Doing Food Photography Differently

By Julie Wong

Taking food photos is an artform. It takes a lot of experience to get it right. Non-the-less here are some simple tips to help.

Light

The first important technique food photographers should learn is about lighting. When photographing food you should treat it as you would any other kind of subject and make sure it is lit correctly. Many pictures can be improved by using adequate lighting. Natural light is the best light source to use, so by a window is an ideal location. Natural light cuts out the shadows, and gives the food a more natural look which all food photographers want.

Props

With food photography props often save the day. The reason restaurants use big and fancy plates to serve food on is because we eat first with our eyes! Choosing the right props for a food shot is imperative. Get it right - masterpiece. Get it wrong - roll up your sleeves and start again.

If you do a lot of food photography then shopping at second hand markets can be a great way to build your box of props. You can pick up expensive items like large pots and dishes and vases for a few dollars and a smile. If you do not do much then you may have to go shopping for what you need and bill the client!

Be Fast

Unfortunately food won't stay appealing for very long. As a food photographer you will want to be well prepared and ready to shoot your picture as soon as the dish is finished. This will give it no time to melt, collapse or lose its color. So knowing what you want the picture to turn out like will help you to prepare for the photo. One way food photographers prepare is to have everything arranged before the food is finished. By placing a temporary stand-in plate is an excellent way to get the lighting right, and when the food is finished you switch it with the finished dish and your picture is ready to be taken.

Instant way to improve your photos

One simple way is to simply use a light high quality vegetable oil and brush it on the food! This will create a high quality shiny finish that we love to see on food.

Work with the chef

You will usually be working with a food professional be it a stylist or chef. Hopefully you are not on a low budget shoot and have to do the displays yourself.

Take a few minutes before the shoot to talk with the chef and ask them how they like to work. Ask them if there is anything you need to know about the food that may not be obvious. If nothing else this will make them feel good so you will then be able to work closer and better together.

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Preparing A Photographer For Your Wedding Day

By Franz Patel

Getting your wedding ready can be overwhelming, and selecting the perfect wedding photographer is a huge part of the planning. Check out the work of several photographers before choosing one who seems a good fit with your style and vision of how you'd like your wedding represented.

(1) Inspect the photography closely.

When it comes to picking a wedding photographer, the main thing is what kind of pictures they take! Are the photos likeable: when looking at their work, be honest. What is your opinion of the layout, design, and construction of the album? Are all of the photos focused with colors clear and bright?

2. Investigate The Studio

Request the name of the photographer who is taking pictures at your wedding (since larger studios have several photographers), and check their portfolio. Another alternative is a photographer who is not as big in the business. Typically, you know who to expect, and you're familiar with their work from their display photographs, and the quality of their service might be better when you work with a single person.

3. Planning your Photographic Requirements.

When you locate the professional wedding photographer you want, you should schedule a meeting to discuss the photos you want taken and to plan the photo sessions. It's worth it to plan ahead, because on the big day the photos will look more relaxed and beautiful. When you schedule things, you give yourself enough time to meet all of your goals like a slow paced photo shoot with flattering light.

Take time to talk with your photographer about the amount of coverage you want for your wedding day. There are 4 portions of the day for photography -- pre-wedding, ceremony, organized shots, and of course the reception.

After signing a contract with the wedding photographer, you can relax and have a good time at your wedding.

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Growing Plants From Diminishing Heat

By Thomas Fryd

August, to the farmers throughout the South of Mid-America, means that crops are "laid by," and the time for taking it easy has arrived. This is true to a large extent of the gardener, also. Much of the hottest part of the summer has passed, and only a few more days of extreme temperatures will remain to sear the garden flowers.

Actually, plants undergo a physiological change and begin a resurge of growth for fall bloom. Many annuals or seasonal color plants have made their contributions and passed on. Others will be making their last efforts to reproduce themselves. Nature forms the flower on a plant for the sole purpose of attempting to reproduce its kind.

Some of the attempts never succeed, but the flower that is produced does reward the gardener who provides the cultural requirements for the plant. This attempt at reproduction is the reason why lawn grasses are all throwing out unsightly seed heads, and why late planted annuals will bloom on short or under-sized plants. This natural phenomenon makes it possible to have a splash of color in gardens until frost curtails all visible activity in the garden.

Iris in August is a very important month for the bearded iris throughout most of the South. Most new plantings begun in July can be continued during August. August is also a good time to divide and reset the old clumps. Many gardeners divide and reset approximately two weeks after flowering has ceased. Others wait until August and do all of this work at one time.

