Thus the individual always lives within a tension and not an equilibrium. The individual then becomes a component of a varying world, instead of a moving one. To confer that a thing is pacing is de facto different from the suggestion that a thing is changing.

Hence, there exists no actual reality, just one back and one forth, compounded by that change in motion that crops between them at a loss of centre. We’re subsisting in that change, in that loss, within a sequence that flanks us. The reality is at the sides; we, the individual, occupy everything else.

To breathe, to feel, to inhabit a living body that further inhabits a living world is not being real. To exist in a moment as a moment, to not be a stretch, to not extend from so to so on, and to not extend at all, but instead simply to be seconds and minutes and days, where these are not elaborate components of time but where time is an elaborate component of the self ? is to understand absolutely that any and all reality is unconditionally perfect and being so, it is finite.

By the conventions, death is real and so is life. Does reality really encompass every aspect, even their differences or conflicts? Not if it’s finite, it doesn’t. Then, how does one become real? Theory cannot answer that and neither can I. Both of us are here to criticize and rebuke and point and laugh. However, we can guess and estimate, and pray we assume correctly.

The answer lies in minimizing oneself. I do not talk of altruism or renunciation of the self, but the most of what that dangerous term suggests literally. Immortality.

To exist is an alternate to not exist at all; the other and only alternate is to exist forever. If there is no such thing as Time, then it shall matter least that a distance be covered either walking or running, if we secure a neutral objective. The goal of all Time is to unalterably extend, and the goal of the individual is to readily exist. If we observe, it is agreeable that neither of them can exchange their natural roles ? Time does not readily exist, and the individual does not unalterably extend (man, and not the individual, as a collective function, does extend, but precariously).

This role of man is not a provision, it is a predicament. If we cannot expand beyond our limits, we must expand within them. A limit that cannot to be stretched, must be first adjusted to, and then, overemphasized. We cannot forge the definite; rather it is safer to forge ourselves. One also cannot amend the unalterable, one must amend instead the arrant idea of one’s relation to it. A willing servitude is more convenient than a reluctant one. We cannot overcome Time, hence we must submit to it more absolutely than our physical selves.

A second is needlessly a second. We need to minimize ourselves to that needlessness; we need to inflexibly subsist in that second. Hence, we’re immortal to the subsequence. We exist better than the last and certain than the next. In the framework of all limitations, if we comply properly, we do preserve an unnoticeable freedom. For the framework of Time, this unnoticeable freedom is reality.

Only inhuman is more than human. It is a law: we cannot be something we’re not partly already. Immortality is not a myth, but like so many things, it is theoretical, not vulnerable to practice. The beauty of existing minimally is that it is not necessary that the individual must only live his age. Sometimes we’re so much older than what years could occupy or foretell. But that is a different tale, for a different time? I guess.

Please revert queries to - mosaics12@rediffmail.com

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If you’re into birding, finding new trails is always an enjoyable task. Here’s a primer on birding trails in Florida.

Birding Trails - Florida

It goes without saying that Florida is a rather large state. The following birding trails represent a mere sample of what is out there, but are proven birding spots. With that being said, let’s get on with it.

1. St. Joseph’s Peninsula Park - Over 247 species of birds can be seen on the trails at St. Joseph’s. The real attraction, however, happens every October and September. During this period, hawks and falcons are all over the park as they migrate from northern areas to the Gulf of Mexico for the winter season. You can expect to see sharp-shinned hawks, broad wing hawks and even a few copper hawks. If you’re lucky, you can sight one of the smaller numbers of red-shoulder hawks, red-tail hawks and the elusive, endangered Peregrine Falcon.

2. Bahia Honda State Park - If shorebirds and wading birds are a delight to you, Bahia Honda offers birding trails with excellent sighting potential. Shorebirds include Plovers, Sanderlings and Willets to mention a few. Wading birds are plentiful and you can expect to glimpse a wide variety. Plentiful species include herons, ibis and egrets. During summer, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the endangered White crowned Pigeon in the local trees along the trail.

3. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park - Kissimmee Prairie is very popular, so you probably already know about it. Nonetheless, in the recent past the Park has become the home of a new species, the White-Tail Kite.

4. Big Shoals State Park - Big Shoals is an excellent birding park with a wide variety of species. On the birding trails, you can expect to see egrets, hawks, owls, ducks, warblers, wrens and swallows to mention only a few. If your karma is good and you’re having a good day, you may also see bald eagles, northern mockingbirds, scarlet tanagers and indigo buntings. Wild turkeys are plentiful as are wading and shore birds.

Florida is a great state for birding. This list is only a small sample of bird trails, buy should you get started on adding to your life list.

About The Author

Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of writing journals. Bird watching journals are great bird watching gifts for bird watching tours and vacations. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com/bird_watching for more bird watching articles.

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I will try to show you the best healthy way for you to send your thoughts to your loved ones.

The best solution of all are new invented and popular ecards. Ecards are electronic greeting cards. You can find billions of them on the net this days. There are companies specialized on this business or companies that offer a free opportunity to send an e card just for using their services. You can find free ecards and paid ecards. There are plenty of them on the Internet.

The variety of styles and themes of electronic greeting cards it’s just amazing. You can find anything you want or don’t want from food, animal, flowers to nature scenes, child and environmental messages. Also there are many annimated online greeting cards which makes them more entertainment. You just have to search the world wide web. And many of the online greeting cards are just as good and funny like the paper ones.

So if the person you are going to send a greeting card has an email account why couldn’t you send him an online greeting card? One other advantage is that there are very easy to send. you just have to find a site that offers his service. And you will surely find all the information for sending them there. And don’t worry about finding a site. Belive me there are thousands of them.

So be open minded an realize that this a perfect and easy way for sending greeting cards. You choose it and with some clicks and few key strokes you send them to whoever you want. And i don’t like to repeat myself but this is an healthy way which spears our nature of the damage from the making process of traditional paper cards.

In conclusion it’s good to try to send an online greeting card instead of the paper ones from time to time. I can tell you that it helps us all.

http://www.greetingmilitary.com is a website with free digital greeting cards for military personnel, both active and retired and for the general public that love military. And, 99% of these cards are military in nature. You only need to register to be a member and the registration is also free.

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It is not necessary to clutter yourself with equipment you do not need. You can hire equipment on and when you need it basis. You have the freedom to work part time for a while until you can devote yourself full time to photography. All you need to be is a serious photographer. There are two types of photographers that makes their living from photography, the serious photographer and the very serious photographer. You can always bookmark this link and then you can quickly access just about all you’ll ever need from here.

Whilst the technical skills needed to make a successful photographer have never been easier, other aspects have changed the business. The market for photographs of virtually every type has widened, the world seems to have an insatiable appetite for photographs. However the price has fallen as the marketing net has broadened. Photographers are needed in many more fields. For instance many people use car web sites, they simply did not exist ten years ago, and they sell their products as a result of photography. Cameras used by scuba diver’s are now an excellent quality, and whilst they are initially expensive, they have forged a new market. People celebrate special occasions more with photography, than they did years ago. The travel and advertising markets have a greater need for landscape, travel and nature shots.

It is now easier than ever to turn your dream into reality and create a worthwhile business out of an engrossing hobby. However in today’s modern world there is more to it than simply pointing a camera, and shooting a picture. You need to be aware of marketing techniques, and here marketing simply means transferring ownership of a product, in this case an image from a buyer to seller. You also need to be aware of any local gaps in the market in your local area. You should also try to be on top of your competitor’s prices, to undercut an existing photographer is one choice, but to neglect to value your skills and not charge enough to cover your overheads is another matter entirely. Remember this, its an important point.

Use your skills to the best advantage of the business and define what you want from it. Writing a business plan helps to keep you focused on the areas you specifically want to exploit. A business plan helps you to define your goals and strategies, it will be changed and updated, but it will help you, to keep things in perspective. You can then refer back to it when things become confusing or complicated. Everyone’s business plan will be different, as every objective will be different, but there are certain common factors that make up a good business plan which will help your business grow. It allows you to develop a professional attitude to your business, which not only helps you to increase your earnings, but also help you to finance your business.

