrived safely in New Jersey. Resultantly, my mail photography was featured on an Exploring Stamps episode, which you can watch below.

Contact me if you’d like to receive one. 

You may also find me on postcrossing!

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FEATURED ON FRACTION MAGAZINE!

In the ever-evolving landscape of photography, online platforms play a crucial role in connecting artists and showcasing their work to a global audience. Fraction Magazine stands out as one such venue dedicated to curating thoughtful photographic projects from around the world.

This year, as Fraction Magazine marked its 13th anniversary, they chose to celebrate by hosting a special online group exhibition. Featuring 40 artists from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, this exhibition served as a testament to the richness and diversity of contemporary photography.

I’m thrilled to share that I had the honor of being one of the photographers selected for this prestigious showcase. It’s incredibly gratifying to have my work recognized alongside that of so many talented individuals from across the globe.

If you’re curious to explore the exhibition and discover the captivating projects on display, you can do so by visiting the Fraction Magazine website at www.fractionmagazine.com/13th-anniversary-group-exhibition. I invite you to immerse yourself in the diverse range of artistic expressions and perhaps find inspiration in the unique visions captured by each artist.

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Fraction Magazine for this wonderful opportunity and to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on my photographic journey. Here’s to continued creativity and connection in the world of photography!

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123RF advises to talk to plants while in confinement

Hello all. So only a few hours after Shutterstock’s letter to the community with regards to coronavirus, 123RF- Inmagine Group decided to speak up as well. It was about time, given that the group’s HQ is in Malaysia where lots of cases are spawning. 
Shutterstock and 123RF chose different approaches. While SSTK’s letter was signed by the COO, 123 had Stephanie Sitt sign their email. Stephanie is now the CEO but she’s also the wife of the company’s founder, Andy Sitt, and has always been extremely involved in high decisions. 123RF went for a less professional and more friendly style in its email to the contributors and clients. They also showed a very cute illustration of suggested activities we can do while we’re stuck at home. I particularly like the ‘talk to your plants’ recommendation as it is something I’ve been doing even before the epidemic. 

Here is the full letter:

Dear friends and customers,

In light of the continuing spread of COVID-19 in the past few months, INMAGINE Group has stepped up measures to safeguard our staff at our offices around the world, while simultaneously ensuring that our products and services continue to be delivered efficiently to you.

At 123RF, we prioritize the safety of both our employees and clients. With that said, we wish you, your colleagues, family, and friends well during this crisis, and ask that you take extra precautions to be safe and stay healthy. By doing so, we can help minimize the spread together!

If you’re practising social distancing and working from home (like us) here are some suggestions of what you can do at home from our colleagues at Designs.AI.

 

We’re still here when you need us!

As the virus continues to ravage economies and communities, all of us have to change the way we work and socialize, just to be safe and stave off the threat. Amidst these challenging times, please rest assured that we will continue to deliver the highest level of quality service to you.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your relevant, dedicated Account Manager. You may also reach out to us on our support pages or Live Chat or email us at info@123rf.com. If you’d like to call instead, here’s our complete toll free and local number directory for your convenience.

As always, we value your presence and look forward to continuously supporting you in making your business successful.

Together we shall prevail, be safe out there!

Stephanie Sitt
Group Chief Executive Officer
Inmagine Group

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Let’s fight Coronavirus despair with creativity…indoors!

Hi everybody. As these difficult times overwhelm our days, let us try to stay positive. Negativity, fear and despair undermine our creative power but we must fight! 

If you are, like I am, in a country where you are urged to stay home or, like my family and friends, in lock-down, get on with creative projects and fight depression and boredom with your talent. After all, you can do it safely indoors. 

This is a good time to catch up with stock photography, video, illustration and audio.

If you are not yet a contributor, quarantine is a good occasion to give it a shot. Prep up your work and upload it from the safety of your home. You will make some money too. Due to the confinements, internet entertainment is booming, as people need information, distraction, leisure and fun without going out. Hence, content is highly needed at this moment. Naturally, creations depicting everything revolving around the disease are selling like crazy but you don’t need to focus on corona if you don’t wish to. There’s plenty of material being published online right now that aims at ‘distracting’ people from our current plague. So go for it!