The foliage should be cut on a slant into fans four to six inches above the rhizome, and all faded or dried leaves should be completely removed. Dig the rhizomes out and remove all the soil either by shaking or washing. Cut away the old corky rhizomes with a sharp knife and dust the exposed area with lime, which will cause this cut to sear over as a precaution against soft rot. By horticultural standards one healthy "fan" is necessary for each rhizome, but actually two or three "fans" will insure more bloom the first season.

With more moisture present throughout the South, soft rot will appear in many plantings of irises. This fungus disease is most destructive and difficult to control. It is sure to be present where irises have been planted too deep, or where there is poor circulation of air. A precautionary measure is to soak the rhizomes in a fungicide 30 minutes before planting.

When this fungus disease is discovered in the iris, the rhizomes must be dug immediately. You can either prune roots or cut all of the diseased portion cut away. Underground root-pruning may follow or the remaining parts should be thoroughly dried, dusted with lime or other drying agent, and treated with a fungicide. If possible, these should be replanted in another area of the garden. The soil where the diseased plants were growing should be discarded to prevent further spread of the disease. The matured fungus bodies are very tough, and resist many treatments that will kill other types of fungi.

As a general rule, irises are not susceptible to a great number of pests, but many are influenced by weather conditions and excessive moisture can cause infestations of all kinds. The wise gardener will be on the lookout for these following periods of excessively wet weather.

About the Author:

Join Thomas Fryd at http://www.plant-care.com as he continues to explore more effective ways on prune roots.

Opening Your First Restaurant

By Cody Scholberg

A lot of you readers are bound to be talented in the kitchen. It is likely that several people in your life enjoy this food. Don't you think, then, that other people will enjoy it, too? You should start a restaurant!

Don't ninety-percent of restaurants go out of business?

Certainly they do. Of course they do! They're started by great chefs, too! And, that is the problem. Why? A restaurant cannot be started by a great chef alone; it must be started by a great businessman.

Haven't you ever noticed that large restaurant chains often have food that is "just okay?"And, a lot of those restaurants fail, they often have great food. So, if we can learn anything from this, it's that improving the taste of your food is not the way to improve your restaurants.

Don't make the same mistakes other restaurant owners make when starting your restaurant; improving the taste of your food is not the only thing you need to worry about.

If you already feel that your food is tasty enough to belong in a restaurant, then your food is tasty enough to belong in a restaurant. Forget the food. Move on to the rest of the business.

There are many pieces of a restaurant; food is just one small one. To start building the other pieces, you should learn some accounting; you don't have to be an expert, just get a basic grasp. You might think that you can hire a bookkeeper, instead. However, you're better off doing it yourself while you have limited funds; there are other, more difficult things you should hire out.

You'll try to do most, or as many of the jobs in your restaurant as you can. The more jobs you do, the more money can be put back into your company. Eventually, however, you will hire out the work you are doing. For now, though, do as much as you can.

Next is inventory. Keeping track of everything in your restaurant is important! If you run it like your home kitchen, your restaurant will function, yes. However, it won't be able to grow much bigger than your kitchen. Make everything systematic. Write everything down.

Eventually, you will have an employee doing inventory; you need instructions written down so that they know what to do. The lack of structure in a restaurant is the primary cause of failure. A tall building cannot be built with a weak structure. Likewise, your restaurant cannot be built with one.

You can't expect people to just know about your restaurant and where it is. You have to inform them; you must advertise. Put an ad in the newspaper. Put a commercial on the local radio (if you can afford it). Stay away from television for now; it costs too much to be worth it for your small restaurant.

You simply must put systems in place. All the areas we talked about need their own system. Restaurants cannot grow without organized, solid systems. Sure, it will survive without them, but it won't grow. It must have a strong foundation.

Weak systems are analogous to cracks in a foundation for a building. The larger the building gets, the more pressure is put on those cracks. Eventually, the cracks will be so large the building will collapse. With a strong foundation, however, the building can be very large. Be sure your systems are strong!

About the Author:

Cody Scholberg is a recognized expert on entrepreneurship and writes for Many Money Making Ideas, a site dedicated to bringing you the best information on how to succeed in business. If you have a small budget, learn how to create a financial empire with smoothies.

Get Rid Of Weed With Regular Fertilizer

By Keith Markensen

In the Western June garden, midway in the growing season, color abounds from almost every corner. Even the hard hit northwestern cities and towns, which reeled under the untimely November and December freezes, are coming back strongly.

