Using Lighting Techniques in Black and White Photography

Black and white photography has a different lighting than color photography. Black and white will bring out contrasts in pictures. It focuses on texture, shadows, and also framing than color. These aspects should be emphasized on focusing the lighting. Black and white photography expresses a timeless and mysterious quality. This is the reason why it is favored by wedding photographers, artist, and even journalist.

Features

You can use a "golden hour" to make more dramatic black and white pictures. This is happened in an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. In golden hour, the sun is close to the horizon and the lights are long. It makes the light visible soft and the shadow is getting intense. This delivers contrasts between dark and light part of the pictures. These shadows that used creatively will bring out the illusion of strength and texture in black and white photography.

Function

The best lighting technique that used in black and white photography of wide shots is to use harsh light. It can be found outside in the middle of the day. This will make the color photography will be worst, but it does not work in black and white photography. It does wonderful things for black and white. When the sun is high, the shadows will be more intense. It can make the object jump out of black and white photographs. For example, a photograph of a forest with intensive shadows defines each tree and will make the photograph appear more three dimensional. You can also create this type of lighting indoors with shining bright key lights trough the subjects at an angle. It also can be done in color photography by removing the shadows.

Effects

Taking black and white photograph straightly into the light can create dramatic silhouette effects. The object that is placed in front of the light source will spread an intense shadow. This effect is far more obvious in black and white than color. Subjects that are known by their shape are good for black and white background lighting. Those subjects consist of towers, obviously formed building, trees, and also people.

Consideration

You have to consider using filters in producing dramatic effects in your black and white photography. Some people may think that it is contradictory, but by removing particular color light can create more contrast in your black and white photograph. Red and yellow will make the effect looks look light while red, yellow, and orange filters make blue look darker. If you take a picture of the sky by using these filters will make the clouds jump out at you. Green filters will make the red color darker and green will make the picture look lighter.

Source : Ezinearticles

The Art of Still Life Photography

When most people here the phrase "still life," they think of the classic paintings of fruits in a bowl that many painters utilized in their learning process. However, still life images are not just for paintings anymore. Indeed, you can capture a beautiful and artistic still life with a camera that can convey serenity and peace just as well as one composed of watercolors or oil paint.

One wonderful benefit of cameras is that they can capture fleeting moments in an instant with a quick and easy click of a button. Thus, cameras are almost always preferred for sporting events and even a relaxed portrait of a group of friends. They tend to capture images in a less biased way than paintings, although you can manipulate a camera's angle and effects to alter people's perceptions of the subject. Because of the innovations in cameras, photography has quickly become a new, exciting art form.

However, there are ways that you can combine the techniques of painting with the ease of photography. Many people lament the fact that they have an artistic eye, but not a hand that is artistic enough to wield a paintbrush. For these people, still life photography may be the outlet for you. Although still life images seem to be relegated to paintings, you can actually capture the same peace and tranquility in a photograph.

As mentioned above, millions of people have taken advantages of the instantaneous nature of a camera, so it may seem nonsensical to go back to photographing motionless, inanimate objects. However, as with the still life paintings of old, creating the scene for this type of picture requires a creative, discerning eye in order to create an interesting composition.

With still life images, you are not only in charge of the photography itself, but you also must create the setting-including lighting and arrangement. This may sound simple. Nevertheless, there are many things that go into both of these aspects. First, do you want the light to be believable, like it is coming through an open window? Do you want it to only highlight one small part of the still life, or bathe all of the objects in a golden glow? Additionally, what do you want your subjects to be-red fruits? Golden peaches with a hint of red? Or you could even do a mix of grapes and cheeses that showcase the different varieties of each.

Once you have your composition exactly right, you can take the picture that you were looking for. From there, you may want to turn the photo into a canvas in order to further meld it to painted still life images. For more information regarding the process of turning a photo into a lovely canvas work of art, check out YourCanvasPhotos today.

Source : Ezinarticles

How to Make Money by Stock Photography

There are multiples 'stock' ways through which you can earn an ongoing income online. One of such approaches is known as stock photography. Stock photography is basically when you upload your pictures online without any upfront payments and whenever a user views or downloads it you are paid a certain amount. This is known as earning royalties for your photographs. The whole process is known as stock photography because you don't put up one or two pictures or pictures on request in fact you upload hundreds of pictures to make sure you are earning some good revenues.

How does it work?

There are various well known websites when it comes to stock photography such as iStock, etc. what these websites do is they take the photos from you and sell them online. Every website has its own ways of selling it of course but the most common ways they let you earn is either by royalties or by selling copyrights. Such websites have a huge network of buyers. These buyers are magazine owners, etc who are always on the lookout for good photography. At times they buy pictures with copyrights and at times just for using it they pay you a certain amount in which case your picture still remains there and others can use it as well. You also get royalties with every download and whenever a person views. As said earlier, every website has its own ways of generating revenue so before you opt for anyone make sure you read their terms and conditions.

Now, most of us wonder why don't we sell our photographs directly to the buyers and earn more instead of sharing our revenues with these websites. Well I will explain this with a simple example; consider you live in Kenya which is an amazing place for photography but you won't be in touch with magazines that are operating in the UK, USA, etc. What do you do? This is where stock photography websites come handy! They let you fulfill your hobby and create recognition as a photographer. All you need to do is to carry your camera around your neck and whenever you see something good just snap it! You have the picture now instead of keeping it in your computer for years and then finally deleting it why not upload it to a website and earn royalties?

Yes it just that simple! All you need is a good camera! This would be your only investment and you will on your way to make money through stock photography. Also, keep in mind that if you won't make money over night with stock photography but at least you need a thousand good photographs to make sure you are earning a good amount. Now, don't let that thousand figure disappoint you because if you love photography I am sure you might be taking more than that every month. It is one of the most exciting ways to make money online. You serve your interest, you have fun and you make money!

Source : Ezinarticles

How to Sell Photography Online

Photography is a fun filled hobby and if you are confident that you are a good photographer with fairly decent knowledge of taking amusing pictures, then your hobby can be rewarding. On the internet, just like any commodity, you can sell your photographs.

However in order to succeed, you need to know how to sell photography online in the right way. You have to find the right place and convince buyers that you have beautiful pictures that are worth the price. Every photographer wants his work to be appreciated and it will not hurt if you are able to make a few hundred dollars with the photos that reflect your imagination.

Before getting into how to sell photography online, it makes sense to understand why someone wants to buy your photos anyway. There are numerous graphic designers, website designers, small businesses, ad agencies and magazines that are looking for images and photos. Not everyone can afford a professional photographer with sets and models to get the job done. So, they are ready to buy good quality photos from anyone as long as the photos are relevant to their needs.

If you want to know how to sell photography online, you should start looking out for stock photography websites. These websites accept photos from registered users and sell them to buyers depending on the theme of the photo. The websites will charge commissions with every single photo of yours sold online. You do not have to do anything aside from spending your time in grooming your photos so that they will be accepted by these websites.

Not just any photo will be accepted by stock photography websites. These websites, depending on the success of the website itself, will have a team of editors and reviewers who have full control to determine whether to accept or reject your photo. Once your photo is accepted and added to their photography database, you can simply wait for buyers to buy those photos. The best part with stock photography is that the same photo can be sold multiple times to different buyers.

Buyers who want to buy photos online usually search with stock photography websites first based on their own keywords. People do not want to buy photos that are not related to their theme. You should always carefully choose keyword list for your photos if you are keen about selling your photos online. You should take photos that can capture the attention of your prospective buyers so that your photos sell easily. If you have models in your photos posing, you ay have to submit model release form to these websites to ensure that you have not taken photos of the person without getting his or her permission.

There are people who are making as much as $5000 per month by selling with their photos online. Many of them did not know anything about how to sell photography online before they started and are not trained professional photographers. If you want to make residual income with your hobby, you should spend some time to learn about appropriate editing techniques to make your photos irresistible for buyers.

Source : Ezinarticles

Top Digital Camera Devices For Children

Are you are parent looking to encourage your child and to help them learn about the art of photography? Perhaps you want to pass on your love of photography or your child has illustrated an interest in the art. Whatever the case might be, you will need to get your child one of the best digital devices so that he or she can have an easier time of learning how to master the art of taking great photos. So, what are some of the best cameras for a child that are easy to use?

Getting a great digital camera for your child will take a bit of shopping around. You will also need to take several factors into consideration. Think about the age of your child and also consider whether or not your child has ever used a digital camera in the past. You will also need to reflect on the level of seriousness your child will dedicate to taking photos; is this a passing phase or will the child remain dedicated to the hobby? The answers to the latter questions will help you define how much you should be willing to spend on a digital camera. You might want to start out with an inexpensive digital camera at first, and when the child illustrates that he or she has a lasting interest in photography, you can then invest in a more expensive option.

You are going to want a digital camera that is durable and there are some really rugged cameras that are on offer today. You might consider a camera like the one made specifically for children by Fisher Price. This camera is ideal for preschoolers and children as old as seven years old. This camera is shock proof and even if the child accidently drops the camera it will continue to operate. The camera is equipped with some really nice features too like an LCD screen, eight megabytes of storage for memory and it is a 1.3 megapixel camera. The child can easily make use of the autoflash feature and the camera is equipped with a wide wristband for easy toting.