Join me on Shutterstock 

Perhaps you’ll be thinking that staying at home limits your creative possibilities. Wrong!

Let that creative juice out and you’ll see there are a lot of interesting shots to be made in your house. You can improve your table-top photography skills. Have plants on your balcony? Learn how to shoot them properly. Or get cooking and then photograph your dishes. If you are confined with your clan, set up a family home life shooting…. 

Time goes by slowly when you stay home for days. Take advantage and learn some new skills or software.

Get started with new types of art or learn new creative software. It’ll help with boredom, make time pass and very likely it’ll be useful in the future! This situation will appease eventually. Human history is full of diseases. Our ancestors have suffered from epidemics but humanity has survived. We will too. 

 

Stay safe, respect the quarantine rules, don’t over watch the news.

And keep creating! 

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Named 2024's Most Trailblazing Business Leader by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE

At just 28 years old, the distinction of being named the "Most Trailblazing Business Leader of the Year 2024" by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE is both humbling and exhilarating. Featured prominently on the magazine's cover and with my story shared within…
, , ,

Celebrating a Milestone: My "Ghanaian Night" Featured in Artist Closeup Magazine

I am thrilled and deeply honored to share that my photography has been showcased in the prestigious pages of Artist Closeup Magazine. Among the stunning array of artistic talent, my selected piece, "Ghanaian Night," has found its place, and…
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PHOTOMAIL FROM GHANA WITH LOVE: POSTCROSSING

For over a year, I've been living in Accra, Ghana. Although I manage the revenue & marketing departments of a luxury hotel, living in this part of Africa is a continuous source of great photographic shots. Apart from being a serial expat…
, , ,

My "Beauty is Simplicity" Featured by BBC on the Theme of Water

Exciting news! Last week, BBC chose to highlight my photo, "Beauty is Simplicity," as part of their themed showcase on water. It's an honor to be recognized by such a renowned platform. "Beauty is Simplicity" captures a serene moment on the…
Victoria Schaal Awards
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Honored to be Featured in Photographize's "100 Best Photographers 2021" Book!

I'm excited to share some incredible news - I've been listed in Photographize's annual book honoring the top 100 photographers of 2021! Titled "Photographize Best Selected 2021," this book celebrates the work of visionary artists who have truly…
, , ,

FEATURED ON EXPLORING STAMPS EPISODE

Having been an expat around the world for ten years, a photographer and a philately enthusiast, I decided to create my ‘Mail Photography’. At the moment I live in Ghana and I sent a postcard to Graham, star of the increasingly popular Exploring…
, , ,

Celebrating a Milestone: My “Ghanaian Night” Featured in Artist Closeup Magazine

I am thrilled and deeply honored to share that my photography has been showcased in the prestigious pages of Artist Closeup Magazine. Among the stunning array of artistic talent, my selected piece, “Ghanaian Night,” has found its place, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this recognition.

“Ghanaian Night” is more than just a photograph; it’s a reflection of my profound admiration for the Ghanaian landscape and my unwavering dedication to capturing its essence. In this particular image, hues of blues and greens dance together in perfect harmony, encapsulating the serene beauty of a Ghanaian night sky. The tranquil atmosphere depicted in the photo evokes a sense of peace and wonder, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the enchanting allure of the scenery.

To experience “Ghanaian Night” and explore the incredible artworks featured in Artist Closeup Magazine, I invite you to visit the magazine’s website here. Join me in celebrating the magic of art and the transformative power it holds to inspire, evoke emotions, and bring joy to our lives.
View it here, Pg. 57: https://www.artistcloseup.com/magazine

 

, , ,

FEATURED ON EXPLORING STAMPS EPISODE

Having been an expat around the world for ten years, a photographer and a philately enthusiast, I decided to create my ‘Mail Photography’. At the moment I live in Ghana and I sent a postcard to Graham, star of the increasingly popular Exploring Stamp Youtube series. Almost unbelievably, my postcard travelled all the way from Accra and arrived safely in New Jersey. Resultantly, my mail photography was featured on an Exploring Stamps episode, which you can watch below.

