Tips For Running a Successful Photography Business During an Economic Downturn

The photography industry is an extremely competitive industry. The only barrier to entry is the purchase price of a new camera. Many people who are experiencing hard economic times decide that a photography business is the ticket to their financial woes. As a result, during difficult economic times the photography industry becomes ultra competitive. Thins article addresses some actions that a photographer can do to survive and even thrive during an economic downturn.

1. Lower Expenses. Lower print, advertising, and labor expenses will go a long way to increasing a photographers bottom line. In recent years a number of online print companies have been created across the company. If you are still using the same print company you used five years ago, consider doing some research on newer companies that have lower prices. As many of these companies have outsourced to lower cost labor regions of the globe, they have lowered their prices as well without giving up quality. It is possible you find a print lab that can save you 20-30% on your current prints.

Print advertising is expensive. Try using more free online advertising. Email marketing, social network marketing and SEO work are all ways to increase your client base without spending any money.

As unemployment has risen, so have the number of photographers, editors and designers who are looking for work. Many of these professionals will work for far less then they were willing to work for only a few months ago. Look for some contract professionals who are will work for less than you are currently paying.

2. Form strong relationships with your current clients. Spend some time contacting clients who have purchased large orders in the past. You already have a relationship with these people. That relationship gives you an edge over the competition. If these people were willing to spend large amounts in the past, they are unlikely to completely forgo family portraits because of an economic downturn. Many may scale back but are still willing to purchase. Make sure that these people are well aware that you know how valuable they are to you and how much you appreciate their patronage of your business.

During difficult economic times, a photographer must adapt in order to survive.

Best Interior Design Schools

Interior design schools help to train candidates to create a quality environment around them. At interior design schools, students are taught study from material that is computer-aided to draw and design, to solve problems, to study the history of interior designing and architecture, space planning and also 3-d imaging. The help of the visual media enables these institutes to teach the art interior deigning and the related problems.

Interior designing is subject to government rules and regulations, unlike any other professional course. Interior design schools prepare the students to appear for National Council for Interior Design Qualification or NCIDQ exam. It provides recognized credentials and equips the interior designer for better job opportunities. To be eligible to appear for the NCIDQ exam, the candidate must have a total experience of 6 years, comprising of the interior design based education. This must include 2 years of post secondary education. There are also diploma courses like the BTECH HND, which are the Diploma in Interior Designing and Decoration and the Higher National Diploma.

Students with degrees from reputed interior design schools are recruited for jobs in the business sector, restaurants, hotels, homes and theatres. While designing the area allotted, it is necessary to utilize the space with a lot of planning. The interior designer must have a vision and should be able to put it on paper.

Another important detail to keep in mind is the preference of the client and the budget. The interior designer can give suggestions for the client to think about and approve. Things such as furniture, color scheme, lighting and fixtures must also be kept in mind and a rough layout should be prepared.

Interior designers help to enhance the interiors of a house, an office, hotel and hospital. Their demand has increased over a period of time.

A Career in Digital Filmmaking: The Latest Development in the Film Industry

Digital cinematography is the latest revolution in the motion picture industry and, given its many advantages over the traditional use of film, it is here to stay. Major studios and independent filmmakers alike are embracing the newest technology and anyone considering a career in film production needs to become familiar with digital techniques.

What is digital filmmaking?

Digital cinematography captures moving pictures digitally, rather than on film, just like the difference between a digital camera and your old film camera. The idea of digital cinematography was first introduced in the late 1980's, by Sony and was marketed as "electronic cinematography". This idea was not successful however, and it wasn't until the late 1990's that digital video cameras gained widespread use.

Industry acceptance

Today, digital cinematography is being embraced by the film industry. In 2009, Slumdog Millionaire became the first film shot in digital to win an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Animated feature films have also widely adopted the new techniques to create stunning 3D effects. Digital cinematography certainly has come a long way since its inception in the 1980's.

What are the benefits of digital filmmaking?

The most obvious advantage of digital cinematography over traditional film is the cost. For moving pictures shot with film, producers need to consider costs such as the film itself, processing the film, transferring the film to video and negative cutting. These expenses can run into the tens of thousands. Digital cinematography eliminates these costs.

Digital cinematography saves time as well as money. Because a director can watch the scene as it is being shot, rather than after it have been developed and processed, reshoots can be avoided. Digital technology also streamlines the transfer between filming and post-production, allowing visual effects to be added while filming in still in progress.

Digital filmmaking offers a number of technical advantages too. For instance, film cameras are large and heavy, imposing restrictions on where the can be mounted. Digital cameras come in a variety of sizes and can be quite compact, offering flexibility in regards to possible shots.

Computer animation

Animation used in films has also received a digital makeover. Most animation studios have moved away from the old stop motion technique, which is an extremely slow process, and towards computer-based graphics.

3D computer graphics have become especially popular for their realistic and engaging visuals. 3D computer animation is used both to enhance live action motion pictures, as in the special effects in Jurassic Park, as well as used to create entire films, such as Toy Story. In 2009, the popular film Avatar incorporated both digital animations and live acting to create the highest grossing film of all time. Clearly the possibilities of this technology are only beginning to be realised.

Switching to digital

Major studios aren't the only ones moving to digital. Because of the low cost, the digital revolution is also a grassroots movement within the film industry, with independent producers taking advantage of the benefits of digital cinematography.

The biggest obstacle for most filmmakers wanting to make the switch is a lack of proper training. Because film was so widely used in the past, few individuals working in the film industry are familiar with the newest techniques.

Beginning a career in digital filmmaking

With such a promising future in front of it and so few who have mastered the techniques, it is wise for anyone looking to pursue a career in film production to learn about digital filmmaking. The best way to gain experience and knowledge of digital filmmaking is by enrolling in a digital media course through an accredited programme, such as a Diploma of Digital Filmmaking.

Great Supplemental Income Ideas to Grow Your Debt Payment Fund

Trying to get rid of debt is hard especially if your income is not enough to support that on top of your basic expenses. If you have no other way to decrease your spending, your only option is to find a way to help increase your current cash inflow.

This is where supplemental income comes into play. It simply refers to anything that you earn in addition to your monthly compensation. It is a great way to increase your debt payment fund so you can be debt free a lot faster.

Having two sources of income is one of the best ways to achieve financial security. Even if you lose one, you still get another source to support you and your family. Despite the fact that you are obviously looking into this to help pay your debts, you can continue with this even when you are debt free. It will certainly come in handy in the future. Besides, this is great for growing your emergency fund. It is best to be prepared for any emergency.

To get you started on your efforts to find the best supplemental income, here are a few ideas that may help you out. Take note that these are things that you can do in your free time. Choose one that you are most passionate about - or something that you can develop into a hobby. Best to pursue something that you love to do and earn from it. That way, it would not feel like work at all.

Stock Photography

This is probably one of the most effortless things that can serve as your supplemental income. Everyone can point and shoot. Spend an afternoon outside to take photos and select the best photos. You can have them uploaded online where they can be downloaded for a price. A lot of random images are needed for various articles so you are bound to make some extra money from this venture.

Blog about Relevant Stuff

If there is something about your life worth sharing, go ahead and do it. If there is a particular subject that you want to write about, you can actually monetize on that. There was one guy who blogged about how he planned to get rid of his 6-figure student loan debt. He simply wrote about how he saved, what he spent on for the day and other seemingly trivial stuff about how he lived a frugal life to pay of his debts. Despite being a diary of some sort, his blog gained prominence! People pitched in comments, exchanged ideas and were basically inspired by his quest. His simple blog became a go-to site for people who had debt. By placing ads on your blog, you can earn from the people coming into your site. It may not be a big amount but it is something that you can earn on the side. There are several opportunities online and all it takes is to start a blog.

Go into Affiliate Marketing

When your blog is gaining enough traffic, you can go into affiliate marketing. This is when you get companies to pay you whenever visitors from your site click on a link towards the company website. Some people have made a career out of this. You need to learn the rules though - like online promotion, SEO tactics and other affiliate marketing practices.

Tap into Hidden Talents

Do you have people complimenting the cookies that you baked or a portrait that you've created? This can be a source of income for you. Join the weekend market or sell your products online. There are several possibilities and ecommerce had never been easier to accomplish at this day and age.

A supplemental income should primarily be something that you love to do or a skill that you can good at. This will make it more of a fun hobby that you earn from instead of additional work.

Best Photographic Memory Training - How to Develop a Photographic Memory Fast?

There are so many people out there, who are interested in photographic memory training. In fact, they spend a lot of time, looking for the best eidetic memory training programs out there on the Internet.

But, you will be surprised to know, that you can start developing your brain, in a really systematic manner yourself. It is not going to take years and years of dedicated concentration to learn photographic memory. In fact, you can find this effective mind training very easy to do, when you start practicing it yourself.

