Film Review: <em>Thank You for Smoking</em>

Thank You for Smoking is a delightfully snarky little film that takes a jaundiced eye at human nature in general and Washington politics in particular. No one in the movie is entirely honorable (to say the least!), but everyone is a delight to watch.

At the center of the story is Nick Naylor, played with dead pan panache by Aaron Eckhart. Naylor is the spokesman for Big Tobacco and is honest both to himself and to us the audience about what he does. His job is to defend an industry that kills twelve hundred people a day. Next to him, most of the great killers of world history are mere pikers.

Yet, he does his job so well that in one of the first scenes, on a TV talk show where he is outnumbered about four to one by anti tobacco guests and where the audience is about ready to get a rope and string him up, he manages to get most of the folks over to his point of view. Even the dying cancer kid guest shakes his hand.

Naylor’s arch enemy is a Senator from Vermont, the pompous, self absorbed Ortolan K. Finistirre, played by one of the great character actors of our age, William H. Macy. While the good Senator is supposed to be one of the “good guys”, he comes across as a bit of an ass.

Naylor’s other enemy, though at first he doesn’t know it at first, is the spunky and ambitious reporter Heather Holloway, played by Katie Holmes. The reason Naylor doesn’t know that Holloway is a threat is that she is rogering him silly while extracting all of his secrets for the big expose article she is writing.

Naylor comforts himself from the woes of his chosen profession with a weekly lunch with the two other “merchants of death.” They are Polly Bailey who speaks for big alcohol, played by Mario Bello, and Bobby Jay Bliss, a good old boy who spins for big firearms, played by David Koechner.

While Senator Finistirre plots to stick it to Naylor’s employers by forcing them to display a skull and crossbones on every pack of cigarettes and while Ms. Holloway plots his downfall, Naylor travels about doing the work of the devil (in the form of  Doak 'The Captain' Boykin, played by Robert Duvall.) He is accompanied by his son, Joey, played by Cameron Bright, who seems to have started a career playing forty year olds in the bodies of children. Joey seems overly fascinated and proud about what his father doesn. We can see that already Naylor is mentoring the next generation of spinmeisters.

Along the way, Naylor attempts to bribe a Marlborough Man, played by Sam Elliot, who is dying of cancer and is one of big tobaccos enemies.  Then it’s off to Hollywood to see if he can get smoking back into the movies, the better to make it seem sexy and cool.

While the film does highlight the absurdity of the characters and the situations they get into, it is never vicious. Nick Naylor is just trying to pay the mortgage the best way he knows how. “Michael Jordan plays basketball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk.” And it’s not as if he’s holding a gun to anyone’s head, forcing them to take up cigarettes. No matter how good a sultan of spin Naylor is, it is still a matter of personal choice.

Thank You for Smoking is based on the satirical novel by Christopher Buckley, the son of the famous conservative pundit William F. Buckley.  It comes highly recommended for anyone who likes their comedy sharp and witty.

Christmas Photography Tips and Advice

For Christmas photography tips, or any sort of photography, we want the best results to come from our time and effort. Christmas photography captures special moments, especially when children are involved. In fact, this leads to my first Christmas photography tip:

(1) Focus on the children first. This admittedly is a bias of mine, but Christmas foremost should be a children's holiday. This applies to gift-giving, and also to photography. If you disagree and/or if adults are at the center of your Christmas, fine, that's just my opinion. Just think of ol' Art Linkletter: "Kids Say the Funniest Things." Kids also make the best photo subjects, and regardless, Christmas (like Trix cereal) is for Kids.

Our Top Ten Christmas photography tips are going to relate to the strategy of taking the best photos, not to the type of camera. That's a whole 'nuther topic. In fact, yours truly is not even a shutterbug. My advice comes from working as a local daily newspaper reporter, among some of the best professional photographers, going back to the 1970s when they still used darkrooms, up to today in the digital age. These Christmas photography tips are geared toward how you interact with your subjects, once the camera is chosen and the lighting adjustments are made.

(2) Don't be one of these photographers who is constantly out front and interrupting things, asking people to pose. For your best Christmas photography, be the fly on the wall. Stay in the background and take candid photos of what's happening, photos in which the subjects don't realize you're taking their photos.

(3) A lower angle (shooting "upward" toward the subjects and the scene) often yields better results. Don't hesitate to sprawl on the floor.

(4) In your Christmas photography, look for sequences of events. A photo is just one moment in time and to capture a sequence, many folks nowadays prefer a video camera. Still, there's nothing like a series of photos. For example: (A) Child awaits anxiously for gift-giving to begin. (B) Child receives wrapped gift. ( C ) Child tears wrapping off of gift. (D) Child reacts to gift.

