Hire The Right Lighting Equipment To Enhance Production Value

Lighting equipment hire is an essential part of any production, considering the expenses involved in the purchase of the required accessories. Lighting and grip equipment rental services provide excellent combo packages, including all types of lighting kits and grip gears, which is essential to enhance the value of videos shot for:

* Commercials
* Documentaries
* Independent films
* Industrial videos
* Corporate events

Lighting kits are also hired for still photo shoots. With fast advancement in the film-making technology, production is not exclusive to bigger projects. Small-scale projects are launched with the help of rental companies that provide assistance and equipment required for a quality video creation, at a reasonable budget.

Necessity of Lighting Equipment Hire

It is not always possible to shoot a good video with the natural light available. To deal with the times where good lighting is required for effective production, producers make use of supplementary lights through lighting equipment hire.

Every production venture has its own specific requirement of lighting equipment and accessories to enhance the quality and value of the video recorded. It is practically impossible for producers to purchase every accessory needed for a project. The best option is utilizing lighting equipment hire from rental services that stock up a complete range of accessories from the top manufacturers. Most of the new-generation lighting kits consume less energy, do not emit heat, and have excellent daylight balancing quality.

Types of Lighting Kits and Grip Gears

Basic Grip Equipment And Lighting Kits Include The Following Accessories:

* HMI magnetic lights
* Tungsten lights
* Florescent lights
* Overheads and bounces
* Dimmers
* Cables and blocks
* Grip gears consisting of stands, clamps, and other hardware
* Unit equipment like pop-up tents, umbrellas, traffic cones, chairs, and radios

Often, rental companies have combo offers, which include the standard vans, mini-sized trucks, and generators, fulfilling every need of production.

Equipment for Higher Budget Production

Lighting equipment hire does not meet all the requirements of bigger budget productions. Outdoor shooting requires heavy and expensive equipment, like:

* Aerial camera systems
* Camera trolleys
* Camera cranes
* Remote heads for mounting cameras
* High-resolution cameras
* Cable cameras
* Bigger generators and vehicles

A reliable and efficient rental service should be able to meet all the above needs of a production with competence.

As not all videos are shot outdoors, it is helpful if the rental company can combine the studio hire with grip and lighting packages for indoor shootings.

With the help of highly skilled and creative gaffers, who provide assistance all through the working of a project, creating a wonderful production becomes a memorable experience for the creative community.

Lighting equipment hire from a competent, experienced, and reliable rental service eases the burden and lowers the costs involved in production to a great extent. Most rental companies have websites with detailed information about the services and equipment available, including the cost. The order can be placed online, after finding a suitable package required for the purpose of production.

101 Reasons to Hire a Professional Photographer

"That's a great picture, you must have a really nice camera!" Such is the perception of most who don't really know anything about a photography. It's about the same logic as saying "that was a wonderful meal, you must have a nice stove!"

After having been a photographer for many years (and even selling photography equipment for a while) I've heard this statement many times. When I was selling, customers would consistently come up to me and say similar statements. The one I probably heard the most was "My friend Tom has a [insert camera name here] camera and he gets great pictures so I want to buy the same one. Almost without fail the same said customer would come back a few weeks later complaining because "something must be wrong with the camera you sold me because the pictures aren't as good as Tom's." I would always reply with "may I see your camera?" and would then ask if they minded if I took a few pictures. I would put the camera in either aperture priority mode or manual, adjust the settings according to the photograph that I wanted to create, press the shutter button, and then show the customer the picture. They would always follow up with something like "Wow, that looks great, how come my pictures don't look that good?" To which I would begin the long conversation about how I use a camera as a tool to create the look I want instead of being dependent on a camera to do all of the thinking for me. Because of peoples, often erroneous, beliefs about photography I've decided to create a list of 101 reasons that people need to hire a professional photographer instead of depending on their "friend with a nice camera." This list - in no particular order - is mainly focused on wedding photography but can include any type of photography.

A Professional Photographer

1. creates photographs, he doesn't take a picture and "hope it comes out."

2. has spent years studying every aspect of making a photographs.

3. knows which lens to use in which situation.

4. knows how to set the camera for a consistent look regardless of location (ceremony, reception, outdoors, etc.)

5. knows how to properly use a flash for soft, even lighting.

6. knows when to use multiple flashes to create a beautiful scene.

7. knows how to make a scene look "natural" and not like he was using a flash at all.

8. knows what aperture to set his lens to for the look that will make you look the best.

9. knows what shutter speed to set to capture the ambient light, create the feeling of movement, or freeze an object in place.

10. will sometimes spend several hours retouching one photograph to make sure it is perfect.

11. knows when to use off camera lighting (strobes) to create a certain look or evenly light a group of people or a room.

12. owns professional equipment.

13. has spent about the same amount or more for *each* lens that he owns than he did for his camera body.

14. owns multiple camera bodies in case of equipment failure.

15. knows to back up his photographs to multiple locations to avoid computer crash problems.

16. has spent far more on accessories Backdrops , Light Stands , Remote Controls for Flash , Storage Cases , Umbrellas , Tripods , Tripod Heads
, etc.) than he did on his camera(s).

17. spends a great deal of time and money creating a website, advertising, and marketing.

18. will gladly spend multiple hours meeting with you, answering questions, emailing, going through every detail of the wedding, scouting out the location(s), etc. to make sure that everything is done the way you want it.

19. will discuss a "shot list" with you so that nothing, or nobody gets left out. (You know that you've got an uncle Joe, but your photographer doesn't unless you tell him.)

20. will be professional about taking photographs of the bride and bridesmaids while they are getting ready.

21. knows how to direct groups of people to be photographed so that everybody looks great (no closed eyes, yawns, people hidden behind other people, etc.)

22. won't be drinking at the reception like uncle Joe.

23. knows how to capture the moment. (not when you're pulling away from the first kiss but right as your lips touch)

24. knows how to put together a wedding album so that it not only shows great pictures, but tells a great story.

25. knows how to match the color of his flash lighting to the color of the ambient light (tungsten, fluorescent, outdoors in the shade, etc.)

26. keeps up with the latest trends in photography styles so that he is able to offer anything that a client might want. (think red wine glasses with a black and white background )

27. keeps up with the latest digital editing tools in order to create unique and custom artwork for you to enjoy.

28. can shoot film.

29. has done this before. He's not at your wedding to "practice his photography"

30. will let your guest be a guest. Uncle Joe will actually be able to enjoy the wedding instead of being stressed out about making sure that he gets all of the pictures that he thinks you should have.

31. will typically spend around 5 hours BEFORE the wedding in preparation, and between 40 and 60 hours AFTER the wedding editing pictures, making prints, framing, creating slideshows, creating wedding albums, confirming orders, talking to the lab, etc. Did you really think you were paying several thousand dollars just for 8 hours on the wedding day?

32. knows that the average cost of an entire wedding is around $20,000 and that the only thing that you will keep (other than the dress) is the photography.

33. knows that the average price spent on catered food service is around $3000.

34. knows that the average price spent on flowers(which will end up in the trash is about $2000

35. will be happy to let guests take pictures throughout the wedding.

36. will comply with all rules regarding flash photography during your ceremony. Most places of worship will not allow flash photography during the ceremony. How do you get good pictures in a dark church without a flash...? Hire a professional!

37. knows how to make great photographs while being discreet and unobtrusive.

38. knows that it is much smarter to save money by skimping on the flowers, food, music, location, etc. rather than to skimp on the only thing that you will have to keep from your special day (your photos).

39. knows what it's like to have a bride (who didn't hire him because her uncle Joe had a nice camera)call him in tears asking if there is any way he can "fix" uncle Joe's pictures.

40. has learned the importance of not keeping his clients waiting on their pictures for months at a time.

41. will concentrate on capturing great memories rather than talking to his friends at the wedding (eh hmm...uncle Joe...)

42. knows how to pose the bride and groom (as well as bridesmaids, groomsmen, family, etc.) so that you look your absolute best.

43. knows what angles to shoot so that your pictures are the most flattering.

44. knows that the price of the camera has nothing to do with the artistic quality of the photographer.

45. will "see the shot" long before he raises the camera to his eye.

46. will prepare for the moment in advance so that he is ready when it happens (the kiss, the cake getting smeared in your new hubby's face, etc.)

47. has seen the wedding process many times and will gladly work with you (or your coordinator) so that everything goes as smooth as possible.

48. will be full of great ideas to help out with your wedding above and beyond just taking the photographs.

49. can shoot objectively and won't be as emotional as a family member or friend.

50. can capture the emotions of everyone else at the wedding.

51. knows how to coordinate and work with other professionals at the event (band, DJ, wedding coordinator, minister, etc.)

52. has a vested interest in making you look your best. Not only have you paid him for his services but he also knows that if you like what he does then you will be recommending him to all of your friends. There's an old saying among photographers that goes "if you mess up a portrait you have to apologize, if you mess up a wedding you have to leave town"

53. knows that you will never regret having hired a professional and getting professional results, but you will regret, from now on, trying to "save money" and having your friend be the photographer.

54. doesn't use the "auto" setting on the camera. Ever.

55. knows that word of mouth is the best advertising and will make sure that you are taken care of so that you will spread a good word.

56. can put people at ease who aren't use to being in front of the camera.

57. has a "bag of tricks" up his sleeves to create the most magical experience possible for you and your wedding party.

58. makes it fun. This isn't a job for him, it's a passion!

59. won't just give you a CD or DVD of images straight out of the camera, but will painstakingly go through each and every image to professionally enhance them using the latest digital software.