Now, for example, do you enjoy gardening? Go out into the garden, and look at your favorite flower for a couple of minutes. Now close your eyes, and try to visualize it in your "mind's eye." What was so special about the flower? How many leaves and petals did it have? Were there any insects buzzing around it? You are going to be "visualizing" an area about 6" x 6" around the flower. That is going to include the surroundings. Now, open your eyes and look at the flower again for another minute. Then try to visualize it again. You will be astonished to see how much clearer the second picture was.

Congratulations, you have taken your first step in developing your brain, to prepare it for photographic memory training.

Many people who want to know more about photographic memory training, need to know about associating words with shapes, objects with words and shapes with objects. Once you get to know this code of visualization, you can visualize images in a proper and methodical fashion. Learning photographic memory is a skill which can be acquired, just like learning a new language or playing the guitar. Your mind is capable of doing that and more so try these tips and train your brain. Plan yourself with the best mind training program.

Business Plans For The Wedding and Portrait Photography Business

Like anything in life, setting goals gives us drive and determination. Without a focus or a deadline, us feeble human beings tend to drift along a never ending road of confusion and despair. By setting some well defined and realistic business goals right from the start, you will feel achievement when you have reached them and also get a clear definition of how your business is growing in line with your expectations.

You need to determine where you want your business to be in one year, two years and three years time. Hard as it is to judge, you must try and estimate the number of weddings that you think you may undertake in the first, second and third year. You must also assess where you are going to advertise and how much to allocate to this in these years, who are you going to secure funding from, how much profit you would like to achieve etc.

Below I have shown an example of some typical business goals:

Year 1

• Secure funding in line with the forecasted financial needs


• Purchase all necessary equipment


• Establish website and get it up and running


• Analyse good advertising avenues


• Build relationships with other local wedding providers


• Create 3 distinctive albums for display purposes


• Take on 10 weddings


• Enter 3 competitions for experience


• Achieve 2,000 profit

Year 2

• Take on 20 weddings and put prices up by 50%


• Employ a Digital Imaging assistant to process up weddings


• Undertake 2 wedding fayres


• Rent out own studio and start expanding portrait side of the business


• Build on relationships made with other wedding providers


• Attain LBIPP status


• Achieve a profit of 10,000

Business Plans

A thorough business plan is absolutely vital and the importance of it cannot be stressed highly enough. The business plan is not just something that must be done in order to secure funding; every business venture needs to do one. You need to sit down and construct a well thought out business plan, which details every aspect of your business. You need to do this, not only to focus your minds but it is also a requirement for grant providers and bank lenders who may not take you seriously otherwise.

It is equally important to amend the plan on a regular basis, as time progresses and priorities change. The whole purpose of the written plan is to focus your mind on the key elements and goals of your business. The very act of preparing the plan will make you take a close look at the competition; the services they provide and their pricing structures; yourself and your strengths and weaknesses. This enables you to identify any potential problem areas you may experience and turn them into positives.

You also need to identify all the financial implications and undertake a cashflow forecast. (explained later).

You can certainly guarantee that your Business plan will raise things that you had not even though of. For example, your running costs and expected expenditure and turnover as well as identifying your need for any additional funding.

By preparing a detailed Business Plan you will be aware of market trends, your business objectives and strategies, its place in the market, resources and expected cashflow. This is so vitally important, especially with a new business venture as undoubtedly you will be looking to re-invest your hard earned money back into the business. Being aware of your cashflow can save you from the potentially crippling situation where one can month you can afford that new AppleMac laptop to the next month being unable to put the fuel in your car to get you into work in the first place. The Business Plan will help you to decide what you can afford and when. Remember forewarned is forearmed!

To re-iterate, a good plan is very important:

• If you wish to apply for grant funding/bank loans, as these institutions will usually insist on seeing a well constructed and thought out plan.


• In measuring the success within your business.


• In spotting problem areas before they arise.


• In focusing on the key development areas.

The key elements to a business plan are as follows:

Company Name

Executive summary of your business

This should list the highlights from each of the other sections of the business plan so it is a good idea to leave this part until the rest of the business plan is complete. It is also necessary in this section to detail whether your company is sole trader, Limited etc. The objective of this section is to interest the reader and inform them in a concise way of the whole purpose of your business. If applying for funding, it is sometimes the only part that gets read!

Mission Statement

This is a clear and concise statement of your company's long-term mission. It should incorporate your ultimate aims and aspirations (mission) for the Company.

Products and Services

This section should detail how you are going to brand your company and its products. Are you going to undertake weddings solely or are you planning to offer portraits, commercial etc. You also need to think about and detail which market you are aiming at (eg. low end, high end). You should detail when you started trading, any history (eg. was it an acquired business), and plans for the future etc. Also detail the service you intend to deliver to clientele and how that compares with competition. Do not get tied up with technical jargon - keep it simple because those reading it may not appreciate the industry you are in but still need to be able to understand the concepts.

Sales and Marketing

This section is vitally important and time and effort needs to be put into this area to ensure your business succeeds. You need to think about:

Where to position your business in the market place (eg. top end quality, low end volume etc.) Pricing of your products - this is one of the most important and difficult decisions as you need to set your prices at the right level to be profitable.

You need to analyse competition to see what they offer and what they charge and then establish your own niche. If you charge more, there must be tangible reasons for a customer wanting to pay more for your product or service.

Advertising - it is important to identify the most effective routes for promoting and advertising your products or services i.e. how are you going to reach your potential customers in a cost effective manner and how are you going to monitor the effectiveness of your advertising. Also which mediums do you intend to use for your advertising; is this via websites, editorial, social media sites such as Facebook/MySpace/Twitter, YouTube, adverts in magazine/newspapers, shop windows, wedding fayres, emails, posted fliers and brochures etc.

It is important to identify on the business plan why people would choose your product at that price and why it is different to competition (eg. quality, price, unique, extra benefits or add ons etc).

The Team

Even though initially you may be starting off on your own, due to financial limitations, you will eventually need some help. You need to establish what personnel requirements will be needed and at what stage. You also need to identify skills they will need to possess and any weakness areas that they may need training up in.

Business Premises and Equipment

More often than not, it is best to start your business from home as this keeps your overheads down. This section should detail where the business operates from (home or otherwise), advantages and disadvantages of its location, leased or owned and for how long, equipment bought or investment needed. Also, IT facilities, outsourcing necessary, management and accounting systems required to control the business and any plans for the future to improve in these areas.

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats

This is referred to as SWOT analysis and is a useful exercise in analysing exactly what it states: Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is useful to divide a piece of paper into 4 areas and construct a list in each section. Think carefully about all your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and your goal is eventually turn your weaknesses into strengths.

A few examples:

Strengths:

• Excellent location with potentially an elite client base


• Qualified member of BIPP


• Excellent photography skills

Weaknesses:

• No helper - have to juggle the photography as well as marketing, accounts etc


• Photoshop skills need enhancing


• Not very experienced with Sales & Marketing

Opportunities

• Some lovely wedding venues surrounding us


• Many wedding companies I can affiliate with

Threats

• A lot of photographers after the same business

Competition

Even though competition is included in the Sales and Marketing section, it is a worthwhile exercise to establish the names, locations, prices, products and services, selling tactics of all your main competitors in your niche - basically find out everything you possibly can about them. Ring them up and pretend to be a customer wanting their services. This will give you a real sense of where you are at in the market place and what you can offer that they do not as well as how to sell yourself against them. This is an ongoing process throughout the life of the business.

Goals & Objectives - One and Five-year goals

A written statement of where you see yourself in one years time as well as in five years time, in both financial terms and in market share. Visualisation of where you want to be is the key to success and drives you forward.

Photo Booth Hire for Weddings, Parties and Functions

If you want your wedding to be the talk of the town, you're going to want to hire a photo booth for the event. Some people just can't open up in front of a photographer which results in some rather staged and unnatural pictures. A photo booth is not designed to replace a professional photographer, it's simply there to capture different moments that they aren't able to. Not only will you as the client appreciate the pictures, but your guests will also appreciate the relaxed environment the booths create with the ability to re-take pictures and their private nature.

People like to make their own memories and the pictures captured by photo booths are very personal. At some point in the night, even your toughest guest will have at least one picture taken. This is the beauty of having a booth at your wedding or party, they capture images and genuine feeling through a relaxed environment which is very hard for a photographer to take. Many photo booths have the ability to shoot HD video as well which is something your guest will love. They can be shared on social network sites as well as watched at home in full screen on your high definition TV.

Traditional photography has largely remained static as technology has moved forward. It's not possible for them to embrace developments which photo booth software can. Many booths now offer instant Facebook uploads, integration with iPad apps and green screen technology. Anyone who wasn't able to make the wedding will instantly be able to see the pictures as they are uploaded to Facebook and shared with family and friends. It's a great way of sharing the moments that would otherwise have been missed.

An often overlooked feature of a photo booth hire is the volume of pictures that can be taken and the fact they can be made into gifts for the guests as well as people not able to attend the evening. Some companies offer keyrings, fridge magnets, mugs and canvas prints. Most will give you the images from the night on DVD for you to create your own re-prints and gift items should you wish. The cost to re-print a 6?4 may be very low, but the value of the gift is priceless. Quite often,the images end up as profile pictures as this is one of the only opportunities for people to capture images of themselves dressed up and socialising with friends and family.