For the photographer it should include, your business name, or your own, with full details of the proposed location of the business, a copy of your logo, as well as details of your copyright notices. What is the form of your proposed business (sole ownership, partnership, Limited Liability Company or Corporation). This should be followed by a table of contents, which focuses on a logical order. There are resources that will give you further details on such as profitable-photography.com

Included after this should be the type of business you intend to pursue, in a fair amount of detail, and it should contain the services you intend to offer. This section should include any future gaols or avenues you would like to explore, stating your clear objectives. This is so you can check at a later date whether your objectives are on course, or if you have got sidetracked.

If you envisage at any time you may need financial help, then you should include your personal business history.

You should also state a clear and concise marketing plan that should demonstrate how your business will differentiate from the businesses of your competitors. You should be able to establish whom your customers will be, as well as where your market will be, as in wholesale or retail or a combination of both. You should also be able to determine how long this type of market will be available to yourself.

The next section should clearly define your opposition, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. This should include the ways you may be able to exploit any gaps in the market in the specific area where you live. A section should follow this on how you intend to market and promote your individual services.

A financial segment should be included as to how you intend to manage the day-to-day bills of the business. How you intend to price your services, and what factors influence this pricing structure, which includes a section on your competitor’s financial structures. This means a fair amount of detective work as well as homework. Get your friends to ask from quotes from the local competition. Or try an even more direct approach, tell your competitor’s that you intend to start a new business, and that you do not want to undercut them, as this reduces the cake for everyone. They may well offer to help you construct a pricing structure that ensures everyone’s livelihood. It is in their interests to help. Not everyone will be cooperative, but it may mean you can get a truer picture of the market factors that govern your area.

Make a list of all the equipment you will need in your first year, as well as how and where you intend to purchase. Note any difficulties that may arise in obtaining your supplies. Note whether the prices of your supplies have a seasonal fluctuation, that may help you influence you when to buy. You should make a note of any local licenses that will be necessary, as well as any zoning restrictions, that may restrict the growth of your business. Your neighbours may not be thrilled at a procession of customer’s to your door, check whether they can restrict your services. Make a study of all your business insurance requirements.

The final segment should be devoted to how you intend to finance the growth of your business, as well as isolating what your financial needs will be. This should include a projection on your future earnings, as well as an accurate assessment of your outgoings’. This should be assessed on a monthly basis for the first year, and on an annual basis for the following three years. An important aspect of the financial statement is an assessment of the break-even point of your business, in other words the minimum you will have to take to pay your expenses.

The purpose of this documentation is to allow you to enunciate what the core elements of your business will be, in doing this it should help you to be able to quickly evaluate the success of your business objectives. If you are not clear on your objectives then you cannot possibly make a plan to bring about the success of those objectives.

Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Roy is the author of the popular ebook, Income from Photography - a downloadable ebook which guides the reader on how to start up and market a Profitable Photography business. It can be viewed at http://www.profitable-photography.com A Free eBook is also available which helps you decide on what type of photography you would enjoy most at http://www.photography-business.blogspot.com

The information on this and adjoining pages may be reprinted and used on other sites providing all information remains unchanged and the article and all pages remain as they are found here in its current font size & image with all links in tact.

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Growing your own plants from seed can be one of the most

exciting and worthwhile gardening activities. And of course

it is a really inexpensive way to grow the number of plants

you need for your garden or containers.

In this article I am going to deal with growing seeds from

packets purchased at a garden centre - as this is the

easiest way to start. These packets will have a picture on

the front and growing instructions on the reverse, including

germination times and the best time of year to sow. The

instructions are important so do keep the packet safe even

if you have used all the seeds!

