Some feel good music for the day

Nelly Furtado - Forca  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ChGxIvWscA

It is the passion flowing right on through your veins
And it's the feeling that you're oh so glad you came
It is the moment you remember you're alive
It is the air you breathe, the element, the fire
It is that flower that you took the time to smell
It is the power that you know you got as well
It is the fear inside that you can overcome
This is the orchestra, the rhythm and the drum

Com uma forca, com uma forca
Com uma forca que ninguem pode parar
Com uma forca, com uma forca
Com uma fome que ninguem pode matar

It is the soundtrack of your ever-flowing life
It is the wind beneath your feet that makes you fly
It is the beautiful game that you choose to play
When you step out into the world to start your day
You show your face and take it in and scream and pray
You're gonna win it for yourself and us today
It is the gold, the green, the yellow and the grey
The red and sweat and tears, the love you go. Hey!

Com uma forca, com uma forca
Com uma forca que ninguem pode parar
Com uma forca, com uma forca
Com uma fome que ninguem pode matar

forca, forca, forca, forca, forca

Closer to the sky, closer, way up high, mais perto do ceu, mais perto do ceu

Com uma forca, com uma forca
Com uma forca que ninguem pode parar
Com uma forca, com uma forca
Com uma fome que ninguem pode matar

forca (oh), forca (oh), forca, forca, forca

come on

Some see the glass as half full...

 ...others see it as half empty.  

Me? I'm busy hunting down the bastard who drank half my water!

The Rule of Thirds

Brief intro: Though, technically, I'm not a professional photographer, I've got plenty of knowledge on the subject that many folks could use. I'll start off with the Rule of Thirds.  

What you have to do is imagine, whilst looking through your view finder or camera screen, two lines running across it, dividing it into three equal sections. Then imagine two more lines running up and down, again, dividing in three equal sections. This will give you a grid of nine boxes, equal in size and shape. Many digital cameras can actually put this grid on the screen for you. 

Now look where the lines intersect (meet each other). There are four such points. When you are framing your shot, you want to try and put your principle focus (area of interest, like, say, the face of your subject) on one of these four points. This will help give your shot a lot more visual interest than putting your principle focus dead center in the frame. Try putting the focus on each of the four points and see which picture composition you would like best. 

Happy shooting!

Lighting

It's very important to pay attention to the lighting of your subject. Make sure your subject is well lit, especially when you are shooting against a bright background. Try to ensure that, if there are any bright highlights, they work to emphasize your primary focus (like the face), not distract from it.  

If you don't have enough light for a good shot, you may be tempted to use a flash. Avoid this, if at all possible. If you can, adjust the lighting. Even taking the shades off of a couple of lamps can help immensely. Move light sources or, if need be, your subject to make the best use of available light. 

You can also slow the shutter speed of your camera down and put it on a steady surface (or use a tripod if you happen to have one). Get your subject to hold still for the shot. This will allow more light into the shot. This kind of picture is easier to shoot if you have a digital with high iso features (800 and over).  

If you must use a flash, try and use an indirect one. Be sure to use any red compensation your camera has. 

Be aware of the colour of your lighting: the warm colours (yellows, oranges, reds) will liven things up, whilst cool (blues, greens, purples) will calm them down. Standard incandescent lights have a warm tint to them, whilst flourescent have green.