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It’s easy to dismiss photography as an easy art. Unlike more traditional art forms like painting or sculpture, you can see photos in seconds, with seemingly minimal effort. Anyone can take pictures—you just have to pick up a camera, fiddle with it a bit, point it at a subject, and start clicking away. Right?

That may be technically true, but it takes more than the possession of a fancy gadget to be called a photographer. There’s an art to taking frame-worthy photos, and it takes an enormous amount of passion and grit to be among the best. If you’d like to be a better photographer, take inspiration from these Netflix shows. Grab some popcorn and start binge-watching!

Harry Benson: Shoot First

Harry Benson is the acclaimed photographer behind some of the most iconic images of The Beatles. That photo of the Fab Four having a pillow fight in their room at the George V Hotel? That’s Benson’s genius at work. His repertoire is not confined to celebrities: His impressive portfolio includes images of every U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhower, magazine covers for Time, Life, and Vanity Fair, and photos of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1968. Harry Benson: Shoot First is a brilliant documentary of Benson’s storied career, sprinkled with interviews and insights into the elements that make his pictures breathtaking.

Abstract: The Art of Design

Abstract is a Netflix original documentary series that deftly picks the brains of some of the most brilliant creatives in the modern world. For shutterbugs, episode 7 (Platon: Photography) is a must-watch, letting you follow the journey of renowned British lensman Platon, who has shot portraits of some of the world’s most notable leaders, including Vladimir Putin. In the show, he photographs former U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell. As you watch, you’ll be able to pick up crucial lessons in preparing for shoots, establishing rapport with subjects, and communicating the right story to viewers.

Hondros

Whoever thinks photojournalism is a walk in the park obviously has no clue about the struggles and immense pressure involved when covering major events. This is especially true for photojournalists covering war zones—in order to take the perfect shot, you have no choice but to come close to the action despite the perils. And yet, for 13 years, American photojournalist Chris Hondros took photos of major conflict zones, from the 1999 war in Kosovo to the 2011 Libyan Civil War, where he was fatally wounded in a mortar attack. Hondros, directed by his childhood friend Greg Campbell, narrates the late photographer’s life and career milestones, telling the stories behind his most iconic photos and his influence on people around the world.

Tales By Light

Tales By Light, a joint venture between Canon and National Geographic, follows several photographers as they capture their adventures around the world. This Australian documentary series will take you from the jungles of Kenya to the seas of Indonesia, to the unexplored terrain of Antarctica, inspiring viewers to step up and protect our children, our seas, and our aboriginal culture. If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming an outdoor photographer, this series should inspire you to go out and start shooting.

The 5 Best Apps to Have On Your Phone This 2019

By Nixplay Team

On January 29, 2019

In Lifestyle

You probably set out to make 2019 your best year yet, packed with tons of personal and professional goals. And in a perfect world, you’d be hitting all of them, one after the other.

Sadly, the world isn’t perfect, and with your gadgets and the internet providing countless distractions, it’s so easy to get derailed from hitting your personal targets. Just when you’ve decided to start going to the gym regularly, you fall into a black hole on Netflix, and your workout time becomes binge-watching time. And when you’ve decided to look up recipes you can test in your kitchen, you get sucked watching countless videos of people making scrumptious pastries, and, in the ensuing hunger, end up ordering takeout. Such is life in the 21st century.

There are many ways to go about this unique dilemma, but one good solution is to do an audit of your smartphone apps. Uninstall the applications that needlessly drain your energy, and reallocate your phone’s memory to programs that could better benefit your life, like these below:

Autodesk SketchBook

Drawing, whether it’s a detailed illustration or a silly doodle, is a relaxing hobby with several benefits. Unfortunately, not all of us has the luxury of toting around a sketchbook—lots of us don’t even have pens on hand! That’s where SketchBook comes in. This handy digital drawing pad lets you flesh out your creative ideas anytime, anywhere, without the constraints presented by art materials. SketchBook used to be a paid app, but the full version has been made free recently.

