5 Ways You Can Use Instagram to Take Better Travel Photos

Instagram has risen in popularity in the past few years, and many travellers use this platform to share their work, experience, and even tips for things related to travel and photography. It’s a good place to get travel inspiration, and also to share your travel photos.

Documenting your travel is an important part of the journey, so you can look back and remember all the adventures you’ve had. Instagram has been the place we often use to share our travel documentation, and it’s easy to print Instagram photos as travel keepsakes.

Of course, we want to make sure we take good travel photos for these purposes, and Instagram can actually help us improve our travel photography. Here’s how.

  1. Research and scout the locations

So many people these days post their travel photos and videos on Instagram, using geotags and hashtags to make them more discoverable. Thanks to these, you can get ideas for your next getaway. Moreover, Instagram can give you specific information that isn’t usually available on official tourism websites, and you get to ‘see’ the place through other people’s eyes to see whether it’s worth visiting.

What sort of information can you get from this? Plenty! For example, you can see whether there’s a good spot you can use to get a unique angle for your shot, or if there is any architecture or buildings you can use to frame your subject. If you’re want to check whether a place is crowded with tourists, you can use geotags to get a glimpse of the place.

  1. Find the ideas, and tweak them

Not only it’s a good place to research and scout the locations, Instagram (along with Pinterest) can also give you something else: an abundance of photo ideas. While in the old days we might have had to subscribe to travel magazines to learn the tricks of beautifully composed images, we can now learn from fellow Instagrammers.

See any images taken in your destination? Learn which composition works best, and try to come up with a unique angle and perspective that hasn’t been covered by other people. Having this in your plan before you travel can help you save the time when you’re there, and also prepare you to get creative with your photography.

  1. Use humans as your point of interest

It’s not always easy to take photos of a famous landmark without a few people in the frame. When it’s impossible to do that, use them to your advantage! Including them in the frame can add interest to your photo, as long as you know how to compose it. Many Instagram photos show us how we can incorporate human elements to add a sense of scale.

And while we’re on this topic, stay away from selfie shots if you want to create incredible travel photos. Ask your friend to take photos of you, or if you travel alone, ask a fellow traveller (tip: show them a shot as an example of how you want the photo to be composed, so all they have to do is replicate it. You’ll get much better results this way).

  1. Edit consistently

If there’s one thing that Instagram teaches us, it’s to have consistency, especially when it comes to editing. Not only does this make your photos and feed to look more cohesive, but it also helps you find and develop your own style in photography.

Editing plays an important role in creating a cohesive and consistent imagery. It’s where you transform your shots into images that are distinctively yours. How do you want your photos to look? Do you want them to have a warm tone with vibrant colours? Or do you favour muted colours with a darker tone? Explore your style and develop your own presets to make sure that your photos stand out.

  1. Learn how you can improve

Instagram photos can give us clues on what to improve. Pay attention to travel photos that grab your attention. Maybe it’s the negative space in the frame, or maybe it’s the human element, or the intricate details. Use Instagram feature ‘save to collection’ to build your own album of inspiration.

Another way you can learn from Instagram is by following accounts that share their tips on travel and photography. Many people use Instagram stories to share editing tutorials, travel hacks, and photography techniques, so make the most of it!

Your Instagram feed might look amazing with your holiday photos, but you need more than a display on a tiny screen for your precious travel memories. It’s really easy to print your travel photos online with Photojaanic and transform them into personalised travel keepsakes, like photobooks, wall art, postcards, or calendars.

Happy travelling!

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Immediate Steps On Dealing With A Promotion

Several people are fortunate enough to receive a promotion. The glistening promotion is a chance to better yourself and your existing skill set. Higher roles entail more responsibilities and expectations. Some of your previous co-workers may be happy for you, while others may pull you down!

Consider these tips to guide you with the new challenge ahead.

#1: DO NOT WALK IN THE DARK

When I was given the coveted promotion, a series of thoughts ran through my mind. I was deeply concerned about my new supervisor. Keep in mind that the internal roles will shift due to this promotion. Budding relationships, such as the aforementioned, shall work smoothly if you keep the streams of communication open.

Aim to schedule an appointment between you and the supervisor (or the HR representative). Discuss your upcoming responsibilities and duties, especially the operating systems that you are not familiar with. You may be tasked to hire new employees, track the department’s invoices, deal with employee reimbursements, or document employee hours. No matter what your new tasks are, you need to be familiar with the protocol for each new responsibility. Do you need your supervisor’s approval before hiring and employee?

