My favourite photographers

Hola everyone.

And welcome to another week. I hope, so far, your Monday has been great and that you’re all doing good. I’m currently sitting in my room at home in London, typing this, while my playlist (link here) is playing in the background. Unfortunately I’ve been ill the past few days, so this is how I’ve spent most of my time. Also a reason why I woke up today not really having a plan of what to write about. But then I remembered this one series that I started a few months ago and I immediately knew what I had to do. So, once again, the time has come to celebrate the amazingness that is photography and all the fantastic photographers behind these works of art that we, as human beings and art lovers, like to hang up in our rooms, look at and maybe even create ourselves. That’s also part of the reason why photography is such a phenomenal art form – it doesn’t exclude. There are no rules that decide what is good and what is bad. Everyone can do anything with a camera or a phone or any technical device that includes a camera. Photography is open to everyone and anyone and that’s why I love it so much.

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Obviously, as with any sector that includes humans and requires them doing something, there are a few people that are especially talented and fantastic at what they’re doing. This also goes for photography. In my past posts of this series, I’ve introduced you to the incredible Brad Heaton (click me) and the unbelievable Will Darbyshire (click me too). Both of these creative minds are artists I look up to and admire with my whole being. And today, I would like to introduce you to another uber-amazing photographer. Today, it is my honour, to introduce you to the fantastic Brittany O’Brien, who I got to know through my love for the awesome band Hippo Campus. Ever since then, I’ve been following her account on Instagram and, let me just say, when it comes to music photography, she’s definitely one of the best out there.

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Her way of catching moments and seconds through the camera lens and turning them into pieces of art is absolutely incredible. I’m especially in love with tour shots, but not from the concerts themselves but from moments besides the gigs. When they are just sitting around, maybe having dinner, lying in the grass outside. Normal stuff. I don’t know why, but they intrigue me the most. Besides that, Brit also does film photography, which I probably don’t have to explain why I’m a big, big fan of that. So, all in all, I’m so, so happy that I get to tell you about this amazing woman and her phenomenal art.

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And so, without further ado, let’s get to the most important part – the pictures. I dearly hope you enjoy them just as much as I do. All of them were taken during the last Hippo Campus tour (I got them from Brit’s official page, all credits go to her, of course). And yeah, what can I say – I just love them. Please enjoy.

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not my picture; all credits go to Brittany O’Brien

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If you want to find out more about Brit or simply can’t get enough of her pics, here are the links to her website and her Instagram. And yeah, please also let me know what you thought/think about this post, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below. And, as always, I wish you all a nice week and thanks for reading. x

New Music Friday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog. And another Friday. A “New Music Friday”, actually, which I haven’t been able to say for such a long time. God, I feel like it’s been forever since the last one. And I checked. It was in July. Can you believe that? In freaking July. That’s literally ages ago. But now we’re finally back and back for good, because I really can’t wait to share all of this amazing new music with you guys. I’ve literally been obsessed with music lately, I feel like I’ve been listening to the same 20 songs for the past two months, which could actually be pretty accurate, to be honest. Obviously, that means I’ll share exactly those songs with you. And just as I love them, I hope you will do. So, grab your headphones or speakers (every music lover its own) , sit back and enjoy the ride.

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Just Like a Movie – Wallows

When I first heard this song, I literally couldn’t believe my ears. Not just because this song is freaking stunning and I’m deeply in love with this band, but because it did exactly to me what a good song should do – it made me love music. In general. This song proves why music is a gift from heaven and one of the most beautiful things on earth. It’s something so incredible, I don’t think anything else could make me feel so many things at once. What a masterpiece. Wallows, thanks so much for this one, guys. Just wow.

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What Could Be as Lonely as Love / Worship – Amber Run

Well well well. Where should I begin? Amber Run, this freaking fantastic band, has been on my radar for quite some time now and their recently released album “Philophobia” has been one of my most anticipated LPs of this whole year. And damn, they certainly did not let me down. This album, as a whole, is so damn good, there isn’t one song that I wouldn’t say is amazing. This is also the reason why it was so hard to chose the songs to share with you, as I’d have actually preferred to just throw the whole album at you. But as this is a new music list, I did my best and chose the two songs that I’ve been loving the most.

