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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:45:32 GMT
I have been to a lot of things throughout my life, many consisting of some form of art. Art is very much a part of who I am. So on the night of February 12, 2008, I got the chance to go see the East China Symphony. As you can imagine, I jumped on the offer. Oh am I glad I did. Never have I ever heard anything so wonderful, so inspirational. A wonderful blend of string, horns, and piano unlike any other I have ever heard. The night opened up with three of my good friends and me preparing for this evening, all of us equally excited. After two long hours of preparing, I was ready. My ear burned from the hair straightener, but none the less, dressed for the occasion. We arrive just in time to buy the last four tickets! Incredible luck, it felt like I was just suppose to be there. We filed into the auditorium and quickly found our seats, mine being J 40, on my right Liz sat, and on my left Jay. Quickly the auditorium fell silent, and the conductor with all his grandeur came out, oh what a sight! Within moments my reality was shattered, I was placed in the far reaches of my imagination. The music taking on a life of its own. The first piece I will never forget, a simple, yet very elegant, flight and chase piece. Closing my eyes I could clearly see a dark person running through the woods, only being chased by his own shadow. Never being able to escape, but neither being caught. Simply delightful. However it is the second that held my attention and I will forever awe over. Nearly thirty minutes long, it was definitely worth the listen. If ever there was a tragic struggle where in the end the good guy doesn't win, but neither loses, this was it. Each piece had its simple tale, but magnificent in itself. How I wish each and every one of you could have been there on this night to hear the wonders I heard.
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:46:02 GMT
Humans- If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would produce enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
- Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
- On average, a 4-year-old child asks 437 questions a day.
- The average person over fifty will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.
- Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than the rest of the day.
Animals- The only 2 animals that can see behind itself without turning it's head are the rabbit and the parrot.
- A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
- There are more chickens than people in the world.
- An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
- The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.
Food- Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
- Almonds are a member of the peach family.
- Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
- If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.
St. Patrick's Day- The first St. Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland but in Boston in 1737.
- In New York, there have been parades every year since 1766 and they tend to be the biggest St. Patrick's Day parades in the world.
- The tradition known as "drowning the shamrock" comes from the Irish superstition that if you leave a shamrock floating on the top of your drink and then drink it, you will have a year of good luck and good fortune.
- In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
- Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:46:43 GMT
Something that has seemed to be getting a lot of peoples attention is this one single video by lg15. A while back lg15 had this huge ‘season finale’ which was kind of like the whole coming out of her videos to actually be all scripted and acted out. Some people already thought this, some people thought her video blogs were real and she was actually going through these issues. But since it has become a proven fact that its now just an online fictional series, nothing has changed. She is still one of the highest viewed directors on YouTube and has tons of videos up, some that area truly interesting and well laid out. But onto this video in particular, I’m not sure if it’s the somewhat sexual innuendo of bondage and domination that some viewers are getting from this, but this video depicts a lot of strong emotions, and somewhat awkward dialogue. I think the female in this video does a wonderful job of showing strain, and some of the opening effects with the light flicker is nice. A blog that has no dialogue, people are pretty much just logging in to get their pleasure sessions in. Now, I haven’t really got in too deep about this girl, but apparently she is 21 and lives