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Millennials are obsessed with Whole 30, the ‘cultish’ fad diet taking over Instagram and Pinterest


Here's how the 'Rich Kids of Instagram' are spending their summers

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rich kids of instagram

The Tumblr blog Rich Kids of Instagram has been chronicling the lives of unapologetically wealthy teenagers for two years.

The blog has even spawned two E! network reality series: "#RichKids Of Beverly Hills" and "#RichKids of New York."

We checked back in with the Rich Kids of Instagram blog to see how the kids have been spending their summer so far. Unsurprisingly, they seem to have been keeping busy with well-documented lavish pool parties, private helicopter rides, and more.

Click here to see the pictures >>

SEE ALSO: How the 'Rich Kids of Instagram' spent their spring break

This summer, the "Rich Kids of Instagram" boarded their yachts ...

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... their planes ...

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... and their chartered helicopters ...

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How to clear out a ton of space on your iPhone superfast

The 18 coolest women in Silicon Valley

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Elizabeth Holmes, TheranosWe recently published our annual Silicon Valley 100 list, which ranks the most inspiring people in tech.

And while the tech industry is notoriously male-heavy, our ranking of who's who included a number of women who are truly raising the bar in Silicon Valley.

From CEOs to engineers to investors, these women are showing the rest how it's done. Scroll through to meet the most driven and innovative women in tech.

Elizabeth Holmes

Founder, CEO, Chairwoman, Theranos

When she was a sophomore at Stanford in 2003, Elizabeth Holmes founded healthcare-technology company Theranos and within months she dropped out of school to pursue it full time. Today, she's America's youngest female billionaire with a net worth of $4.6 billion.

Theranos is a $9 billion biotech company that has a new approach to blood testing. Its goal is to make clinical testing cheaper and faster. Theranos wants to conduct blood tests for health issues through a single finger stick rather than by having to draw vials of blood in a doctor's office. Theranos has drawn skepticism from the scientific community in part because Theranos is cagey about how its tests actually work. But for now, Holmes is on top of the world. Today, her blood tests are used in places like Walgreens.



Lynda Weinman

Cofounder, Lynda.com

In April, online-learning website Lynda sold to LinkedIn. The deal, a $1.5 billion cash-stock blend, closed in Q1. Most of Lynda's employees joined LinkedIn following the acquisition, which lets LinkedIn's 350 million users access the platform for skill building and education videos, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said.

Founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman and her husband, Bruce Heavin, Lynda.com lets users learn business, technology, software, and creative skills through videos. People can access Lynda on their own, and corporations and schools can purchase subscriptions.

Weinman has been dubbed by many as "the mother of the internet."



Meg Whitman

President, CEO, Chairwoman, Hewlett-Packard

HP announced that it would be undergoing massive multiyear layoffs in 2012. Since then, the company has eliminated 48,000 employees. It's on its way to eliminating 55,000 by October. And in November, Whitman will split HP into two companies, and the layoffs will likely continue.

Whitman has also said she’ll be moving more jobs from HP’s Enterprise Services unit offshore after HP splits in two. Last year, Whitman got a $1.5 million raise and a $4.3 million bonus. She's one of the most generously compensated CEOs in her field.



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This video of a 'stoic' NYPD cop dancing with a gay-pride marcher is the best thing you'll see all day

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cop dance pride nyc

The New York Police Department provided more than just security for the city's annual pride parade.

One cop is becoming a viral sensation thanks to his stellar dance skills. You might even call his moves "New York's finest."

A YouTube video shared after Sunday's parade shows a parade marcher getting his groove on with what appears to be a member of the New York Police Department. We've reached out to the NYPD for comment but haven't heard back yet.

The 12-second clip stars the unlikely duo dancing to along to Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."

Gothamist spotted the video on a New York-centric Reddit board.

The cop's dance partner was a man named Aaron, who was marching with the Big Apple Softball League during the parade, explains the user who posted the video, Paige Ponzeka.

"The officer in the video was standing stoic, watching the parade, and Aaron tried to dance with him," Ponzeka told Business Insider. "And at first he wasn't very responsive. But then he got really into it, and the crowd loved it."

