Get Ready for Your First Model Photo Shoot

Got Your Modeling Pictures Yet?

A career in modeling is one of the most sought after fields for young women today.? It does not matter if you are 5 foot 11 and weigh 100 pounds or 5 foot 2 and weigh 150 pounds.? Agencies and clients seek out both female and males of every age, shape and size.?

The Very Beginning

Before you can begin your new endeavor you must schedule a model photo shoot to create the pictures that will be included in your portfolio. Your portfolio is what every agent will look at when considering you for their jobs.

Perfection and Creativity takes Practice

Your model photo shoot is about more than just taking pictures.? Modeling is a talent that takes perfecting and practice.? One of the areas very important is natural proper posing.?

How to Learn Model Posing

Imagine all the different posing positions you've seen in magazines.? Try to emulate the ones that are your favorite.? Your image of how you want to look will be reflected in your attitude and self confidence.?

Pay close attention to where they place their hands, their body language technique, and what their facial expressions say.? Your face and eyes will make a statement.? The statement you make needs to convey your own personal "look" to make you unique and memorable.?

Hug Your Photographer (Not Really)

A good rapport with your photographer is very important to your model photo shoot.? Knowing you are a beginner they will recommend that you bring a few of your own posing ideas to the session and will have their own thoughts to enhance what is special to you.?

These people are experts in photography and know what will work best for you. Obviously, a session with young girls or teenagers will be world's apart from that of an older woman in theme, but the photos will all show individual personalities and assets. ?

The Agencies - Composite Cards ( ZED )

In addition to photographs for your portfolio your model photo shoot needs to help you create your comp card.? Comp card is short for composite cards.? These are cards that promote you as a model.? They are the preferred business card for the modeling industry.?

What Goes on a Comp Card

The front of the card should have a good head shot with your name in bold lettering.? The back can have a few additional pictures of you along with your vital information.? This is your contact information as well as personal statistics like height, weight, hair and eye color, measurements and sizes.?

These cards are a professional way to make a statement.? You have just stepped from the girl next door into your bright career path as a successful fashion, glamour or maybe even a top runway model.

But, don't stop here. Learn all you can by studying material in books, online and by talking to others in your profession. And, as stated above, this will not work unless you are willing to. Practice in the mirror daily and then set up your model photo shoot to create beautiful images you'll be proud to show any agent!

Finding the Best Online Photography Course

When it comes to finding the best online photography course you must first ask what you want to get from this course. Are you trying to become a professional photographer? Or are you simply hoping to improve your photography skills and make photography a fun hobby that you're good at?

If you are seeking to become a professional photographer then your choice should be for the best photography course online. Since you are looking to become a professional it is a good idea to sign up for a professional school with accreditation and real, live online classes. There are various sites like this such as the Art Institute.

The drawbacks to a course like this is that you are forced to pay large sums of money for the "Credits" and getting your degree in photography. For those that aren't as concerned with a degree, a cheaper and, in my opinion, better way to learn, is to find various online photography courses and learn the most you can from each.

eBooks Online

Although there are not many eBooks on photography, this is a great way to start if looking for a photography course online. Often times eBooks will help take you from a beginner all the way to an advanced photographer. They often are great for beginners looking to get started and don't know much.

In addition, many of these eBook photography courses also include videos to watch as well. This helps with learning photography very much as you are shown live demonstrations.

Books To Buy Online

The next option is to buy books over the internet and get them shipped to your house. While this isn't exactly an "online photography course" it is a highly effective way to learn. It's how I learned!

Your best bet is to go to amazon.com and take a look at various books on photography. They have everything ranging from how to use your camera, posing models, composition techniques, lighting, and many other topics with specific books dedicated to each!

The reviews on amazon help you get a feel for the quality of the book and what it can teach you.

Do It Yourself learning photography is harder since you have to teach yourself. However, it often results in a better way of learning the material as you teach yourself. What I recommend if you are using one of the above methods of learning is to set projects for yourself to do. For example, after each chapter of a book on photography make a project dedicated to taking photographs using the techniques you learned.

Video Lighting Secrets For Low Budgets

The difference between something that is well lit and something that isn't can be the difference between a video that's great and one that's totally pants. When I shoot wedding videos in LA, I often have to accept whats given to me in the environment, but this does not mean I should accept bad results.

Lighting A Scene

Guerrilla videographers are very adept at low budget lighting. So how do we light a scene? My advice, keep it simple. DV needs as much light as any other video format if you are lighting an image correctly. The rule of thumb is that you start out with a 1 stop, higher wattage key light source, than you think you need, so that by time it is diffused, you still have enough light to shoot at a decent f-stop with. Every time you add a layer of heavy diffusion to a light, you will lose about a stop of exposure. So you will need to have enough light to begin with before you can diffuse it. The advantage of this light is that the bulbs throw a soft, gentle light .

Reflectors

A reflector is a piece of silvery, gold or white fabric stretched over a frame. Lastolite make some really cool ones that explode open into massive circles. They come in two main varieties : silver/white and gold/white (the gold is good for warming up flesh tones). They are always a good investment, but if you can't afford them there's a cheaper solution around the corner.

If you want to go super cheap, hit up your local supermarket and get some big cardboard boxes and some aluminum foil. Cut the boxes into massive sheets taking advantage of its folds, and stick the foil to the boards to create folding reflectors. Use the shiny side of the foil for a hard reflector or the dull side for a more diffuse reflector. You could also try looking for reflecting sun shades.

Three Point Lighting

Let's discuss the most basic yet useful lighting set-up. In this example, we use a person. Set up your first light and put it in front of the subject at a 45o angle looking down on them a little. This is the key light. Our subject is now lit.

However, the subject is plagued with heavy shadows on the opposite side of their face. Prop up another light and make it more diffuse by reflecting it off a wall or putting a reflector in front of it. This is the fill light and will help soften the shadows. You can also add a light above and behind the subject to add rim lighting (ie. white line). This helps to separate them from the background. This is referred to as backlighting. Remember that the further you move a light away from the object you are lighting the less light falls on it. Think back to your Physics class in high school and you might be able to remember the inverse square law. This states that 'the intensity of light observed from a source of constant intrinsic luminosity falls of as the square of the distance from the object'. Cool, eh? But what does that mean? If I am lighting an actress if I double the distance she is from the light I would decrease the brightness of the light so it was only a quarter of what it was, resulting in a very underlit actress.

Worklights

A good key light for cheap is a 500 watt tungsten work light which can be found at hardware and car parts stores. They come with their own stands, but I do find the stands a little short.

There's some power here, but it's hard to control, so I recommend that you don't aim them directly at your actors. Bounce them off a wall or ceiling to create a nice soft light. If you want, you can put them outside windows and blast them through the openings. These lights can get hot, so be careful moving them around. I've found them as cheap as $10 and can run up to $30. (11/03 I saw an ad for Kragen Auto Parts in LA had them at $10.) They can be found with two heads that makes 1000 watts of lights.

Shower Curtain As Diffusion

One thing you can do is get a frosted shower curtain and hang it from a stand and then place the shower curtain in front of one of these babies to create a wall of soft light. Again, don't get too close otherwise your melt a hole in you.

China Lanterns

China Lanterns are great. I've seen them on the sets of movies costing many millions of dollars. They are paper material which can be expanded into a ball (and now different shapes like squares, rectangles and ovals). They come with a wire support for the bulb. You need to get a socket and cable and they are usually sold in the same place you find the lanterns. I put a regular 200 watt bulb inside and they make a great softlight for close-ups. If the lantern's big enough, I'll put two 200 watt bulbs in and I can light a small room with them. Be careful with them because they're made of paper and can burst into flames. They run between $3 - $7 depending on size. You can find them at Target, Ikea and Pier One Imports, to name a few.

Online Elementary School Learning With Moodle

Many U.S. school districts are introducing online courses to offer a unique learning experience for their students. The schools believe that, through online classes, accessibility of the courses will increase which in turn will enhance the class attendance level and generate high revenue in a quick period of time.

Introduction of such courses especially helps students of American origin who are mostly home-schooled because of their staying in different locations and having negligible access to quality educational institutions.

Many elementary schools have begun to create their classes on Moodle, which is an open-source platform that comes free of cost. Teachers of various educational institutions as well as vocational courses have started using the Moodle classroom learning module to allow students residing at different parts of the world to easily enroll for classes.

Through the use of such online platforms, elementary school teachers can leave their virtual classroom door unlocked. Moodle and such other learning management platforms give students the facility to access a wide variety of class notes, course schedules, assignments, and questionnaires at digital pace. Students only need to have access to an internet connection to start reaping the benefits of online elementary school learning.

Moodle learning module gives enough room for collaboration and interaction amongst students and with the teacher. Learners can form small groups to discuss, converse, and share learning materials and homework with their peers. Additionally, teachers can simply address such small sized groups, clarifying all doubts rather than having to manage large groups of learners in a physical classroom environment.

Educators can assess online content using a range of assessment tools in the quiz module (comprising of short answers, multiple-choice questions, true/false, fill in the blanks, and more). This can prove to be beneficial for both the instructor and the student, since such feedbacks can be set up to occur immediately following the assessment.

For those elementary schools that run short of money every now and then and often find it difficult to meet their regular administrative expenses can use Moodle to conduct and manage their classes for free. The learning management system is free to use and does not include any installation or subscription charges.

