Beryl's Photographs

Everyone wants that picture that will be a great memory.  It doesn’t have to necessarily be a single momentous picture.  It could be a series of pictures that bring back thoughts of the day that you did something.  Pictures associated with some type of costume always seem to stand out faster than any other kind of picture.  Sure, there might be the group shot of you standing with your friends outside that memorable building you went to in that memorable city (what was the name again?).  Or, you could attend a New Year’s Eve Ball dressed as Mozart, or Halloween like a zombie.  If nothing else put a special gathering together and have everyone dress in costumes for a murder mystery dinner.

More Gatherings To Choose From

Not so long ago, the only time you would see people dress in any kind of costumes were at Halloween parties.  Over the years more gatherings are not so much mandating that you dress up, but more fun is attained if you do.  Attend a Renaissance festival.  Whole families will dress in costume whether it’s to go as Lords and Ladies, Pirates, Barbarians, even Fairies and Elves.  Scottish Highland festivals bring everyone out ,in their kilts.

Biker rallies and runs even have theme days with people dressing up in costumes.  The UMF Catholic Schoolgirl Run has women dressing in costume as nuns, angels and school girls, the men dressing as priests, devils and school teachers.  Another event that is growing in popularity are the Zombie Crawls, where people will gather together dressed as zombies and proceed to walk down the street to a determined location.  There they will gather and dance, often times to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

Reuse Your Costume

There are more and more outlets springing up that will rent you costumes for whatever event it is you are attending.  This is a good way to go if you want variety in how you are dressing up.  Should you choose to purchase a costume be sure it is not one you will use only once and then pack away into storage.  Often you can reuse your costume if it is one that identifies you.  Online gamers have adopted an alternate personae in the gaming world and will dress as their character in the real world (or this is their fantasy world and the gaming world is the real world.  That one is hard to keep straight).

Those who attend Scottish Highland festivals usually make the expensive investment in their tartan, since this is a family plaid that is associated with their heritage.  They will wear their kilts at many functions,  in addition to the festivals.

If you decide to purchase, purchase smart.  Get use from the costume you are buying.  If you don’t feel you will use it that often rent them instead.

 So you decided to sell the house even though the real estate market has not fully recovered yet.  Well, some buyer will be a very happy camper now won’t they?  Reportedly, the real estate market still has a couple of years before it will bounce back but if you’re selling your home in order to buy another one, you may be wise to do it now while you can still get a deal on a nice home.  Hopefully you have made as many low-cost improvements as possible in order to jack up the value of your home.  And of course you’re going to have to decide if you’re selling on your own or if you’re going with a realtor.

How to Have the Best Open House Possible

Make absolutely sure that you use nothing but durable, high quality banners for your event.  Face it, the elements don’t care whether you’re selling your house or not and they really don’t care whether you’re having an open house today, tomorrow or next week.  It’s going to rain, snow, sleet, hail, and the wind is going to blow.  Having to buy those banners one time and one time only means saving money.  Concentrate as well on what the best hours are to have an open house.  Experts tell us that between 3PM and  PM are the hottest times during which to have an open house.  Hottest meaning best.  You’ll still want to keep your home in showroom condition as much as possible however, just in case your realtor – should you decide to go with one – can show the house at the last minute’s notice if necessary.  And if you’re allowing your realtor to show the home when you’re not there make sure that you utilize a super secure lock box with the key in it on your door.  When you leave the house, in this instance, take your pets with you.

 Other Other Ways of Assuring a Successful Open House

Though personal touches are nice, they don’t sell homes.  In order for someone to envision themselves in your home they will probably need to see as few personal touches as possible – i.e. Family portraits, pet articles, kids toys, pictures with magnets on the refrigerator and other personal photographs.  And since this is the age of the Internet and social media, make sure that your house appears online as many times as possible.  If people are able to take a virtual tour of your home on their computer they are more likely to know ahead of time if this is something they would be interested in.  It helps to make sure that only truly interested people come through your home…

To an extent.

One of the few things on Earth that is not likely to change very soon is the fact that people love to get married.  More than that, they love weddings.  When someone is getting married, they generally want to preserve as many of those precious memories as they possibly can.  If you are the bride or groom, however, chances are you aren’t going to be too concerned with snapping pictures all day.  This is where a good wedding photographer can really make a living.