Another popular digital camera for kids is the Vtech Kidizoom. This device will easily connect to a computer tower or television set for picture viewing. This camera is equipped with some cool games, movie watching features, image editing functions, and more. The camera will offer your child an LCD viewing screen, a double viewer, and you will find this camera is a bit less expensive than Fischer Price offerings.

You can also opt for the Uncle Milton Digital camera; this is an ideal camera for capturing outdoor photos. The camera is shock proof, weather resistant, and it has a motion sensor built into the device as well as a time lapse mode. This camera costs under $100.00 and it has 32 megabytes of memory. You can expand the memory of the camera with a card that works via the SD slot, and the camera comes with a nicely sized LCD viewing screen too.

The bottom line when it comes to finding cameras for your kids; get a device that is functional and affordable. Seek out cameras that are durable, weather resistant, and shock resistant and that are easy for a child to use. You will be able to cultivate a love for photography in your child when the camera that they use is user friendly.

Source : Ezinarticles

Four Tips For Great Wildlife Photography

Wildlife photography is creating a lot of widespread interest in all corners of the world these days, especially among new photographers despite the challenges that comes along with it. Wildlife photography can be taken as a good hobby or profession if it is approached rightly and to do that means having the desired skill and know how. I hope you will all agree with me that, if anything will have to be done it must be done well. Below are four very essential tips, on how to embark on effective wildlife photographing.

Tip #1 - Get some knowledge: It is always advisable to have enough idea about the area you intend to carry your wildlife photography before your arrival. This will put you in a position to plan and know what to expect in terms of the type of animals you will encounter, the dwelling places of the animals and the exact times of the day that may be convenient for taking shoots of animals.

Tip #2 - Maximise space: The object being photographed should be given enough space in the event of taking a photo shot at some species. 80% of the image in focus not the surroundings should be the main focus of anyone intending to embark on wildlife photography. This will mean, moving as close as possible to the species to take shots since this will help capture your subject in detail.

Tip #3 - Take multiple shots at a time: This is very important. Always make sure you own a camera that can take multiple shots at a time, this will prevent a situation whereby a camera will have to stop to process a previously taken picture before resetting to take another. Another added advantage of such a camera, will be that, it can be used to capture various postures of your subjects within several clicks of the camera. Cameras with such features are not hard to come by these days, as most of the cameras in the stores come with such features.

Tip #4 - Be expectant: Be on the alert for any reaction from the animals you intend to photograph. Animals are unpredictable and can make several moves within a short space of time. Because of that to be able to take pictures of animals in several postures, one needs to learn to be quick in taking shots. This also means that, the camera and framing will always have to be in ready positions all the time.

I hope these tips I have shared will be useful to anyone interested in taking wildlife photographing, either as a hobby or a profession. My advice is to take these tips above and put them to practice in your own backyard and if you feel confident enough take it another step further.

Source : Ezinarticles

Buying the Best Digital Camera

Whether it is the photographer or the adventurer or the travel freak or a student even, everyone wishes to own this sleek gadget to capture memories that last forever. The digital technology has altogether simplified the procedure of capturing of images, besides storing, editing, transferring and printing of the same.

If you buy the product without considering the features or comparing prices only because the seller deems it to be the best, you may end up buying the wrong digital camera at a high price. Research, therefore, is a must. Standard attributes in digital cameras are mega pixels, zoom, battery life, memory card, exposure settings, handiness, etc. Visiting an electronics or camera store and selecting the best digital camera may seem quite a tough job. There are numerous brands available offering variety at varied price options and you need to make that choice keeping all the necessary points into consideration.

You may not be familiar with the technical specifications if you are a novice in the photography world and have not used a camera before. The language used to describe the features may just confuse you unless you are a photographer. And if you have used your friend's or colleague's digital camera for some time and are highly satisfied with the picture quality, zoom feature, and other aspects, you may buy the same model of the same brand. This is because you have grown familiar with the handling. But curiosity may drive you to try something new, different and advanced than what you have already used.

And if you visit internet sites frequently to shop for products online, you will certainly take some time in comparing all advanced digital cameras in your preferred budget so that you buy the best digital camera. Though there are numerous online shopping platforms; you can opt for one platform and register yourself. Incase you buy products from one particular platform, every time you buy, you can redeem your points besides availing big discounts on every product that you purchase. Paying a large sum for your digital camera will seem useless until you know what you exactly want. It is again user friendliness that matters. One needn't get fooled just because of pricing alone as the best camera can also be the cheapest one that you see, with all the standard features and additional attributes.

Source : Ezinearticles

Advancement of 3D Animation Industry

Animation; the term gives an instant thought of cartoons and films based on computer graphics but prior to this a technique called Phenakistoscope was there which had simple drawings which moved simultaneously giving the effect of animation. There were several animated features created by using these drawings which differed from the previous one. This method disappeared by the end of the twenty first century and drawings were directly scanned or drawn into computers. The computer animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. 3D animations give the impression to look at characters from all angles like in real life. It can be grouped under various terms:

Cel-shaded animation:

It is also called cel-shading or toon shading which is designed to make the computer graphics to look as if hand drawn. It is used to copy the style of a comic book or cartoon characters.

Morph target animation

It is stored as a series of vertex positions. In each key frame of the animation the vertex will move to a different position. This can be used for animating cloth, skin and facial expressions.

Skeletal animation

This is also referred to as rigging and is an technique for the vertebrates. This technique works by constructing a series of bones and each bone is associated with some portion of characters visual representation.

Motion capture

It is a procedure for digitally recording the action movements. It can be used in video games to animate the characters of the game and in film making it refers to the technique of recording the action of human actors.

Crowd simulation

It is the process of reproducing the movement of a large number of objects or characters and used when there are more characters than that can be animated using the other methods.

The industries that are using 3D animations are interior designing, medical visualizations, architecture naval architecture and corporate presentations. There are several interactive 3D animation software that enables one to visualize and redesign a room. These are used by architectures for designing homes for their clients. This can be used in medical field training for explaining various concepts, phenomenon and surgical techniques to give a better and clear vision to the scholars. Then in naval field it is used in designing of ships by making a 3D ship model which helps in quick progress of ship building projects. In corporate world too it is used for preparing impressive presentations and interactive websites.

The 3D animations are very realistic and are used for giving special effects in movies. The film and advertisement sectors provide ample opportunities for the growth of animation industry. The employments of computers and software's have fastened the pace of animation industry. The growth of its use in gaming industry has made it a fast growing and dynamic field. To provide an in depth description of product we now no longer depend on still images, 3D animation is the answer to create an interactive environment where an individual can relate to the objects and enjoy the virtual world created around him. We can say that with its diversity and effectiveness has left no field untouched by its impact.

Source : Ezinearticles

Scottish Clay Shooting

People come from all over the world to participate in Scottish clay pigeon shooting. There are many different places in this country you can go to shoot them and have a fun day out with your family. There are also a number of different schools that can take anyone out to shoot, whether you are an expert shooter already or a novice just starting off. It always helps to have someone with you who knows what they are doing, so you can have a better time and shoot more pigeons. Thousands of people come to Scotland each year to shoot clay pigeons because of the sheer challenge and sport. It's important to know all you can about where the best spots in Scotland are to do clay pigeon shooting, so you will have the absolute best chance of having fun and shooting the most amount of these birds. It's also important to know what kind of equipment you want to take with you.

Some people simple bring a gun with them and go from there, however others feel that it is better to bring bird calls to make finding them easier and therefore spending less time waiting and looking around in the bushes. Glasgow and Dundee are some of the most popular geographic locations in Scotland for Clay pigeon shooting and hunting. You will find that these places provide a wide expanse of land for you to go around on and shoot clay pigeons. As stated before, you can choose to enlist the help of someone from a local school to be your guide. For beginners it can make the entire experience much more fun and educational for the future.

When you are just starting out in this sport, there are quite a few things you need to know, and it always helps to have assistance from a seasoned pigeon shooter who has been doing it for a while already. You'd be surprised just how much you can learn just by watching someone else, and typically you will find that these services are fairly inexpensive, depending on where you go. Having an experienced shooter with you can prevent injury to yourself and others as well as help you to become a better shooter in general.

If you feel like you just need to get out of the house or take some time off from work, then this can be the perfect way to unwind. Spending a day in beautiful and scenic Glasgow may be just the thing you need to take your mind off whatever is bothering you. Thousands of people find that shooting clay pigeons in this country is actually quite relaxing and they come back each year to engage in a sport that is becoming more and more popular with every season.

