Oh my God! It happened. Again. I went for a photography trip to one of the most beautiful cities in the US, Saint Louis, Missouri. I had my camera in my hand, food and drink in place, and GPS fully charged. The 5 hours driving from Fairfield, Iowa, was really fun. Until I realized that I left my camera battery being charged at home. The photography trip was now just a trip.I’m pretty sure at some point in your career as a photographer, you will be in a situation like this. For this reason, I would like to share some tips with you for when you plan photography trips.1. Months before leavingPlanning for a photography trip starts at this time. As soon as the trip is confirmed, try to look for the highlights of the places you will be visiting. I would do a little bit of research about where to take photos from and what to take photos of. For example, if you are coming to Indonesia in the middle of August, you may encounter independence day events there.Early bird bookings for hotels and flights will cost you less. Book a hotel which gives you easy access to your photography spots. I would write down a list of locations where I will be taking pictures from, and then decide the best location of my hotel.2. Weeks before the dayI would spend more time on planning what photos I want to capture at this stage of planning my photography trip. For instance, if I were to travel to Indonesia in the middle of August, I would be taking photos of the independence day ceremony in the morning, fun events in the afternoon. Then in the evening I would take photos of the local sunset.By properly planning your photography trips, you will be able to dig deeper for more thoughts and ideas. Look at pictures available on the internet and get inspired by them. But not only from the internet, you can also search local photographs from libraries, image directories, photo books, local websites, and tourism guidebooks.This is a process which may take some time because you never know when inspirations hit.At this point of the photography trip planning, I would also check my equipment. I would check if any of my gear is not working well and have them repaired right away if necessary. Servicing them now is the best because they must be ready by the time you depart.3. Few days before the tripKeep in mind that some places don’t provide internet access. Therefore it is much better if you write down, or print, every note you would need, such as local shops, tourist office, and local sunrise and sunset time. Weather forecast is also an important information to be noted.It would be better if you start making a list of what to bring for the photography trip. Sometimes you might forget some items if you think of them 1-2 days before the trip.4. 1 day before the tripI would pack the camera and its equipment first. The last thing you want to discover is missing your spare battery or camera lenses at home. Have a last check on the weather forecast. Print all documents you will need for the photography trip. Make sure you have the memory card(s) ready.5. D-dayCheck and recheck for the last time before you leave. It doesn’t hurt you to have an extra checking, rather than regretting that you left an important piece of gear at home. Camera lenses, formatted memory cards, spare battery, and your travel documents should be rechecked.Insurance, cash money, taxi reservation, flight ticket, and passport are usually the most important travel documents which you should not forget to bring. Other than that you are set and ready to go.I hope these tips will make your photography trip be more fun and memorable. Have fun and enjoy your trip!
Video Production: A Revelation
Video production has changed the way we view the world. It allows us to see and understand what is being presented without the tediousness of reading small print text. Without the presence of a video, it is much more difficult to grasp what is at hand and what is meant to be conveyed through the piece. It was reported that over 700 billion videos have been viewed on YouTube this year alone proving that video production has such a phenomenal impact on the public.
YouTube receives over 3 billion hits per day whether it is through “how to” videos, gag videos, or through music videos, the information is streaming right to the consumer without any buffering or implications. The consumer is able to see the product in a more creative way that enhances its sales and recognition. With its availability and consistency, videos produce the ability to generate opinions, brand recognition, and instill a working relationship with the customer.
Video production companies connect the customers with what they want to see without the fluff and clutter of the words. Web videos are directing them right to the purpose of the article which is ultimately what they want. The viewers’ needs the information now just like every other consumer. Websites that implement web videos immediately draw in the crowd enhancing their experience with the page which improves the site’s search engine ranking. It keeps their interest sparked and juices flowing.
Through the web videos the information is conveyed quickly and effectively, the site is navigated more efficient, knowledge about the company is provided, and it generates popularity among the cohorts. In such cases with video production companies, they are presenting numerous videos displaying their talent and knowledge about the topic. It gives the viewer a chance to see the skills of a video production company and what they have to offer. That is what the viewer wants to see. Knowledge about the company is immediately presented along with a myriad of videos that showcase the company’s expertise in video production.
Video production has the ability to link to other social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn among many other social media platforms. This feature that creates a connection to a greater base of people in due course creating a snowball effect that will increase the companies search engine optimization (SEO). The association of the video with the company will create a remembrance and a better feel of the company because of the video. It allows the viewer to also engage in what the company is presenting through their video. The viewers can post comments about the video, can share the video with their friends and family, and can rank whether they like the video or not. They can be a part of what is going on and what kind of traffic is being generated. This kind of interaction establishes a base between the company and potential client. Regardless of these features, the video is still be viewed by those who visit the site.
The internet has become a necessity to the consumer population. The public spends hours upon hours surfing and searching the internet for medical advice, humor, friends, news, or whatever they please. It has become the main source of consumption. Without the internet, products would not be consumed, companies would not be known, and the consumers would be at a loss. There would not be a channel to produce information.
According to a study conducted by CNN Money Report, it is predicted that online consumer traffic will increase more than 75% in just three years. This increase proves how important video production is to the consumer market and how it has become an absolute necessity. The immediate stream of web video production upon entering a site will not only draw the consumer in, but will also navigate their perception of the product and the company creating a lasting impression.
Gambling: They call it Lady Luck
Thanks to the Lotto and scratch cards and online casinos, more women than ever before are developing a gambling problem.
According to government figures, 60% of adults in the UK spend up to £50 per month gambling at the betting shop or on Lotto. As the result of changes coming shortly, the amount spent in this country per year is expected to go up from the current £42 billion to £60 billion.
30 million people regularly buy UK Lotto tickets in the second largest of the 192 lotteries across the world. And despite official figures telling us that a mere 1% of these have developed out of control gambling habits, Gamblers Anonymous are finding that they’ve had an increase of 17% in calls for help. GamCare has also seen an increase in requests for their counseling service.
Women have always dominated the Bingo scene, where they outnumber men, 70% to 30%. The average age is under 50 and the average spend for a night (including food and drinks) is £20.
Women tend not to visit casinos and betting shops, and favour on-line gambling instead where they have the perception of its being safer, less intimidating, more fun, more tempting and where they can remain anonymous.
As they are seduced by the escapism of on-line shopping, developing an internet gambling addiction, as they are encouraged by the on-line sites to create alternative realities: a different identity; and play along with the fantasy that it’s not real money they’re playing with.
There are something like 1700 gambling websites, including casinos, bingo halls, lotteries. Something to meet everyone’s tastes. And of course, they’re open 24 hours a day.
As says Lysette Offley of Sounds Positive in Henley on Thames, where hypnotherapy for gambling addiction is used: We’re fast approaching a time when the number of people in the UK with broadband access to the internet will overtake those still on dial-up, so access and availability to on-line gambling is increasing. Not surprisingly, problems are expected to increase.”
So what can a person do about it if they feel their habit’s getting out of control?
“Get help now. Don’t let it go on and on,” says Lysette. “There is plenty of professional help available and many ways to stop gambling. I see people regularly who are able to turn their lives around and with just a little help learn how to stop gambling. And of course there are self-help products too which can help enormously. Why would you play the victim of your habit when you really can do something about it?”
Sounds Positive specialises in fully downloadable self-help hypnotherapy products, incorporating other psychology techniques such as NLP and EFT. Stop Gambling is available from their website.