1) I want to apologize for the lack of posts these past few weeks, I've been swamped under deadlines and I also went back home for a bit just as a break and to see everyone for my friends 21st!

2) If you find this post lack-lustre feel free to click off as I know not everyone is interested in Photography and see it as a cop-out of a course or career but I thought I'd create a Tag for anyone who is interested in Photography and if you do feel free to take it for your own blogs!

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1 - Film or Digital?

I work more with digital because it's so easy to use, and it keeps up with the state of our current climate, there's a strong demand for photography for uses of advertising, or even people just wanting photographs for the family album. But I do love the process of film, the fact that you do have to take your time and think through every step logically and thoughtfully and I find that the darkroom is actually one of the calmest places out there especially if it's empty and you just have your headphones in. 

2 - Favourite style/medium?

I don't really work with a specific style of photography, I mainly play around a lot with different styles. However, I really want to get back into portraiture as this is something I do really enjoy but however I don't have as many potential models down here as I do in my hometown.

3 - Colour or Black and White?

I honestly think it depends, I prefer colour especially muted, cool tones. I think colour can be way more expressive with an image and give off more of a feel than black an white even though with black and white you have the freedom to play extensively with contrast but i'd 100% say I prefer colour.

4 - Favourite practitioner?

My favourite practitioner will always be Stephen Gill or Barbara Kruger. Gill because of his experimentation in his practice, he pushes a lot of boundaries when it comes to his photographers even in relation to image quality as a lot of his stuff is shot off cheap toy cameras which he has gathered from charity shops etc. Kruger is also a massive influence of mine because of the way she tackles feminist issues, she asks the right questions in respectful ways. 

5 - Future Goals?

My future goals are to actually finish my degree, and hopefully land a job which is somehow linked to photography, whether this be working freelance or even as a gallery curator - I just wont ever do wedding photography!

6 - Airbrushing, Yay or Nay?

I think airbrushing is a massive issue, especially in the fashion photography industry and people are always being attacked. I think small airbrushing is ok, like eye brightening and spot removal because let's be honest who wants their photograph splashed around the world with a massive outbreak on their face? I know I wouldn't! But when it comes to weight, or size I think we need to stop focusing on how skinny someone is and just praise everyone's bodies for what they are because at the end of the day without them we wouldn't be here right?

7 - Favourite photograph you have ever taken?

This is really not a difficult question to answer, my all time favourite photograph is one I took of my sister whilst I was in college and was working with fashion/environmental portraiture and I wanted to base an entire shoot around 'Fall Fashion' - My sister is literally the worst person to work with as she will always pick out her flaws in photos and makes me edit them until she's unrecognizable but with this one I did as minimal editing as I could and I think it works.

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If you wish to check out any of my work my website is Natashaking.uk! And I will definitely try to get back into a blogging roll over the next few weeks! 

Tasha x 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Instagram // Tashanneking

Twitter // Tashanneking

Tumblr // MUST4SH

Sorry this isn't going to be a massive post, and it could potentially be quite boring - sorry in advance. But this week is my first big deadline for my second year at uni. We've had over 12 weeks to create a project for our digital sda (self directed assesment) piece and whilst I feel totally ready for it I still have my occasional moments of stress so I thought i'd give my top 3 tips on how to deal with stress. 

1) TAKE BREAKS

This probably sounds like a completely obvious one, but I know quite a few people who attempt to just whack all their work out in one big load without taking necessary breaks whether this is 5 mins, or even a few hours we all need a bit of time to calm our brains down and this can also help bring more creative ideas or logical ways to solve problems within our work. 

2) CUPS OF TEA / COFFEE / HOT BEVERAGE OF YOUR CHOICE 

I'm a firm believer that a good cup of tea can help solve any problem, well not solve it but make it a little bearable. When i'm in work mode I will always have a hot drink at hand so much I should probably have a boiling tap in my room just to save the trek downstairs. Plus the idea of caffeine literally helps me stop falling asleep into my workbook.