Thus, elementary schools can offer learning through such a free learning management platform because:

•It enables greater interaction and collaboration amongst learners and teachers
•Can be accessed anytime and from anywhere, or even while traveling
•Easy sharing of YouTube, Google Videos implanted in Moodle web pages
•Permits both online and offline assignments, assessments, individual and group effort
•Offers class-related calendars for easy viewing of all your class/course schedules

Moodle is an environment-friendly module since it eliminates the usage of paper to do any kind of administrative task. Teachers can easily create a wide range of assignments for students to work upon them online. Teachers can also add their comments on the uploaded student documents and projects, easily and quickly.

Online Stock Photography - A World Where Pigs Fly

I remember back in the early 90s when my brother John called me up on the phone one day and explained that he had found a niche in digitally manipulated photography. He said he was poised to make a good deal of money with it, but he couldn't find any good help. He knew that I had been into computers and thought maybe he could get me to work for him helping him digitally manipulate his photography.

John was a professional photographer doing mainly stock photography, and had discovered some new software called Adobe Photoshop. John found that he could use Photoshop to fix problems with photos taken at an expensive photo shoot that would have had to been re-shot. He also found that he could use the software to create photographs that just could not be shot in real life. This was a great thing for his stock photography business.

At the time I had just had a business fail, and I was supporting my family as an injection molding press operator, earning near minimum wage working the graveyard shift. John lived in San Francisco at the time and his studio was located where AT&T stadium is now. I was living in Stockton California, a good hour and a half commute each way.

Well John offered me $50.00 an hour to come work for him in his studio in S.F., and I asked him what time he wanted me to report for work in the morning!

For the next 5 years I worked for my brother doing digital manipulation for stock photography, digital retouching, and lots of digital art and photography for advertising agencies. I remember one of my first projects was to put an egret's wings onto a pig for a stock photo of flying pigs.

Another time I brought my pet three-foot-long iguana to the studio and we photographed him. In those days we used film, and after developing the film we would use a drum scanner to digitize the photo, and then use either Photoshop or Live Picture to manipulate the photos. We turned the iguana into a fire-breathing dragon.

One job we did for Mother Jones magazine involved replacing Madame Chiang Kai-shek's head with Hillary Clinton's head in a photo of Madame Chiang Kai-shek chatting with Eleanor Roosevelt in the rose garden at the White House. We were later told that Hillary had it framed and put on her desk. We also heard that she was at first confused because she did not recognize the outfit she was wearing in the photo. Go figure.

We specialized in "conceptual" stock photography, producing images such as money trees, time flies - (a watch with wings), an image of the earth in space but made of currency, dollar bills flying out the window, and that kind of thing. We also did photo-shoots for fortune 500 companies and used digital techniques to produce advertising images. John acquired an incredible reputation for producing the best stock photography of its kind, and all of the ad agencies knew him well. He was a huge success. He created a line of images he called "Animal Antics" using images of animals doing odd things like skateboarding and riding bikes. The images were the basis for a highly successful line of greeting cards.

I finally grew tired of the commute and of sitting in front of a computer all day with an art-director telling me what to do. I went back to being an inventor, and John capitalized very well on his pioneering venture into digital stock photography, digital manipulation and funny pictures of animals.

Back then John was the first and for some-time the only stock photographer using digital manipulation to produce stock photos. There was no internet, and stock photography was pretty much limited to ad agencies with big budgets.

In those days he sold stock photography through Tony Stone Images, and The Stock Market. Now Tony Stone is gone as is The Stock Market and Getty Images and number of other large stock agencies have replaced them. Royalty free photography, widespread use of digital manipulation, and the internet are changing the face of the industry. Times have changed and John recently told me that the future of stock photography was online.

Mom and Pop business's are going on the internet to find stock photos for their newsletters, advertising both online and hard copy, brochures, trade show booths, etc. He feels the future of stock photography is online catering to the masses with low cost stock photography. There is a huge market for all types of photos for everything from photos for websites to pictures for brochures, to pictures for printed merchandise like cups and baseball caps. Most people now searching for stock photos don't even know what a stock photo is. They search for "pictures of pigs" or "shark pictures".

To take advantage of this burgeoning new market for stock photos, today's upcoming photographers (and the old ones too) need to get their work online where it can be found and purchased.

Once again John is on the leading edge of his field. John has now launched a new website to address the blossoming online small business stock photo market. Somewhere on his website there are photos of fire-breathing dragons in a world where pigs do indeed fly.

15 Photography Marketing Ideas For Photographers on a Tight Budget

If you're anything like I used to be, photography marketing ideas come few and far between. It's a struggle to compete in an industry with such stout competition and creative talent. Don't fret though, if you stick to your guns, follow through, and be consistent, you too can build your own photography empire.

1. Got Business Cards? - I sure hope so because you'll need to drop your business card off in as many places as you can think of. Some ideas are coffee shops, restaurants, local businesses, community message boards, and the like. As far as a marketing tool is concerned, a business card is one of the cheapest ways to blast your name out to prospects.

2. Make a list - If you haven't already done so, please open a database program of your choice (MS Excel for example) and start entering every single person you know. Copy your phone book, your myspace friends list, your blackberry, or whatever medium you currently use, into this database. Now call every single person and tell them that you're doing great and photography business is picking up. Ask if they know anyone looking to have photos taken.

3. Display your work - Many photographers are either too intimidated by showcasing their work, or they just don't know how simple it can be. Local businesses are constantly on the look out for traffic driving techniques. Ask a local coffee house if they'll sponsor an art exhibition and team up with a local painter or sculptor. This is a win-win, you get exposure and the possibility of selling some prints, and the business gets thirsty customers!

4. Decorate offices - Along the same lines as above, you could offer to furnish small local businesses with art for their walls. Feel free to price your prints and offer a commission to the business if one of your prints sells.

5. Piggyback marketing/Joint Ventures - Target specific companies and feed off of their client lists. If you're trying to break into the wedding photography business, team up with a wedding decorator and split the cost of the mailer. This benefits you by exposing your photography to their clients, who are obviously in need of your services.

6. Offer coupons - Who isn't a sucker for a sale? I've personally seen huge increases in business when I use the back of my cards as a coupon. This technique helps to keep your card hot and ready in a prospects hands rather than ending up in a trash can, and it also instills a little more value to the card.

7. Collect testimonials - After you've done a few photo gigs, solicit for testimonials by using a follow up survey. Disclose that some statements may be used as testimonials for marketing purposes. Then, follow through and USE THEM!

8. ASK for referrals - Every single client you shoot will probably know of at least one person that has mentioned at one time that they'd like some photos taken. Harness those leads by asking every client to write down three of their closest friends names and phone numbers. Then, call them and let them know that you and "Mary" had a great photoshoot and she recommended they give you a try.

9. Write for clients - Start a newsletter for clients. This is a powerful tool that few photographers actually use. A newsletter can be used to update clients and prospects on local issues and things that you'll be involved in, like....

10. Help Charities - Organize, or help promote events for local charities. Even offer to shoot the event for free and use it in your portfolio. The exposure that you'll receive with these events can be nothing but positive. Don't spend much time "marketing" concentrate on what you're there to do and build relationships. About the only thing that you need to accomplish for your own business is to capture the contact information of as many people as you can. Feel free to pass out business cards, so long as you're discreet about it.

11. Get Involved - Get involved with local networking groups and/or student organizations. Offer discounted services to shoot their events and use the referral trick from number 8 to help harvest leads from this healthy prospect source.

12. Hold photo classes - Know more about photography that most newbies? Then you know enough about photography to teach a small class. A popular class that I like to teach is Real Estate Photography Basics. I teach it as an hour long class and offer it for free to real estate agencies around town. Realtors love it, and I gain an element of expertise in the industry. You're probably wondering how that generates business for me though. More times that not, an agent will call me after being frustrated in not getting the results they want, at that point I'm a shoe in. It's important to note that you shouldn't be selling your services in a direct manner in these classes, instead offer subtle tips and just pass out a credential page with your information on it.

13. Give a seminar - This is the same basic principle as holding a photo class, the difference is that you can offer it to a wider variety of people and talk on about any subject you'd like. Also, selling is more accepted in a seminar format than an education format, especially if it's free. Your target market should be someone that is interested in your service i.e. for aspiring models you could hold a posing seminar and offer headshots on location!

14. Use the web - The all mighty Internet. This could turn into an entire article in its self, but the basics are this: Post on free classified ad sites, social networking sites, and blogs that target your specific demographic. Use mediums like myspace, facebook, youtube, flickr, pbase, etc. to build an on line presence. Start a website with your portfolio and promote that with your offline marketing efforts as well.

15. Offer incentives - When all else fails, use incentives. What types of incentives? Coupons and Referral bonuses (when a clients referral comes in give the referrer a free 8X10 print or something).

That's just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to great photography marketing ideas. Armed with this knowledge alone could drastically improve your photography business. But why stop there?

The Best 10 Movies About Magic of All Time

So here we go, the best 10 movies about 'magic' of 'all time'. That's a tall order and will of course become a list that will be challenged by many.

What I have tried to do is collate a list of movies that feature films which have magical themes or very obvious magical references in them. Of course the rash of Harry Potter films, the excellent Lord of the Rings trilogy and even Star Wars could be included. However, from a desire to expand the list of magician inspired or magically themed movies I have left these out as being 'too obvious'.