Here's a look at the pair dancing in the street. Clutching his hat and moving to the music, the cop is all smiles.

cop pride gif 1

The parade occurred just a few days after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in all 50 states, so energy was high. Some members of the crowd snapped photos while the duo danced.

cop pride gif 2

The moment doesn't last long before Aaron has to hurry back to the parade. Before he goes, Aaron affixes one of the league's "I'd Hit That" stickers to the officer's uniform and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.

cop pride gif 3

Check out the original video here or below.

SEE ALSO: These gay Texas shopkeepers closed early to get married, and the note they left went viral while they said 'I do'

Join the conversation about this story »

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You wouldn't know Macau is tanking from the looks of its glitzy new $3 billion casino

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Macau

Macau, the special administrative region of China and former Portuguese colony, had a six-year hot streak between 2007 and 2013. But with gaming revenues in a year-long decline, it appears that streak is ending, and the glitzy peninsula is in dire straits.

A few factors have contributed to Macau's plummeting revenues and tourism, but most experts point to China's anti-corruption campaign, which is making Chinese high rollers think twice about going on gambling sprees in Macau.

But that hasn't stopped new development on the peninsula. Just recently, Galaxy Macau launched a $3 billion casino expansion — and there's more where that came from.

SEE ALSO: 2 massive casinos are about to open in Macau, and they could end up being one giant disaster

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Macau is the only place in China where gambling is legal. As China's middle class has risen, Macau has in turn become the largest gambling mecca in the world.



With 31.5 million visitors in 2014 — mostly from mainland China — Macau has solidified its status as the ultimate playground for high rollers. However ...



... gambling revenue in the glitzy peninsula reached $44 billion in 2014, but 2015 has not kept pace. New visa restrictions have cut down on tourism from mainland China and put pressure on the casinos to make up for lost visitors.



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This 'floating' coffee-table is like a giant, jiggly Rubik's Cube

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Floating Table

The mark of a good designer is work that blends into its surroundings. The mark of an amazing designer is work that seems to rise above it completely.

Brooklyn design studio Rock Paper Robot has made a set of tables that might blow your mind.

Made out of square cubes with empty space in-between them, the tables look like giant Rubik's Cubes. Except for the fact that they don't rotate. At least, not how you'd expect.

Magnets push the cubes apart while tensile steel cables hold them in a permanent stasis. The result is a table of cubes that appear to be floating peacefully, but are actually in a state of constant tension.  

Here's a look at the complicated steel cabling.

Floating Table

Since it's held together completely by magnets, the table moves as you touch it.

You can push and jiggle the table to your heart's content without harming the blocks, the magnets, or the steel wiring, all of which are flexible and will spring right back into place.floating table

According to its designer, the tables exhibit "classical physics applied to modern design."

If you're worried about how the table might hold up with real objects on it, fear not. Rock Paper Robot also makes a matching shelf using the same principle, which appears to "float" on the wall and seems purpose-built for holding heavy objects.  

Float Table

The table comes in both coffee and side table sizes and can be customized in a variety of woods and finishes. The shelf comes in walnut or aluminium and L-shaped or regular sizes. Prices start at $10,000 for the table and $2,500 for the shelf.

SEE ALSO: Go inside the Brooklyn home of New York's most sought-after architect

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

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The best cocktail in 20 countries around the world

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Pina Colada

There's no better way to relax on vacation than to sit back and enjoy a cocktail.

And since most countries offer drinks that are more exciting than your average gin and tonic, chances are, you'll end up trying something you've never had or even heard of before.

From a hot and spicy canelazo in Ecuador to a chilled glass of lion's milk in Turkey, here are 20 cocktails that you won't regret trying during your travels all over the world.

 

The Caesar, a Canadian favorite, is made from vodka, clamato (clam juice), hot sauce, celery, and lime.

Source: Matador Network, Thrillist



Cuba's signature drink is the mojito, made with lime, sugar, rum, and typically with spearmint or Yerba buena, which are popular mint varieties in Cuba. It has a history that dates back to the 16th century, when Francis Drank had the mix, and has become popularized thanks to Ernest Hemingway enjoying the cocktails at La Bodeguita del Medio, in Havana.

Source: Matador Network, Telegraph



Piña coladas, sweet cocktails made with rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice, have been the national drink of Puerto Rico since 1978. The cocktail was supposedly invented at the Caribe Hilton hotel in San Juan.

Source: Travel Channel, USA Today, Hilton

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider









I joined the 1 million adults who attend 'summer camp for grown-ups' – it's a wild experience I won't soon forget

How to stop checking your email all the time AND feel good about it

Most tennis players will do fine with just these 2 rackets

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Tennis is often called a "game for life," and it can be. You can start when you're 10 and pretty much play until you drop. 

