Passion! The Irrepressible Drive to Accomplish an Undeniable Dream

There are only two kinds of people. Folders and crumplers. Funny, but true. Really though, employers and employees. Countless people have wonderful jobs, which they love and find both financially and emotionally rewarding, with a sense of security. This writing is for those who are not as fortunate and/or hunger to make their mark; to find and work their passion and master their destiny.

How do you connect with the following?

"A steady salary is an invitation to mediocrity."

--Anonymous

"When you don't have an education,

you've got to use your brains. "--Anonymous

"If you put a small value upon yourself, rest assured

that the world will not raise your price."-Anonymous

"The whole world steps aside for the person

who knows where he or she is going."-Anonymous

Great minds have purposes, others have wishes."

--Washington Irving

Don't tell me that worry doesn't do any good. I know better. The things I worry about don't happen."

--Anonymous

Why do you work where you do? Money, prestige, benefits, security? Are you really doing what you love? Is it a job or a career? Are you feeling trapped ... too busy earning a living to live your dreams? Too busy to even think about it?

Leo Tolstoi said... "Everyone thinks about changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves".

Surely you know people who seem to be spinning their wheels, in and out of a new venture every day. They hope the intensity of their action, as a passion, in and of itself, will make up for the lack of a distinct passion and the specialized knowledge (N. Hill) required to achieve it.

Ultimately, specialized knowledge must be a component of any success.

Would you get into your car with no destination in mind?

It's the difference between wandering on a path, hoping every side road leads to a pot of gold, versus marching smartly to a clear and absolute destination. The mixed bag of knowledge gained stumbling along is not a realistic plan. In fact it is clearly not a plan, as a plan by virtue of its meaning demands a goal. No plan is not a plan. It's an explanation at best, a defense at worst.

For many years, I was in the closeout business. I bought and sold just about anything and everything. The problem with closeouts was; if the item(s) was a good one, there was never enough. If the item was a loser, one was too many. It was a feast or famine living, always searching for the next colossal, get rich quick deal. But I wasn't building a business. However with each deal I made new contacts, and learned new trade jargon and success techniques.

I also learned there is a reason for every closeout and it needs to be searched out, lest you buy a defective, unusable item or batch of merchandise. I got stuck with a few of those. Like dried out felt tip pens. I learned to do my homework, (Research the market; test the product).

Eventually I concentrated on one business that presented a huge variety and supply of off price items; due to over production and disparate pricing opportunities, inherent in that industry. In this field I became the largest closeout distributor in the states. And a millionaire.

Action! Another crucial component of success.

Every successful person credits and encourages action; to do; to live your dream. But what if there is no dream, other than to be rich? With no defined passion or a vague desire, how can you make a lot of money? You want to make money and are prepared to act. But you have no definite dream or plan of action. The end of the rainbow is ever distant.

Despite lacking the conviction of a passion you can still attain success. Eventually. But expect to travel many courses, ultimately learning enough about an industry or trade, to become an expert or specialist. Your success will come as the result of determination, perseverance, action, dedication and the law of attraction. AKA good luck!

Or... Instant success systems for sale!

The many TV programs and books promising easy and instant success all incorporate specialized knowledge. These "Systems" (As they like to call them); create and contain all the inducements to entice you to buy-in. Fired up with buzz words and stimulating your emotions with pictures of beautiful homes, cars, boats and a life of ease. Evoking a burning desire and a call to action, to profit from this specialized "Secret" knowledge, stressing potential wealth. "I made so much I bought my own home." Etc., etc.

What they are selling is... if you have no great passion, buy into ours; stock systems, real estate systems, e-bay and other auction systems, as well as merchandising opportunities, such as SMC, MLM, and the like.

We live in a world that over-produces nearly everything.

Everybody loves a bargain!

As a result, closeouts have become a huge biz. There are many companies, on the net and off, that have developed substantial enterprises, buying and selling closeout merchandise, of every type imaginable. HSN began strictly selling closeouts at huge discounts. Ross, Marshals, T. J. Maxx, Tuesday Morning and scads of other national firms almost entirely sell closeouts. If you want to open such a store, there is no shortage of goods. If you Google closeouts, there are over 8 million hits!

There are companies, whose only business, from all appearances, is manufacturing closeouts!

And there are all types of franchises. Leaf through the yellow pages; tons of businesses. Get ideas. Somewhere in all this lies the spark of an idea leading to your passion.

Wedding Photography and the Economy - Is it Really Worth It?

I don't know about you, but I know I was not wise enough to make the right moves to be rich today. My family is not historically financially well off either. Working my way through these down economic times is a tough. If you're getting married soon you might want to read on to help you focus.

The obvious truth is that economics affect the financial decisions you make regarding your wedding. Non of this means you cannot have a great wedding. After all there are many places around the world that do not require a lavish wedding. However, in nearly all of these places you will find a photographer. This is where an experienced photographers come in. Experience to make the less than lavish (and the lavish) look great on your wedding day.

Photographs are items that all of us cherish at one time or another, e.g. baby photos, school plays, graduations,... this is especially true when our family and friends get together for an event such as a wedding. Make sure your wedding photographer is capable of capturing those treasures.

How would you like to be served? You must decide if you want the simple 'stand against a wall and smile with your arms around your family' photographs, OR do you want 'all of the emotion of the day brilliantly captured' photographs. Do you want that photograph of your husband to be with the rare tear on his face to show? He loves you. You want to see that moment everyday you look at your wedding photographs. Isn't it a special moment that would make you tear-up too?

Photographs may not be important to everyone: Honestly, why spend one single dime on photography if your expectations are simple and you are not worried about great moments of emotion being captured in a photo? Just about anyone can get a group of folks standing and smiling in front of the cake with the bride and groom in the middle. An overly dark suit of the groom which you can't see and the bride's dress details blown out so much that it's to the point of only looking like a white table cloth. Heck, you can save some money on the dress too because it'll never be seen to remember in print either.

When Photographs are important to you:
Experienced Professional Photographers...
* will capture the great moments for you.
* will treat you as if you are special to them.
* have access to the best albums in world.
* will have the tools to do a complete service for you.
* will be on time no matter what.
* will be there for you!

We're now in the digital age: Fact of the matter is there are so many "professional" photographers these days due to the advantages of digital photography. You have to ask though, why wasn't photography in so much demand many years ago when film was the only option? My guest is that many did not see it as an easy buck as they do today. Watch out for those who have a business card and website and say they are "professional" photographers; Many of them just picked up a camera at Best Buy on their way to meet with you....their first camera ever. Everyone is trying to find a way to survive in this down economy.

Our economy is hurting you and the photographer you may decide to hire. You want to save money; they want to make a few dollars to help make ends meet. Though you two are not on the same page! You want to save money but you also want absolutely beautiful wedding pictures captured by someone who cares about your wedding day and the work they provide you as a client. Again, they want financial ends to meet.

The unfortunate truth is that once your wedding is over you can not repeat the day to have it professionally captured due to the many errors made by the less experienced photographer.

The nitty gritty is that EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL photographers cost money. There is no other way to put it. You rarely will get away with a quality photography product that did not cost more than you expected. This is because quality is learned over time and effort (training, practicing, etc). It's kind of simple really. People get college degrees and make more money than those without. Even if they do the same kind of work. Why? Training, experience, dedication......or maybe they should go to Best Buy and buy a certificate from the printer paper products section and print a degree. I dunno, but you should seriously consider being true to yourself and think about how you will feel when you look back at your wedding pictures. Do you want to talk about how bad the photographer was or do you want to cry and laugh as you think about the day while looking at great photographs? That's something you have to put your money into.

Considerations When Hiring a Professional Photographer

The photography world is broken down into two main categories - retail and commercial.

Retail generally involves wedding, family, school and pet portraits, while commercial photography encompasses photography tailored specifically to support the marketing/advertising/investor relations efforts of business concerns.

Most retail photographers are generally not well equipped or experienced with high pressure annual report shoots, architectural photography, product illustration or location photography.
If you are in the market for a commercial photographer, there are a number of elements to consider.

o Decide what type of commercial photography you will require. Are you looking for architectural photography or trying to illustrate a service? Are you shooting on location or do you need a studio setting? Are you focusing on people or products?

o Find a photographer. Word of mouth referral, especially in the communications community, is probably one of the best ways. If you need someone in another city or you have very specialized needs, you can Google or Yahoo your search terms and/or check local chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators, American Advertising Federation or other local creative directories.

o Request For Proposal. Provide a list that is as specific as possible delineating the photo shoot objectives shot by shot. Will all the shots be in the same building or area? Will some of the shots be off site? Are there any time constraints that need to be communicated? How soon will you need the finished images? Does the vendor have the technical knowledge to shoot to specifications provided by the client home office? Does the vendor have the bandwidth to take on your project and fulfill it within your expectations?

o Post Production. Inquire about editing . . . is it a separate line item on the estimate? Is cropping included . . . web optimization? Will the photographer post the images to his or her website for convenient timely review?

o A site visit. If possible, have the photographer do a site visit prior to the shoot. You will gain immensely in quality of the images, execution, and potentially more set- ups, by utilizing the walk-through as a dress rehearsal for the real shoot.

o Usage rights. If there is any standard criteria here it's that there is no standard. Generally, if there is no agreement in advance of the photo shoot, the photography vendor controls and has legal right to the intellectual property value of the images. This is a critical issue to discuss up front - decide in advance what you think your project might require in the way of usage and consider asking for a buyout or unlimited use clause in your agreement. Expect to pay an additional line item for this privilege.

o Model Releases. Double check that the employees being used in the photographs have release forms on file as part of their employment process with your company. If you are not sure, have them sign another one. This could protect you down the road if a terminated unhappy employee finds an eager attorney that is willing to sue for non-authorized use of their likeness. If you have contractors in your images, make sure you get a signed release form.

o Digital capture. Most high-end pros will provide a 4000 pixel file that may have an image size somewhere around 10" x 15" @ 300ppi. Will that be sufficient for your output needs?

o Finally...Don't base your decision solely on the estimate. Use phone interviews with the vendors and ask specific questions about how they work. Does the vendor have good people skills? Are they punctual? Do they have enough experience to solve problems on the photo shoot? Do they have prominent tattoos or body piercings anywhere?