For reasons of brevity I have also not included fully animated movies in this list, so the likes of Fantasia, Sword in the Stone and even The Illusionist (Sylvian Chomet's 2010 film) are not considered.

I've also ignored television series, such as The Magician (Bill Bixby trained by Mark Wilson), Jonathan Creek, the quirky 1970's TV series Ace of Wands as well as specific Colombo, Midsummer Murders, One Foot in the Grave episodes that were based around magic and magicians.

So this brings us to a quick round-up of some of the best of the magician-in-the-movies films I am aware of. Starting with those just outside the Top Ten - not because of any lack of quality, just because they are a little peripheral to the main list.

Passport to Pimlico (1949) directed by Henry Cornelius and featuring great performances from Stanley Holloway and Margaret Rutherford. This great Ealing comedy contains a sequence on the tube train where magician of the day The Great Masoni, drops his case allowing his doves to escape adding to the surreal nature of the comic moment.

Dead of Night (1945) directed by Alberto Cavancanti is a superb Ealing portmanteau horror movie which contained a series of stories about a dream told by a guest arriving at remote farmhouse. The film is said to have influenced cosmologists Hoyle, Gold and Bondi to develop the 'steady state theory'. They were inspired by the circular nature of the films narrative. However the movie contains a story about a ventriloquist and a less than charming dummy. Ventriloquism is related to the magical arts, hence its inclusion here. The story is the forerunner of one that is actually in the list, Magic, starring Anthony Hopkins.

Thirty Nine Steps (1939) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The original and perhaps greatest version of this film the climax of which is takes place as in a theatre where a 'memory man' is performing. The Memory Act can be considered as a subset of the magical art of Mentalism. The great magician Harry Lorraine is world famous not only for his 'magic' act but also for his contribution to the training and development of the human memory.

The Raven (1963) directed by Roger Corman sees the great Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff as medieval magicians involved a magical duel. This fun, camp and colourful movie loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem The Raven, is not the greatest example of the Corman-Price collection, but is great fun.

Night of the Demon (1957) Jaques Tourneur. This great movie is an adaptation of M R James' story "Casting the Runes". Starring Dana Andrews as a sceptical psychologist 'cursed' by the Faustian looking magician and 'cult' leader Julian Karswell (Nial MacGinnis). In one sequence Karswell dressed as Dr Bobo performs magic at a children's party. The conversation which then ensues between the psychologist and the magician holds within it a host of performance frames and ideas for budding bizarrists out there!. Tourneur apparently never wanted the audience to 'see' the demon. I many ways I wish he had had his way. The film would be even creepier and scarier if the terror was left to the imagination - again bizarre magicians take note!

The Magician (1958) directed by Ingmar Bergman. The only reason that film is outside the top ten is because of the possibility of being considered as being 'pretentious' if it is placed where I think it belongs - in the top 5 at least! Max von Sydow plays a travelling magician and 'magnetic-healer' (harkening back to the days of Mesmer) caught up in a tale about prejudice, honesty, the class system and..... well the whole thing is multilayered. Sydow is brilliant, he rarely speaks, and Bergman's visuals are great. The film has been called a 'thinking mans horror movie/. It is creepy surreal and brilliantly acted and directed.

The Great Buck Howard (2008) directed by Sean McGinly is built around John Malkovich's character who is in turn based upon the mentalist Kreskin.

Next (2007) directed by Lee Tamahori sees Nicholas Cage as a man who can see a few minutes into the future and disguises his gift by working as a lounge magician. Cage is seen as another kind of 'magician' in the fantasy movie The Sorcerers Apprentice (2010 directed by Jon Turtletaub) which makes direct references to the Disney Sorcerers Apprentice in Fantasia.

Magic Man (2010) directed by Roscoe Lever stars Billy Zane who plays Darius, the Magic Man of the title. Billed as a thriller, this movie hasn't received the best of reviews. As I've not seen it yet I can't comment - but maybe a future review of this list may see it included.

So onto the Top Ten

10. Excelsior Prince of Magicians 1901 directed by Georges Melies. This pioneer of film making was a magician before turning his hand to cine-magic. He produced many short films of which this is only one, but many of which featured movie versions of stage tricks that magicians would love to be able to actually do. He was one of the first film makers to feature stop frame, time lapse and multiple exposures. He also hand painted many of the black and white films he shot. A true innovator.

9. The Grim Game 1919 directed by Irvin Wilat. Not the greatest of movies to watch, but from a magician's point of view a must. It featured Harry Houdini in the title role showcasing his feats of escapology. Houdini, not only a great magician but a great entrepreneur embraced early cinema but to be quite honest he made little lasting contribution to cinematic art. In some ways, perhaps, Melies earlier 'trick photography' lessened some of the dramatic impact Houdini's live performances will have had.

8. Lord of Illusions (1995) directed by Clive Barker and based on his novel of the same name. This film is notable for its magical references. Not only does the 'evil' lead character Nix have supernatural powers, but his disciples have them. One of his disciples, Swann, after Nix's early demise (prior to his later resurrection) uses his magical powers to become a popular illusionist. The staged magic sequences are well done, there is a cameo appearance by the great Billy McCombe and the Magic Castle is represented as a place of secrets. The basic concept that 'magic is a dangerous reality' is a great theme for the Bizarre Magicians out there.

7. Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) directed by Martin Cambell, sees Detective, Harry Philip Lovecraft (played by Fred Ward) living in a 1940's Los Angeles where magic is common place. He is recruited by a rich man to find a lost book - yeap, you've got it... The Necronomicon! It's really a Bogart-esque film-noire with a magical flavour, of course by definition then there are magicians. It's witty, fun and full of Lovecraftian references. Unfortunately at the time of writing it, unlike its less sharp sequel (Witch Hunt) is not available for purchase on DVD.

Witch Hunt (1994) directed Paul Schrader. A sequel to Cast a Deadly Spell in which detective, H. Phillip Lovecraft played by Dennis Hopper combats the evils and corruption of a magic wielding senator. As a sequel not shoddy, but perhaps not quite as fun as the first movie.

6. The Great Kandinski (1995) directed by Terry Windsor. This 'made for TV' movie must be included in this list, not only for its charm and humour, but for its sensitivities. Richard Harris (whose work is admirable) plays a retired escapologist living in a nursing home. The story revolves around Kandiski's desire to 'chase one more secret' and do one 'final show'. The escape featured is Houdini's Water Torture cell, which is a testament to the iconic nature of that one illusion.

5. Nightmare Alley (1947) directed by Edmund Goulding. An impressive movie and perhaps one of the all time greatest examples of film noire. Tyrone Power plays a 'psychic con man' Stanton Carlyle whose trail of deceit and self deceit take from rags to riches to rags. Of course the magicians out there will immediately see a link to a performer who used to go out under the name Rinaldo, but was better known professionally and now to mentalists' world wide as Stanton Carlisle. (1928 - 1990). Stanton insisted, despite many good natured challenges, that that was his real name and was not influenced by the Goulding film.

4. House of Games (1978) directed by David Mamet. OK not really a magic film, but features a performance of one of my all time magic heroes, Ricky Jay. Ricky is one of a group of con-men in this Hitchcockesque thriller. Mamet, as always does a great job in capturing mood and the movie explores human motivations and behaviours. Ricky Jay is of course no stranger to the big screen, with roles in the Bond Movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, Magnolia, Buck Howard, The Prestige and many more. This, I believe however was his first venture onto the 'big screen'

3. Houdini (1953) directed by George Marshall with Tony Curtis in as Houdini. This movie does have a lot to answer for in that it creates some of the longer lasting myths about the life of the genuinely 'mythic' Houdini. His death on stage as a result of performing the 'water torture cell' is not fact, but the movie certainly hints at it. The 'brush with death' in a frozen river; the first performance of the 'straight jacket' at a Magicians Society dinner almost surely never happened - but the romance and innocence of the moment saves it. The magical advisor on this movie was Dunninger.

I suppose it is worth mentioning in passing that in 1998 there was a TV movie about Houdini (directed by Pen Denshem) and an earlier attempt at a biopic remake in 1976 with Paul Michael Glaser in the title role (directed for television by Melvile Shavelson). The movie Death Defying Acts (2007) directed by Gillian Armstrong focuses on Houdini's documented interest in mediums and psychics and he is really the vehicle through which another story can be told.

2. Magic (1978) directed by Richard Attenborough and staring Anthony Hopkins. In the film Hopkins' character starts out as a magician, but sees success as a ventriloquist. The movie charts the fall into insanity as the relationship Hopkins has with his dummy 'Fats'. It's a classic movie with some of the creepier overtones being softened by, what some claim to be, slower sequences of sentimentality.

1. The Illusionist (2006) directed by Neil Burger and staring Ed Norton. The pace and the feel of this film is wonderful. It is a love story with some great performances from a superb cast. The magical advice came from Ricky Jay and Michael Webber. Norton as Eisenhiem is the ideal stage magician. The cinematography is brilliant, the plot nicely involved and with, perhaps a few surprises.

1. The Prestige (2006) directed by Christopher Nolan. Whilst The Illusionist is sumptuous and engaging and at its core 'hopeful' and 'romantic', The Prestige is darker and deals with revenge, envy and competitiveness. Great performances from Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as the feuding magicians each with a 'secret' and a narrative that is non-linear make the film engaging and well worth the little effort you need to keep up with the tangled web of intrigue. The 'prestige', the finale of the film, contains revelations that may surprise. Intelligent scripting brings the emotional tension to life and the rich magical references (Chung Ling Soo, The Bullet Catch, The Water Torture) make this film a must for magicians. Ricky Jay appears as an established stage performer and Michael Caine is great as the illusion builder - although I would never ask him to build me a vanishing bird cage!