#2: TAKE A STEP BACK

Be honest with yourself as you contemplate on the type of leader that you aim to be. Do you want to be respected or feared? Do you want to build a bridge or a gap between you and your team members? You can be a great leader and a good friend by slightly altering your behaviors.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Some experts suggest that you must totally disconnect from your team members (i.e., including in social media). This is due to the changing workplace dynamics. You do not want others to perceive that you favor a particular person due to the “preferential treatment”. You may still attend happy hours but, not often as before. Katy Tynan, the author of Survive Your Promotion!, suggests that you continue to spend time with your team members as you need to blow off steam sometimes. Furthermore, bonding experiences let them know that you can vent out whenever necessary.

#3: SET THE FIRM TONE

Changing the manner of your speech is crucial in your daily interactions. From making a stellar interview to filling a complaint, your tone needs to change as you dive in different scenarios. Being a loyal friend on one hand and a critical boss on the other is a challenging task. Thus, you need to set a firm and authoritative tone when you are in the workplace.

Ensure that your team knows that you have their backs. However, they can no longer vent out in a “gossipy” manner. Use your bond to find a concrete solution and move forward in a professional manner instead. Focus on a solution that values customer satisfaction and employee happiness.

#4: ESTABLISH A DIALOGUE

People react differently when it comes to internal promotions. As their new supervisor, you need to be emphatic with their initial thoughts. Actively listen to their feelings and do not be swayed by them. If you dive a little deeper into a conversation, they may start comparing themselves to you. Hurtful statements such as “my performance is better than yours” or “I have more experience than you”. Defending yourself may lead to damaging your professional relationship (e.g., by saying “the CEO did not see a great managerial potential in you”. That is not healthy! It is difficult to spend your days trying to repair the relationship while focusing on your new position.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Work together to reach a beneficial solution. Communicate your desire to talk to each team member over lunch. Let the department know about your goals and how these will be actualized. It is important to cultivate a two-way feedback between you and them.

Sources: 1,2, 3, 45

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Top Tips on How to Write a Comparative Analysis Essay

Writing a comparative essay is one of the most common tasks for students in both colleges and universities. Although it usually doesn’t have a lot of special requirements, many classmen still face some difficulties in writing this type of essay. How to write a comparative analysis essay easily and quickly? Which paper structure should you choose? What are the key elements of any successful paper? Let’s find the answers!

What are the Typical Features of the Comparative Analysis Essay?

The comparative essay is a paper that should include the detailed description of the significant similarities and differences between the two facts, events or viewpoints. This type of the essay requires analytical skills, logic, as well as an ability to combine and match various facts. Furthermore, you should meet the basic requirements for all types of academic papers and follow the rules of formatting.

How to Start?

All kinds of academic papers including the comparative essay should start with an introduction. First of all, you should provide some basic facts on the main topic. Then you need to grab reader’s attention and lead to the main subject of discussion.

The second important thing that should be described in the introduction is whether you’ve chosen to write about the differences, similarities or both. Don’t forget to add some general facts about the issue: a couple of sentences for this purpose is just what you need.

5 Tips on How to Cope with the Basic Structure of the Comparative Essay

  • Frame of reference. Being the first element of the comparative essay, frame of reference is considered to be one of the most important parts of your essay. Here you will need to provide and group the things you are going to compare. You might choose a couple of facts, ideas, theories or problems. The main idea of any frame of reference is to focus on two specific issues and provide their detailed description. Note: Avoid writing your own views and observations in this part of the essay. Use only reliable sources, investigations and studies. Adding your own theories is a common mistake of hundreds of students.
  • The grounds. Comparison grounds should be provided to inform your readers on the main reasons of your choice. Here you will need to write a couple of statements to prove your main topic was not chosen randomly.
  • Strong thesis. A successful thesis is usually connected to the comparison grounds. It is a good idea to outline the relationship between the two chosen facts in your thesis. Moreover, you will need to decide whether these issues contradict, complicate or extend each other.
  • Main text. There are two simple techniques on how to write a comparative analysis essay. The first method is to write a couple of paragraphs about the first subject and then move to another one. The second method is to write one paragraph about the first issue than gradually move to the second issue using comparison arguments. This way, you will need to repeat the trick until you describe all your similarities and differences. Both options are usually successful, so choose the easiest one for you. However, don’t leave the most necessary facts for later. Start with the most important issues and then move to simpler ones.
  • Conclusion should contain a brief summary of the previous parts of your essay. Note that you shouldn’t choose any of discussable points or add your own views and ideas. Your personal preferences should never be described in the comparative analysis essay. The only thing you need is to emphasize some basic differences and similarities of both ideas described in your paper.