If possible, try to visit your supplier or go to one of their public events where you can use their booth. You'll be amazed at how much fun they are to used and you'll instantly appreciate what a photo booth hire can offer to your guests and your evening.

Money, Money, Money! Too Much Money For Photography Bills!

Where Is The Photographer?

You have an event coming up and you want great pictures. How do you get the great pictures and still avoid an enormous photography bill at the end of the event? You are the best. You are the person who knows the subject the best. You are the person that is closest to your subject, therefore, you are the best one to produce the best photographs for your own event. What if you want baby pictures of your own baby, do you really need to call in a professional photographer? What if you want pictures of your child's sweet sixteen party? Is it really necessary to pay a fortune to a company that doesn't know your child at all? What if you want beautiful pictures of your bride or groom or your Communion child or your high school graduate, do you really need to hire someone to do that?

The answer to all of these questions - "No."If you just read a little about photography and if you practice for a few weeks or months, you can take pictures almost as good as any professional photographer can take.

With digital cameras so inexpensive today, you can purchase a seven or ten megapixel camera and produce awesome results. With a PhotoShop Elements program, you can adjust your pictures, color them, transform them into black and white or do any other of the many special effects that are in this photo program. Here's what you need to do if you want to avoid the big bills of a professional photographer: Read. Yes, the first step to any education is reading. Go to the library and read all the Kodak books. These books are usually in the "770" section along with the other photography books.

Look for books by the author named, "John Hedgecoe". His books are awesome and he teaches in such a way that practically anyone can improve their own photography by fifty to eighty percent just by using his techniques.

These two series of books - the Kodak photography series and the series of books by John Hedgecoe will transform your photography. Another book you can look up is the Joy of Photography.

After reading, take your camera and go practice. Practice taking pictures and practice adjusting your pictures using Photoshop Elements. You can use other photo programs such as JASC, or any of the photo programs that the local drugstores offer. Have confidence in yourself. Know that you can do it. Have total confidence in yourself. And know that you are going to produce the best photographs for your own event. Purchase some CDs so that you can put the photos onto these disks and give them as presents after the event has passed. You can use flash drives or CDs to save the photographs. What if you don't have the confidence or what if you do not want to risk it?

Great Photographers at College and High School:

There are some who will not have the confidence to do their own event. Even these people can still save money on photography using other options. You can search around at the local college and ask the photography teacher if she can refer any college artists to you. You can say you have a job for them and you can pay them with their own photo portfolio - give them permission to use your formal photographs in their own professional portfolio. You can even sign a release for them. You can ask at the local camera clubs for other photographers. Some members might already have their own business. But others might just be starting out or doing photography as a hobby. You can approach them and ask what they would charge to do your event. If you hire anyone from a school or anyone who is under age, contact the parent first and get permission for that teen or young adult to do your photography. Keep it all out in the open, checking with parents and guardians on what they want. Never exclude the parents, guardians or teachers when dealing with under age photographers. That is how professional business people handle interactions with young adults. Use proper photography releases, contracts and forms and have them signed by legal adults.

Guests and attendees take the photos:

As your own guests and family to take pictures at the event. Ask more than one person. If you use this method of having photographs done, you should ask at least five different people to take the photographs. You can pay for the copies and the development and still save money on what normally would be a very large photography bill. By asking at least five family members or five friends to take the pictures, you are guaranteed to have at least a few awesome irreplaceable shots, an d many varieties of shots - as different as the photographers are.

Videos!

What about taking wonderful videos of your events? Wow, that's even a little better than still photography because you have the action , the pictures, the music and every feeling of the actual event re-happening right in front of you. Videos can be expensive. However, if you know where to go and how to proceed, these videos of your events can be very inexpensive or even free.

Here are some clues on what to do regarding videos of your events:

Hire three college students to do the videos. Pay for their tapes or discs. Give them dinner at the event. Pay for the processing or editing, and give them a good reference for their future resumes.

Hire only of legal age (to avoid needing permission notes and legal documents) and when in doubt ask for picture identification and or proof of age. Never serve alcohol to minors, no matter what kind of even t it is. Have your family and friends take more than one video. Contact your local community access television station and ask for referrals of some good television producers. Once in contact with them ask if they will come to your event and take the video. They should not ask for any payment at all, as community access is free of charge. But you can offer to buy some tapes for them since you want to have the tapes given to you. Make any and all arrangement directly through the producer.

Depending on the situation, you might even be able to have your event televised. So those are the ways that you can have great photographs and wonderful videos without spending hardly any money at all. We know that the pro-photographers' pictures of course might be a better quality, but your pictures will be just what you need at just your right price. Use your imagination, and you will never hire a professional photographer again.

Our pictures have been displayed throughout New York City and in Brooklyn in Grand Army Plaza. We have taken pictures for more than ten years. This article was about saving money. We have won honorable mention for black and white photography. Some of our next photography articles will focus on the composition and processing of photographs.

We hope that you feel confident enough, now, to take your own photographs and save some money for yourself. Always check first with photography teachers are high schools, colleges and other specialty schools. They might just have the person you are looking for. Neve sign a contract or do business with a minor, but do business with the adult, parent or guardian.

Virtual Assistant Certification

It is not 100% necessary to be certified in order to become a Virtual Assistant but it does help with building up your credibility. Depending upon your experience, skills, and education will determine your ability to start your own professional virtual business. To compete in an industry that is growing quite quickly your services are still high in demand but you must show your potential clients you are that much better than your competitors.

Certifications/Schooling

There are many companies advertising their certification programs that may not necessarily be reputable and provide the courses or certificate you need to add to your professionalism. Do your research, ask other VA's, ask potential clients what their needs are and what is the best way you can serve them. That will give you the information needed to determine whether you need upgrading or training. Just because someone touts themselves as offering a certificate program does not necessarily make them good.

A small sampling of reputable schools or training organizations include:

1. The International Association of Virtual Office Assistants (IAVOA): They are dedicated to the professional education and development of member of the Virtual Assistant profession. They are also interested in educating the public on the role and function of a VA.


2. Red Deer College VA Certificate Program - this Canadian College has an excellent program and is highly recognized.


3. The International Real Estate Assistant Assoc. Training - for those who wish to specialize in working with Realtors this organization should be researched.


4. REVA Training Center


5. University of Virtual Assistants


6. Vaclassroom - this is an excellent resource for targeted programs that relate strictly with this profession. Examples include social media specialist and event planning.


7. VBSS - this is a start up system that guides you from beginning to end in starting your business. This comes with a mountain of material that is extremely helpful from creating your business name to finding clients and learning how to market yourself.


8. Virtual Assistant University - Technology changes at a rapid pace and it's important to stay up to date with classes that will help you improve your services. The most used programs of administrative assistants or office clerks are MSOffice - Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Bookkeeping programs, Simply Accounting or QuickBooks are extremely popular and useful both for your own business and potential clients.

Other related classes may include event planning, organization, photography, time management, WordPress, web design, social media, HTML code, accounting, graphic design, desktop publishing, and anything else remotely related to providing a service or assisting the VA in her own business.

Although certification is not necessary a business owner who wishes to succeed should believe in continuing to better themselves and give themselves the tools to provide better service to their customers. Certification or any training that relates to operating a Virtual Assistant business will only enhance your professionalism.

Top Three Tips To Sell Photos Online And Earn Profits From Your Photography Hobby

Do you think you have what it takes as a digital photographer to sell photos online? Do you think you can make money from your photography hobby? Most digital photographer hobbyists are now making money by selling photos to stock photography websites online. You can even earn more when you sell photos online to media outfits.

What is stock photography? It is the supply of high quality digital photos that can be used legally by media outfits and businesses to suit any purpose such as advertising collaterals. Nowadays, it is very common for businesses to use stock photo websites to find digital photos for their advertising. Some use it for magazines to complement articles with good quality stock images. Even graphic artists use it for their web design needs. This means a lot of savings as compared to hiring and paying the fees for professional photo services by a digital photographer.

What one needs is to become a member of this stock photography websites and upload stock photos that you think will sell online. Every time a buyer purchases one of your stock images, you get paid for commissions which are usually 50%-80% of the amount paid by the buyer. The commission varies and depends which stock photography website you sell your stock photos.

The usual fee is between 1 to 10 dollars for every sold stock photo or image. The selling price of each stock photo starts from a dollar to about 10 dollars and if there is a need for a special stock photo and there are less supply than the demand then the price per stock photo increases. When you think of the commission you get from each sale you feel that when you sell photos online it makes your images amount to nothing. But if you add up all the sales you get when you sell photos online each month, it can become a source of profit for your photography hobby and even become your full time income online.

