Glamour Shots Shillong

Eve Syiemlieh: A Journey of Resilience and Success

2023-10-17T23:22:00.000+05:30

Introduction:

Meet Eve Syiemlieh, a woman who epitomizes the true essence of being self-made. From humble beginnings to soaring heights of achievements, Eve's journey in the fashion and beauty pageant industry is nothing short of inspiring. Standing at 5 feet 4 inches tall, she has broken barriers and overcome challenges to become a mentor, choreographer, and a shining example of determination.

A Humble Beginning:

Eve's story began with local free fashion shows and small beauty pageants. Despite limited resources, her passion for fashion and beauty pushed her forward, propelling her into the world of pageantry.

Rising Above Challenges:

Her grit and determination led her to take bigger steps in the pageant world. She participated and won national pageants, including the prestigious Miss India Asia Pacific, where she emerged as one of the finalists in the competition held in Thailand in 2017. Eve's accolades also include winning the title of Miss Glamour India 2017 and Miss Tourism India International. Her shining moment came when she bagged the remarkable 2nd Runner up position in Miss Tourism Queen Worldwide 2018, held in the Philippines.

Sharing Knowledge and Experience:

Throughout her journey, Eve faced various challenges that shaped her into the strong woman she is today. Instead of keeping her knowledge and experience to herself, she passionately shares them with aspiring individuals. Having lacked access to professional guidance and personal coaching herself, she understands the importance of extending a helping hand to others. Eve aims to provide support and guidance to those who dream of making it big in the industry.

Beyond the Pageant World:

Eve's talents extend beyond the world of pageantry. She has been seen in a couple of music videos, and her passion for acting drives her to explore the field of arts and entertainment. With an open mind and a thirst for new experiences, she embraces opportunities that come her way.

Life Philosophy:

"Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying" – this quote encapsulates Eve's approach to life. She firmly believes that taking risks and stepping out of one's comfort zone are essential for personal growth and success.

Conclusion:

Eve Syiemlieh's journey from a self-made woman in a small village to a renowned figure in the fashion and beauty industry is a testament to the power of determination and resilience. Her story serves as an inspiration to all, reminding us that with hard work, passion, and a fearlessness to embrace challenges, we can achieve greatness. As she continues to make her mark in the world of arts and entertainment, Eve's legacy of sharing and empowering others is destined to leave a lasting impact.

Awesome outdoor Portrait with simple gears

2020-05-11T00:57:00.000+05:30

Everybody must start somewhere, so did my journey into photography. Back in 2018 I was searching for a model for an outdoor photo shoot, and one of the best freelance models says she is willing to pose for the click. Let me share a few tips how I achieved this beautiful shot with just my simple gear, just a crop sensor DSLR Camera and a simple manual flash. Most of the time, I like to shoot out of doors, as I don’t have a fancy studio or modelling lights. I’m very proud to say that this photo was selected for an Exhibition in Europe at the stunning Espaço Espelho d'Água, Lisbon, Portugal.

So, let’s gets started, I like to choose the best time to shoot a portrait and if I get the chance, I love to shoot at the afternoon say 2:00pm (IST) onwards as the sun does not produce harsh shadows and also the model will be more able bear the heat of the sun. No fancy dresses for the models, no heavy makeup, just a simple white shirt and a cowboy hat, at glance she looks so perfect. The perfect moment about this shot is when the wind blows her beautiful hair, I press a shutter button with a fast shutter speed of 1/160sec. It’s quite awesome and a memorable candid session of a lifetime.

The gear I used here is Canon EOS 700D, Canon EF-S 55 - 250 mm f/4-5.6 IS II Lens which is a kit lens and a Yongnou YN 550IV speedlite wireless Flash. Great thing about the Canon EOS 700D is that it can trigger this particular flash without using a Flash Trigger; this is an advantage, to accomplish the Off-Camera Flash techniques without having a trigger, if I had one, I would quickly mount it on the hot shoe.

Simple startup: Switch on my camera and speedlite and as usual I select RAW image settings, turn my head to the makeup artist, ask her to hold the flash on the left side of the model face and try few test shots for the white balance and finding a sweet spot for this lens, and in just a few minutes I can figure out that F5.6 is a perfect aperture and an ISO of 100 is good to carry on this session. I believe that it’s not about a great lens at all but is about patience and the passion that you have, above all that, knowledge is most important. Though I know expensive glass works well, I will never underestimate the power of the Kit lens, never ever, as I found out that most of the time, my shots are stunning even with this simple gear. Focal length of 55mm and the shutter speed of 1/160 sec match perfectly with this particular lens.

Metering mode: Every Photographer has their own choice of metering mode and I love “spot metering”, as most of the professional photographers say that spot metering is the most accurate form of metering for great portrait and to get a correct exposure.

An awesome portrait of a cow girl.