With Wimbledon getting started this week, you may be compelled to pick up the game, or revisit it. To do that, you're going to need a racket. But the choices! Dizzying! It's not like it was 40 years ago when you could spend $50 on a wood Dunlop Maxply and be assured that you were getting a great racket. A massive infusion of technology since the 1980s has changed everything.

But that doesn't mean you can't still get started relatively quickly. You can of course visit your local pro shop and playtest a dozen rackets. Or you can just choose one of these two, both of which are priced around $200.

The Wilson Pro Staff 97

Philipp Kohlschreiber

This is the easier-to-use version of Roger Federer's racket (the 7-time champion at the All England Club hung up his old 90-inch racket over a year ago to keep up with his younger rivals). The Wilson PS 97 (seen above in the hands of German pro Philipp Kohlschreiber) is at 11.6 ounces about an ounce lighter than the RF autograph model, which makes it less challenging to handle over a few sets.

But it retains the 97-square-inch head. A relatively "open" string pattern (the strings have more space between them than in a "closed" patten) makes for good spin generation, and the weight helps to sustain power for a broad range of swing speeds. The Pro Staff lineup is legendary for its crisp, precise feel. It may take a few practice sessions for you to get accustomed to this racket, but over time the versatility and vibration-absorbing will give you a weapon for singles and doubles — and help avoid elbow damage, something that's a risk with lightweight rackets. 

The Babolat Pure Drive

Garbine Muguruza

This is a racket that really defines modern tennis. The Pro Staff is part of a legacy that stretches back decades and shares a lot of DNA with some of the earliest graphite-composite sticks. But the Babolat Pure Drive, with its larger string bed and stiff construction, broke decisively with the notion that quality tennis rackets evoked the good old days when wood provided wonderful touch and feel (not to mention power, given the impressive bulk of timber).

Older players who like to hit through the ball with flatter strokes will like the Pro Staff. Younger players with modern grips who want to generate a lot of spin will like the Pure Drive (Spain's Garbine Muguruza, seen above, certainly does). Interestingly, a lot of older players like the Pure Drive as a doubles racket. It creates nice pace and depth on serves and is effective for volleying, with a generous sweet spot in its 100-square-inch string bed.

It's also established its own legacy over the past decade-and-a-half. Numerous modern pros on the men's and women's side have won with it. It's ubiquitous in the ranks of top juniors. And it's hugely popular among club players of every age.

The Bottom Line

For my money, Wilson rackets feel better than Babolat rackets. But I've been playing tennis since the Bjorn Born era. I'm overly concerned with feel, and I like the more flexible Wilson construction, on its Pro Staff line. I don't much like the way the Babolat hits the ball, but there's no denying that it gets the yellow orb to where it's supposed to go, with purpose. It's stiffer than the Wilson, and it shows. If all I did was hit serves all day, the Babolat would be an easy choice. When I first tried it years ago, I considered switching to it for that reason alone.

There are more "serious" rackets than the Pro Staff 97 — hardcore "players" rackets that are designed with most demanding competitors in mind. And there are lightweight rackets with much larger head sizes than the Babolat — rackets that generate decent pace from very short swings and are aimed at absolute beginners.

The problem is that the former are the type of racket that more casual players can never get the best out of, while the latter are quickly outgrown and can leave you with a sore arm. (Swinging a heavy racket for two or three sets can also make your arm hurt.)

Staring at a wall of rackets in a tennis shop or surfing among the hundred of options online is intimidating. These two rackets, however, represent in a broad way the two main choices in the market. It hard to go wrong with either. In any case, you can always playtest both and see for yourself.

And then you can really make yourself nuts trying to figure out what kind of string to select! 

SEE ALSO: 55 Of The Most Serious Tennis Players In Finance

Join the conversation about this story »

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The 28 most expensive cities to eat in around the world

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Geneva, SwitzerlandPrices vary around the world for basic items such as a cup of coffee, a beer, or a club sandwich, but the cost of those items can reveal a great deal about how expensive it is to live and travel in those destinations.

Hotels.com put together its annual Club Sandwich Index (CSI), which analyzes the costs of hotel dining worldwide.