in the U.S. Now I admit, she is cute as all hell, and she has such a tiny voice (if you sift through any of her other videos) its just weird to watch sometimes. But I believe that this is the twelfth video that she has of nothingness, just my guess from the number in the title and every other one with a number I viewed had a similar scenario to it, no talking. Just watch, and be amazed! I am not reflecting on personal preferences by putting up a candidate which I believe is going to be my choice this coming November, but let's face it, YouTube and the internet has started to play a strong role in the political world. The internet has been a very hot spot this year with the election, hoping to pull in the younger community to vote and make a decision. I feel that this is a wonderful thing to see, as well as even hearing talk around me personally about this video is just amazing. Will I. Am from Black Eyed Peas released this video/ song in support of democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, hoping to show people how strong of a speaker and enthusiast that he is. But this is not the only political video circulating the internet, there are many more that are out there making influences as well. This one just holds such a strong message and is a wonderful piece of work. If you have ever watched Jimmy Kimmel Live on TV, at least a few times, I’m sure you have heard lines somewhere along, “I’m sorry Matt Damon, we have ran out of time. Maybe we can get you in next time.” Well, this has happened dozens of times, now I am not sure if he has been there each time for it, or if Jimmy is just giving him a hard time. But Matt Damon has only set foot on the stage once, only to be told that they ran out of time. He exploded after the show was over on him and walked out. And at the end of January of 2008, Jimmy got a surprise. Sarah Silvermen came on the show and laid something in his lap that he wasn’t expecting. And this is what it is… pure bliss. The funniest thing I have heard in a while, the perfect rebuttal to the numerous times Kimmel fucked over Damon. This is just amazing. For a group this large to pull of this, I just find to be amazing. The group Improv Everywhere has pulled of numerous stunts along these lines. Some being, sending a 100+ males into an Abercrombie store shirtless, 100+ people into a Best Buy wearing blue polo’s and khakis, 100’s of people pantless into the subways, and organized massive MP3 games with 100’s of participants. Most videos can be viewed by going to the director page of the link. But here, they pull of an amazing feat, 100+ standing still in Grand Central Station in NYC for 5 minutes, as people employees and others gaze and wonder what’s going on. I thought it was quite comical, maybe you thing the same?
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:49:00 GMT
I'm going to throw this out right now. The lead singer isn't that good, there is only one song in which I think he sounds good in. But, since I am reviewing them, there must be something amazing about them right? Correct. To compensate for the singers O.K. voice, their music and lyrics is phenomenal. Formed in 1999 by all vegetarians they have already released four very successful albums with a fifth due this summer. They are mainly a punk rock band but do have a few soft acoustic songs of which have been very popular and most appealing to the average person. They have had six singles ranked in the Top 100 US Modern Rock. These being: - Swing Life Away
- Life Less Frightening
- Ready to Fall
- Prayer of the Refugee
- The Good Left Undone
- Give it All
The first song "Swing Life Away" is one of their few yet amazing acoustics. It is my favorite by them, and I think the one song by them as I mentioned before where their singer sounds exceptional. The "Prayer of the Refugee" is their second most successful song. It reached #7 on the charts. It is also included in the well known video game Guitar Hero III. This song represents the true style of the band. "The Good Left Undone" was their most famous and most popular song. It attained the position of #5 on the rock charts. Very catchy rhythm, check it out. The thing I love the most about them and what everyone loves who listens to them is their music and guitar. Every song has an original unique guitar part sure to not bore you. If you look at any of their songs, the guitar will jump out at you. They are currently working on an album due Summer/Fall 2008 and judging by their past albums and how they've improved, this one will kick ass. They're not on tour at the moment, but they are playing at a concert in the UK. Download Live 08. So, check out those songs I shared with you above, give them a chance and enjoy!