1. Equipment you need:

- Clean pots or seed trays, with drainage holes and not too

flimsy

- Seed compost or multi-purpose compost is just as effective

- Clear plastic bags or cling film or propagator

- Vermiculite - can be used to give the seeds a light

covering instead of compost

- Dibber or pencil and widger or teaspoon

- Small watering can with fine rose

- Plant labels - white plastic ones are cheap

2. Sowing the seed:

- Fill your pots or seed trays with the compost to about 1

cm below the rim and water the compost well

- For small seeds, tip them into the palm of your hand and

then lightly tap it with your other hand to sprinkle the

seeds thinly on to the compost

- For large seeds, push the seed into the compost until it

is just covered by its own depth of compost

- Cover the seeds thinly with a little compost - do not

cover very fine seeds

- Seal the pots or trays inside a large loose plastic bag or

propagator, or cover with cling film

- Place them in a warm, light place - on a windowsill but

out of direct sunlight

- Water gently if the compost starts to dry out

3. Germination and pricking out:

When the seeds start to germinate, the first thing you will

see growing are the seed leaves - two small round leaves

that look very much the same on all plants. Then the first

pair of true leaves appear and you can recognise that these

tiny leaves are like those on the mature plant. This is the

time to move the seedlings into new pots.

- Fill clean 9 cms pots or seed trays with fresh compost and

water well

- Gently loosen each seedling from its pot/tray with a

widger or the handle of a teaspoon, holding the seedling by

its seed leaf

- Make a hole in the new compost with a dibber or pencil and

gently lower the seedling into the hole, making sure that

all the roots are tucked into the hole and the seed leaves

are just above the surface

- Carefully fill the hole to cover the roots

- You can space the seedlings in a seed tray about 3-4 cms

apart; otherwise plant them individually into pots

- Water carefully, either by soaking the pot or tray, or

using a small watering can with a fine rose

- Place in bright light, but not direct sunlight, and check

regularly

- Keep watered, but not too wet

- Once the roots fill the pots or trays, then it is time to

plant them either into your containers in the garden or into

the garden border.

It’s not as complicated as you might think, but it does

require a little thought and care - the equipment must be

clean to prevent disease or infection; don’t over-water;

provide enough light; handle gently; and check regularly.

And that’s all there is to it!

About The Author

Fran Barnwell is a self-taught gardener, learning through experience in her own garden. Fran understands the difficulties that face new gardeners, and has written The Ultimate Guide to Gardening for Beginners, a successful eBook that helps anyone new to gardening to get started, explaining the basics in easy to understand terms. To find out more and to sign up to receive a free series of articles, go to http://www.NewToGardening.com.

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I shall blend-in, into the

Mountains- Into the faintest thin

Shadows

of the mountains! Like the moss on moistened

Stone

Like a leaf blown far from

Home?

(freshly fallen)!

I shall blend-in, clinging

To the mountains- Into its faintest thin

Shadows

Note: when I arrived back home from Peru, my 7th trip in five years [April, 2005], I had spend about 30-days this time on the trip. I visited the Mantaro Valley, Huancayo, and drove through the Andes. Upon my arrival home, I told my wife, perhaps a week or two thereafter, "We are going to go there and live." Thus, we sold everything, and our home in Minnesota, and purchased a condo in the Andes, and now it is all history.

Sombras de los Andes

Yo armonizaré, dentro de las Montañas- ¡Dentro de las sombras finas Más débiles De las montañas!

Como el musgo de las piedras Humedecidas

Como una hoja echada a volar Lejos de casa

(Recién caída)

Yo armonizaré, adhiriéndome A las montañas- Dentro de sus sombras Finas más débiles

2) Battle of Ollantayambo

In Ollantayambo- Thousands of warriors crowed the terraces, To repel Herrando Pizarro’s attack-; Among them, Manco Inca appeared On horseback, with a lance in his hand Horrifying, Pizarro’s unsuccessful advance.

6/30/05 #745

In Spanish

Batalla de Ollantaytambo

En Ollantaytambo- Miles de soldados llenaban las terrazas, Para rechazar el ataque de Pizarro-; Entre ellos, apareció Manco Inca Montado en su caballo, con una lanza en su mano Horrorizando, el fracasado avance de Pizarro.