“What Could Be as Lonely as Love” is plainly the one song that gets me going the most, it’s such a bop. But once you listen to the lyrics, you kinda notice that it’s a sad one. But still a bop. And “Worship”, wow, that’s just a heartbreak on a plate. I don’t know who hurt Joe, the lead-singer, this much, but I’d really love to give him a song every time I listen to the song. He manages to put so much pain and sincerity into his voice, I actually teared up while listening to it the first time. It’s this good. Also, please go and listen to the whole album. Highly recommend it, with my whole heart.

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Aftertaste – The Academic

It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of these guys for a few years now and I’m just always so excited whenever they put out a new song. They never let me down. And this phenomenal song right here proves that once again. I really can’t wait to see them live again in a few days here in London, it’s going to be absolutely amazing, I can already tell.

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Ice Cream Sundae – Inhaler

Here we finally have the song, the only one, that I got on tape when I saw this awesome band live for the first time back in May at the Great Escape Festival. I might have to add that I literally had no idea who they were back then, but I do now and I’m honestly so happy my mum and I stayed for their gig or I would never know them, which would be an absolute shame. They are just way too fantastic and this song is way too fun to miss out on. And for those of you who are wondering and don’t know them – yes, this is Elijah Hewson, the son of Bono from U2. Yes, really. So, watch out for these guys, because they’re here to stay, trust me.

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British Bombs – Declan McKenna

Guys, do you know this feeling when you’re going through your music recommendations and suddenly this one artist, that you’ve been listening to for such a long time but have kinda forgotten about, suddenly pops up on your list with an incredible new song and when you listen to it you fall in love with the artist all over again because it’s just so good? Yes? Good, me too, because that’s exactly what happened with Declan and this “bomb” (sorry, I had to) of a song. It’s so damn good, I don’t even know how I could actually forget about him. I’ve got no excuses, shame on me. But thank god I found him again. The song is so so so damn good. Also, when you’re listening to it, go and take a look at the lyrics. Trust me, you want to know what this song is all about. Declan makes music for politically frustrated indie kids, according to a Youtube comment, so you can probably tell why it’s such an important song and why he’s such an important artist.

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Eat, Sleep Wake (Nothing But You) – Bombay Bicycle Club

As I am this typing this, I can’t believe my own eyes, but, guys, Bombay Bicycle Club are back together and back in business and I’m so excited, I can’t even put it into words. I think we all have this one band that we found out about too late or that we were born at the wrong time for. Until a few weeks ago, Bombay was that one band for me. I found them when they had already broken up and I always told myself and everyone else that they were the one band I wish I could’ve seen live, but will never get the chance to. But now these guys actually decided to not only reunite, but also to release new music, a new album and go on tour. And I’ll be seeing them live next February. How is this real life? Oh my god. And could this song right here be any better? I don’t think so.

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Insomniac – Dreamers

I recently stumbled over this song on YouTube and immediately was interested, mainly because of the title. Insomniac. That’s something people could call me. Because I’m simply always awake at night. Not that I can’t sleep, I’d just rather be awake at night. But yeah, that’s kinda how I found this song and I’m so happy I did. I can already see myself listening to it while walking back home from work at night. Such a perfect late night song.

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BREAKFAST / creature – half•alive

Where should I start? In short – this band is freaking awesome and their album is a masterpiece and definitely one of the most exciting musical experiences when being listened to with headphones. It’s just so damn good. They play with so many different techniques, whether it’s with genres, synths or instruments. It’s a creative rollercoaster and definitely worth every listen. As with Amber Run’s album, it was incredibly difficult for me to chose favourites, so I just took the two songs I’ve been listening to the most the past months. Where “BREAKFAST” is quiet, emotional and gentle and could remind some of Bon Iver, “creature” is intense, harmonic and full. Both couldn’t be any more different and any more perfect.

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Was It Something I Said – MyKey

Guys, you’ll probably never believe my story of how I found this song and this artist. Do you guys know the YT channel Jubilee? It’s a really really fantastic channel where they sometimes to this kind of speed dating thingy and this one video was with musicians, where they had to play songs. And this guy, Mikey, right here was part of that video and immediately grabbed my interest because of his angelic voice. And, well, here we are now. Obviously I had to search for him online and quickly found his channel, thanks to other indie fans just like me. And god, what a great song this is. Jubilee, thanks so much for that video. I owe you one.

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Boogie Juice – HALFNOISE

And last but not least, here we have the newest banger from the amazingness that is HALFNOISE. If you’re ever on a walk in the city and wanna get in the perfect, chill but still upbeat, groovy mood, trust me, this is the one song to listen to. It’s practically perfect for that. It always gets me in the best mood, no joke. And besides that, it’s just such a fun song to listen to. And this band deserves far more recognition and attention than what they’re currently getting. What a breathtakingly cool band. Damn. Also, they just released their new album, so definitely make sure to check that out.