I really can't separate these two films in terms of quality of acting, direction and story so they share first place billing with the less serious....

Magicians (2007) actually deserves a Gold Star in this list. Directed by Andrew O Connor and with script written in collaboration with David Britland, Andy Nyman and Anthony Owen and others this is a magical tour de force. Opting for a comic look at the world of the conjuror, Magicians, sees Mitchell and Webb rattle through some great one-liners; pay homage to some key magicians and have a real knock at some of the oddness that is part and parcel of the magic scene. The great Pat Page makes an appearance, and most of the magic 'stalls' at the magic convention hosting the competition at the centre of the films plot were provided by well known magic dealers.

Photo Book Ideas - An Autumn Book

Get Your Photographs:

When your goal is to put a photo book together, your fist goal should be, of course, to gather a lot of photographs together. Try to get in the habit of taking your camera with you wherever you go, because you never know when a quintessential fall moment will appear. Those ragamuffins selling pumpkins in from of the store, squinting in the crisp autumn sun? The tree at the park whose leaves have suddenly exploded into bright orange? Those crazy Halloween costumes that you want to remember forever? These are the moments that you want to be prepared for. You will find that the more you have your camera on you and at the ready, the more you begin to have the mindset of a photographer. In other words, the more you look, the more you'll see.

When you are taking your photos, don't simply take one and move on. The advent of digital photography has enabled all of us to snap away without fear that we are wasting any film. The more shots you take the better chance you have of getting a great one where the subject, the lighting, and the composition all come together.

Get Some Words Too:

Just as you take your camera with you everywhere, you should also get in the habit of keeping a small notebook in your pocket. Photo books work great with bits of text interspersed, whether they come in the form of captions or in small essays or quotes. If you are a writer at all you will relish this part of the project. If not, you can look around for quotes that have to do with autumn, have some friends or family members contribute some thoughts about the photos they are in, or simply stick to captions and short explanations.

Arranging and Design:

If you do not have Photoshop, take a look around for a similar program so you can do at least some basic photo editing. You can do a lot of great things with photos with such simple tricks as cropping and adjusting the brightness and contrast. Of course, the better you are at these type of programs the more you can do. It might be worth your while to look around online for a tutorial if you have the time and inclination.

As far as layout, there are free templates available online if you don't have access to programs like PageMaker or Indesign. Whichever route you choose to go, give some consideration to the flow of your book. Do you want it to be chronological or more thematic? Let your creativity be your guide, and be sure to use some blocks of text to keep things flowing along and to provide context if necessary.

Printing and Binding:

Use the best color printing method that you can get your hands on. When it comes to binding, you will either want to see what your local print shop has to offer as far as hardcover options, send it all away somewhere, or pick up your own binding machine. These machines can be had for remarkably little money, are dead simple to use, and offer the speed and flexibility to make whatever books you want to make whenever you want to make them.

Wedding Photography on DVD

More wedding photographers today are providing full resolution and custom retouched JPEGs on DVD with full copyright release. But is getting your precious wedding images on DVDs such a great idea?

Some people, including a few professional photographers, believe DVDs may only hold data for up to 8 to 10 years at best. This is probably pretty accurate for most standard consumer grade DVDs. However, for archiving important files, gold archival DVDs are available which may keep precious photographs and other files archived over 100 years. You may find suppliers of gold archival DVDs by simply searching with this phrase in all the popular search engines. As of time of this writing, gold archival DVDs cost around $2.50 each. It is also good to know that there are blu-ray discs for high definition wedding videos which may expect to hold the video for over 200 years as well. To those photographers who are not so sure whether Gold Archival DVDs will keep wedding photos for so many decades, I remind them, gold is inert and does not oxidize. At minimum, it is reasonable to expect and believe 24 karat gold enveloped in a scratch resistant coating must be more archival than the conventional photo paper and chemical process which puts a wedding image on top of a sheet of paper! Yet, there are some photographers who want brides to believe the chemical process of putting an image on top of a sheet of conventional photo paper is more archival than 24 karat gold and which has been enveloped in a scratch resistant coating!

Brides who retain a professional wedding photographer who will provide her wedding images on DVDs might want to make sure the photographer uses gold archival DVDs. Some pro photographers, including myself, will provide on gold archival DVDs at a slightly higher cost. Brides who prefer not to pay the higher cost for gold archival DVDs know they will just be using the standard DVDs as a medium through which to acquire their wedding images for archiving on electronic storage media in its various forms. The DVD is simply a temporary portable means of sharing those images with others to copy and print.

DVD technology is therefore not a problem. But the concept of providing professional wedding photography with full resolution, custom retouched and full copyright released JPEGs on DVDs is the basis of a non-traditional business model for the wedding photographer. How does this new and growing "DVD wedding photographer" business model compare to the traditional "album package wedding photographer" model?

First thing you will notice which distinguishes these two photographers is the DVD wedding photographer does not contractually obligate the customer to a wedding album at time of signing the wedding contract. The DVD photographer prefers to allow the customer to first view their wedding photographs. Once the client has viewed her photographs, selected her favorite horizontal, vertical and various sizes, it can be more easily determined the wedding album the bride will actually need which best fits her particular needs and taste. Album package photographers on the other hand must obligate the bride to some pre-designed album package before the bride has seen any photography at all. While this makes business sense and must be required by the album package photographer, it is purely in the self-interest of the photographer and shows no concern for the best interest of the bride.

The second most distinguishing difference is that from the DVD wedding photographer the bride simply receives the valuable DVD of full resolution, custom retouched and full copyright released images. This benefit is not even on the table with album package photographers. And what a list of practical benefits the wedding DVD provides to the bride!

1. Cropping, retouching, photo tilting, blowing-up and other creative photo manipulation and control as she desires for her photographs and album(s).

2. If her photographer retires, moves out of state, passes away, goes out of business, suffers a business catastrophe or whatever, the bride has her wedding images! She has them!

3. If the bride's wedding album gets lost, damaged or stolen, she can always easily have another new album created since she has her wedding DVD.

4. She does not have to pay the photographer a middle man fee to have prints made. She may send her photos from her DVD to her favorite online or local photo lab for printing at direct lab prices. Of course, we all know that album package photographers sure can have a middle man fee tacked on print and album prices!

5. Most, though not all, album package photographers require the bride and groom to place their album order within 30 to 60 days after the wedding date. This can often be an inconvenience for the new couple just starting and who have arrangements to make to get their new life together organized. Some photographers will rush the bride and groom through this process and that really isn't the best way to make sure the bride receives a wedding album she is going to love. The DVD photographer does not require the purchase of a wedding album. If the bride wants to order one from her DVD photographer, she may do so at her convenience, on her schedule when she is ready. She may order an album if she chooses from any one of the dozens of online album services. It is her decision to do what she believes is best.

6. Depending on the wedding contract, with the DVD wedding photographer, the bride does not have to pay for an album which she may lose if she has to cancel her original wedding date. The only nonrefundable fee to the DVD wedding photographer is the booking retainer for the date. Any and all other money paid on the contract to a DVD photographer is refundable in the event the wedding date is canceled or rescheduled.

There are other differences inherent between DVD wedding photographers and album package wedding photographers but those differences vary in how both types of photographers choose to treat those issues in both their policies and contracts. That is beyond the scope of this article for me to address.

The reluctance of so many album package photographers today to accept the DVD photographer business model reminds me of the same reluctance to switch to digital photography from film. So many album package photographers were film photographers originally. It took many of them years before making the switch to the digital camera. Now that most of them have switched to digital photography, they still have this age-long industry mentality of placing their profits largely on the photographic prints and albums they sell. In this case, they want to keep the "digital negatives" and full copyright ownership and charge an arm and a leg for photographs and albums. But this old pricing philosophy does not take into account the inherent differences between digital photography and film photography as the benefits of each relates to the consumer and even to the professional photographer.

There are a lot of reasons why album package photographers still hold to the old business model. I'm not sure but I think it is mostly due to photo labs and album companies which are constantly providing programs and incentives to keep photographers thinking in terms of placing their profit on photographs and albums. Otherwise, there would be a dramatic decrease in business for photo labs and professional album companies. So photo labs and album companies have a lot of reasons to keep photographers thinking in terms of placing large profits on prints and albums.

But when it comes to digital photography, there are a growing number of photographers who feel that we can provide better and more efficient services and products to our customers through a different business approach. Instead of pricing photographic prints and albums at high enough prices to collect our necessary profits, we instead price our wedding photography skills and full resolution and custom retouched JPEGs at prices to collect our necessary profits. Unlike film negatives which were useful only for printing photos from, our JPEGs are immediately viewable and enjoyable "as is" right out of our cameras. Since wedding photography customers may use JPEGs in a wide variety of ways to include digital magazine style wedding albums and very sophisticated slide shows set to music, our "digital negatives" are in fact a more marketable or desirable photographic product than what photographs and wedding albums use to be. With all of today's digital devices including large 50" plus plasma monitors, being able to view one's wedding day images as a sophisticated slide show set to music IS very often more enjoyable to modern brides than flipping through photos in a small book.