Too Much to See

When you are getting married your mind isn’t really on anything other than the event at hand.  You really can’t be bothered to notice every little thing going on around you, including the things that you actually would have loved to have seen.  Not only that, chances are pretty great that many of the moments you will want captured will be moments you are involved in, and no bride wants to take a self-shot as a wedding photo.  This is where a great wedding photographer comes in handy.  A good photographer will be there to capture those moments and may even create a few themselves just to make sure that your wedding pictures truly express what a wonderful occasion your wedding was.

A Promising Market

Since people will always want to get married and will always want to capture the event with photos, the market is open for great photographers.  You will have plenty of competition and it won’t be easy to make your mark immediately.  However, if you can distinguish yourself from the other photographers with your level of skill and determination, there is no reason you can’t be very successful as long as you advertise and get your name out there.

So, your wedding day in Atlanta has finally arrived and you couldn’t be more pleased with the way things have turned out.  The weather was perfect, everyone is getting along and having a good time, and the ceremony went off without a hitch.  Before you can dive into that wedding cake, though, you are going to want to snap a few pictures to remember the event as well as possible.  In Atlanta handmade bridal jewelry is almost a must for any wedding and considering how proud you are of yours, you want to make sure it shines in the pictures.

The Perfect Pictures

Obviously, you want to make sure that your pictures are as gorgeous as you were on your wedding day and show off your happiness.  This is absolutely understandable!  This should be your only wedding and you want it to be perfect.  It really is terrible to go through the entire event only later to realize that you looked horrible in the pictures or perhaps that jewelry you were so proud of looks a bit lackluster.  By hiring a professional photographer, you can avoid some of this disappointment and have a professional direct you so that you are sure to get some the perfect pictures.

You Are the Star

Remember, it is YOUR wedding day, so YOU are the star!  Your wedding pictures should tell this story very clearly and accurately.  You and your significant other should be the focus of most of these pictures and if your significant other was thoughtful enough to have some bridal jewelry made for you, you should definitely flaunt it.  Make sure that your photographer knows exactly what you are looking for in the pictures and he is sure to get those perfect shots.

Taking those family photos can be a bit exhausting but fun.  You have spent a lot of time and money to look perfect for this day and there is no reason for you to not remember the day just as it was.  Capturing moments in which that custom jewelry shines may be exactly what you are looking for.

It used to be when you began to plan a wedding, you booked a large hall for the reception, made arrangements with the church or Justice of the Peace, picked out a wedding cake, selected music, the groom wore a black tuxedo and the bride a white wedding dress, usually with a veil.  And, all the wedding photos were perfect, because you took the time to ensure your wedding was a success.  Although many weddings are still arranged in this same traditional way, there are just as many who select non-traditional wedding ceremonies with different themes.  Couples and their minister will jump out of an airplane to take their vows (you better hope everyone agrees and doesn’t have to take a moment to think when saying yes to marriage). Cowboy weddings on horseback, biker weddings on Harleys, and even weddings at the Renaissance fairs, with Lords and Ladies in attendance.

There are also the theme weddings of your favorite movies, such as Star Trek, Star Wars and even the Rocky Horror Picture Show.  The limit of what you can think of for your wedding is only limited by the capacity of your imagination.  Whatever the wedding theme, what is worn by the wedding party is just as important.  (Yes, it can be argued that weddings in nudist colonies don’t wear anything, but we will only give them an honorary mention here.)  For the bride the wedding attire is important, on her special day.  And, along with what the bride wears, the wedding shoes are what bring the bridal outfit together.

Bridal Shoes Are Important To The Wedding Dress

These days with the number of different kinds of weddings possible, and the various choices a bride has to wear, shoes can sometimes be a daunting project, for the bride in selecting the right accent.  Keep in mind, what your dress or outfit will consist of.  Style says a lot.  So does the color.  Be sure, when shopping for shoes, to take a sample swatch of the material, to easily match the color.  If you can also take a picture of the style of your outfit, that will also be tremendous help in what you are looking for.  Many times you will see fabulous shoes, but then you begin to match it to the outfit and realize the styles do not fit.