The survey calculated average prices of specific food items, like a club sandwich, burger, cup of coffee, and cup of wine paid by guests in five-, four-, and three-star hotels in 28 major cities around the world.

For the third year in a row, Geneva, Switzerland ranked as the most expensive city in the world, with a burger costing a whopping $37.80 and a basic club sandwich costing $30.59.

28. Bogota, Colombia

Burger: $11.76

Cup of coffee: $1.57

Glass of house red wine: $6.26

Club Sandwich: $10.49

Total cost: $30.08



27. Mexico City, Mexico

Burger: $13.34

Cup of coffee: $2.47

Glass of house red wine: $6.55

Club Sandwich: $9.77

Total cost: $32.13



26. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Burger: $13.26

Cup of coffee: $2.05

Glass of house red wine: $8.66

Club Sandwich: $10.2226

Total cost: $34.19 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








Follow these simple steps to get the perfect shave at home

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close shave beard dude

We've shown you how to get perfect skin, but a big part of that is shaving properly.

And unless your father was a barber, you probably don't know the proper way to shave — or worse, you use an electric shaver.

Here's the right way to do it, which ensures perfect skin every time:

1. Make sure you wash your face before you start shaving. This will stop any bacteria lying dormant on your face from getting into any of your skin's pores that will open during the shaving process, which would cause irritation or acne.

2. Splash you face with warm water. This will open up your pores, make your beard hairs softer, and makes it easier for your razor to make contact with your skin. 

3. Apply your normal shaving cream and shave only with the grain of your beard (the direction your hair is growing). Use short strokes and don't go over any areas more than once. Apply only a little pressure as you shave, letting the sharpness of the razor do most of the work for you. This will minimize your chances of ingrown hairs and reduce irritation.

4. Rinse your razor often.

5. After you're done, make sure you rinse your face with cold water. This will close your pores. When it comes to razors, skip those multi-bladed razor offerings. Any razor with more than one or two blades will only end up irritating your face.

6. When you're finished shaving, apply a soothing aftershave balm, like Dove Men's Hydrate Post Shave Balm. It's important to note, however, that many things called "aftershave" are frequently alcohol-based, which will dry out skin. You want something that will moisturize and protect, or that contains aloe vera if you commonly get razor burn. 

It's that simple. 

SEE ALSO: 15 Things Every Modern Gentleman Should Have In His Bathroom

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A travel photographer reveals how to get the best photos while traveling

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Tulum

Whitney Tressel is a hybrid travel photographer and photo editor who has dozens of cross country road trips and travels under her belt, documented for the likes of EsquireBudget Travel, and Hemispheres. Professing that she's always had the travel bug, she's rarely not on the road, as summers see her teaching National Geographic's Student Expedition courses, which have taken her and her pupils to far flung locales like Paris, Barcelona, Costa Rica, and next month, Australia.

We asked the travel photography instructor/editor/photographer to share her tips on upping our travel photography game.

BUSINESS INSIDER: What’s the most important aspect of travel photography, as opposed to regular photography?

WHITNEY TRESSEL: It's about visually showing a sense of place. That can be literally taken as landscapes or architecture, but it can also mean the people there, or the different cultural traditions, or the different ways of life. Or sometimes it's the similarities. Sometimes you think you're going to a place that is so different, and you realize how similar it actually is.

BI: How do you feel about selfies and hot dog legs?

WT: I mean I do 'em, but I don't like it if your whole feed is filled with them. As a travel photographer, you are the vehicle for the experience. You're the storyteller of the scene — the documentarian, the deliverer! And most of the time you're telling something else's story, even on vacation. Whether it be through a portrait of a person, a view of a place, a detail of a subject, it's not just about you — cue the selfie —  but it's about your travels. Try making it less about you, and more about what you're surrounded by, and see what happens. 

This photo is an example of the rule of thirds: he's centered, but we're drawn to his eyes and face in the top third of the frame.

Whitney Tressel_Business Insider_Jerome_Arizona_MG_4169

BI: What’s the protocol for taking pictures of locals? Do you have to ask them for permission? Isn't it super awkward?

WT: It's super, super awkward for introverts and extroverts alike. It depends on what you want out of it. If you want the natural environment,  just shoot from the hip. Some people are firm believers in not not asking for permission, which, ethically, will always be an argument, but I take portraits of strangers and I ask them for permission. My style is that I want them to be engaged. I'm always one to ask for permission, that's my opinion, but then some people say to ask permission is to seek denial, and you will get some nos. Some photographers shoot without permission because that's what they want, but other photographers shoot without permission because they're afraid to ask.