Contact me if you’d like to receive one. 

You may also find me on postcrossing!

, , ,

FEATURED ON FRACTION MAGAZINE!

In the ever-evolving landscape of photography, online platforms play a crucial role in connecting artists and showcasing their work to a global audience. Fraction Magazine stands out as one such venue dedicated to curating thoughtful photographic projects from around the world.

This year, as Fraction Magazine marked its 13th anniversary, they chose to celebrate by hosting a special online group exhibition. Featuring 40 artists from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, this exhibition served as a testament to the richness and diversity of contemporary photography.

I’m thrilled to share that I had the honor of being one of the photographers selected for this prestigious showcase. It’s incredibly gratifying to have my work recognized alongside that of so many talented individuals from across the globe.

If you’re curious to explore the exhibition and discover the captivating projects on display, you can do so by visiting the Fraction Magazine website at www.fractionmagazine.com/13th-anniversary-group-exhibition. I invite you to immerse yourself in the diverse range of artistic expressions and perhaps find inspiration in the unique visions captured by each artist.

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Fraction Magazine for this wonderful opportunity and to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on my photographic journey. Here’s to continued creativity and connection in the world of photography!

,

123RF advises to talk to plants while in confinement

Hello all. So only a few hours after Shutterstock’s letter to the community with regards to coronavirus, 123RF- Inmagine Group decided to speak up as well. It was about time, given that the group’s HQ is in Malaysia where lots of cases are spawning. 
Shutterstock and 123RF chose different approaches. While SSTK’s letter was signed by the COO, 123 had Stephanie Sitt sign their email. Stephanie is now the CEO but she’s also the wife of the company’s founder, Andy Sitt, and has always been extremely involved in high decisions. 123RF went for a less professional and more friendly style in its email to the contributors and clients. They also showed a very cute illustration of suggested activities we can do while we’re stuck at home. I particularly like the ‘talk to your plants’ recommendation as it is something I’ve been doing even before the epidemic. 

Here is the full letter:

Dear friends and customers,

In light of the continuing spread of COVID-19 in the past few months, INMAGINE Group has stepped up measures to safeguard our staff at our offices around the world, while simultaneously ensuring that our products and services continue to be delivered efficiently to you.

At 123RF, we prioritize the safety of both our employees and clients. With that said, we wish you, your colleagues, family, and friends well during this crisis, and ask that you take extra precautions to be safe and stay healthy. By doing so, we can help minimize the spread together!

If you’re practising social distancing and working from home (like us) here are some suggestions of what you can do at home from our colleagues at Designs.AI.

 

We’re still here when you need us!

As the virus continues to ravage economies and communities, all of us have to change the way we work and socialize, just to be safe and stave off the threat. Amidst these challenging times, please rest assured that we will continue to deliver the highest level of quality service to you.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your relevant, dedicated Account Manager. You may also reach out to us on our support pages or Live Chat or email us at info@123rf.com. If you’d like to call instead, here’s our complete toll free and local number directory for your convenience.

As always, we value your presence and look forward to continuously supporting you in making your business successful.

Together we shall prevail, be safe out there!

Stephanie Sitt
Group Chief Executive Officer
Inmagine Group

, ,

Let’s fight Coronavirus despair with creativity…indoors!

Hi everybody. As these difficult times overwhelm our days, let us try to stay positive. Negativity, fear and despair undermine our creative power but we must fight! 

If you are, like I am, in a country where you are urged to stay home or, like my family and friends, in lock-down, get on with creative projects and fight depression and boredom with your talent. After all, you can do it safely indoors. 

This is a good time to catch up with stock photography, video, illustration and audio.

If you are not yet a contributor, quarantine is a good occasion to give it a shot. Prep up your work and upload it from the safety of your home. You will make some money too. Due to the confinements, internet entertainment is booming, as people need information, distraction, leisure and fun without going out. Hence, content is highly needed at this moment. Naturally, creations depicting everything revolving around the disease are selling like crazy but you don’t need to focus on corona if you don’t wish to. There’s plenty of material being published online right now that aims at ‘distracting’ people from our current plague. So go for it!

