Author: Alaa Jasim
In the Picture: Colour
| April 30, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under In the Picture |
So this week, I asked our photography team to look at colour. Colour theory in art and design is a hugely important concept, and the slightest change in tone or hue can affect the whole feel of a portrait. Even in design, colour can imply something about a product that just its shape or function might not. The team went out and about finding things that they thought looked interesting in terms of colour and came back with a bunch of photos that I loved, and I’m sure you will too. That was our photo set for this week, we’ll be back next time with more. If you’d like to join our photography team, feel free to get in touch… more
In the Picture: Identity
| April 23, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under In the Picture |
Art is all about self expression, right? Every artist’s work reflects something of their own views, whether intentional or not. The beauty of photography is that it’s accessible. This week, we asked our photography team to think about the theme of identity, and present it in a photo. You can show a lot about your personality through a piece of art, so let’s see what we can figure out from the photos this week! Here’s the photo set for identity: We hope you’ve enjoyed our set this week. Remember, you can join our photography team too; just get in touch on Facebook, Twitter, or via email! See you next time with more. more
In the Picture: Shadow
| April 16, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under In the Picture |
People often compose pieces of art around the objects that are contained within the image. Often neglected are shadows and silhouettes, which are often just as powerful as the objects and pieces of substance that are casting them. This week, we asked the photography team to explore the theme of shadow, and to see what they could come up with in a week. Some shots were breathtaking, and some effective and subtle; have a look for yourself and see what you think! Here’s this week’s photo set: Thanks for flicking through our photos of the week, we’ll catch you next time with more! more
In the Picture: Home
| April 9, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under In the Picture |
Home can be quite a hard concept to grasp, especially when you’ve moved away and you’re left with two different places which you might call home, not really sure what you’d class as, perhaps, where you belong. However, that being said, home is more than just the place, it can be the things in the place. This week, our photography team has been out exploring what they think of when they hear the word ‘home’. Here’s what they came up with: Hope you’ve enjoyed our photo set this week! We’ll catch you next time with more. more
In the Picture: Space
| April 2, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under In the Picture |
Welcome back to our weekly photography feature. This week, our photography team looked at space, a theme that proved challenging. Space is everywhere, whether you’re looking at the sky, or just a space around you. Everything we own occupies space; we occupy space. The team was sent out to interpret their views of space. Some shots are more conceptual than others, and we hope you enjoy this week’s photo set. Here it is: We hope you’ve enjoyed the photo set. See you next time for more! more
AJ’s Advice – clumsiness
| March 30, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
So, readers, I don’t know if you know this, but I am pretty clumsy. Sometimes, dangerously so. None of my clumsiness has yet led to disaster, touch wood, but I have had my moments. Graceful people of the world just laugh at clumsy people like me. The problem is, it can be a genuine problem. Luckily, I can function in day-to-day life, but simple things like walking on uneven ground can prove challenging. Cobbled streets are pretty much my worst nightmare. But lately, I’ve discovered simple things that can help, so, dear reader, if you’re anything like me, read on. 1. Keep focused when walking: For some incomprehensible reason, I find the sky fascinating when I’m out and about, which often… more
In the Picture: Cities
| March 24, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under culture, In the Picture |
Photographs are something we look at, comment on, and think about every day. A few of us even take photographs every day. Being able to see something, almost exactly how it was and being able to almost instantaneously create a piece of artwork while you’re out and about is quite a magical thing. Even the photos that go a bit wrong and look a bit odd are always engaging. Even being able to flip through photos and engage your brain with something visual will get it to work on a different level than, perhaps, reading something. So a group of us here at The Student Review have decided to team up and give you a weekly photo fix. Focusing on a… more
AJ’s Advice – finding inspiration
| March 23, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
Yes, I know, it’s been a bit longer than a while. Honestly, I’ve been lacking in inspiration lately, and trying to sneeze out a piece of writing can often just result in a blank page and a massive headache. And believe me, there have been many headaches. Finding something to inspire you, not just to write, but to paint, to work to generally enjoy being alive can be difficult, but you just have to find a system, or a set of things that won’t fail to inspire you. That way, you won’t be blank for more than a bit longer than a while. Here are the things that inspire me most (in no particular order): 1. People I have quite… more
Critical feedback: disheartening or encouraging?
| December 23, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under culture, lifestyle |
As a recent entrant into design school I have become all too familiar with critical feedback sessions, which are rather terrifying (for me, at least) but integral to many university courses – especially the creative ones. The thing about critical feedback is that often it can just be really disheartening and fairly harsh, but the question is: is that, well, useful? What format should criticism take? How, in the long run, will it become more useful to us, whether we’re in industry or just learning to be? It’s fairly clear that we all need constructive advice and criticism to improve. That’s just how the world works; if you don’t find the flaws in something and criticise them, that thing won’t… more
AJ’s Advice – irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
| November 5, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a pretty grim condition which annoys the hell out of anyone who experiences it. While the exact causes of IBS aren’t really known, some things can trigger and aggravate the situation. IBS can often cause stomach or abdominal cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea, and is essentially a difficulty with food digestion. Luckily for those people that have it, there are things you can do at home that can help, but before I get into anything: if you have, or think you have IBS, it’s best to consult your GP before making major changes in your diet and lifestyle. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the best way forward. Often, IBS can be… more
