New Instagram Accounts @lorachristellelim and @sarashantellelim hashtag #sgsisters #followme #selfie

Instagram - With the incredible tagline "Capture and Share the World's Moments", I am totally convinced to start an account after much hesitation as I am quite a pro Facebook user and I seriously wonder how others find time to juggle using so many different social networking platforms. After all, there must be really good reasons why Facebook would spend US$1 billion to buy over Instagram.

The Creation of Instagram - Founded in October 2010, Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger had never expected such overwhelming response from the World on this photo-sharing application. The amazing thing about Instagram is that this photo-sharing app only took 8 weeks to build and launch but was the end result of more than 1 year's work. Till date, Instagram has more than 30 million users worldwide with majority being female users. I guess it's women's nature to take beautiful photos especially of themselves in the latest SELFIE craze. Hashtag #selfie and you would see tonnes of photos posted by different people at their very best angles. With regards to taking selfies, I really wish phone companies would recognize how important it is to create a "Timer" function on mobile phones so everyone need not struggle to press the photo button at awkward positions. If normal cameras can have the "timer function", why on earth did they leave out such an important function in mobile phones???

NEW! Instagram Video - Newly Incorporated in June 2013, users can record and upload videos up to 15 seconds but honestly, I feel that 15 seconds is simply too short to convey any message effectively.

Different Types of Filters - I use "Normal" most of the time!

Instagram offers a number of photographic filters that users can apply to their images:

• Normal: No filter applied
• Amaro: Adds light to an image, with the focus on the centre.
• Mayfair: Applies a warm pink tone, subtle vignetting to brighten the photograph center and a thin black border
• Rise: Adds a 'glow' to the image, with softer lighting of the subject.
• Hudson: Creates an 'icy' illusion with heightened shadows, cool tint and dodged center.
• Valencia: Fades the image by increasing exposure and warming the colors, to give it an antique feel
• X-Pro II: Increases color vibrance with a golden tint, high contrast and slight vignette added to the edges.
• Sierra: Gives a faded, softer look.
• Willow: A monochromatic filter with subtle purple tones and a translucent white border.
• Lo-fi: Enriches color and adds strong shadows through the use of saturation and 'warming' the temperature.
• Earlybird: Gives photographs an older look with a sepia tint and warm temperature.
• Sutro: Burns photo edges, increases highlights and shadows dramatically with a focus on purple and brown colors.
• Toaster: Ages the image by 'burning' the centre and adds a dramatic vignette.
• Brannan: Increases contrast and exposure and adds a metallic tint.
• Inkwell: Direct shift to black and white - no extra editing.
• Walden: Increases exposure and adds a yellow tint.
• Hefe: Hight contrast and saturation, with a similar effect to Lo-Fi but not quite as dramatic.
• Nashville: Warms the temperature, lowers contrast and increases exposure to give a light 'pink' tint - making it feel 'nostalgic'.
• 1977: The increased exposure with a red tint gives the photograph a rosy, brighter, faded look.
• Kelvin: Increases saturation and temperature to give it a radiant 'glow'

My new instagram account has been finally set up so do follow me @lorachristellelim :) I am still figuring out how to use hashtags correctly as instagram is really new to me.

Do follow my sister Sara Shantelle Lim as well  @sarashantellelim  and even though she also just started her instagram account, she has quite a number of followers already!

@lorachristelleim @sarashantellelim #sgsisters

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥

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Follow me on my new Instagram Account @lorachristellelim

The Art of Selfie and The Selfie Obsession by Lora Christelle Lim

The Art of Selfie and The Selfie Obsession by Lora Christelle Lim - When you log into your Facebook or Instagram or Twitter account, you are flooded with your friends' postings of Selfies. This could be enjoyable or annoying for some. Personally, I enjoy watching Selfies posted by beautiful people as they share their dress outfit of the day (OOTD) or when they show the various countries that they travel to or which restaurants they are dining at. The increase in Selfies has helped to increase the transmitting of information and knowledge. Talk about Stalking others on Social Media.