60. knows about time management and will shoot in such a way as to keep your wedding day flowing smoothly.

61. knows that he is not the star, you are. Though during certain times of the wedding day he may need to direct people where to go, sit, stand, etc. He does all of this so that you and your wedding party will look your absolute best. He knows that this is your day and you are the focus.

62. will have a way that you can view, and order your prints online. No more waiting for "proofs" to come back from the lab. As soon as your pictures have been touched up they will be uploaded to a custom gallery just for you and your friends and family.

63. will keep copies backed up of your photographs for many years after your wedding day. This insures that should something unforeseen happen and you lose your photographs, you can always order more.

64. will be at ease in what, for you anyway, may be a stressful situation.

65. will dress appropriately.

66. knows that this is not a fashion shoot, it's a ceremony and he will treat it as such. Your wedding ceremony will unite you two in Holy Matrimony. This is not the time to be distracting.

67. will capture the little details of your wedding day. A flower girl tying her shoe, a tear on your mothers cheek, a rose on the floor of the isle. These are all just examples of great photographs that will help tell your story.

68. will meet with you beforehand and discuss....well...anything that you think might be important. It is your wedding day. He might give you some suggestions or ideas but ultimately he knows that you've probably been planning your dream wedding since you were 8.

69. has a unique style and lots of creativity, not only in editing your photos, but also in capturing them.

70. has a contract that details exactly what you are paying for.

71. has photo packages that include: several print sizes, photo books, etc.

72. will put you at ease so that you are free to enjoy your wedding without concerning yourself over the quality of your photographs.

73. won't just make you smile, but will make you laugh.

74. can refer other professional services (cakes designers, DJ's, etc.)

75. has a relationship with a high end (professionals only) print lab. No, this isn't Costco, or Wal-Mart, or even Wolf Camera.

76. will pre-scout both the location of the ceremony and the reception to find the best places for photographs.

77. can optionally bring along a second photographer for multiple angles.

78. continues to educate himself by reading books and blogs, hanging out with other professional photographers, and joining professional photography associations.

79. will do just about anything for to capture the best photograph possible. Need me to climb a tree? I'm there. stand out in the river? Yup. Get on the roof and shoot down. Done!

80. knows that you're not paying for a picture, or a set of pictures. You are paying for quality and a guaranteed level of service. I heard a high end ($25,000 to book) wedding photographer speaking in an interview where he was asked "Why would anyone pay you $25,000 to photograph their wedding, are your pictures that good?" He thought for a moment and responded "at the level I shoot at, my clients aren't paying for pictures, they are paying for a guarantee."

81. will talk to your minister and key people at each location to find out if there are any special requirements for photographers during the ceremony.

82. knows that a great image will have a great background.

83. brings extra batteries. Lots of them.

84. knows hot to make people look like they are actually dancing at the reception, not just frozen in a weird pose.

85. doesn't shoot at the same angles as everybody else.

86. has access to custom framing that is not made available to the general public.

87. will focus on creating memories not just snapping pictures.

88. has multiple memory cards so that he never runs out of "film"

89. will let you password protect your online photo gallery so that only you and your friends and family can see it.

90. won't miss the cake cutting because he is catching up with an old friend like uncle Joe.

91. knows that photography is all about lighting (literally "painting with light") and knows how to manipulate the lighting and camera settings for soft, even lighting with no harsh shadows.

92. knows that you'll want to put your pictures on Facebook and will give you a CD or DVD with photographs that are optimized for the web.

93. has an expert eye and knows how to frame a subject in the camera.

94. doesn't just think he is a photographer just because he got a nice camera or took a photo class.

95. knows that capturing your memories is of the utmost importance and is highly skilled at doing so.

96. has very expensive lenses that are great at capturing pristine images in dark churches where you aren't allowed to use a flash.

97. knows how to get energetic or upset children to smile for the group pictures.

98. will include a print release when you get a DVD of your high definition photos so that you can print them anywhere.

99. will custom format your pictures to display on an optional iPad or iPod touch.

100. can print "save the date" photo cards for you to send out to your guests.

101. is service oriented and will focus his time on not only meeting, but exceeding your expectations.

Why Is It Beneficial To Attend Photography Workshops?

A photography workshop is a place to which everyone who is interested in photography should pay a visit every once in a while; especially the workshops organized by the renowned professionals. It is a great place to observe and learn, not to mention the opportunity to discuss your own ideas with expert photographers. The experience and knowledge that you can gather from a good photography workshop is simply something that you cannot acquire anywhere else. In the span of this article, we will try to understand the advantages of attending a photography workshop and also how it could help an amateur as well as a professional.

Be it a workshop on landscapes or fashion, if the subject of the workshop is where your interests lie, you can often be extremely motivated by such an exposure. Even pros can find their spirits rekindled at such a workshop or it can sometimes inspire a photographer from a different field to try something new for a change. A photography workshop can also involve a tour to some of the most picturesque locations around the world. As these tours are organized by experts who know what are the best places to capture photographs are and at what time from experience, you get the occasion to concentrate on what you want to capture rather than spending the valuable time on the details of travelling to different locations while on tours. All the hassles and management are taken care of while you get all the time in the world during the tour to concentrate on your personal photographic endeavors. As a touring workshop involves a lot of outdoor photography, young photographers learn how to control shutter speed, exposure, aperture and other settings in different light conditions in order to capture that perfect photo. They may not get it right at the beginning but the advantage of a photography workshop is such that the professionals are there to guide. Experience from such workshops also teaches the attendants to rely less on image editors and more on themselves and their cameras.

One of the greatest pleasures of going to a photography workshop is that you get to meet people who are just as much in love with photography as you are, or perhaps even more. A non-professional photographer may have a hard time finding people around him/her who are equally serious about photography, and to them, a photography workshop is a perfect place to contribute to ideas and gain knowledge from people who share the same passion. Apart from fellow photographers, the experts who are leading the workshop would be around to help all the attendants of the workshop with their experience and knowledge. It is a great place to learn something new or to brush up on the old amidst the company of like minded individuals, sometimes even for the professionals. If you are an amateur, it is often an excellent chance for you to show some of your own work to the renowned professionals present there. They may compliment you or may point you towards the errors in your way of capturing or may even agree to take you as an apprentice. To the beginner, the benefits of attending a photography workshop are tremendous, in fact it is perhaps the best way to reach out and learn from the best. A professional may know a lot but a single person cannot know everything and when many such professionals come together, it is only natural that information would be exchanged. News about the latest technology in photography is often discussed in these workshops as well as the latest trends in different fields of photography. Different point of views on the same subject may be expressed through the photos from different photographers and that works often as an inspiration to many.

Visualizing an image even before you capture it is the first step towards taking an impressive photograph. In other words, you need to recognize the potential of a picture if you plan on doing some serious photography and for that you need to have the "photographer's eye" of course, but the confusion that may boggle the mind of a young photographer regarding the merit of his/her recognition is often a hindrance. If you are attending a workshop then you can save a lot of time by learning from the experienced pro on how to be sure about what you are going to capture. The background, geometry, angle, proportion, aesthetics and all other aspects that make a photograph truly beautiful and a piece of art is a hard process to learn, but it becomes easier if you have the guidance of pros and experts all around you. Mind one thing though, photography is a form of art and each photographer has his/her signature style which develops as the photographer's skills mature with experience. A photography workshop is not a place where you would be "told" what to do and what not to do, the experts will act more like guides who will point you at the right direction but you will walk towards it at your own pace and in your own way. In fact, teachers at these workshops often admit that it never is a one way process when they instruct the young photographers; they acknowledge the fact that even they learn something from these young minds.

Apart from the classic onsite and touring photography workshops, there are also online workshops that take place these days which allow participation just like offline workshops. These workshops allow some neat features for the amateur photographers too. For example, you can get your captured images rated and criticized by pros both in order to know how skilled you are at this moment as well as for a nudge in the right direction. Unfortunately, they cannot be as beneficial as an onsite or touring workshop because of obvious reasons. If you want to mingle with photographers from different backgrounds and of different skill levels while learning directly from your favorite photographers, you will just have to attend photography workshops both near and far from you when possible.

How To Take Stunning Still Life Photos

Still Life photographs do not require photographers to travel to exotic places, not even to venture outside the comfort of their homes. In fact, not even a studio is required. This is one branch of photography that anybody can take part in.

No special equipment is needed. Attention to detail and preparation are, however, a must to get the best images.

Below are some essential tips to make your still life photography a success:

1. Unlike traditional film, we can take as many shots as we want as it doesn't cost us any money. So it is best to take a lot of shots to find the best white balance and exposure settings.

2. Close cropping is beautiful and effective. Go close and fill the frame. There will be less to crop later and your shots retain maximum resolution and quality. Getting your framing right, will save you time later.

3. Your source of lighting should preferably be to one side. If light comes from the front, your images will look flat.

4. Keep your eyes open for any suitable subject. Some beautiful and unexpected photographs may be the result.

5. In order to avoid shadows falling on the background make sure that the subject is not too close to the backdrop. Sometimes if the backdrop is lit separately, you will get a better effect.

6. Buy some colored gels. The effect on your images is stunning.

7. There is one piece of equipment that is a must for still life photography - a tripod. This obviously costs money, but is the only way you can get razor-sharp results.You can also leave the camera unattended on the tripod while you arrange the subject being photographed and if you are taking photos with available light, the tripod help in steadying the camera.