BI: How do you get the inside scoop on where to go and what to see off the beaten path? Not the touristy stuff.

WT: Asking a local, 100%. And you almost have to ask them three times. If someone came up to me in New York City, I might send them to the Empire State. But if you push me a little further, I'll say go up to the Rockefeller Observatory so you can get a shot with the Empire State. But if you ask me a third time I might give you a speakeasy in the West Village. And that's what you want. You have to not only ask a local, but show them that you're serious about the off the beaten path thing, because people don't easily give up their secrets. The more you give the more you get, I guess. 

BI: Is using an iPhone a no-no?

WT: I'm pro iPhone. The quality of iPhones keeps getting better and better. I might get in trouble in the photography community for this one, but so many people think it's about the body of the camera, but it's actually about the lens. So use whatever you want, but get a good lens.

BI: So what are some photography basics us amateurs should be aware of?

WT: 1. Pay attention to the light

This photo was shot during Golden Hour, which adds depth and feeling to the photograph. It also pushes past the pretty postcard: it's less about the Eiffel Tower itself here, and more about the experience of picnicking on its lawn. 

Paris

In travel photography, paying attention to the light translates into keeping in mind the time of day you're seeing things. For example, yes you want to go the Taj Mahal super early to avoid crowds, but at the same time it's not a bad idea to go super early to see the sunrise, because the light is so much better.

There are three times of day that I encourage folks to explore:

  • Sunrise. I am not a morning person but it is always worth it.
  • The Golden Hour. This is the time of day right before sunset sunset and right after sunrise when everything kind of has a gold cast, and the shadows are longer. I'm not a scientist, but for some reason everything looks gold — some call it the magic hour.
  • The time right after sunset. You see so many sunset pics, but people take those pictures and then they go to dinner. But if you wait a half hour after that, when the sun's already away, that's when the most vibrant colors come out.

2. Know where the sun is

Knowing where the sun is is a huge element in travel photography. Most travel photographers don't shoot with flash or lights, though some do, so it's important to know when the natural stuff is going on.

3. Understand the rule of thirds

If you literally third a photo — add two lines vertically and two horizontally — where the lines cross is where you want your subjects to be. This is a way to make an objectively great photograph, but photography is so subjective, you could put something right in the center and it could be the most beautiful photo you have ever seen. So that's just a reminder to mix it up.

4. Pay attention to the lines in a photo

Whether that means literal lines, or lines like if there's a ton of people in the frame, who's looking at who? Where does your eye go? How does your eye dart around?

5. Use your chosen frame to your advantage

Pay attention to the actual frame — you have the Instagram square, which came from film cameras, and your horizontals, and verticals, and your panoramas. Whatever shape you choose to shoot in, use the frame itself to activate your photograph. Mind your chosen frame and make sure you have an organization to what's happening in that space while you're actually shooting.

6. Have a foreground, middleground, and background

Those three layers add literal — and psychological! — depth to a photograph. Pay attention to what's going on on all three planes for a more engaging image.

This photo has some rule of thirds going on, leading lines, and fore-mid-background. The colors and light match its stillness,  and its oddball deadpan-ness.

Whitney Tressel_Business Insider_Oahu_Hawaii_MG_7489

7. Be mindful of color

Go back to your 5th grade art class and experiment with complementary colors, like if there's blues against oranges. Also pay attention to analogous colors, like reds that fade into oranges or pinks. 

8. Make it about your experience

There's nothing wrong with the 'I've-been-there, check, bucket list, check,' kind of photo. I've done them. If you're in front of the Eiffel Tower, you're going to take a picture, and that's fine. But after that, everybody has that picture, so from there you have to go past shooting the pretty postcard.

What makes it more engaging for other viewers, and for yourself looking back, is making it about your experience. If millions of people have been to a UNESCO world heritage site like the Grand Canyon, how are you going to record it as something you remember? Maybe instead of shooting the Grand Canyon vista, turn around and photograph the dozens of people photographing the vista. It'll you a humorous spin.