Don’t forget to proofread your comparative analysis essay. This simple trick will make you avoid the majority of mistakes and misprints. Be careful with citing all your sources and double check you used the needed style (APA, MLA or any other required by your professor).

The last tip for beginners: read a few examples of comparative analysis essay to understand the main subject and the style of writing. Don’t be afraid to talk to your teachers, if you have any special questions about your essay. All this prompts will give you a clear picture on what you should right and get the highest grade with minimum efforts!

 

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How to find the best personal loan without damaging your credit rating

A personal loan can help you amass funds that you would require to pay for pressing expenses. However, if you have a poor credit score, you are likely to find it very difficult to get a personal loan approved. A bad credit rating will spoil your chances of acquiring a personal loan. A poor credit score or a poor credit history indicates your failure to pay back your loan amounts. Hence, if you are finding it difficult to get a personal loan approved, you should improve your credit history first.

Often we make the error of assuming that specific factors affect our credit rating when they have no impact. Factors such as your debit card usage, marital status and age have no role in determining your credit score. Other details such as your employment status, bank balance and income have no direct impact on your score, though it might influence your approval.

You will have to give individual attention to the factors that are likely to impact your credit score and the chances of getting a personal loan. Simply getting an appropriate personal loan is not sufficient as you also must have a decent credit rating to benefit from it. If you are looking for a personal loan by taking on a trial-and-error method it will be destructive and fruitless.

Let us look at some tips you can follow to find a personal loan without hurting your credit score:

Pay your dues on time

Even if you fail to pay your credit card bills and other dues on time, try to pay it within a month of the due date. Making payments within 30 days past the due date is accepted normally. By doing so, you can opt for the personal loan of your liking, without worrying about getting rejected. It will also have a positive influence on your credit score.

Avoid applying for personal loans from different lenders

If you are applying for multiple personal loans at the same time, your credit rating is likely to take a hit. This indicates your lack of confidence in obtaining a loan and which will reflect badly on your credit rating. Instead of applying for personal loans from multiple lenders, you must check the prospective rate of interest and eligibility by using a Personal Loan Eligibility Calculator.

Get a quote from the lender of your choice

If you apply for a personal loan formally, the lender will carry out a credit check. It is likely to leave a negative score on your rating. If this takes place often, your score will go down drastically. So, find out if you are eligible for a loan before applying by talking to the moneylender in person and going through the eligibility criteria.

Compare the fees charged by different lenders

Many banks offer low-interest rates but charge substantial supplementary fees. These include high prepayment penalties, excessive processing fees, arbitrary upkeep charges and more. These charges are likely to raise your burden and may lead you to miss a monthly instalment that may eventually damage your credit rating. So before applying, compare the charges and fees imposed on personal loans.

Seek help from non-banking financial institutions

Your chances of getting a loan will enhance significantly if you widen your pool of options. Apart from banks, approach non-banking financial institutions. These institutions are listed with Monetary Authority of Singapore and offer a wide range of loans. Like banks, these institutions also depend on your credit score and history to evaluate your risk as a debtor. However, these institutions may have different packages for different risk appetites.

Your credit score is the most significant financial tool to get the best personal loan. If you have the right credit score, you will easily get the approval for loans at the best available interest rates. As a result, it is very important that you make sure your lender offers you competitive interest rates and simple personal loan eligibility calculator together with other sufrepplementary benefits.

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4 Ways to maximize returns in crowdfunding

Peer-to-Peer(P2P) Lending, or debt crowdfunding, has grown tremendously since the concept originated in 2005 with Zopa in UK. In 2016 alone, P2P lending has generated more than $300 billion worth of investment opportunities worldwide. The concept helps the underserved or underbanked individuals and businesses access alternate sources of funding from investors who lend and earn passive income in the form of interest.

Southeast Asia is an emerging P2P lending market with a huge financial gap faced by SMEs. In the last 3 years, P2P lending has financed thousands of small businesses to support their growth, while offering investors an alternative investment opportunity. In Southeast Asia, one of the leading platforms, Funding Societies has funded more than S$120 million across Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. At the same time, they have given more than 45,000 investors access to this alternate investment class with net annualised returns of up to 14% in short tenor loans.

