AUSTRIAN PHOTOGRAPHER BARBARA MAJCAN

AUSTRIAN PHOTOGRAPHER BARBARA MAJCAN

| 27. June 2021 | Photographers

Austrian Photographer

Barbara Majcan is an Austrian photographer with creativity, brains, and ability. She produces together with her partner photos in different fields like advertising, food, hotel, portrait, restaurant, and fashion.

We're a creative, gifted, and witty duo of photographers. We produce photography in the areas of advertising, portrait, food, hotel, restaurant, and fashion. We work with big and small companies; in big and small teams, but always together. Furthermore, we love what we do.

 

From where you get your inspiration?

Mostly from nature, to be honest. Long walks fulfill me and let ideas grow. Then it’s important to take in arts and music: Paintings, compositions, installations, songs, etc. enable worlds to grow inside my head. For some shoots, it is also the model that is inspiring me: I see the person (or photos of him/her) and then images start to emerge, and I know I need to bring them onto the sensor. The same is true for fashion pieces. And, quite basic: light.

How do you look for the perfect spots?

I’m constantly attentive for spots and light situations. With Covid and movement restrictions, it has been a bit harder to keep finding them throughout the last year, but I do have a pool of possible shooting locations both in my head as well as in my smartphone gallery, which is why I can come up with a suitable location quickly when there’s a request.

Austrian Photographer Barbara Majcan
Austrian Photographer Barbara Majcan

Describe a typical shoot.

The typical shoot varies depending on whether it is an editorial or commercial shoot, and even then, it varies from client to client. What all shoots have in common, though, is a clear arrangement between clients or collaborators and me ahead of the shoot about ideas, moods, team, etc.

Were you educated in photography, or are you self-taught?

I’m mostly self-taught. I started taking photos at the age of 15 and up to five years later I did not take any courses. In the beginning, photography was only about feeling it. I did not bother much about technical settings or equipment, and I guess that’s what taught me most and what I’m most grateful for. That I was so young when I started that I didn’t feel the need to do everything perfectly well right away and that it was okay to just trust my feeling when releasing the shutter.

What camera do you use most of the time?

For a couple of months, the Canon EOS 5R, and I’m pretty happy with it. It is a little smaller than what I have worked with before (EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS 5DS R), is great to catch moving images, and has good face recognition, which makes it a great partner for fashion shoots.  

Which photo are you currently most proud of?

I can’t decide between these two:

Austrian Photographer Barbara Majcan
Austrian Photographer Barbara Majcan

One of them was carefully set, with a considerable lighting setup and with every detail composed in a well-thought-out way. The other one is a by-product of a look book shoot, which took only about 30 seconds to shoot, but is so special due to the super creative fashion by Viennese designer Jennifer Milleder. It is a photo of the fashion, shot through the fashion, and the unique composition of shape and material make it one of my favorite shots of all time.

Comparing where you are now with where you are when you first started, what could you have done differently to get to where you are sooner?

Sometimes I wish I would have studied photography. And sometimes I wish that I had been brave enough to move to inspire London when I was 18 or 20.

Favorite photography book?

“Tales for Oskar” with images by Kristian Schuller and “Wonderful Things” with images by Tim Walker.

To know more about Barbara, please visit: Irmfried

 

RISING STAR SOPRANO SARAH MARIE KRAMER

RISING STAR SOPRANO SARAH MARIE KRAMER

| 13. June 2021 | Lifestyle

The young, rising star dramatic soprano Sarah Marie Kramer

Sarah Marie is one of those rare finds: an exciting dramatic voice who is now being engaged to sing the most sought-after roles of her life. Within months of making the switch to the dramatic repertoire, her voice and talent were recognized by the Bayreuth Festival’s Katharina Wagner, who invited Sarah Marie to work intensively on Wagnerian roles at the Festival. The program for young Wagner singers, developed by Katharina Wagner, looks to discover the Wagnerian voices of the future, and the young Canadian Kramer perfectly fits that bill. While many of her peers and colleagues will identify as dramatic voices, Sarah Marie on the other hand recognizes that hers is a Wagnerian voice. At the behest of the celebrated Wagnerian soprano, Kammersängerin Linda Watson, Sarah Marie began the switch to Wagnerian repertoire, which, she says, felt like home for her voice. Quickly after her time as a young artist at the Bayreuth Festival, Sarah Marie was a finalist at the Lauritz Melchior International Singing Competition for Young Wagnerians. Additionally, she secured two contracts for Sieglinde.

“For a long time I was singing everything and nothing felt right, but with Wagner it all clicked. Not just for me, but for me and the industry.”