When it comes to pricing our photo quality images, there are a few basic approaches. First, the larger the JPEG, the greater the price per JPEG. Secondly, some photographers sell their photo quality JPEGs in quantity discounts. The more photo quality JPEGs a bride purchases, the lower the price per JPEG. Also some photographers do not provide a full copyright release and they definitely will not transfer copyright ownership under any circumstances. But some do and at a hefty profit and then only after a certain minimum number of JPEGs have also been purchased. The idea behind this pricing approach: We as professional digital photographers are selling our actual work; we are selling what the vast majority of electronic media savvy customers really want to have - the digital negatives. Finally, we are still getting paid and handsomely for doing this!

Now, IF and when the customer wants to buy photographs and albums, she may do so anytime after her wedding day. She may still order photos and albums from her photographer or from any of the many labs and album companies online. The choice is hers.

This article is not by any means intended to persuade album package photographers to switch to the DVD wedding photographer business model. (I don't want the extra competition). I've simply hoped to explain why many of us have adopted this approach. I know this approach to operating a digital wedding photography business is NOT for everyone. Especially those photographers who feel they may lose money on the additional sales of photographs and albums if they give up full resolution images and copyright. That is a very good point in theory. And sometimes it is a practical fact. I've operated my business both ways over the years. For me, I personally feel the advantages to my customers and for my reputation far outweighs the loss of some extra income. Instead, I prefer to make more money serving more customers than trying to get larger sells from a single customer.

In conclusion, there are many benefits to both the digital photographer and to the bride when the photographer simply offers the full resolution and copyright released wedding images on DVDs to the bride.

Tips - Preparing for Your Photo Session

Since I often get asked about what to do to prepare for a photo session, I decided to come up with a tips list. Once I got started, I realized that my tips fell into two areas, grooming and clothing. I wound up with a top 10 tips list for each area. These tips are geared a bit more towards general portraiture (high school seniors, kids, families, couples, special occasions, etc.) since that's what I do more of.

10 Grooming Tips

As a general rule of thumb, you need to pay extra attention to makeup, hair, and grooming just before a photo session as you would be surprised at the tiny details that a photographer's camera picks up.

1. Less is usually more. When it comes to makeup, that is. You want to look natural and accentuate your positives while downplaying any problem areas. Be careful so makeup does not look "caked on" (can make retouching more difficult). Makeup (and hair) should "match" your outfits (e.g., daytime casual look vs. evening elegant look).

2. Beware of make-up problem areas. Eye liner and mascara can go awry after applied. Neither should be on your skin and mascara should not be clumpy. A q-tip with a dab of lotion is helpful in getting makeup that has smudged under your lower lash line. Another problem area - lipstick. Checking it and reapplying it or touching it up immediately before your pictures are taken is a must.

3. Hair - beware! Be careful with hair spray - you don't want your hair to look and feel like a sculpture - it should have movement yet with stray hairs under control. Stray and frizzy hairs can really stand out in photos taken with studio lights.

4. Professional makeup application? You may want to consider having your hair and/or makeup professionally done for your photo session. It may seem pricey, but your portraits each capture a moment in time and preserve it forever. You want to look your absolute best!

5. Pay attention to your hands! This goes for guys, too! Nails should be nicely filed, cuticles under control, no dirt or oil under nails, and no chipped nail polish. Attention to your hands is especially important if you work in a profession where your hands and nails get stained or pretty beat up. And, bare feet that will appear in your photos require the same attention as hands do.

6. Dry and flaky or oily and shiny skin? You'll need to get it under control for your photo session. Blotting paper and oil control powder can really help if your face tends to be very oily. Lotion or moisturizer is a must for dry skin that's exposed.

7. Don't stress over acne or blemishes! Efforts to cover some blemishes may only make them look worse. Go with a reasonable amount of cover-up coverage. A skilled photographer can zap most pimples and blemishes very quickly and easily, so don't get carried away trying to cover them up.

8. Inspect for unwanted hairs. Neck, hairline (to include sideburns and back of neck), nostril area, upper lip, ears, etc. So, have tweezers, trimmers, and a razor handy when you're getting yourself ready for your photo session! If you shave, trim, or get a haircut just prior to a portrait session, it is best to do so before taking a shower as you would be surprised how those tiny pieces of freshly cut hair stick to your skin and show up in close-up shots.

9. Temporary cosmetic problems. Black eyes, large bruises and cuts, and damaged teeth in photos can require a lot of extra attention (and more money for you) to retouch. Check with your photographer about any such problems as she may prefer that your appointment be rescheduled.

10. Permanent cosmetic problems. Birthmarks, scars, etc. Make sure to let your photographer know what you want retouched and what you do not.

Take a good close-up look at yourself in the mirror when you are finishing up with your preparations for your photo session.

10 Clothing Tips

What you wear for your photo session can make a big difference. There's that saying about how clothes make the person. Well, clothes can make, or break, a portrait.

1. Comfort. If you are not comfortable, that will likely show through in your portraits. Go with clothes you like and feel confident in that are also functional and comfortable. Also, keep in mind whether your session is indoors or outdoors. If outdoors, be aware of the weather conditions.

2. Show your style. Outfit changes are common during a portrait session, so bring a few outfits that show your different sides. For example, casual, dressy, and business.

3. Plain and dark.. Dark, plain, solid colors are preferred. Avoid distracting patterns (to include distinct lines and dots), designs, and logos. You typically don't want to go with things that are super bright or shiny. As for jewelry, simple and minimal yet that adds a nice accent to your look is best. The same holds true for hats and scarves. So, in summary, the portrait is to showcase you, not your clothes and accessories.

4. Long vs. short. Short sleeves and shorts can show off skin tones that vary on your body and that can be distracting which includes unevenly tanned areas. Let's face it, showing bare upper arms and legs is not flattering for many of us.

5. Quantity. Keep in mind tip # 2. Too many outfits, especially when compared to the length of your session, may overwhelm you and your photographer. Stopping for too many outfit changes, especially in a short amount of time, can be disruptive.

6. Whites. OK, rule # 3 says that dark solid clothes are preferred, but not always. White clothing can look fabulous for certain backgrounds and lighting. So, if your favorite outfit is white, just talk to your photographer in advance so the two of you will be prepared to turn this "rule breaker" into terrific shots!

7. Props. Do you play a musical instrument? Do you have a hobby or talent that involves art or photography? Are you actively involved in sports? Are you an animal lover? These all tell more about you. If you are interested in working such into your photo session, let your photographer know. Additions of related items to your poses can lead to some awesome, treasured shots!

8. Consider location. If you are doing an outdoor session in the woods, do you want your attire to fit the environment or do you want to create a strong, creative contrast (e.g., wearing formal wear out in the woods)? Regardless if your session is in a studio or outdoors or something in between, the location needs to be considered and you should discuss any concerns or ideas with your photographer. Also, if you are going to be shooting somewhere other than a studio, the availability of a private area to change clothes needs to be considered!

9. Timeless vs. trendy. In general, avoid items that are overly trendy as they may look great today, but you may later regret them in what would otherwise be treasured keepsake. However, if you want to go the route of something that is trendy for some fun shots, that's fine, just consider also posing with some outfits that are more classic and timeless.

10. Extras for kids' portraits. As a parent, I've always thought it's cute when little ones put on oversized clothes (daddy's tie, baseball cap, mommy's accessories). And, don't forget about a favorite stuffed animal, doll, or toy which can make the session more fun for the little ones (and make for some really cute portraits).

Things to Bring

Of course, bring the outfits you've selected for your session and don't forget matching shoes and accessories. If you're wearing makeup, bring what you need for touching up. A brush and comb, hairspray, and bobby pins may be helpful. And, to help with any touch ups required, q-tips, cotton balls, baby wipes, and tissues are examples of helpful items.

Conclusion

These are general rules and, especially in photography, rules can be broken. The key is to communicate with your photographer so you are both on the same page and can properly plan for your session which in turn will result in some awesome portraits!

Top 5 Tips to 'Break the Ice' During a Photo Shoot - Part 2

I have been approached by quite a few photographers and models expressing their concern about feeling nervous, edgy or uncomfortable during a photo shoot. The reasons for this might vary from one person to another, still, there are some practical things that would help if implemented in order for a photo shoot to run smoothly, be productive and why not, be more fun.

I would like to share with you these five helpful guides that I have found very practical during my work.

Meetings

In order for both of you to feel at ease, it would be ideal if you set a meeting before the actual shoot. The meeting can be formal such as discussing the photo shoot with the model at your studio. If you do not have such facilities, you can always opt for an informal meeting such as discussing the photo shoot at a caf矇. In so doing, this meeting would help to break the ice in order for you and the model to be more at ease with each other, towards a more effective photo shoot. Such meetings should be conducted in a professional way i.e. being polite, cordial and focused.

Music

A good way to start a photo shoot would be to put on some music in the background. This can be done both for outdoor or studio shooting. Ask the model beforehand what style of music she likes or any particular tracks that are her favourites. Many models find it much easier to pose with music in the background. As a photographer you can ask the model to dance if she feels more confident in doing so. That way you can shoot without having to direct poses for the first few minutes of the photo shoot. Some of my best photos have actually originated from these first few moments.

Refreshments

It would be a good idea to have some refreshments, coffee or tea and sweets available. These can turn out to be very helpful in those particular moments, when the model gets stuck or tensed up, especially during a long challenging session.

Cheerful Attitude

Needless to say having a couple of jokes up your sleeve to through around while you are shooting would definitely help and be much appreciated. Please do not over do it and make sure that the jokes are of good taste!