9. Get a different angle

Think outside the box. This is difficult for anybody — it's difficult for working travel photographers to keep pushing the envelope, but some simple ways to do that is that if you find yourself standing, knees locked, arms out, elbows at 90 degrees, stoop down, get on your belly, turn your camera up to the sky, look left, look right, look behind you, get something different. Walk away from the crowd a little bit. Sure, there's a reason why everyone is standing in a certain spot, it's probably a beautiful view, but I bet if you walked 100 feet left or right you could find something different.

10. Get close

Always get closer. When taking portraits, action shots, animals even. Get in there! Sure you can crop it later, but train yourself to be an "in camera" photographer and pay attention to your framing in real-time.

This photo has leading lines: both the circular shape of the bowl and the angular presence of the chopsticks draw our eye in and around the frame. The table lines and pork shavings also help in adding interest, but are more subtle.

Whitney Tressel_Business Insider_New York City_MG_7082

11. Wait

Nobody, including myself, waits long enough anymore. Nobody just sits there, and I don't want to sound accusatory, but just wait. I dare you to spend 20 minutes in one spot. Stick it out in one place and something's going to happen, and that's going to change the scene. It could be something silly, like a cute little kid running across the sidewalk, but that tells us something more about the place. Spend the time and I guarantee you you'll see something different than you would if you just walked in and out.

12. Get boring

To get another take on your vacation, other than those obligatory palm tree pics, photograph places that would feel mundane in your own home town. Go grocery shopping in Japan, get a haircut in Italy, do your laundry at a laundromat in West Texas. And photograph it!

13. Take a lot of pictures

Choose one thing to photograph, say an Airstream in Marfa, Texas, and see how many different ways you can photograph it. Say you shot two dozen pics of this airstream, I always find that it's going to be the first couple or the last couple of shots that are your best. The point is you have a natural instinct and natural eye, but at the same time if you keep pushing past what you feel is a good photograph, you're going to get an even better one.

14. Tell a story and use all five senses

I know that when you're on vacation you're not necessarily trying to tell a story, but so much in photography is about the actual story of what's happening.

I like to, in my mind, go through all five senses. Take shots that feels like you can smell what's going on. Can you somehow photograph the ocean so that you can smell the salt? Maybe that means getting really close to the waves, maybe even letting some saltwater hit your lens. How would I take this photograph and have people smell it? Add that element, that second layer of conceptual senses.

This is an example of paying attention to light, as the light here is as strong, if not stronger, than the subject matter itself. This evokes a sense of place. There's also an obvious foreground, middleground, background here that shapes the photograph and adds depth. 

Whitney Tressel_Business Insider_Koror_Palau_MG_2517

15. Keep your camera steady

Especially for night shots, find a place where your camera can be completely steady, a tripod, or even leaning a cell phone against a glass. You think you're not shaking, but you are. This is more advanced, but if you have the capability, lengthen the shutter speed and widen the aperture when it's dark.

16. Think about intent, not just content

It's not so much the content of a photo, it's carelessness that makes bad pictures, it's doing what everyone else is doing. Photography is subjective and if you photograph with intention, then it's really neither good nor bad, because you really intended to shoot it that way. The technical stuff is not so important, I'm much more drawn to photographs that have meaning and purpose and concept.

SEE ALSO: 10 stunning portraits from the 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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I stumbled on these revolutionary marshmallows that have solved the biggest problem with S'mores

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Smore

S'mores are a summer staple. And they are the perfect way to cap off a great evening of grilling out on the patio.

The recipe is simple, but the execution is difficult. Two graham crackers, delicately placed over precisely melted chocolate, set ablaze by a perfectly cooked and positioned mallow.

It's a lot harder to pull off than it looks.

And then. I found it.

I stumbled on them at Target. We were getting S'more stuff, and saw these stowed away back in the store.



They're called Jet-Puffed S'moreMallows, made by Kraft. And they will transform your summer.



To the naked eye, placed next to the other delicious s'more fixin 's, these marshmallows might not look all that revolutionary. But they are.



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Over 70,000 people shared this teen's profound coming out essay but his friends and family had no clue he wrote it

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Michael Martin goes to such a social-media-obsessed high school that when he wrote a coming-out essay that went viral among mainstream media outlets, his classmates still had no clue he was gay — until he posted on Instagram about the story 12 hours later.

Last December, Martin eased into the coming-out process by dancing with another boy at homecoming and telling his best friend he was gay. None of his classmates seemed to catch on.