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:49:34 GMT
Bark Bark Bark ( myspace.com/barkbarkbark) Jacob Alonzo Cooper of Tuscon, AZ fuses the electronic sways of Beck with noise pop reminiscent of Deerhoof and Liars to create a unique and influential texture of brat-pop indie rock. Recommended track: Tattoos Hawnay Troof ( myspace.com/hawnaytroof) Hailing from Oakland, CA and consisting entirely of Vice Cooler's spastic queercore vocal and production style, Hawnay Troof can be best and very bluntly summed up as "pop music for gays". Since the beginning of Cooler's project, there has been significant progress and development in his sound, from the hardcore workings of his "Who Likes Ta?" and "Get Up! Resolution: Love" releases, to the massive double LP "Dollar and Deed" showing off a mature and clean cut Troof while still maintain his original roots. Recommended track: Out of Teen ...music video? ( myspace.com/musicvideo) Unsigned and thriving, ...music video? is the Tucson, AZ based solo endeavor of Paul Jenkins, exploring indie rock, pop and electronica all in a single acid trip-induced dream beat. Recommended track: Tonight Aaron Ross ( myspace.com/aaronmanuelross) Not to be confused with the defensive back of the New York Giants, Aaron Ross of Grass Valley, CA is a freak folk musician well known for his new role as the vocalist for the band Hella. His solo work could be described as a complete opposite when compared to his math rock buddies, but with influences from gospel and psychedelic rock mixed in with his shrill and unique vocal whine, Ross creates a vivid blend of folk rock for the contemporary listener. Recommended track: Warlock High Places ( myspace.com/hellohighplaces) Coming from Brooklyn, NY, High Places consists of Mary Pearson and Robert Barber. Together they write and produce extremely tame and relaxed songs, revolving around Pearson's innocent sing-a-long vocals laid against an atmospheric and unique background of household objects and keyboards. Recommended track: Head Spins
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:50:06 GMT
Live music, one of my favorite releases and hopefully the same for many others. I feel that if you haven’t experienced the feeling of watching live music, you have missed out on a extremely large piece of music as a whole. Ever since I was young, I have been going to see live bands. Starting off with a music festival in Kansas City called Spiritfest, a multiple day music and spiritual festival that had numerous stages and dozens of bands. The first bands I remember seeing were Truck Stop Love, House of Large Sizes, and the Violent Femmes. Truly blissful times of my youth, and the breaking in for me to get into music. I experienced shows in bars when I was in 8th or 9th grade when I went to go see Tiger Army, Tsunami Bomb and The Damned. My first small venue show, and also the first time I crowd surfed and stage dived. I just remember being extremely happy and full of joy once I made it back to the ground, but I wanted to go right back up. Between then and now I have been to many other bar shows and enjoyed all of them just as much as the one before. When I lived in Wisconsin I also experience a lot of garage band shows and basement shows. This is what I really enjoyed, kids going out on their own to spread the love and it was a great time in my life. It wasn’t till I moved back to Kansas City that I got to experience one of the greatest live shows ever, Flogging Molly. Just the amount of energy and excitement throughout the venue just left me in awe. The music, the people around, the lights, the experience, and the feeling… not just the feeling from the effects of booze, but more than that. If you haven’t experienced live music, you should go out as soon as you can and see some, it is truly an experience and you should enjoy it as much as possible. Go with friends and just let go and connect.
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:50:34 GMT
Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits It wouldn't be too much of an overstatement to say Guns N' Roses are rock legends; Axl Rose singing lead vocals, Slash on lead guitar, Izzy Stradlin on rhythm guitar and Dizzy Reed on piano. Although Dizzy wasn't part of Guns until the album 'Use Your Illusion I,' he is still memorable. I've always liked their style of rock. Guns N' Roses are about the music, and great music at that. They aren't too heavy, they don't swear too much and generally have a good sound. Their style has been described as 'a fusion of punk rock, heavy metal and classic rock and roll,' a first-rate assessment in my opinion. The style of some of their songs are similar to Queen in a way, who are classed as 'rock'. Although Guns style is hardly a carbon copy of Queens they are similar in a way; I suppose you could class Guns N' Roses as 'updated' rock. There is a nice balance of their harder rock songs, for example 'Welcome To The Jungle' and 'You Could Be Mine' and their more thoughtful, softer songs such as 'Patience' and 'Don't Cry'. This album also includes 'November Rain' with a running time of 8:57; it's the longest song on the CD, but who cares? It's a remarkable song with a great guitar solo and an epic outro. If you like the rock and/or metal genre, you're definitely going to like this. Even if you've never listened to Guns N’ Roses before I highly recommend this album to you, it encompasses what they’re all about and shows you both sides of their music.