Source : Ezinearticles

African Arts and Crafts For Kids

Creating African arts and crafts for kids is a fun way to get them engaged in cultural history at a young age. Through simple and creative activities, your child will learn about different types of African animals, games, cultural symbols, and holidays. Here are a few examples of different inexpensive and educational crafts that you can make with your child:

Mancala is a traditional African game that promotes critical thinking and improves mathematical skills. The game board and playing pieces can be easily created with these tools:

Egg carton
Scissors
Paint
Small beads - all the same size

Simply cut off the lid of the egg carton, flip it upside down and glue it to the other half. This creates a base and a playing board. Next have your child decorate the carton with brightly colored (think red, orange and yellow) paints. For added decoration, have ready-made shapes cut out of construction paper for your child to glue onto the sides. Finally, have your child choose their beads, place four in each cup and you are ready for an enjoyable game of Mancala!

One of the exciting aspects of Africa that especially interests children is the idea of a safari. Cater to your child's seemingly infinite imagination and help them create Safari Puppets. You will need:

African animal stickers
Blank note cards
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Popsicle or craft stick

Have your child place the stickers on the blank note cards. Then, have them use the scissors to cut around the perimeter. Take the cut out animal shapes and use the glue gun to fix it to the craft stick.

Music is an integral aspect to traditional African life. Drums represent the heart beat of life and are used in many African dances and festivals. Create African arts and crafts for kids that will not only be fun to create, but can be enjoyed for years to come. To help your child create an African-style drum, you will need:

Red, black and yellow construction paper
Glue
African animal stickers
Coffee can

First cut the red and black construction paper into strips that will fit vertically onto the coffee can. Have your child glue the strips to the can. Cut a thicker strip our of the yellow construction paper that will fit around the width of the can. Glue it to the can. Your child can now decorate the can with the African animal stickers to their liking. Finally place the lid on the can and start tapping away!

There are many more African arts and crafts for kids that are low in cost and fun to make. Get creative! Make masks out of paper-mache or design your own coloring books filled with African scenery and animals. Whatever you choose, you should feel good that you are helping your kid expand their world view and keeping their imaginations alive and active.

Source : Ezinearticles

Photogenic San Francisco Wedding Photographer Locations

Your wedding day is almost here! You've probably started taking the necessary steps associated with the big day: hiring service providers, establishing dates, choosing colors, etc. If you're getting married in the bay area, love the sites, or are a native of the location, you may be searching for a San Francisco wedding photographer.

Traditionally, wedding photographers followed the day's events with a professional eye, making sure to capture the chapel, the vows, the wedding cake, etc. In recent times, photographers have become a bit more creative in taking pictures with the bride, groom, and their maids and groomsmen. Often, wedding photographers in San Francisco take advantage of the bay area's sites to come up with truly unique, candid and classic shots. The following locations are often used by photographers in the San Francisco area.

Alcatraz

It has been an ongoing joke for years and continues to inspire laughter in married couples - marriage is often assimilated to jail time or a prison sentence. Some jocular-minded couples enjoy taking a ferry ride out to the island for a wedding photo shoot. A few ideas:

- Picture with groom behind bars with bride holding the keys

- Bride and groom together bound together with handcuffs

- Groom behind bars with groomsmen on the outside looking in

The prison idea may be a bit ironic, but it is a unique idea that may have you and your loved one laughing for years to come.

Fisherman's Wharf

PIER 39 is a premier attraction of San Francisco natives and visitors. The pier hosts a festival-like marketplace with over a hundred stores and an array of restaurants. There are many opportunities for fun shots as well as those including the beautiful bay as a backdrop. A few ideas:

- The groom handing the bride money in front of a store

- The bride and groom looking out into the bay

- The groom attempting to win the bride a concession prize

There are a lot of opportunities for candid pictures at the Wharf. A San Francisco wedding photographer can benefit from learning more about the personality of the couple as well as the bride and groom as individuals.

Muir Woods

Muir Woods resides just outside of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The forest hosts some of the most beautifully-tall and eldest trees on earth. The woods offer a very romantic setting and a lot of opportunities for a creative wedding photographer. A few ideas:

- Groom penning a heart into a tree

- Bride and groom holding hands walking through the woods

- Bride hiding from the groom behind a tree

Source :Ezinearticles

Indian Wedding Photographer

The quintessential fat Indian wedding starts with a bang and ends with a bang. There is so much involved in a traditional wedding that the whole occasion would look drab without these small details. They are presented with such distinctions, that they will remain unforgettable and remarkable. There is glamour, glitz, emotions and as one wedding planner has rightly pointed out photographs. One cannot do without photographs. And to capture all the activities and excitement, you will need an Indian wedding photographer.

Well the photographer need not be essentially Indian, but he should be acquainted with the Indian rituals and traditions. Otherwise he or she will totally miss the essence of the occasion. Indian weddings are elaborate and grand affairs, and to some extent complicated. There is so much to be done in so little time, that you will need excellent time management and excellent idea about what and whom to capture in the photographs. Most Indian weddings are completed within a span of 5 days which means that a lot of moments will be captured in the camera. An Indian wedding photographer will make a lovely compilation combining the most candid shots with the most emotional ones. They have a special talent for it!

An Indian wedding photographer notes the details. It is not easy to capture all the special moments let alone something so grand like wedding. If marriages are made in heaven, the wedding shots are captured on earth. But before you finalize the photographer, you will have to check his or her portfolio. You will get an idea about the kind of album you will have. Ask yourself whether you want this for your wedding and then decide accordingly. If you have some specifications, you should not hesitate to let the photographer know about your thoughts.

Think of the number of photos you want. And accordingly ask your Indian wedding photographer to select the photographs. You should also ask him about the print size and if he is going to shoot digital or not. If you are looking for extra prints, you should not hesitate to ask the photographer for the required number of prints. If you are looking for an album, you should ask the photographer whether he will be taking anything extra for the albums. In case if there is any cancellation, you should ask him what kind of refund you can expect.

You should always remember that wedding photographs are not inexpensive. The Indian wedding photographer will not just click the buttons randomly. The photographer will need a sense of approximation and skills. Moreover as a professional photographer you will always have to think of the details before you capture the shot. If you consider the artistic value of the photographs, you will find that they are quite sophisticated compared to any visual arts. So discuss with your wedding photographer, share your thoughts and also ask him for any advice on your wedding album.

Source : Ezinearticles

Benefits of Freelance Photography

The world is a massive place and there are hundreds of opportunities open to each and every one of us if we wished to pursue them. If you speak to most people you will find that they don't consider themselves to be happy in their current role, but then at the end of the day whose fault is that? Is it the employer for not inspiring their employees or is it the individuals fault for deciding to settle in life in a normal 9-5 job?

You will often find that these individuals lack drive and ambition, and this can in fact become a problem not only for the individual but also for the company. If an employee is not inspired then they are not performing at the best of their abilities and therefore the performance of the company will suffer.

Some times people get so tired of the repetitive schedule that they decide to go freelance and apart from freelance journalism the next most popular type of work is freelance photography. So why is freelance photography so popular with people wanting to break free?

Well for a start as it is freelance it is a case of working when you want to work. You also get to pick the jobs that you want to perform. You can completely pick and choose items that interest you and travel the path less travelled. Getting into freelance photography can also land you with special perks that you wouldn't normally receive. For instance if you decide to move into the sporting arena then you may get the opportunity to meet athletes and sporting idols that you would never have had the opportunity to meet normally.

Also if you take time to prove your ability in the freelance photography market then you can sometimes earn yourself a position within a major organisation. Take Andrew Harbron for instance, Andrew spent his spare time working on freelance photography with the brand Londonbikers.com on their British Superbike coverage and now after spending a few seasons developing their skills Andrew is now the director of photography for MotoProfessional which supplies the British Superbike championship with an official line of photos.

So there you have it, if you want to take the road less travelled and you want to live life to the full, then maybe it is time that you started taking a few chances in life and maybe just maybe good things with come your way.

Source : Ezinearticles

Photography Lighting - The Importance of Contrast For Great Shots

The primary purpose of a photography lighting system or kit is to illuminate a subject to allow proper image capture or to achieve the desired effect. The proper illumination of a subject or a product being photographed is one of the most important details in the production of high quality photography.  Photographers can utilize a wide variety of lighting devices for achieving the desired illumination.

For instance, photographers can utilize either soft boxes or photo umbrellas which are both light diffusers and can be attached to a  photo light to add warmth and to soften photographic images.  People often look best in photographs with diffused side lighting and a well placed backlight produces what is known as a halo effect while overhead lighting can produce a sharp contrast of light and shadows.  By moving  photo lighting stands further away or closer to the subject or product being photographed, you can fine tune the amount of contrast in the shot quite accurately. 

In becoming familiar with this basic photographic lighting technique, you will notice a sharp improvement in the quality of your own photos.  The strength of  the photography lighting that you are using is also an essential factor.  If you are shooting in a large studio or area, than a higher wattage lighting kit would give you the flexibility needed.  Smaller wattage light kits are lighter and easily portable and best utilized by photographers who travel to photograph events such as weddings and other gatherings.  These types of light kits are also a popular option for photographers who are simply wanting to be able to produce high quality product shots or single portraits while staying within an affordable budget. 