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And with that, we’ve reached the end of this list of awesomeness and this “New Music Friday”. I sincerely hope you had or have fun listening to all of these phenomenal songs and love them just as much as me. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave them down below. Besides that, I hope you’re all doing good and wish you a great weekend. And, of course, thanks so much for reading. x

Finally, London

Hola everyone.

Oh my god, I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, I’m so so so sorry for not posting anything for so long. But, and here comes the biggest news of, like, ever, I didn’t get to write anything as I moved to London a few days ago. I moved to London. I now live in London. London has become my home. No matter how many times and in whichever way I say it to myself, I’ll probably never realize it a hundred percent. I can’t believe is this is really happening. It feels like a dream.

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You can probably guess that this is what today’s post is going to be about because I can’t even put into words how happy I am ever since I came here, so I have to share this happiness. It has literally been the best time ever. First of all, I have to say that this, the move to London and the ability to call London my home, has been one of my biggest goals for over 10 years. I remember when I first came to London, during a school trip, I immediately fell in love with the city. It was then that I knew that this place was where I wanted to live, where I wanted to spend my life, even if it would just be a part of it. So I dreamed about London for years and years and years and worked my butt off to get where I am right now. Whether it was my uni degree or just actively talking to people and going to places to make it happen, I did everything I could to have my dream become reality. Obviously, this also could’ve never happened without the unreal support of my family and friends, so the biggest thanks go to them. I’ll be forever grateful for everything they’ve done and still do for me. I love them, with all my heart. And now, after so many years, I’m finally able to call this amazing city, this heaven of a place, this absolute dream, my home. And I could cry just thinking about it.

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Whenever I leave the house now, where I live with my best friend, just to mention that, – which obviously makes everything so much better and easier and even more perfect – I always get this sudden shock when the realization of where I am hits me. And with every step I take and every day I spent in this city, I fall more and more for it. It’s just so damn perfect. The architecture, the possibilities, the cinemas, the concerts, the people, the shops, the restaurants, just everything about it. It’s all so perfect. And now I live here and am able to take part in and make use of all of it. Just like that. How crazy is that? Also, I have to add that we also live together with the cutest cat and dog and I am so in love, this is literally more than I could’ve ever wished for (besides being able to shrink my house plus my family and take them with me).

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I also started uni today, which, unsurprisingly, was absolutely amazing as well. You know, even after having decided to transfer to London, I was still worried a bit that I maybe had made the wrong choice. But oh no. The building is awesome, the teachers seem super lovely and motivated and so far the class has been super nice as well. I was a bit nervous walking into a class of people who’ve already spent a year together, but in reality, I didn’t feel weird at all. And, in the end, it’s just uni. The most important part is to enjoy the time and make the most of it. And I’m so planning on doing that. Also, I think I’m probably one of the only students who are actually happy to be back at university. In all honesty, I really did miss it. So much. The lectures and the teachers and just the learning. The truth is, once you actually get to study something you really enjoy and love, even a 9am lecture is fun. It’s all about loving what you do.

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And now I’m sitting in my room, in the middle of Brixton, and I still can’t really fathom that I’m really here, with Leni just a few stairs away and the city welcoming me with open arms and waiting for me to explore it. I can only think of the future and of all the exciting things that are going to happen and, honestly, I can’t wait. This is exactly where I need to be. London is finally mine and it feels good to be home. Finally.

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Of course, I am planning on taking you all with me on this journey in and through London, so please stay tuned for more exciting adventures. Obviously, if you’ve got any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave them and your other thoughts down below. I’m so happy that I get to share all of this with you and I really look forward to more. But until then I wish you all an amazing week and hope that you’re doing good. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

Ps: Ed just opened his own bar called Bertie Blossoms in Notting Hill and obviously I had to visit it as soon as possible. It’s literally the cutest place ever. Might have to save up some money to have dinner there some time. It’s a must, let’s be real. Pics are below.

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Salzburg – Part Two

Hola everyone.