Oh yeah, one more thing. The ultimate question - aside from the vendor's expertise, will this person work well with me, keep on schedule and deliver the images when I need them, keeping me informed via email and phone. If the answer is yes, sign off on the agreement and expect the best! Good luck.

Most Influential Photographers in History

There is great debate over who the most influential photographers in history are. Although in terms of art, photography is still a relatively new art form, there have already been enough photographic masters to fill volumes in the last two centuries. That being said, there are a few photographers who stand out as the most influential. Here is a list of some of the most influential photographers in history:

William Henry Fox Talbot: Mr. Talbot was one of the first masters in the field, having published his first account of photography in 1839. Talbot greatly influenced those who came after him with his book, The Pencil of Nature.

Matthew B. Brady: Born in 1822, Brady was a pioneer of photography who recorded many of the most well known images of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.

Alfred Stieglitz: In the 1890s Stieglitz became active in the camera club movement and edited Camera Notes and later Camera Work, publishing photo-gravure plates. His greatest achievements were promoting photography so it was recognized as a fine art.

Ansel Adams: This famous photographer is best known for his black and white pictures of the great outdoors in the western United States in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly of Yosemite National Park and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Margaret Bourke-White: She never let danger get in the way of her art. Bourke-White's most influential photos include scenes of breadlines during the Great Depression, concentration camp survivors of World War II, Gandhi just a few hours before he was assassinated and many more.

Diane Arbus: This famous female photographer of the 1960s and 1970s was passionate about revealing the darker sides of society through her work. Her subjects included midgets, tattooed men, circus freaks and other individuals considered out of the mainstream.

Annie Leibovitz: An American photographer known for her work in the entertainment industry, Ms. Leibovitz has been producing provocative and well-known photographs in magazines such as Rolling Stone, Time and Vanity Fair for decades.

John Shaw: He's shot photos all over the world for Audubon, National Geographic, National Wildlife, Nature's Best, Outdoor Photographer and many other publications from the late 20th century until the present.

Building A Professional Brand By Giving Away Printed USB Flash Sticks

The USB flash drive is one of the greatest personal data storage inventions to date, showing itself more popular than ever more than a decade after its invention. As the popularity of these drives increases and economies of scale drive down manufacturing prices on their components, the variety of flash drive designs continues to increase over time.

Flash stick began as little more than the latest personal storage device innovation, following up on more limited devices such as the floppy diskette, the CD, and the DVD. The primary purchasers of USB drivers were naturally home consumers looking for a better personal storage and transport medium. In the early days they were just large enough to handle whatever data needed to be transported between home and school or home and work.

As prices continue to come down on flash sticks and the capacity of USB drives continues to increase, people are beginning to use these devices as far more than document storage and transport devices. Take a look at some common, modern uses of USB sticks:

In the world of professional photography, inexpensive USB flash drives have provided a more efficient means of distributing photo samples and digital copies of photography done for clients. These photographers once had to rely on the distribution of CDs, DVDs, or even printed photos to do the same thing. But photographers have quickly come to realize that USB sticks are not only more efficient; they can be branded in order to provide an extra sense of professionalism and boost prospects of future sales.

In this digital era, our whole lives can seemingly be recorded on USB sticks, including such happy occasions as births and marriages. Some facilities will even sell you a 3-D pregnancy scan, which is of course delivered on a USB drive. Not only are wedding photos captured on flash, but at some weddings you'll receive flash drive wedding favors, each containing some meaningful pictures and a storyline of the relationship leading up to the wedding, while even a memorial service may now include receiving a memory drive, in this case loaded full of pictures and videos of the life to be remembered.

Business cards are one of the more surprising places you'll find USB memory drives, as they serve a dual purpose of being a business card and providing a file storage medium for the holder. While the goal is for them to some day actually be the same size as business cards, these USB drives tend to be about 2mm in density but are well worth the extra size when they can be packed full of multimedia brochures. These business cards are a better value than you might expect and can really build a strong bond between you and your clients.

Speaking of multimedia loaded onto USB memory drives, many people have grown weary of piles of more commercial paperwork but are delighted to receive brochures or catalogs on a reusable stick. In some cases, publishing to printed sticks is more cost-effective than professional printing too.

USB memory sticks are becoming the darling of the promotional giveaway industry, with millions of sticks handed out each year by schools, nonprofit organizations, and businesses. They can not only be loaded up with promotional materials in electronic form, but they can have logos and information printed or engraved on their surfaces. When you want to be able to hand over all of the sales materials you have to an interested individual while at the same time improving your brand image and client bonds, a promotional memory drive can help you do all of this at once.

As the price of a customized printed stick with a sufficient storage capacity now costs less than 2 each when purchased in bulk, it is a safe bet to assume that USB memory sticks are here to stay for a while. USB technology is also being advanced, with USB 3.0 (also known as Super Speed USB because it is many times faster than the previous USB 2.0 standard) beginning to see mass adoption in the computer industry.

A Tourist's Guide To the Weird Museums In Amsterdam, Netherlands

Will you be traveling to Amsterdam, Netherlands anytime soon? If so, it is likely that you plan on at least doing a few tourist activities while you are there. I know that often times vacations can get hectic and sometimes slightly boring after you've spent long days after days carting around your touring group to one attraction after another. But as is usually the case in most cities or towns anywhere, some of these attractions should not be missed. And in Amsterdam, those are the museums. From the museum on Cannabis culture to the Rembrandt museum, Amsterdam is known throughout the world for its extraordinary art and informational exhibitions of all sorts. From conservative, traditional to all out bizarre, Amsterdam has the best of them.

But where do you find out about museums in Amsterdam, Netherlands? How do you know which Amsterdam museums are worth it? Well, many of the classic, tourist-trap type, if you will, Amsterdam museums will be listed on a city map or in any major tour book. You might even find out about some from your local AAA office, or other travel agent. But as for the rather odd ones, the ones that are a bit harder to find and even more fun to talk about back home; here is a brief list and description. The following are six Amsterdam Museums that cross over the line of ordinary. Hopefully you will enjoy them.

The giant four story NEMO science center is one Amsterdam museum attraction that many tourists might easily miss. Despite its huge presence right on the water near the city's Centraal Station, this Mecca of experiments and knowledge is sort of tucked away and requires a little walk off into the distance of seemingly nowhere to get to. It is not hard to miss though, for the science museum is marked by its architecture; the building design consists externally of a massive ship from an aerial view that appears as though it has landed halfway in the water. Once inside the structure, nobody would ever notice this look, and sadly it is raised so much above ground that depending on which way one enters the museum, it could be easy to miss completely. But the NEMO center, the largest science museum in the Netherlands has plenty of character inside as well. Families with children, couples, even grandparents of any age can enjoy this world of fun, hands on learning tools. From the life-size bubble maker to the music machine media-type area to an exhibit that allows you to climb on the ceiling, NEMO has something for every type and level of learner. The top floor also allows one to view the entire capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam.

Email: info@e-NEMO.nl

Telephone: 00-31-20-531 32 33

Tropenmuseum

This Amsterdam museum is pretty much what the name implies; it is a museum all about tropical locations. And I do mean all about. With permanent exhibits on the regions of Southeast Asia, Oceania, Western Asia, North Africa, Africa, Latin America and subjects such as Man and Environment and Music, Dance and Theater, the Tropenmuseum is the perfect place to find extensive information about non-western cultures of the world. With artwork and exhibition material consisting of anything from Photography to found objects to work by native to tropical area painters, this venue allows for acquiring new knowledge in a fun, lighthearted way. The museum is renowned worldwide for its unequivical ability to send its visitors right into the heart of their featured tropical locales by magnificent displays that look, sound, feel and even smell and taste as if they were experiencing the setting firsthand. Even better is the little dining area they have set up specifically to satisfy your thirst and hunger with all kinds of unique culinary creations from these tropical regions. Note that while the Tropecmuseum is enjoyable for all ages, including youngsters, the children's exhibits are primarily set up for Dutch speaking kiddies.
tel. 020-568 8200.

Brilmuseum - Amsterdam Museum of Glasses

Yes, believe it or not this four story historic home (dating back to 1620) belongs to a most interesting, yet likely a tad bit peculiar family of a 3rd generation optician who set out to not only educate the world on the elaborate history of spectacle invention, development and evolution throughout the years, but also to house the worlds largest and most unique arrangement of all types of spectacles. It has been about a thirty-five year venture, but what has resulted is a quite extraordinary collection of you-name-it types of spectacles; from tacky to classy to chic to mod style, to nerd to librarian, to your stereotypcial four eyed geeky four eyes before they started to become fashionable, every kind imaginable is displayed in this museum. And while the tour itself is slightly long, the fact that such an oddball place like the Spectacles Museum exists is reason enough to check it out. And really, even if you arent exactly a spectacles connoiesseur, this unique array of glasses will blow your mind. And even if you decide the ticket price is too high for a long histroy on glasses, you should at least take a little detour to the quiet street of Gasthuismolensteeg (number 7), tucked away off of Singel toward Centraal Station and check out the spectacle museum gift shop. Featuring spectacles from historical figures and one of a kind designs from masters in the art of spectacles, you may just discover a hidden fetish for spectacle accessories. But check your bank account before entering. You might not be able to buy just one and they certainly are pricey. Brilmuseum is located in the Rembrandtplein
Tel. 421 24 14
contact: brilmuseum.brillenwinkel@worldmail.nl

The Torture Museum

The Torture Museum, located also off of Singel is not really what you would expect. Though the self directed tour requires a walk through dark and musty narrow hallways filled with some serious middle aged torture equipment, it's not exactly spooky and it doesn't really succeed in putting you back in the time period confronted with an unwanted execution. Which, depending on how you look at it could be a good or bad thing. Perhaps to have done up the museum so much as to put the visitors in the torture seat more or less, might have been just a little too controversial or distrubing even for an Amsterdam museum. But the way the museum is now, feels simply like an average museum, where one strolls through, pauses to view exhibits, reads a bit about them on the wall and then moves on. And though, people might often be seeking to really get face to face with the evil and fear that comes along with torturous deeds, it seems almost that by keeping the atmosphere sort of neutral and objective, the designers did an ideal job of showing the carelessness and normalcy with which the torturers sadistically tantalized their victims. So even though it wasn't what most would expect with a name like Torture Museum, it was certainly a fascinating historical learning experience that additionally, would be very likely thrilling and even maybe erotic to those who enjoy this type of role playing in daily life.
Contact: info@torturemuseum.com