8. Research and plan ahead, especially if you intend to transform your images later in Photoshop, as this will effect framing and exposure.

9. If you are looking for subjects, try the garage, the garden, the kitchen and even the bathroom.When you are by the seaside or strolling through the countryside you may come across potential subjects. Be always on the look out.

10. Anyone can make a simple lightbox. It is inexpensive and easy to make. Lighting subjects from below is an excellent way to eliminate shadows.

Keep it in mind that it doesn't take much to transform an ordinary photo into a great image.Keep on taking photos. Do not stop. Experiment and tweak to your heart's delight and you will soon have a stunning still life on your hands.

Forensics Vs Forensic Science

If you bring up forensics in a conversation, those involved will often start thinking of scenes from the television show CSI (Crime Scene Investigation). It's synonymous with scouring crime scenes for minute clues to help criminal investigators create leads in various cases.

Because of the misunderstanding that's developed about criminal investigations and forensics, many don't realize that there is an acute difference between forensics and forensic science.

Currently, forensic science gets shortened in most discussions to "forensics." The word "forensic" actually relates to debates, and comes from the Latin word "forensis" or "of or before the forum." This concept became most prominent in ancient Rome where both the accused and the accuser involved in a judicial case had to advance their arguments in front of a public forum. This led to the usage of the term "forensics" for both public debate and the presentation of legal evidence.

This concept of "evidence" is what has caused it to run parallel and merge with forensic science. As the judicial system evolved, so, too, did the evidence that was required in cases. No longer was it a matter of verbal debate; instead other forms of evidence were necessary. The concept, that being "forensic" or "before the forum" still holds true. The only thing that has changed is the type of evidence that's being presented.

While some modern dictionaries will actually merge the two and provide similar or identical definitions, they are quite separate by origin and practical application.

The term forensics refers to public debate which includes the presentation of evidence and rhetoric. Forensic Science is something different. It deals specifically with the gathering, identification, research, and scientific interpretation of evidence to determine such things as who was involved in a crime.

In addition to confusing the terms forensics and forensic science, people often mistake forensic science for criminalistics. However, it's important to keep these terms in context too. Forensic science involves any discipline that can be applied to evidence. Criminalistics is just one of the subdivisions of forensic science.

Some of the disciplines that fall under the umbrella of "forensic science" are:

• Computer Forensics


• Forensic Accounting


• Forensic Audio Engineering


• Forensic Linguistics


• Forensic Pathology


• Forensic Psychology


• Forensic Engineering


• Criminalistics

Criminalistics itself is the scientific discipline which brings together various natural sciences such as biology and chemistry to the examination, identification, and comparison of certain types of evidence. Criminalists deal with biological evidence including DNA and bodily fluids, trace evidence such as fibers, hair, and soil, and impression evidence such as fingerprints and tire tracks. They also are involved with ballistics, drug analysis, crime scene photography and reconstruction.

As you can see, the forensic sciences deal specifically with the research and examination of evidence so that such evidence can be admitted to and used within the legal system. Forensics on the other hand should be viewed not as the science behind the evidence, but as the presentation and use of the research once it's completed.

Is Inspiration Missing From Your Life

Many of us, through no fault of our own, start off life on the wrong foot. We are conditioned by our parents, family unit, environment, friends, teachers and other supposed role models and mentors. Although these individuals are genuinely good people who love us, they also have never been educated in "how to raise a child," or aware of "what you say and do can have tremendous influence on a child"  Basically, they're innocent human beings, who in the moment, just like you, are doing the best that they can with what they know.

The experiences that we are exposed to as children and young adults, conditions our belief systems going forward. As a result, we paint a canvas for our life in the present, based on the very past paradigms that we have experienced. It's comparable to an artist painting on a brand new canvas, the present, using brushes and paints that are old, stale and brittle, the past.

This past based approach to living our life is limiting, in that it cuts us off from the true power we possess in the present and the access that power gives us to the unlimited possibilities that are present. But because we are not present, we never see or realize them.

Living what I refer to as"a mechanical life," is like being on automatic pilot, like a car rolling down the highway on cruise control. We know we're going somewhere but do we really know where. You've heard me say before that "you are your thoughts." This is why it is so important that you understand that the thoughts you're thinking today, will become your tomorrow.

Thoughts have a basis in reality creation. What you think, good or bad, will become your reality. By taking the time to be more aware of our thoughts and behaviors, we can actually change our belief systems and impact our actions and results.

What you think has everything to do with the reality that you experience. By creating the right image or thought of what you want to achieve in your life, that thought or image has the power to create the appropriate circumstance or outcome that you wish to manifest in your life.

Living With Inspiration

I think of the definition of inspiration as meaning "being in Spirit." To be inspired is to live in Spirit, with purpose and passion. To be inspired, one must; be in Spirit with themselves and the Universe, have a purpose that is as large as life itself and commit to fulfill that purpose with a passion that is all consuming.

Have you ever experienced that in your lifetime? If not, you're missing out on one of the greatest joys of life. Because so many of us do live a mechanical life, we have lost contact with our spirit, which also cuts us off from living a life of purpose and passion.

Inspiration is quite different from the act of motivation. Highly motivated individual's are driven by their ego to succeed and achieve at all costs, to overcome every obstacle and every person who stands in their way. Many of us have been conditioned to believe that this is an admirable trait and as far as accomplishing a specific goal is concerned, it is.

However, when we speak of inspiration, we're not referring to setting and accomplishing goals, we're referring to tapping into the spiritual energy that we were born with and that lives within us. Inspiration is a powerful force that directs us toward or attracts us to our calling.

Inspiration lives hand-in-hand with "the power of uncertainty." In other writings, I've referred to Robert Frost's wonderful quote that says, "there is a time for departure, even when there is no certain place to go." Inspiration is not about certainty or goal setting, it's about having faith in the unknown and in the spiritual energy that lives within you. Inspiration reconnects us to the energy of Spirit in search of the Self and our destiny. It requires great courage to depart the life we know, the mechanical life and venture out to find our purpose and passion.

The Uniqueness of Indian Cinema - Part 1 of 4

"There is one more state in this country, and that is Hindi cinema. And Hindi cinema also has its own culture... quite different from Indian culture but it is not alien to us, we understand it."

Javed Akhtar in 'Talking Films'

Indian filmmakers depart from their Hollywood counterparts in different ways. Whereas Hollywood filmmakers strive to conceal the constructed nature of their work so that the realistic narrative is wholly dominant, Indian filmmakers make no attempt to conceal the fact that what is shown on screen is a spectacle, an illusion, a fiction.

A number of elements invest Indian popular cinema with a clear identity but they can rarely be considered authentic images of Indian society or reality. However, they do reflect Indian society, seen as it were, through a distorted or broken mirror. Among the distinctive features are the following:

-Indian popular films are, in most cases, not realistic and not rooted in any specific culture within India as they aspire to reach out to all-India audiences. In fact, often a great effort is made to make sure that it cannot be identified with any particular region of India.

-Acting is exaggerated as it is derived from the traditional Indian folk forms.

-Melodrama has an abiding presence in terms of plot, character and use of background music.

-The use of the camera is often flashy, drawing attention to itself. The editing too is obtrusive which sometimes stand in contrast to Western concepts of continuity.

-Characters are rarely unique individuals; they are often social stereotypes or archetypes.

-Songs and dances are crucial components of a film's appeal. They intervene into the narrative flow, often without much justification. Thus, films are not always 'organic' in the Western sense but neither is there much need to make it so. This may be the reason why Western audiences resist this form of cinema, i.e. for its lack of organicity.

-Films rarely fall into genres as it is understood in case of American cinema. Rather, every film is typically a combination of different genres. Hence the concept of the masala mix or the thali meal.

Indian popular films never pretend to be wholly realistic. They are governed by conventions commonly shared between filmmakers and audiences. These conventions have evolved historically and have reached a measure of stability. Indian popular films cannot be judged by the realistic yardstick applied to Western films.

It is an open secret that Indian cinema's greatest weakness is the screenplay.The craft of writing has rarely been taken seriously in the Indian popular cinema and this reflects in the fact that scriptwriters are usually poorly paid, if at all. That also explains the vicious circle why serious writers do not want to venture into screenwriting. All this stands in direct contrast to the way films are made in Europe or America where the screenplay is the bedrock of film financing and screenplay development is a huge industry. Hollywood, in particular, invests huge amounts of money in developing screenplays, only a small fraction of which actually find their way to production. In India, development funding for films is rare or non-existent.

NARRATIVE:
"It is much more difficult to write a screenplay for Naseeb than for a Western or 'art' film, where you have a straight storyline. A commercial Hindi film has to have sub-plots and gags, and keep its audience involved with no story or logic."

(K.K. Shukla, scriptwriter of Naseeb)

The assertion that Hindi films have 'no story' is sometimes confusing to those unfamiliar with the genre. "Who cares who gets the story credits. Everyone knows our films have no stories", and, in fact, the story credits are often given to friends or relatives for tax adjustment purposes. What is meant by 'no story' is that the storyline will be almost totally predictable to the Indian audience, being a repetition, or rather, an unmistakable reworking of many other Hindi films, and also that it will be recognised by them as a 'ridiculous' pretext for spectacle and emotion. Films which really have 'no story' i.e. non-narrative, or are 'just spice of life', or have the comparatively single-stranded narratives of many contemporary European films, are considered unlikely to be successful.

"The difference between Hindi and Western films is like that between an epic and a short story."