High quality digital photography lighting is not only an absolute requirement of a successful photo, but it can also create emotion, depth, and mood as well.  The intensity, quality, and direction of lighting can dramatically alter the final results of your photographic images.  Professional photographers will often use strobe or flash lighting to achieve the incredible results they are so well known for.  This type of lighting has the benefit of stopping action, consistent color temperature, and the necessary intensity to bring out the full spectrum of color within a captured photo image.  

Incredible photographic results can also be produced with the use of continuous photography lighting as well.  With continuous lighting, whether in fluorescent or halogen form, the lighting is quickly set up without the need for having to synchronize your camera to operate in time with the lighting source as with flash lighting.  Continuous lighting is quite popular with all levels of  photographers from beginners to professionals for it's speed and ease of use.  Simply set up your lighting stands, position them and turn them on and you can begin shooting right away.

Fluorescent lighting kits are virtually cool to the touch and require less energy to operate making them not only cool but economical as well.  Halogen light kits or hot lights, literally burn hot and produce heat and also consume more electricity to operate.  This is something to keep in mind when choosing an affordable lighting solution for your photographic needs when looking at continuous lighting.

Source : Ezinearticles

Wedding Photography: How to Become a Successful Wedding Photographer

Once in while I receive e-mails or phone calls from aspiring or beginner wedding photographers asking me for advise on how to become successful in the wedding field. My first question is always what their motivation is to become a wedding photographer. Some will reply that they heard from somebody that it is easy money, or that they got a cool camera that takes great photos or that they would like to make some money on the side etc.
While it is true that wedding photography can be a very profitable business achieving success in the wedding industry is not just a matter of getting a camera and start shooting. Wedding photography involves artistic talent, human sense, complete mastery of photographic techniques, business knowledge, and a strong desire to learn and deliver the best to the wedding couple.

Here I have summarized some points that I believe will guide beginner wedding photographers:

1. Learn photography before anything else. A wedding photographer is expected to be a master of the craft. You will be in charge of capturing people's most precious life moments. The wedding day is not the place to learn photography.

2. Just because you got a brand new camera it does not automatically make you an effective and reliable photographer. Photography goes beyond cool toys and gadgets. Learn composition and develop a unique artistic vision. Some of the great photographs of all time were taken with manual cameras.

3. Master the digital workflow, including color management, digital image processing, file management and image correction and enhancement.

4. Learn to love photography more than anything else. Don't come to the wedding photography field with just dreams of making money. It is true that there are many successful wedding photographers that make a lot of money. However according to the Professional Photographers of America the average photographer in America makes about $24,000 a year.

5. Focus on delivering quality more than quantity. Seek with all your heart to capture unique photographs.

6. Develop a style that is recognizable and unique. Don't try to be like somebody else. Clients look for unique photographers, with a unique vision.

7. Give wedding photography all your heart and effort. Long when you are gone your photographs will last forever. It is a great way to be remembered.

8. Open your heart and your mind and great photos will happen. Concentrate on the human aspect of weddings, the details, and emotions and be ready to capture them. Let the camera become an extension of you.

9. Share your technical knowledge and make connections with other wedding photographers.

10. Participate in wedding photography image competitions. It will give you the opportunity to have your work evaluated by peers and the motivation to improve your work quality.

11. Learn something new everyday. Take advantage of professional photography organizations such as Professional Photographers of America (PPA), WPPI, etc. Attend their seminars, workshops. Participate in Internet wedding photography forums and learn and share tips, tools and techniques.

12. Don't neglect the business aspect of wedding photo. Learn to manage your business effectively. Take business courses and seminars.

Source : Ezinearticles

Practical Pinup Photography

Three-Stage Practical Pinup Photography

If your frustrated by bad photo shoots and wasted studio time then now is the time to do something about your wasted efforts. With this system you can learn how to do professional shoots in three easy steps. After all when you think pinup you think sexy. I mean what could be more fun than taking photos of a pretty girl.

There are a lot of great photographers out there but not all of their material is going to be top grade. They only produce average shots most of the time with only a few reaching what I would call publishable quality.

With this simple system you will be shown how to produce brilliant shots time after time after time. Its just a question of knowing how!

Practical Pinup Online Workshop is a complete eLearning Course. The video, eBook and Audio Book take you through all aspects of the three-stage system; it's an easy-to-follow system that absolutely anyone with even a basic knowledge of photography can use to produce absolutely brilliant Pinup shots.

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN LEARN WITH THIS SYSTEM

#1: Finding the best models and how to get them to sit for you.
#2: Planning a photo session from start to finish.
#3: What the best props are for Pinup and how to use them to create mind- blowing images.
#4: Creating a set from scratch in no time at all and for just a few dollars, even in your own home.
#5: How to take stunning Pinup shots with very basic equipment.
#6: Building a flexible lighting set-up and using it to create multiple moods.
#7: Styling for the best effect.
#8: Generating a relaxed studio atmosphere and building rapport with your models.
#9: You will even be provided a complete set of ready-to-use photo session concepts.

You can cut through the years of wasted effort most beginners go through and benefit directly from this extensive guide, learning first-hand as you are walked through this system every step of the way. You learn so much seeing the positions of the lights, how the models move, the directions that are given to the model.

You will also get a bonus hour long photo shoot video with a real professional model. In it's completely raw and unedited footage of the entire session, showing absolutely everything!

If this is your chosen career then this program can change your life giving you the knowledge you need to become a published Pinup photographer. Can you imagine being able to get models to sit for you and then running your own photo session, producing hundreds of images all at the highest publishing standard?

Source : Ezinearticles

Aircraft Structural Design

Successful aircraft design incorporates a finely balanced blend of high-tech materials, structural advances, and traditional design know-how. Aircraft shape is now optimized for all airframe components using computational fluid dynamics. Computational fluid dynamics can cut drag by several percent.

The Airbus A380, for example, with its sheer scale, its double-decker configuration and a wealth of new materials, such as GLARE and reinforced thermoplastics. The aircraft also features carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic frames in the tail cone section and, never used in aircraft design before, welded stringers in the lower fuselage.

A design service goal is often set in advance. Advanced aluminium alloys form the semi-monocoque structure of the fuselage, while the skins are chemically milled or machined to reduce weight. GLARE, "GLAss-REinforced" Fibre Metal Laminate FML, is used for the upper and lateral fuselage skins of the forward and aft section above the main-deck level. Welded stringer panels are used in the lower fuselage sections below the main deck floor.

Aircraft stress analysis.

Stresses have to be calculated for aircraft structural design. They are prevalent at cutout surrounds around doors and hatches, the wing root area, nose and centre fuselage, in other words, pressurised areas.

In the A380, the fuselage containing the flight deck, crew rest area, electronics bays, and passenger door number 1 are stiffened with welded longitudinal stringers. Much is made of the increasing use of composites in aircraft structural design. Primarily, structures made of aerospace composites are weight saving. In the A380, an enormous belly fairing is formed from a series of panels made up of a Nomex honeycomb and hybrid epoxy skin sandwich. An aluminium substructure that supports these panels helps transfer some of the fuselage loads to the fairing by deformation between the primary structure of the fuselage and the belly fairing support structure. A dome-shaped carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic rear-pressure bulkhead separates the tail section from the rest of the aircraft.

Physically smaller bits of the structure can be the most complex aircraft assemblies. Loaded frames, which support the attachment for the massive vertical tailplane, are machined from high strength aluminium alloys, while weight-saving resin transfer mouldings are used for less loaded frames. A titanium rear fairing covers the aft-facing APU exhaust, while the compartment itself is lined with firewalls made from titanium sheets. So, it is the combining of accumulated knowledge about available materials and their properties that is the skill of the designers and the complex combinations that now make up the most advanced passenger aircraft. Massive wings, each supporting two engine pylons have now come a long way from the concept of a rolled tube of aluminium with stringers inside.

Source : Ezinearticles

Art is a Caricature

Creative abstraction Art is a caricature, an emphasis on the essence of an ordinary, everyday subject. Everything around us can be seen as an ordinary everyday subject or any single thing around us can be isolated and its beauty and uniqueness revealed by close study. The character or uniqueness of anything is realized by focusing on it. This uniqueness is often characterized in art.

Characteristics are the credentials that give something its flavor. A caricature can emphasize many different features... form as in a sculpture, emotion as in a song, color as in a painting, line as in fashion. The ocean is an ordinary blend of air and water mixed with salts, life and light. Yet a caricature can capture the essence of this subject, enough to charm the senses and to convince the eye of its nearness to reality. A caricature is made up of the key characteristics that summarize the subject.

My work captures the essence of beauty, that is peculiar to the sea. My art is realistic... but it is not. It looks like the ocean, but then again... the ocean does not have lumps of paint in it. The ocean does not have wriggly white lines all over it, yet from a distance... it seems to. Art is a caricature of life. My work is a caricature of the living beauty of the sea. My art characterizes a moment of the oceans perpetual motion.

A caricature highlights the character, the individuality and uniqueness of the subject. Most people have very little character, they are only watered down versions of themselves. A character stands out as an individual and an object of interest. People who are average, ordinary and careful have placed severe limitations on their own expression. They are not caricatures, they have made themselves into wisps of what they could be, confining their ideas to match the imagined expectations of an unimaginative society.