She stresses this was not something she had ever expected to come from her voice. It’s been an exciting time for Sarah Marie as she threw herself into the world of Wagner. She immersed herself completely, as her success to sign contracts in 2018 through to the 2024 season. All this was recognized by a second invitation by Katharine Wagner to be a Young Artist at the Festival. She’s presented several of the classic roles in concert; Elsa, Elisabeth, and Senta, but it is her debut of Sieglinde at Longborough Festival Opera that she has been most waiting for.

At the time that I spoke to Sarah Marie, she was in London for the rehearsals for her role and festival debut at Longborough Festival Opera, one of Britain’s most prestigious Summer opera festivals, which has been dedicated to the works of Wagner since its inception.

Sarah Marie Kramer Soprano Singer (c) Andrej Grilc
Sarah Marie Kramer Soprano Singer (c) Andrej Grilc

“It was really thrilling to finally land in England and jump into rehearsals after waiting a year; production like so much else had to be postponed due to the 2020 lockdowns.”

Despite the performance having to be socially distanced, she has loved developing the character of Sieglinde alongside the cycle’s director Amy Lane. Lane has been inventive in her staging and use of movement, despite what would have been understood as restrictions. Additionally, Sarah Marie has been energized by the creativity, consideration, energy, and positivity from Lane and her team.

Sarah Marie admits it was a hard time in 2020. She was about to make her Wiener Musikverein debut on the very day that the lockdown in Austria was imposed, and concert halls closed, and from that point on it was rolling postponements. Sarah Marie says she knows she is one of the fortunate ones. All of her major performances are still in the books for a later date and despite the lockdowns, she gained two new role debuts and contracts for Leonore in Beethoven’s Fidelio and Wagner’s Isolde. After the debut of Sieglinde, Sarah Marie will record her first CD in Germany: Wagner’s Wesendonck-Lieder and Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the Dresden Chamber Soloists of the Staatskapelle Dresden.

Sarah Marie’s voice is certainly one of a kind. It is crystal clear with all the freedom and top one looks for in a dramatic soprano, yet with a sumptuous middle with an incredibly rich low register. Hers is a voice you really do want to hear in person. Also, a committed actress, Sarah Marie throws herself unreservedly into the character. Her Sieglinde is full of delight, pain, ecstasy, and vulnerability. Not only a fine voice to serve this music, Sarah Marie also understands the nuances of the libretto and music need to create a three-dimensional Wagnerian character for the modern era.

These iconic Wagnerian roles are gradually being sung into Sarah Marie’s voice, though she is careful not to take on too much: many recognize the range and power of her voice and have excitedly offered her roles, which she says will come eventually, in the future. Sarah Marie does not shy away from what the voice is and will become. It’s been an exciting journey, and she is grateful to be mentored by some incredible Wagnerian singers.

Longborough Festival Opera will stream its new production of Die Walküre on 8 June 2021. It will be available for six months.

Follow Sarah Marie Kramer on Instagram (sarahmariekramer), Twitter (@SarahMarieKram1) and for additional details check out her website

Sarah Marie Kramer is a Canadian who is based in Vienna Austria.

Foto Credits:

Andrej Grilc

 

HOTEL OPENING: KUDA VILLINGILI RESORT MALDIVES

HOTEL OPENING: KUDA VILLINGILI RESORT MALDIVES

| 3. June 2021 | Travel

Hotel Opening: Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives 

Welcome to the Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives, the luxury island retreat within the Maldivian archipelago opens its doors on 6th June. An incredible five-star property located within the North Male Atoll, Kuda Villingili is a singular, experience-driven concept, home to a powerful line-up of gourmet dining options, an idyllic beachfront spa, with spacious 150 m pool, encircled by stylish sunbeds, cabanas and bars.

Providing prime access to at least one of the world’s top ten surfing spots - ‘Chickens’ - also as a number of daily activities and nightly entertainment like lobster & champagne nights and sunset DJ sessions, Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives offers guests the chance to reconnect after a year of isolation, also as space for privacy, luxury and rest.

Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives

GASTRONOMY

The diversity of cultural expression is widely known throughout the resort’s gourmet offerings. With an amazing view, of the beautiful beach front, the resort’s signature dining – The Restaurant – offers the freshest, handcrafted food for breakfast and offers three menus at dinner: Fire, Earth and Ocean. Inspired by the normal American Steak House experience, Fire explores the art of grilling meats. Earth is an Asian-inspired concept that celebrates organic ingredients to reinforce classic dishes like noodles and cuisine creations, and Ocean is the fine-dining experience championing seafood specialities.

Relaxed, flavoursome and social, The Hawkers is a rich three-stall street foodstuff that sits poolside and serves up soulful, sharing style options. The open kitchen dishes up Indian-Arabic inspired flame-grilled kebabs, charcoaled tandoor, and mouth-watering shawarma, alongside Thai-Japanese delicacies like robatayaki grill and sushi, and Italian-Mediterranean favourites like savoury wood-fired pizza.