Support

It is important that you compliment your model all through the session. You should use words that enforce the good work that is being done from her side. Words such as 'great', 'wonderful', 'fantastic', 'brilliant' and 'awesome' would give the model more confidence and perform better. You should use general terms and at no time, should your comments be sexist or racist.

Together with my above tips you can invent other original ways and means towards creating a calm and relaxing environment for your photo shoot. It should be your primary target to break those barriers that inhibit both you, as a photographer, and the model from giving the best during a photo session.

Are you still finding it difficult to direct your models? It is imperative that you keep abreast and update your posing repertory so that you never get stuck behind a camera.

Compliment A Person's Abilities With Appreciative Words

The famous psychologist, Dr. George Crane, said, "Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good will on earth."

Psychologists want you to know that sincere compliments-appreciation, which is a form of love-mean as much to people as food, work, and the other essentials of normal, happy living. So here is one of your most important opportunities for gaining the good will that is necessary for a successful career, marriage, and for friendships, as well as the satisfaction that comes from being helpful.

Do you have a rich, well-chosen treasury of complimentary words to draw on? For the success of your compliments is limited by your vocabulary. If the only verbal bouquets that you can give are "nice" and "terrific," you are not doing an effective job of building good will for yourself, or satisfaction for others.

Everyone hungers for special recognition. That is why a written note is more appreciated than a printed greeting card. So instead of offering stereotyped compliments that sound like ten-cent greeting cards, bestow some of the specific and highly valued adjectives that you will find in the next three chapters. They will show that you are appreciative, that you have been moved to choose the special word for the particular person.

Psychologists and ministers tell us of the power of positive words for winning friends and success. So is it not logical that a vocabulary of expressive words of appreciation is of prime importance. Our language has many more words for describing bad traits than for describing good ones. So the best words of praise are actually verbal gems. Here is your chance to own many of these "success words" and in the words of an old popular song, "Accentuate the Positive."

THE SECRET OF FINDING SOMETHING TO COMPLIMENT IN PEOPLE

Will Rogers, America's beloved, homespun sage, said, "I never met a man I didn't like." What Rogers meant, of course, was that he found some admirable quality in every man he met.

We can find something to compliment in everyone if we adopt Will Rogers' sympathetic, positive attitude toward people. So develop the habit of looking for good points, not bad ones. You will find what you are looking for.

You will develop your complimenting ability faster if you try to appreciate and commend everyone, regardless of whether they can "do you any good." The fact is that every compliment you give does you some good, even if it only helps you to develop an attitude and a skill.

Ask yourself; what is commendable in the other person, in his abilities, character, personality, and appearance? Observe him alertly. Draw him out, about his work, his family, his home, and his pastimes.

Don't overlook a person's lesser attributes. A successful executive may be bored by the constant praise he receives for his business astuteness. Yet he may glow with pride when someone lauds his adeptness in amateur photography, or his debonair appearance.

You don't always have to find a direct compliment to give a person. When you say a good word to someone about his family, home, or hobby, you are indirectly complimenting him. Of course, the easiest way to show your admiration of a person is by asking his opinion. You might ask his opinion on something connected with his work (but not free advice), his hobby, the news, movies, books, etc.

THE POWER OF POSITIVE WORDS IN CONVERSATION

If you have studied these first three chapters faithfully, you will soon notice a marked improvement in your ability to get along with people, to win friends and good will. I mentioned earlier that the famous psychologist, Dr. George Crane, declared, "Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good will on earth." Now you possess a vocabulary of some of the most powerful words of appreciation in the English language.

But you will notice that you have improved not only your human relations vocabulary, but also your personality. Your philosophy of life has become more constructive. This is because you are absorbing, and we hope, using the power of positive words. From now on, make a special effort to add such words to your vocabulary.

You can use this great power of positive words in other ways, besides paying compliments. Use it to keep your conversation cheerful. Avoid talking about unsuccessful deals, sickness, and accidents. Talk about the constructive, optimistic, positive side of life.

Just what is this power of positive words in conversation? It is simply that people instinctively seek the pleasant, avoid the unpleasant. They have enough troubles of their own. When they talk to you, they are looking for a "lift." That is why the cheerful, appreciative person is more popular and more successful than the one who is always trying to sell us sadness and pessimism-the two things that we are never in the market for! This applies to both business and social conversation.

Whenever you speak, remember that you are painting a picture of yourself. Be sure the title isn't "Hard Luck" "Pessimism," or "Illness." Would you want a picture like that in your office or home?

Good Luck Party Supplies and themes

To make a really great Good Luck Party you'll need some really great party supplies and there are plenty out there to help decorate the party area and to keep the guests entertained. Most good luck parties are for those who are moving on to something new. They can be for high school and college graduates, retirees, new job seekers or even the newly married or the new small business. So there is a wide variations on the color schemes and decorations you can use for the party.

If it's for a college graduate think about mixing some graduation themed supplies in with the good luck banners and invitations. The color scheme can be just about anything for this party from elegant black to the school's colors. Mylar balloons with Good Luck and Congratulations Graduate on them are also great decorations. Don't forget to put up a few lucky charms like four leaf clover wall hangings and a horseshoe over the door.

If you are putting together a Good Luck party for someone who is retiring then you can focus on using a lot of gold, silver or the retiree's favorite colors. Blue and gold make good colors and they set each other off. Or you can look for retirement party themed plates with encouraging words on them. Don't forget the napkins, plates and tablecloths for the party and try to get them in a kit so they will coordinate with each other.

The Good Luck Party for a new small business may be held in the business itself. You'll want to bring such paper goods as mentioned previously to use at the party because they make for quick and easy clean-up and tablecloths in particular help to protect new furniture. Put up a customized good luck banner and go ahead an get good luck invitations to give to new potential clients or just to hand out to your co-workers. A flyer on the bulletin board at your small business will also alert people to the upcoming party.

Digital Photography - Advantages of Full-Frame Digital SLR

DSLR cameras are typically equipped with either an APS-C size sensor or a larger, full-frame sensor. Full-frame cameras are generally bulkier, more expensive and require larger, full-frame lenses. If you've been wondering what advantages a full-frame dSLR offers and whether the benefits justify the bulk and expense, this article will explore the strong points of full-frame sensors.

Nearly all 35mm film cameras were designed for a frame size of 24x36mm. There were a few quirky SLRs that used a different film size, and medium format SLR cameras used much larger 120mm film. Overall, however, the typical film SLR standardized on a frame size of 24x36mm.

The first dSLRs created a dilemma for camera-makers. It was difficult to build a sensor the size of a 35mm film frame. Availability of larger sensors was limited, and the quality of some early 35mm size frame sensors was questionable.

For this reason, dSLR makers adopted a sensor the size of the APS-C film frame, which measures 15.7x23.6mm. APS size sensors were simpler to make and while smaller, offered sufficient quality for most users.

By the time digital technology evolved to where it became practical to build reasonably priced full-frame cameras, APS dSLRs had become the standard. While the majority of dSLRs still use the APS size-sensor, full-frame cameras appeal to photographers for several reasons:

Image quality

Since an APS image will require more enlargement than a full-frame image to obtain a specific size, prints from a full-frame image will almost always be superior. For small photos, the difference is marginal, but 8x10 and larger prints are noticeably superior from a full-frame camera.

Improved Dynamic Range

Dynamic range refers to the ability of a camera to capture detail in both the shadows and the highlights. Manufacturers use different methods of processing images inside the camera, so it is difficult to compare dynamic range between brands. Overall, however, smaller sensors capture less dynamic range. This means prints from the full-frame dSLR have better tonal range.

Less Image Noise

Many photographers assume a manufacturer can cram any number of pixels into a sensor, so sensor-size is irrelevant to pixel count. In reality, sensor dimensions determine the size of the individual pixels. For a sensor of any given pixel depth (megapixel rating) full-frame sensors will contain larger photo-sites (pixels). Larger pixels collect more light, so there is less need to amplify the signal. Amplification translates into heat, which increases image noise. When you compare sensors of the same pixel count, a full-frame sensor will generally control image noise better than its APS cousin.

Availability of Wide Angle Optics

Cameras with an APS-C sensor are often referred to as "crop" cameras, because the smaller sensor captures a reduced portion of the image compared to a full frame sensor. In other words, an APS size sensor crops the image that a full-frame camera would deliver.

This magnifies the effective focal length of the lens. A 200mm lens on an APS-C camera will capture an image roughly equal to a 300mm telephoto on a full-frame dSLR.

At first this might seem to be a big advantage, and many wildlife and sports shooters choose crop cameras for this very reason. They get a longer focal length without the need to invest in super-telephoto optics.

Of course the focal length magnification applies to all lenses, so it becomes difficult to find suitable wide-angle lenses for an APS sensor camera. They can be had, but they are rare and expensive. Fast wide-angle primes are particularly hard to come by. So those who shoot landscapes, interiors or other wide-angle subjects will find a full-frame dSLR offers a major advantage.

Greater Selective Focus Options

Selective focus, the ability to isolate subjects from the background, is closely coupled to shallow depth of field. Although a number of elements affect overall DOF, selective focus increases as you get closer to your subject. Because the smaller sensor magnifies the image when compared to a full-frame camera, you have to move farther away to get the same composition.

