Arts and Photography tips and guide

In this modern time, online businesses are getting common. For many of them, owning internet-based business is considered a realistic way in achieving financial freedom and they do this by utilizing the digital lifestyle design. However, having an online business requires substantial amount of focused efforts to achieve financial freedom and live the life you want.

There are five amazing benefits that you can get from successful digital lifestyle design and internet-based business.

• Portability - Owning an online business allows you to have an incredible flexibility when it comes to not being attached to one location. Whether you take this advantage or not, you still have a choice as to where you will set up an office.

• Anything Goes - Unlike in traditional work setting where everything is fix, working online allows you to do and explore other things. It means that aside from financial freedom, digital lifestyle design also allows you to express your own thoughts and ideas. Therefore, if you are more unique, it will be easier for you to be acknowledged. This also works to different strategies that you use in order for your business to grow and if it is working, grasp it. Taking risk in digital lifestyle design is acceptable because financial investment is not that high compared to traditional businesses.

• Income Potential - Everyone knows that the amount of effort that you give is directly proportional to the success level that you achieve. However, the potential income online is said to be unlimited. Your business can become profitable by adapting digital lifestyle design properly, accessing to universal audience as well as utilizing several modern technologies for advertising purposes.

• Flexible Hours - It does not mean that the needed time for you to work is lesser but you have the option to work at your preferred time. This is one of the good things in digital lifestyle design because your work schedule will adapt to your lifestyle.

• Minor Obstruction of Entry - To start a business online, the financial requirement is typically lesser compared to other kinds of businesses. In many cases of digital lifestyle design, there is only little inventory or none at all and physical structures are not required. This eliminates or lowers any obstructions of entry, thus allowing more individuals to follow their dreams and the kind of life they desire.

Digital lifestyle design and working online helps you to live the dream you are yearning for. As long as you put a big effort on it, success will surely come your way.

Author Bio:

Making your dreams into reality is the primary goal of DreamPushers. Helping you to have your own online business through their cutting edge Digital Design, latest Digital Design and anything that you need to start your dream business.

If you have any online business ideas or strategy please don't hesitate to share it with us.

Sharing is good people!

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Seen working with a high end DSLR, I am often asked for my advice on camera choice. The question is something like, "Ah I'm thinking of getting a new camera. What would you suggest is a good one to get?" This is what they say but what they actually mean is, "Wow, I love the look of that camera. You obviously think it's the right one to get. Tell me why I should get one just like that and more importantly, how I can justify the expense to my wife!"

Now before I go any further I should probably explain that as far as I'm concerned, there are two types of photographer. I mention this as an observation without judgement but it seems to hold true. There is the guy who wants the best 'gadget' he can afford. He is dazzled by brands and the most expensive is obviously the most impressive. He can reel off impressive specs as if he's playing trump cards. For him there is only one brand of camera worth buying - everything else is rubbish and all the people who know what they're doing use the same brand as him. The other kind is interested in pictures. He wants quality equipment because it gets the best results. I am very firmly in this second camp. I have some really good equipment but am not quoting brands because as far as I'm concerned the other major producers, produce some really good quality equipment. My only question is, when I show you a picture can you tell which camera I used? Quality is essential but brand loyalty is a matter of personal preference and the only reason I stay with the make I prefer is compatibility with existing equipment and familiarity of use.

So back to the enquiry generated by my dazzling high end DSLR. My question is, "what do you want to do with it?" This usually causes my inquisitor to stumble for a second. He never expects there to be any consideration further than justifying why he wants a camera like mine! After a brief consideration he finds his feet again and explains that he's always been interested in photography and wants to be able to take some nice pictures when he's on holiday or out for the day with the family. He is usually disappointed when I tell him that for those sorts of occasions I have a small but rather good quality digital compact. The potential for high quality images is not anywhere near my high end DSLR but it fits in my pocket. The small compact fits in my pocket so for a family day out it is not the significant burden that a DSLR is. The small compact will take nice family pictures and it's far better to have a camera that's in your pocket and takes pictures to look back on, than a burdensome camera that takes far better pictures if only you'd taken it with you.

If you want to walk 'round with 'a badge' then buy the most expensive you can afford but if you want pictures whilst you're out for a fun day, buy something you'll actually take with you!

Show off your new products, make a special announcement or remember your event with quality images. Contact David Stares at david@davidstaresphotography.co.uk to find out how we can deliver the images you dream of.