A South American classic lunch beach menu is out there at The Beach Club, along side daily live DJ sets and an extended list of refreshing frozen cocktails and rosé wines. The resort’s two bars, one on the Poolside, offer classic cocktails, mocktails and hand-crafted beers. And overlooking the lagoon, the resort’s cosy Cigar Lounge offers the best international whiskies and cognacs and a good selection of premium cigars during a warm, sophisticated and sumptuously leather-decorated ambience.

 

WELLNESS & SPORTS

With oversized stone baths, organic and plant-based products by VOYA, the spa at Kuda Villingili is rooted in self-love, self-discovery and wellness. Not to mention, eight self-contained ocean front spa villas, each promises a holistic journey to reclaim self-connection, self-care and balance through an array of therapeutic and mindful practices.

Restorative activities include an elevated yoga pavilion, Technogym and a recreation centre with Ping-Pong, billiards, karaoke & table games. There are two state-of-the-art tennis courts, beach volleyball and island excursions that range from surfing, scuba and stargazing to wildlife encounters, sandbank dining and large game fishing.

Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives
Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives

DESIGN & ACCOMMODATION

Designed with nature in mind by the Maldivian architectural firm GX Associates together with the Singapore-based interior design company URBNarc, the resort boasts 95 luxury villas – 36 overwater and 59 beachside. All are inspired by the incredible nature of the Maldives and offer panoramic views of the pristine ocean, allowing the natural sounds of the ocean to awaken the senses.

The resort’s interiors reflect the natural beauty that surrounds the island. Traditional Maldivian art pieces and textiles are dotted throughout, and therefore the expert use of natural materials enhance the harmony between water, light and wind. Inspired by the ocean and native fauna, interiors feature custom, eco-friendly furniture and fittings (including carpets manufactured from recycled plastic bottles). This mixed-use resort development also offers a spread of accommodation types to satisfy the requirements of all – groups, couples, solo travellers and families.

Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives

ACTIVITIES

Guests are invited to snorkel amidst the majestic manta rays, reef sharks, many species of tropical fish and coral reefs and at sundown, they're going to be surrounded by the areas’ unique fluorescent marine life. Kayaking, wakeboarding, jet skiing, windsurfing and surfing the majestic waves at nearby Chickens Break, one among the world’s top ten surfing spots. Back ashore, sushi masterclasses, mixology courses, morning yoga sessions, fun-filled cardio lessons and tennis tournaments await – and they’re included within the price of the villa.

Kuda Villingili’s littlest guests are going to be spoilt for choice. The resort’s experienced team will organize fun filled activities including crab discovery, treasure hunts, creative workshops and sandcastle competitions, all designed to make sure that your child’s experience is as unforgettable as yours.

For more information about Kuda Villingili Resort, please visit Kuda Villingili

 

WIENER SCHNITZEL RECIPE

WIENER SCHNITZEL RECIPE

| 27. April 2021 | Recipes

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe

Today I bring you the original Wiener Schnitzel Recipe. Wiener Schnitzel is one of the most known Austrian dishes, not to mention, that is one of Austria’s national dishes. Wiener Schnitzel was first mention in the German Cookbook by Katharina Prato back in 1831, and it was mention as eingebröselte Kalbsschitzen, which means breaded veal cutlets.

There are many stories about the origin of this famous Austrian dish, some believe that Joseph Radetzky von Radetz brought the wiener schnitzel recipe from Italy to Austria in 1857. But in 2007 Heinz Dieter Pohl proved, that this was not true. Actually, Pohl, mentions that Austrian has other dishes that were breaded and deep-fried, like Backhendl, which was mention in a cookbook back in 1719.

In any case, this is one of the most famous dishes here in Austria, and there are many restaurants where you can find it. One of these restaurants is Meissl & Schadn. Meissl & Schadn restaurant was destroyed in 1945, today you can find the restaurant in the city center in the Grand Ferdinand Hotel. We had the opportunity to learn the secrets of how to prepare the original Wiener Schnitzel from star chef Jürgen Gschwendtner, who is the chef director of Meissl & Schadn, Grand Ferdinan Restaurant, Grand Etage, and Gulasch & Champagne Restaurant.

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step
Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step

The Secrets:

-A real Wiener Schnitzel is just from veal, and you should be able to taste all the ingredients, therefore is important to use fresh eggs and a great quality breadcrumb

-Pounding the meat, this is one of the most important steps, you have to do it between plastic sheet, and in a uniform way. The veal is flattened with a hammer while maintaining the structure of the meat. Therefore, it requires a shorter time to fried it and it will brown gently and even.

- To fried the Wiener Schnitzel you should you clarified butter together with a neutral oil, and always keep the wiener schnitzel moving inside the oil.

 

What is the traditional Wiener Schnitzel made of?