From now on it is mainly a job of maintenance rather than planting. Mowing the lawn, watering and weeding the garden, pruning of spring flowering shrubs these are the jobs to be done now.

Annuals to sow: In the Pacific Northwest and Northern California lots of annuals can still be started from seed. If seed is sown now in the Southwest, and particularly in the hot sections of Arizona, the rows will need protection from the heat. Peatmoss serves as a perfect insulator in this case.

No matter where you are starting seeds in the West this month, be sure to provide them with a loose, porous soil. Some of the best annuals to sow are zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, portulaca, cosmos, salvia, cockscomb and sweet alyssum. All thrive in spite of hot weather. They will be dependable replacements for the bare spots in the spring border.

What to fertilize: It is a well-known fact that lawns are able to resist weed invasion when fertilized regularly, so give the lawn a late spring feeding. Annuals, vegetables and potted plants such as fuchsias and tuberous begonias prefer mild feedings twice a month rather than heavier, infrequent doses. The important acid-loving shrubs like camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons are ready for another feeding.

Pinching back plants: Pinch back annuals, perennials and even evergreen shrubs and trees to induce bushier growth. Some authorities declare that this type of summer nipping, with mere thumb and forefingers, accomplishes more than a major fall pruning job. Dont let the faded flowers remain on annuals. This is the quickest way to end their blooming season.

Pest control: The sod web worm is the number #1 pest in June; it is even worse than the ever-present aphid. Dont wait until brown areas appear in the turf; instead apply a preventive dose of control at once... check with the local garden center or county agent for the control methods. This is one case where it really pays to spray for protection rather than to wait for trouble.

As always, aphids, red spider mites on gardens and other mites on houseplants should be sprayed every ten to fourteen days. Also watch the roses, spraying them with a combination insecticide-fungicide once a week. If you can keep the foliage healthy and clean through the summer months, prize blooms will be enjoyed for many more months. Spray with a good combination insecticide-fungicide every week.

Tasty vegetables. from your garden: Warm weather makes it possible to enjoy quick tasty crops from tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, squash and beans. There is still time to sow the seed in the open ground.

Subtropicals: In the warm areas of the West, where subtropicals can be enjoyed outdoors, hibiscus, bougainvilleas and other showy items can be set out. Now is a good time to select hibiscus, for most varieties are in full bloom.

Versatile fuchsias: It would not be difficult to plan an interesting garden devoted entirely to fuchsias. Many amateur hobbyists have already proven this.

There are compact, dwarf varieties for pots; trailing kinds for baskets; and strong, tall growers for hedges and pillars. A few are even low enough for rock gardens.

Near the beach areas fuchsias can take full sun, but usually a northern exposure is best. Fuchsias revel in morning sun but prefer protection from midday on. An acid soil to which generous amounts of sphagnum moss have been added will suit them beautifully.

About the Author:

We've created an outstanding resource for you on the topic of mites on houseplants. Visit us at http://www.plant-care.com/spider-mites-on-houseplants-how-can-you-tell.html.

Foods That Keep You Young

By Dr. Mathias Wikenslop

A study done by scientist for the USDA to determine foods that contained the highest level of antioxidants found that the acai berry, artichokes, and beans had the highest levels recorded.

It was also confirmed that already well-known high antioxidant foods such as cranberries and blueberries--the researchers also found that Russet potatoes, pecans and even cinnamon are all excellent--although lesser-known, sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants are thought to fight cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's.

"The bottom line is the same: eat more fruits and veggies," says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., a chemist and nutritionist with the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark., and lead author of the study. "This study confirms that those foods are full of benefits, particularly those with higher levels of antioxidants. Nuts and spices are also good sources."

The new study is more complete more accurate than previous USDA antioxidant data and includes more foods than the previous study as high tech equipment was used by the researchers. They analyzed antioxidant levels in over 100 different foods, including fruits and vegetables--the new study also includes data on spices and nuts for the first time.

The foods were analyzed and measured for the concentration levels of antioxidants and the capacity per serving of the antioxidants. Research showed the top fruits were the acai berry, cranberries, blueberries, and black berries. The highest levels found in the nut category were walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans--Russet potatoes, beans, and artichokes were found to have the highest level antioxidant concentration in the vegetable category.

ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and oregano were found to have high amounts of antioxidants. Spices are usually consumed in small amounts, even though many are high in antioxidants.