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:52:27 GMT
This month I decided I would like to implement a new way that the game reviews and previews are written. This should make them look a little more uniform. ----- Background Information.How does one describe N+? If you say puzzle game you would only be half correct. N+ is a port of Metanet’s stick-figure ninja called “N” a side-scrolling action/puzzler. To get a demo of what’s to be expected, this site has the download you need. It’s a freebie so I expect everyone to try it out. Graphics and Audio [4/5]Visually it’s a small improvement on the 360 compared to the freeware version. You have the ability to choose from a preset of colored ninjas, and all the pieces are a little more detailed. Since the game is an Xbox Live Arcade game, generally cheaper games, I wouldn’t expect more than a simple touch up on the textures. Although, I would have liked to have seen what they could have done with some 3D rendering. The sounds in the game are typical with what you would come to expect. From jumping to the explosions it just seems to fit. Game Play [5/5]Single Player: N+ basic run and jump puzzle, only this one is a little different. The physics engine is based around the fact that you are a ninja so you can jump higher depending on the length of time you press down on the button, your speed effects your trajectory, and you have the ability to grab walls. Gravity does have an effect though so you will not be stationary on a wall when you are grabbing it. Coins are placed around a room to increase your time while you try to get to a door located somewhere in the room. All the while you have bombs placed in strategic places and enemies, ranging from small drones to a rocket launcher that tracks your movement. Multiplayer: N+ offers up to 4 players with a variety of modes to choose from. Two of my favorites are Race and Survival. Race puts you in a set of maps that you are challenged to get to a door first. Only issue I had found was that when in multi-player and the player count is odd, the maps are a little unfair. If the map is set to separate players, two players are grouped at a time and can help each other out, while the odd guy out is stuck finishing the race alone. Survival is a little more challenging. Each group is placed into a room with ample enemies or bombs. The objective is to keep your timer going longer than the rest. Coins are placed around the room to increase your time. Replay Value [5/5]Since N+ is a timed puzzle game you always have the choice to go back and see if you could do better. It even has a leader board to see if your friends are better than you. Although most puzzle games offer some form of replay value, N+ offers a little bit more of an advantage with the map maker. Every good puzzle game should include a map maker for you to design your own obstacles and challenge your friends. N+’s map maker lets you create from the ground up everything you see in the single player. With great visuals, sound design, game play and replay value, N+ is a game just about everyone should own. Although there is some debate in my head if a price of 800 MS Points (roughly $10.00) is worth a flash port.
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:53:42 GMT
With the newly released entry level and semi-professional bodies by Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Sony, consumers are once again spoiled for choices. Canon had announced its 450D, or Digital Rebel XSi, the successor to the Digital Rebel XTi, 400D, and also the 40D. Nikon, in the other hand, introduced its first full-frame camera D3, a new semi-professional body D300, and more recently announced the entry-level D40/X replacement, the Nikon D60. Pentax also introduced its K20D and K200D, while Sony announced a whole four new cameras- A200, A300, A350 and A700. The Canon 450D is a slight improvement over the Canon 400D, which was a great camera for the entry-level market. The Canon 450D continues that mantle, and offers many new and useful features which the new photographer would appreciate. One of the features would be the Live View. While still somewhat quirky in its implementation, the Live View is a feature that many users upgrading from a compact camera would love. Coupled with a DIGIC III sensor (latest sensor from Canon), nine-point focus, a sensor-cleaning unit and a lightweight body, the Canon 450D does seem like a great camera for the beginner, but it faces great competition in the market from Nikon's D40/X and upcoming D60. The Canon 40D is meant as a contender to D80, targeting at the consumers looking for a higher-end model than the entry-level, but not quite the semi-professional yet. 40D has a higher pixel than the older 30D, a bigger screen (though from what I've seen first hand, the screen's resolution is terrible), an improved FPS (frames per second), and overall a considerable improvement over the 30D. Its high ISO performance, like all Canon cameras, are remarkable with significantly less noise than Nikon's, though that had changed with the D300 and D3. Coming from Nikon is the D60. The D60, like Canon's 450D is to 400D, is a mere slight improvement over its brother, the D40/X. Its pixel count remain the same, while gaining features like an image sensor cleaning system and an airflow control system. Interestingly though, the D60 does not include a Live View feature, unlike the 450D. I expect this to be a great blow, as consumers upgrading from a compact would most definitely