Friday, July 11, 2014

Glad to say I am a "Human"...




 I have been living in Canberra for nearly two years and couldn't be happier.

Canberra has a charm that isn't necessarily visible on the surface which is why so many people say it is boring and soul-less. But to those of us who live here, it has hidden treasures that we're very proud of.

We have amazing little cafes and restaurants, a stunning orchestra, two theaters, out-door cinema in the summer, beautiful walks and outdoors festivals. We're ten minutes drive from local wineries that are growing in reputation and three hours drive from ski fields in the winter. The Farmers' market on Saturday morning is a great way to start the weekend. And if you like the really big shows, it takes only three hours to drive to Sydney.

As one of Canberra's biggest fans, I am delighted to have been accepted to be one of the 101 Local Humans, which is campaign organised by Visit Canberra. The idea is that when ever I am out and about over the next few months, I contribute to a living tourist brochure, giving my views on what's on in Canberra. Here is where you can see my contribution to the Human Brochure
The Human Brochure campaign will climax at the beginning of November when we have a weekend with out-of-state guests and spend the time being tourists. I am in the Arts and Culture group and am really looking forward to exploring spaces in Canberra like the Australian War Memorial and National Museum. You can follow what I am up to, as well as the other 100 "Humans" with the #humanbrochure tag. 

I had a couple of reasons for joining this initiative. Firstly, I am such a fan of Canberra and get quite offended when I hear people talk us down (even though I have only lived here five minutes and am not even an Australian citizen!). I'm really keen to share the pleasure I feel about living here. Secondly, I want to learn more about Canberra and take the time to explore the areas that I haven't got around to visiting yet.

Another reason is to explore the use of social media in a different context to what I am used to ie using social media for marketing and advertising, as opposed to education and dissemination of professional information. 
I have already had to think about how I integrate my use of social media with my smart phone, and have had to update my phone so I can start to use Instagram (that was a real shame...NOT!).

I have also been challenged about my attitude to photography. Years ago I had a SLR and was very interested in photography. But as the kids came along, and I moved to a smartphone, I became lazy and now I take more of a "point-and-shoot" approach to photography.  However, there are some amazing photographers amongst the "Humans" and I have been inspired to start thinking again about the quality of the photos I take. I don't know if I can be bothered to move back to a SLR, but I am keen to explore what I can do with the camera and editing apps on my new cell phone.

Do you have any hints, tips or advice about how to take cool photos with a smart phone?

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