3) ASK FOR HELP

During college I'd never ask for help from my tutors, even if I was in a massive ditch. But now we're having frequent tutorials at university and I feel this is a vital time to ask peers as well as my tutor for help/feedback to help push my projects, or to just see someone elses view/approach can really help you change direction with your work or just gives it a brand new outlook.

Like I said, short and sweet. But so far i've only had one near breakdown whilst doing this work and this was right at the beginning when I couldn't even think of an idea. If you want to look at my current work it is Anonymityproject.tumblr or Projectanonymity on instagram.

-Tasha

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

natashaking.uk

Must4sh.tumblr.com 

Tashanneking

Tashanneking

For this weeks post I thought i'd let you guys have a nosy into what I currently have in my bag that I typically take to university everyday, I do use this as my bag if i'm not in uni too, but as I have university the day after I write this post I thought i'd give you an insight into all the bits I take around with me - especially as it is the start of term for most people. - The contents on this bag are typically for days in which I have lectures, but on other days such as tutorials or workshops I tend to have my sketchbook and sometimes my camera in it. 

THE BAG // PRIMARK - £5 - SUMMER 2015

So as it says in the subheading for this, the bag is from Primark as part of their summer 2015 season, however this style of bag is quite popular and you can pick an alternative up from pretty much anywhere, including here and here. This one was actually gifted to me by my sister as she knew I wanted a bag like this for ages, and I absolutely love it - it's the perfect size for my uni bits and is also quite a lovely casual bag but if you pair it with the right sort of outfit it can come across quite smart casual. I also love the fact that it has a little pocket at the front which is perfect for shoving all your beauty bits in! The faux navy blue Pom was from Newlook and again this was a gift from my Mum for Christmas 2015 so you can still pick them up from Newlook for around £3.99.  

GLOVES // PRIMARK - WINTER 2014

Another Primark goody from years ago are my grey mittens. With the weather being so deceiving down here (literally, it can be super sunny but also Baltic) and me being someone who gets cold incredibly easily, especially my hands. These mittens have been my life saver for the past two winters as I'm someone who is constantly on my phone so I enjoy being able to keep my hands warm when I need to, but the practicality of being able to go on my phone whilst wearing them is a bonus. Primark bring out variations on their mittens every year and you can typically pick these up for around £4 and they're pretty much a staple in my bag during the winter months! I love the colours within these mittens as I tend to keep my outfits quite monochrome (or like an army green) but they do tend to go with everything I wear. 

BEAUTY BITS // PRIMARK, BOBBI BROWN, REVLON & NIVEA

I tend to carry the Primark version of the Invisibobble hairbands as these are the only ones that seem to keep my thick hair where I initially put it, you get about 10 of these in a pack for £1 which is a good deal considering the price of the Inivisbobble ones and there is literally no difference. I typically tend to carry around a Lipgloss, this one just happened to be the Bobbi Brown one that came in my palette I mentioned in one of my last posts and I tend to carry a lipstick this is the Revlon Balm stain in Rendezvous as it's a really nice pinky nude colour which you don't have to worry about touching up. I also carry a lip balm which tends to be the Nivea lip balm in Pearly Shine as again it adds a tint of colour which you don't really need to worry about topping up.