Follow these tips if you want to sell photos online and make a profit from your photography hobby online:

1. Do research on these stock photography websites.

Try to register with the best and know stock photography websites to maximize your potential to earn if you sell photos online. The more stock photography websites you register the higher your chances for buyers to see your photos online. Be careful with choosing the category to submit your stock photo online, it may end up being rejected by the stock photography website.

Always make sure that you have full copyright of all the photos you sell online. It is to avoid claims and legal problems if another photographer make a claim on your stock photo.

2. Choosing the subject that sells.

Remember most of these images are used for advertising. Don't use your family as your subject. A good tip is to choose generic subjects such as common objects and places of travel which is a popular subject among buyers of stock images online. By doing research online, you will see which stock photos actually sell online. You can now recreate images based on a particularly popular subject.

3. A good digital camera.

It can be the difference of actually earning form selling photos online and being rejected by the stock photo website for not being able to produce high quality stock images to sell online. If you think you can earn from selling photos online invest on a good and high end digital camera. In the end the digital camera will pay for itself.

Take thousands and thousands of frames to get the best possible stock photo from a particular subject. This will help you start making money and earn some profit from your photography hobby.

It comes natural to a digital photographer who loves photography to take a lot of frames anyways it is part of the whole experience.

Hope you learn something about making money selling photos online. Last tip to successfully sell photos online, you need to start shooting!

Document Design and Graphics in Technical Writing

Document design is concerned with creating text such as books, pamphlets, or posters that integrate words and pictures in ways that help people to achieve their specific goals for using texts at home, school, work, etc. It is the bringing together of graphics (including illustrations and photography) for purposes of instruction, information or persuasion. Remember that reader needs must ultimately drive the design. Document design is the act of writing and designing along with the skillful selection, structuring and emphasis of content with the reader needs in focus.

Use document design to help readers locate information and understand the structure and meaning of your material. Remember that the design of a document has both an informational and a physical aspect format and layout. Format refers to the arrangement of the document content into standard subject areas such as introduction, theory, method and results, discussion, and conclusions sections. Format also refers to the general design of standard document elements such as tables and figures, as well as citations. Format conventions are usually widely followed but may vary from field to field.

Technical Writing departments in their infancy seem to have great difficulty producing documentation that is well designed and consistent in appearance throughout all documents. As the department matures, it attempts to "consistify" the format of the documentation, but, unless there is an experienced template designer on board, this is often a drawn-out process involving focus groups and much squabbling.

A writer needs to consider the visual presentation of their document before writing in order to present the information in a way that increases the readability and understanding of the document.The four areas a writer is concerned with when writing a document are:

• Organization


• Order


• Access


• Variety

The organization of a document and its design is accomplished by breaking up the information into chunks (chunking). This is done effectively by creating headings and using white space correctly. When the writer orders the ideas with different font sizes, font types and heading positioning, the queuing can make the priority of the information easier to understand.

Access of information can be accomplished by using bullets, numbering, boldface or caps to emphasize keywords. The document design can include underlining and font color too. When using headings with color the meaning of the paragraph stands out but over use of color or underlining can make the document harder to read. Variety of the other areas used effectively uses white space and columns or gutter widths to break up the text and be more appealing to the reader.

There are ways to give your audience easy access to the information that they want. Indenting a new block of text is like opening a door and inviting the reader in. Bullets emphasize important items within the text. Numbering allows for easy access by showing sequence or importance. Boldface draws attention to key words or phrases and all caps highlights a danger or warning. Underlining, italics and highlighting can all be used similarly as highlighting techniques.

A Basic Digital Photography Class - Learn Important Hints and Tips

Photography is a wonderful hobby that allows you to create beautiful memories, shoot artistic scenes, and capture the beauty of nature (sometimes all in one shot). However, many people believe that the 'art' has been taken away from photography with the advent of digital cameras.

The truth is that, although digital cameras can do all the work for you, they do not have to. In fact, you may be surprised at how much effect simple steps and changes can make to the quality of your pictures. So, read on to take this digital photography class and learn valuable hints and tips:

Consider Composition

When taking pictures, you do not always have time to frame a shot perfectly. The result may be that you have too much skyline or missing parts of your subject. Therefore, even if you're taking a quick family snap, it is worth taking a few seconds to ensure that what you see through the viewfinder or on the LCD screen will look good in an actual photograph.

Once you are more familiar with composition, you can start to think about how color, texture, tone, shadow, and light affect the path of the viewer's eye.

Keep the Camera Still

This may seem like a ridiculously simple thing to say, but many pictures are ruined by camera shake. The fact is that lightweight compact nature of digital cameras makes them easy to hold, but this means that you are less likely to be able to hold it steady when taking a picture. Therefore, make sure you're holding your camera with both hands and ensure that you're not holding it at arms length.

Make Sure You Take Enough Shots

Sometimes, especially if you're trying to shoot a nature picture, it may take hours, days or even weeks to get that perfect shot. When it comes, make sure that you take enough shots. You should also try to experiment with your camera's settings. When your photos are uploaded on your computer, you can compare the various modes to learn which ones work best.

It's Not all Luck, But a Little Luck Helps

Capturing that perfect moment does require a little luck. However, really great pictures occur when preparation meets luck. Therefore, it is advisable to do some research on the subject or location that you wish to shoot. Again, it is also a good idea to experiment with your camera's settings. In addition, it is always wise to keep your camera close by to ensure that when luck strikes, you do not miss the opportunity.

Lighting Does Not Have to Be Expensive

Some amateur photographers think that lighting setups are exclusively the domain of professional photographers. In fact, you can get great lighting effects with simple halogen desk lamps and a good clean backdrop, such as a sheet. Again, do not be afraid to experiment; you may surprise yourself with what you can achieve.

This basic digital photography class has provided you with some helpful hints and tips that will enable you to take better pictures in the future.

Different Methods of Marketing Plan Non Profit for Promoting Social Businesses

The marketing plan for a non-profit organization has a completely new aspect since it not only needs to give a new sense of satisfaction for the consumer, but also for the donor. Non-profit organizations focus on providing value-based services in the field of health, education and human services. Most marketing plan non profit fulfill their funding requirement from direct mail marketing and they employ a number of marketing mix tactics.

The marketing plan non profit organizations should create classy and elegant marketing methods. It should be noted that customers or donors of non-profits consider overly designed and flashy materials as a kind of wasteful spending. Therefore it is important for non-profits to give attention to the appearance of their marketing plans and materials. Most of the managers of marketing plan non profit know that it costs almost the same for creating a glossy piece or for a simple piece of marketing material, but their focus should be based upon the perception of the potential donors. They should design strategies based upon these perceptions along with the information gathered from direct mail marketing and direct marketing. Overall, the non-profit organization should avoid the looks of having spent tremendously on marketing.

This could also be achieved by determining the physical aspects of your marketing materials, like using matte paper in place of glossy ones, using recycled paper, using non-profit mission supporting photography along with subdued colors. Appropriate photographs not only make your marketing plans look pretty, but they help the mission of your organization by showcasing your work to the world. You could use this tool in your benefit by using real photos of individuals or animals that have received support and benefits from your services. The photograph should always display diversity in ethnicity, which acts as a strong social message of uniformity in your objectives. It also helps by adding captions, which highlight the stories of the individuals, animals and places that benefited from your non-profit organization. Photographs of individuals, especially children looking into the camera create a better influence. And, it has been demonstrated in a number of studies that people give better response to such photographs.

Key chains, calendars, notepads and labels work well for showcasing your organizations missions to your donors, but you should avoid too many gift items, which may appear wasteful. This is because the truth about donors' perception for non profits is that they tend to believe that such organizations dedicate their complete donations in helping the non-profit cause and not in marketing plan non profit.

Photography Schools - Training and Course Options

The career choices are broad for students that have obtained a photography education. Students can learn to take, edit, and print images. Numerous training and course options are available through photography schools.

Students can expect to gain all of the technological and technical skills needed by completing focused courses. Good programs are offered by accredited colleges that center education around the art, science, and business aspects of photography. Courses that teach students these categories typically include:

*Intro to Photography

The complete basics are covered, which includes camera features, techniques, and presentation skills. Students study photography by exploring its design, history, and aesthetic principles. Understanding the theories for film, exposure, and printing are also covered in this type of course.

*Color Photography

Students can expect to explore and understand color theory and how it's related to photography. Concepts and practices are discussed so students learn how to choose color filters for different lighting situations. The printing procedure for color negatives is another topic discussed.

*Illustrative Photography

When pursuing a photography degree for advertising an illustrative course is taken. Lighting equipment, production, and descriptive advertising are all subjects covered. Students learn how to manage a photography studio in regards to equipment and proper lighting.

*Photojournalism

Large amounts of working photographers pursue careers in the field of photojournalism. Students that are pursuing work as photographers for newspapers and magazines learn the different shots taken for the field. The course covers how to shoot photos for hard news stories, sports, and editorials. Action shots, close-ups, and photo compressions are some of the styles explored.