(5) In fact, your sequence of events could begin hours earlier. Child helps decorate tree. Child puts on Christmas outfit. Etc.

(6) Just because you're staying out of the spotlight with your camera, that doesn't mean you can't be persistent. Patience is a virtue in waiting for just the right moment, just the right shot.

(7) Be a minimalist. Don't try to illustrate the whole scene of the Christmas event at once. If it's a party, take turns focusing on individual participants, or no more than two or three in one frame. If your Christmas photography involves a group of carolers, go ahead and photograph the whole group, but also aim for closeups of one caroler, or a small group.

(8) If you still want some posed Christmas photography for the archives, that's fine. Try to do the posing at the conclusion of the shindig, not at the start or during the middle.

(9) For posed photos, try to keep the number of subjects small. Let's imagine the group of Christmas revelers is 20. Go ahead and shoot the group of 20, but keep in mind that with so many folks in there, their faces are going to be the sizes of dimes. Also shoot "subgroups" with three, four, five people.

(10) When people pose in groups, have them put their heads as close together as possible. This may seem like a minor point, but when you see the results, you'll understand. Faces can be 20 percent larger and up close if we eliminate the wasted space between their heads.

SOURCES

Personal experience

http://digital-photography-school.com/16-christmas-photography-tips

http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com/Christmas-pictures.html

http://photography.about.com/od/christmas/Christmas_Photography.htm

Throw an Art Show Sidewalk Party for Children

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In my town, school is officially out for the summer and that means that eventually parents are going to start hearing phrases such as “I’m bored”, and “There’s never anything to do around here”. Well, if you are a parent who lives in a neighborhood with a lot of kids and sidewalks then I may have a solution to your problem...at least for one day. Pick a Saturday, round up the neighbors and have a sidewalk chart art show.

This is a summer craft project that will not last, except in pictures, but with a little planning and cooperation it could be the start of a yearly tradition in your neighborhood. Make sure you have enough chalk for all the children in the neighborhood and allot them a certain amount of space on the sidewalk in front of their home. Give them as much time as they need to create their masterpieces and then have a few impartial judges hand out awards; if possible, make up enough awards so that each child gets one. You could print up certificates for participation, judge the artwork by age or make up silly awards and prizes to hand out so that the children will have something to remember the day by.

Don’t stop with just an art show, make a day of it; have sack races, baseball or basketball games, watermelon eating contests, cookouts, snacks, homemade ice cream, snow cones, drinks, pool parties, fireworks….block party, anyone?? Your art show/block party could even be used as a way to raise money for a local charity; have a bake sale, lemonade stands, hold a raffle - the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. An important bonus of a charitable party is the lesson your children will learn about giving to help others and that giving can be fun. You can strengthen this lesson by allowing the children to help decide what charity to give the proceeds to; for example, a local children’s hospital, a library or an animal shelter.

If you want to stop hearing how bored your children are, make sure you get them involved in planning the day; give them a chance to use their imagination and I promise you that the more input you allow them to have, the more interested they will be in the project. Perhaps older children would like to set up a scavenger hunt for the younger children and the parents could set up a hunt for the older children; that way everyone gets in on the fun.

As I said earlier, if you are lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids and sidewalks, then a sidewalk chalk art show and block party could take a regular boring Saturday and turn into something magical and special that your children will remember for many years to come.

The Best Baby Showers Gifts to Give

boston celtics baby clothes

When your friend announces the wonderful news of a new arrival the thought always turns to what you want to buy the baby that will be of most use. Having had my first baby and 2 showers I received several gifts that were total life savers and am forever in debt to the people who bought them.

The coolest thing I received was a Fischer Price Oceans of Wonder cradle swing, this is the best gift I could've ever asked for, it has 2 ways to swing, plays melodies has lights as well as 10 different speeds. I was able to use this from day 1 up until my little guy got 25 pounds. This was truly awesome as the baby was able to nap and the fish and lights held his attention long enough for mom to get housework done.

Diapers are always a great gift because parents go thru so many, the trick is to give a few packages in the larger sizes as many new parents receive so many smaller sizes and babies grow so fast. A case of diaper wipes is also helpful as they tend to last longer.

The Fischer Price Deluxe Jumperoo is also a great gift, the baby can start using around 4 months of age, it helps strengthen their legs and provides plenty of entertainment. I found this to be a great way to get a moment of peace when having a hectic day.

The Womb Bear is also great to help baby sleep at night, it makes the sound of a heartbeat and reminds baby of time spent in the womb.