Those few in the world who are not afraid to be themselves, stand out as oddities. These are the creative individuals that are often mocked. They are misunderstood because their visions are not shared by safe society. Society functions on an agreed platform of mediocrity and blandness. There is no room for an individual in a safe society.

People with personality, or character, are full of their own being. They are not afraid to step into new ideas and to test patterns of behavior that do not conform. These oddities are the 'characters' that add light to an otherwise drab collection of unimaginative human beings. These people are the brightly-colored living art forms that offend the dreary gray masses around them. My art is not the sea, it is a caricature of the sea. It is the essence of the sea. My art is a caricature of the ever-changing magnificence surrounding our planet.

Source : Ezinearticles

Steps to Take Street Photography

Street photography is the best way of taking pictures in public places. It is an art of taking pictures to catch people with natural element. It will be great for you to take the picture of public places even you do not shoot the pictures of people or a street. There are some considerations before practicing street photography. Here is information for you.

Find the wide-angle lens and also a telephoto lens for your camera if you will take them. In general, to use the additional lenses, you should have a manual camera. Manual digital cameras will produce images as great as the film camera. And the telephone lens is also very useful for taking pictures by your car which is far away from the subject.

It is important for you to focus your camera on the object before you take the pictures of it. Do not ever look into the LCD screen or by the viewfinder. You just start to shoot. It is the well ended with the with-angle lens that has amazing depth of field. Most of people love to sequester their camera or disguise it as another else. Others love to be honest about the reality that they do street photography. It is a matter of personal preference.

You can use your digital camera. Street photography can create a lot of features, when you shot digital, you will not feel too bad if only some shots came out good.

Now you can walk around with the camera. You should look at any public spaces with your critical eye. There are many opportunities of photographic that happen around you. You just see them. You do not need to make a plan with street photography, but you have to pay more attention of what is going happen on around you. When you take the pictures in the street, you should learn to see the composition. You can introduce the diagonal lines into the compositions. And you have to be sure that your subject will be the center of interest.

Be aware of the reactions of people around you. If you think that your subjects are uncomfortable in being photographed, you have to leave them. Do not try to photograph in any situations where it is inappropriate. Public places where there are many activities going on are the best choices. Do not intrude on their privacy and personal spaces.

Source : Ezinearticles

French Art - Famous French Artists & Paintings

French art has played a crucial role in many art movements, both past and present. It is perhaps best known for its influence in impressionism and the importance of the French capital, Paris, to the art world. Paris' Louvre Museum has retained its status as one of the premier spots for art appreciation in the world and even houses The Mona Lisa, one of the world's most famous paintings.

The key periods of French art include Prehistoric, Medieval, Renaissance & Mannerism, Baroque & Classicism, Rococo & Neoclassicism, 19th & 20th Century Contemporary movements.

The Merovingian dynasty of the Franks was significant in France and Germany., from the fifth century to the eighth century. The Merovingian period of the fifth century began a change in French art which was to continue up to the present day, with new movements being created all the time.

Merovingian's catalyst for art development was continued on with Carolingian art over a 120-year period from 750 to 900.  After Carolingian rule closed around 900, there was little more development or production of significant French art movements for some 60 years. France became a divided country at this point and there were not the right conditions for artistic creativity. The 10th and 11th centuries were dominated by local monastries who took a significant role in France's art production at that stage.

Prior to the respected Gothic period that was the Romanesque art of Western Europe for around two hundred and fifty years, from 1000 A.D. to the middle of the 12th century in France. The name refers to the influence of, and return to, Roman styles and principles in architecture and art which this movement used.

Gothic art and architecture then took over French are for around 300 years. Whilst originating here, it actually spread quickly to other parts of Europe. The later International Gothic style had less of a reliance and prominence of religion than its former, and it then went onto the further develop from there into Renaissance art. Gothic art included sculpture, panel painting, stained glass, fresco, and illuminated manuscript most prominently.

The French invasion of Italy in the late 15th century allowed the influence of the Renaissance to fully take hold of France's art direction and leave a mark which remains strong even today.

The French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars brought in new influences which helped to push Renaissance art into new directions and bridge the gap between Renaissance art and the later styles of Romanticism and later Impressionism.

Romanticism brought French landscape painting to the forefront and later led to Gustave Courbet and the Barbizon school as key markers in the further changes to the status quo. The late 19th century brought French Symbolism from Gustave Moreau, the professor of Matisse and Rouault, as well as Odilon Redon.

Impressionism brought an array of French art to the forefront, led by Claude Monet and his use of landscapes and carefully prepared gardens to develop artistic coverage of light changes and vivid paintings. It started the progress towards the many new styles that we have today.

Source : Ezinearticles

5 Digital Photography Tips to Improve Your Pictures

Now that you've gotten that digital camera you've always wanted you really wish you could take pictures you'd be proud to show your family and friends. Taking good photographs isn't that difficult once you know the rules all you have to do is apply them. Here are five simple digital photography tips you can use to improve your digital photography.

Know your camera. This may seem obvious, but you need to know your camera as well as you can. This means you need to read the manual that came with your camera. Make sure you know the settings well and how to use your camera to get the results you want. You should be able to put your camera into the appropriate mode for the situations without having to refer back to the manual. You should also know all the settings your camera has. Being able to know what exactly your camera can do will help you take better pictures.

Use the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a basic rule of composition that is used by photographers. In your mind divide your picture into thirds horizontally and vertically. You'll be imaging nine boxes of equal size in the photo. Placing your subject in a place where the lines from these boxes intersect gives your picture more visual interest. An easier way to think of this is to place your subject off-center.

Fill the frame. Get close to your subject. In many instances, seeing the details of the thing you're photographing is more important than the background. Those details make the picture interesting. Including too much background in your photo may make it visually confusing. Your picture needs to have a clear visual focus. That focus becomes even more clear to the viewer when you fill the frame with your subject.

Use fill flash. Have ever thought of using your flash on a sunny day? The harsh light of the sun can cast harsh shadows on your subject. Using your flash can fill the shadows on your subject with light giving you a more detailed image.

Shoot tons of pictures. The best way to improve your photography is practice. Take lots and lots of pictures. Most of them will be terrible, but a few will be great. Each time you take a picture you love notice what elements you like about it. Remember how you took it. Doing this help you get used to using the settings on your camera. It will also help you get to know what you like and don't like in pictures.

Source : Ezinearticles

Long Beach Cultural Scene is a Colorful Mix of Music, Festivals and Fine Art

Long Beach, California has a history of art and culture that stretches all the way back to the city's roots. Even today, the coastal city attracts artists and musicians, actors and writers, that together create a cultural tapestry that is colorful and rich.

In its earliest days, this seaside town was home to Balboa Studios -- making movies long before the Hollywood glitteratti ever graced a silver screen. Today, actors and camera crews still head to the shore to tape television shows such as Dexter and CSI Miami.

It's not just film studios that love the sun and sand. Artists and musicians can be found in every corner of the city. Culture Vultures travel to the city year round to attend annual art and music festivals such as the Long Beach Blues Festival each Labor Day weekend or the Long Beach Art Walk which takes over The Pike each summer.

It might sound cliché, but when it comes to style, the art scene in Long Beach has something for everyone. Art lovers can find fine art, low brow and everything in between.

If your tastes are more traditional, then visit one of the local museums:

• The Long Beach Museum of Art is known far and wide for its collection of California fine artists
• The Museum of Latin American Art which displays a collection of world-renowned artists from Latin, Central and South America

If you enjoy contemporary, low brow or emerging artists then a visit to the East Village is a must. The second Saturday Art Walk takes place on monthly. Artists line the street with booths of hand-made crafts, original art and outdoor music. If you can't make it for the art walk, you can still enjoy an afternoon of independent galleries and coffeehouses -- and you'll find art in both places!

Just a short walk from the East Village, lies Downtown Long Beach. Phantom Galleries, temporary art galleries housed in empty retail spaces, can be found dotted along the downtown streetscape. If you have the time, you can even take an audio tour of the galleries. Just use any cell phone to call a special phone number and you'll be guided along a walking tour with descriptions of each gallery in a 3-block area.

It's no surprise that Long Beach art is so popular. With so many museums and galleries, it's location just east of Los Angeles, and the near perfect weather, artists can't help but be inspired. This beautiful waterfront town is the perfect place for expressing your creativity or drinking in the creativity of others.

Source : Ezinearticles

The Top Ten Ways to Pimp Out Your Dorm

Pimping out your dorm room is fun, and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Even on a tight budget you can make your dorm room stand out from the rest by incorporating a creative touch or two. To get you started, we've compiled a list of the top ten ways that we've seen people hook up their college dorm rooms.

Our ideas incorporate something for virtually every budget. A 50-inch plasma would be enough to pimp out just about any dorm, but let's be realistic: most college students don't have that kind of money to blow. Fortunately, throwing down two g's for a tv isn't necessary. So take a look at the list and make sure to think creatively when you're pimping out your own dorm.