STATIONERY // PRIMARK, CARD FACTORY, & WILKOS - 2015

Stationery is quite a big thing for anyone still in education or work, I tend to carry a small notebook, a diary and some pens in my bag for taking notes, or jotting down important dates such as deadlines. The notebook is part of Velvetgh0st's stationery collection she did for Primark back in December 2015, i'm not sure if most stores have sold out of this collection but I picked this up late December from the Bristol Primark for £2.50, so I guess you just need to dig around. It's a cute little notebook with geometric patterns on it, and it has "Sparkle like a diamond" on the back which is the perfect inspo when lectures are boring me to death! The diary is from the Card Factory, this was 99p and it's an academic diary meaning it starts from Sept 2015 till' July 2016 so it is super useful. They may still have these in store including various designs I just opted for the brightest colour I could find so I wouldn't lose it within the rubbish - If you are looking for a decent and cheap diary to help you with deadlines definitely root around the Card Factory as they're so cheap and a good size making it easy to carry around. Pens are pretty much also a necessity, I tend to carry thousands in my bag but at the minute I only have three which is quite good for my Pen hoarding habit! I have 2 plain black Bic biro's as these are the pens I find easiest to write with which I think I picked up a pack from Wiko's for like £1.50 but you can pick them up anywhere. I also have a cat pen which I was given by my cousin for Christmas but you can pick a similar one up from here! 

PURSE & CARD HOLDER & ID // PRIMARK AND ACCESSORIZE - 2013 & 2015

My purse again is another Primark treasure from years ago, I absolutely adore this purse - it's lasted me for 3 years and I keep going to change it but I love it way too much. It's a vibrant green colour with faux crocodile texture. It has one section where you can put all your cards as well as your notes, and then a clasp part at the back where you put all your coins. This was £4 and Primark have a good selection of purses, so if you are on the hunt for a cheap purse definitely take a look! I am on the hunt for a new purse which is slightly similar so if anyone can recommend a good purse feel free to comment below! My card holder is from Accessorize, I got this in the sale about two weeks ago for £1.50, it fits both my University card as well as my Rail card in which makes it quite useful for traveling as students get the bus for £1 and saves the kerfuffle of trying to get it out of my purse when I can just flash this up at the driver. My ID is a bog standard British passport which is definitely well used, at the moment I don't have a UK drivers license or provisional as I don't really see the point in learning to drive whilst at university as it will be way too expensive, and I can barely look after myself - Plus I have lovely friends who sometimes don't mind driving me around! And obviously I just have to carry around my ID at all times as you never know when you'll have to prove your age (I once got ID'd for sitting upstairs in a Wetherspoons). 

RE-USABLE BAG // M&S 

This one is pretty self explanatory, with the current 5p bag charge it is always a good idea just to carry around a re-usable bag in case I need to go pick up bits after university such as bread, milk or even if I don't have enough room in my bag to carry bits around. I have the small one as it fits in my bag easily and it does fit a fair amount in it. It was 80p, but obviously you can pick up way cheaper ones from anywhere. 

PHONE // IPHONE 5C IN GREEN - 3

And last but not least, the one thing I am ashamed to say I could not live without is my mobile phone. It is the Iphone 5C in green as green is my favourite colour. I'm on the 3 network and my mum currently pays my contract up until I graduate as she is lovely and knows I could barely survive if I had to pay a phone contract every month. My lock screen is of Anthony Kiedis as he is my ultimate man crush, my case is from Ebay and I think it was like 99p. I use this mainly to contact people, but I also have the beloved Spotify app on there which saves me on bus journeys to and from University. - If you want a more in depth look at what's in my phone feel free to comment below!

So yeah that's pretty much everything I carry around with me on an everyday basis, I tend to also carry around a water bottle or coffee flask as I could not get through my lectures with a hydration kick.

-Tasha

SOCIAL NETWORKS

INSTAGRAM // TASHANNEKING

TWITTER // TASHANNEKING

BLOGLOVIN // THOUGHTFULLYTASHA

TUMBLR // MUST4SH

2015, i'm 99% sure that it went in a flash. It feels like we were only ringing it in the other week! Seeing as i've neglected this blog (again!) I thought whilst i'm sat in bed feeling very sorry for myself with a sick bucket at hand (tmi?) I'd do a little reflection post to catch you up with everything i'd done! 