The Amsterdam Sex Museum

The Sex Museum, known as the Venustempel is not only the very first and oldest sex museum in the world but also one of the most successful. This Amsterdam museum features historical up to modern artwork featuring all forms of sex, from the sensual and more love infused aspect, to traditional pornography, to exhibits, displays and paintings of hardcore sexual activity. If you are going to the sex museum in search of a giggle or perhaps for the shock value that the title of the place might imply, you may be slightly disappointed. While this museum is fun, it isn't exactly raunchy or so offensive that you'd want to tell stories about it back home for years to come. It's actually much more sophisticated than that. It seems that the museums goal is to celebrate the beauty and magnificence of the sexual art and if that is true, they do an amazing job. If you are interested in a more novelty, crazy, maybe even rebellious for some, type of sex display, you may want to head over to the Erotic Museum, as described below. Info for the Amsterdam Sex Museum is as follows:
Location: Damrak 18 2012 LH Amsterdam
tel: +31 (0) 20 622 8376

The Erotic Museum

While the Sex Museum is rather conservative, the Erotic Museum has seemingly no limits. With five floors of crazy, flashy, artistic sculptures, paintings, cartoons and even some interactive (yet clean!) exhibits, this Amsterdam museum takes you into the world of hardcore pornography and bizarre fetishes. The displays here are certainly still quality enough to be considered artistic and maybe sensual (ok-some) to a degree, but it is more like a novelty museum. While the Venustempel seems to celebrate the softness and beauty of sex in its various forms, the Erotic Museum seems to want to celebrate the fun, excitement and spontaneity of the act and hobby, or for many in this Red Light District Erotic Museum location, the occupation. There are displays of such overt sexual fetishes like manneiquins with fruit shoved into their orifices, one area that makes light of the red light prostitutes as it encourages visitors to stand in their makeshift red lit window. And for the big kicker, if you take the time to notice while ascending up to the top floor, is a lovely little busty mannequin squatting above you and urinating on something like the glass right above your head. Dont expect to be super turned on by this museum, but it is a great laugh and something worth going to just because you might never see anything like it again.
Located at OZ. Achterburgwal 54. Red Light District.

Online Broadcasting Education Opportunities

The world of communication opens various avenues to pursue for an education. Online education opportunities are making it easier for individuals who need more flexibility to obtain a degree. A broadcasting degree can be obtained from many online accredited colleges, and can prepare students to enter the workforce by teaching them how to be a vital member of the communications industry. There are a number of things to learn prior to enrolling in an educational program.

1. Most online colleges offer degree distinctions for dedicated individuals from an associate's to a bachelor's degree. Some schools go a step further and give the option for students to attend a graduate program. Many of the graduate programs allow students to obtain a master's degree in broadcast journalism. Through each level of education students will learn the ins and outs of news dissemination using audio and video to relay information to an audience.

2. Many of the online distance learning programs provide students with a thorough curriculum. Online broadcasting programs specifically focus their courses to teach students the foundations of the industry, and allow them to experience the fast paced world of technology as it relates to communication through broadcasting. Many of the courses will help students by training them in media issues, production of audio, entertainment, production of video, videography, editing, and more. These skills will help a degree holding individual in the job market because the broadcasting side of communications centers on the knowledge of technology to present news. The ability to use technology to present media in an interesting way is an important factor that online colleges teach in their programs.

3. Students can gain a bachelor's degree in broadcasting from a wide range of online schools. Some colleges specifically focus on the broadcasting degree making each class incredibly focused on the subject. In programs where the main focus is on the broadcasting side of communication courses may be longer, but the program will consist of fewer courses. A student may enroll in a program like this that has 14 courses. These courses can include radio and TV operations, broadcast journalism and news, public relation strategies, and more. Many bachelor's degree programs take four years to complete. However, online courses are taken at an individual pace and some students could finish the program in less time.

4. A four-year program or bachelors' program will prepare students in a variety of ways. In the first year, students will learn about the history, organization, TV, radio, and Internet technologies that make up the industry. This basis is essential for students to understand how all media works together to create broadcasting. The second year of education will have students diving into writing, production, sound design, and more. These aspects will be crucial to show students what it is they will be doing in their chosen career. In the remaining two years students will work in a variety of ways to create examples of their work to be used in a professional portfolio. A portfolio is important because it provides samples of your work to potential employers.

Gaining an accredited online education in broadcasting leaves multiple career options open. Broadcasting includes a wide range of jobs like TV reporting, sports reporting, camera work, audio work, and much more. Accreditation is provided to schools and colleges that meet certain criteria. Full accreditation can provide proof that a quality education is available. Agencies like The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (www.accet.org) and other agencies are approved to accredit educational training programs. Don't let your passion of technology or news pass you by. Search online colleges for a program that fits your career goals.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

Things You Need To Know If You Are Considering Fashion Photography School

Do you have a knack for taking photographs and a love for fashion? Perhaps attending fashion photography school is something you may want to consider. Fashion photography school teaches you how to use photography to take photographs that sell everything from perfume to clothing.

Fashion photography is not as easy as it looks. Many men dream of going into this field so they can mingle with beautiful models and take photographs of them. This is not what fashion photography is about. Fashion photography is an art form. The models may be lovely, but they can only look as good as the fashion photographer makes them out to be.

There are many tricks used in fashion photography. Lighting. Wind. Shadows. We see this on television whenever we watch programs about people taking photographs of models. But what people do not realize is that the photographer is an artist. He sees the model in a certain way and photographs her to portray this image he has in his mind. It is not unlike painting a portrait. In a way, he is painting a portrait. He is just doing it with a camera.

Each of us perceives different sights in our mind. Not all of us can see what the fashion photographer can see. This is why it is so important that he or she be proficient and serious about this art form. This is not just a way to take pictures, but a way to make art. Art that does not hang on walls, but is depicted on magazine covers and billboards and on television. But it is still art, just the same.

In addition to taking the best shots of beautiful models, a fashion photographer must be mindful of props and backdrops and locations. He or she will often take advantage of different situations in nature to create the most beautiful photographs. They will use natural and artificial lighting to make the image they have in their mind come to life.

Props are often used and are very important in the work of a fashion photographer. Fashion photographers often work for advertising houses or directly for magazines that are selling a certain product. The product must be photographed in such a way that it is desirable to the viewer of he photograph. While we often think of fashion photographers as photographing models, sometimes the models are merely the props. The real image he or she is trying to convey is the pillow, or the sofa, or the draperies. He sets the scene, like an artist, and makes it appealing to view.

Of course, fashion photographers first and foremost must know quite a bit about photography. Photography in itself is an art form. They must know about cameras, lighting and equipment. They must know when to shoot in black and white and all about color. They need to know which colors will be best for the model to wear in a certain scene.

This is not a career for men who want to meet models, but an admirable profession for a serious professional who has an eye for art, loves photography and has a deep admiration for fashion. It can be a very rewarding career, both monetarily and spiritually as it truly does give one the chance to express his or her creativity. If you are the type who loves photography and fashion, consider attending fashion photography school.

William Henry Fox Talbot - The Almost Founder of Photography

Photographer William Henry Fox Talbot, William Fox Talbot, Fox Talbot, Henry Fox Talbot, Henry F. Talbot, H.F. Talbot, H. Fox Talbot, or William Talbot, was born on February 11, 1800. He was a pioneer photographer who made major contributions to the development of photography, especially vis-à-vis the invention of 'Positives & Negatives' and the use of developing agent, Gallic Acid, for 'Latent Images.' These techniques of Talbot were universally followed across the globe for the nineteenth and twentieth century photographs. William's photographs of "Oxford," "Paris," and "York" are the milestones of their types.

The only child of William Davenport Talbot and Lady Elisabeth Fox Strangways, William Talbot studied at Rottingdean, Harrow, graduating eventually as Twelfth Wrangler, in 1821, from The Trinity College, Cambridge University. At Cambridge, he was awarded with the Porson Prize in Classics, in 1820. From 1822-72, he wrote mathematical papers for the Royal Society venturing later for chemical subjects as well, in various science journals. William began optical researches and photographic experiments by early 1834. He briefly served as a Member of Parliament for Chippenham, between 1832 and 1835. Though he clicked the brilliant picture of the lattice window of Lacock Abbey in 1835, Henry's new responsibility did not leave him with much time for his experiments. He also held the office of High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1840, when he also clicked "The Footman."

In 1839, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, a French chemist and artist announced his discovery of 'frozen images.' Talbot was upset, because he feared his photographic work was similar to the Daguerre's. On January 25, 1839, he displayed his work at the Royal Institution and communicated his 'Photogenic Drawing Process' to the Royal Society. It was a little late however, since the Daguerre's process had claimed all the fame and Louis Daguerre was named the Founder of Photography. Although in the long run, the Daguerre process was rarely used and it died commercially by 1865.

In 1841, Talbot announced his invention, the 'Calotype,' or the 'Talbotype' process. It involved the use of a photographic negative from which multiple positives could be created. In 1842, he received the Rumford Medal from the Royal Society for his invention. Talbot's years of hard work and money on these experiments justified enough reasons for him to patent the 'Calotype' process. He went for the patent in 1841. This act generated quiet a controversy and earned him great criticism, as it made the 'Calotype' process expensive for general use, which in turn was thought to be stifling the growth of photography. He eventually relieved his patent in 1854.

Talbot compiled the very first commercial book of photographic illustrations called "Pencil of Nature." It was published in six installments between 1844 to1846. He set up The Reading Establishment in 1843, which was a photographic processing studio. The Establishment lasted only a few years, as it was not a financial success. Talbot also discovered the photomechanical reproduction methods, 'Photographic Engraving' process in 1852, and the 'Photoglyphic Engraving' process in 1858.