Do you want to take your career to the next level in 2019? Then you should spend less time on your favorite social media sites and start cultivating your LinkedIn network. LinkedIn doesn’t just help you make the right professional connections—it’s also a great resource for high-quality jobs, professional presentations, and in-demand skills. If you’re a recruiter or a marketer, LinkedIn also has specialized apps that make it easier to find talent and engage leads.

Nixplay

Got a Nixplay frame but don’t have the app? You’re missing out on so much. The Nixplay Mobile App doesn’t just let you update your Nixplay Frame on the go. It also allows you to send videos to your frame, access images from Google Photos, share pictures with loved ones, and so much more. Download it now and see how easy managing your frame can be!

Headspace

In the busy, hectic world, it’s crucial to set aside a little time each day to calm your mind and meditate. Enter Headspace, one of the best meditation apps around. This well-loved app makes mindfulness easy and achievable, with short guided sessions, ranging from three to ten minutes, to begin with. Later on, you can have the option to upgrade to a paid pro pack, which has specialized meditation sessions aimed to maximize creativity, quell anxiety, and ward off fear, among other mental concerns.

Mimo

If your goal this 2019 is to study how to code, you can start by downloading Mimo, a user-friendly app that guides you as you learn the fundamentals of programming languages. Mimo will teach you how to make games, apps, websites, and more via bite-sized lessons that you can easily squeeze into your jam-packed routine. Stick to your daily lessons, and you’ll soon be on your way to mastering HTML, Python, Ruby, or any other coding language of your choice.

6 Books You Should Read This 2019

By Nixplay Team

On January 28, 2019

In Lifestyle

Reading is a habit you should keep nurturing. The most successful people read all the time—and it’s about time you should, too. This year, try to read at least one book a month, starting with these six novels.

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

Atonement author Ian McEwan’s upcoming novel Machines Like Me tells the story of Charlie, an aimless man who purchases a near-perfect synthetic human called Adam. Trouble starts brewing when Charlie enlists the help of Miranda, a student he’s in love with, to create Adam’s persona. As Charlie, Miranda, and Adam find themselves entangled in a bizarre love triangle set in the 1980s, the novel forces us to think about the very essence of humanity.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Another woman-driven novel by Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, City Of Girls follows Vivian Morris, who, at the age of 89, is finally telling the tale of her stay in New York in the 1940s. Kicked out of Vassar and forced to work as a seamstress at her aunt’s theater located in midtown Manhattan, Vivian regales us with stories of the flamboyant characters she meets, as well as the mistakes that led her to live the kind of life she truly craved.

White by Bret Easton Ellis

People have been waiting eagerly for White, the upcoming book of American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis, since October 2018. White, Ellis’ first book in almost a decade, promises to be a polarizing collection of essays about today’s culture from a white privileged man’s point of view. Here, Ellis tackles head-on tricky topics, including the merits of self-censorship and the true cost of living an authentic life.

Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption by Ben Mezrich

If you’ve seen The Social Network, you’ve probably heard of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the Harvard-educated twins who contributed to Facebook’s invention. Bitcoin Billionaires picks up where The Social Network took off, focusing on the Winklevoss twins’ start as venture capitalists, their foray into cryptocurrency, and their coronation as the world’s first Bitcoin billionaires.

Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds by Gwena Bond

Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds is the prequel to the hit Netflix show Stranger Things. The book, set in 1969, tells the story of Terry Ives, a college student from Indiana who signs up for an important government experiment codenamed MKUltra, where she was subjected to mind-altering experiments under the supervision of the sinister Dr. Brenner. Suspecting that the experiments are part of a greater conspiracy, Terry seeks the help of her fellow test subjects, including a mysterious girl with superhuman powers named 008.

Zen: The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno

Loved Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Then you’ll love Zen: The Art of Simple Living. Written by a Buddhist monk, this book contains several easy ways to make your life more Zen. The reader will gradually learn the true meaning of happiness and fulfillment by making small, simple changes to their life.

Looking For A Better Way To Organize Your Photos?