*Digital Imaging

The industry is highly comprised of the latest editing software, which allows professionals to use computer-based programs to foster an electronic darkroom. Programs like Adobe Photoshop are learned so students can change the color, brightness, fuzziness, and more of photos. The processes of manipulation and improvement are explored as well.

Training programs are mostly offered at the associate degree level but some vocational colleges also provide certificate programs. Students are trained inside an associate degree program to understand the field by completing courses in visual communication, color management, and editing. Courses give students the chance to learn and practice working with people and the industry's software. Education is imperative to career success. The field is extremely competitive and students that have earned an education have a higher chance of entering their desired career.

Learning to use equipment to capture great photography is obtainable through a focused education. Students can better their chances of success in the industry by selecting a program that teaches them about their desired field. For example, students that want to work in forensics should enroll in a program that teaches them the regulations of crime scene photography.

Education is available at a variety of accredited photography schools that offer many training course options. Students can find a program that is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation ( http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/ ) and fits their passion, in order to enter a career as a photographer.

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

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

Planning to Visit Palm Springs?

Far enough away from Los Angeles to avoid the crowds and protected from any sign of bad weather and pollution by the imposing presence of the San Jacinto mountains, Palm Springs is the definition of a desert oasis. A visit here will whet a person's appetite for all things California while satisfying the thirst for utter relaxation as well. Palm Springs is a pretty safe bet for those in need of a place to lay low, play around or reconnect with a significant other, so pack a bag and aim high for this trip that's sure to please.

California, in some people's opinion, has been unfairly blessed with more than its fair share of natural beauty. Coming from a less visually stunning state, it seems that this coastal paradise is brimming with bounties everywhere you look. Maybe it's the constantly sunny weather, maybe it's the infectious smiles that everyone wears, or maybe it's just the fact that you're not at work or school, but when you stroll around Palm Springs you'll find yourself positively enchanted.

The splashy colors you'll encounter in Palm Springs won't just come from the desert, the sunsets and all the sparkling pools and golf courses; this town has brains as well as beauty, or at least a creative mind anyway. The Palm Springs Art Museum is a well-known asset to this community and features a number of collections. Modern art, sculptures, Native American art and photography are just a few examples of the genres represented, and there is also a theater whose schedule includes the likes of ballet, jazz, opera and comedy. Take a dose of culture along with the mindless lounging you're sure to do on this trip (it's okay, you deserve it) and stop by this worthwhile museum.

Get back to nature by hopping aboard the Aerial Tramway. This enclosed rotating car takes passengers to a higher altitude and reveals the Palm Springs area in all its glory. From 8,000 feet up you'll feel far, far away from the real world, surely a very good thing. Up top you'll find cooler temperatures and great hiking, so take a few minutes to enjoy it before heading back down to the next exciting distraction you can come up with.

Not that it's hard. For example, don't miss Palm Canyon Drive. This palm tree-lined street sparkles all the time with lights, art galleries, celebrity sidewalk stars, fresh fruit stands, live music, and plenty of chances for people watching. Thursday nights are an especially hopping time thanks to what is known as Villagefest, so if you're here on this day of the week be sure to stop by for some sensory stimulation.

Moorten Botanical Garden, a cluster of historic inns, Indian Canyons, the Air Museum and nearby Joshua National Park are a few more sites definitely worth seeing. Palm Springs is more than just a pretty face, and it will take a little while to make the rounds. Hopefully you've saved up enough vacation days so that you won't have to rush around like mad to see it all; part of the experience is allowing enough time to dawdle, amble, and stroll as well.

Speaking of slowing down to enjoy the experience, find a comfy desert hideaway in the form of a Palm Springs Vacation Rental. These town homes, villas and charming little houses come in all shape and size and have a way of adding a touch of class and convenience to any trip. Pick one that's close to town or one that's off in the wild California desert (well, not too wild) to achieve the privacy and comfort that is necessary to complete your Palm Springs getaway.

From the vacation homes to the ample activities, Palm Springs knows how to show anyone a good time. Drop by for a few days or a few weeks, however long it'll take to recharge your batteries and remember what it's like to truly feel alive and well.

How to Get Experience As a Wedding Photographer

It seems like a viscous circle right? You can't get work without experience and you cant get experience without doing the work. But you need to remember just how important wedding photography is to our customers. These could be the only lasting memory of the most important day of their life, so why would they trust it to an amateur? Any budding wedding photographer knows that in order to succeed you need a strong portfolio from multiple weddings. One or two shots is never going to do it either your going to need to demonstrate a constant flow of a whole wedding day. Its a highly competitive market and everyone with a camera thinks there a photographer these days, so your images need to be the best every time. So just how can I find the much needed experience in the wedding photography industry. Photography School. There are loads of photography classes out there these days that will give you hands on wedding photography experience.

Often they will be run by local studios who will hire models and run group sessions. You will get to spend time shooting a "bride" with an experienced photographer at your side to help with any tips and advice. There are also some great part time photography courses run by colleges that can give your hands on basic photography skills. Do a quick Google search for Photography School or Photography Course and your sure to find something suitable. Contact local Photographers. So we all know to get experience you need to get yourself shooting at a wedding. The only problem is this can seem near impossible. Most city's and towns will have more photographers than you can imagine some good, some not so good and some great in my opinion competition is a healthy thing and there are plenty of weddings to go around. The problem is not all photographers think like this so finding a photographer in your area who is willing to take you under there wing and show you the ropes may be easier said than done. Many photographers see it as training up new competition. If you are willing to travel a little further you may find it's a little easier. Contact a photographer who is not in direct competition with where you will one day be working and ask if you can do some unpaid work as an assistant. Working as a photographers assistant does not mean you will spend all your time with a camera in your hand, it does not mean you will get hundreds of shots to use for y our portfolio but it does mean you will get a taster for what a wedding day truly involves. You will be asked to carry the bags, run errands, upload images, fetch the photographer a drink and all other seemingly meaningless jobs.

If however you use your eyes and your ears and pay close attention to everything you can I guarantee you will pick up tons of skills? Build relationships. While it may feel like jumping from one photographer to the next to gain, as much experience as you can is the best thing you can do, nothing can beat a good working relationship. Try and get on as many weddings with one photographer as you can and make it a regular thing. If they call you with a last minute shoot cancel your plans and take up the offer. Over time the photographer will trust your skills that little bit more and will let you take on more responsibility, who knows they may even let you take the lead on a wedding with there assistance. Free Wedding Photography There are many amateur wedding photographers out there who start there career by offering free wedding to photography to couple on a budget in order to learn the skills needed. Always remember that no matter how little the couple has paid they are skill a client and if you make a mistake on there wedding day they could still destroy your reputation and your career before it has even started. If you have the skills to shoot the wedding then charge the going rate for package. Don't forget even if you are shooting the wedding for free you will still have many expenses and you will still need insurance on your gear and your liability. Practice your skills on a model One of the most important things about being a wedding photographer is that your basic skills are mastered. You need to be able to handle every possible scenario and need to be confident in many styles of photography. Many of these skills can be mastered on a model. Try and practice using very little set up time and only very little time per shot. Set up a shot take the shot and move on to the next, this will help to simulate the fast pace of wedding photography. Only after gaining experience on as many wedding as possible (I would say about 20 weddings minimum) should you think about taking on a clients wedding solo. Even if asked by friends and family to shoot there wedding ask yourself honestly if you are ready to guarantee stunning photography no matter what you are faced with. Good Luck

Hurricane Photos and Photography

One of the most popular things in photography is taking pictures of storm clouds and this is why we have tornado chasers and why so many people refuse to effectuate during hurricanes. Often these pictures are actually worth something to the news media but it is hard to get the news media the pictures you have taken because the phone lines are out and there's no way to fax them or to send them by E-mail.

However, such pictures of large category hurricanes are all valuable and some people will risk life and limb to take them. Storm chasers are nothing new and neither are surfers who think they can ride out the big storm surge wave from the hurricane. But trying to take a photograph during a large category four hurricane is enough to blow you away and it is hard to hold onto the camera when you need to hold onto a local tree as you are sticking out like a flag on a flagpole.

For those brave enough to weather the storm and venture outside of the hurricane party in order to get a perfect shot of the hurricane, they know what they risk with each picture they take. As you surf around the Internet you will see pictures of hurricanes and the photographers that took them.

Some consider them very brave men others consider them fools. Nevertheless they are all probably adrenaline junkies and they do it not only for the sport, but also to prove that they weathered the storm. Consider all this in 2006.

Create a Tsunami of Revenue Streams to Your Website Using Affiliate PPC

Billions of people now use the internet. It's a medium that is accessible 24/7 - 365 days per year and has completely changed the way we work and the way we earn our income.

It is widely known that the Internet is an incredible resource for many income-generating activities. Whether your interest is professional sales or part-time internet marketing, one of the most powerful and easiest methods of income generation is a PPC (or Pay Per Click) affiliate program.

A joint venture with a Pay Per Click affiliate merchant is a win-win situation for both parties.