William Henry Fox Talbot was a man of varied interests and intelligence. Along with being a photographer, he was a linguist and even devoted time to archeology too. He published books, like "Hermes" (Classical and Antiquarian Researches) in 1838-39, "Illustrations of Antiquity of the Book of Genesis" in 1839, and "English Etymologies" in 1846. He was also a part of a team along with Dr Henry Rawlinson and Dr Edward Hincks, as the very first deciphers of Cuneiform Inscriptions of Nineveh. William Fox Talbot never stopped his researches and experiments. He was driven to make his visions a reality. He passed away on September 17, 1877, in Lacock Abbey Village. He was buried next to his wife in the churchyard.

What Types of Features Does Photo Editing Software Have?

There are many types of photo editing software that is available on the internet and in many physical retail outlets. Depending on the type of editing that you want to do with your pictures will depend on the type of features that you want you editing software to have. There are many different features that the software could have such as standard editing tools such as red eye removal, rotating and resizing the picture, flipping and cropping, adjusting the light, color management, having multiple undos, and the capability of drawing tools and shapes that can be added to a photo.

There are photo editing software programs that will go further and not only have standard editing tools but also have wizards that will automatically fix the photos for you, cloning tools which are tools that allow you to clone a part or several parts of the picture just by painting. This is mostly used when you want to fix scratches or blemishes that may be on the picture. Some editing software will also have image extraction, lens distortion correction, capability of converting photo to gray scale, adding text to the photo along with adding borders and frames to the photos.

If you are in need of more in-depth photo editing software, you will be able to find programs that have the capabilities of adjustment layers which is a tool that allows you to change and adjust your photo in many different ways without changing the original photo. These changes are put into layers so that you can accept or delete the ones that you want to use or get rid of. Layers are like panes of glass that are stacked on top of each other so that you can see what effect each layer brings to the picture and take away what does not work.

Other tools and features that photo editing software can offer include creating panoramas, templates, type effects, layering masks which help to determine transparency of parts of the photo that help to adjust photos without permanently erasing those parts, and automated batches which are saved steps in performing a process so that you don't have to take the steps every time you want, you can push a button to do it automatically. Most of these features would be very useful to you if you were a professional photographer but there are many programs that are for the general public in order to have fun with their pictures.

Effective Photography Marketing Ideas To Improve Business

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but, it all depends on the kind of pictures that you deliver. As a photographer the top quality of your photographs speaks for themselves. But you ought to speak on your behalf to attract the attention of many potential customers. Powerful photography marketing ideas to propel your success is the need of the hour. These incredibly profitable ideas are surefire ideas that ensure good results. You have to consider the various options to make your work available to be seen by the public eye when you want to enjoy a sterling photographic career.

Own a Website
In the first place, the internet is a wonderful medium that can be tapped to enhance your photographic reputation. Unlike some of the other profession, people want to look at your photographs to know the sort of quality you deliver. The best way to display the photographs is by owning a website. You can post all the photographs in your website, which not only provides the opportunity for people to look into your photos but also offers the opportunity to know more about your services.

Teaming up with Local Business
This is one of the powerful ideas which happen to be a cost-effective way to promulgate your services. In case you come across a florist in your locality who is interested to display your photographs on their bare walls, it is a potential tool to enhance your photographic image. Approach a cafe owner to discuss dual benefit schemes as in the case of the cafe displaying your leaflets and prints to pave way for new clients and the cafe getting benefited in some form as when a potential client lands at your studio from the cafe.

Creating Photo Displays
There are many photo marketing ideas that help develop your business. You might come across shopping malls and other such places in your locality willing to be a receptive host to your idea of conducting a photo display at their premises. This becomes a two-way traffic as when it comes to enjoying benefits out of this scheme. The mall brightens and lures more people owing to the photo display as you get a good chance to showcase your talent to potential customers.

With the many photo marketing ideas put in place, you can be sure to attract many potential customers and with it taste success in your professional space.

Origami Flowers Are Not Paper Flowers

A recent trend has appeared in the past few years and is recently increasing exponentially in the gift world, and that's the idea of giving origami flowers.

For those of you yet unaware, you may even wonder what "origami" actually even means. "Origami" is the Japanese fine art of folding paper. I'm quite certain that even if you are not familiar with this word, you have seen some popular origami creations in the past such as the "peace crane" for instance.

The Art Of Folding Flowers

With the same theory and techniques, some artists started to enlarge the scope of what was folded to go past animals and venture in the realm of flowers.

Generally speaking, to make pleasing origami flowers, a certain amount of skills are required beyond origami techniques, such as the skill to pick the proper colors, or arrange the flowers properly.

The distressing truth today, in spite of everything hindering the expansion of origami flowers is probably the fact that the majority of people are just aware of what I would call "basic folding" that looks more like abstract object where you have to stretch your mind in order to figure out what it is, rather than gorgeous flowers.

But don't be misguided! Origami is an art and as such, artists have different degree of skills and you'll be able to find some totally amazing flowers.

Keepers Of Memories

Now, with origami being the art of folding paper, you could question why the title of this article is "Origami Flowers are not paper flowers", since they evidently are made from paper...

The reason is simple, "paper flower" is a term used to refer to cheap things, origami flowers are not.

Fundamentally, whilst silk flowers are an elegant cheaper substitute to fresh flowers; despite popular beliefs, origami flowers are not.

This types of flowers are not aimed at being cheaper than fresh flowers, they just have a distinctive meaning and value. Possibly over time they sound a better investment than fresh flowers, but you ought to be aware that the initial cost is higher.

The furthermost advantage of origami flowers is without a doubt their ability to last eternally. These flowers will always be blooming and if the paper condition is right, so will their colors, and all of that devoid of you having to be concerned for them!

Origami flowers are best used as anniversary gift, especially the first one, since it's also named the "Paper Anniversary". What greater gift could you offer than an everlasting bouquet of beautiful folded flowers on a Paper Anniversary?

One more popular use of origami flowers, is as ornamentation for what people now even call "Origami Wedding". Having a magnificent wedding bouquet is nice, but having a beautiful bridal bouquet that lasts forever is unquestionably better!

And what if you used a spray of fresh flowers? Well nothing prevents you to have a reproduction of it made with origami flowers by a talented artist!

"As you can see, origami flowers are always related to a special event or date in the lives of people, and thus are great keepers of cheerful memories; they are not just paper flowers."

Finding Origami Flowers

Origami flowers can only be purchased from artists who fold them; you can easily find those with a quick exploration online. Make sure to check carefully the portfolio of each of the artists there, as you'll get an idea of their skill level.

When it comes to origami, the skill level of the artist will define the quality of the flowers you'll get.

Simple Accounting For The Small Business - Bookkeeping Using A Simple Spreadsheet Template

Starting a small business out of your home, offering products or services like business consulting, photography, selling on the web or a MLM? You are now faced with tracking all your expenses and revenues for your business and you certainly don't have the money yet to engage a bookkeeper or accountant. If your business is a sole proprietorship, whether it be a Canadian Proprietorship or a US-based Proprietorship, you do not require an accountant to submit your company financials (books) to the IRS (USA) or Revenue Canada). Your business revenue and losses are reported as part of your annual personal income tax. For this small business start-up, you won't need to buy fancy accounting software, like Quick Books or AccPac to track your business.

Only as part of incorporating Bizfare Enterprise Inc in 2005 was it a requirement to engage an accountant. My accountant did insist on using Quick Books software for my business accounting. Up until then using a simple spreadsheet template served my business accounting needs for over ten years. This simple spreadsheet accounting stood the test of multiple audits by Revenue Canada (CRA and Revenue Canada Goods and Services Tax. Both the hardcopy columnar pad and an electronic spreadsheet version of my financial books were accepted by Revenue Canada. (BTW the audits disclosed more ways for me to claim back additional taxes for the previous three years! Now that's my type of audit!)

In your new start-up business venture, you likely will generate somewhere between 10 to 30 accounting transactions per month. These transactions would be items like Expense, Revenue (sales), Liability (Loan) type transactions and Sales Tax (Federal + State/Provincial) Collection/Deductions. These transactions are further broken down into various Business Accounts. All the Accounts you set up for your business is called a Chart of Accounts. Recording your business financial transactions (Journal Entries) can be executed with pen and ink on an accounting columnar pad or electronically with your computer using a spreadsheet program (MS Excel, Open Office, Star Office).

Whether you employ electronic or hardcopy media, you need to develop a simple Journal template to create your Business Synoptic Journal. This Synoptic Journal format has the advantage of allowing you a complete view of all your individual journal entry transactions against all your various Business Accounts. Creating this Synoptic Journal is easier to do than you think and requires no prior accounting or bookkeeping knowledge.

TIP #1: You could further reduce the accounting line items (Journal Entries) by consolidating like items such as 'all the Sales for the month' and 'all parking receipts for the month' into one totaled line item for the month.

Where do you start to identify the various Business Accounts required for your Synoptic Journal?

If you currently work for a company or government, secure of one of their employee expense forms. Look at each of the areas identified as expenses - meals, mileage, hotel accommodations, taxi, car rental, telephone & cell phone, air fare, office supplies, etc. This is an excellent place to identify the various Business Expense Accounts you need to set up for your business accounting books. To complete your business Chart of Accounts, include a Business Bank Account, Sales, COGS (Cost of Goods Sold), Sales Tax Collection, Marketing Expense and others as required. Each of these Accounts will be a listed as a title across the top of each column of your Synoptic Journal. Each row (line item) will be the individual journal transactions entered by you. The journal transactions are grouped and summarized for each business month; usually, January through December.

So your Synoptic Journal would look something like this Sample Synoptic Journal at http://picasaweb.google.com/carl.chesal/BookkeepingTemplate.