The List (in no particular order)

1. Build a bar

Constructing a bar for your dorm room can be cheap and a cool way to make your dorm the hotspot of your hall. Keep in mind that dorm rooms are generally tiny, so a pre-made bar is not always the best way to go. Building a small bar doesn't take too long, and it ensures that your bar will be unique.

2. Create your own video game arena

Setting up the ideal gaming environment is easy: a couple comfortable chairs or beanbags, a big tv and stand, and you're in business.

3. Buy a cool rug for the room

Dorm floors are generally pretty nasty. Cover up the old carpet or scratched up linoleum with a big comfortable rug.

4. Get a plasma

It doesn't have to be 50 inches, but a plasma will definitely add some baller status to your dorm. Plus, prices on plasmas have dropped significantly in the past year.

5. Hang an octabong from the ceiling

If you haven't seen an octabong, you are missing out. These things are amazing. Just make sure your RA is out for the night when you decide to use it.

6. Hook up a kegerator

Kegerators come in all shapes and sizes, but you can actually find one that will fit into just about any dorm room. They are generally pretty expensive, but they can pay off in the long run if you drink regularly enough (we're not saying that's a good idea).

7. Pick out a cool comforter

Comforters don't have to be boring. Look for a comforter with fabric that catches the eye. Satin is always a nice touch.

8. Purchase a Wii

Hook your dorm room up with a Nintendo Wii and your friends will be banging on your door to get in on the action. If you've already got a Wii, check out guitar hero.

9. Get some sick speakers

Having a good set of speakers is critical. Find speakers with a unique design and they'll also serve as art.

10. Hang some graffiti art on your walls

Graffiti is becoming one of the hottest trends in the art world. Compared to traditional paintings, graffiti art is inexpensive, and it's a lot cooler looking in many cases. If an original artwork isn't in your budget, a unique poster will always do the trick.

Source : Ezinearticles

Hip Hop Graffiti Art

In this article, we'll take graffiti art to mean wall art drawn with spray cans in public places. This is necessary to avoid confusion, for graffiti art can also be taken to mean an act of vandalism in a very general sense.

But when I was taking a closer look at the origins of graffiti art, it appears that this art form didn't appear out of nowhere. In fact, it has risen out of a need for expression from people who didn't have the money and the means to participate actively in both the art and the music scenes.

This urge or need to express became so strong that these people started creating their own art and music using what was available to them. And not much was available to them. So they turned to using their mouths (beat-boxing), scratching on tables (to simulate the scratching of records) and invented rap. Hip hop evolved out of rap music.

But the names and labels isn't all that important. What's more important is to understand the intent behind these art forms. What caused these people to invent hip hop music and graffiti art?

At the root of it is rebellion. There's something that these artists are unhappy about, and they're letting the world know about it. For instance, if you're a fan of rap music, you'll often hear some angry lyrics. It's not within the scope of this article to discuss the source of anger. For now, it's good enough to understand that rap and hip hop music stems usually stems from anger.

Similarly, for graffiti art, rebellion is made known by creating wall murals in public places. Doing this is illegal but yet, many have done this and it does appear that graffiti art is now out of control.

Artists worldwide have chosen this particular outlet to express themselves, to make sure that they're heard. Graffiti art has been known to be a tool to get attention.

But what has this strong urge to grab attention (so much so that artists have to risk their neck by spraying on walls illegally) got to do with hip hop music?

Well, understanding the culture where hip hop music and graffiti music come from (and they come from the same source), one would guess that graffiti art could be the cheapest form of advertising (in fact, it's free!). It's the ultimate word-of-mouth marketing for the hip hop artists. And in essence, since both art forms represent the same dissent voices of the people of that culture, who's to say or judge it's wrong to create graffiti art?

Source : Ezinearticles

Graffiti Isn't Just For Walls

You'll certainly find this graffiti designed bag easily on any luggage carousel. The Athalon 29" wheeled duffel is a real piece of art! It's from the Fusion Collection with the latest in sport bag technology. The bags are made of a high-density micro-sport nylon. This fabric is light, yet strong, and is a great looking and durable flexible material. The duffel's have a fashionable water-resistant lining, and two separate sections for packing.

This lightweight luggage is 29" x 14" x 14" making up a generous 5684 cubic inches. There's a hidden telescoping handle that locks in place for ease in pulling or pushing the duffel along. The pull-up handle zips safely away for ease in storage and safe baggage handling. Another softly padded handle is also accessible from this area. It helps in pulling your case in or out of buses and automobiles. It's also convenient on luggage carousels. The sealed Ball-Bearing inline skate wheels will easily wheel over any type of surface. They'll keep your momentum whether traveling by boat, plane, automobile or train.

The All Sport Pocket will carry your biking or skiing helmet, as well as a volleyball, soccer or football. You need only unsnap and unzip to expand this clever new pocket system. The snap cord will safely lock in your equipment. When not in use for sports equipment, you can use this handy pocket for a jacket or sweatshirt, etc. You won't find a more cleverly designed discount luggage in the marketplace. This clever All Sport pocket makes it the perfect case for team travels. The lower portion bottom area of the bag has a full zipper, which gives access to a separate section. This is the ideal place for laundry or shoes, or for packing dressier clothing. This easy-to-use pocket is secured with handy tie tapes to keep your clothing securely in place.

There's also a large outside zippered pocket to organize your packing. This pocket has two inside mesh compartments. One pocket is zippered for smaller items or for your travel accessories. There's even a handy key holder so your keys won't get misplaced. The top section is large and roomy for everything you need to take on your trip. This section also has a large organized pocket inside. Need more room? You can access the bottom pocket from above and make one large compartment with the ease of a zipper.

This zipper opens up the entire bottom compartment for handy access. There's really no need to unpack in this cleverly organized bag. The double handle lift carrying straps on top are also easy to use for storing the bag in your automobile trunk or for taking the duffel off a luggage carousel. There's a clever Velcro handle cushion to keep the web straps from getting caught on conveyer belts. They also make for ease in carrying when you cannot wheel.

Source : Ezinearticles

Is Graffiti Art?

You can travel almost anywhere in the world, and you will probably see graffiti. Although graffiti art is usually more common in big cities, the reality is that it can occur in almost any community, big or small.

The problem with graffiti art is the question of whether it's really art, or just plain vandalism. This isn't always an easy question to answer, simply because there are so many different types of graffiti. Some is simply a monochrome collection of letters, known as a tag, with little artistic merit. Because it's quick to produce and small, it is one of the most widespread and prevalent forms of graffiti.

Although tagging is the most common type of graffiti, there are bigger, more accomplished examples that appear on larger spaces, such as walls. These are often multicolored and complex in design, and so start to push the boundary of whether they should really be defined as graffiti art.

If it wasn't for the fact that most graffiti is placed on private property without the owner's permission, then it might be more recognized as a legitimate form of art. Most graffiti art, however, is only an annoyance to the property owner, who is more likely to paint over it or remove it than applaud its artistic merit.

Many solutions have been put into practice around the world, with varying degrees of success. Paints have been developed that basically cause graffiti paint to dissolve when applied, or else make it quick and easy to remove. Community groups and government departments coordinate graffiti removal teams.

In some places you can't buy spray paint unless you're over 18. Cans of spray paint are locked away in display cases. In a nearby area the local council employs someone to go around and repaint any fences defaced by graffiti. A friend of mine has had his fence repainted 7 times at least, and it took him a while to find out why it was happening! Certainly the amount of graffiti in my local area has dropped substantially in the last year or two, so it appears these methods are working to a great extent.

But is removing the graffiti doing a disservice to the artistic community? Maybe if some of the people behind the graffiti art were taken in hand and trained, they could use their artistic skills in more productive ways. It hardly makes sense to encourage these artists to deface public property, and so commit a crime. But perhaps there are other ways to cooperate with the graffiti artists rather than just opposing them. Graffiti artists can create sanctioned murals for private property owners and get paid for it.

Maybe we need to start at a very basic level, and find a way to encourage the creation of graffiti art on paper or canvas, rather than walls. After all, who would remember Monet or Picasso if they'd created their masterpieces on walls, only to have them painted over the next day? Finding a solution to such a complex situation is never going to be easy, but as more graffiti art is being recognized in galleries around the world, we do need to try.

Source : Ezinearticles

Graffiti Characters - Are They Art Or Vandalism?

Regardless of which part of the world you live in, it's almost guaranteed at one point or another you've encountered graffiti while walking throughout your town. Perhaps you love it, perhaps you hate it and maybe you've even done a little graffiti yourself. Some people consider it art while others consider it vandalism. Those involved in the graffiti scene understand it to be more than just senseless vandalism.

The graffiti characters, tags and memorials that get painted everywhere are an expression of oneself and an art. Not all graffiti is illegal, therefore it could be said not all graffiti is art. Thankfully, many councils have set up areas that are deemed graffiti friendly where artists can come and spray paint to their hearts content. This has given some artists such as Banksy notoriety outside the scene and made some artists very rich.

