I am a princess

I may not wear a crown but from deep within i always feel like a princess. Yes, there are moments when i am not so sure of myself but that feeling never last. I think this belief is because i really understand, appreciate and celebrate myself for who i am and what i am. I could be fat/thin/ broke/ on my period/ starved/ crying, anything but i always have this feeling that i am unique and special. I always feel that i have lived a fantastic life despite a lot of ups and downs. I have been loved, appreciated and accepted and i have given my love as well. I believe life is beautiful and try my best to make it beautiful for the people around me. Everything i do is an extension of this personality and belief. I walk, talk, love, stargaze, cook, clean, write , read like a princess and will continue to live that way:):)

Doe Eyed

There is something so ethereal about long and thick eyelashes that they can instantly transform a regular jean and tee look to something dramatic and fabulous. Mascara can open up your eyes but faux lashes can truly make your eyes pop.There’s a reason that exaggerated eyelashes are the beauty signature of icons like Twiggy and Diana Ross and modern girls like Cara Delevingne and Lindsey Wixson. Wear them with fresh skin and a smudge of eyeliner through this holiday season.

HOW TO APPLY: Preparation before putting them on (optional): If you would like your faux lashes to look more natural, curl your natural eyelashes with an eyelash curler before applying them on. After the lashes are on, you can apply mascara to both your real and falsies to blend the two of them in together. 1. Gently peel the falsies off the package from outer lashes to inner lashes. 2. Cut the lash band to make it shorter if needed. (Just in case it is too long for your eye shape.) 3. If you’re using brush on glue, twist off the cap and run a thin line through the lash band with the brush. If you’re using a tube with glue, squeeze a small amount onto your finger, then run the lash band through the drop of glue on your finger. You want the line to be thin and not get messy and EVERYWHERE. That is a pain. This is why I recommend a brush on glue. Perfect for beginners. 4. Once you have your line of glue on the lashes, wait 10-15 seconds for the glue to become “tacky”, then place them on top of your real lashes as closely to them as possible. What I do is gently place them on top of my natural lash line (no pressure or anything). Once they’re on top of my lashes, I slowly secure parts of the lash band onto my lid with my fingers. Some people use tweezers. Either works.

Dance Like a Woman

Borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz styles, contemporary dance incorporates elements from many styles of dance, but it most often perceived as being closely related to modern dance, ballet and other classical concert dance styles. For Preethi Athreya who needs no introduction it is a critical lens - a sensibility, rather than a form. Words from the dancer on how she draws inspiration from Bharatnatyam and her much talked about performance at Alliance Francaise Your thoughts on being one of the few contemporary dancers in Chennai… I may be one of the few, but the movement for contemporary dance in Chennai is strong and deep-rooted in reclaiming the body and its dignity. How does your day begin? My day begins with training usually, then it goes on to a series of experiments sometimes and at other times, just reading and reflection. What is the creative process behind the creation of a piece of contemporary dance? This differs with each practitioner. For me it is in allowing the concept of a work to clarify itself over time with questions, trials and discussions. How do you draw inspiration from Bharatnatyam? Bharatanatyam is a good foundation. Sometimes it allows play, especially if you understand the principles and keep your sense of curiosity. Would you like to educate people on the merits of contemporary dance and how? No ... I think people are educated enough to make their own individual points of entry into the contemporary. How was the overall response to your performance at Alliance Francaise? Extremely energetic and enthusiastic. Words of advice to aspiring contemporary dancers… Take time to understand why you want to be one, before you think of how to be one. On your working with Magic lantern in the production of Ponniyin Selvan… I am a volunteer who is aspiring to participate and enjoy a process with Magic Lantern. It is a space that allows great sharing between disciplines like dance, music, theatre and visual arts.