JAN-MARCH 2015

I was just going into my second term at university feeling optimistic and way too excited to get back to my second home with my second family after a chilled and relaxed Christmas. I also had my first deadlines as well as my first feedback sessions. I did as well as I could, and passed all my units. We started looking for our house for the next year, which got pretty damn stressful (if you're a fresher looking, do it ASAP and try not to bite each others heads off). It was also my older sisters 21st which meant I got to go home for the weekend and surprised her which was probably one of my favourite moments of this year as I had tricked her into thinking I couldn't get home for it! 

APRIL-JUNE 2015

We had our final term as freshers and it went by really quick! I was in a major stress over deadlines and sort of turned into a recluse due to just wanting everything done. My sister came to visit a week before deadlines which was a nice break from the workload and was a nice similarity in all the time of stress. And we finished first year on a high with the Garden Party, which was an amazing evening spent with some amazing people! I left my halls and my family I had grown so used to in the months we lived in F3! I turned 19, and it was a pretty boring birthday even though I spent it with my loved ones at home.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

A pretty boring few months, spent mostly working which also included some good day trips as well as seeing everyone I work with after not seeing them for nearly a year. I started my second year at university and moved into a brand new house with 4 others (one of who I had lived with the year before). 

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2015

A pretty mundane few months whilst at uni, we've all appeared to have calmed down this year and only seem to go out on special occasions. One thing I improved on was not ending up in an ambulance this Halloween due to alcohol poisoning! So at least I can say I definitely learned my limit this year. Spent Christmas back at home with my family, and worked a few days including a day trip to Longleat to see the light festival which was amazing! Saw the new year in with a small selection of friends and family! - So bring on a new year!

They say to set achievable resolutions for the new year, so I have set myself 3 in which I believe I can achieve with a bit of organisation. 

1) Get much better with money, and probably get a part time job as it is getting pretty difficult making ends meet. Be more resourceful with what I have and double check I desperately need that top before completely ruining my weekly budget! 

2) Do more personal work with my photography - If theres anything that has suffered due to doing a photography course is that I feel I rarely do it for myself anymore, I used to see it as an outlet for  what I was feeling and now it's just so I can make sure I can make deadlines. This includes taking my camera out more, whether it's my Canon 1100D, or some little point and shoot, just because inspiration can take form anywhere!

3) Try and post atleast once a week - whether that is a 'thought of the day', recipe, or a review. Strive to post atleast once a week to have another outlet for all my feelings.

-Tasha

CONFESSIONS NEEDED!

I need help for my current photography project. I'm looking into how people react when they're given complete anonymity. If you click the below link it will explain everything. 



Anonymity Project

Today I was on an absolute mission, after hearing good reviews about the collection contour palette I decided to head into town and pick one up for myself to keep up with the current trend of the chiseled, defined face. My local boots counter doesn't have a collection stand, and in superdrug they are currently £2.97 and there were none left! Still having my heart set on a getting a decent contour palette with the perfect ashy brown I browsed around and came across this little beauty. My bestfriend uses it and raves about it, so for £6 I picked it up and immediately rushed home to give it a whirl. 

THE GOOD 

Firstly, the price. Barry M is probably one of the most affordable brands on the highstreet even though they are predominately known for their amazing nail colours they also know a thing or two when it comes to other beauty items. I think £6 is a brilliant price, especially when it comes to a product which features three of the main face products. The bronzer/contour colours are also spot on, the contour colour is ash brown but you can apply it without looking like you've smeared mud over your face. The bronzer colour is red toned enough without making you look like a tangerine and would look lovely on a day where you just want that slightly sun kissed look. I also like the fact that they have included a little illustrated 'how to' (even though a mirror would have been fab!) to help the people who are just starting out with contouring. I also like that the little pots are big enough to put a brush in, it annoys me way too much when i can't get the product onto the whole brush unless i scrunch it all together but this one I am able to get as much (or as little) all over my wilko's blusher brush. 