There are many different types of graffiti. As mentioned earlier, some people create graffiti characters to paint onto trains, tunnels and highways that run across the country. Tags or tagging is a very popular form of graffiti and it is often the name of the graffiti artist. Tags are used to show "I was here" or gangs have been known to use them to mark their territory.

With the growth of the hip hop movement, memorials dedicated to friends who have passed on have sprung up. One of the more popular memorial pieces of art is the Biggie Smalls portrait in Brooklyn. Graffiti memorials are not just for superstars though as there are many memorials painted around the world for those involved in the graffiti scene who would be unknown outside of the niche. There's usually a good story behind each piece of work so don't be quick to misjudge them as vandalism.

While some graffiti is placed on walls where it is illegal to paint such things, it's considered highly offensive if another artist paints of another persons graffiti. This has lead to competition amongst graffiti groups to cover up as much of their competitors art as possible. Often this leads to mass attacks of graffiti where individuals or parties will go out and spray their own tags and "bomb" other peoples graffiti.

Graffiti has always been some what of an interesting culture to participate in or just observe. No doubt it will continue to be for some time into the future as attitudes change and mature towards this art form.

Source : Ezinearticles

Portrait Painting and Its Different Aspects

It requires many years of an artist to hone the skills of perfectly painting portraits. Thus, portrait painting is an art that involves huge amount of technicality and experience in terms of painting by a portrait artist. The work can be perfect only if the painter can successfully establish the character of the subject on the canvas.

Generally, those who want to get their portrait done; they wish it to be painted in their desired way so that it can bring out their image to the public in the form of that work of art. If you look at some of the popular portraits, you will find that the painting represents the true character of the person. If the person was a warrior, the painting has shown him wearing complete warrior dress and sitting over a horse. Similarly, if the person was a scholar, the painting shows him sitting ideally in a library, surrounded by books. This signifies that the main focus of an artist must be on establishing and bringing out the real self of the person who is to be painted on the canvas. The portrait must be able to bring out the minutest details of the person on the canvas. It should appear as the person in the painting is exactly the same as he or she looks in the real life.

Nowadays, this art have got huge popularity and recognition that many people prefer having their own portraits. Things were different earlier, as only the ruling class or the royals could afford such luxury and wishes, but now anyone can have his/her painting done at affordable price. You can find artists who specialize in making hand painted oil paintings from a photograph. It eliminates the need to sit for a portrait drawing in a studio. They can paint people, pets and even landscapes. These oil paintings make great gifts for special occasions.

There is neither any particular set of rule to develop such exclusive art nor that there is any secret or shortcut to achieve perfection. Experience of the painter is the major factor that can make his or her work perfect. However, there are few basic guidelines that need to be followed while developing such form of art.

Getting the background of the painting right is one of the major factors make the work perfect. It is to be understood that the main focus must remain on the subject that is the person whose painting is being made and not the background. So, the background must enhance the appeal of the subject rather distract the viewer.

The painter should not start doing the portrait right away from the beginning. Rather he or she should prepare few sketches of the person who wish to get his painting on the canvas. With close observation, the painter can carefully sketch the person by taking into account all his features. It requires lots of patience of both the painter and the person and then only the end result can appear as perfect.

Source : Ezinearticles

Surprise Your Loved Ones with Unique Birthday Gifts

A friend, relative, a co-worker or your significant other who is celebrating his or her birthday deserves nothing but the best gift from you.

If you have spent quite some time thinking and you still cannot come up with a unique gift idea, take a look at this list and surprise your loved ones with any of these wonderful presents:

1. Personalized Birthday Presents

It is always a delight to receive something personalized for your birthday. If your friend is celebrating her 32nd birthday, surprise her with a crystal wine glass with a printed humorous or touching message on the surface, complete with her name and birth date.

For a young nephew who is about to turn one year old, a blue pillow or baby blanket with his name sewed on the fabric also makes for a great birthday present.

Any item with the name of the person celebrating his or her birthday is a wonderful gift to give.

2. Unique Gift Baskets

Your dad who is a wine aficionado would appreciate a gift basket full of his favorite vintage wine bottles.

A friend whom you know is a chocolate addict would squeal with delight over a basketful of choco chip cookies and dark chocolate bars.

If your wife or girlfriend is a budding artist, why not give her a birthday gift basket with paints, brushes and other painting or sketching tools that she can use?

Just know a little more about the person whom you will give the gift to and you can surely come up with a great gift basket idea.

3. Humorous Greeting Cards

If your aunt is worried over turning thirty or forty, a greeting card with humorous message will most likely lift her spirits. Any item with a comic or hilarious message about a particular age always makes for a fun birthday present.

4. Birthstone Jewelries

Your significant other should receive the best gift from you on his or her birthday. If your wife is born on March, give her a necklace or earrings with aquamarine stones as a symbol of her birth month.

Bracelets and earrings with birth stones are also wonderful gifts for your wife or girlfriend's birthday.

5. Certificates and tickets

If your mother-in-law is celebrating her birthday, give her a certificate for one whole relaxing day at the spa. If your dad is into sports, give him front seat tickets to his favorite game.

6. Gift Ideas for Office Use

If you have a friend at work who is celebrating his birthday, anything that can be used in the office makes for a great gift. A leather-bound organizer, a silver ball point pen, cute or elegant cuff links, a silk tie - the list is endless.

7. Custom-made Birthday Cakes

There are bake shops which specialize in making unusual and funny birthday cakes. Surprise your buddy with a cake shaped into a woman. For your younger brother, you can have the cake made into the shape or a ball, or a guitar if he is into music.

Source : Ezinearticles

14 Creative Gift Wrap Ideas

When you're talking about presents, presentation can be everything. Here are 14 creative gift wrap ideas.

1. Cut shapes or monograms from cardstock or old holiday greeting cards and hang from ribbon, jute or yarn.

2. Use a creative wrap that coordinates with the gift. For example, use a receiving blanket and ribbon
to wrap a baby's gift; fun scrapbooking paper for a crafter; old maps for a traveler.

3. Use fabric scraps and ribbon. Each time you are in a discount store, stop by the fabric clearance section.
You can often find elegant and unique supplies at a deep discount.

4. Print your favorite family photos of the year onto paper and use for wrapping small treasures.

5. Recycle gift wrap from previous years.

6. Adorn the gift with silk flowers or small charms. The booming scrapbooking industry has made available
so many amazing little embellishments that are perfect for adorning gifts.

7. Use rubber stamps to stamp the recipients' name, monogram, or a special holiday message.

8. Make or use a fabric gift bag. Orientaltrading.com has a large variety of inexpensive and unique
wrapping supplies.

9. Use the recipient's favorite section of the newspaper as gift wrap. Whether it's the comics or the
sports page, this is an easy, inexpensive way to add a personal touch - especially when combined with
one of these other techniques.

10. Fold a gift box from last year's holiday cards or seasonal cardstock.

11. Wrap a gift in a drawing or painting that your children have made.

12. Use natural elements from your area to adorn gifts. Pine boughs or pine cones, dried grasses, and
dried leaves are all charming choices.

13. Purchase plain paper and ask your children to decorate the wrapped item or gift bag with drawings
and special messages for wrapping paper that is truly one-of-a-kind.

14. Browse flea markets, garage sales, or dollar stores for inexpensive and unique boxes, bags, and bows.
You can even decoupage an old cigar box with photos or memorabilia and create a gift box that is a gift in itself.

Source : Ezinearticles

10 Top Wedding Gift Suggestions For Newly Married Couples

Their big day has nearly arrived and you still haven't bought the couple a wedding gift yet. Well, not to worry, here are 10 wedding gift suggestions that are a little more creative than suggesting you rush off to buy them a gift voucher for the home, garden and furniture store.

1. How about a painting. Obviously selection is according to budget. Consider romantic depictions or something special to that couple, such as a painting of where they first met. You could personalise it even further by commissioning a local artist to paint a photo of the couple.

2. Buy them a tree. A small one. Don't laugh - think about it this way. Buy a nice tree they can plant, then nurture and grow as the years go by, just like their marriage. When they look out the window in several years time they'll be reminded of how far they've come as they see an established tree in the garden.

3. Subscription to a magazine. Maybe the newly wedded couple have just moved into a new house and needs some work doing to it. What better gift than a magazine all about how to decorate and renovate a house.

4. Are the couple into keep-fit? If so, how about buying them joint membership to a local gym for a year. It's something they can do together.

5. Something that lasts. Perhaps a bottle of vintage wine or a framed wedding invitation. The latter being more personal and memorable.

6. Do they have a digital camera? If not, then this is ideal. They'll be wanting to take a lot of photos after they get married and during the honeymoon.

7. Once they have taken all these pictures, they will want hard copies of them. It's a practical gift, but how about a colour photo printer or a docking station for the camera that allows them to print off the photos.

8. A luxury hotel room before they go on their honeymoon is another appropriate wedding gift. Just make sure they haven't already made reservations prior to you arranging this.

9. Now it's time for a couple of things not to buy the wedding couple. Don't buy them a kettle. Chances are they will have several bought for them already. I don't know how much tea you drink, but I sure don't need five kettles. Marriage may be thirsty work, but not that thirsty.