This article aims to highlight 4 important considerations to maximize your returns in P2P lending with examples of initiatives taken by Funding Societies:

  1. Choose your platform wisely

When investing, you want to choose a platform with decent track record and achievements. These are things to look out for in a good platform:

a. The platform has good risk management practices

Review the platform’s risk management – including filtering out bad quality loans, pricing returns as per the risk, and managing non-repayment and defaults. While most platforms do not publish their proprietary methodologies, their processes should be robust enough to identify potentially bad loans. A good indicator is the platform’s default rates. Funding Societies has a default rate of 1.3% (as of 7 March 2018), one of the lowest in the region.

To illustrate, here is an example of the impact of a low default rate:

Assuming gross annual yield of 12%, platform fee of 2% and default rate of 3% (on the higher side) one can make 7% in returns.

This of course is not assured but depends on many factors including platform’s risk management as mentioned above.

In the inevitable event of a late payment or default, it is essential for the platform to have a process to manage collections or exercise legal action. You should enquire the platform on its processes to have a better understanding and clearer expectations.

b. Skin in the game

Find out if the platform has YOUR interests aligned with theirs, and what’s in it for them to ensure that investors’ money is handled properly and the investment opportunities/loans are of good quality.

Firstly, the platform should know how to handle your money. Funding Societies is the first P2P financing platform in Singapore to engage an independent escrow agent to handle investors’ funds, keeping its operating funds separate from investors’ funds. This gives investors peace of mind knowing that their money is safeguarded by the escrow agent and will not be utilized for anything besides their investments.

Secondly, is the platform as invested as you are? The management at Funding Societies has a ‘skin in the game’ by investing in every single loan, and will do their best to maximize the returns and manage any negative impacts.

c. It cares about YOUR Experience!

Debatable – but a good platform should be all-encompassing in its experience, right? This should start from the platform, mobile app (convenient for you), and customer experience. More importantly, it should be responsive and helpful when you need to speak to someone.

  1. Understand macroeconomic conditions

Knowing the pulse of the economy will help you when you select the loans to invest in. This includes updates for each sector and government initiatives to boost SMEs and specific sectors.

Coupled with the factsheets provided by P2P lending platforms that state the company’s operational and financial health, you will gain a wider perspective of the economy and SMEs you are funding.

  1. Diversify your investments within the platform

As the saying goes, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, the same goes for investing in P2P lending. Diversifying across many loans has its advantages specifically in spreading the risk across many loans and helping to minimise the impact of non-performing loans.

Funding Societies endeavours to provide ample opportunities to diversify your investments:

  • I. Participate in multiple loans with small amount (at times as low as $50)
  • II. Consider spreading the weightage of your investments in terms of loan amounts
  • III. You have the option to choose the industries to invest in.
  • IV. Funding Societies currently provides Business Term Loans and Invoice Financing for investment. You can consider both products when investing.

Using the Auto-Invest feature simplifies your road to diversification. All you have to do is set your criteria based on product, industry, tenor, rate of returns and industry. When an investment opportunity matches your criteria, you will be allocated the investment based on the auto allocation algorithm.

  1. Re-invest for compounding effect

When investing in P2P lending, repayments are made on a monthly basis (30,60,90 days in case of invoice financing), and you can decide, based on your risk appetite, whether to reinvest the repaid funds and thereby compound the returns.

Southeast Asia’s leading crowdfunding platform, Funding Societies, currently operates in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. With more than 45,000 investors and being the only P2P lending platform to win the MAS FinTech Award (SME category, 2016), Funding Societies has also attained global recognition, being recognised amongst the Top 250 FinTech companies globally by CB Insights and winning the Best in Customer Experience for Alternative Financial Services by Retail Banker International.

Want to start investing in P2P lending? Sign up with Funding Societies today!

Disclaimers:

This article is contributed by Funding Societies.

It should not be construed that Moneydigest is endorsing this article or any of the products and services provided by Funding Societies.

Nothing in this article should be construed as constitute or form a recommendation, financial advice, or an offer, invitation or solicitation from Funding Societies to buy or subscribe for any securities and/or investment products. The content and materials made available are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on without obtaining the necessary independent financial or other advice in connection therewith before making an investment or other decision as may be appropriate.

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