THE BAD

So seeing as many people will be embarking on their new university adventures in around a month or so I thought I would do a little series of posts called 'The Uni Files' to help many freshers with most things to do with uni life, from cooking to decorating your new room. As I was in this position in just under a year ago I thought it would be ideal to share my own experiences as a way to help calm many nerves in which some people are feeling. This is going to be my final post of this series as it will finalize everything off. Here are a few tips to help you have a (hopefully) smooth move in day and settle those final nerves you have.

So seeing as many people will be embarking on their new university adventures in around a month or so I thought I would do a little series of posts called 'The Uni Files' to help many freshers with most things to do with uni life, from cooking to decorating your new room. As I was in this position in just under a year ago I thought it would be ideal to share my own experiences as a way to help calm many nerves in which some people are feeling. In this post I am going to answer 10 questions about my experiences surrounding my first year of uni. Filled with anecdotes and tips on what (not) to do whilst at uni. Feel free to copy and fill this in as you go along.

1: What university do you study at? Falmouth University

2: What degree you are studying? BA (Hons) Photography

3: Favorite thing about your course? The fact that we have so many amazing facilities free to use on site 

4: Least favorite thing about your course?: That there is barely any contact time between myself and the tutors

5: What were you most anxious about when moving in and how did you overcome it?: That I wasn't going to get on with many of the people I lived with. In the end I realized that we were all in the same boat, went in and was myself. (But if you are scared, bring food such as cake to share, it will definitely help!)

6: Favorite experience so far?: Being able to explore myself more independently away from home. I've learned that I absolutely love the sea, and could spend hours in it!.

7: Worst experience so far?: Ending up in an ambulance after thinking it was a good idea to down a bottle of wine. No seriously, don't do it. It wont impress anyone, and you will hate yourself the next day when you have your head down a toilet!

8: Some advice?: Well other than the bottle of wine. BE YOURSELF. If you go into uni with a false persona it will be very difficult to maintain that for three years. If people don't like it, screw them. Also, a helpful tip for freshers week, stock up on fancy dress. It's difficult to do themed nights on a budget. (Jungle, space, sea themes, etc). 

9: Do you get homesick? Occasionally, if i'm having a bad day I tend to miss my parents and the feeling of the familiar. However, I overcome this by just ringing them up, or skyping them. It's not the same as them giving you a massive hug, but what are flatmates for?

10: What are you most excited for in the future? Being able to graduate after spending years studying something I love, and hopefully being able to explore more of Cornwall. Whilst experiencing new things.

If you get the chance definitely check out this video from Viviannadoesmakeup, her and Lily Pebbles did a Beauty Chat 'The uni edition' and I feel that it has some excellent points which will hopefully calm your nerves, and get you excited for the whole experience

-Tasha x

So seeing as many people will be embarking on their new university adventures in around a month or so I thought I would do a little series of posts called 'The Uni Files' to help many freshers with most things to do with uni life, from cooking to decorating your new room. As I was in this position in just under a year ago I thought it would be ideal to share my own experiences as a way to help calm many nerves in which some people are feeling. In this post I'm going to be talking about how to decorate your uni room considering this was honestly my favourite part about the whole moving in experience. 

First off i'm a massive lover of fairy lights, the coziness of having a few different sets on a glum night. Fairy lights have become a big thing in the past few years and there are so many different types with everywhere from The Range to IKEA selling them. When I first moved in I picked up a few of the morrocan ball lights from The Range for £3.99, i'm pretty sure these are still for sale and they even have a brassy colour which i'm tempted to pick a few packets of up as soon as i get some funds! I dotted these in various places around my room including the headboard, windowsill and over my notice board. I also got a small LED star which was also placed on my notice board which added a bit more to the room and also matched my bedding!. Fairy lights are a nice way to add extra dimension to the lighting in your room and it's a perfect set up for a cosy film night with the flatties!