Behind the lens

He started off by shooting roses and he says that of the32 photographs he shot he got only 2 right. It’s difficult to believe when popular celebrity photographer Karthik Srinivasan talks about his humble beginnings. He was born in a small town called Cumbam near Madurai and started shooting while he was in the 10th standard itself. With no formal education in photography or mentors the man has made it big all on his own purely on the basis of skill and talent. It is not without reason that SONY has chosen him from South India as brand ambassador for their Professional Alpha Camera Series. Karthik shares his happiness about being associated with an international giant like SONY and elaborates on his passion for photography. What got you interested in photography? I started shooting while I was in my 10th standard. My father used to get a lot of magazines like Stardust, Filmfare etc and I used to look at the pictures of celebrities in it. I tried out for DFtech at the film institute and Vis Comm in Loyola but didn’t get in. However I got the chance to model because of my height and frame. For seven years I was into modeling after which I turned to photography again. After this there was no turning back. Can you tell us the true basis of your inspiration? I’m always hungry for work. If I’m taking up a job I want to be the best at it. I didn’t learn photography from anyone, I didn’t go to any school. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to work and show who I was and this made me very aggressive. What is your state of mind before every shoot? I’ve been shooting for many years but even now I will be nervous. That makes me driven. The moment you lose your fear things will go wrong. I take all shoots, big or small, very seriously. How would you describe your style? When I started photography I wanted to create an image that was on par with those of other established photographers. I started working on the saturation, contrasts, framing etc. I studied the style of all other photographers and created my own style. What type of camera do you shoot with? I now shoot with a Sony Alpha 99 with a Carl Zeiss. I tested this camera for two months, compared it with a lot of other cameras and found that the technology in this is superior to that used in other cameras. What is your favorite accessory other than your camera? It depends on what im shooting. I always have my laptop, Ipad, mobile phone etc with me. What kind of lighting equipment do you take on a shoot? Again it depends on what im shooting. I always carry my broncolar lighting. There are also lots of light modifiers that I carry. What is your favorite editing accessory? There are a lot of softwares coming in mobile phones for professional shoots but I generally don’t believe in using editing softwares or filters. I don’t even know how to use these filters. If you take my laptop I only have my light processing softwares. 90-95% of the image is created while shooting. It is only for the remaining 5 % that you should depend on photoshop. If your shooting someone against the sky and you want to change the color of the sky you can use photoshop. For things that are not under your control you can use photoshop. Everything else you create during the shoot. Are you a MAC or a PC lover? Any photographer loves MAC because it gives exact saturation. Even for amateurs I would recommend MAC. Any new equipment that you have your eyes on? I always wanted to do underwater photography. I wanted to buy a RIG for underwater. It will fit into the camera and it also has underwater lighting. What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such awesome imagery? You can take inspiration from everything. For eg I was sitting in Bangkok on the streets having a drink and a couple were sitting near the water. I took a picture of the couple and later took models to the same place and shot photographs. When I travel I notice every single detail. How do you educate yourself to take better photographs? I constantly innovate. What I was doing two years back I don’t do it anymore. The only way a skilled person can compete with a well educated well informed youth in his 20s is by using their knowledge and experience. Tell us something about your association with SONY Generally for a photographer a brand like SONY associating with him is big recognition. Im proud to be selected along with some of the biggest photographers of the country. It also puts a lot of pressure on me because from now on the world will be watching. I am happy and proud to be one among the very popular photographers from the country who have been chosen and I am the brand ambassador for their Professional Alpha Camera Series