The result of this is that for any given focal length, you will see less selective focus with an APS-C sensor, because you need to shoot from farther away to achieve the same image crop. Long telephoto lenses are capable of delivering nice selective-focus effects on an APS-C camera, but on the whole, you will achieve greater, more pleasing selective-focus with a full frame camera, particularly with shorter focal-lengths.

Ability to use lenses at their designed focal length

On a 35mm camera, a focal length of 35mm is considered a wide angle, while a "normal" lens has a focal length of 50-60mm. Telephotos start at around 85mm.

Because of the crop factor, a normal lens on a APS camera would have a focal length of 35mm, while a 50mm lens is equivalent to a 75mm lens. An extreme full-frame wide-angle of 16mm would only offer the view of a 24mm lens when coupled to the APS-C camera.

This might seem to be an exercise in semantics, but many photographers have favorite lenses, and are distressed that they cannot use them as they could on a film camera. This problem is compounded because they may not be able to find a suitable lens to give them the same effects on an APS-C camera. High-speed 50mm lens are quite common, but it is difficult to find a 35mm f/1.4 optic. In other words, very fast "normal" lenses are practically nonexistent for APS-C cameras.

Whether any of these factors are relevant to you will depend on your subject, your final application and your style of shooting. For many photographers, the APS-C sensor will provide all the quality and composition ability they need. For others, however, full-frame sensors offer superior images and special effects that cannot be duplicated with a smaller sensor.

What Acting Class Can Do for Kids

Some parents think about enrolling their kids in an acting class as a bad idea. What they often assume is that their children are just kids who just want to be seen on television and so letting their kids join in a class like this is just a waste of money. These classes teach children all the basics of acting. But what parents do not know is that there are more things that children learn with every acting session they attend. Actually, a lot of great skills are being learned by kids through classes in acting. They also learn things that are very essential for them to grow as well-rounded individuals. Some likewise offer free acting auditions with professional actors as judges.

Proper speaking is one of the skills that a first-rate acting class teaches to kids. The kids learn how to properly pronounce words, control the volume of their voice and elocution as well. The reading skills of kids are also built. Problems with regard to speaking can be worked through. Classes in acting can correct any speech problem of children and at the same time build their confidence to speak clearly. These likewise teach kids how to speak in front of many people and overcome their stage frights.

Acting classes also help children develop their memory skills. A large part of an actor's or actress' job is memorization and so the classes teach kids how to memorize. A lot of techniques and tips are taught to kids so they can easily and quickly memorize pieces and scripts. Children learn how to memorize things without even thinking about them. This skill that they can learn through acting classes can be very useful throughout their entire life.

Creativity has always been a part of these classes. The kids are encouraged to free their minds and improvise, act interesting parts and pretend. Anything goes in an acting class. The kids can make themselves look silly or they can be as serious as they desire. There is no such word as 'too creative' in such scenario. So, the kids can freely exercise their imaginations. The kids are actually encouraged to become more creative.

Turning kids into good actors or actresses is the goal of every good acting class. The kids are also taught of things that they will surely find to be useful as they grow up; things that cannot be bought by money. Becoming a part of free acting auditions being offered by some these classes will surely give great experience for kids.

Film Video Training In Film Schools and Colleges Online

As the title suggest what must one look for at an institute of film studies. Obviously, an agenda of film making, theory and practicals that would enhance the course of study along with a degree. Traditional Film Schools are not always affordable and also have certain limitations pertaining to cost, time, distance and other geographical problems. So what if working professionals with an existing job want to learn and acquire a film making degree? The answer is simple, they can log into Online Film Schools and video training programs and get themselves a degree with all the subjects and specializations that an otherwise classroom course would have given in a lot less cost boundary. Online learning is a kind of course which requires usage of internet as a must, and also the presence of a webcam, headphones and mic should be prevalent because the mode of teaching is usually web conference or seminar based.

Things to know

Film Schools online can be considered genuine because there are a lot of universities in and around the world who offer distinctive as well as basic courses online. You can always search certain websites which provide a lot of info regarding these online colleges and their mode of study, you must be aware of the terms and conditions and also check if the degree is recognized or not. Usually it is, because there are famous Film Colleges in L.A, Illinois, Indiana, California, Philadelphia, Miami, Houston, New York and a lot more which offer authentic courses though online in film making and film studies.

Distance learning has become one of the most feasible tools to acquire knowledge from good universities, despite the locale where you live in. Film Schools in the paradigm of online studies have been helpful and has far reaching effects especially for professionals who have a fixed time schedule. You can take up online courses at your time schedule, and since you can avail it from home it wouldn't be much of a difficulty.

Networking is something that you shall be offered in the course of study at Film Schools as you shall be exposed to a student's hub where you can interact.

You must have Skype or other such video conferencing tools kept handy because seminar based studies, be it film or any other form, has to have some basic amenities. Online Film Schools require a lot of practical work too, and you have to have access to the internet regularly and should be able to use it easily.

Next, you will have to send your edited footage, raw stills etc, just like it would have been in traditional courses.

You shall be taught subjects like cinematography, scrip writing, direction, production design, post production work, editing, light, storyboard, theories on film studies, genres of film making, special effects, producing etc. It is up to you to decide your specialization.

You shall get your course material once you have commenced classes. Each online course has separate rules and curriculum based on the same subjects so choose in your preference.

7 Best Online Institutions For Photography That Can Change Your Career

Online institutions for photography are great options for professional and amateur photographers who want to improve their photography skills. Compared to the conventional photography institutions, online schools have various benefits from lower fee structure to efficient time utilization. Our busy schedule today, does not allow everyone to regularly attend a regular classroom program but it is easy for anyone to regularly attend an online photography course. Since the materials can be downloaded and learnt at your own convenience, you can learn during your spare time and weekends.

7 best online institutions that you should consider are:

1. AS in Digital Photography, International Academy of Design and Technology- For photography beginners, this is probably the best online course because it covers a large range of topics from composition to lighting techniques at a beginner level.

2. Photojournalism Program, Boston University- Boston University is a renowned university in United States. When the university officials realized the potential of internet as a great resource for educating students, they came up with a number of fascinating online courses and their department of photography is one among them. The faculty includes professional photographers who have won several prestigious awards and worked with prestigious institutions.

3. BFA in Visual Communication, American Intercontinental University- BFA program from AIU is dealing with the artistic side of photography. However, this program also provides very good insight to various photography equipment, photography techniques and the scientific aspects of photography.

4. BFA in Photography, Pratt Institute- The photography program from Pratt Institute covers various aspects of photography including the history, color and studio lighting. The program has eight semesters.

5. BFA in Photography, Savannah College of Arts and Design- If you are photographer with a strong passion for art, this program works best for you. The introductory classes include drawing and painting sessions to provide you a better insight to colors. MFA in Photography, Savannah College of Arts and Design is one of the best courses for professional photographers and students who want to learn the commercial aspects of photography. The MFA program covers marketing and sales as well as digital photography.

6. BFA in Photography, Academy of Art- The San Francisco based institute is well known for their cutting edge art courses and this course is no exception. You will learn about working with clients, organizing portfolios, studio tools and lighting. They also offer an MFA program.

7. Visual Journalism, Brooks Institute- The Visual Journalism program from Brooks is the best option for those who are looking for a specialized photography degree. Be it fashion, advertising or industrial photography, the institute has tailor made courses that suits you the best. This course can be the best choice for amateur photographers who want to learn about a particular niche and for professionals who are planning to expand their career to one more niche.

There is no doubt that these schools have at least one course to offer that will be quite appropriate for you.

Photographing Groups - A Professional Photographer's Guidelines For Taking Great Group Portraits

Photographing groups of any size can be challenging, but using the correct posing and lighting approaches can produce a winning image.

The more people you have in the photo, the smaller they appear, and the harder it is to see the individual faces. Ideally, you want to fill the camera frame with people both vertically and horizontally, and this is achieved with thoughtful positioning of the subjects. By doing this you can get closer to them and they appear larger and easier to see in the photos.

The first thing in any group is to have people stand at a 45-degree angle to the lens, rather than shoulder-to-shoulder facing the camera. This does several things. It allows you to get your subjects closer together, they appear slimmer, and it’s more professional-looking. And don’t have them all facing the same way unless they’re a ’60s Motown group. Better to have them turned toward center on both sides.

Small groups of three to eight can be taken standing together to produce a pleasing picture. They will fill the camera frame from top to bottom and side to side nicely.

Left to pose for a picture without direction from the photographer, a large group of subjects will usually stand shoulder to shoulder in a long line. This produces a photo with small people and excess space at the top and bottom of the frame.

Any group larger than eight or so should be positioned in levels, either by having some people in front sitting on chairs, or in back standing on steps. I like to have somewhere around 35-40% of the group in chairs and the rest standing behind, as this fills the frame better than an equal number of seated and standing subjects. Alternatively, you can have the first row standing in front and the second row on a step behind. Try to keep your rows close together, and try to position them so the people in the back row are standing between the two people in front of them, not directly behind them and hidden from camera view. A good way to check this is to ask each subject in back to make sure that they can see the camera with both eyes, thus ensuring that you’re not photographing just part of their head.

For a group of around 25, a good posing scheme would be some people on chairs, some standing behind, and some seated on the ground in front. Alternatively, you can have a second row standing on a step a level above those standing behind the chairs. The point is to fill the picture both side to side AND top to bottom.