6/30/05 #745

3) Cesar Vallejo’s: Feasible of Black Roses

Bow down your head ol’ poet- To face God’s grace ahead There are no more trenches

To dig today? In the forest of your head,

So-: Bow down, bow down,

Ol’ barbaric poet! Death rides the horse ahead I hear the crackling of a whip See the crazed eyes of death.

He summons you to his den- The devil and his wind,

So-: Bow down, bow down Your blood stained brows He will take you to the edge.

Closer, closer, I see you now Eh! a moving satanic cloud- I see a festival of black-roses, I hear clamor in the crowd.

Bow down, bow down, Ol’ poet ?I hear your applause!

#666 [5/15/2005] In English only

Dennis Siluk http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

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Pricing your craft show items correctly, and so that you make a

decent profit is paramount if you are going to be successful in

this industry. So how do you make the most money from your

craft show items, and still have them fly off the shelves

because they are a great price. Read on to find out!

In order to at least decide on your initial price structure you

may want to follow a mathematical formula for arriving at the

most favorable retail price:

production costs + overhead costs + selling costs + profit =

best price

Production costs include cost of materials and labor; overhead

costs are rent, utilities, insurance, professional fees; selling

costs may be show fees, traveling costs and marketing expenses;

and profit is why you went into this as a business in the first

place!

If you’re not comfortable with numbers, get help from a savvy

friend or your bookkeeper or accountant if you have one. Or

maybe ask another crafter how they arrive at their best price.

Since you need to keep track of your expenses anyway, you will

have the figures needed to fit into this equation, so after you

do it once, you’ll get the hang of it. Figuring the production

costs for one item may be difficult, so if you need to figure it

for 10 or 12 items, you can then divide at the end to arrive at

the price per item.

This formula is a good place to begin if you’re just starting

out. Whether you’re selling handmade sewing or quilted items,

pottery or paintings, you have all the elements of the equation

to factor in. If this is just too complicated for you, then

price your items as close as possible to comparable ones until

you become more comfortable with determining your prices

professionally.

After you determine a starting price, compare it to similar

items on the market and test it at your next show. If you find

you have to reduce your price, that also means you need to

reduce some of your costs if you want to keep the same profit!

You may be able to cut down your overhead by sharing a studio,

or you may cut your production costs by using family members

instead of paid employees, or apprentices as previously

mentioned. Again, there are always several variables involved in

setting your retail price.

Pricing should be a strategic marketing move and not hit or

miss, since it’s so crucial for success. Your primary goals

factor into how your price your products. Although profit seems

like the obvious goal in selling your crafts, initially you may

want to price them lower just to get some reaction. Or you may

be moving out a discontinued item and are pricing it at a sale

price. You might choose a higher price because you want to

impart the image of higher perceived value and limited supply,

while attracting a higher-end customer. Prices may vary based on

supply and demand, at different times of year, when costs rise

or for the release of new products. Keep an accurate record of

all your price changes so you can monitor results.

If you still find your items are not selling at the “right”

price for you perhaps because you’re competing with vendors who

are selling less expensive products, you may want to consider a

different quality show. If customers are willing to pay a few

dollars for cheap jewelry rather than several dollars more for

your higher quality costume as well as gemstone jewelry, you

probably don’t have the right customers for your product. People

who know quality will pay for it. If you believe in the quality

of your product, don’t sell yourself short by pricing it too

low. You’ll just have to keep experimenting to find shows that

attract the kind of customer you’re looking for.

About The Author

Natalie Goyette is the best selling author of Craft Show Success. Her e-book shows you how you can finally make money at craft shows.

craftshowsuccess.com

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But greeting cards are a good way to bring people joy and happiness. Trough a greeting card you can make somebody feel well, wish them al it’s best in the world. So in this article we won’t try make you think that greeting cards are not a good thing, just to show you that you can send your good thoughts to people that are important to you in a more environmentally way.

