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Setting up Portraiture

Setting up Portraiture
 by: Chris Thomas

Introduction

Portraiture is the ‘bread and butter’ of any professional photographer. Getting it ‘right’ is essential.

I once heard a professional artist - an oil painter - describe a successful portrait as one which told you something about the subject which you did not already know! I do believe there is something in this.

30th Birthday Invitations: Previewing an Important Celebration

Before making your 30th birthday invitations, you have to understand that turning 30 is an important event. This is the period of a person's life when he or she is usually settled and has already built a career for himself or herself. Well, at least, it is as it should be. However, if you haven't established yourself career-wise or family-wise yet, turning 30 is still a reason to celebrate.

For 30th birthday invitations, the important thing is to make sure that these invites give guests an idea of how significant the event is to the person celebrating the special day. The invitations should mirror the theme and style of the party that will be held and should be catchy enough to make people want to come. Invitations, after all, are the first hurdles that you should overcome to make sure that your party is a success.

Choosing the theme
The theme of your invitations should reflect the style of the party. Whether it is a formal one or a casual dance event or an outdoor get-together, the invites should be able to tell guests what they can expect from the celebration. In choosing the design of your invitation, make sure that it depicts the nature of the birthday bash. You can choose designs based on what attracts you most, what you value most in life (your family, friends, career, etc.) and who the invitees are.

Sources of invitations
If you are a busy person, you can just print free samples of invites from the Internet or just send online cards through emails to your friends and other guests. Although this is very convenient, it will not have the same impact if you send the cards through post. If you have ample time before the party itself, sending invitations through mail will be better.

If you don't fancy searching through the Web, you can just purchase off-the-shelf invitations from stationery shops and specialty stores. This is another option that busy people can explore, although design and wording choices will not be as vast as those offered online. If you want it to be extra special and you have a knack for artistic activities, making the invitations yourself is your best option. Hand-made invitations bring a certain touch to the occasion and your guests will surely appreciate the effort you've exerted and if only for that, might be more than willing to attend the event.

Other factors that should be considered
Since it is an adult party, make sure that you give your guests enough time to prepare for it. A lot of them will likely have busy schedules and sending invites a couple of days before the actual event will be an imposition. Give them time to prepare, but also ask them to confirm whether they will attend or not. Knowing how many people will be able to make it will make the organizing job an easier one. And oh, don't forget to tell them if there is a dress code or a costume requirement, they will not appreciate it if they come to the party looking like the odd one out.

When you make 30th birthday invitations, your personal preference is an important element, but your guests' convenience should also come into play. It will be more special if your guests enjoy it as much as you do.

About the Author

Find loads of birthday invitation information and advice, articles and 30th birthday invitations at your #1 Birthday invitation resource: http://www.birthday-invite.com

Article Source: Content for Reprint

How Ham Radio Operators Enjoy Their Hobby Through Contact With People All Over The World

The most popular ways for amateur radio enthusiasts, otherwise known as ham operators, to enjoy their pastime involve contacting people over their radio sets. This hobby is virtually unlimited as radio hobbyists reach people from different countries all around the globe. They contact people from other cultures, learning about different ways that people live.

Sometimes, there are contests for radio hobbyists where the ham operators contact as many people as they can in a given amount of time. In this case, only basic information is shared. The first things the radio hobbyist will find out are the other's location and station. The zone, region, and particular place are important too. The radio operator gets this information, signs off, and moves on to another contact.

DX-ing is a way of using the radio to contact as many Distant Stations from as many parts of the world as you can. DX-ing QSO means that you are having conversations with people in these far-flung places.

DX-peditions are another way radio hobbyists use their talents. They get together and organize group efforts to contact stations that are remote or special in some other way. The region itself may be far removed from civilization. Sometimes there is travel involved, as ham operators try to reposition themselves to reach these remote stations better. Radio scanners are also used, as they can search for a strong signal.

Another part of the amateur radio pastime is acquiring QSL cards. QSL is a set of three-letter codes. The codes were set up for use with commercial radiotelegraph systems. They were then adopted by amateur radio buffs who continue to use them to this day, even though they are no longer considered essential for amateur radio.

A QSL card can be used as a proof of contact card. This means that whenever radio hobbyists contact other operators through DX-ing and DX-peditions, they can show that they have actually contacted that station. Each station that makes contact will send a QSL card by mail. This proves that contact was made.

These cards can stack up to recognition because they show how good the operator is at contacting other stations. If you want to get more awards and recognition, one way is to make contact with the most remote regions where there are few operators.

Radio hobbyists can also enjoy their pastime by banding together with others who have the same interests. Hamfests are held frequently where the family and friends of ham operators have social events to share their experiences and simply have fun. There is also room at these events for sales and exchanges of equipment.

It may be possible for some people to meet familiar ham operators at these events. In other words, they may have talked to them for years, but never before had the chance to speak face to face. It is also a good time for radio hobbyists to do some networking with operators that are new to them. Besides all this, plenty of good ham radio discussions will take place at such a meeting. It is a good time to talk about all the special aspects of the amateur radio hobby and what makes it so special.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find more about ham radio operators as well as radio accessories at http://www.nsearch.com

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Framing & Mounting Your Photos

Framing & Mounting Your Photos
 by: Chris Thomas

Introduction

I often visit friends, relatives and customers and see out of the corner of my eye un-mounted photographs laying on the sideboard or propped up against the kitchen cabinets.

And often they are very good shots.

Learn How To Tan Safely

Finally summer has arrived, the sun is warm and inviting and we can ditch that heavy clothing. It’s the season to enjoy the outdoors and enjoy that sun. But the trick is to tan safely and enjoy the sun safely.