Currently, sales are booming for developers of good products, programs and systems due to the volumes of traffic being driven by affiliates and the affiliates are being paid handsomely from the generous commission levels paid by the developer.

In simple terms, the affiliate merchant provides an advertising banner or link to place on your website and pays you when someone clicks on the link. You can get a commission of anything from $0.10 to several dollars for every click depending on your merchant sales program.

Once set up with regular traffic flowing you can relax a little while your website is generating clicks and creating an income. It doesn't really matter if the prospect ends up buying the product or not as you as the affiliate still gets paid for the click through.

So to summarize?

PPC means pay-per-click, whereby you partner with an affiliate company that literally pays you for every click on their product link. There are really three types of PCC affiliate programs - those who pay a commission based on the number of clicks, those that pay on leads and the other based on actual sales. (It's arguable that payments for clicks and leads are the same thing but often a lead will later convert to a sale and merchants will often also pay you a percentage of that sale as well)

The pay-per-click scheme is by far the most popular medium as the chances of a visitor purchasing something from the affiliate merchant are affected by matters completely out of your control.

So how do you get involved?

You need to have a website within the same niche as the advert you are going to promote, and a ready flow of traffic helps. For example, if your website is about cameras or photography then you can search for affiliate programs that sell products related to photography or how to edit photographs.

You can create a content site about absolutely anything you like such as ' Dog Training' or 'Diy Around the Home.' As long as your affiliate promotion is within your web site niche then your visitors are going to be curious and more likely click on your adverts.

How do I maximise my click through rate?

Your website needs to have a quality look about it and designed in such a way that users will find it easy to navigate. Consider how the advert looks and feels. If it doesn't look professional users will simply be put off and go elsewhere. Place the ad in an obvious and direct position where users can see it clearly. Visibility of the ad is critical.

Generate interest by post links to your website on web communities, in forums or bulletin boards plus write e-zine articles. This obviously requires some effort on your part but it can generate a lot of organic traffic that will keep visiting your website.

Once set up it's like automating your business. All you have to do after that is general top ups and maintenance.

Lastly, be sure to track your site activity so you can see where your efforts are producing the greatest return

If you think you can take your efforts up a notch, you can try a two-tier affiliate program and recruit other marketers to sell for you.

As well as the money and sales generated from your website's clicks, you will also get a percentage of what your affiliates earn. It's entirely possible to earn 50% to 75% on referral sales.

However, you need to be able to manage and monitor your affiliate team as they will quickly stop selling for you if you can't pay them in a timely fashion. Fortunately a lot of vendors have systems in place to handle two tear affiliates, but if not there are good programs that you can purchase.

If you can recruit more affiliates, then you can double, triple, quadruple your sales or more without very much extra effort.

If you choose affiliates that already have traffic generating sites then naturally this is going to speed up your earning potential. Carrying out some straight forward research on Alexa.com will help to identify some useful contacts.

Multimedia Approach For Sustainable Knowledge Delivery

'Multimedia' is the word used to describe the combination of different digital media like text, graphics, photographs, animation clips, video, voice, and music and sound effects. The benefits of multimedia methods of information delivery are enormous. People have both visual (sight) and auditory (sound) capabilities for processing information, and multimedia products take advantage of both to convey information and knowledge in an effective manner. Materials produced using a combination of these media are generally more attractive and easy to follow than single medium products. They enable complex ideas and procedures to be presented in a simplified way, and allow the projection of more complete and rounded concepts and models. The potential benefits of 'good practices' can be shown visually and illustrated with step-by step instructions that can be followed even by those with poor literacy skills. Multimedia products are more effective in delivering messages and lead to better learning and retention. As they are electronic, they can be reproduced and used to deliver information and knowledge consistently and economically to different locations and audiences, with a flexible schedule, regardless of the availability of qualified teaching or extension staff.

An important complementary approach that can be used to link with and enrich multimedia products is the use of 'alternative media'. Alternative media in the sense used here refers to traditional ways of communicating from person to person and community to community like songs, dance, storytelling, poetry, street theatre, drama, and puppet plays. These methods have been used over centuries to convey information and knowledge from one community to another and one generation to the next. They entertain and are familiar, and can be especially successful in reaching a broad range of people and more remote communities. The 'products' can be developed locally to suit local needs, but they usually only reach a small audience. However, by capturing the plays, songs and other products electronically - on film, on tape, in photos - and including them in a multimedia product, they can be shared far more widely and used to enrich the multimedia product itself.

The multimedia approach itself is 'hi-tech', but can be made very user friendly with the right equipment and software. Even inexperienced local NGOs can develop useful multimedia products for themselves with only a small amount of training. These local products - on anything from agriculture and livestock, through health problems and sanitation, to eco-tourism, gender and equity - can be collected centrally to provide a valuable pool of resources for use in telecentres, schools, colleges and other community learning/information centres. This is the approach that IMCO is starting to develop. Read more on this at Shared Knowledge of Issue 14 - Click here.

Things You Should Know Before Pursuing A Career As A Fashion Photographer

In the photography industry, schools for fashion photography manage to enroll more number of students than any other photography niche. However, the number of successful fashion photographers are not so many even after plenty of students take lessons in this arena of photography.

Are you a student who wants to pursue a career in fashion photography because the industry is quite trendy?

Or do you want to make a lot of money?

If you fall under any of these categories, you will be disappointed soon because fashion photography is probably the hardest spheres of photography where one has to struggle really hard to make a successful career.

However, for those who are hard working and patient, building a successful photography career is an achievable dream and a good course in fashion photography can be an added advantage. If you are passionate about fashion and photography, a course in this field is the best way to start your career because you will get structural guidance and excellent support.

Career Services- Good institutes usually have a career service department which will help you to build resumes and portfolios that are appealing to employers. Many skilled students face a lot of difficulties in creating the right portfolio and putting up interesting things in their resume. These are significant when you are dealing with a client or employer because you need to present yourself appropriately in the fashion industry.

Networking - A good institute will have excellent tie ups with local studios, newspapers and merchants in this industry. For fashion shoots, you need to have good studios with adequate lighting and other accessories. Connection with newspapers and agents will help you to find models and locations. With a good course, you can build a professional network in this industry that can be used in future.

Learning and Practicing- This type of photography involves different lighting techniques, compositions, equipment and photo editing techniques. Every good photograph that you see has undergone numerous pre and post production processes apart from clicking the picture with the right exposure and lighting. You will learn about all these techniques in a good course and will implement the same in the college studio or a hired one that will eventually turn as a part of your portfolio.

However, you have two options open once you complete your course and start your career. You can either work in some reputed organization as a staff photographer or attract clients on your own. If you wish to build a career as an individual, your path can be harder but you can earn more income. Building a website, contacting and maintain communication with clients and constant marketing of your services are the important steps involved in building a career as an individual photographer. These are the steps that such schools do not cover in detail but you should learn on your own. Strong determination and confidence can help you to succeed as a great photographer.

Breaking Into the Photography Industry

The photography industry is a tough nut to break into. It is by no means impossible, but it's tougher than most and you'll need quite thick skin and perseverance to overcome the many rejections you're probably likely to face.

The first thing you should consider is what sector you want to go into. There is literally a multitude of fields you can get into and they include sports photography, fashion photography, glamour photography, children's photography, just to name a few.

There are generally two ways to get started on the ladder. The first is to go to college and take a photography course and the second is to undertake an apprenticeship with an experienced photographer. Both ways have their own advantages and disadvantages and it is important to weight up each choice with your personal circumstances.

Going to college has many benefits. If you choose a good college you will not only learn the important theoretical knowledge behind photography, but you will also get practical experience as well. You will also stand in better stead to get good work experience after or during your course because your college will help you find a placement and employers generally look more favourably upon those with academic experience under their belt.

The downside of this is that a course usually takes around 3 years and depending on where you study you will have to finance your course. If you are older and have commitments, you may not be able to afford the time and financial investment to study for 3 years.

Be sure to choose a good college however, as not all colleges or course for that matter are the same. An indication of a good college is one that not only provides you with the fundamentals of photography and allows you to develop your creative style, but is also successful at helping you find work experience. When looking at colleges, you should search the internet for reviews about the college course you are considering and if it is feasible, you should try to arrange to speak with a lecturer and students in the course. Many colleges hold open days where you will have an opportunity to speak with representatives.

The other option is to start an apprenticeship under an experienced photographer. The benefits of this are great. You will get to learn the ins and outs of how an experienced photographer handles a professional shoot, and also how a photographer business is run including areas like marketing and taking care of invoicing and inventory. There are many things that can be learnt from an apprenticeship that cannot be learned in a classroom.

The largest con to this route is that apprenticeships are incredibly hard to land. The sheer amount of competition for an apprenticeship will mean that you will be approaching literally hundreds of photographers and getting rejected each time. The key to landing an apprenticeship however, will be dogged perseverance. Out of the hundreds of rejections, you need only land that one to start of the photography ladder.