Stretch Your Imagination

Even if you choose to go with a traditional white dress, many brides are beginning to think outside the box and go for an accent of color when selecting their shoes with splashes of blue, red, purple, even metallic gold and silver!  Styles too have even deviated from the traditional white shoes with boots, moccasins, and even retro 70’s platform shoes!  Even if the shoes do not fit the wedding dress, being playful in your footwear will show off your personality.

We live in an increasingly eco-friendly society, whose focus has shifted to finding ways to clean the planet rather than add to the mess, that is already here.  In that vein, printer ink manufacturers have turned to creating eco-friendly ink, in order to help out a bit.  However, is this ink really necessary to print out a top notch photo?

A Printer for Every Occasion

Today’s printers can do almost anything.  They can scan, copy, print, staple…pretty much anything needed, for a professional presentation.  However, with so many new products on the market on a daily basis, it is possible to still wonder, if your printer can do more.  The fact is that, if you are just an individual that likes to print photos, and have been doing so with your printer for a while, with positive results, you likely have what you need.  However, making the switch over to eco-friendly ink will help with the waste problem this country faces, whether you need it or not.

The Bottom Line

Chances are your printer is going to print top notch photos, whether you are using eco-friendly ink or not.  It seems that at least once or twice a month a new printer ink is claiming to be better than all of the ones before it.  However, this is not always the case and there is much more in the advertising than you may actually have in the product.  If you have been printing quality photos up to now, without the use of eco-friendly ink, you can keep doing what you are doing. But remember, just because you can doesn’t mean you should, and doing your part to make the world a little cleaner is a responsibility that we all share.

So, you have finally started putting together a portfolio, hoping for that dream photography job that you have always wanted.  As a photographer, you are likely on the constant lookout for the perfect subjects to show off and practice various techniques.  Whether you are looking for action shots or stills, scenery or living subjects, the Kentucky Derby is a great place to get those pictures that can really show off what you have to offer.  Even if you are not a fan of horse racing, there are many opportunities for an aspiring photographer to show their love of their medium.

The Real Stars

Not only will have you have over 150,000 people attending the Kentucky Derby to shoot, you will also have the opportunity to shoot the real stars of the race – the horses.  For a list of the Kentucky Derby horses, you can visit any number of websites.  Taking a few minutes to study your subjects prior to attending the event can get you prepared and will give you an idea of which horse(es) you are most interested in shooting.  Considering all of the potential actions shots available, during the race as well as the more relaxing shots, from before and after the race, the horses really can provide you with all of the shots you need to take your portfolio to another level.  If you have never been to a horse race before or seen one in action, Twinspires is a great place to give you an idea of what you can expect.  With live streaming of daily races, Twinspires can help you prepare yourself for where you may want to stand during the race to get the best shots.

Not Everything is in Motion

If you are looking for some still life photos to add to your portfolio, there are plenty of wonderful opportunities at Churchill Downs.  The track recently underwent an extensive renovation, providing you with more subjects than you could hope to shoot.  The gorgeous clubhouse will provide you with simple shots of luxury, while taking a walk through the Kentucky Derby Museum can provide you with the chance to take pictures of less contemporary subjects.  The scenery itself is gorgeous and you could spend a day simply looking around and seeing the scene around you through the eye of a lens.

If you are in the business of making things for other people, you probably already know that your wares are only as good as the materials you use, with which to build them.  Even something as simple as paints and brushes, if purchased too cheaply, can make a difference in the finished product.  Now, there’s no saying that you can’t get a really nice picture, with a simple, digital camera, that you pick up at Walmart or some other discount shop.  That said however, if photography is your livelihood… or you would like it to be… count on spending some really serious cash, for the right kind of equipment.

What Kind of Equipment Will You Need to Start out As a Photographer?

The kind of equipment you’ll need as a photographer will greatly depend on what kind of pictures you intend to take.  Are you going to be taking family portraits indoors or are you going to be taking pictures of wildlife in its natural habitat, out-of-doors?  Will you be taking still shots or will you be requiring a higher speed film for action shots, such as those during sporting events?  Lighting is a big factor.  And, unless you intend to have someone else develop your pictures, and what kind of photographer is that, you’re going to need all the equipment necessary, for either a dark room or digital processing through computers and printers.  I’ll bet that you have all that stuff, just sitting around in a closet somewhere right?