By Cathi Nelson

On January 25, 2019

In Photography

Are you overwhelmed with your growing photo collection? Are your digital images and videos scattered over various devices and in different locations? Google Photos, Amazon Photos, One Drive, Flickr, DropBox, Smug Mug, iCloud Photos, DVD’s, CD’s, old computers, memory cards, and flash drives; it’s no wonder people struggle with finding and viewing their favorite photos.

Technology has made the process of connecting with our family photos very difficult. Somedays it can feel like you need a master’s degree in technology.

But don’t worry—help has arrived! The Association of Personal Photo Organizers has spent months compiling years of knowledge into two easy-to-follow courses designed to take you step-by-step through the organizing process.

Digital Photo Organizing Made Easy is an in-depth course with easy to follow video tutorials, handouts, resource guides, and a private Facebook group. You will learn how to find, organize and consolidate your images & videos into one manageable library so you can easily access, share and backup your most important memories.

Need help with those boxes of printed photos and home movies? Then you’ll love our second course, Printed Photo Organizing Made Easy. This course also has a private Facebook group and over 2.5 hours of instruction that takes you step-by-step through the process of organizing (and digitizing) your printed photos, memorabilia, old media, and home movies.

If organizing your photos is on your to-do list, then now is the time to invest in learning and completing your photo organizing project!

3 Easy Instagrammable Recipes You Should Master This 2019

By Nixplay Team

On January 24, 2019

In Lifestyle

In this day and age, everything deserves a post on your social media feed, along with a corresponding hashtag—from your beach vacation (#VitaminSea), shoes (#Shoefie), to your food (#Foodstagram). Especially the food.

Browsing Instagram for even a few minutes should lead you to at least one photo of a meal, and there are several accounts dedicated to all kinds of dishes and cuisine. And as if to prove a point, a photo of a lowly egg recently became the most-liked photo on the social media platform, beating the likes of Selena Gomez and Kylie Jenner.

And you won’t hear any complaints from us: We’re very passionate about food, and we don’t mind seeing our social media feeds overridden by pictures of cake, pizza, or steak—plus points if they’re homemade! If your culinary repertoire isn’t as extensive as you’d like, fear not: Being inexperienced in the kitchen shouldn’t deter you from trying your hand at cooking. Start by trying these easy recipes. Don’t forget to take photos of your dishes after, and display them on your Nixplay frame!

Caprese Salad

This Italian salad evokes images of lazy sun-drenched summer holidays in the Isle of Capri. It’s impossibly simple to create and photographs well too.

Ingredients
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese (or more, if you’re like us and cannot get enough of cheese)
20 fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/4″ thick pieces. Arrange them in an alternating pattern on a platter, adding a basil leaf between each. Drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Avocado Toast

The Internet’s love affair with avocados doesn’t seem to be fading away any time soon. Take advantage of the obsession with this healthy fruit with this yummy breakfast.

Ingredients
1 8-ounce ripe avocado
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices whole wheat bread
Unsalted butter, softened
Crushed red pepper flakes and sea salt (optional)

Mash the avocado until chunky, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast the bread then lightly spread butter on each slice. Put the mashed avocado on top of the bread, and season with sea salt and red pepper flakes if desired.

Steak

There’s no such thing as a wrong time for steak. If you’re buying steak to cook at home, look for meat with excellent marbling (that’s the term for the streaks of fat on the meat), and consider its grade (USDA Prime is the best, but Choice or Select are also okay). When you’re lucky enough to have a gorgeous slab of prime meat in your pantry, you should be able to cook it properly to get more bang for your buck (or should we say beef?).

Ingredients
1 steak (Fillet or sirloin are the best, but you can’t go wrong with a well-marbled ribeye or porterhouse)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. canola oil
Herbs, to taste

Season the steak generously with salt and pepper before cooking. Drizzle canola oil into a very hot (but not smoking) frying pan, wait for a bit, then place the steak. Add the butter and the herbs. Sear evenly on each side, taking into consideration the steak’s thickness and your preferred doneness. Place the steak on a warm plate or board and let it rest for around five minutes. Serve it with your chosen side dish—you can’t go wrong with potatoes or mushrooms!