Gift cards are also great as their are many last minute things that parents need or want, and can be used to buy many different things.


These are some great suggestions and good luck with the shopping

Digital Photography Home-Business Opportunities

Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes

For the next seven years, digital photography is forecasted to remain steady as a job opportunity for those that are interested in this field. While the competition is expected be strong amongst photographers and the demand for jobs will fall below the number of photographers there are expected to emerge in this field.

The most successful photographers exhibit traits in being creative, able to adapt rapidly to technology changes, and management proficiency. There are digital photography business courses available to help you gain the competitive edge. You will be able to start your own full or part-time business when you develop a good business sens and keep up-to-date on the rapidly changing technology.

There are many areas that you can pursue in a digital photography home business. I will cover a few of the areas for digital photography businesses.

Real Estate
Each year there are millions of homes sold in the US and real estate agents use at least one picture to advertise the property online, in magazines, in brochures, and in newspapers. As a digital photographer you could earn $50 to $100 a house working with real estate agents or others involved in real estate.

Portraits
There are many locations that you can use for a photo shoot. Many people like to have a professional portrait done of themselves for various reasons. The common charge for a shoot is $100 per hour and an additional $50 to $100 for prints and enlargements. There is also a strong demand for pet and children's portraits.

Sports
Being a photographer for sporting events can be profitable and exhilarating. As a sports photographer, you can submit your photos to event organizations, to participants and publications, local news agencies, and a variety of other types of news and sporting sites. The local minor league teams could pay $50 to $200 for team photos with extra sales potential for prints, premium items such as photo trading cards, T-shirts, and reprint. Do not forget your local school teams either as there is a hidden potential for a photo shoot for these teams.

Commercials
Every year there are billions of dollars spent on product advertisements. Commercial photography is normally limited to the more experienced photographers who can charges as much as $2,500 a day for high end product shots. There is also an opportunity for those that can also do shoots for the local chamber of commerce for their websites, local businesses for websites, and a wide array of other ways to earn as a commercial photographer.

Glamour
There are many beauty salons, hair dressers, and modeling agencies that use photos to help promote their services and products. While it is not uncommon for them to pay more than $150 an hour for promotional shoots with images that can be used for brochures, online advertising, point of sale materials, and business cards. There is an opportunity for those that wish to have photos of their staff and customers photographed for in house promotions or for conventions.

Stock Photography
There are agencies that specialize in stock photos that they resell to business for promotional purposes. For you to have your work listed with them they normally require a minimum submission of 300 to 500 photographs. As a stock photographer you can submit photos such as travel photos, landscape, people, animals, still life, and various other types of images that will appeal to their customers. The commissions for stock photographers can range from $5 to $100 for images that their customers purchase through their agencies.

News and Events
Many local newspapers, magazines, and newscasts often look for interesting human interest stories and pictures. The requirements for each of the types of periodicals will vary, but it is possible to have your pictures published, receive credit as a tag line, and possibly a payment for your photo.

Wedding Photography
There are photographers who will establish a wedding package of 25 to 40 prints that will retail for $1,500 to $3000. Normally this a type of shoot will take two days to work, the first day is to shoot the event and the second day is to process and prepare the album.

Graduation
There are parents who wish to have a professional photograph took of their graduate walking down the aisle and across the stage at graduation. The charges for photos could range from $5 to $10.

Amazing Secrets of Underwater Photography

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Do you like underwater photography? Do you want to know how it is done and what are the different things you should look out for when taking underwater pictures? Then you have come to the right place to learn what really underwater photography is. We all know that underwater photography can be a great fun and enjoyment activity and it can be more enjoyable experience for you if you really know all the nitty-gritty about underwater photography.

If you want to take beautiful underwater pictures then most importantly you should have a powerful digital camera which can work underwater without any hassles. Because it is not like that you go underwater and immediately start taking pictures. Rather you have to take care of many things when taking pictures in the deep water. If you do not take enough care then your pictures can become blurred and quality can be compromised. You should always look out for the direction of the sunlight underwater as sunlight travels differently in the deep water which affects the picture quality. You have to adjust your camera angle properly with the direction of the sunlight when you are underwater.

Then there is the impurity in the ocean water like mud and dirt which can really affect the picture quality underwater. This dirt can make the water so impure that you can not see properly in the deep water. But this happens most of the times only in the lakes and rivers. But many of the oceans are so clear and pure that you can see longer distance without any problems and your pictures most of the times comes as a quality product.