The real problem is that the billions of greeting cards that people buy the every year use a lot of paper. There are also some manufacturers that use recycled paper. There are also some environmentally damaging companies that use toxic printer inks. But we remind you again that there are manufacturers that use some less toxic alternatives but also they sue energy and they pollute the environment in some way.

The majority of greeting cards are saved an kept in our beloved closets or drawers. But sooner or later hey will go on garbage can. And so, again, energy is used to transport or convert the greeting cards to brand new paper.

But in the end we must be fair. How may factories that make any kind of products don’t have this issues. Every thing that it’s made used and disposed uses energy. So let’s try to think a little. Can’t we find some more environmental helpful ways to do this things? Well, you see in the greeting card case there are many solutions.

So i will try in the second part of this article to show you a few healthy ways for using greeting cards. This Could help a lot our beloved nature that we all should take care after. So read the second part of this article if you want to know more about ways to keep our environment healthy.

http://www.greetingmilitary.com is a website with free digital greeting cards for military personnel, both active and retired and for the general public that love military. And, 99% of these cards are military in nature. You only need to register to be a member and the registration is also free.

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When I first began painting some 10 years ago, I remember my first trip to my local art supply store. I recall my feeling of utter confusion as I perused the aisles. This particular art store had every tube of paint, brush, medium and canvas known to man, far too many choices for a confused beginner. After several moments, a sales person came by and began to assist me in finding the supplies I needed. To make a long story short, I left the store 30 minutes later with a box full supplies, half of which I had absolutely no idea what to do with. I wish I knew then what I know now. I could have saved myself a lot of money.

When you are first starting out in oil painting, you shouldn’t go overboard on supplies. It’s best to start with the basics. When you become more experienced, you can then try out different supplies until you find the items you are most comfortable working with.

Oil Painting Brushes - Brushes come in various sizes and shapes from flats to brights to rounds. They are also available at various prices. Brushes are something you should definitely spend a bit extra on and shoot for quality. You don’t want cheap brushes. Cheap brushes are a huge headache mainly because they shed hair and lose their shape quicker than quality brushes. The types of brushes you purchase really depend on the type of painting you plan on doing: landscapes, portraits, impasto work, etc., all call for certain types of brushes. You will only learn this over time as you become more experienced and develop your own style. For starters, I would purchase a few flats of various sizes, a few small rounds for detailed work and a fan for blending. Make sure to also purchase a good brush cleaner and preserver. I use the Marx Brush Care System for cleaning and preserving my brushes and it works great.

Oil Paints - Oil paint also varies in price and quality. There are some very good paints on the market today. I prefer to work with Grumbacher Artist Oils, but Winsor & Newton oil paints are also quite popular. There are different grades of paint. There are student grade paints and professional grades. My own preference is to work with the professional grades, as the colors are more brilliant than student grade paints. I guess it’s ok in the beginning to purchase a lesser quality for learning and experimentation. I guarantee once you try the professional grade paints, you will never go back to student grade. This is my opinion of course. Artist color choices vary. Some prefer a limited palette of only a few colors, while others prefer to have a variety of different colors at their disposal.

Here are the colors of my palette. You do not have to buy these exact colors, as this is only my preference that has developed over time.

Cadmium Yellow Light

Yellow Ochre

Cadmium Red Light

Cadmium Orange

Burnt Sienna

Raw Sienna

Burnt Umber

Alizarin Crimson

Sap Green

Thalo Blue

Ivory Black

Titanium White

Oil Painting Mediums - Medium preference varies greatly from artist to artist. I think every artist has his or her own mixtures and formulas. I myself use linseed and poppy oil. Linseed oil has a tendency to yellow the colors so I do not mix it with my lighter color mixtures. For lighter color mixtures, I use poppy oil as it has less of a tendency to yellow. There are other mediums available. I recommend that you try your own mediums and recommendations from artists until you find something that produces the results you are after.