How are well all doing on this fantastic Friday? I hope so far you’ve had an amazing week and that you’re doing good. As mentioned in my last post about my trip to Salzburg with my mum (click here to check that one out), today is the day I get to share the second stock of photos I took of and in this phenomenal city with you. This time, with my iPhone 6s. The funny thing is, although I have a real, professional camera (Sony Alpha 6000), I sometimes actually prefer the photos I take with my phone. I can’t even tell why. It’s mostly just because of the overall feeling the pictures give me. The vibe. And I think, sometimes, when they’re in a good mood, phone cameras are extremely talented when it comes to capturing moments and emotions. Just the overall feel of a certain part in time. A certain second.

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Of course, that doesn’t mean that I think that phone cameras are better than professional ones. Not at all. The contrary, actually. But even I don’t always get to take my camera with me all the time and in those moments it’s nice to know that my phone can also work its own magic. Also, it’s another plus for anyone who wants to get started in photography and who can’t afford a good camera just now. This way, even phone cameras are a nice thing to start with. And in the end, it’s all about getting started and working with what you got anyway. And to never stop fighting for your passion and what you want.

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Which brings me to another thing I want to talk to you about before we get to the pictures. Because today, guys, isn’t just a simple Friday, like any other. It’s not just another Friday the 20th. No. Today is a very special day. A day I’ve been waiting for and dreaming about for over nine years. Today is the day I am finally, truly, officially moving to the greatest city on earth. Today, guys, I’m moving to London. My London. My love. And on top of that, with my best friend. Even while typing this, I can’t believe it’s really happening. I’ll probably write another post about this whole, completely unbelievable thing that’s happening right now later, but for now, all I can say is that I can’t really say anything. I’m speechless. Unable to truly understand what is going on. That this dream, this ultimate goal I’ve had for some many years, that I’ve tried to reach and work towards for such a long time, is really coming true. I can’t even begin to explain what this means to me. To be able to say that I now live in London is absolutely mind-blowing. My favorite place on earth. My dream. My love.

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At this point, I have to thank everyone and anyone who helped me on this crazy path, especially my friends and above all my parents, because without them I’d never be where I am right now. I’d never be able to call London my new home. And for this, I’ll be forever grateful. And I really hope that I can, one time, give some of that back. Also, for the sake of loving yourself, I lastly need to thank myself. I truly worked my ass off for this, to reach this place I am in right now and I’m just so damn glad that I fought when it was needed, stayed strong when I thought all was lost and never stopped believing in my dreams even when people made me feel like some crazy person. It was all worth it. So, please, just for the sake of yourself, please please please never stop fighting for what you want and believe in. Never.

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And with that, I’m going to stop because I’m about to tear up here and we don’t want that. I’ll now let the remaining pictures of the beautiful Salzburg do the rest of the talking and with that, I hope that you enjoy them. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. The next time you’ll read from me, I’ll already be living in London. Complete madness. But the best I could wish for. And until then, I wish you all a lovely weekend and, of course, thanks for reading. London, here I come. x

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Salzburg

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog. Sorry for not posting anything last Friday. I was on holiday in Salzburg with my mum and thus didn’t have time to sit down and write something. I hope you didn’t mind too much. And that you all had a great last week and weekend and that you’re Monday is going well. But speaking of Salzburg – I thought as it was such a nice trip and as the city is so beautiful, it would be a great idea to share some of the pics I took with you. I’ll actually have to split it into two posts, one for the pictures I took with my camera and a second one for the ones I took with my phone. And yes, I really did take so many.

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As for now, I’m excited to share with you all the pics I took with my camera – a Sony Alpha 6000 for all you photography nerds. Just for a bit of context – this was my very first time of visiting Salzburg. I can’t even tell why I’ve never managed to visit it, in the 23 years I’m on this planet. Maybe it’s because my family and I usually stick to going on holiday somewhere else than in Austria. Maybe. But as I’m moving to London this Friday (oh my freaking GOD), I thought it would be nice to visit some new places in my own home country. And it was sooooo worth it. God, Salzburg is such a beautiful city. It strongly reminded me of Zürich, with its cute little streets and colorful houses and extravagant vibe. And the view from the surrounding hills – oh wow. In total, we got to spend three days in this amazing city and I’m so glad we got to visit it. It’s really really breathtaking. And totally worth a visit, for all of you who ever thought of that. But I think you can tell by the pictures down below. And speaking of those, I’ll just let them do the talking now.