Javed Akhtar

There is of course good evidence that Hindi films have evolved from village traditions of epic narration, and the dramas and the characters, as well as the structure, of the mythological epics are regularly and openly drawn upon. Film-makers often insist that: 'Every film can be traced back to these stories ', and even that 'There are only two stories in the world, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.' In fact, it is the form and movement of the narrative that tends to distinguish the Hindi films, the crux of this being that the balance between narrative development and spectacular or emotional excess is rather different.

The narrative of the Indian popular cinema is often built upon a simple opposition between good/morality and evil/decadence, and connotations of 'traditional' and 'Indian' are appended to morality, which is an ideal of social relations which includes respect for kinship and friendship obligations, destiny, patriotism and religion (and religious tolerance) as well as restrained sexuality. Evil or decadence is broadly categorized as 'non-traditional' and 'Western', although the West is not so much a place, or even a culture, as an emblem of exotic, decadent otherness.

Filmmakers are quite aware of building their narratives around terms of an opposition so basic that audiences cannot easily avoid immersion:

"Kinship emotion in India is very strong - so this element always works - that's what 'lost and found' is about. It does not work so well with educated audiences who go several days without seeing their families, but it works with B and C grade audiences who get worried if they don't see a family member by 6.30 P.M., whose family members are an important part of themselves and their experience of the world "

(K.K. Shukla, screenplaywriter)

CULTURAL SOURCES OF THE INDIAN POPULAR CINEMA

When we examine the evolution of popular Indian cinema, there are certain forces that merit closer analysis. These are:

1. The two Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata;
2. Classical Indian theatre
3. The folk theatre
4. The Parsi theatre
5. Hollywood
6. Television

Let us examine each of them in a little more detail so as to gain a clearer understanding:

i)THE EPICS:

It is unarguably clear that the Hindi film, whatever view one might hold of its general quality, is deeply embedded in certain mythic structures which have defined the contours of Indian civilization. Manmohan Desai claimed that all his films were inspired by the Mahabharata, and on occasion everything in the Hindi film, from the archetypal figure of the mother to the anti-heroic hero, appear to spring from the epics. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata have played a crucial role in shaping the thought, imagination, and life-styles of the vast mass of Indian people.

The two epics have often supplied Indian film producers with themes and plots. The very first Indian "talkie", Raja Harishchandra, was based on the Ramayana, and since then scores of films have drawn on the epics for plots. In addition, certain thematizations related to motherhood, patrimony and revenge, for instance in Mother India, Awaara, and Zanjeer respectively, that repeatedly find articulation in Indian cinema can be directly traced to the influence of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

In order to understand the uniqueness of the Indian film discourse, we must understand the structure of narrativity in popular Indian cinema. Although Indian cinema has been heavily influenced by Hollywood, the art of narration with its endless digressions, circularities, and plots within plots remained distinctly Indian. Here again, the influence of the two epics is unmistakable.

ii)CLASSICAL INDIAN THEATRE:

Sanskrit theatre constitutes one of the richest and most sophisticated legacies of classical lndian culture. The Natya Shastra, the classical treatise on Indian dramaturgy, defines drama as a "mimicry of the exploits of the gods, the Asuras (demons), kings as well as the householder in this world." According to another important treatise, the Dasharupa, drama is the imitation of situations. Hence, the idea of mimicry or imitation is fundamental to the concept of Sanskrit drama.

The Sanskrit theatre was highly stylized; it's mode of presentation was episodic laying the utmost emphasis on spectacle. In it, music and dance coalesced magnificently to create a wholly satisfying artistic unity. Sanskrit theatre was guided by strong injunctions related to the selection of plots, heroes and heroines, use of language, and the structure of the narrative. Poetry constituted a very important element in Sanskrit drama. Indeed, from the very earliest times, drama was considered a branch of poetry. Poetry served to offer moral comments, intensify emotion, and conjure up vividly in the minds of the audience, the background of the action of the drama. Mime and dance form an integral part of the classical Indian theatrical experience. The Sanskrit word natya, meaning "drama" is derived from the root nritto, dance.

We can identify a number of features of classical Indian drama which have an interesting bearing on the structure of popular Indian cinema. Sanskrit plays were spectacular dance-dramas in contrast to the tightly organized plays of the West. They were non-naturalistic and stylized and demanded the imaginative response from the audience. As much of the force and vigour of the Sanskrit theatre was derived from conventional and traditional vocabulary of theatrical expression, the more one was acquainted with the tradition, the better equipped one was to participate in the experience. Sanskrit dramas were heroic romantic-tragic comedies with a strong lyrical flavour. The ultimate aim of the classical Indian dramatist was the creation of a dominant aesthetic emotion (rasa) in the spectators.

Though popular cinema has a more direct link with folk theatre rather than classical theatre, the Sanskrit theatre's importance remains crucial as it is the source of the folk theatre forms.

iii)FOLK THEATRE:
Owing to a number of causes, Sanskrit drama began to decline after the tenth century. Concurrently, numerous dramatic forms sprang up or matured in the various provinces which, preserved and embodied the essence of the classical tradition. The Yatra of Bengal, Ram Lila and Krishna Lila of Uttar Pradesh, Tamasha of Maharashtra, Nautanki of Rajasthan, Bhavai of Gujarat, Bhagavata Mela of Tanjore, Terukkuttu of Tamilnadu, Vithinatakam of Andhra and Yakshagana of Karnataka are the most prominent among them. These various regional dramas, which are essentially creations of untutored folk-artists, have one central feature in common, namely that in varying degrees of competence and reliability they embody in a living form, the distinguishing traits of the classical Sanskrit theatre.

When, after the tenth century, the classical Sanskrit language splintered into vernaculars and took root in the form of regional languages, the Sanskrit drama -- petrified for many centuries -- was replaced by the growing folk theatre. In this way, the tradition flowed not from the folk to the classical, but from the classical to the folk. The folk-theatre inherits many of the classical conventions. This is, of course, not to suggest that all folk- dramas of India have been derived from the classical tradition. However, what is important to observe is that in all those rural dramas which have survived up to the present day, the influence of the classical tradition is clearly perceptible. In the use of humour, music and dance, the structure of the narratives, the informing melodramatic imagination, the folk-theatre of India has no doubt exercised a profound influence on the makers of popular cinema.

iv)PARSI THEATRE:The Parsi theatre is the most vital cultural antecedent of the Indian popular cinema as much as the vaudeville was a cultural forerunner to the early American cinema. The Parsi theatre, which came into existence in the nineteenth century is a crucial link between India's traditional narratives, performative traditions and its incorporation within the format of the technologically-driven medium of the cinema.

There were a number of Parsi theatrical companies touring the country and performing before crowded audiences.. These dramatists had a practical cast of mind and were more interested in commercial success than artistic achievement. The Parsi theatre excelled in both social and historical plays. Stylistically, they displayed a curious amalgam of realism and fantasy, music and dance, narrative and spectacle, lively dialogues and stage ingenuity, all welded within the framework of melodrama. These plays with their melodious songs, crude humour, sensationalism, dazzling stage craft were designed to appeal to the broad mass of people, and they did. The Parsi theatre which drew on both western and Indian modalities of entertainment represented an attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Thus, we notice that these plays bear an uncanny resemblance to the generality of popular Indian films. If the folk-dramas were based on rural areas and presented the vocabulary of traditionally inherited theatrical expression, the Parsi plays signified an urban theatre exposed to western styles and sensibilities.

Most importantly, the Parsi theatre introduced the concept of the proscenium theatre in India where traditional theatre performances were held with a central stage and audiences were seated all around it. Even the actors would enter into the stage through the audience. Parsi theatre (or Company Nataka, as it was known in Eastern India for its association with the East India Company), while incorporating the themes and stories of traditional Indian theatre, started using the Western concept of the stage with actors frontally addressing the audiences from a stage which was closed on all three sides, ushering us into the now-prevalent format of the theatre stage. This paved the way for the camera to record the scenes from the point of the view of the audience in the front row. With a central stage and audiences on all sides, the camera - which was so heavy in those days that it had to be stationary - could not have captured the performance on-stage. Thus, the Parsi theatre helped make the transition from traditional Indian theatre to cinema, not only in terms of thematics but also in formal terms.

v)HOLLYWOOD CINEMA
"The American cinema's apparently natural subjection of style to narrative in fact depended on a historical accident: the movies' origins lay in late nineteenth century whose predominant popular arts were the novel and the theatre. Had cinema appeared in the Enlightenment or the Romantic period, it might have assumed the shape of the essay or lyric poem. Instead, it adopted the basic tactic and goal of the realistic novel. Conscious 'style' would be effaced both to establish the cinema's illusion of reality and to encourage audience identification with the characters on the screen."

(Satyajit Ray)

Indian film producers were also greatly fascinated by, and attracted to, Hollywood musicals in that they related in some interesting ways to the defining characteristics of traditional Indian theatre and performance. The heyday of Hollywood musicals stretched from the 1930s to the 1950s, and many of the musicals produced during these two decades had as their plot the world of entertainment itself. The narratives of these films were, by and large, conventional, while the songs and spectacle offered the opportunity both to the characters in the drama and the audience to indulge in flights of fantasy. It was through the working out of the plot that the apparent disparity between narrative and spectacle was reconciled. This, however, is not a feature commonly seen in Indian films.