The Selfie helps to feed our voyeuristic nature. The convenience of taking photos of oneself has never been easier due to almost everyone owning a good mobile phone with a camera attached to it. Gone are the days where a digital camera is required to take good photographs. According to BBC news, the word "Selfie" has been named the word of 2013 by Oxford Dictionaries. So what is a Selfie???

SELFIE = A photograph of oneself typically taken with one's own mobile phone or webcam and uploaded onto a social media website. 

The main reason for the increase in Selfies is the need for "Attention". Attention is power! Everyone enjoys and loves attention whether you choose to deny it or not. The honest and blatant truth of some selfies is the need to share with others how you look, how you are feeling, what you are doing or which place are you at? After all, everyone wants to lead an interesting life and be the envy of others. Some people post Selfies as a way to re-affirm their identity or beauty by receiving "Likes" on Facebook or increasing their number of followers on Instagram or Twitter. It's almost like a popularity war online. On the other hand, there are others who post Selfies when they are down to gain sympathy from others. Personally, I post Selfies on my Facebook mostly for entertainment sake especially when I'm bored.

Ellen's Selfie - http://livingtheamericanscreamdotcom.files.wordpress.com

A Selfie is a powerful tool of expression that is controlled and manipulated by the creator himself. Narcissism is no longer a crime in today's modern society. Ellen DeGeneres's OSCARS Selfie is a huge marketing success for Samsung where a Samsung mobile phone was used. It has been dubbed as the "Biggest Selfie in History" with its star studded actors such as Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper etc. included in the photo. The photo itself has more than 2.7 million tweets! It is also deemed as a "Super Selfie" and the "Selfie of all Selfies"!

Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Rihanna etc. has exploited the powerful tool of Selfies on their Instagram accounts to gain popularity. Even US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis has caught on the Selfie craze. Taking a Selfie helps to draw/bond people together and even help to break awkward silences and can be a useful form of entertainment. I am a strong believer in taking photos to capture memories for keepsake. Photos are indeed extremely important to keep our precious memories throughout our entire lifetime!

www.telegraph.co.uk

If you have not mastered the Art of Selfie, it's time to brush up your skills! For beginners, look into the mirror and check whether you have a better side or good angle for photo-taking. Most girls have realized that taking photos where the camera is placed at a higher angle helps to make your face slimmer and eyes bigger. If you are not a photoshop whiz, the biggest advantage to improve your photos would be the use of photo-enhancing mobile phone applications such as Photowonder, Pic Collage, Photo Editor etc. which are free to download from the App Store. My favorite is Photowonder and I confess I only use and have this app on my iPhone 5. It is simple to use!

PHOTOWONDER App

Bottom line: What's the point of taking photographs if you don't share it with others? If you argue that you take photographs only to enjoy it alone, then you must have a really sad and miserable life. Photos are a great way to capture life moments and by sharing it with others, happiness is shared among all :)

Below are 8 types of Selfies on my Facebook account. Funny comments included! Love it or hate it.

1. Car Selfies - I love all my beautiful cars :) I also love driving around Sydney on a beautiful day :)

2. Travel Selfies - I'm not in Singapore, guess where I am? I love exploring & traveling around the World!

3. Fashion Selfies - Do you like my outfit and accessories? OOTD = Outfit of the Day

4. Pet Selfies - I have a beautiful dog & bunny that I love. Is your pet as beautiful as mine? Spread the love!

5. Group Selfies - I have beautiful friends and I enjoy spending time with them :) The one who takes this type of Selfie usually has the longest arms!

6. Mirror Selfies - Such a huge mirror, ideal to take a Selfie to show what I'm doing! This is especially common when at the hairdresser to show before and after. A good way to pass time & entertain oneself.

7. Chef Selfies - Who says I can't cook? Have you seen me cook up a storm in the kitchen with my pink apron on?

8. Nail Selfies - I just had an amazing manicure. Don't you love my new nail color?

P.S: Whether you love it or hate it, Selfies are here to stay for good!

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥

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