This Is Going to Cost You

Knowing full well that this kind of thing doesn’t grow on trees, you’re going to need some fast cash, if you want to get that business up and running in a short amount of time.  Now, you may have been saving all your little pennies in your piggy bank and maybe you’re even close to having what you need, in order to start up that photography business of yours.  If not, and your credit isn’t exactly stellar, you might consider jumping online and looking into some guaranteed bad credit loans.   Let’s face it, you’ve probably tapped out Mom and Dad and all your other sources of lending.

Don’t forget that you get what you pay for ,so try not to skimp if you don’t have to.  Quality costs money.

Photography has been one of the most enduring hobbies and professions, since the creation of the first camera.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but a photographer’s eye is extra special; just like that of a painter.  One uses oils and canvas, the other the lens to a camera. The composition of the photo is artistic, if it is to hold the viewers attention.  I’m sure you have looked through the photo album, of one of your relatives and seen pretty much the same picture over and over.  It doesn’t matter if it was of a horse, your nephew, a train accident, and alien ship landing or the broadside of a barn.  It had the same look in every photograph. How much more interesting would those photos have been, if a little more attention was paid to the background, the light the special awareness of the angle of how the photo was shot.  What kind of a story is the photo trying to say?  All it takes is a little attention to detail, to bring life into the composition of the photo no matter what your subject – people, places, or things.

There are people everywhere and things everywhere, that we know.  And, certainly there are distinctive people and distinctive things, all over the world, as well.  However, what every country does not have is the same landscape or city.  And America has some of the richest of both.  With a few Megabus Coupons, you’re good to go on a photo adventure!  Here are a few ideas.

Cityscapes

New York City – the most populated city in the United States.  If you can’t find something to photograph here then you are just not looking. High rise buildings, a wide range of classic and modern architecture and landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 memorial, Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square.

Las Vegas – with its distinctive skyline, in the daylight hours, but especially at night with the city lit to capacity that can be seen for miles around.  San Francisco – known for its summer fog, rolling hills and the mixture of architecture.  And it’s landmarks – the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Alcatraz Island Prison and Chinatown, all offer the photographer an abundance of options.

Landscapes

Some of the greatest landscapes to seek out and add your special touch to photographing are Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore Memorial, the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Tetons, the plains of South Dakota, the Devil’s Tower, Old Faithful, and Mount St. Helens, to name a few.  And, don’t forget the beauty of Yosemite, where Ansel Adams sought out the perfect shot.

Keep in mind these are only examples of some of the better known places to photograph.  No matter where you are, or where you look you can find something that catches your eye–to tell a story.  When you see that story in the lens……SHOOT IT!

This year if you don’t have the kind of money you’d like for gift giving, you can always look to your talents as a gift. And one of the best talents that can be parlayed into a gift is photography skill. There are so many ways to use the knowledge of photography as a gift, from offering free photos to teaching what you know. Here are some of the best ways to make a gift of your photography skills.
Offer a photo shoot

One of the most obvious ways to use your photography skills is offering a photo shoot as a gift. If you know someone that has an occasion coming up where they need new photos, such as an engagement, a high school or college graduation, a new baby, an anniversary or milestone birthday or an aspiring model or actor (for head shots), offering photos can be invaluable gift that can be worth much more to them than what you would’ve purchased otherwise. Also, since professional photo shoots can cost a pretty penny, this gift is always well received.

Teach photography lessons

A lot of people want to learn how to take better pictures but simply don’t have the time, or money, which is why if you’re looking for a fresh way to utilize your photography skills as a gift, consider giving photography lessons. Take them out on the town for an afternoon of taking photos and learning the basics. Or if you have a studio, invite them to come and learn how some of the equipment and other cool gadgets works, as well as take photos, so they can take them home with them.

Is always good to get creative when thinking about new ways to utilize your skills, and utilizing them in a gift giving capacity is one of the best ideas yet.