The Indian commercial cinema, while drawing heavily from Hollywood musicals, adopted a different tack in that the plot was not employed in the service of healing the narrative/spectacle split. Instead song and dance sequences were and are used as natural expressions of everyday emotions and situations. The Hollywood musical sought to maintain the facade of reality with a view to legitimatise the spectacle. They not only displayed singing and dancing, but were, in fact, about singing and dancing. The Indian filmmakers, on the other hand, while seeking to intensify the element of fantasy through music and spectacle, also reinforced the impression that songs and dances are the natural and logical expression of emotion in the given situation in the filmic performance. Music contributes a vital ingredient in the cultural construction of emotion. In this way, we see both similarities and differences between Hollywood musicals and Indian mainline films.

The two basic ingredients of the "invisible" style are mise-èn-scène and continuity editing. It means that technique should be used in such a way that it will not be noticed, making itself 'invisible' in that sense. The 'invisible' style led to the principle of "centering". Camera angles, lighting, focus, framing, costumes, set designs, all worked unitedly to keep the primary object of the narrative at the center of the frame. The discontinuity effected by editing, on the other hand, were concealed by practices aimed to keep intact spatial and temporal continuity from shot to shot. Continuing action, connecting looks, common sounds, matching successive shots by visual similarities, the 180 degree system, etc ensured the continuity of editing. Indian filmmakers, with their inordinate love for dramatic camera movements, extravagant use of colour, flashy editing and self-conscious use of sound depart sometimes from the "invisible" style of Hollywood. In the case of Hollywood filmmakers, the narrative closure, unobtrusive and non-reflexive camera, continuity of image, voyeuristic objectification, shot centering, frame balance, sequential editing sought to create in the minds of the spectator the impression that what is being displayed on the screen is an objective reporting of real events rather than a contrived and wilfully created sequence of events. In this regard, it is pertinent to remind ourselves of the concept of verisimilitude (an Aristotelian term, referring to the resemblance to life that a work of art claims) to the effect that it should not be equated with reality but interpreted as what a culture takes for reality. Hence, reality can plausibly be argued as a cultural construct.

In recent years, Hollywood has become the main hunting ground for plots, stories and characters for films to such an extent that a large number of films are Hindi remakes of Hollywood successes. This phenoemon, enabled by shot-by-shot remake through easily available DVDs, has deepened the influence of Hollywood. Importantly, European or Latin American successes are rarely, if ever, replicated by 'Bollywood' films.

vi)TELEVISION:

The cultural and visual impact of television on filmmaking was felt somewhere in the 1980s, specifically with the popularity of the MTV-style editing (fast cuts). It is evident in Indian popular cinema in the 1980s and 1990s.

The pace of the films, the quick cutting, dance sequences, camera angles that one associates with modern musical television find clear analogies in modern Indian films. One has to examine the work of a filmmaker such as Mani Ratnam to recognise this. As modern Indian audiences are more and more exposed to music television programmes and these innovative techniques of presentation, their sensibilities are obviously beginning to be shaped by them. Naturally, contemporary Indian filmmakers, in order to maintain their mass appeal, are drawing significantly on the techniques of MTV. This is hardly surprising since films are where art and technology meet. It is the soundtrack which helps to construct the 'image' of a film and, although the relationship between filmmakers and technology has not always been easy, new technologies - e.g. digital images and virtual reality - are winning.

What we see, then, is the emergence of a distinctive genre of film-making in India as a result of the confluence of the diverse forces that we have discussed above. This genre which sought to combine reality and fantasy, narrative and spectacle, music and dance, tradition and modernity was at once deeply rooted in the cultural life and psyche of the people and accommodative of new and foreign influences. This genre, which was largely melodramatic in style, enabled the vast mass of Indian people to come to terms with social modernization while retaining their Indianness.

Art Schools In Boston

Boston is littered with schools of all kinds from large colleges to small institutes many of which are lined up one after the other in former row houses in quaint old brownstone neighborhoods. Art schools in Boston abound. The historical significance and cultural melting pot that make up Boston have attracted over a half million residents of varied tastes, ethnicities, and interests all willing to pack themselves into 49 bustling square miles. In such an environment the opportunities for pursuing an art career abound.

Art schools in Boston offer a muse for anyone wanting to build a future as a creative professional. This is due in part to the setting of the city itself. From the Public Garden to the Boston Common to the waterfront, this walking friendly city offers inspiration at nearly every turn.

The Art Institute's New England Institute of Art, for example, offers art training in advertising, audio production, digital filmmaking and video production, fashion and retail management, graphic design, interior design, media arts and animation, photography, sound and motion picture technical arts, and web design and interactive media.

Add to the above list architecture, art education, game design, illustration, fine art, and various music degrees from schools like Massachusetts College of Art, Boston University, Northeastern University, and Harvard, and that makes Boston truly a home for eclectic artistic expression. These are just a sampling of the opportunities available in one of America's oldest cities.

Lest you encounter detractors who attempt to discourage your pursuit of a fine art career, ("better keep your day job"...) bear in mind that everything from video games to magazines, from clothing to living spaces, and even food, all started in the mind of a creative professional. The demand for innovative thinking is only growing and a focused education can make you a part of this expanding field.

Gone are the days when art media was limited to carving tools, sticks of graphite, paintbrushes, and paint. While those are still a staple in the art world, the technology of art is exploding at a dizzying pace. So, while instincts for color and composition are valuable skills, making a good living in art is becoming more and more dependent on technological savvy.

This is where art schools have an advantage over liberal arts institutions and where Boston may have the advantage over other big city locals.

In addition to art schools, Boston has rich collection of art museums: The Museum of Fine Arts, the Danforth Museum of Art, and the Harvard Art Museum to name a few. Why is that important? Because just as reading good writing makes one a better writer, exposure to fine art makes one a better artist.

The environment of art schools in Boston encourages students to leave the beaten path, take "the road less traveled" and "work outside the box". In this close-knit art and music community, students can revel in the sense of never doing the expected; all of which makes Boston a great city for creative innovators, budding artists of all disciplines, and intellectuals alike.

Online Community Colleges - An Inexpensive Solution to the Slow Economy

Margo is a laid-off public sector worker who is going back to school for a certificate in Medical Technology. Juan still works in administration at a company, but has returned to college to pick up the AS degree in Accounting. Brittany is a young adult taking English, math, and history and wants to transfer to her local state university in the future. What do these people have in common? They are all taking online classes at their local community college.

The growth rate of Community colleges across the country has sky-rocketed. Enrollment numbers are up from 15 - 30% over last year's numbers. On-site classes are full and the numbers of online or distance learning classes are increasing to keep up with the growth. A few community colleges boast that students are taking classes in some format 24/7 (online, on-campus or hybrid)

There are good reasons why community colleges are so popular.
o Adult seeking Career Change. Laid-off auto workers can gain certificates in a technical field. Office professionals can pick up a degree in a lucrative area such as accounting or nursing. Technical professionals can get teaching credentials.
o General Education aids in transfer to 4-year schools. All 4-year degrees require English, math, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Taking these classes and transferring them to a 4-year college can save thousands of tuition dollars.
o Prerequisites for Master's degrees. Students can take prerequisites or foundation classes (if the course is lower division) and transfer to a Master's degree program, also saving thousands of tuition dollars.
o Fun courses. Continuing Education classes are ways to learn photography, French cooking and other enjoyable pastime skills and knowledge.

Local community colleges probably offer some online classes and even a few online degrees. However, there are several community colleges that offer many classes, many certificates and several degrees online. Some online community colleges with hundreds of online classes are: Foothill College Global Access (CA), Rio Salado College (AZ) and North Seattle CC's Virtual College (OR). The in-state costs are usually the same as on-campus (perhaps with a cybercampus fee). Out-of-state students will find reasonable tuition rates, as well.

Online classes at Community Colleges offer many options for the laid-off worker, working professional or young adult to gain skills, knowledge, certificates or an associate degree in an inexpensive and effective format.

The Binding Machine: Reasons to Get One for Home Use

One type of device that is surprisingly great for home use is the binding machine. While these devices are commonly associated with offices, school, and binderies, having one at home can be very helpful. Some of the reasons for this might seem obvious (i.e. putting together school assignments) while others might surprise you (i.e. it can be affordable). That said, let's take a look at some of the reasons why you should consider getting a binding machine for home use.

• When you think of binding machines, a device that utilizes plastic combs probably comes to mind. Combs are really popular supplies because they're easy to work with and can bind both short and long books. However, there are other bookbinding types to choose from such as thermal and wire. So feel free to select one that appeals to you.


• One reason you should consider getting a binding machine is that they're actually surprisingly affordable. You can usually get a high-quality unit from some of the most popular manufacturers (GBC, Fellowes) for under $100.00. (A thermal machine will probably cost a bit more than that.) No matter what your budget is like, there's likely a device that's right for you.


• Many binding machines are easy to use so you can start producing quality work rather quickly. Some of them are designed in such a way that you can figure out how to use one without even reading an instruction manual.


• A binding machine is a great tool to have around if you or someone you live with is attending school. You can use it to bind items such as theses, term papers, essays, and so on. You could even use it to bind group presentations. A bound document can really impress your teacher or professor and it could be that one thing that raises from your grade from a B to an A. (A caveat: you may want to make sure your teacher will accept a bound document. Some of them prefer papers that have just been stapled.)


• If you dabble in cooking or photography, you might want to make a cookbook or photo album at some point. These items can help you organize and store your favorite recipes or photos for easy reference. You could also give away cookbooks as gifts or sell them at a crafts fair. And if you need to put together a portfolio of your best photographs, the binding machine can help you out. It will even help you save money because you don't need to have a third party do the work for you.