Most Important: Post processing is one of the wonderful techniques to make a photo to stands out. For this particular image I used Adobe Photoshop to process it to the final look and feel. Photoshop works wonderfully in portrait photography, it gives wide ranges of adjustment, or if necessary, a very advanced image manipulation. Let me be honest, I process or edit in a very simple method with a very few adjustments. First and foremost, I adjust the exposure level and check on the histogram to confirm if it is at the correct exposure level, then move to pull a little bit of shadow below the model’s hat. Retouching is simple with the great tools that I have. I use imagenomic portraiture plugins, this tool saves a lot of time for retouching a portrait, especially head shots. Last but not the least, sharpening of the eyes is main key to make a photo an eye-catching one. I remember a pro-photographer mention lots of times to always shoot and focus on the eye of a model, it will come naturally sharp out of the camera and stunning after the post processing. If you want to post your image on the internet, like social media, a photography website or any other form of post, don’t forget to watermark you photo as I did.

Note: Being tech savvy, I will start covering various topics on technology, photography and some other topics that may help you. To teach is to learn twice, as the saying goes. Keep doing what you love to do.

A talk with a designer

2020-05-05T21:29:00.002+05:30

Glamour Shots Shillong would like to introduces our very own fashion designer from Shillong.

Rapbor mention a quote by Arthur C. Clarke which says, “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.” “This is so true and it helped me a lot.”

Fashion Designer, Rapborlang Lyngdoh Mawphlang and his label is called " RAPBOR'S” is a degree holder in fashion designing from Wigan & Leigh College United Kingdom.

Rapbor and his Model in Fashion Show.

Since he is a child he has always been exposed to the glitz and glamour of the fashion world, he was made to participate in many cutie kids & fancy dress Competitions, drama and school concerts and so on. He believes that's where his passion started building up to be a fashion designer.

His first actual designing started when he was in class 10th, where a local TV network had shown his collections in the local channel. Then his passion was recognized even more, when he was in 11th & 12th standard, where he actually enrolled himself in a competition held in college and he came out with flying colors.

Later on he moved out of town to further continue his higher studies in the field of designing. During the course of his studies He was again exposed to a next level of fashion shows, these shows are well known and reputed across the globe. During the course of his studies he was sent to these grand fashion tours, fashion week, & also fashion shows of well established designers, he was send by the college to be a backstage helper to assist the ace designers and established models. He believes this little Exposure that he had experienced has made him a person of what he is today.

Rapbor's Design

After his completion of his studies he worked with quite re-known designers of the country Like Ashima & Leena Singh, Robit Bal, and many international brands as well. He had assisted them during Will's Fashion Week, Lakme Fashion Week, and Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour and so on. He was also called by many multi international company to host his very own fashion show at their anniversaries and Office gatherings and he was asked to even choreograph professional models at the same time.

He came back town after a couple of years and was again asked if he would be interested in doing a show called Closet fashion Show along with India's Re- known established Designer James Farrera. He accepted the offer and he came up with his brand & Label. Since then nothing has stopped him from moving forward.

He showcased his Collections at Miss Shillong 2012 & 2013, Shillong Fashion Week 2014 & 2015, Sohra festival 2015, St.Anthony's College 2016 , Indo Bhutan Festival 2017- 2018, Miss personality 2015, Rapbor's Design 2018.

Rapbor's Traditional Design

These are the names of few of the shows that Rapborlang had done & participated. Besides fashion shows, he is also known for Grooming of models be it for a Fashion Shows, Fashion Weeks and Beauty Pageant's. He has been in this field for quite some time now and his work is displayed not only in Shillong but other cities of the country and even across international borders. Rapbor have pushed himself to the highest limits, to be where he is today.

His passion and dedication for his work has been a success for him, but all these accomplishments had to go through a failure too, which he obviously faced as well. But it has never pulled him down rather it made him a much better and stronger person that he is today, and all these happened because of the immense and vigorous support of his family members and friends and most importantly his dedication to achieve the impossible and make it possible.

The pristine Umgot River of Shnongpdeng, Meghalaya

2020-03-28T18:39:00.000+05:30

The suspension bridge at Shnongpdeng.

Located around 80km south-west of Shillong, which is Meghalaya’s capital, is a mystical village named Shnongpdeng (village center), which cradles the immaculate river Umgot that flows through the India-Bangladesh border. The Umgot River attracts visitors with its pure and crystal-clear waters and lush surroundings entertained by very hospitable locals and activities in and around it.

How to get there
If you want a more local feel of commuting to Shnongpdeng, you can hop on to a shared taxi or ‘sumo’ as they’re locally called, which is the cheapest way to go, else the option of hiring a private cab is always available but at a higher price. You’ll need to get to the Dawki sumo stand in Anjalee, Shillong. This journey will take up to 3 hours, however, during these 3 hours you’ll wish it never ends as you’ll bear witness to magnificent rolling hills, lush untouched forests, quaint villages and dreamy skies throughout the way. From the village center, Shnongpdeng is a mere 8kms as you descend to the splendid Umngot River.