take the Live View feature into one of their areas of consideration. The D300, along with D3, are the first Nikon Digital SLR camera to use a CMOS sensor instead of a CCD sensor. The benefits of a CMOS sensor is its low noise generated at high ISO and indeed the D300 performs much better than the older D200 in high ISO. Along with a 51-point focusing system, the D300 is an excellent camera for those who wish to have the low noise performance of a full-frame camera (or that of Canon's, as some would say), while still sticking with Nikon. Even as the low noise performance of D300 cannot yet rival those of D3, or Canon's 5D and 1D series, it is still remarkable for a Nikon digital camera, which had an reputation of being noisy and grainy at high ISO. The D3 is Nikon's first ever FX (full frame) format camera. With an ISO range of 200 - 6400 (and 25600 available as a boost), 51-point focusing and nine FPS, I suppose Nikon is trying its best to break the hold Canon has on the professional market, with its line of the 1D series. Though, production has been painfully slow and supplies are not meeting demand, resulting in the market price of the D3 to rapidly increase. That said, D3 is no doubt an excellent camera from Nikon, like the D300. Coming from Pentax is new K20D and K200D. I must admit, I have always had good impressions with the K10D, after seeing how one of my friends dropped it into muddy waters, picked it up with mud all over it, cleaned it by pouring his bottle of water all over it and then continuing to use the camera while I stood rooted on my spot, jaws at the ground. The K10D has great weather-sealing, and I expect the K20D to have it too. Along with 14.6 megapixels and a AP-S sized CMOS sensor, I expect the camera to have similar noise performance with the Nikon D300, though there is no concrete evidence to prove so yet. All that said, the K200D remains largely similar to Canon's 450D and Nikon's D60. Consumers looking for an entry-level camera should also look at the lenses available for each system, at which Pentax loses out to the bigger brothers- Canon and Nikon. Sony is a new contender in the Digital SLR market, though no amateur in sensor making technologies, having manufactured many of Nikon's sensors. Following the A100, comes a whole lot of new cameras- A200, A300, A350 and A700. Interestingly, the A300 is basically an A200 with the additional Live View function, and A350 is basically an A300 with a higher pixel count. I can only wonder what the marketing people in Sony are thinking of. The A200, A300 and A350 are aimed at the entry-level market. The A700, however, is aimed at the serious-amateur market, contending with Nikon D80 (possibly the D300 too) and Canon 40D. It is the only camera among the three not to have live view. Interestingly, DPreview mentioned in this article that Sony "believe that the compromises involved in current systems are satisfactory, and they won't implement live view until they can 'get it right' ". Which is strange considering they managed to implement it in A300 and A350, which were announced soon after the A700. What a long article. I hope you have enjoyed reading my not-so-brief introduction of the recent new cameras introduced by the various brands, as much as I have enjoyed researching on them.
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:54:11 GMT
I went searching for the last time this article was done, and it was quite a while ago. So I get the wonderful honor of doing it this time around. I plan on doing it slightly different and completely in my own way. As I browsed the photography boards as I often do, since I love photography, I noticed a few people just stuck out. They constantly have something wonderful to share with us all. The most prominent one, that just keeps posting beautiful work over and over again is Saknika. This wonderful lady, is all over the photography board and is a wonderful asset to the board. This past month she has posted many amazing pieces but her most amazing piece has to be her picture of Old Fashioned Bottles. After spending sometime talking to her, quite a bit was revealed. It is best said in her words and not mine. Saknika: "I've been taking pictures since I was a little girl, and just always wanted that solid image rather than a wispy memory, something I could share with someone. But I never really thought much of it as an art form until I took it my junior year of high school, since I definitely was not taking sculpture or drawing+painting; and portfolio I was saving for my senior year. We only shot black and white film, and did all the darkroom work ourselves, but my art teacher told me I had talent (at which I laughed because I didn't believe it) and talked me into applying to the Hallmark Institute of Photography, which is where I am now. This school has been nothing but good experiences and a lot of learning for me, and when I graduate in June I am returning to New York to open up my own portrait studio, doing fine art and maybe a little commercial photography on the side. I love digital, but I will always work with film, since it was my original medium. And if anyone is wondering, I don't care one way or another between Nikon or Canon, I shoot both. So long as it gets the job done, I'm happy. But I think what makes me happiest, is that I'm getting to pursue a career doing something I love, and I encourage everyone to try the same." A truly amazing person and photographer, hopefully you feel the same. Keep up the excellent work.