If your a massive photo hoarder like me you will probably have stacks of photographs just sitting around in the little photograph pouches you get when you get them printed off at places like ASDA. Why not make use of these and dot them around your uni room (just be careful if sticking them to uni walls and use white tac or kiss bye bye to that deposit!). It's a perfect way to keep memories of loved ones and to remind you of who is at home! I also printed out some of experiences later in the uni year just to combine the two. I also dotted around various frames to keep the extra special photographs protected. Doing this is also a great talking point for anyone who comes into your room as they may ask about your experiences or your family!. 

If your lucky enough to have your own en suite one idea may be to buy your own shower curtain, this is seriously something I wish I had done as the plain white one the uni supplied me with often got all gross at the bottom and I would spend hours scrubbing at it with bleach and often got high off the fumes. This will also add more colour to the bathroom and will make it unique to everyone elses on campus!

Try not to clutter it too much. Uni is a daunting thing so you really don't want to make it seem overly claustrophobic with lots of clutter. This will also make it a nice open space to get all your work done. I was often told my room was too tidy as I had a lack of clutter compared to most of my flatmates. I often had a sort out and threw away bits I didn't need as I knew it would be a lot to haul back home. 

Make your room as light as possible! A lot of light leads to a lot more productivity. When i'm in a light and open space I often feel a light calmer, happier and it means I often get a lot more work done!. I kept my curtains open up until i went to bed, and then if i was working through the night I would turn on most of my lights. 

If you have a particular scent in incense, candles or diffusers buy a few. If you can make your room smell familiar or nice it will soon feel like yours. Most student accommodation does not allow you to have candles or incense like my old one in Falmouth (even though i lit it, oops!). Diffusers however are a good way to let some scent in your room. Another good idea is to buy one for your bathroom as if you're not used to cleaning it as much it will stay fragrant even with slightly damp towels.

-Tasha 

So seeing as many people will be embarking on their new university adventures in around a month or so I thought I would do a little series of posts called 'The Uni Files' to help many freshers with most things to do with uni life, from cooking to decorating your new room. As I was in this position in just under a year ago I thought it would be ideal to share my own experiences as a way to help calm many nerves in which some people are feeling. In this post I'm going to be doing some tips on how you can easily settle into your new accommodation and feel as comfortable as possible. 

Step one: Get to know your flatmates ASAP 

When I first moved into my flat many of my flatmates were either out with family, or just wondering around campus so initially I only met 3 out of the 7 other people I was sharing with. I went to dinner with my parents and didn't get back until around 9pm and all of them had gone to the SU to get to know each other. Looking back now I wish I had stayed at the flat and gotten to know them sooner as I was then sat awkwardly for an hour whilst they were all laughing about the events over drinks. However, after the awkward hour we all had a few cups of tea (yes, wild for freshers right?) and some cake and just began telling eachother things about ourselves such as music tastes, where we were from, etc and it helped take the ease of the awkwardness. Think of different things you can ask eachother, and try to remember that each of you are all in the same position and are probably just as nervous as eachother so if someone doesn't talk to you for a while it may just mean they are slightly shy, not stuck up!.

Step two: Set your room up or cosy!

I'm going to do a massive blog post on this next week or so as this was my favorite part of the whole experience of looking after myself. Fill it with your favorite pictures, or even mementos that remind you of home. I bought tonnes of fairy lights before I came which made it extra cosy. If you have a favourite candle of a certain scent maybe bring a few of those to jot around the area (if you're aloud candles in your accommodation!) or even scent diffusers. When you first move in to your empty room it will feel very alien to you, so just spend a few hours to make it as homely as possible.

On my first night I think I skyped my friend for two hours whilst I was unpacking, I showed her around the flat and it just felt nice to have someone familiar for a few hours, even if it was a more virtual version of them. Skype is free, so if you don't have an account set up I'd definitely recommend getting it before you move away as it is an easy way to keep in touch with loved ones. It also helps you relax as they can also give you advice on how to set up your room, or give you advice on how to approach new people. 

So far that's all I have, if any ex freshers or even brand new ones have some of their own advice feel free to comment below! 

-Tasha