Canvas and Other Supports - The popular support that many artists work with is cotton canvas, but there are other supports available. Some other choices are linen canvas, boards and canvas paper for instance. You could also buy rolled canvas and stretch your own if desired. This again is something you have to experiment with until you find a support that works best with your style of painting. I recommend starting with a few smaller to medium sized canvases. I work with FREDRIX Red Label Stretched Cotton Canvas. Red Label is a medium textured quality canvas excellent for use with oils and a popular choice amongst oil painters.

Palette - Palettes are made from various materials including glass,wood, plastic, and even paper. My palette of choice is the BOB ROSS Clear Palette. This palette is wonderful. It’s easy to clean, holds a lot of paint with adequate room to mix your colors. It’s also priced quite reasonably.

Easels - Easels are also available in various sizes and price ranges. You will need a good stable easel to paint on; otherwise your canvas will wobble around when you paint. This can be quite frustrating. You also need to decide whether you will be painting primarily in your studio or if you are an outdoor painter. If you are painting outdoors you should consider purchasing a French easel. The JACK RICHESON Academy Verona Half French Easel is a good buy. If you work primarily in your studio, then you have a lot of easels to choose from. I personally use a STANRITE 500 Classic Aluminum Easel. It’s an excellent easel that is both lightweight and sturdy. It sets up easily and can be folded for easy transport.

I truly hope this article has helped. Happy Painting and God Bless!

About The Author

Ralph Serpe is Webmaster and Cofounder of Creative Spotlite: http://www.creativespotlite.com. Visit Creative Spotlite today for a great selection of Discount Art Supplies.

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Candid photos are usually simple photos without a lot of technical equipment or any time taken ’setting up the shot’. Thus they capture some wonderful ’slices of life’!

Here are some tips for taking candid photos:

- Take your camera everywhere you go! Keep alert for candid situations - they can be found everywhere.

- Some examples of candid shots: A daydreaming store owner; an elderly man sitting beside you; commuters waiting for a train; two lovers on a park bench about to kiss; a child’s delight when feeding ducks; elation of a football supporter when a goal is scored; a city tramp surrounded by clutter; a woman lost in thought staring at the beach.

- It’s rare to get a second chance with candid photography. When you see an opportunity, grab it!

- Don’t use complicated lighting techniques for taking your candid shots. Concentrate on the simple and use your camera’s automatic features. Technical problems don’t matter so much if you have a great candid photo. Most technical problems (like if the image is too dark or too light) can be fixed on your computer.

- Set your camera to “ISO 400″ so it uses a fast shutter speed. This will help you ‘grab’ the shot even if you are moving.

- The best candid photographers blend into the background so don’t be too obvious. Do what everyone else is doing so you fit in with the situation. Then when you see a good candid moment, bring your camera up to your eye.

- You don’t always need to take the shot with your camera at eye level. Support your camera on your waist when taking the photo. Some luck or experience is needed here to get the framing right.

- Use your zoom lens to it’s fullest extent so you can keep away from the action while taking your shot. A Telephoto lens is essential if you’re going to be a fair way away.

- Never take photos of people’s backs. Nothing is more boring than a group of people with all backs turned to the camera. It just doesn’t work.

- Try converting the image to Black and White to get that extra punch and emotion.

- People ‘doing things’ make the best candid photos. Sports players, trades people, farmers and accountants are all excellent examples of subjects with ‘things to do’. Try to capture the essence of the person’s task. For example, you might capture a plumber concentrating on fixing a leaky pipe.

- If you’re in a public place, it’s usually okay to photograph people. If they object however, you need to stop. If you’re not sure, it never hurts to ask permission before hand. Your subject may want to pose, so explain what you saw them doing and ask them to continue as if you weren’t there.

- Experiment! Sometimes the artistic expression of a candid photo can be limited by you; the photographer. Try different angles, places and scenes. Look at candid photos created by others (they can be found in lots of magazines) for inspiration.

Candid photography is a great way to add some artistic flare to your photos without spending a lot of time with the technical aspects of photography.

David Peterson has a great love of photography and has created a series of free tips at http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/ to help digital photography users everywhere take better photos.

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