Whether you're getting a work placement from college or undertaking an apprenticeship, you will need to have a portfolio of your best work. Try to have portfolios in different fields of photography. This will show your diversity and demonstrate that you are not just one-dimensional. It is also beneficial to set up an online portfolio. More and more people are getting web-savvy and an online presence will ensure that you have great exposure.

Finally, keep on trying. In the photography industry, persistence is more important than raw talent. You can have all the talent in the world but if no one knows about you, you'll never get a chance to show yourself.

A Neat Trick About Multiples of 3

Did you know that any natural number is a multiple of 3 if and only if the sum of its digits is also a multiple of 3? For example 411 must be a multiple of 3 since 4+1+1=6 is a multiple of 3. Pretty neat!

This is a great little tool for figuring out whether or not some large number is a multiple of 3 or not. Let's try to prove this result just to be sure. The proof is simple once you get your head around the notation.

Let a number with the digits xj to x0 be divisible by 3. Then we have to show that xj + ... + x0 is also divisible by 3. The large number can be represented by ( xj* 10^j ) + ... + ( x1* 10) + x0.

This is equal to xj + ... + x0 + xj* (10^j - 1) + ... + x1* ( 10 - 1) . The terms on the right of the x0 are terms of the form 99999, 9999, 999, etc. These are all clearly divisible by 3. Hence the remaining sum xj + ... + x0 must also be divisible by 3. So we're done.

The same argument can be used in reverse to show that if the sum of the digits of a number is divisible by 3, then so is the whole number. This concludes the proof.

This is pretty useful for determining if extremely large numbers are divisible by 3 since adding is much easier than dividing! Similar tricks can be used for other multiples but more proofs are required for that; can you find them?

Ballet Positions, Ballet Techniques and Ballet Movements

There is an enormous amount of information in print, on DVD and via ebooks, about ballet positions, ballet movements and ballet techniques. Much of it is beautifully presented.

Ballet photography goes way back to the late 19th century and has preserved precious images of early ballerinas and premier danseurs. Going even earlier in ballet history, there are excellent drawings of ballet stars, ballet classes, and ballet masters.

It's fantastic that now we can view productions from ballet companies all around the world on DVD. For ballet fans who are not in a major city that is visited regularly by ballet companies, this is especially handy.

There is so much to look at, and how can we pick and choose what to learn from? Of course ballet is taught by a live ballet teacher, not from an eBook or DVD. But between classes there is opportunity to understand class lessons better, or study to figure out why certain ballet positions or movements may be difficult.

The Cecchetti method of ballet, the Royal Academy of Dancing and the Vaganova method are the three best known methods of teaching ballet. Most major full time professional ballet schools combine these styles, not necessarily by using all three grading systems, but by employing staff and guest teachers who have a well rounded training themselves. The Auguste Bournonville choreographic tradition shows up a lot in the Cecchetti grades, as just one example of how classical choreography has become embedded in training.

If you are interested in starting ballet, find out what schools in your area teach a syllabus (grading) system, or if they do not, what is the background of the teachers. Retired professionals do not always teach from one of these three systems, yet can be excellent at teaching from their own training.

If you are training to dance simply for your own enjoyment, you may or may not like the pressure of ballet exams - yet, it is part of the discipline in most schools. Whatever your preference, check around and find the right school for you.

If you are taking ballet for weight loss and you are on the right diet, you won't be disappointed. Ballet classes burn a fair amount of calories, and also help build muscle. Since muscles burn calories all by themselves, even when you are sleeping, gaining muscle mass is very healthy. Ballet is also good exercise for healthy bones as well.

Dance injuries are usually the result of sloppy technique or too much muscle tension. Work as accurately as you can, and if you are having trouble with a ballet position or movement, do not be shy. Ask for help. For one thing, repeatedly practicing a ballet movement incorrectly will lead to increased muscle tension.

If you are a curious student and want to know the ins and outs of the mechanics of ballet movements, and what would be anatomically correct, get one of the ballet books written on functional anatomy. It will help you sort out how to improve ballet positions and movements. Not everything in ballet is anatomically correct, and details about that is good for you to know.

Whatever ballet technique you choose to study, always enjoy the movements that you do more easily, get help with those that you struggle with, and take good care of yourself.

Five Key Ways To Promote a Photographer

Let's face it, most of us do photography on the side. Our dream or goal may be to make a living at it, at some point in time. But to do that, we have to make a lot more sales. To make the sales we need more customers. To get more customers, we need to promote ourselves.

I'm going to go out on a limb, and make some assumptions. First, I'm going to assume that money is an issue. We can't all afford to run Google AdWords or even take out an ad in the local newspaper. Second, I'm going to assume that your work is really good. I don't mean good, because your family and friends say so. I mean your work has to impress other photographers (people who know what it takes.) That being said; here are five key ways to promote yourself, (that doesn't cost a fortune.)

1. Business Cards. This is NOT an option. You have to have them. Ideally, they should have your name, your picture, the word "Photography" or "Photographer", your web address and your phone number. Notice, I did not say your street address or a list a mile long of every type of photography you have ever done. When I say: "Your Picture", I mean just that; it must be a picture of you. If you're shy sorry but you're in the wrong business. If you want people to recognize you as a photographer, they need to remember you not one of your great shots.

2. A Web Site. In today's High Tech world this is also NOT an option. In the old days, if I did "Weddings" for

example, I created a portfolio that showed my best work and would show it to potential customers one at a time. The problem was only one customer could view the work at a time and often you would have to wait to get it back, to show someone else. With a web site, you can show off your work and promote yourself 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You don't have to spend a fortune. There are still sites out there that will give you space for free (if you don't mind their advertisements.) Or . . . very cheaply, I pay $4.95 per month for 50,000 Megabytes of space!

3. Photograph Reoccurring Events. Ok, let me define a reoccurring event. Sports and Drama productions come to mind. You want to be able to shoot something that people will see you shooting again and again. If you take pictures at the Rodeo every Saturday afternoon, people will notice. If you shoot a wedding, some of the guest may see you at several weddings, but that does not make the same impact. If you shoot all 24 games of a basketball season, that will stick in peoples memories. That doesn't mean you are limited to selling basketball shots. This is only to get you in the minds of others as a photographer. Once you start handing out those business cards that will lead them to your website. Your website can show all the different types of photography that you

can do.

4. Write Photo Articles. Write about what you know best. If you love taking pictures of horses, write about that. Write about the equipment needed. Write about going to horse shows. Write about how to contact horse owners. There are literately hundreds of Article directories on line that would love to have your articles. Let's say you write 20 articles and submit them to 100 Article Directories, that's like handing out 2000 business cards! This not only gets you more traffic to your website, but it establishes you as an expert in that area of photography!

5. Enter Photo Contests. If you submit one picture to a photo contest per week for one full year, you may or may not make any money, but... you will have publicity. Even if you only win one or two out of your fifty two entries, you are now an award winning photographer! You can use that on your website, on your business card, or even just talking to potential customers. A word of caution, some contests have one purpose in mind and that is NOT to promote you. Some photo contests will try to sell you photo related items again and again. In other words, this may end up putting your name on a mailing list that you had not planned on. If it is an email list you should be able to unsubscribe from most of these.

Obviously, making a thousand business cards and setting them on a shelf is not going to help you. But on the other hand, if every sale you make you give that customer 10 business cards and tell them (don't ask) to let their friends know, you will be surprised at how fast the word can get around. If you are trying to show your work to a crowd that is not into the whole internet scene, remind them that most public libraries now have internet access. If they themselves don't have internet access, the odds are in your favor that someone they know does. One of the advantages for you having your own website is that your can update it whenever you please. One advantage for your customer is that they can view it whenever they please.

Each of these suggestions is only a tool. No one tool is going to necessarily make you rich and famous, but as you start putting some of these things together, you might be surprised at the photography business that you can build.

The Benefits of a Cold Laminator

Have you ever wanted to show someone a picture of your children only to find that after you had sat on their pictures, or stored them in your purse, you did not recognize them yourself? Want to solve that problem? There are many laminating machines out there to choose from.

The difference between hot laminating and cold laminating are pretty well explained in their titles. Hot laminating uses heat, whereas cold uses pressure sensitive adhesive within the laminating pouches to encapsulate your picture or document. Pouch laminating is a general term that refers to some types of laminators, but for the purposes of this article we will just refer to pouches as the material you use to laminate. Needed laminating supplies may vary, coming in rolls or sheets, as it depends on the job at hand. Best practice is to purchase a laminating machine that is capable of many different types of seal laminating.

The most integral difference between cold and heat laminating is that sometimes using heat to laminate can damage the picture or document resulting in loss instead of preservation.

Maybe you are a crafter, quilter, or into scrap-booking? When was the last time you went for an instruction paper only to find that it was in six different pieces, and you lost the most important part? Many schools and groups have clubs that are very serious about their projects. Scrap-booking is very popular now, and many different hands touch the material and instructions. The cold laminator is safe and protects each paper efficiently.