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The way you choose to display your photos within your home has the power to transform a space. There are many options available when selecting sizes for your prints so it's important to understand the impact they can have on a space.

The first important consideration to make is the size of the room and wall space available, and what your intent is. Print sizes can alter the perceived size of a room. Large wall art placed in a small room can make the room appear to be smaller than it is as the art piece will dominate the room. Selecting smaller prints either spread throughout or in cluster formation will be less overwhelming in a smaller space.

In a bigger space, large art works can help fill walls, and smaller prints may appear lost if not placed well. Placed in cluster formations throughout the space will prevent them from appearing lost, create detail within a vast space, and also draw the view through a particular route in the room. A single large piece toward the back of a vast area can also draw the eye through the space.

As well as room size, also take into consideration other furniture and art in the area. Minimalist may want to keep that theme going with a large piece, or use the portraits to juxtapose with a cluster of smaller prints. When selecting larger sizes, choose a size approximately two-thirds or 75% of the width of furniture directly underneath it (e.g. bed, couch, table) to create balance.

It is also important to create balance when selecting sizes for a grouping or clustering of smaller images to create overall harmony within the display. Keep varying sizes to a minimum without any of the larger sizes dominating the overall appearance of the cluster. Symmetry of sizes in the placement on the wall can also assist in creating balance.

Another key element, often overlooked when selecting print sizes, is the products used to display your prints. When framed, the molding as well as the matt surrounding the print can add a significant increase to the size of the final piece so it is important to take this into account when making your selections. Gallery-wrapped canvases and acrylic mounts are displayed with the image spanning edge to edge, not adding any increase to the final size. Keep this in mind.

The size of the walls, furniture and the room itself, as well as the display of the images you choose, all need to be taken into consideration when selecting print sizes of your portraits, as they can greatly impact the way your images and the space they are in are viewed.

Fiona Rogerson from Evoke Art Photography is a baby photographer in Perth, dedicated to create art that will speak uniquely to you. Evoke Art Photography is a baby photographer, and will ensure that every wonderful emotion from those fleeting moments in your baby's early days will remain with you each and every time that you see your images up on your wall. View Fiona's baby photography at http://www.evokeartphotography.com.au/

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Lots of professional photographers are now looking to use printed or engraved USB memory sticks to promote their business or to use them as a convenient and attractive way of distributing their client portfolios. Even relatively small capacity USB sticks (4GB) allow photographers to make hundreds of photographs available to their clients without the hassle of printing them. This of course also gives the client the flexibility of printing their favourite shots and/or sharing them with their friends and family on social networking sites like Facebook and Google+

There are lots of "standard" USB memory sticks available from companies like Kingston and Lexar and whilst they'll do the job they won't exactly make anyone's heart miss a beat when if they are given their wedding or family portfolios on one of them! Great photographs work on an emotional level so if you are going to use USB sticks it's best to use one that looks as though some care and thought has gone into its choice, use one that reflects your own style and approach and works in harmony with your photographs and your typical clients.

Lots of wedding and "people" photographers seem to choose wooden USB sticks because they look great engraved or printed, they're tactile and because they're made from a natural material they just seem to work really well. Other popular choices include top end metal or leather USB sticks - the reality is if you're handing out a portfolio that you've taken great care to shoot and edit then you want to hand it out on a classy looking USB stick that helps underpin what you stand for as a photographer - "bog standard" USB drives you pick up at Tesco's or PC World just won't cut it in a highly competitive market where reputations are hard fought for but easily lost.

When shopping for printed or engraved USB memory sticks here are some basic tips to help you:

1. Buy a product that is fit for purpose - the vast majority of USB memory sticks suppliers are mainly selling them to companies that give will them away at trade shows and exhibitions or they might be handed out by their sales team.

The typical read/write speeds of these "promotional USB sticks" is usually little more than 2MB per second (write) and 4MB per second (read). This is fine if they are just being data loaded with a couple of PDF sales brochures but, if you're a professional photographer you may need to get USB sticks with better (upgraded) flash memory and better controller chips. If you don't then be prepared to spend several hours copying your photographs onto each USB stick.

2. Find a supplier that is well established, understands the market and works with professional photographers already - any supplier you work with should not only be able to offer higher a range of photographer specific solutions but they should be able to talk you through the best way to package your USB sticks.