Then, he wrote an essay for OutSports.com about being a gay athlete. It was shared 72,000 times on Facebook and written about by Seventeen Magazine, the Huffington Post, the Daily Mail and MTV — and his friends and family still didn't see it.

It wasn't until Martin posted a screenshot of the story on his own Instagram account that night that anyone he knew in real life took notice.

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Neither his parents nor his West Virginia high school classmates were reading OutSports. Everyone he knew was oblivious to the fact that he was becoming a celebrity in the LGBT online community.

In his essay, he wrote about the difficulties of being gay in a rural West Virginia town, and fear he experienced as a secretly gay member of his school's football and soccer team.

"I live in isolated mountain area, so I didn't have any kids to hang around with when I was younger. I was alone but even at a young age I knew I didn't like girls and found boys attractive instead. I could never tell anyone since my family is really conservative and religious," he wrote. 

 

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Martin's story went live at 8:34 a.m., and he went through the entire school day watching it go viral without his classmates knowing. Even his parents were in the dark.

He felt "pretty much every emotion you can think of" as his essay exploded online but those around him remained oblivious, he told Business Insider.

Martin recently shared his story with Fast Company as part of a larger feature on Instagram-obsessed teens. When you look at the data for how teens consume information, it's actually not surprising that Martin was becoming famous in the mainstream news media while the kids he spent his day with had no idea.

 

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Although they're constantly consuming media, young millennials don't frequent news sites. Instead, data suggests they "spend more time on social networks, often on mobile devices," according to the American Press Institute. Most of the news that millennials consume comes through their Facebook wall or their Instagram feed. As a result, "their discovery of events is incidental and passive," API says.

That's why Martin noticed barely any real-life reaction to his coming-out until he posted it on his own personal Instagram account around 7:30 p.m.

After the school day had ended, he decided to share a screenshot of the essay on his own account, @wvnatureboy. "That's pretty much how I came out to literally the entire school," he told Sarah Kessler from Fast Company.

 

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Once it was on their Instagram feeds, Martin's classmates were immediately aware that there was a global superstar among them.

"They would not have found it at all if I hadn't shared it myself," he told Business Insider. 

SEE ALSO: Meet the 'Spearfishing Huntress' who has lit the Internet on fire

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NOW WATCH: The athlete who paved the way for openly gay men in American sports tells us how he deals with failure










The 9 best summer reads under 400 pages

These touching stories of same-sex couples from Humans of New York show that true love is everywhere

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“I was married to a woman when I met him.” “Why did you marry a woman?” “Because I thought being gay was a choice. Until the honeymoon.”In a city of over 8 million people, photographer Brandon Stanton always comes across the most interesting ones. His massively popular blog Humans of New York began to take shape after Stanton lost his job in the bond trading market and moved to NYC in 2010, determined to create a catalog of the city's diverse and fascinating population. 

The blog grew in popularity quickly, and Stanton released a bestselling book of his workin 2013. Soon afterward, he was commissioned by the United Nations to accompany an international photographic tour to capture and record stories of humans around the world.

In the wake of Friday's momentous Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, we've compiled some of the best stories from same-sex couples Stanton has photographed over the past few years and shared them with you below.

For more Humans of New York: Meet 12 Unforgettable 'Humans Of New York'

“Tell me your favorite thing about each other,” Stanton asked this couple, who was coming up on one year of marriage. “Her ability to intuit my moods,” said one. “Her living room choreography of every song that comes on the radio,” said the other.



“I love his eyes and his belly,” this couple said.



“We just got back from the prom.”



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








People's reaction to Caitlyn Jenner's transition reveals the only thing that matters when you're a woman

Calvin Klein just bought this masterpiece contemporary mansion for $25 million

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calvin klein thumbnailIt looks like designer Calvin Klein is apt to spend a little more time in LA.

He just bought a spectacular, 9,300-square-foot home in the Hollywood Hills area for $25 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The five-bedroom mansion fits squarely in the contemporary architectural style and features sliding glass walls, 13-foot-high ceilings, an infinity pool, and a bridged entryway over a waterfall and reflecting pool.

Paul McClean designed the home.

Tyrone McKillen and Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland had the listing.

 

SEE ALSO: Take a rare look at the mansions behind the Hamptons' famously high hedges

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

You must traverse a bridge over a waterfall and reflecting pool to enter the home.



The bridge is intended to "slow the participant down and create a feeling of separation from the street behind."



Lights shoot up from the water features to welcome you.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








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