Secret of Light and Fluffy Biscuits and Pancakes

Would you like to lose some weight — in your baking, that is? This one secret ingredient (that you likely already have in your kitchen) is not only inexpensive and healthy, it’ll also add a bit of “cloud” to your biscuits and pancakes!

And that ingredient is … Oatmeal!

Food Intolerance

Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten and suspect they have a "food allergy". However, only 2?5% of adults and 2?8% of children are truly "allergic" to certain foods. The remainder of people may be experiencing food intolerance, or food sensitivity, rather than true food allergy.

Wild Flower Garden - Make Amends…Your Plants Will Love It

A wild flower garden, just like any garden you wish to plant, requires good quality soil that will meet the needs of the plants you put in it. That means that your garden soil may need some amendment. So why do you need to amend the soil and how do you do it?

Public Awareness of Conflict Diamonds Increases - What You Must Know About This Important Issue

Both Hollywood and the rap industry are promoting a diamond term more serious than "ice" or "bling." In a world where looks are everything, and the jewelry worn by a star is envied and emulated by peers and fans alike, a movement is emerging that raises awareness of a serious issue ? the importation of conflict diamonds.

Out of Pocket - Collecting Pocket Knives

Pocket knives (that are sometimes referred to as Jack Knives, Pen Knives, Folding Knives or Multi-Blades) have been manufactured commercially in America since about the middle 19th century.

Different Blades Today -

The blades themselves are pretty much the same as they were then, with slight variations depending on where you find your knife. Two different finishes were used on older knife blades, glaze and crocus. A glaze finish, the abrasive glued onto the final polishing wheel so that the edges and lines look clean. Inexpensive blades are polished by drum tumbling, which produces a very respectable looking finish that is almost impossible to fake.

Glaze Finishes -

For a glaze finish, the abrasive glued onto the final polishing wheel was of a very fine powdered emery. A true glaze finish, sometimes called a 'blue glaze', looks like a series of very fine, even parallel lines at right angles to the main cutting edge of the blade. There are collectors and dealers who fail to recognize this as an original finish and insist on buffing it out.

Crocus Finish -

For the crocus finish, the abrasive on the final wheel was crocus of iron, an extremely fine-powdered iron oxide. A crocus polish is known as a mirror finish. It's smooth and shiny and shows undistorted reflections. By contrast, a rag wheel polish yields a wavy surface and distorted reflections.

Don't Be Fooled -

To avoid being fooled by a reworked knife, it's important to understand that no old-time commercial knife factory ever used rag buffing wheels. An old knife blade or handle that shows the softened edges and slightly wavy surface produced by rag wheel buffing has certainly been reworked.

The glaze finish was standard on all low-priced knives, including most plain jack knives and a crocus polish was sometimes used all around on the very finest pearl-handled dress knives, often referred to as "Sunday go-to-meetin' knives".

Collecting Pocket Knives -

If you are hoping to be a serious collector, it is essential that you learn to recognize authentic crocus and glaze finishes. An experienced dealer or collector could show you the difference. A picture on the Internet or in a book will only take you so far in knowing what the difference between a real and a fake pocket knife is and what it will do to your collection.

There are many different handle materials to choose from for your pocket knives. The most popular is the pearl or mother-of-pearl handle, which is made from the inner lining of certain mollusk shells. A similar one is the abalone shell which is made from the inner lining of a gastropod shell.

What Handles are Made of -

Now on the endangered list and are not supposed to be hunted, ivory handles are hard to come by. There are faux ivory handles available. Walrus ivory, because of its crystalline appearing core, is only popular with handmade knives and is also rare a find, mostly in Alaska and the Russian Arctic.

Tortoise shell, Black Buffalo horn, and Gray or Green Buffalo horns all make beautiful handles and are a little easier to come by than the ivory.

A Genuine Stag is by far the most common pocket knife handle there is, cut of deer or other animal antlers. Sometimes the color is enhanced with dye, which can give off an orange hue.

The shin bone of cattle makes a Smooth White Bone and can be readily distinguished from ivory by its many tiny pores and lack of grain.

Cheap Handles -

Hard rubber is not usually used on pocket knives and celluloid is probably the cheapest and most often used today to cut the cost of pocket knives down. Celluloid was the first molded synthetic plastic, and can be made in many colors. It can also be fabricated to simulate most natural materials, including ivory, horn, pearl, tortoise shell and wood. This amazing celluloid can also be made transparent to cover photographs laid on the pocketknife, such as an Indian warrior or a hunting dog.

The recent sharp increase in prices for antique pocketknives, as well as other antique knives, has made clever counterfeiting a profitable business.

Counterfeit Knives -

The majority of counterfeit knives are real knives; however there are some knives that aren't even knives at all! Their blades have never seen heat, their edges never sharpened. Nonetheless, counterfeit knives are all about the markings, the finish and the handle materials. Remember, a low-quality knife with a high-quality name or marking is almost always a fake.

There are many sources, such as books, magazines and the Internet which will show you the real McCoy verses the counterfeit pocket knives. Caution and skepticism should be your tools when beginning and maintaining your collection of pocket knives, but they should not ruin your enjoyment of this fascinating hobby.

About the Author

William "Cole" Doggett is a knife expert and owns an Internet knife shop, Knife Supply Company, LLC at Pocket Knife | Hunting Knife | SOG Knife. His website is devoted to all things pocket knives, swords, kitchen cutlery, sharpeners, machetes and a wealth of information. Stop by! Check out the Fighting Knife Blog | Collectible Knife for knife reviews and much more.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

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