The larger the group becomes, the more imperative it is that you find stairs to put your subjects on. Estimate how many rows you have to make in order to fill the frame top to bottom and side to side. The best approach is to have the subjects line up according to height. Start the bottom row with the shorter people, and end the top row with the tallest. This keeps a taller person from blocking a shorter one behind them. Subjects seated in bleachers or stadium-style seating is also very popular in schools and sporting venues, and can produce good results. You can follow the same principle as positioning on stairs.

If stairs or bleachers are not available, you have another option: setting the camera at an elevation above the crowd and shooting from above. This can be accomplished by using a ladder to get slightly above a small group, or a rooftop or balcony for a large group. Everyone can just look up, but you may still have to position people so taller subjects are to the rear of the shot.

Having someone to assist the photographer in positioning larger groups is extremely valuable. Only from dead-on camera position, that is, looking through the viewfinder, can you judge whether a face in the crowd will be fully visible or partly or totally blocked. Having an assistant position subjects while the photographer looks through the camera saves a lot of time and footwork.

The easy way to light is to just have everyone looking toward the sun, but the results can be disappointing. Your subjects will be squinting, they will have shadows under their eyes, and if it is hot they will be uncomfortable. The preferred method is to have the subjects’ backs to the sun, and to use flash to illuminate them. For a small single-row group, you can use your camera mounted flash. Multiple row groups will need a flash mounted on a camera bracket or light stand. This is to prevent shadows being thrown onto the people standing in the back rows. Large groups will need multiple flash units on tall stands. You can trigger them with remote receivers from your camera-mounted transmitter. Three flash units work well, one on the left, one on the right, and one next to the camera. And make sure they are high enough so they don’t produce shadows on the faces in the back rows.

You’ll also need a good lens hood to block the sunlight from hitting the lens and producing a flare. If the sun is low or you’re shooting directly into the sun, you may also need to position something above the camera to block the sunlight, and throw a shadow on the camera lens. This can be done with something as simple as a piece of cardboard or a magazine, or even an umbrella. There are also professional devices you can buy.

A good example of all the above guidelines being applied to a group portrait can be seen here:
[http://www.ambiencephoto.com/event9.html]

Finally, make sure you have everyone’s attention when you’re about to take the photos. Remind them to make sure they can see you with both eyes, and to Smile!

A Travel Blog is the Best Way to Record Your Vacation Travel

If you're wondering what a blog is, the word blog is an abbreviation for 'web log'. It is simply an Internet diary, or log, of your thoughts and daily activities. Most people take their laptop with them on vacation so that they are able check their emails and send messages. It is therefore simple to set up a travel blog on your laptop before you go, and to update it as you travel.

We find that it is not always possible or convenient to get access to the Internet when we are travelling. We take brief notes of the places we visit and the things that interest us each day so that we don't forget anything when we are transferring our experiences to our blog. It saves time and head scratching when we are trying to remember what we did a couple of days earlier.

We kept a travel blog when we were in Britain last Summer and we found it was the best way to record our experiences. Now we have a complete, day by day, record of our holiday with corresponding photos. It is a permanent record of our trip that we can refer to any time. Far better than dim memories of what we did and fading photos in an old album.

One of the advantages of a travel blog is that it allows your family and friends to follow your blogs and to keep up to date with your travels. We were surprised how many of our friends followed our blogs and sent comments and questions about our experiences.

Perhaps I should explain that your most recent entry appears on top of your blog, with previous days entries under it. In other words, the last entry is first. When we came home we simply reversed the order so that we are now able to read about our trip starting at day one and going on from there. This is a great way to keep lasting memories of a magic holiday trip.

The Manifestation of the Human Aura With Aura Photography

Aura photography is a technique that enables us to capture the aura of a human being and represent visually the bio energetic state of the person. Every living thing has an energy field that envelops its body and protects it from negative vibrations. This energy or aura manifests the existence of the person or living thing and it is connected to the universal cosmic energy. It is also considered as the light of God or a divine illumination that emanates from within the body and spreads around it.

Aura Cameras: The visual representation of the aura or bio energetic state is produced with the help of an aura camera. Galvanic skin response, skin temperature and biofeedback are measured by the camera and this information is converted into digital displays with the help of a computer interface. This depiction is the visual representation of the human aura which has seven layers in the seven colors of the rainbow. These layers occur in the form of a mist. Each color has a different meaning and a different frequency of vibration. Moreover, there are seven vortices or Chakras along the spinal cord, each one controlling emotions, organs and hormones.

Some machines used for aura photography also run live so that the participants can see the variations in their bio energetic states from one moment to the other. Alternatively, aura photography can also be done through the Polaroid system that only gives still pictures. The aura system makes it possible to display how products or services used during the session affect a person. This aura imaging system can also print extensive reports of the outcome of the session. This is possible only if the aura camera can interface with the computer. Detailed bio energy information can be printed either in the form of a simple postcard-size photo or in multi-page documents.

How To Get Your Bio Feedback Data: The Internet is a great source to procure any conceivable product or service. If you browse different websites you will find that some of them offer aura photography through their aura video station. A bio sensor is used to measure the bio feedback data. The temperature and the electrical conductivity of the skin provide the basis of this data which is then analyzed and processed. It is then correlated with the standard emotional energy norms and displayed as the aura image on the computer screen. This image signifies the personality traits, energy quotient, bio-energetic field and the emotional-energetic state of the participant.

Improving Sales With This Technology: The aura photography technique can help to increase your business by increasing the number of clients and retaining your existing customers. Apart from improving your client base, it will also increase your client-satisfaction level. This can be done by displaying the improvement of their bio energy data live on the computer screen with the use of your products and services. The impact of your products or services would be apparent to your customer with the help of this visual tool. Your client base will automatically increase with this technique. You can also give aura sessions to individuals and provide them with printed reports thereby turning it into an additional source of income.

How to Take Great Digital Pictures - Tips and Suggestions for a Better Photography Skill

Photography is such a great interest to pursue and although there are a lot of people who can take pictures very well, you can actually learn how to take great digital pictures and make money from it. Of course, aside from being an interesting skill to learn, it can also be a profitable venture to make money.

Whether you are new to digital photography or you want to improve your skills in learning how to take great digital pictures, here are a few tips and suggestions that you might find useful.

- Learn how to avoid red-eye in your photos. Red-eyes of your subject is one of the common mistakes in digital photography and it is important to understand that you can in fact avoid this mistake by learning some tips and techniques. To avoid red eye, do not use your flash always. However, if the lighting is not enough and you need to use the flash, you can however use your flash but you can use the red-eye reduction mode of your camera. If your camera does not have this function, you can also instruct your subject not to look directly into the camera lens.

- Establish your main focus. In a good photo, you have to have a focus or the subject of your photograph where your viewer's eyes can rest or settle. Avoid distractions and make sure also that your background does not take away the attention from your focus. Use plain background as possible if you want to set your focus.

- Avoid too much light or too little light in your photos. Underexposure or overexposure is also another problem in digital photography. To avoid having too much light and less light on your photography, take time to set up your shot. This way, you will be able to determine how much light you need and whether you have enough or too little. Keep in mind as well that light from behind the subject can also silhouette them. Bright light can also lessen the details of your subject, thus take this into consideration if you want details of your subject.

- Make sure that you also get down to the level of your subject. If you are shooting a dog or a kid, or someone who is kneeling or sitting down, you may want to get down on their eye level to capture the emotions of their eyes. Of course there are exceptions, such as if you want to make your subject look taller or shorter, but generally, make sure you are shooting at the level of the eyes great digital pictures

These are just a few of the important tips that you have to keep in mind on how to take great digital pictures. Remember that photography can actually be learned and of course, a little patience can help a lot in boosting your photography skills.

Getting Started In Photography

Doing photography as a living is a dream for many and a reality for a few. Photography is a highly competitive field that is constantly changing and requires dedication and constant study to stay current.

Photography is one of those fields you can starve for a long time before getting established and, once you finally get there, you discover a constant stream of low-cost competitors trying to chisel away at your business. That constant background of new people trying to bite off a share of your market at a discount never goes away. It is a permanent background reality, ready to trip up your business at the most inopportune times.

One aspect that makes photography interesting as a profession is that it's usually fairly easy to get your foot in the door and get some work. Since you don't have anything else to do but market yourself, getting those first few jobs is relatively easy. That early success can lure many into a false sense of security. Hey, this is easy! Not really.

What happens after that first blush of success is that you have to get legal with a business license, insurance and taxes; on top of that may be studio rental and other expenses. Now there's more to do than just marketing yourself and you have bills to pay.

If you don't plan for overhead, it has a tendency to spring itself upon you both inconveniently and overwhelmingly. There's a reason that three years after opening their doors, the vast majority of photographers are in another line of work. Most often the early casualties are related to neglecting overhead and failing to obtain liability insurance.

Making it past those early critical few months is the first big hurdle, getting to the next level will involve finding ways to market yourself both effectively and continuously. Marketing is probably the biggest ongoing challenge faced by professional photographers. The need to focus on paying work, balanced by the need promote yourself and answer questions from potential customers.

Getting to the point your photography business pays a living wage is a challenge all by itself. Once you get there, you'll discover it's a fantastic amount of work to stay there. Days that stretch to 12 and 15 hours are not unusual. Sole proprietorships are some of the most difficult businesses to navigate successfully.

Hopefully this does not dissuade anyone from pursuing their dreams, just be aware that the dream of being a professional photographer will require more work and dedication than you may realize right now.