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:55:16 GMT
So for this month I chose KEZ, moderator of ProBoards Support. Below you'll find the interview, and I hope you enjoy it. ----------- Name: Kerry Age: 29 Sex: Female Location: West Midlands, UK Website: kadesign.proboards45.com MM Hobbies: Designing, Poetry, Clubbing, Dancing, Singing Listening to Music is something that takes up most of my day in the car, in the house, at the computer, at a club. It means a lot to me The typical question, what brought you to ProBoards?I met a lovely bunch of people from America & the UK in a game room on Pogo.com. We instantly became great friends quick, one of them started a forum and when that didn't work, one of the others found ProBoards and started a new one, I then decided to make me one, I spent all day on it, then something went horribly wrong, and didn't know how to fix it, I then found support.. I now can't find the exit, lol. That's me with SSD, haha. When did you get started, and how did you get started in graphic designing?I went through a phase a few years back. Of watching, reading & looking at anything to do with the Olsen Twins. I found a graphics site where girls as young as 9 was producing thee most awesome sigs, tags and layouts.. I was impressed, yet jealous and thought, I've played around in Paint a lot, I'm quite creative, I'm sure I can do this stuff. So I got a trial of Paint Shop Pro, was a little rubbish at first lol, but suddenly realized I had something. When the trial ran out I found Photoshop, by that time, the graphics board opened at PBS...I met Ash, found SSD, filled some requests and I've never looked back. Were there any major influences you had? (such as people, etc.)Ashy was a BIG influence, so was Alan and all the other designers that were better than me, lol. At this moment in time, Kari & Vanilla Orchids are like God. Both are very talented. Tool of choice? And what other programs have you used?Photoshop CS2 I'm using right now. It was given to me by a friend he kept calling it Photosuite, it's really cool he said, try it.. to my surprise it was CS2, and he was just clueless (more money than sense lol). I've used PSP, PS 7 and Gimp (I could not figure it out lol). Is there a type of art that you're more drawn to? What are your most used styles?I love Photo manipulations. I just don't have the imagination for them. But I find them mesmerizing. I love the smudging style that's used at the moment at PBS. My most used style is probably splatter. Favorites:- Movie: Save the Last Dance & 50 First Dates - Color: Pink & Black - Book: The Faraway Tree - Artist: Don't really have a favorite. - Author: Enid Blyton - Genre of Music: Garage, Bassline & speed garage mostly, but I love pop & dance. - Food: McDonald's, Chinese, Mexican, Indian McDonald's, really? Ewww... How did you become a moderator on PBS, and do you enjoy your "job"?When I met Shady(G mod of PBS) at a meet, I told how much it bugged me about the request board. I was the major request filler, sometimes the only request filler.. and all I needed was the lock button lol... She fixed it for me I think. I had previously bugged Martyn & Craig about it, so it paid off I guess. I do at times, I don't at others, I'm going through a phase at the moment, where I'm bored of it, but I think it's the amount of time I spend there. Most individuals that have taken part in any community around ProBoards have made some really good friends. Who and why are you closest to?Ashy & Renegade are the main 2 people I think highly of. Ashy is just <3. Renegade I have met a few times, and we get on just as good as we do online. Have you ever thought about taking your designing professional, or is it strictly a hobby?Strictly a Hobby, I am no where near good enough to do it professionally, the only thing I could see me succeeding in is business cards & invitations. Which is something I am considering in the future. I would love to design but I would be at the bottom of the market, and would have to charge pennies just to get work. What's your biggest pet peeve? (real life and online)RL: Idiot Drivers... My god someone people shouldn't pass their tests. Online: People taking what you say in the wrong Context Having to add smilies to hope they don't take it funny, yet still do. Those damned drivers. Who are the top three greatest designers around PB in your opinion? By Far Vanilla Orchids & Kari ( Forever Simplicity ) Those are the main two, but there are some great designers out there... and I'm just jealous, haha. Got any secrets you wanna let us in on? Craig eats all the cookies Oh, I suck at grammar. Hey, I was wondering where all my stash went to. :[ Well, it's been a pleasure interviewing you, Miss Kez. Thanks for taking time out for us! You're very welcome, thanks for asking me. Hope people aren't too bored reading it