The column headings might be in this order (from left to right):

DATE | DESCRIPTION | BANK DEPOSITS | BANK WITHDRAWALS | SALES REVENUE | COGS | SALES TAX COLLECTED & REMITTED | OFFICE SUPPLIES EXPENSE | EXPENSE #2 | EXPENSE #3 | ETC

TIP #2: Unless your business is Incorporated or an LLC, you don't need to go through the expense of opening a business account with your bank. Usually Business accounts charge a higher monthly fee, charge for printing checks (cheques) and don't offer any interest on your monthly account balance. Instead, open a separate personal bank account (maybe savings). This will show the 'taxman' that you are keeping the business separate from your personal banking. Remember you are a sole proprietor and all your business income (and losses) are to be applied directly to your personal income tax submission ( a s per IRS and CRA).

To save you time and make is very simple, I have already created a simple spreadsheet Synoptic Journal template that performs all the calculations for each month and rolls up the 12 business months so it can easily be included in your annual personal income tax preparation. This Synoptic Journal template has Debit/Credit checks and balances, tracks sales taxes, mileage and totals each account for your entire fiscal year. If you want this FREE Bookkeeping template, you can get it at Communicate Innovate. With a few key strokes, which will help identify yourself, I will gladly send you this FREE Synoptic Journal Template and also any future Small Business Tips.

TIP #3: One Rule of Accounting is that every time you record a journal entry (line item which applies the transaction against the appropriate business accounts) the Debits and Credits MUST REMAIN EQUAL at ALL Times. This Debit Equals Credit calculator is built into this FREE Bookkeeping Template. When you have completed entering a line item (journal transaction), check to ensure that the amount the the Debit cell equals the amount in the Credit cell. If they are not equal, you have not entered the amounts properly in your journal transaction. Correct the problem before entering your next journal entry.

You are now equipped to capture your business financial books with some simple accounting software. Happy bookkeeping! And Happy Selling!

Cultivating Ideas for Pre-Wedding Photography

Let's get down to ideas. Ideas about photo shooting. Ideas for your own shooting. What do you expect out of your pre-wedding photos? Is there any message that you want to express apart from you're getting married?

We believe there are stories behind every attachment. How both of your life cross-path and how you are amazed by each other. It's not just another story, but a story which carries the details and memories shared by both of you till the end of life. I know there are countless of things which you wish to be able to record down, make it into a movie or something. We always encourage clients to think about something which makes them feel at ease, something they both share and love doing, or even something fun which they have never get to try out before this.

Casual photo shooting. You can spice up your casual photo shooting session by adding something artsy or try out something new together. Don't be afraid to be a little bit bold, dare to come out with striking ideas. Not to worry too much about the result as you can always discuss with your photographer to blend in with his photo shooting style. You can choose activities you both are into, shoot at the place that you both first met, take it to the crowd or shoot it privately, and bring along your collection of accessories. There are just so many things in life you both must have enjoyed doing together. What you need to do is explore it and don't be shy to be different, flaunt your love stories!

Pre-wedding. You've just got to have photos for your wedding day, especially the album, to be shared with your friends and relatives at your wedding reception. What do you wish to capture? That's the key point. It's the solemnization, vows and rings exchanging that is beautiful. When both are committed to each other on a beautiful day, that's worth capturing. The happiness that radiates when you both hold each other close, promise each other that from this moment on, you both shall hold each other as long as you both shall live. The album will then be what's worth flipping through, when friends and family see the meaningful side of your story, that you both have taken it to the next step, and going to love each other forever and ever. And we believe that's truly wonderful.

So, let's put in your ideas, capturing the best of you celebrating this stage in life, put in the efforts and you will be amazed with the photos as we believe that the result is going to turn out superb!

A Heart Pounding, Thrilling Adventure and Intro to Technical Canyoneering: Rappelling Coon Bluff, AZ

The amazing state of Arizona is known as canyon country and home to many beautiful and diverse slot canyons with sheer rock wall cliffs, deep natural pools, and breathtaking cascades and water falls. Many of these gorgeous canyons are still relatively unknown, rarely visited, and not that far off the beaten path to able to be accessed and reached in a day's journey. In order to descend into these backcountry canyons is what "canyoneering" is all about consisting of hiking, climbing, boulder hopping, scrambling, swimming and rappelling, with rappelling being the most technical of all the canyoneering skills and also the most dangerous. Canyoneering thus becomes "technical canyoneering" when rappelling or the use of ropes are required in order to safely continue the descent and exploration of a canyon area. So if you're looking for greater adventure and more of an outdoors challenge and the ability to further explore more of the beautiful and remote rock canyons of Arizona, then you'll want to check out learning how to rappel where you'll begin your venture into the exciting world of technical canyoneering!

Rappelling is defined as "a specialized climbing technique used to descend mountains or cliffs through the use of a controlled slide down a climbing rope anchored to the top of the cliff's ledge. " Rappelling is considered an advanced canyoneering skill requiring formal training and practice before heading out either with a guide or on your own. After having been recently introduced to the sport of canyoneering, I've been inspired to continue growing my canyoneering skills so that I can explore more of these remote backcountry canyons. So when a local hiking group called the Hiking Hikers Hiking Group (aka Triple H) announced that they were offering a beginners introduction to rappelling class at Coon Bluff Recreation Area on the Lower Salt River, I quickly and excitedly signed up!

Located about 17 miles northeast of Mesa, on the beautiful Lower Salt River in the Tonto National Forest, Coon Bluff Recreation Area is a scenic and popular location for camping, picnicking, fishing, and also wildlife viewing and bird watching. Along the flanks of the river and its lush riparian habitat, they say it's very common to see bald eagles, turkey vultures, and even wild mustang horses that wander in from the desert in the early morning hours. To visit the Coon Bluff recreation area, a day use Tonto National Forest Pass must be purchased, at a cost of $6 per vehicle. You can purchase a pass before you leave either online or at your local sporting goods store, such as The Big 5 Sporting Goods.

So on a bright, clear November weekend morning, and after stopping to pick up a Tonto National Forest pass, I set out on I-17 South from North Phoenix to meet up with my good friends and fellow hikers for our 1st rappelling class and adventure. Coon Bluff, we learned, with its 92 foot sheer vertical rock wall cliff, is also a popular place for practicing rappelling skills whether you're new and a beginner just starting out or if you're more experienced and advanced. Being someone who has a real fear of heights I thought, oh my God, 92 feet? I felt so nervous and not even sure I'd be able to actually go through with it, at least not without a big giant push from behind!

After picking up our last friend in Gilbert, in the East Valley, we were finally ready to set out for Coon Bluff. To reach Coon Bluff from Phoenix the directions say to take route 60 east to the Power Road exit, then head north on Power Road, which turns into the Bush Highway. After about 12 miles or so on the Bush Highway you'll first come to the Phon D. Sutton Recreation Site Road, but keep going another 翻 mile, and on the left you'll come to the Coon Bluff Recreation Area Road. We turned left and arrived at Coon Bluff at about 1:40pm, just in time for our 2pm, afternoon session Beginners Rappelling class.

We parked at the Coon Bluff Recreation Area parking lot, where we also met up with a few other class members who were just starting to arrive including our good friend and fellow TLC Hiking member, Dan Myers and his daughter. We got out, got our packs and gear together and after posing for a quick group photo, we started the short hike down the trail to the river's edge at the base of the bluff and the 92 foot rock wall we would soon be descending down. The closer we got as we approached, the taller it looked too. From the river's edge, while we were waiting for everyone to arrive and for the class to begin, we enjoyed watching as there were still people rappelling down from that day's morning session class. Wow, I thought as I looked up in amazement. From the ground, looking straight up, you'd swear it looked like 200 feet!

Soon everyone had arrived and it was only a few minutes later that our event organizer and instructor, professional world mountaineer, Michael Marin, had arrived after having both rappelled down to the bottom themselves. In this introduction to rappelling class Michael expressed that we were going to learn all about rappelling technique, selecting and building anchors, tying knots, gear, terminology, what to do, what not to do, and how to get yourself out of a jam should you get yourself into one. But most importantly Michael began by stressing the importance of safety, safety and even more safety when it comes to rappelling whether you are new and learning or whether you are an experienced canyoneer or mountaineer. It's carelessness that is the leading cause of accidents and death and is preventable by learning the essential skills properly and always using good common sense, he said.

After setting the foundation of safety first in everything you do when it comes to learning how to rappel, we were then introduced to the gear and equipment we would be needing and using for our first rappelling adventure. A list of the basic equipment you need for rappelling and which can be purchased at a local REI store are, 1) a good fitting harness, prices range from $40-$55, 2) a locking carrabiner, $10-$20, 3) a rappelling device such as a figure 8 or an ATC, $15-$30, 4) a 5ml prusik cord, for $10, and last but not least, and the most expensive piece, your climbing rope, which for technical canyoneering, and for beginners, they suggest a non-stretch, dry treated rope, ideally about 9-10ml and 60 meters or 180 feet in length, and runs in the price range of about $160, not including the rope bag you will also need for about $40. In addition, when it comes to packing the gear and venturing into wet canyons for technical canyoneering, backpacks start at about $129, and for securely storing your equipment and assessories its essential to have a dry pack to prevent water leakage and whether large or small, the prices range roughly from $10-$20.

With our harnesses and equipment safely and securely on, we were walked over to a tree behind us where Michael had ropes anchored securely and ready for us to begin learning rappelling technique and practice, while still on the ground, how the equipment works and why, as well as give us all a chance and opportunity to get comfortable with how to use the rope through the rappel device. You don't need to "white knuckle it" he demonstrated, just guide the rope behind you with your right hand to your rear, then release pressure and resistance for greater speed or hold tighter behind you, adding more pressure and resistance for your brakes, to slow you down or to stop altogether. Once you understand how to utilize this technique, all you need to do is just lean back into your harness and trust your equipment will work for you. After everyone had gotten a chance to practice and felt comfortable enough to continue, we were given the okay to begin practicing our first real live rappel!

We followed Michael as he led us up the trail to the top of the bluff and what a beautiful view it was overlooking the entire Lower Salt River valley below. Wow absolutely gorgeous! After a few last minute tips and pointers about setting up anchors, how to set them up safely, where, and what types are best to use, both natural and man-made, we walked over the cliff's edge where Michael introduced us to the dual ropes we were going to be using and spoke to us about the importance of redundancy when doing any type of rappelling or mountaineering especially for beginners, like us.