• Finally, binding machines can be handy if you're interested in crafting. For one thing, they make it possible for you to create your own scrapbooks. You can use your own special paper to create a book that's really personal. You could also make coloring books, art collections, and so on. The sky's the limit.

As you can see, there are many reasons to get a binding machine for home use. Consider getting one today so you can see how useful it can be.

Explore Your Creative Skills Into Architecture & Fashion Designing Courses

One of the most important things in today scenario to live is success. Everybody wants to gain popularity and fame as soon as possible. There has been a shift seen since the period of globalization and the need for skilled and efficient labor has increased. That is why students are conscious about taking any particular career, which according to them is the need of the hour.

Careers in designing course have been appreciated a lot since decades. And if done in Architecture course with its high dynamic prospects and contribution to the growth of country development. Demand for architecture course is increasing since its emergence and people now are more concerned about the house they live in. The creativity lies in the hands of the architect of how to design and construct houses, offices, malls, complexes and various buildings. If you have studied the ideas and concepts of architectural works, then you can easily achieve the professional skills and you can understand the knowledge of proportioning and balancing the color combination, converting one dreams into reality. You can join the beginner course from any architecture college that is for five years and can start off your career.

For that, an entrance test is conducted to get into engineering college. PG course can also be opted after a graduation course for further expertise. Urban development, landscaper architecture, transport planning and management can be the specializations after graduation. An architecture candidate should have creative thinking, interest and passion for designing which expresses their ideas, strong communication and writing skills, perfect presentation skills and sketching designs. Proficiency in mathematics and physics is very important for architecture course.

Another designing course, which is famous for designing, is fashion designing. If you have good skills of sketching, garment construction and conceptualization, then you can very well enter into this industry. This course demands lot of creativity and with that expectation levels are high in comparison to other courses. Fashion courses are in demand and more students are taking up these courses. Various fashion designing schools have been opened up. Almost all universities and colleges are offering fashion designing courses with great expertise.

If you are going for any designing course then check the accreditation at the national and global level, like National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The institute should also help student to coordinate and explore new ideas for the same. Fashion designing schools should emphasis on fashion design with addition to other expertise like communications as well. Fashion courses are providing platform for students who excel in designing anything and can enter into fashion industry with the help of these fashion designing courses.

High School Resume For College: An Essential Part of Any College Application

What Is A High School Resume?

Resumes are mainly used to apply for jobs but that is not what a high school version is used for. This kind of document, increasingly a key part of your college application package, helps the admissions officers at colleges and universities understand you and what you have to offer in addition to your good grades and SAT scores. Learn the difference between writing a resume for college and writing one to apply for a job. Once you master the special kind of resume, you will have a better chance of getting an admissions offer from the college or university of your choice.

Why Does A High School Resume Matter For College Admissions?

Universities and colleges ask for high school resumes for various reasons. For programs with an artistic emphasis like acting, dance or creative writing, a resume can show what you achieved creatively outside of the classroom. Other colleges ask for a secondary school resume because they want to encourage a thriving student body with a variety of interests, skills and hobbies. Even though a resume follows a certain form, it does let applicants tell admissions officers about themselves and helps them before more than a combination of GPA and SAT numbers.

What Should You Include In Your High School Resume

Before you write high school CV and send it off to the college of your dreams, check to see each college's requirements first. Some programs will limit you to one page while others want you to comment on specific abilities such as leadership and community service. Failing to look up and follow the instructions of college admissions staff will undermine your chances of admission. If the college or university provides no guidance or assistance, here are some general ideas on what to include and what not to include.

High School Resume Do's

1. DO mention community service particularly if you played a major role (e.g. led an Amnesty International club).
2. DO list any languages you know (e.g. Spanish, Chinese, German) especially if your transcript does not show your knowledge of these languages.
3. DO discuss your involvement in high school activities like band or the yearbook club.
4. DO proofread your resume and ask a friend to look it over before you submit it.
5. DO limit yourself to a maximum of two pages.

High School Resume Don't

1. DON'T list every single part-time and contract job you have ever held.
2. DON'T make up facts or write anything dishonest on your secondary school resume.
3. DON'T write in long paragraphs; resumes should use bullet points.
4. DON'T include a list of all the classes you have ever taken; other parts of your college application should cover that.

These DO's and DON't of writing a resume for college admissions will help get you started. If you need further help and examples, ask your guidance counselor, a teacher or somebody you know in college.

The Food Industry and Your Health

Of all natural laws, nutrition is perhaps the least understood and most often violated. While universities and colleges offer courses in this subject, the giant food industry dominates them. The food industry is a highly organized and complex global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population. They can see to it that the textbooks for courses in nutrition are keyed to their products, textbooks that tell the students of nutrition to beware of the "food faddist." They ridicule organically grown foods and claim that there's no harm in the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They describe the mass produced, devitalized dead foods distributed through supermarkets around the world as wonderful inventions of food science.

The food industry is not working in the interest of your health. We need to stop corrupt politicians and power brokers in their corrupt vested interest practices and bring them to justice, but until we do there is something you can do right now: Think more carefully about the food you put into your body. Vote with your purchases, buy organic and buy healthy.

Here are five more reasons to buy organic foods:

1. They taste much better.


2. They give added value to a healthy and balanced diet


3. Organic fruits and vegetables aren't covered in pesticides. Non-organic fruit and vegetables are and not all of it washes off. Even though the food industry claims that there's no health risk from pesticide traces, wouldn't you rather feed you and your family food that's pesticide free?


4. Food additives are not permitted in organic foods. There are no preservatives, stabilizers, hydrogenated fats, flavor enhancers, artificial colors, or sweeteners. There are no pesticides in organic milk, no hidden starches in organic baby food, and no residual antibiotics, growth hormones or BSE in organic meat.


5. Buying organic foods helps the environment. Organic farming is an important way to keep ecosystems and rural communities healthy and alive.

To your good health and long life!

Digital Photography Lessons - Make Use Of Composition To Enhance Your Photographs

Do you want to snap some amazing photos? Do you need photography lessons?

Let's check out composition and just how it'll spruce up your photos with immediate effect.

Composition features numerous facets like; perspective, lighting, color, depth of field, setting of your subject matter and many others. This list doesn't go into all the various things that constitute composition, but reveal just a few to get you curious. In the event you use a few of these digital photography classes, your pictures will advance significantly.

Here are several of the most popular uncomplicated ways to learn. These digital photography lessons were the most beneficial at improving upon my abilities.

Changing the Angle - If you're like I once was, you look in the view finder of the camera, the actual horizon is straight and "click" you take the image. I have to confess exactly how drab my pictures were. To boost curiosity inside the picture, tilt the camera to close to 45 degrees.

Last week I'd been reflecting on past experiences...Oh, I am certain that you would not like to hear me rant on about this, nevertheless you could start to think about this: Among the particularly useful digital photography coaching is definitely to apply a reflective surface to increase dimension. You might have an image by using a reflection in water, a mirror, a windowpane or even something metallic and shiny. One of the most photographed subject is called The Bean in Chicago.

Fill Flash: Flashing people in the daytime should help your pictures. Wait a minute, that didn't turn out just like I meant it to. Just what exactly I mean is actually one method to remove dark areas during the day is to apply your flash. This works very well with shadows found on people's faces.

Incorporating these digital photography coaching any time taking photos can help immensely. All of these have served to produce some extraordinary photos and along with training, I am sure they are going to revitalize your photographs too.

Portrait Photography- Ski Photos That Sell

Every year folks from around the world head up to ski resorts for their winter vacation. Many of them will have their photos taken by the on-mountain professional photographer at the scenic overlook at the top of the mountain. The prints that they purchase will be taken home, framed and cherished as their most valuable possessions.

One of the most important factors, is being in the right place at the right time. There are many variables to consider, such as deciding where to set up your photography shop on the mountain. Lets take a look at some.

The weather is a big factor in determining where the best zone is to photograph clients. Because the weather can change minute by minute, shooting zone flexibility is the key. If your zone becomes fogged in, MOVE, it could be that 1000' down the mountain the view is great.

The "hot zone" on a blue sky day is typically the best view from the top of the ski hill. When the weather is good you will capture the most pictures from the best scenic overlook on the mountain. Families, couples, singles and groups will ski right up and even wait in line on these picture perfect days. Harvest the hay while the sun is shining. Do a good job with your groups, squeeze as much as you can out of each one by doing your breakdowns. By breakdowns I mean a group shot, then just the kids, then mom-n-dad, then individual photos of each kid. Work it, when they go to buy their pictures, the more you shoot the more they buy.

The hot zone on a snowy day is typically the most wind protected area of the mountain. Another important factor when the weather is inclement is your backdrop, so if possible pick a spot with beautiful trees for the background. The prettier the trees are, the better. People will definitely buy photos taken while it is snowing, especially if they have snow laden branches or are from areas like Florida where it doesn't snow.

The time of the day may effect your zone choice too. If there is a good view from the deck where everyone meets for lunch, it's a great opportunity to get everyone while they are altogether and not zooming around the mountain. It can be a challenge getting folks to slow down long enough for a photo shoot. Try setting up at the on-mountain lodge (if it has a good view), particularly during the busy periods, like the holidays and spring break. Try to set up in view of the outdoor eating area, so everyone sees you working, interested groups will come over to you. If it slows down, you can go over and work the crowd.

At large ski areas where skiers only ride a particular lift once in the morning, just to get to the upper lifts. You can be busy in the morning, then really slows down when everybody's up there skiing, so move.