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:56:04 GMT
We all need a little help now and again, whether it is to improve our stock photographs or to give us some more creative ideas. In this article I shall be discussing different ways in which you can use the many tutorials on deviantArt to your advantage when producing stock photography. Firstly we'll start with making your stock account. While this may seem an easy task, it is actually quite difficult to get right, the first time anyway. For help, try looking at ' The Stock Account Guide' by AttempteStock. This tutorial is great as it covers every aspect of starting your own account, as well as a few extra pieces of information which I'll now move on to. We'll now discuss the basics - taking good stock. We all know how to take a picture but when it comes to improving our images so that they are more usable for other people, some of us are better at it than others. So are there any tutorials available in the community that can help us here? The answer - thank God - is yes, and we sure do have a good pick of them. From simple guidelines like ' Stock photos that don't suck.' by g-0 where he discusses the basics such as size and non-cluttered backgrounds, to complex tutorials like ' Guide to Stock - Part I' by AttempteStock which describes all those little features a typical camera has and how to use them to your advantage. Other tutorials that may be of help here are: ' Simple Resizing Tutorial' by Hanratty-Stock' Stock Background Helper' by takuminanashi-stock' Well DURRRR stock tutorial' by lockstock' How I do overhead shots' by stock-salon' How To Take Stock Photos' by ExplosionAnomaly' Tutorial - Submitting Stock' by larafairie-stock' JSM - photo tutorial EXPOSURE' by jmonzani' F-Stop Tutorial 4 Beginners' by drawnfreak' Submitting Stock Photos' by sammigurl61190' Preparing Stock Images for dA' by AttempteStock' Stock Photo Dos and Donts' by flamingangelNow we've sorted out how to improve our photographs physically, let's take a look at the subject matter. We all need ideas now and again, whether for poses or just that something extra. So what has the tutorial section got to help us here? First off we'll look at costumes. You don't need access to amazing costumes to take some really interesting themed stock and this is shown so well by ' Stock Costume Tutorial' by DelightfulStock where she uses items such as sheets and other items you can find around your home to make some simply awesome costumes. Next, onto those little details you don't often think about: hair and makeup. While some prefer these not to be over done, if included at all in their stock, others feel it can really make a piece. So what gems does the tutorial section have to aid us? ' Mermaid Makeup Tut. Part 1' and ' Mermaid Makeup Tut. Part 2' by zeldyn-stock are great examples. A full walk through on how to turn yourself into a mermaid, and lets face it, every little girl wants to know how to pull this one off. Other tutorials that can help here are: ' Snow Queen tutorial' by stock-salon' Tutorial: Curling Your Hair' by E-Stock' Tutorial: The Sultry Look' by E-StockSo what is left? Surely this is all the help we stock photographers have been given? You'd be so very wrong for thinking that. It's not just model stock we need to think about. Landscape photography is great for stock as, more often than not, designers and artists can't have a model without a beautiful background. ' Landscape Photography' by photo-class is great for helping in this department. He even tells us what our cameras are capable of. To conclude, there are so many tutorials out there for us stock artists, though you may have not believed it at first. So take a look yourself and type "tutorials stock" into dA's search function and see what you can find!
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Post by The Herald on Mar 1, 2008 22:56:54 GMT
Simple little trick on setting a password for any file you don’t want others to be able to view. Step one: Browse to any file you wish to have password protected. Step two: Right click on the file and select Send To > Compressed (zipped) folder Step three: Inside the zipped folder click on File > and select “Add a password” Once you get a password prompt you will type the password twice and click 'OK'. Now that you have a password set the files inside the zipped file requiring a password to open. If you decide to remove the password just go to File > Remove password. If you don’t want people to see the files inside the folder just place the documents inside another file and have that file zipped.
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