Girl Power

Inspired by the likes of Maya Jane Coles and DJ Pearl an increasing number of women are calling the shots in the profession of DJing all over the country. In Chennai it’s DJ Iris, Senchu and Rabeqqa who have carved a niche for themselves in what has been a male domain. They believe that the city finally has enough nightclubs though they wish there were more standalone bars. They had a lot to say about how their families still have issues with the fact that they are DJs and how women DJs are hired and paid more for their looks than for the music they play. All three girls for some reason are currently freelancing and not restricted to playing at any specific club and choose to keep low profile. Finding them was not very easy. While this conservative city has warmed up to the idea of having female DJs some segments of the society are yet to get used to the idea and give these girls a tough time which is possibly the reason why we have so few of them behind the console. There is still a majority of the crowd that comes in at most of the clubs looking for Bollywood or Kollywood music, get drunk and sometimes and get too involved in the music (local Tamil songs) and misbehave they complain. Having a high profile crowd means being more comfortable and these girls believe that Library Blu at the Leela Palace, Q Bar at Hilton Hotel, Dublin at Park Sheraton, Blend at Taj Mount Road, Flying elephant at Park Hyatt and 10 Downing Street are some of the most secure clubs in the city. They say that a very high profile and decent crowd is guaranteed at these places. Private parties are not always secure they say and it’s difficult not to agree. They are very selective when it comes to playing at private parties they say and it is mostly for friends or friends of friends that they restrict themselves to play for. The location also matters they say. DJ Manny, DJ Mazhar, DJ Kave and DJ Brown Brothwick are the names that come up when asked about male counterparts who have been truly supportive and genuinely respect them for the music they play. Men still have an advantage over women in the profession they say because they can travel alone and travel to wherever they want to and play. They all agree that it’s important to be accompanied by either a group of girl pals or a male friend every time you go out to play. The best thing about the job is that you get to play music that everyone is passionate about. You get to do something that you really enjoy and that makes you really happy. When compared to other professions this is a lot of fun and you get paid well too. So what’s not to like about the profession they say.

Cupid Calling

Sweaty palms, a lump in the throat and the fear of rejection making things a little more difficult, we’ve all been there some time or the other. We are living in the age of touch screens and facebooking but cupid still strikes and when he does we are sometimes clueless on how to take the first step and ask the other person out. Its February and with Valentine’s Day just weeks away if there is someone who makes your heart flutter you cannot really make excuses. We had our city’s celebs give us a few pointers on how to do it right whether it is getting a date or accepting rejection gracefully. Dr. Mini Rao You can find out the persons number through a common friend. Texting is a really nice informal way of asking a woman out. If you’re really shy try leaving a massage on facebook. If you’re the bold type just give her a call. It is best to make it a group thing especially if its on valentine’s day and ask her if she wants to hang out with you and a couple of friends. Ask her out for coffee because it is the least intimidating. For a woman to ask a man out it is quite a bold move though you find it happening these days. You can leave a msg or call depending on how bold or shy you are. It is okay for a woman to ask a man out alone. Karun Raman Try making it loud. Get a huge cake and have a pre Valentine’s Day party just for the two of us and asking the person out on the next day. Get to the point. Don’t be indirect. Don’t be boring be full of energy. Paloma Rao The best way to ask someone out is to become their friend and then take it from there. You shouldn’t feel pressurised to ask someone out just because its valentine’s day. Vivek Karunakaran I think the best way would be to surprise the person. It would be good to bring a fair amount of surprise into the proposal. Don’t be cheesy. Most important be yourself and do it in your style Gibran I think the best way to ask someone out is to ask them directly and straight up, but to make it memorable and special one should put a little thought and effort into it. A few lines on what he/she feel about the person. A small poem or sonnet or it could even be a well thought out line or message. At the end of the day its got to look like you have put a little effort into it. Don’t assume the answer/response this most often messes up your approach. Don’t be nervous, once you look back at the moment you will laugh. Don’t Copy dialogues from movies/internet- they don’t belong to you/therefore not yours/not original. Be honest. Add some chocolates (Great aphrodisiac) be natural and be yourself not someone you’re not.

Neon flash

Sonam Kapoor rocked the trend at the fashion week in Delhi with a sari from Masaba Gupta’s first collection for sari label Satya Paul. During the recent promotions for Chennai Express Deepika Padukone was spotted in an acid green Arpita Mehta sari Priyanka Chopra dazzled everyone with her neon Manish Malhotra sari paired with a subtle grey choli