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As always, I hope you enjoy them. Please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a great week and thanks for reading. x

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Stay Alive

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing? I hope you had a great weekend and that your Monday has been good to you so far. I’m currently cuddled up in a blanket on my couch at home, Aviator is on right now, so I’ve got the pleasure of getting to glance at Leo DiCaprio once in a while and I couldn’t be happier just thinking about what I’m going to share with you today. Some of you might have already heard about it on the news or seen it on Twitter or Instagram, but as it’s such amazing news, I just have to share it on here as well. And I don’t even care if this will turn this into a full-on Twenty One Pilots blog, I’m way too happy not to talk about it. So here it goes.

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Tyler and Jenna Joseph are expecting their first child. Jenna is pregnant. Tyler will be a dad.

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I can’t believe I’m really typing this right now. I’m so happy, I can’t even put it into words. But not just because of the news itself, but because of what it means, its story, its background. It doesn’t just mean that they’ll have a baby and that Ty will be a dad and Jenna a mum. Obviously, they’ll be the best parents ever. And they’ll have the most beautiful baby girl, with Jenna’s stunning blue eyes and hopefully Ty’s impeccable skin. And Josh and Debby will be the best uncle and aunt. But it also means so much more. It’s a story of hope and love and personal strength. It’s a story that shows that no matter how dark times might seem, it will always get better and it’s always worth it to keep going and, basically, to stay alive. So, let me tell you the story of Tyler Joseph and how he stayed alive.

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When Tyler was younger, he wrote a song for the album “No Phun Intended” called “Prove me wrong” in which he tells the world that he believes in love but that he thinks that love isn’t for him. He was about 18 then and I think he was in an even darker place than we can imagine. If I’m not wrong, he still suffers from depression and anxiety sometimes, but he seems to get better every single day. But at that point, I think he was really lost and struggling to find purpose in his life. And then he met Josh and they started the band that we now know as Twenty One Pilots – one of the best bands of our time and my own personal favorites. That was the first part. And then Tyler met Jenna and with her the love of his life. They married in 2015 and now, four years after that, they are expecting their first child.

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Tyler went from struggling to find his purpose to being in a band with his best friend, touring the world with him, having thousands and thousands of people all across the planet have his back and love him for who he is, marrying the love of his life and now expecting his first child, something he’s been talking about for years. If that doesn’t prove that life gets better, I don’t know what will. And I’m so incredibly proud to be able to watch this growth. It gives me so much hope that I will also find someone in my life, the missing piece of my heart and soul, the person I’m meant to be with. Tyler’s story is a story of true love and hope and that’s something we should all hold on to.

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I’m not going to lie, when I first saw the incredible news, I immediately teared up. It was like in some sort of movie. I had just come home from the cinema (I watched IT 2, can highly recommend it) and was just about to bring my mum her tea from the kitchen. So I had this huge cup of tea in one hand and my phone in the other. I mindlessly opened Instagram and, obviously, it was the first thing to come up. And suddenly everything around me went quiet. Like the world had stopped. I nearly let the cup slip. And after a few seconds to calm myself down and to let it sink in, I cried like a baby. Because of the news of a baby. Talk about being attached to people I don’t actually know. But I’m not ashamed to say that my heart nearly burst of happiness and love because of the news. Because this band and this man mean the freaking world to me. I couldn’t be happier for them. And the way they announced it, in front of the whole crowd of Lollapalooza, in front of the clique, makes it all even more special. Usually, people just post a pic on Instagram, but they chose to do it in such a special, loving, but still intimate way. It proved how much the clique, their fans, really mean to them, how they feel about us. And I love them for that. Also, I’ve never seen Tyler that happy and Jenna was literally glowing on the spot. It was perfect. But just see it for yourself:

https://twitter.com/top__today/status/1170411984648593408

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My heart does a little jump every time I see it. It’s like I dreamt it and then I see it again and realize it’s real and I’m overwhelmed all over again. At the end of the day, I’m just incredibly, unbelievably happy for them and I already can’t wait to see this little girl grow up in this amazing family with these stunning parents. I. Can’t. Wait.

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Also, can we please talk about these pictures… I’ll never shut up about them… this is just way too cute…

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I’m sure some of you might not be as interested in this news as much as some others or as me, but I hope that if you’ve come this far and are reading this right now, you at least take from it that true love exists and that you should always hold on to hope and your life. It’s always worth it to fight and to believe. Life will get better. Trust me. Trust Tyler. It will. I promise. And if you need anyone, I’m here. Always. Also, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, as always, I wish you a great week and thanks for reading. Stay alive, my frens. And most importantly, the biggest congrats to the most amazing soon-to-be parents ever. x