Shadows and lighting change throughout the day and some locations can become completely un-shootable in the afternoon. A zone that's hot at 2pm may not be by 3pm, as it gets swallowed up by the long afternoon shadows from the tall Mountains. Move to a spot with better light, people are getting tired and now they will slow down long enough for a quick shot.

If you work for a company that assigns you a specific zone to shoot and you have to shoot it hot or not, and at the moment it's not. Cover your zone the best you can, stay enthusiastic and energetic you will get something, and it could be the best money group of the day!

If you cover your zone, hot or not, your manager will be more likely to give you a hot zone on future assignments. Hone your photography skills and be dependable. You'll start getting the best location.

The Power of a Picture - Photography & Photojournalism

They say a picture speaks a thousand words. Historical moments or events have been immortalised through powerful images - the Burning Monk in Southern Vietnam in 1963, the lunching workmen on the top of the Rockefeller Centre in 1932 or the startling green eyes of the Afghan Girl from 1984. In today's news media, photographs play an important role because they help summarise for readers what has been written. The visual element to any story is crucial in drawing a reader in and portraying what it would have been like to be in any given situation.

Even though journalism is changing and the role and job description of the journalist is being renegotiated, pictures are still just as - or more - important than ever. Do you like taking photos and have a passion for news and capturing the moment? Then maybe a career in photojournalism is for you. Here's a little more information on what being a photojournalist involves:

What is photojournalism? Photojournalism is a particular branch of journalism that tells the news story through images, depicting the event or news item. Photojournalism can also refer to the photographs that accompany and illustrate a news story.

How is photojournalism different to normal photography? Photojournalism is significantly different from other types of photography as the photos must be contextual. In this sense, the images of a photojournalist must be timely and have meaning in relation to the event being recorded or the story they are aiming to portray. Another important element of photojournalism is that the images must be objective - the same objectivity rules apply as they do to written journalism in that they must be a fair and accurate representation. Finally, a great photojournalism photo will offer some kind of narrative element that will support and help tell the news story.

Different kinds of photojournalists: Just as there are different types of journalists, photojournalists can also choose from a variety of different areas or stories to pursue. A photojournalist for a large newspaper might follow day to day stories and be sent out on assignment. Other photojournalists might cover war or foreign events and often be put in dangerous situations. Freelance photojournalists will choose stories or photo subjects that suit them, and then get them published in a variety of publications or media outlets. Whatever area or news type interests you, photojournalists have a choice in which stories and photographs they would like to pursue.

Essentially, photojournalists are visual reporters, and have a responsibility to capture news and events in a fair, objective and interesting way that visually portrays the story. The increasingly online and interactive media world has ushered in the 'citizen journalist', who, with the proliferation of personal digital cameras, is able to submit amateur photographs to a range of news forums or social media networks. There is still an important place, however, for well crafted, professional photographs from photojournalists. A range of available freelance photography courses cater to those wishing to pursue photo journalism as a career. Such courses cover the basics of photography (lighting, equipment, processing, etc.), as well as information on different media outlets, the importance of composition and how to build your career. Photography courses are a great way to kick-start your career as a successful photojournalist.

Rule of Thirds

Photography is an art, its goal is to capture, produce and preserve images that paint a picture, tell a story or record an event. Photography creates emotions and the first impression depends on the composition balance of the image. There are several composition rules that are important in the process of creating images with out them the photograph will be left without expression.

Photographers have to learn to apply these rules. They also have to learn how to take advantage of them to enhance the images being captured. Last but not least they also have to know and understand when to break them, rules are meant to be broken, specially, in photography.

The 'Rule of Thirds' is probably the most spoken rule in photography and the first one taught in any photography course or school. The rule of thirds is a very effective technique in photography but it can also produce very interesting shots when it is broken. Following the rule of thirds will keep your image in balance and help the focal points to capture the attention of the viewer.

The rule of thirds can simply be explained as the act of dividing your viewfinder into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. The grid will end up with two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, spaced 1/3 of each other, that will give you 9 equal boxes and four crossing points, a tic-tac-toe matrix.

When composing your image you should consider placing your points of interest in the crossing points of the lines and using the four lines as guides to position other elements in your photograph. By placing your points of interest in the crossing points and along the lines your image will be balanced. A viewer will tend to look at a photograph in those intersection points more than the middle of the image.

Horizons should be placed on the top or bottom horizontal lines, depending on the focus you want to give to the sky or the ground. An image with a horizon placed right in the center of the photo will normally produce dull photos without attraction. Your main subjects should be placed in one of the intersections and other subjects should be placed in the other intersections. Placing your main object in one of the intersections and placing it in one of the vertical lines will certainly produce interesting and balanced shots.

The rule of thirds has been used not only in photography as early as 1797 for landscape paintings. The rule of thirds can be used as little or as much as you want, you decide when you want to use it or when you need to use it.

The most important thing about the rule of thirds is that it is a guideline to balance your images; instead of 1/3rd you can use 1/4th or 1/5th, etc., as long as the image as a whole is in balance. Remember to stay away from the center or in other words to not place your main subject in the middle of the photograph.

Highest Quality Online Image Resizer - Which One is It?

Are you looking for the highest quality online image resizer? Don't worry. There are a number of online image resizing sites available on the Internet, where anyone can resize images online, and a few domains charge only a nominal amount for resizing a photo. In today's fast moving world, everyone wishes to see images of their near and dear loves ones, who may be located far away. With the help of email, anyone can send images from one place to another quickly.

Five to 10 years ago, everyone was commonly using a still camera with film in it. Users would take all the photos possible on a roll of film, and once the film was full it had to taken out. Only after a professional photographer developed the photos were negatives made available as well as the pictures taken from the camera. This lengthy process sometimes took a couple of days or more for the processing of film only. Today the same job can be completed in a couple of hours, taking pictures from a digital camera, transferring them to a desktop or laptop, and using a free online picture resizer websiteto resize images online so they can be send to various destinations through email.

The main hurdle in this current process is that the picture or image, which resides locally on a desktop or laptop, may not look the same on the end-users computer due to various reasons. The most common reasons are browser compatibility, Internet speed, and monitor quality. Because of this, the best option for ensuring that the person at the remote computer can see the picture perfectly is using an online image resizer website.

Although there are many options available to resize your image online as well as offline, it is important to ensure that the picture obtained is of excellent quality. Only a limited number of online picture resizer websites can do the task in a professional way. A software expert can use various tools for resizing pictures. Photoshop is widely used by a large audience across the globe for resizing photographs.

Today, a free online image resizer website is available on the net. By selecting the dimensions of the images, a quick resized image is available. This online image resizer provides the highest quality photo, which can then be saved on a desktop or laptop, and later sent through email.

Anyone looking for an image to be resized online can view a number of domains available for free, which can be searched for from the Internet. The online image resize process has become much more easy and fun with the high speed Internet. Photos can be played with, or manipulated, to create an excellent quality picture. It is important to choose the correct width, height, and pixel size. An online image resizer is easily available by searching Google, Yahoo, or MSN. The best option is to search for several online image resizing domains, and choose the best domain that provides the highest quality output.

Flash Photography - Using Color Filters

Flash Filters

Coloured flash filters are one of the most inexpensive and versatile accessories you can buy for your flash. Placing a coloured filter over your flash will change the colour of the light. Using filters you can alter the colour of the entire photograph or change only the foreground or background.

Using multiple flash heads with different coloured filters on them can add atmosphere to an otherwise uninteresting photograph. One of the most common uses of filters is to change a plain white background to a coloured background when shooting portraits or fashion. This saves money and space because you do not have to purchase and store a variety of backgrounds.

The technique is fairly simple. Choose the colour of filter that you want the background to be and place it on the flash heads that will be lighting the background. Light your main subject separately using unfiltered flash heads. If the foreground is to be included in the shot and also coloured, light it using separate flash heads filtered to the colour you desire.

If using this method for portraiture or fashion photography, I highly recommend doing several test shots to ensure that when your model arrives, you are ready to start shooting.

The technique is simple in itself, but the direction of the light becomes fairly critical because you do not want the various coloured lights interfering with each other.

Using similar methods on still life subjects follows the same basic pattern, but you can generally experiment more freely. I have found that effective results can be had using multiple flash heads with various coloured gels in tabletop photography.

A simple white background can become a sunset or a blue sky with judicious use of coloured filters. With practice this technique becomes very efficient and the results can be very pleasing. It not only saves on set and location costs while adding variety to your photographic portfolio, but with a little experimentation can also inspire your creativity.

Filters and coloured gels are very useful, especially when working in controlled conditions or using studio flash.

I hope you have found this article helpful.

The Don Cesar Hotel - the Pink Palace

On a recent December visit to the Don Cesar Hotel and Resort, our group met with Resort Host and Certified Concierge, Ronald MacDougall. As concierge, Mr. MacDougall assures that each guest has the finest experience during their stay at the Don Cesar. In his position as concierge, he has assisted many of the VIPs that have visited the historic pink hotel on the Gulf of Mexico in St. Petersburg, Florida. Those guests have included Mariah Carry, Carole King, Mick Jagger and Jimmy Buffet, as well as many of the visiting Presidents.

Our private tour began in the main bar and lounge, which at this time of the year is beautifully decorated for the holiday season. The majestic dark wood bar, couches and large leather chairs make this the perfect place to sit back, relax and imagine yourself in another era, the early glory days of the Pink Palace.

The story of the Don Cesar Hotel or Pink Lady, as Thomas Rowe liked to call the hotel, begins at the beginning as all good stories do. It was a vision of Thomas J. Rowe to create a monument to a lost love.