Now we were ready to start our first rappel. Michael asked, "okay who's going to go first?" After a quick peak looking down over the cliff's edge to get a photo of my friend Scuji waiting down below, I could hardly see him. That's when my heart began racing and my palms started sweating. Wow, I thought, that was a really long ways and straight down too! I had so many butterflies and the longer I was up there, the more nervous I got. So I jumped in line quickly after my friends Carolyn and Bob and as I was starting to shake like a leaf, I walked over to the edge where Michael hooked me up to the rope and I was instructed to call down below, "on belay?", then after hearing the call back, "belay on", he said to call back again saying, "rappelling". While keeping my eyes locked with Michael's, I kept asking, "am I doing it right?" and as he repeatedly replied back, "yes, you're doing it right, you're doing good, keep going!", and with his confidence and assurance, I started to slowly walk myself back off the side of the cliff, leaning back into my harness at the same time pulling the rope behind me with my right hand to keep my speed slow and my decent steady, but never once looking down, just focusing intently on what I was doing until roughly almost midway I heard a call from my friend Scuji who was yelling up at me, "Laura, look left!". I hesitated then reluctantly looked down so he could get a picture. It was that moment that I realized I was actually doing it! Now it started feeling easier and I was even feeling comfortable enough to let loose of the rope a little and increase my speed, swinging a bit off the wall as I continued to grow closer to the ground. Wow, what an incredible and thrilling experience! Once I had made it safely to the ground, my good friend Bob was there waiting for me to help me unhook and I was again instructed to call back to the top, "off rope" to let the next person know that I was done rappelling.

After having completed my first rappel, I then waited for the rest of my friends and classmates to make it down safely. First came my friend Dan, then Scuji, as well as the rest of the remaining class members, as I continued to take as many photos as I could, capturing their first rappelling experiences for them. As the last members came down, the sun was starting to set and by 6pm, the last person had made it and the ropes were dropped signaling that class was officially over.

It was a really great day and an incredible experience and an excellent class organized by the Hiking Hikers Hiking Group (aka Triple H) and taught by our friend, professional world mountaineer, Michael Marin. A real heart pounding, palm sweating, thrilling adventure and excellent introduction to rappelling and technical canyoneering, I will never forget either! So if you're looking for greater adventure and more of an outdoors challenge and would like to be able to explore more of the beautiful and remote back country rock canyons of Arizona, then I highly recommend learning rappelling and begin your venture into the exciting world of technical canyoneering!

Common Photography Courses

Photography training can seem simple but it is quite advanced and takes different kinds of courses to complete thereby changing you into the professional that you need to be with your camera. The different courses now made available makes it possible for all to get the kind of training which is in relation to their photography needs. There are common photography courses you will find in most training institutions.

The beginner's course: this is a short photography course only needing two weeks to complete. It is a course which will help you learn much more about the camera and how to handle it without the need to delve deeper into the subject. It is a great course for all photography beginners as it introduces them to the wide photography world. It is most ideal for those with no photography experience looking to be in better position to use their cameras.

Intermediate photography course: it is also classroom based as the beginner course but takes longer since there are different things which need to be covered within the period. It is a great course to improve your photography skills and introduces you to a whole new perspective of looking at the world. Some of the things that are covered in the course include picture composition, basic digital imaging, light and artificial light as well as portraiture.

Advanced photography course: it is a course which is most suitable for those who have already gone through the beginner or intermediate courses. Those who have a level of understanding or experience in photography technique can also join the course. It goes deeper into photography covering different topics and areas of photography. It can take up to six weeks to complete and will cover topics such as advanced portrait posing, panoramic digital shooting, location portraits and even painting using light techniques.

Digital imaging course: it is an advances imaging course covering subjects such as exposure adjustments, multi layer montage, contrast and color. It can also involve more complex subjects and can take several weeks to complete. It is an interesting course just like the rest and is most suitable for those looking to be professionals as far as photography is concerned.

When thinking of joining photography training course, it is important to check all available options so that in the end you take up something matching your photography needs. It is most advisable to go through all the courses for those with the need to be professionals with their cameras.

Important Advice Before You Kick Off Your Online Photography Degree Studies

Photography is one of the most interesting and fascinating forms of art, and an online photography degree has real, positive benefits to be gained such as the ability to enhance your skills and to learn many new methods to get the best images.

Essentially, if your art form is photography then you will enjoy a degree in the photographic field. You will gain an advantage over the amateur photographer as in your online photography degree studies you will formally learn specifics such as:

• Lighting Technique


• Camera Dynamics


• Coloration


• Subject Placement


• Lens use


• Zoom techniques


• Developing and Digital Manipulation

Each of these different aspects of your online photography degree course will help you to amplify your talent faster, and to take better and more professional photos. And it's really every photographer's goal to do that!

One of the Prerequisites

There are a few difficulties involved in online courses for photography degree students. If you are using film to shoot, it's often easier to work in a school setting where there will be a laboratory that provides you the means to develop your own images. If you have this capacity at home, you're not going to miss it, but if you do not, it may be in your best interests to cultivate a friendship with a photography studio during your courses in order to learn some hands-on techniques.

Fast-moving medium

The digital medium in photography is far more common these days however. Photographic technology has undergone massive leaps and bounds in just the very recent past. You will learn in your new online photography degree courses all about the latest in photographic equipment, how to process your digital, and film shot, photos as well as about theories of color and placement.

Your schooling will also help you to learn about portfolios and how to put one together to promote your work for photography jobs. Online photography degree studies can give you an incredible edge over the rest of the working world, whether you elect to work in photography or to use it to enhance a career in journalism or news media.

Among the online photography degree courses that you may choose, there are several which stand out from the others. They offer courses in darkroom work, even though you will be studying from home - this in turn will help you to learn more about the techniques you will need in day-to-day photography as well as methods to enhance your photo development.

The best online photography courses are offered by accredited colleges and online institutions. It is absolutely imperative that you take the time to assure that your online photography degree courses and any other type of course that you will take in an online degree seeking capacity are from accredited colleges.

In summary, ask questions and assure yourself of the viability of the school that you will attend online. Any quality online college or university will be pleased to answer your questions for you. Discover more about studying an arts degree online so you can make an informed study decision - read more about our website, directly below.

Requirements to Become a College Professor

People who enter the education field as a primary or secondary public school teacher must first go through the hoops and develop a certain competency level in education. They pass several education classes, do practice teaching, and pass at least one standardized teaching examination. However, the only requirement to become a college professor is to obtain a post-graduate degree. This does not necessarily even have to be a doctoral-level degree. Many professors have a masters degree in their field.

Many schools now certify their professors to teach courses due to accreditation requirements. The minimum requirement to teach a course is a masters degree and 18 related graduate credit hours. It is interesting that the masters degree can be in a different field as long as there are a minimum of 18 related graduate credit hours.

The level of education required for a professor varies on the type of college. Most major universities and four-year institutions require or at least prefer terminal degrees for their full-time faculty. They may hire well-established professionals who hold a masters degree as adjunct professors but this is usually predicated on need. However, most community colleges and for-profit colleges and universities are willing to hire masters-level professors for full-time positions.

Although an advanced degree is the only requirement to become a college professor, there are other skills and considerations that will dictate your ability to be successful. Organizational skills are important because a lecture must be organized and structured so that there is an understandable flow of information from the mentor to the class. Also, a current knowledge in your subject is imperative.

It is important to have, or be able to develop, good public speaking skills. Since lectures are the primary way to transfer your knowledge to a class of students, you must be effective with this skill. An effective speaker not only has a great depth and breadth of knowledge of the course material, they must also be passionate about the subject. This excitement is transmitted to the class who become stimulated. This higher level of interest results in a greater mastery of the subject material. Accents are fine as long the class can understand what you are saying. If they cannot understand the professor students become disgruntled and demoralized. The learning process is compromised.

Unfortunately, there are many problems that can stop you from being successful starting out as a professor and barriers that can prevent you from making a steady significant income. Fortunately, there is help for those who are serious about breaking-in and earning big money as a part-time professor teaching both online and onground.

Photography Jobs That You Can Get Into

It is not true that there is no money in photography. For those who are truly gifted, fame and fortune is easily achieved. In fact, there are a number of photographers who have reached the top of their field. There are actually a number of jobs that a photographer can get into. Pictures and visuals are important in most media and talented "lens" men are very much in demand in the market especially now with the age of multimedia.

Below are just some of the areas where photographers can get into and believe it, one can earn big bucks in each!

Magazine and newspaper photographer

Although it is more lucrative to do freelance photography, it is best for photographers who are ,just starting out to first establish contacts and build a name through magazines and newspapers. This is also the best place to earn experience in photography as you will encounter different kinds as well as interact with different kinds of people.

Newspaper photography is harder and more spontaneous compared to magazine photography, which is primarily shot in locations. When working for newspapers, one must be able to develop an eye for photos that will capture the readers attention as well as tell a story with its images.

Advertising agency

Another area where a photographer can get into is to work for an advertising agency where they will be conceptualizing ads for campaigns. One can start as a photographer and then gradually climb up through the ranks. One can even become an art director or if there is talent in conceptualizing, even a supervisor for overall operations.

Fashion shoots

A photographer can also work in fashion shoots. With much experience, they can even conceptualize a shoot and be its overall director. Most fashion houses hire photographers when coming up with a new collection for the season.

Event Photographer

Events like concerts and special occasions like weddings and debuts will require photographers who will document the event. Pictures are actually a large part of the preparation for the event and is almost as essential as the food.

Freelance photographer

Although it will be harder for photographers that are just new in the field to establish a career as a freelance photographer, there are a number of markets where they can contribute their work. For instance, most international agencies like UNICEF hire photographers to document their various projects in far-flung areas. There are also some who are hired to contribute generic photographs that will be used in newsletters and brochures.

The Two Minute Guide on How to Start a Photography Business

Are you one of those people who can't wait to show off those holiday snaps as soon as you return home? And then can't resist using 'Photoshop' with your most picturesque images, which you then enlarge and display proudly in your home? If the answers yes, then why not think about trying to turn your hobby into a money making venture by starting a photography business and becoming a professional photographer!