Join me on Shutterstock 

Perhaps you’ll be thinking that staying at home limits your creative possibilities. Wrong!

Let that creative juice out and you’ll see there are a lot of interesting shots to be made in your house. You can improve your table-top photography skills. Have plants on your balcony? Learn how to shoot them properly. Or get cooking and then photograph your dishes. If you are confined with your clan, set up a family home life shooting…. 

Time goes by slowly when you stay home for days. Take advantage and learn some new skills or software.

Get started with new types of art or learn new creative software. It’ll help with boredom, make time pass and very likely it’ll be useful in the future! This situation will appease eventually. Human history is full of diseases. Our ancestors have suffered from epidemics but humanity has survived. We will too. 

 

Stay safe, respect the quarantine rules, don’t over watch the news.

And keep creating! 

, , ,

Named 2024's Most Trailblazing Business Leader by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE

At just 28 years old, the distinction of being named the "Most Trailblazing Business Leader of the Year 2024" by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE is both humbling and exhilarating. Featured prominently on the magazine's cover and with my story shared within…
, , ,

Celebrating a Milestone: My "Ghanaian Night" Featured in Artist Closeup Magazine

I am thrilled and deeply honored to share that my photography has been showcased in the prestigious pages of Artist Closeup Magazine. Among the stunning array of artistic talent, my selected piece, "Ghanaian Night," has found its place, and…
, ,

PHOTOMAIL FROM GHANA WITH LOVE: POSTCROSSING

For over a year, I've been living in Accra, Ghana. Although I manage the revenue & marketing departments of a luxury hotel, living in this part of Africa is a continuous source of great photographic shots. Apart from being a serial expat…
, , ,

My "Beauty is Simplicity" Featured by BBC on the Theme of Water

Exciting news! Last week, BBC chose to highlight my photo, "Beauty is Simplicity," as part of their themed showcase on water. It's an honor to be recognized by such a renowned platform. "Beauty is Simplicity" captures a serene moment on the…
Victoria Schaal Awards
, , ,

Honored to be Featured in Photographize's "100 Best Photographers 2021" Book!

I'm excited to share some incredible news - I've been listed in Photographize's annual book honoring the top 100 photographers of 2021! Titled "Photographize Best Selected 2021," this book celebrates the work of visionary artists who have truly…
, , ,

FEATURED ON EXPLORING STAMPS EPISODE

Having been an expat around the world for ten years, a photographer and a philately enthusiast, I decided to create my ‘Mail Photography’. At the moment I live in Ghana and I sent a postcard to Graham, star of the increasingly popular Exploring…
, , ,

Creative Block? Try Hypnosis

Do you ever have a creative block? You know … Those days when you feel completely uninspired… when you spent so many hours on a chair that your butt has become square shaped and all you produced is good enough to wipe off your desk the stains of those dozens of coffees or glasses of red wine you had to fuel your imagination?!

If you say no, you’re no real creative. If you say yes, then welcome to the club.

Now… I know some solve this problem with procrastination. ‘Today’s no good. I’ll just leave it till tomorrow‘. And fair enough, it’s generally a good choice. But sometimes you have deadlines and projects and expectations and clients and so on… so you gotta produce something and it better be good!

So what can you do? To some people a nice walk in the outdoors does the trick, I know of many who get liquid inspiration from a bottle while some prefer a brief one-to-one with Maryjane..

But these don’t always work and some are not very healthy either.

There’s a healthier way to get inspired. Don’t get high on substances, get high on your brain.

If you’ve never practised meditation, it is time for you to try. Yeah I know, the title of this post is hypnosis. But you see, you always need to start with a little meditation to be able to advance to hypnosis.

Meditation sounds easy and in fact it actually is at its most basic level, which is achieving relaxation. However, meditation can be used for more complex achievements such as coping with grief or trauma, overcoming phobias, suppressing addictions, and much much more, like problem solving.

Creative blocks can be huge problems, especially when you’re on a tight deadline and your boss is prepping a firing round.