3. Consider using USB 3.0 sticks. These have read write speed of around 50MB - 100MB per second so they are very, very fast! They will cost more than equivalent USB 2.0 sticks and to take advantage of the speeds they offer you'll need a PC or Mac that is equipped with USB 3.0 USB ports. Even if your clients only have USB 2.0 PC's or Macs the sticks will still work, they'll just work at USB 2.0 speeds. The real benefit is the time you'll save loading the images onto the sticks.

4. Get Mock Ups - Get your supplier to work up various mock-ups and examples for you. Again, a good supplier will have an in-house design team and they should be able to suggest and illustrate a number of options that will work with your brand or logo. Don't pay for this. Mock-ups should be free and will not (should not) bind you to placing an order.

5. Don't forget the packaging - the style and type of box you choose can help lift the overall impact your USB sticks make when you hand them over to your client. Printed or engraved boxes are relatively inexpensive providing they are purchased with your USB sticks so make sure to ask about the available options.

Phil is part of the team at USB2U. USB2U is a specialist supplier of Branded and Promotional USB Memory Sticks. We offer fast turnaround times, excellent advice and support and free design and mock-ups. If you are considering Branded Memory Sticks or want custom USB memory sticks then please contact us - we 'd be delighted to hear from you.

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Today's still life photography tips and techniques article (Part 2) will begin our study of still life photography in earnest! We will start with a discussion of still life photography ideas at home rather than found still life subjects.

In Part 1, I mentioned that there are two major areas of still life photos - created and found. Found still life photos employ the same still life photography tips and techniques, you just "find" them naturally rather than construct them. So, all the "created" still life photography ideas will translate well.

Our first decision is clearly going to be - "What should I shoot?"

One major benefit of the still life photo is that you CAN create absolutely amazing photos whenever you want! It is a learned skill rather than (like in landscape and cityscape photos) requiring you to be in the right place at the right time.

Forget crawling out of bed before dawn to get the right light! Heck, with still life photography, you can shoot at midnight!

Your choice of subject matter is going to determine everything else that follows, so it is an important one.

Every subject of every still life photo has some sort of appealing feature. It might be the shape, or possibly its color. Sometimes it is the object's function, its texture and so forth. There is SOMETHING interesting!

As an artist, it is your job to figure out what that something is.

Or, if you just can't find an intrinsic "interest factor" you need to create one with lighting or positioning and so on. Of course the goal is to do both.

Side note: Most photographers do not get close enough! Make sure your still life fills the frame!

When you are searching for still life photography ideas at home, here is a challenge that can help improve your creative "eye"... Pick an object that appears to have no photo appeal at all! Then set up a still life photo using it and keep working it until you find a way to make a stunning photo!

Try showing the entire object in the frame - then move closer and show only a part of it. Try getting even closer and do a micro close-up. Try positioning it at various angles, try different lighting patterns and colors, different backgrounds. Keep going until you have a shot that you are proud of! Then pick something else and do it again!

It's hard - and probably the most rewarding exercise you can do!

If you stop to think of it, basically all the product ads you see in magazines are really nothing but a still life photo. And let's face it; a lot of those products aren't exactly photogenic!

The difference between working in the mall as a salesperson in a shoe store, and working as a million dollar a year photographer - could be as simple as your ability to make a shoe look good in a photo!

When selecting your subject matter, I suggest you start with one item. Every additional factor in your set geometrically adds to the problems you need to solve and you will improve faster if you start off simply and build on your skills and successes.

Another area to avoid in your first few photos is a reflective surface. Reflective surfaces create another whole set of issues we will be covering in future articles.

When you are selecting multiple objects, they all need to work together in some sort of common theme. You should be making selections of similar shapes, or colors, textures, uses... whatever.

There are an unlimited number of artistic choices, but the first is to make sure all the factors in your still life tie in to a common theme.

Today's still life photography tips and techniques assignment is to start your search for still life photography ideas at home. Pick a few objects and start considering how you would like to shoot them - to accent their respective features.

To learn more and enroll in a FREE "photo tips" course, go to: http://OnTargetPhotoTraining.com/PhotoTips

Bonus... You will also get YOUR free copy of "7 Secrets To Stunning Photos!" AND you'll get a FREE daily photo tips newsletter! Check it out right now while you are thinking about it!

Dan Eitreim has been a professional photographer in Southern California for over 20 years - his data base exceeds 6000 past clients, and he says that learning photography is easy, if you know a few tried and true strategies.

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