With digital photography it's incredibly easy to take and produce photos, but before you think about starting a new career in photography it's always advisable to carry out some research, acquiring tips and advice on purchasing photography essentials and how to take those great shots that others will want to buy. Why not subscribe to an online magazine and receive monthly updates that will teach you everything you need to know to create photographic masterpieces, time and time again?

Then start creating a portfolio that you can display as a hard copy as well as online. You probably won't want to just specialize in just one type of photography at first. Ask friends and family to sit for you as a means to provide material to advertise your portrait photography business. You can combine an enjoyable family day trip with an opportunity to acquire beautiful images and even try out your photography techniques on the family pet to provide stock to advertise your pet photography business. Why unlike us, do pets always make a great photo? Offer to photograph family parties or even a friends wedding to gain confidence and experience and add to your portfolio to advertise your wedding photography business. Set up your own website or display your work for free on social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook etc.

Start marketing your photography business. Some local newspapers allow free ads or you could try using free listing online services. Print off your own photography business cards and flyers, which can be distributed to appropriate venues. Drop off supplies to local play groups, dog grooming parlours, perhaps even offering a free sitting as an enticement.

Book a stall at local street markets, arts exhibitions or wedding fayres. You can display your masterpieces and not just make some sales but also promote your photography business. Always have a supply of business cards or flyers to hand as well as making your portfolio available.

Offer additional services such as uploading images on to souvenir items such as table mats or mugs or printing t-shirts. Check out online sites such as cafepress.com for all your printing requirements.

Make contact with newspapers, magazines, online businesses etc enclosing examples of your work and enquiring about freelance work. Consider offering some images for free as a useful means of advertising.

Profitable Hobbies And Interests

Your Hobbies Can Generate You Income. Hobbies are our interests that we do for fun. It is an activity pursued for pleasure. A hobby is not just doing something we do on our spare time. Hobbies, can be expensive but they do not have to be. Many people have turned their hobbies into an income generating activity.

Teaching and coaching others of your hobby and skill.

Everyone has hobbies and interest like piano, guitar, dancing, art or language knowledge? If so, you can offer lessons in your skills to others and be paid for it. Give a discount to people who sign up in groups and for anyone who will sign up for the tutorials for longer time like say a month or two. That way you will be very competitive and instead they will go to you instead. If they will get more of their money's worth you will have more tutor and coach than you can handle. Who knows, that can turn into a good full time business. It is a hobby and interest and stays longer when it is something you love and enjoy.

Babysitting and be a nanny

Babysitting and being a nanny are all great opportunities to make money while in college, especially if you are an early childhood education major. This will also be the b best way to increase your experience with children. Every parent will need a babysitter or caretaker at some point. If you think you are reliable and trustworthy baby sitting is a good opportunity to make money while in college.

Entrepreneurship

There are many ways to make extra bucks while you are in college. Here are some tips. Sell food to your other students in your dorm. Like buying a box of soda in super markets and sell them to others student at a lower price than the vending machine. Do you love to take photographs and have nice pictures in you cameras? Then start a photography business or graphic designs if you are skilled in designing,

Whatever hobby or interest you in, this can be a profitable one. So share those hobbies, interest and skills. Teach and coach other who likes that same interest and earn an income from it.

Event Photography - If You Enjoy Parties and Photography, Here's a Free Guide to Earning From It!

If you are considering becoming an Event Photographer this guide may be useful. I spent a long time researching all the kit needed to be a successful Event photographer, testing and costing carefully. It's all current gear available now so it's up to date unlike some of the guides I read.

I've been on training courses and I've done quite a few different Events now, so this is to help others avoid some of the common mistakes. This guide to Event photography is based on my personal experience and you are welcome to reproduce it as long as you credit this article with the website address

I do recommend anyone interested in Event photography going on the excellent training course supplied by Systems Insight, speak to Mike Orr, Stuart or Darren at systems insight. I've also found the Event Photographers Society really useful.

It is divided into sections as follows:

1, Camera Equipment needed for Event Photographers;
2. Lighting equipment for Event Photography;
3. Printers for Instant Event Photos;
4. Mitsubishi Click system for Event Photography;
5. Green Screen Event Photography;
6. Starting an Event Photography Business.

1. Camera Equipment for Event Photographers.

You don't NEED the latest high-end professional DSLR with pro glass lenses to shoot an event! It's nice to have good kit but that should be a given for any Pro Photographer. In reality the customer at a football tournament, school prom or black tie event doesn't care what kit you have as long as the results are good, and you don't want to be carrying a heavy camera with fragile glass in an environment that is often boisterous and busy!

You don't need to shoot huge resolution RAW files and won't have time to post process or mess about with hundreds of settings.You are aiming to get a sharp, vibrant and well lit photograph of enough resolution to print at your final output size. Concentrate on making the people look great!

I do recommend a wireless work flow which I cover later, and again you need the files to be small enough to send quickly. I use a Nikon D700 but that's only because I have one for Property photography as I need the full frame and low light capabilities.

I shoot jpg at just medium resolution for most events, and use a Sigma 24-70mm HSM lens so I can quickly zoom between individuals and groups. A Nikon D40 with a kit lens will do just as well. and I always carry one as a backup. It also takes my Nikon flashguns and is much lighter than a D700.

It is important to have a backup camera, I've even made do with a Nikon Coolpix P6000 when my D700 was being used pitch side at a Cricket Event. With proper lighting (see lighting section) I got almost identical results shooting people in front of a green screen. You must have at least one fully charged spare battery for each camera at an event, a couple of spare and preformatted memory cards, and spare batteries for your flashguns. I use the new Duracell rechargeables for the flashguns as they stay

So don't go mad on the camera kit, it will get bashed around at an event! As for settings, indoors I shoot at around f7.1 to f8 for groups so I get good depth of field, I use shutter speeds of around 125 to get sharp shots as I don't like a tripod, too restrictive, and I use ISO 400 to get enough sensitivity. White balance is easy on a Nikon, see lighting but the flash setting will do. For individuals and couples I open up to around f5 and shoot full length, head and shoulders and a close-up. Outdoors events are more dependent on the available light and the lens.

One tip, using a wireless transmitter to send the images straight to your PC, Mac or Click system avoids the pitfall of people (the ladies mainly) wanting to see each shot on the back of the camera as you take it! That gets them through quicker and lets your team at the workstation show the images properly at full size. I do actually keep the images stored in the camera as a backup though in case the wireless system stops working.

Another tip, if you are shooting groups at a School Prom or Corporate event, take a stepladder! If you get above them and shoot down it changes the angles and stops the people at the front looking much larger than those at the back! This lets you squeeze bigger groups in as well, especially useful if you are shooting in front of a green screen at an event.

Also, if you ever get a large group of girls at a School Prom or Sweet Sixteen event, take LOTS of shots! It is very hard to get a single photo where every girl is happy with how she looks, guys really are not as fussy. The girls will buy the photo that they look best in.

We tend to charge the standard rate £10 per shoot including a 6x9 mounted photograph, but do offer incentives for groups such as discounting copies of the same photograph, or offering 3 for the price of 2 if they are different shots that need processing.

2. Lighting Equipment for Event Photography

I don't use studio lighting for indoor events! Initially I used the standard large softbox above the camera and shot in front of a grey, back or white backdrop. But that's boring and old hat nowadays, the lighting is very flat and there is always the risk of people tripping over cables and the hassle of finding a nearby power socket.

At School proms, Bar-Mitzvahs and especially Sweet Sixteen parties it gets very busy and although we carry full insurance I don't want a heavy studio light falling on a guest. It's the same at Corporate events and Black Tie dinners, there's usually a huge rush after dinner for photos and even a taped down light can get pulled over by an inebriated partygoer!

So now I use a Nikon SB-900 on the camera with the wide-angle flap down and the soft diffuser fitted. This controls two other Nikon SB-600's also with the wide-angle flaps down using Nikon's excellent CLS lighting system. The two SB-600's are mounted on sturdy but portable stands and shoot through white umbrellas for lovely soft lighting.

At an Event you don't want to be messing around changing lighting when you have queues, but this setup is flexible and light enough to be safe to move quickly if you need to. The Nikon system lets me control the brightness of each flash directly from the camera without having to touch the lights.

As we use Green Screen backdrops at most events to add effects and digital backgrounds, I have to ensure the backdrop is evenly lit to avoid problems when chromakeying out the green. By mounting the umbrellas high up at either side and shooting through them, the green (or blue) backdrop gets evenly lit where it matters. The guests get a nice flattering lighting setup which I can easily adjust for large groups or closeups. I

I shoot on full manual with the on camera flash at about 1/32 power to give a little fill light, but mainly to trigger the two mounted lights. These are usually on about 1/8th power which is plenty! Recyling is very fast and I've never had to change batteries yet at an event, although I have charged spares on hand.

If I get a large group like a football or cricket team at a sporting event I can quickly move the two sidelights back and up the power.If it quietens down and we get a guest who wants some special shots, the lights can be moved so one acts as a keylight and one as a fill for classic Rembrandt lighting. We have professional makeover software running on the workstations so can enhance pictures quickly if someone wants portfolio shots.

The SB-900 on the camera can also be removed and used as a slave for hair lighting or other effects, triggered by the on canera flash. So we can do a three light setup easily! White balance is crucial, on Nikon cameras just stand where the subjects will be, set the white balance to "pre" then hold down the wb button for three seconds. When the display flashes, point the camera back between the lights and shoot. If it says "good" in the display, you are set to go. If not, try shooting again straight at one of the sb600, it will work!

The real beauty of this system is that it all fits in one calumet rolling case and is easily portable! It is very flexible for other types of photography. These flashguns are just as powerful as studio lights, and we even carry Fong diffusers and softboxes just in case we get a chance to do some glamour photography. (and yes, you can book us for private shoots!)

3. Printers for Instant Event Photos.

I used to to run a large independent company selling calibrated colour printers, scanners and displays into the corporate design market and previously worked with Canon, Xerox, Mitsubishi and Tektronix as a colour consultant. So choosing the best Event printers was an interesting exercise!