You can solve such an issue with a meditation that focuses on the problem you have. The broad explanation of how it works starts with total relaxation. For a brief time you will allow yourself to relax physically and mentally, letting go of all thoughts and issues and emotional interference. After you have cleared your mind, you will see how easy it’ll be to focus on just the one problem you have, without stress.

Like most things in life, the more you practice meditation, the more effective the experience will be. It’s easier to start with short meditations ranging from 5 to 20 minutes. When you get more experienced you’ll manage to meditate for longer.

Auto-hypnosis is harder, although I noticed that the beginner’s luck is common. Many people told me that the first time they tried to auto-hypnotise themselves, it worked and they had amazing experiences. It was the same for me, the first time was astounding and seemed rather easy peasy to me. Yet, I was wrong. It took me several attempts before I managed to enter in a hypnotic state again. But this didn’t stop me from trying and it shouldn’t worry you either.

Not entering in the hypnotic state is no biggie, failure simply translates to a deep meditative experience or a simple short doze. Both are refreshing experiences and both can unleash your clogged creative juice.

You may try to meditate on your own. However, auto-hypnosis without any external help requires a lot of experience and skill. It’s for pros really.

What I use are guided meditations and hypnosis sessions with specific videos.

There’s a plethora on YouTube. You can choose the ones you like based on what you want to achieve and your experience level. An expert on YouTube is Michael Sealey whose videos are all over the hypnotic and meditative categories. However, there are many others who are equally good.

Here below I embedded two videos I really like and that work on me.

The first is a meditation and I highly recommend it to newbies and those of you who have a particularly stressful time.

The second is a hypnotic session. I chose it because I found it quite effective on me and rather easy to focus on.

However, if these don’t work out for you, have a look yourself. As I said there are thousands of good guided sessions on YouTube. And above all, please don’t give up on it if it doesn’t work perfectly at your first attempt. You can’t just go to the Olympics and expect to win a gold medal straight away. You need practice and training.

Happy meditation 🙂 and let us know how it went on the comments!

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Level Up Conference in KL 2018: Report

Last week I had the chance to attend the famous Level Up conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The atmosphere at Level Up was truly electrifying. Seeing all these youngsters showing their artistic creations was absolutely marvellous.

The conference talks were held by a plethora of speakers from a wide range of backgrounds within the gaming, digital art, software and hardware industries.

I found particularly interesting the presentation given by HTC regarding VR and their future intentions for the new technology. The speech was quite technical but luckily I had gone to a VR lab the week prior to Level Up to try it out as I wrote in my previous article. My first experience was quite…..hilarious. If you’re interested in seeing a ridiculous girl pretending to ski in VR and falling by herself, click here to watch the video.

A disappointment, however, arises from the lack of debate regarding the ‘side effects’ of VR.

We do not know how the human psychology will react once VR is easily accessible to everyone or even a future commonly found at home tech, like they all seemed to predict at Level Up. Controversial studies have been carried out and subsequent correlations have already been found between violent videogames and real life aggression. And this was with 2D on screen games, so what’s it going to be with VR games? And we also have lots of cases of gaming addiction, particularly in Asia where bootcamps are held for rehab from technology. So what’s going to happen with VR in the mix too?

I loved some of the games that were exhibited and was mesmerised by the new Prestige range of MSI laptops. In fact, I am very tempted to buy the P42: such a powerful laptop and yet so thin and light. A masterpiece truly. If you’re interested, you can have a look at its features here. After all, both 11.11 and Black Friday/CyberMonday are getting close so we won’t feel to guilty to buy a new toy if it’s discounted!

So all in all, the success of Level Up is totally justified. It was well organised, the location very neat and pleasant, the crowd quite varied and the speakers capable.

But to me, the best of Level Up was seeing so many young minds attending, each showing a great passion and a strong will to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment like gaming, apps and digital art.

In a way a contradictory but also reassuring observation I made was that several of these digital talents were still sketching on paper all the time, even during talks. It is nice to see that art evolves but the starting point remains traditional: the hand sketch.