A study such as this proves very helpful for those looking to increase their antioxidant intake in their foods. However, caution must still be applied as foods that are high in antioxidants does not equate into health benefits--that process is determined by how the body absorbs and utilizes the antioxidant rich foods.

The government currently has no guidelines for how people should consume antioxidants as part of their daily diet--this is the same dilemma with vitamins and minerals. One big problem is the lack of continuity amongst researchers.

It is encouraged for the time being to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables that have a high concentration of amino acids like acai berry.

About the Author:

For the past 25 years,Dr. Mathias Wikenslop has been looking into all of the beneficial results of the acai berry. He has a detailed acai benefits website where he explains about the best acai berry products on the market today. He also has a acai benefits website that has freeinformation on everything that is related to the acai berry

Teeth Whitening at Home

By Justin Kennedy

Having bad teeth isn't something many people enjoy. When your teeth are yellow they seem to take away the beauty of your face and you will probably notice that people will stare at your teeth when they talk to you instead of looking into your eyes. Yellow teeth don't do anyone any good, so what can you do about it? You brush your teeth everyday and that's about it, but what you don't know is that you can do teeth whitening at home if you want to.

You don't have to spend a lot of money by going to the dentist and having the laser treatment done. All you have to do is get the treatment products from the pharmacy as they are available over-the-counter. There are many different ones for you to choose from so you will do so according to the effectiveness, price and features of the product.

It is more affordable to do your teeth whitening at home. You can do it in your own time and in the comfort of your own home, and you don't have to worry about anyone watching you. There is the normal gel that is used like the dentists use, but then there is also the White Light that can be used at home to whiten your teeth.

This product works wonderfully as the light together with the gel is able to rapidly remove certain surface stains as well as being able to go deep into work on removing the stains that are already embedded. It is perfect for any type of stains, some of which include those caused by aging, caffeine, smoking, red wine, and more.

The White Light can be used any time and any where. As long as you feel like you need to whiten your teeth, you can go ahead. This product makes use of the same ingredient that dentists use so that there is no harm done to your teeth during the whitening process.

Most people would agree that the reason why White Light is so good is because you stand to benefit from it in the same way you would benefit from laser treatment, but without you having to even leave your home.

Of course it goes without saying that White Light is a far cheaper alternative, considering that once you have purchased it, it's yours to keep, so you'll be able to use it has often as you want without having to pay a dentist.

Whitening your teeth at home is without a doubt better than having them done elsewhere, not to mention the fact that you can use White Light on other members of the household as well. Lastly but not least, it's crucial for you to follow the instructions provided so if they tell you to do your teeth daily for the next 30 days, then you should do exactly that, without missing out a few days in between. Remember, the instructions have been included for a reason so that you can enjoy the best possible results.

About the Author:

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About Fendi Eyewear

By Lee Reid

Fendi Eyewear is known as being very stylish, sporty and totally beautiful. Their vision can be seen in their latest collection that is available in stores.

There are companies that make excellent quality sunglasses, such as YSL Eyewear, Prada Eyewear, Gucci Eyewear and Cazal Eyewear.

When thinking about the points of price, durability, quality and craftsmanship, I would say that eyewear by Fendi a great value for the price. Their eyewear is in high demand top musicians, singers, Hollywood actors and those who truly appreciate the best in fashion.

The models that are in high demand are Fendi Sunglasses model FS 1009, Fendi Sunglasses model FS 279, Fendi Sunglasses model FS 387, and my personal favorite, Fendi Sunglasses model FS 419.

You can find web shops that have deals that are almost always better than those found at your neighborhood shopping mall. When it is time for you to buy, I suggest that you take a few minutes and do a look up on the net first.

Searching on the net allows you the opportunity to easily compare prices, so you can be sure that you are getting the best possible deal for your money.

One of the benefits of net shopping is that you can locate those hard to find or even rare models of eyewear from Fendi that are not available in your area.

Prices And Information For Fendi Eyewear:

If you are thinking about buying them at your town's designer fashion boutique or a department store, you should expect to pay around $205 or more, depending upon the particular model. For web shoppers, values can be found on the net for up to 50% off of retail.

About The Fendi Company:

The Fendi brand is a privately held company that is a subsidiary of LMVH Moet Hennesy Louis Vuitton Group. It is based in Rome, Italy and was founded in 1925 by Adele Casagrande. The company specializes in high fashion retail goods including clothing for men and women, home and beauty products, gifts, fragrance and luxury accessories offered in their boutiques and department stores located in major cities all over the world.

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