Inkjets and colour lasers were instantly dismissed as I needed portability, reliability and photographic quality. Plus I needed to know exactly what each print would cost. An inkjet will produce the quality with a bit of tweaking but will never match the quality, speed or durability of a dedicated dye-sublimation printer.

I don't believe in compatible inks as I've seen first hand the amount of R&D that goes into a manufacturers own ink. So ink-jet prints are going to be too expensive for event printing. Lasers are fast but lacking in colour quality, and extremely tricky to transport. After testing all the current offerings I decided on the Mitsubishi 9550 DW linked to the Mitsubishi Click system as our basic workhorse for producing large 9 x 6 inch photographs.

As I use a full frame camera this is exactly the size the camera shoots at, so no cropping needed! The photographs are fast and very accurate thanks to the dedicated colour profiling we use supplied by Systems Insight and fine-tuned by me!

The dye-sub process basically involves heating the ink on a ribbon until it turns into a gas and sublimates into the special paper. This is a true continuous tone process so the colour gamut is much wider than other processes, giving smooth and accurate skin tones with no dot patterns.

You can actually roll a photograph up and stand it in a pint of coke, leave it for hours and then wipe dry without any signs of running or fading, as demonstrated on the training course by Stuart! These photographs really won't fade and are fingerprint proof thanks to the special coating. They will last longer than any other photograph!

The fixed cost per photograph allows us to offer discounted pricing for pre-paid events like weddings or school proms as we know exactly what our costs will be per photo regardless of how much of each colour is used.

But we also offer a unique digital make-over service for events using a very special PC with professional retouching software so needed a printer we could connect directly. And we wanted to be able to offer instant 12" x 10" photos and other large sizes for Sporting Events like football and cricket events where team shots are popular.

So we decided on the larger format Mitsubishi as well as we have now found out it also works on the Click! Consumables for the Mitsubishi Event printers are readily available and therefore discounted prices help bring the costs down. Some of the more obscure brands like Shinko and Olmec are often tricky to source.

We are happy with the speed, quality and reliability of our printers, but more importantly, our customers love the results.

4. Mitsubishi Click System for Event Photographers.

My background is in colour technology as mentioned, but prior to that I was a DEC system manager, I have a HND in Computer Science and am a qualified programmer. Yes, I'm old enough to have done all that and spent 7 years in the Army controlling Artlillery fire by computers and by slide rules and log books when those systems were taken out.

So I'm probably more of a technical geek than most photographers. So why did I choose a dedicated turnkey solution for producing event photographs rather than use my expertise in PC and Mac solutions?

Laziness really, why re-invent the wheel! I quickly realised that to make any money at all in Event Photography you have to produce very good photographs to a very high standard very quickly! Work flow is very important. Initially I was either going to use a big 27" Mac with a studio display for quality to handle all the incoming pictures, or go down the Windows 7 route with a couple of fast Sony Vaio AW notebooks with their gorgeous Adobe RGB 18" monitors, with either system linked to a dye-sub or two.

But once I started looking at the workflow and software required I realised the Mitsubishi Click would cover all the bases. Yes, I could run either system quickly and use dedicated green screen software and professional retouching software to produce stunning results. But then who would take the photos? I needed a system that was streamlined and simple to use so I could train others to use it.

My first event was a corporate Xmas dinner and the only person available to do the green screen effects, printing, mounting and sales was my wife! The Click system is very straightforward, you set up a new event and pictures are sent wirelessly from the photographer. Selecting them by just touching the screen allows for full screen previews, once the customers have decided which photographs they want it is quite easy to drop in a green screen background and print, all by touch!

Camera cards and CD's can be easily read or burnt, multiple printers are supported and the whole system runs smoothly and look very professional. We've even had customers connect their own cameras or mobile phones by bluetooth and print their own photos! My wife managed well on our first event, and we had over thirty satisfied customers that evening, in a very short period of about 2 hours from when the meal ended to going home.

Many purchased multiple photos, with different backdrops and effects, but she handled it all while I took the shots. Now we have more trained assistants as it did wear her out a bit:) But I still wanted the flexibility and power to use more specialised green screen software to drop in overlays and fine tune some of the more tricky effects.

So with a bit of help from the techies at System Insight I worked out how to access the system directly, and underneath the smooth software front end is a powerful windows PC. So now if we get a really special request (like "put me in the Oval Office with President Obama") I can jump in and alt tab to Photokey or Portrait pro running in the background! And yes, you can print directy to the dedicated 9550DW by dropping jobs straight into the queue, email for details:)

You can also boost the processor speed, add more RAM, put in a HDMI graphics card to support external displays, even change out the motherboard if you are brave enough and don't mind voiding your warranty!

I'd recommend this system to anyone starting out, and would also recommend you buy it from Stuart or Darren at Systems Insight as they know the system well!

5. Green Screen Event Photography

To be successful in Event Photography as in any business you need a key differentiator, something to make you unique. We all provide basically the same service, photographing people having a good time and offering prints or downloads. Some specialise in niche markets like weddings or school photographs, or certain types of events like Equestrian or Motorcycling. I chose Green Screen Event Photography for a variety of reasons.

I like the portability of our lighting system and didn't want to spoil that by having to carry around various huge coloured backdrops for different occasions. I find it boring having dozens of people shot the same way, and I'm sure most people who go to events are getting fed up of the same bluey grey backdrop, or the "ultra modern" white or black high or low key shoot.

I want to have fun at an event and want the guests to experience something new. So we shoot everyone in front of a blue or more usually a green screen and then our special software can replace that colour with any of our 2500 digital backgrounds! This gives us the flexibility to add classy studio backdrops to Black Tie and Corporate Events, and lets us choose appropriate colours to enhance what the guests are wearing.

For School proms and Sweet Sixteens we can get the guests flying through space, on stage with their favourite rock bands or in the latest movies. Bar and Bat-Mitzvahs are great fun as we can transport the guests anywhere in the world, and for all events we offer free personalised overlays and designs so the event is memorable and unique.

The secret to Chromakey Event Photography is keeping the workflow fast! If you offer a guest 2500 choices, expect a huge queue or a lot of disapointed people. We tend to design 10 choices for each event and will print an example of each so they can decide before we shoot. That way if they are going to be posing alongside a Twilight Vampire or on the dance floor with John Travolta, they can strike an appropriate pose! It does slow things down having to add backdrops but we prefer the interaction and the guests enjoy the experience.

It's not all about getting them shot and printed to us, some event companies work like a slaughterhouse concentrating on quantity rather than quality, that's what the auto cameras at theme parks are for, we would rather spend a little time earning our money!

We prefer green screens to blue screens as less people wear the actual shade of green we use. Blue clothing, eyes and jewellery are more common and can cause probems unless you know how to mask out those areas. We use very special green screen material now, direct from the film studios. This is a special white backed material that absorbs light and glows evenly. Ordinary green muslin will reflect light and cause problems especially with very blonde hair. Contact me for details, it's twice the price but worth it!

Don't worry about evenly lighting the backdrop as many claim, that will just cause more spill and you need more lights power and cabling! You can't get your guests the recommended 10-12 feet away at an event, which you need to if you light the backdrop! Imagine if you were shooting a group and they all had to be 12 feet in front of the cloth!, how big would it need to be! Using pro software lets you quickly adjust for spill and reflected green light.

The trick is to light the people not the backdrop, that should only appear in the gaps anyway and if you have a light enough green it will work. Less is more, light from the sides and above so any shadows are still green and they will disappear.We use overlays and backgrounds to get realistic Magazine covers and special effects.

People don't notice that usually the models on magazines go in front of the title heading but behind the informative text! And watch out for copyrights, design your own magazine covers that are similar but not identical, you can buy these from the USA as overlays..PNG files are best but won't work on the Click, you need to do what we do and switch.

The President Obama shot is a good example, He is in the background, the guests are dropped in on top, then the desk is added as an overlay in front.

6. Starting an Event Photography Business.

Don't believe some of the salesmen out there who claim it's a licence to print money! That is their job and they do it well, but like any business you need to really work at it. Most pro photographers woudn't dream of doing a photoshoot AND supplying a framed large photograph for a tenner! And don't think just because you get a booking at a black tie event for example with 100 people that you are going to sell 100 photos!

30% of those people won't even want a photo taken! That's just the way it is. There won't be many single people wanting a photo on their own, and there's always a large group who want just one shot of all of them, but will buy additional copies at a discounted rate. That leaves the couples, so that brings you down to around five singles, a large group and twenty couples.

You will earn about £300 at an event of this size. Ok, that's a small event but just about possible for two people to cover so that's only one assistant to pay. Then there is the cost of the prints, mounts and bags, travelling costs, insurance costs not to mention an hour to setup and an hour to pack down plus sometimes many hours of waiting for a dinner speech to end.

Don't forget the website you need, the adverts to get bookings, the expense of all the gear, marketing your website, the admin and post production work to get the images online. The usual business costs of stationery, phone bills, promotional gear and all the insurance.

Also remember there are a lot of excellent photographers out there, and anyone can buy a good camera, lens, and a fast printer and go out and do this. The big companies will already have the big events sewn up, So you need to use your contacts, ask around, advertise and promote. Offer to do some small events free for the practice, but still charge the going rate. Even if you only sell 10 shoots in a night, the experience is invaluable before you tackle a busy event.

Once you get a booking, splash out on some pop up banners showing what you do, flyers and business cards. When you get there and setup, take a few test shots of the bar staff, waitresses and event organisers to test everything. Frame these up and give them out as gifts, asking them to show the guests! Great advertising! Get the DJ to tell guests where you are and what you are doing. Work the tables if it's quiet. Above all enjoy it and be polite and professional as you are representing us all!

That's enough secrets revealed for now, if anyone wants to ask any questions feel free. This is just my opinions and experience so far, I'll add more as I get time. If you find this at all useful, please tell others, I'm not charging to write all this, nor am I selling anything, but links to my site will really be appreciated, or a mention in any blogs etc. Cheers, Paul Harrison