Tourist exploring the crystal clear river at Shnongpdeng

Food and accommodation

Shnongpdeng has many restaurants and cafes catering to vegetarians as well as meat eaters, with options of local, North-east Indian, Indian, Chinese and continental food. There are also a few provisional shops for basic necessities. Accommodation is easy to find here as there are lovely homestays and guesthouses and some of which even provide hearty home-cooked meals. For the more outdoorsy, camping in tents by the sandy riverbanks is a must, especially with a campfire under the starlit sky.

Activities
At a minimal price, the local and expert boatmen take you upstream on the elegant long boats for sight-seeing, swimming, or fishing. Independent group, ‘Pioneer Adventure Tours’ in Shnongpdeng hosts an array of thrilling sports like fishing, zip-lining, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba-diving, cliff-jumping, rappelling, rock-climbing and more.

The grand and very enchanting Umgot river is a must visit if you’re in or around the region. It has awed and inspired many a visitor by its natural surrealistic features and grandeur and it will, without a doubt, you too.

Written by- Abigail Crystal N-Majaw

IN TALKS WITH AN ASPIRING LOCAL MODEL: LANA KHARBHIH

2020-01-02T12:59:00.001+05:30

Aspiring Local Model: Lana Kharbhih

IN TALKS WITH AN ASPIRING LOCAL MODEL: LANA KHARBHIH

The North-East Indian region holds an abundance of young talent who are driven towards recognition and success. Many an inspired and motivated youth have bravely taken the alternative paths in pursuing what they desire as opposed to the less old-fashioned ways of studying to prepare for a 9-5 in the corporate industry or working for the government. North-East India boasts an array of fresh talent and skills which can be witnessed in public shows which are held in the region throughout the year. Shillong, the state capital is the hub of education and alternative lifestyles and it is from here that some of the best talents have emerged, spreading to the far ends of the world, bringing pride and honor to their communities and country.

Today, The GSS is in talks with 29 year old, Miss Lana Kharbhih from Shillong, Meghalaya. An aspiring model who dreams big and pursues the art of fashion and modeling passionately and confidently. Lana’s story is not as easy to tell as it is one to hear. She and her younger brother grew up with a single mother after her father abandoned them. Since the age of 15, Lana has been decisive in improving her mother’s, her brother’s and her own life. Most of what she would earn from her modeling shows would go into helping educate her younger brother and contributing to her mother. Staying focused and determined, she has worked hard to reach the quality of life they are now living, she says.
Lana has not limited herself to just modeling and apparels, at the young age of 16, she brought home a silver medal in Archery from the National Games, 2002, held in Punjab, India, and continues to pursue archery as a hobby. She established an educational consultancy, helping place students from North-East India into universities across the country. When asked why she chose education, she said “My parents couldn’t afford sending me to a good English-medium school, I never had the opportunity to learn much out of a Khasi Government school in comparison to the other better schools in town, which is why my communication is weak. I’ve always believed that education is key to progress in this day and age, which is the reason why I chose education, to help provide opportunities to students for higher and/or better education. It fulfills me to help others in the educational field even though I had almost none of it myself, but that’s enough to keep me happy.”

She participated in Miss Shillong, 2012, and has done many ramp shows and photo shoots since this bold move. Here is a snippet of the interview GSS held with her.

GSS: “Why did you choose the modeling industry?”
Lana: “Since education was a far reach for me, I chose modeling firstly as a means of financially supporting my mother and brother, I wanted my little brother to receive the education I couldn’t have. Family and friends also encouraged me saying I had what it takes to be a model which lifted my confidence and with my first step as participating in Miss Shillong, 2012, I have grown only gained confidence. So, instead of looking at what I didn’t have (education), I began to focus on what I had, the attributes of someone in the modeling industry.

GSS: “Do you have any limitations as a model?” Lana: “Yes. I do. I hold bars to the type of clothing I model in. I’m not comfortable with exposing clothing, no bikinis, no skimpy little pieces which expose any part of my body I wish not to expose. I believe in exhibiting the style of clothes and not my body.”

GSS:“How do you deal with an uncomfortable situation during a photo shoot?”

Lana: “So far, I’ve set my limitations with the photographers I work with, so they know what I’m uncomfortable with and not quite been in one. But, if ever I’m forced into an uncomfortable situation, I’d make a direct confrontation and simply speak up telling them that I’m not comfortable doing whatever it is.”

GSS: “In which ways do you believe you can inspire other aspiring models?”
Lana: “I advise aspiring models to have no fears, to exhibit character before anything else and then to exhibit talent because I’d best advise out of my own experiences and these are the top three things I’ve been successful in following which have helped me grow as a model and helped built confidence in myself.”

Lana has come a long way from a struggling young girl supporting both mother and brother single-handedly. Her decisive characters, whether as an archery medalist, a fashion model or an educational consultant, all speak of her as a very enduring, industrious and determined young woman, inspiring us all to focus more on what we have, than to brood over what we don’t have. Here’s to many more years of achievements to Lana, and may we take her as an inspiration.

Written by- Abigail Crystal N-Majaw