Many people who try underwater photography; takes their own friend's and families pictures and this can be more entertaining and really memorable experience for the family members to cheer for long time. But one of the most important factor every underwater photographer should remember is that the underwater currents and their effects. It is the most unpredictable factor which really affects our picture quality when you are underwater. When you are underwater it is extremely difficult for everybody to stand still in the same pose. And with the dynamic nature of underwater currents it becomes more difficult to give the still pose for the photo. So you should always keep in mind the direction of the underwater currents while taking pictures.

With the advancement of different types of digital cameras it will become easier in the future for us to take underwater pictures and really enjoy the experience of underwater photography.

Whoever Said a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Probably Didn't Use Positive Images Photography

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Well I've come to terms with the fact I'm no Denzel Washington... and I'm okay with that. All I really wanted to do was to take some good quality pictures I could use as profile headshots for my internet businesses and for my business cards, brochures, etc. This was important since I had a deadline coming up that I needed pictures for.

Based on my photography needs, I had wondered was there a photographer where the average looking person can go to get reasonably priced, almost "Star Quality" pictures taken. Also, I preferred that they were local too because I wanted a photographer that I could do business with again on future projects. Just imagine my delight when I found out that there was such a photographer located in Oakland at Positive Images Photography.

The owner is Gisele Bonds (no relation to Barry) and she not only consulted with me on the objectives of my project, she also happened to be a pleasure to talk to. She is very knowledgable. She definitely won points when she suggested that I go home to retrieve a few darker outfits to round out my photoshoot after I mistakenly arrived with all lighter colored outfits. She then explained why and how the darker colored outfits could be used to my advantage in the photoshoot.

As we took pictures she instructed me to pose at various angles and again she told me why those angles were important based on the numerous ways we discussed I could to utilize those pictures in my marketing mix. For instance, some of my pictures were taken with my business' branding in mind so that my company's logo or other images could be easily incorporated into those pictures. Nice!

For someone who's camera shy, I can honestly say I did enjoy Gisele's professionalism and creativity. After what felt to me like a thousand pictures and almost an eternity, we finally finished! At that point my mind started thinking, I hope these pictures look okay. I have to admit, I felt a little self-concious about the prospect of seeing the finished product because I have like many people, facial blemishes. When I mentioned this concern to Gisele she said not to worrry the pictures are going to look good.

Gisele invited me to come in and take a look at all the pictures we took and choose the ones I wanted. She gave me some positive feedback that was helpful and then I selected my favorites.

Later, when I received my Picture Disc I was happy to see that she was so right, my pictures did look good and my facial blemishes were gone... at least in my pictures! Interestingly, I'm told her specialty is working with high school aged students. Her studio is filled with with a plethora of graduation and prom pictures, etc.

She mentors students by providing intern opportunities at her studio and one of her past interns who is in college currently, still works at the studio which to me says alot about the kind of person Gisele is. I think that Positive Images Photography is aptly named and if you're looking for high quality photos, Gisele is the person you need to see. You may soon find that your pictures will be worth much more than a thousand words if you do!

Amazing Secrets of Underwater Photography

source

Do you like underwater photography? Do you want to know how it is done and what are the different things you should look out for when taking underwater pictures? Then you have come to the right place to learn what really underwater photography is. We all know that underwater photography can be a great fun and enjoyment activity and it can be more enjoyable experience for you if you really know all the nitty-gritty about underwater photography.

If you want to take beautiful underwater pictures then most importantly you should have a powerful digital camera which can work underwater without any hassles. Because it is not like that you go underwater and immediately start taking pictures. Rather you have to take care of many things when taking pictures in the deep water. If you do not take enough care then your pictures can become blurred and quality can be compromised. You should always look out for the direction of the sunlight underwater as sunlight travels differently in the deep water which affects the picture quality. You have to adjust your camera angle properly with the direction of the sunlight when you are underwater.

Then there is the impurity in the ocean water like mud and dirt which can really affect the picture quality underwater. This dirt can make the water so impure that you can not see properly in the deep water. But this happens most of the times only in the lakes and rivers. But many of the oceans are so clear and pure that you can see longer distance without any problems and your pictures most of the times comes as a quality product.

Many people who try underwater photography; takes their own friend's and families pictures and this can be more entertaining and really memorable experience for the family members to cheer for long time. But one of the most important factor every underwater photographer should remember is that the underwater currents and their effects. It is the most unpredictable factor which really affects our picture quality when you are underwater. When you are underwater it is extremely difficult for everybody to stand still in the same pose. And with the dynamic nature of underwater currents it becomes more difficult to give the still pose for the photo. So you should always keep in mind the direction of the underwater currents while taking pictures.

With the advancement of different types of digital cameras it will become easier in the future for us to take underwater pictures and really enjoy the experience of underwater photography.