The traditional Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal and veal only. If the schnitzel is made out of pork, or chicken is not original wiener schnitzel any more

What is served with the Original Wiener Schnitzel?

The original Wiener Schnitzel is served with potato salad, a lemon slice, which you squeeze on top of your schnitzel, and lingonberry jam

Is there a difference between schnitzel and Wiener schnitzel?

Schnitzel is basically any type of cutlet, it can be pork, chicken, etc. These cutlets can be fried without been breaded. Wiener Schnitzel, is just made of veal, breaded and deep fried.

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step
Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step
Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step
Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step
Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step

 

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe Step by Step
Print Recipe

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe

Step by Step Wiener Schnitzel Recipe
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Austrian
Keyword: original Viennese Schitzel, Wiener Schnitzel
Servings: 4
Calories: 477kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 veal cutlets in butterfly cut (180-200 gram each)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • Oil or lard, and butter for frying
  • 4 slices lemon, garnish

Instructions

  • Pound the cutlets in a uniform way between 2 plastic wraps with hammer, till you get it 0,5cm thick ( secret #1)
  • Gather the flour, breadcrumbs, and eggs. Set up 3 shallow dishes, for each, important is not to overmix the eggs, you should be able to see parts of the egg whites (secret #2)
  • Take a large skillet and heat the oil with the butter ( it should be completely covered with oil, remember the schnitzel should swim in the oil)
  • The next step is to add salt to our schnitzel before we breaded them.
  • Now that we have our veal cutlets season, we are going to dredge each schnitzel first inflour till the surface is completely dry
  • Now we are going to dip the schnitzel in the egg to coat them and then we dip quickly inthe breadcrumbs, without pressing the breadcrumbs to the schnitzel (secret #3)
  • Place the breaded schnitzel in the pan with hot oil, (better one at the time) and move the pan back and forward (be careful) to fried the schnitzel in constant movement ( secret #4) till you get a nice brown schnitzel.

Video

Notes

Serve with lemon slices and potato salad!
Guten Appetit!

Nutrition

Serving: 200g | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.5g | Protein: 31.2g | Fat: 21.9g
THE POWER OF MAKEUP PODCAST BY LAN NGUYEN GREALIS

THE POWER OF MAKEUP PODCAST BY LAN NGUYEN GREALIS

| 11. April 2021 | Beauty, Celebrities

The Power of Makeup Podcast

We are very excited to announce that Lan Nguyen-Grealis, known to many as the skin alchemist launched The Power of Makeup Podcast. Lan Nguyen-Grealis is an incredible makeup artist and author of two bestselling makeup books.

Born in Ireland from a Vietnamese origin Lan has become an established name in the fashion and beauty industry. She is a fantastic makeup artist and therefore the youngest Golden Mask Award winner in 2013.

Lan has an art background having studied fashion at Central Saint Martins. Self-taught in makeup she pursued her career in heading and designing key shows and made a name at London Fashion Week.

Lan has contributed to several editorials’ magazines like lifestyle, Russian Vogue, Grazia, Glamour, Elle UK, and Stella. to not mention that it's built a reputation at London Fashion Week.

Her first book, Art & Makeup may be a spectacular showcase of her work. Her second Book: Pro-Makeup Design Book, maybe a stunning manifestation of her work and invited the reader to dig deeper into their artistic flair and practice the key looks of Lan.

Lan Nguyen Grealis Power of Makup Podcast
Lan Nguyen Grealis Power of Makup Podcast

The Power of Makeup Podcast

Inspired during lockdown to embrace community and education within the creative industry the world-renowned make-up artist and author of two bestselling Lan Nguyen-Grealis decided to launch the facility Of structure podcast. 

In this series, Lan takes you thru her little blacklist of leading UK fashion and wonder industry contacts to inspire and unite others. 

From celebrity stylist Karl Willet, former pop star Kimberly Wyatt and husband Max Rogers, hairdresser’s Errol Douglas and Cos Sakkas to make-up artists Ruby Hammer, Phylliss Cohen, and Daniel Sandler the guests delve into their inspiration, explore how make-up has transformed their lives, discuss key collaborations, the secrets to longevity and the way they need to be worked to tackle inclusivity and variety head-on.

The series launches with model and television presenter Lisa Snowdon on April 1st, 2021, as she discusses how self-care has always played such a crucial role in her mental wellbeing and why lockdown inspired a Sunday Instagram series on the topic. Lisa also discusses how make-up has had an enormous impact on her life and as she goes through menopause it’s important to speak openly about the truth women face.

Lan says, “During the pandemic, I felt the necessity to try to do a podcast so I could share motivational insights from collaborators I’ve worked with who inspire me a day. I wanted to point out the worth of our relationships, so it could empower us to stay going.”

Listen to the facility of structure with Lan Nguyen-Grealis podcast series from Thursday 1st April 2021 free by downloading