10. Arrghhh, no, not a toaster. Don't do it. I'm sure we all dream of toast after we get married, but about a dozen people will also want the newly wedded couple to enjoy perfect slices of toast in the morning. I'm sure this is a tradition, but avoid the dreaded 'wedding toaster' gift at all costs.

Source : Ezinearticles

Painting Ceramic Tile - Bad Tile? Paint It!

Painting ceramic tile is one of the best home makeovers you can easily (and cheaply!) accomplish. With the wide variety of colors and stencils available these days, transforming a tiled area with fabulous results is as easy as painting the walls.

Any tiled area in your home can be painted over with the exception of areas with water/high humidity. There are products out there that can handle the moisture in these areas (bathtub or shower surrounds or floors), but they are best left to the experts.

To begin, choose your paint wisely. Oil-based paints will stick better, but take longer to dry thoroughly. Acrylic paints will peel without properly preparing the tile ahead of time. If you choose acrylic paints, you will spend more time preparing the area for painting than you will actually painting.

Simple steps for painting ceramic tile:

1. Thoroughly clean the area to be painted with a mild abrasive cleanser. Make sure you clean the grout as well.
2. Buy, beg or borrow an orbital sander - even a hand-held unit will do. Sand the tile lightly, just enough to scratch the shiny glaze and give the paint something to hold on to. If you are using acrylic paint, you will want to remove most (if not all) of the glaze.
3. Clean the tile again to remove the dust from sanding. Let the area dry for 48 hours (the grout takes longer to dry).
4. Paint your tiles with a high adhesion primer and let dry completely. Add a second coat if the tile color shows through.
5. Very lightly sand over the primer again, to remove any upright points the paint roller may have left. Be careful not to sand off too much!
6. Paint your area, using a low-nap roller. If your paint is too thick, thin it slightly, according to the manufacturers instructions.
7. You can add stencils, stripes or free hand designs at this point. Let your imagination guide you!
8. After your new color is completely dry (about 2 days), apply at least one coat of water-based urethane, to protect the surface of the paint. Painted tile floors will want additional coats of urethane, to preserve that fabulous new look.

Painting ceramic tile does not have to be hard or expensive. With the right tools and know-how, you can create a unique style in any area of your home, inside or out. These simple steps can be used on new, loose tile as well, to create one-of-a-kind trivets, coasters and more, or for future tiling use. Kids can help and create their own masterpieces as well, for gift-giving or show-and-tell at school. Explore your creative side and gain valuable experience doing smaller projects before tackling that spare bathroom with the lime green tile.

Source : Ezinearticles

7 Original Baby Boy Gifts Ideas

There are thousands of baby boy gifts in the marketplace. The most popular are the simple yet elegant gifts. Baby blue is still the most prevalent color for baby boy gifts. Here are 7 original baby boy gift ideas that will help distinguish you from the rest of the field as the gift giver.

Baby's First Golf Club - A wonderfully unique golf club that is elegant and charming. Find a personalized version where the golf club length is the length of the club and the club head has your child's name and birth date inscribed. Club is often made with fiberglass. This is great for golf lovers and sports lovers.

Canvas Wall Art - A new trend is to get canvas paintings and murals replicated from famous kids art. The hottest trend is a personalized version with your child's name inscribed on the painting. Some paintings are designed specifically for customization; others will not have customization available. They vary greatly in size but are typically the size of a regular square painting.

Personalized Growth Charts - Instead of traditional wall paper growth charts, the more stylish version is to have a canvas or wood growth chart personalized with your child's name. A painting or a collage cover the growth chart all around with the growth checks on the right or left edge. These are hung with a strap on top.

Personalized Baby Boy Gifts - Personalized gifts are the hippest trend with items such as a monogrammed baby body suit or personalized clothes. Personalized or monogrammed toys and cups are a growing trend. There are hundreds of additional small items that are personalized.

Designer Diaper Cakes - Traditional gift made of diaper bags usually in two to three tiers and inserted with various small baby boy toys such as small teddy bears, shampoo, and toys. Light blue is the most popular choice for baby boys. Designer diaper cakes are upgraded with the higher end diapers, wooden toys over plastic toys, and typically three tiers. Some designer diaper cakes are custom designed into shapes such as a large hamburger or an automobile.

Designer Baby Boy Gift Basket - There are many gift baskets that are designed specifically with a baby boy theme. Popular items include teddy bears with a blue hat, bibs, shampoo, burp clothes and towels. A popular trend is using items such as a red wagon or a wooding rocking horse in place of the traditional basket. These are typically set in a light blue theme for baby boys.

Tee Pee Playhouse - An original idea that is a small teepee made of usually canvas with plastic poles that are small enough to fit two kids. These are usually placed in the living room or bedroom and are popular for sleepovers.

Source : Ezinearticles

How to Choose the Right Face Painting Kits

Face painting is very common among the kids. They always want to get their faces painted whenever they see a stall of face painting. Face colouring is a form of body painting. Therefore, some teenagers and elders also like to get their faces painted, especially at theme parties, or just as a symbol of participation in a protest.

Face colours are special paints that are designed for the human skin. They do not contain any elements that would cause allergic reaction to the skin. They come in a wide range; so, there is a great option to choose from. They have a wide variety as regards to the palettes. They also come in glitter and shimmer and some glow in the dark.

Before choosing the face colouring kit, you must first decide what you want to paint and how many faces you want to or need to paint. You also need to decide if just one person is going to do the colouring job or more than one will be responsible.

All this is necessary because you would not want to run out of the paints while you are colouring, neither would you want to have unnecessary paints.

If you are colouring at a fair or carnival and you have limited designs to choose from, it is better for you. In this way, you would know what colours you need, and you would buy that accordingly.

If you are colouring for the theme party then you know what colours you need; so, you would buy the kit containing those colours only. If the number of people to be painted is large then you need to buy the kit that has more than one brush.

While choosing the brush, you must be very careful that the brush has soft bristles for the soft skin of children. A face- colouring-kit contains colour palette, brushes and sponges. Sponges are needed for making the base coat and also the finer edges. Paint brushes of different sizes must be chosen to paint different designs.

As children nowadays have many ideal characters and they set their themes accordingly, face-colouring kits are available in different themes accordingly. One such example of a Face Painting Kit is Deluxe Hollywood Face Paint Kit, which contains 5 great bright pallets of paint, Orange, Red, Blue Yellow and White, a Glitter Créme Gel with brush, 5 sponges, 16 Tattoos, 72 Stickers, 1 How To Poster with 12 different face with full instructions and 5 outlining Makeup crayons. This is one example of face-painting-kit.

There are a lot many face-painting kits that are theme based such as Supporter Face Painting Kit, Wicked Witch Kit, Pretty Princess Kit, Pirate Face Painting Kit, Little Devil Kit, Leopard and Lion Face Kit, Horror Wound Kit, Ghastly Ghost and Skull Face Painting Kit, Fiery Pumpkin and Tiger Face Painting Kit, Dizzy Dogs Kit, Deadly Dracula Kit, Circus Clown Face Painting Kit, Camouflage Face Kit, Butterfly Kit, Birthday party kits and Professional face-painting-kits. You can choose the one that is needed according to the party or fair.

Source : Ezinearticles

Marine Art - Eternal Beauty For Home Decor

If you desire to hand amazing paintings on your home walls or if you are looking for ideal gift then marine art is the answer. Marine paintings are considered as a timeless representation, which are capable to make a difference in every home décor. Any such painting could as well be rich in dear meaning and you must purchase such a gift particularly if you have bought a new property. However, you need to be very careful when selecting a particular marine art. Buying such art paintings could be the perfect selection if you are hunting for an idea gift too. Such arts are made to express your gratitude and affection without being actually obvious.

In fact, paintings are eternal beauty and you must think of this when locating for the wonderful gift. You require doing no much further as you can go with the online provider, which has everything you require ordering to buy the suitable marine painting, which would make the party's day. On the other hand, if you are desire to have your own panels' painting then you would need to learn how to manage it. Managing and handling the marine art painting could be quite tricky if you don't pay adequate attention.

Truly, such a painting must be managed with immense care and as minute as you could. Meaning, you would have to ensure that your hands are fresh; you should wash your hands before touching the marine paining so as to guard its colors and construction. Your hands must as well be free of creams or any grease in turn not to change the actual painting. You should not lift your painting with just bare fingers; you should further not touch the surface as well of the painting. As a result, you must make use of cloves so as to defend the tissue of the art. In addition, colors are to be secluded and you might do this by using special gloves available in market. You must as well defend your paintings from straight sunlight; the paintings are capable of fading out particularly if they are uncovered to direct and sturdy sunlight.

The marine paintings are very useful for various home decorative purposes; they could in fact be used as a well-built reminder of particular occasions or friends. For example, the art painting could stand for the appreciation of having a stunning job. Therefore, you could also consider the marine painting as the ideal gift for your boss or to any of your beloved.

Source : Ezinearticles