This part of the story begins in London where rumor would have it that the young Thomas Rowe, while attending a university, attended the opera "Maritana" where he became infatuated with the female lead, Lucinda, a beautiful Spanish opera singer.They met each night after her performance beside a fountain in London.

Plans were made to elope. On the night that they were to leave, Lucinda did not show and Rowe was left waiting by the fountain. Her parents were made aware of the pending marriage and forced Lucinda to return home to Spain. Lucinda was reported to have died at a young age, but sent this letter to Thomas containing this passage. "Time is infinite, I wait for you by the fountain to share our timeless love,...our destiny is time. " Well, if it didn't happen that way, it should have.

Returning to the United States, Thomas Rowe built commercial buildings in New York. He later moved to Norfolk, Virginia, there he met Mary Lucille, the daughter of a rich landowner. Thomas married Mary and began the life of a socialite.

At the age of 47 with his health declining, Thomas Rowe elected to relocate to a more hospitable climate. Leaving his wife in Virginia, he decided on Florida and in particular St Petersburg, Florida, which was experiencing a real estate boom. Arriving with $21,000.00, Rowe began purchasing property.

Real Estate development was hot in the early 1920's and Thomas Rowe partnered with another former Norfolk socialite and land developer, a Mr. Page. He and Page formed the Boca Ciega Land Company for the purchase of land.

Mr. Page developed the land on the north side of Johns Pass and the family still lives in Madeira Beach.

Rowe amassed a small fortune and while visiting an isolated stretch of undeveloped beach in the area known as Pass-A-Grille. Pass-A-Grille was named for the 18 century "grilleurs" who dried fish on the white beaches. This was a very remote and rugged landscape. Access from the mainland was by a wooden bridge. On these white sands beside the gentle waves of the Gulf of Mexico, Thomas Rowe envisioned his dream resort. Against the advice of many in his circle, Thomas Rowe purchased 80 acres on these shores. Soon a residential subdivision was built and each street was named for a character from the opera Maritana.

In 1926 construction began on his dream resort. Rowe hired architect Henry DuPont to design the project. One obstacle that had to be overcome was the massive structure would be sitting on sand. A floating foundation was devised and its success is reflected in the fact that the foundation has not shifted in the past 82 years.

Another obstacle was transporting construction material. The bridge as earlier mentioned was older and manned by an older bridge keeper who was not always reliable, opening the bridge when he was in the mood. Construction material was placed on a barge and brought to the site bypassing the bridge.

A railroad strike that year drove up costs of construction and after finishing the exterior and interior of the resort, Thomas Rowe ran out of money to furnish the hotel. A backer was needed to save the venture. H.P. Churchill would provide the money, but he had a stipulation. He would name the manager. It was agreed and the Don Cesar had its Grand Opening in 1927, with the some of the wealthiest people in America attending.

It was lavish and plush in the Grand Lobby. Thomas Rowe had constructed a replica of the fountain similar to the one where he,as a student, would rendezvous with the beautiful Lucinda. The fountain would be the first thing that guests would see after climbing the entry stairway into the lobby and was the center- piece of the resort. Modeled after the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach, the Don Cesar Resort was a vision, standing on the sands of Pass-A-Grille. Thomas Rowe liked to call the hotel the Pink Lady.

The main entrance into the resort was on Gulf Blvd. with two lion statues and a sign stating "Come All Ye Who Seek Health and Rest. For Here They Are Abundant." The original staircase is hidden, but is located where the Ice Cream Shop is now situated on the first floor.

As luck would have it, the timing could not have been worse; the economy entered what became known as the Great Depression. Fortunately for the hotel, an agreement with the New York Yankees baseball team was secured for housing the players during spring training which helped the resort stay solvent.

Thomas Rowe moved into one of the two penthouses in the Don Cesar. Everyday Rowe would station himself in a chair in the lobby, talking with visitors and staff and taking stock of the guests. Guests who did not meet a certain standard of dress or manners and speech were asked to leave the hotel. It was not an era of political correctness.

Then in 1940, Thomas Rowe collapsed in the lobby. He refused to be taken to the hospital, so he was moved into adjoining rooms 101 and 102. There he stayed until his death. Rowe attempted to get a will witnessed by his attended nurses, but they refused. This reported Will would have left the Pink Lady in the hands of the staff. As it happened, Thomas Rowe's wife, Mary, gained control of the Don Cesar. The resort fell on hard times. Then in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a vacation at the beach was not as attractive. People became afraid of attack from the ocean and soon the guests stopped arriving. The U.S. government purchased the Don Cesar and converted the resort for use as a convalescent center for members of the US Army Air Corp. suffering from shell shock and injuries from the war.

One casualty of the transfer of ownership was the fountain in the main lobby. The manager of the converted building was concerned that one of the visitors would trip over the fountain and ordered it removed.

Later the Don Cesar was used for government offices and was finally left abandoned and fell into disrepair. A movement began to have the resort leveled and removed. A counter movement lead by local resident and activist June Hardy Young began to restore the Don Cesar. The later movement was successful and a new owner for the resort was located. William Bowman purchased the resort and in 1973, the resort was reopened. During the remodeling, a replica of the original fountain was placed on the fifth floor.

Our tour included the penthouses, which were vacant at the time of our visit, and the Presidential Suite where every President has stayed since 1940. The penthouses have a spectacular view of St. Petersburg, the gulf beaches and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Of course if you decide to stay in one these penthouses, it will set you back around $3500.00 a night.

The Don Cesar is a beautiful resort with two swimming pools, exercise room and a new spa. Opened just recently, the 11,000 sq ft Spa Oceana is a state of the art spa. Guests can have a massage, get in the whirlpool and sauna, and then have a lunch on the roof of the spa building overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

If you go, ask the reservationist if there are any specials. On our visit, we received a preseason rate and were very happy with our stay.

The resort is co-owned and operated by the Loews Hotels chain.

Top Second Careers - How to Break Into 7 Fulfilling Professions From Nursing to Fashion Design

Unemployed workers aren't the only ones looking for new jobs. Those who feel stuck in their careers, or are looking for more meaning in their work, are also thinking about making a fresh start. But what are the best careers to pursue the second time around? Career surveys and employment experts have identified the following fields as some of the most fulfilling for people looking to make a change. You won't land one of these jobs overnight. But with education and preparation, you can well be on your way.

Nursing. If you like helping people, especially when they're sick, and you have a knack for science, nursing could be a good second career for you. There's a nursing shortage in the country, so opportunities are certainly there. To become a Registered Nurse, you'll first need to get a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, or a two to three year AA degree from a community college.

Fashion design. Besides being a fashion designer, careers in fashion range from marketing to merchandising, and apparel construction to buying. If you've dreamed of working in any of these capacities in fashion design, you'll learn the necessary skills by earning a degree at an accredited, career-focused fashion college. Internships while you're in school and networking with alumni in the industry will also give you a competitive edge in the job market.

Teaching. Some people just know they were meant to be teachers. And those who leave their old jobs to pursue teaching as a second career are frequently the most committed and satisfied educators. If you're interested in becoming a teacher, check online to find out the licensing requirements in your state. You may need to earn a graduate degree, or at least take additional classes, as well as pass a credentialing exam.

Counseling. Whether you're interested in working with children, families and couples, or patients experiencing substance abuse or mental health problems, therapy can be a particularly rewarding career. As with teaching, check the licensing requirements in your state. Besides earning a master's degree in a relevant discipline, you'll probably also be required to practice under the supervision of an established therapist for a certain amount of hours before being able to hang your own shingle.

Culinary arts. Thanks to the popularity of television cooking shows, a lot of people dream of turning their love of food into a career. But to be a successful chef, it takes more than being a good cook. It can take years of formal training and hands-on experience, starting at the lowest rung in the kitchen before you even get to cook a meal. And if you plan on opening your restaurant, take some business courses to help you survive in the competitive food industry.

Coaching. One of the fastest growing careers, especially for business executives escaping the rat race, is personal coaching. Life coaches help people navigate their careers, relationships, or any part of their lives that need guidance, giving their clients a solid game plan and motivating them in the process. Although some practitioners without any formal training call themselves coaches, most life coaches are certified after taking accredited classes.

Green opportunities. Many people looking for second careers want to make a difference in the world, so interest in environmental careers is booming. Thanks to the 2009 Federal Stimulus Act, billions of dollars have been allocated to green businesses, and as many as 4.2 million jobs are expected to be added in the years ahead. Many green jobs will not require learning new skills or changing professions, as green businesses will still need traditional office staff like accountants, engineers, and project managers. But enrolling in an environmental studies or sustainable design program will give you a better understanding, and appreciation, for the green work ahead.

Nonprofit work. Despite the recession, jobs in the nonprofit sector are expected to grow. In fact, senior-level job openings have actually increased in the past few years. Nonprofit work can be very rewarding, but before jumping in to just any job, think about what charitable organizations are most meaningful to you, and spend some time volunteering. You'll gain valuable insight into how nonprofits function, as well as the jobs within the industry.

Interior design. Designing the spaces in which people live and work can be both artistically and professionally rewarding. But interior designers do more than just choose colors, fabrics and furniture. They also have to be knowledgeable about construction codes, engineering, and safety. That's why many states require interior designers to be certified, only granting licenses after candidates have earned an Interior Design degree or advanced certificate from an accredited university, fashion college or interior design school.

It may take more education and training to pursue a second career, but when you're in a job that you absolutely love, you realize that all the hard work was worth it.