Quilting is another art that is coming back. My mother has made many quilts for our family. She measured and cut each pattern piece with love. Now you can take each little pattern and protect it with lamination. It only takes a few minutes and can protect each pattern piece for many years.

There are so many uses for a laminator machine. They are inexpensive, and you save the trip to the professional shops. The money you save would pay for your own machine. I use my laminator for many things at home. I do my recipes, my children's birth certificates, my Sunday school projects, and the list goes on!

Cold Laminator Machines

• 
  Xyron 145611 ezLaminator Laminating Machine - The machine uses two sided laminating cartridges, 30 feet long. Great for small personal laminating and home laminating. This 9" lamination machine comes with a 5-ft two sided cartridge as well as a 30ft two sided cartridge which makes it a great value for the price. Hand crank operation ensures smooth steady accuracy.


• 
  Apache AL25P 25" professional Cold Press Laminator - A non-electric solution to laminating. This table-top unit is perfect for large laminating jobs. An affordable solution with no electric input, can be used anywhere.


• 
  PERFECT 25" Manual Cold Laminating Machine - It is perfect for card covers, paper back book covers, menus, invitations, and more. This machine has soft rollers with adjustable pressure to assure the best quality lamination for your document. This model makes large cold laminating jobs more affordable.

For Heavier or Commercial use, you can purchase one of several "Cold Laminator" for $1000.00 - up to $8,000.00. Many schools or churches run projects for Posters, Banners, Artwork, Signs, Menus, Maps and much more.

For example: The Jm18 Model by Drytac costs around $1100.00. It is a table-top model widely used by Photography studios, picture framers, digital art studios, and other creative shops. The commercial heavy-duty machines include the Royal RCC-1400 55 inch Format. It can run multiple copies of posters, training aids, rigid signs, floor graphics, and much more.

The cold laminator is heat free, and easy to learn how to use. The supplies needed for each machine can be ordered from the same companies that supply each machine. There are many styles, types, and prices for the cold laminator machines to fit each need and each project. Purchase a lamination machine today to preserve your precious memories, and enrich your current ones.

Photo Retouching - Where Art Meets Technology

I can remember the good old days when photo retouching had nothing to do with computers. I was working as a free-lance photographer while going to graduate school. I found that a good source of relaxation for me was to spend a few hours on a Sunday evening retouching some family portraits I had taken earlier in the week for my clients. But those days are now ancient history. Today's technology has virtually changed the photography world upside down.

When you mention the phrase "photo retouching", immediately you are deluged with many questions about techniques and tricks of a computer program named Photoshop. Practically anyone with a computer can perform basic retouching to their digital photos or even those old photographs that they scan in to their computers. But there are still some real artists out there who perform magic even with their computers.

Today's photo retouching artists can do some of the following:

• Eliminate cosmetic skin defects


• Open closed eyes


• Fix dental abnormalities


• Remove tattoos


• Eliminate cellulitis problems


• Remove unwanted pounds from cheeks, neck, and jowls


• Make corrections to asymmetrical facial structures

It is really marvelous what a true professional can do to make geezers look like middle-aged folk once again. This is called by some as 'rejuvenescence'.

Photo retouching as an art can also provide photo restoration whereby an old family photo can be brought back to new contrast and balance. A great deal of work today can be done to the colorization to old black and white photos and even some of those sepia-colored pictures of bygone eras. And then there is the fantasy work of photo montage that allows the photo retouching artist to add people to the photo, change heads on bodies, change the backdrop, and even remove an unwanted person or thing.

If you want to try your hand at photo retouching it is really quite simple digitally. You first need to acquire a program like Photoshop, Gimp, or ArcSoft. Each of these programs can provide you with the digital tools to alter practically any image that can be acquired by your computer. Some of the features of ArcSoft, for instance, are:

• Photo Cloning


• Multi-Layer Support


• Brush and Stamp


• Face Beautify


• Magic-Cut


• Magic-Film


• Various photo filters to provide the appearance of Oil Painting, Watercolor, Charcoal, Impressionistic, Solarization, and a host of other special effects to your pictures.

Who knows, you might be able to master the many techniques that these programs provide to not only edit your photographs, but you might be able to start your own digital photo retouching business. Photo retouching is not limited to an artist with a sable brush any more. It is a hobby that is open to practically everyone.

Professional Quality Filmmaking on a Budget - Filmmaking Without Film School

Film school classes can be really expensive, and if you've talked to anyone in the industry, they'll tell you that all they ever learned in class, is filmmaking theory. Even those coming from the biggest and best film schools, such as USC (university of southern California) and NYU (New York University) feel the same way. All theory and no practical experience getting down and dirty with the camera.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that there's no place for film school or a quality education. What I am saying is that if you can't afford to study filmmaking and take filmmaking courses at a university film school, you shouldn't feel left out.

There are many filmmaking courses online that are much more reasonable and accessible to the average person, and even though they don't cost the same as a traditional school, there value cannot be discredited.

To start off they will teach you what to look for in proper filmmaking equipment. Don't go crazy, just the basics will work in getting you off the ground. These include a video camera, tripod, and lighting. This is just the beginning and it would be really wise of you to stick to a budget regarding these purchases because if your not careful you'll end up spending tens of thousands of dollars on equipment that you could hod off on buying for now.

Next they will get you to develop your creative juices. That is the most important part of the process.

Remember, don't be intimidated by your friends and eventual colleagues, that attend the finest of schools to hone their craft. With some grit and determination you too could be the next Spielberg or Scorsese.

Selling Digital Products Online - 6 Tips to Sell Them Fast

Selling digital products online are among the profitable businesses that you can venture to on the internet. Especially if you are a prolific writer who sells eBooks online or a programmer who sells software online, you can indeed make good profits of your business if you also know where and how to sell them fast.

To help you explore some of the ways to sell digital products fast online, here are a few ideas that you might find useful.

- Start with a website. Indeed, it helps to establish your business online if you have a good website intended for your products. Make sure that your website also contains valuable information that online readers will find useful. In fact, you can create a demand of your product by writing a good ad copy on your website. Make sure also that you optimize your website for the search engines to make your website visible to your target market.

- Build an affiliate network. From your website, you can also build an affiliate network or find other websites that allow you to submit your product for affiliate marketing. In this technique, affiliates will do all the promoting and selling and you just have to wait for sales that may come in. This will however cost you as you will pay for the commission of the affiliate when he makes a sale. Of course, commission rates are agreed upon before the selling is done.

- Submit your product to online digital stores or shopping carts. By putting your digital products in an online store, you will also get more exposure as people who are interested to buy digital products often go to these sites so they will save time looking at all digital products they are looking for. This will also be convenient for you as these websites will be responsible for putting up the online shopping carts and payment systems as well as website and traffic maintenance.

- Sell them in online marketplace. You can actually find a lot of online marketplaces that will be willing to accept porting of your product. This may cost you a posting fee but it will be minimal.

- Sell them in auction sites. Your eBooks can also be sold in eBay and other auction sites online, thus take advantage of it as well. You may also need to promote your eBay listing by promoting them in your blog or website as well.

- Copy your digital product on a high quality CD or DVD copy and sell them offline. You can sell it to organizations and groups, friends and acquaintances, or put them for fund raising projects. You can even put them for sale in flea markets as well.

These are just a few tips in selling digital products online and offline as well. This business can be a profitable one as this only needs your effort in making your digital product and you have a lot of options on how to sell them.

Photo Gifts - Interesting And Unique Presentation For Each Occasion

Nowadays, most of us wish to gift something unique to our loved ones and one such option available to us is photo gifts. This type of gift can be custom-made to meet the particular requirements of each of us. They can touch the heart of the person to whom it is presented, even though it is not a common presentation. It can be made more eye-catching and personalized by adding our touch in such a way that it will touch the heart of the recipient. We can make our creative work to the presentation as well.

When it comes to selection of such a gift we will have to keep certain points in mind and generally we will be having several questions in our minds as to how to make our gift more special to the receiver. Right from color selection to image coordination, you will have to ensure that you get the best image for gifting to your lovable person. Here are some of the tips for creation of the best presentation.

Image selection: Image selection is the first and most important step in the process of selection of a perfect personalized presentation and once you have decided on the item that you are planning to gift, the right image to be attached to the item should be decided. In most of the cases, selection of the right theme is the best route to start with. For instance, if you are planning to offer photo gift to your mom on Mothers' Day, you can add the image of your family, which will surely make her happy. You might also be aware of the taste of your mother and the photo that would impress her like she might like natural images or she might also like the images of babies and so you can make selection appropriately.

Theme: If you are planning to gift for a holidays, it should be remembered that holidays generally have a color theme and so when presentation is selected the theme should be kept in mind. For instance, Halloween is associated with brown and orange, while Christmas is associated with red and green theme and so when it comes to selection for these occasions, appropriate theme can be selected.

When it comes to offering photo presentations as gifts, there are professional firms offering digital printing and bespoke services in such a way that a professionally designed photo presentations can be created.