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Hunting Season Ends but the New Sport of Shedding Begins!

May 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
shedding
Courtesy: Mossy Oak

Courtesy: Mossy Oak

The thrill of the hunt; the challenge of the chase; sitting in a tree in the extremely biting cold winds of winter to wait for that whitetail to come forth and present itself – all of this is an adrenaline rush. But when the snow ceases to fall, searching the woods in the springtime for deer antlers that have been shed by prize bucks is also turning into an interesting sport that’s growing in popularity every single year.

It’s completely natural for bucks to shed their antlers after the breeding season is over and done with and the testosterone levels drop. In fact, this is nature’s gift, because when the antlers are shed a new, larger set of antlers begins to take shape.

More and more, hunters, landowners and property managers are taking an in-depth interest in being able to attract more deer to their landscape, which means finding ways to actively manage their deer populations. One of the easiest ways to do this, to understand the count of the herd and whether or not that count is falling or on the rise, is to search for shed antlers.

But it’s not only landowners that are getting into the spirit of shed hunting. A lot like the feeling you receive at the end of football season and the strange longing it promotes to get going on the new draft so that the next season can begin, March is the month where active hunters and sportsmen/women grow idle. An actual desperation for deer season to begin again occurs, and shed hunting allows the fix that’s needed when the next season is still a great distance away.

There are more and more stories arriving from hunters about how they saw a particular whitetail buck roaming their property and made a note (when the buck was not claimed) to search the property in March to find the shed antlers. Even for the amateur hunter or the ones who wish to avoid hunting but still want that glorious prize to hang in their home, this new and different deer season is a cool way to get close to that amazing creature.

When antlers first grow in every spring, it is to help bucks through the mating process. As the antlers grow they have a very sensitive covering – a lot like human skin – that’s known as velvet. Once the antlers are fully formed, this covering is then slowly rubbed away by the deer against small tree saplings throughout the forest. Once the mating season is over and the deer no longer needs his antlers for fighting off other bucks and doing the proverbial dance in order to win the doe, the bucks then shed them over a two to three week period.

So why is there a need to search for these sheds right away, seeing as that bucks are not exactly a rare creature? Well, the antlers are actually made of calcium, so once they’re shed all the small critters of the forest arrive and quickly eat what the deer has left behind.

In order to locate fresh sheds, you have to start immediately after hunting season has come to an end. The prize or trophy antlers are out there, but not for long. And these are truly trophies, seeing as that large bucks are smart enough to avoid being seen, so the antler sheds actually offer you an image of what these mighty creatures look like. And the process of actually being able to follow the same buck’s progression is more than possible; if you’re alert enough, you can find the shed antlers of the same buck year after year. Since antlers come in larger every time, this will show owners and property managers the growth rate of bucks located on their property.

In order to find what you’re looking for, make sure to zone in on the most active feeding areas – green fields and hardwood stands that produce a lot of acorns are the best place to begin. From there, travel the same route the buck would take, basically into the thick patches of woods where the deer would bed down.

In the end – even though we can do nothing about increasing football season (yet) – the hunting season can continue as you embark on the new adventure of discovering those amazing sheds!

 

Source: Mossy Oak / Sportsmans Life / Baret News Wire

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Harrison Ford Interview

April 4, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
harrison-ford-branch-rickey

Harrison Ford 42 movie
The “42” Interview
with Kam Williams

Headline: Harrison Solo

Born in Chicago on July 13, 1942, Harrison Ford was a late bloomer who only developed an interest in acting during his senior year of college. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as carpenter for almost a decade while struggling trying to launch his showbiz career.

He was finally discovered in 1973 while installing cabinets in the home of George Lucas. The director cast him in American Graffiti, which in turn, led to his landing the iconic character Hans Solo in Star Wars, and the rest, as they say, is cinematic history.

Ford went on to play the title role in the Indiana Jones franchise, and to make memorable outings in such hit movies as The Fugitive, Witness, Air Force One, What Lies Beneath, Presumed Innocent, Blade Runner, Frantic, Apocalypse Now and Clear and Present Danger, to name a few. Here, the Oscar-nominated thespian (for Witness) talks about his latest outing opposite Chad Boseman as Brooklyn Dodgers’ general manager Branch Rickey in 42, a biopic about Jackie Robinson’s breaking the color barrier in baseball.

Kam Williams: Hi Mr. Ford, thanks so much for the interview. I’m very honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.
Harrison Ford: That’s kind of you to say, Kam.

KW: I was moved to tears several times by the movie. If 42 were released in December, I’m sure you’d be a shoo-in for another Oscar nomination.
HF: Again, you’re very kind. Thank you. I credit the wonderful material. It was very well-crafted, well-written and well-directed. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to be involved with the project.

KW: Documentary filmmaker Kevin Williams says: You have been my favorite actor for many years, as were you my Dad’s ever since he saw you in Hanover Street. Thank you for bringing us so much joy.
HF: How sweet!

KW: Why did you decide to play Branch Rickey?
HF: First of all, I read what I thought was an amazing script with very high standards, telling an important story with a character for me to play who was colorful and dramatic and different from any I’d ever played before, and with a director [Brian Helgeland] I admired who had written this wonderful script. So, I had a multitude of reasons to want to do this character. I also saw this project as an opportunity to fully ascend to the rank of the noble calling of character actor. I thought that I could best serve the film by not bringing any of the audience’s history with Harrison Ford into the scene. So, I did everything I could to create a character that truly resembled and was attendant to the real-life Branch Rickey.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: You’ve earned some much-deserved acclaim for playing serialized fantasy figures—thank you big time for Hans Solo and Indiana Jones. How different is the preparation for doing a one-shot biopic of an historical figure?
HF: The truth is… the job’s always the same. It involves helping to tell the story and creating an alloy between character and story that serves the film. And it also involves creating behavior that brings the information in every scene to life, and investing emotionally in the communication of those ideas.

KW: Gil Cretney asks: Will Hans Solo be in JJ. Abram’s upcoming Star Wars sequel?
HF: I think you’ll have to ask somebody else that question. I’m not ready to commit or talk about that at this time.

KW: Kate Newell asks: How did it feel shooting on location at some of those venerable, old baseball stadiums?
HF: To tell you the truth, I didn’t pay much notice because in many cases the stadiums were recreated through computer graphics after the fact. We really only had the first ten rows, and the rest was added during post-production. The places where we shot were not historical or so impressive. But given that this film takes place over sixty years ago, it’s amazing how much different the world was back then. It’s seen so many changes in a relatively short period of time.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier says: I am honored to ask you a question because I have admired your work since I was a child. Jackie Robinson is special to me because his minor league career began in my hometown, Montreal. What does his legacy mean to you?
HF: This is a country which has always proclaimed itself to be founded on and to be pursuing high ideals. I believe that the racial injustice which existed such a short time ago probably would have persisted longer if the color barrier had not been broken in baseball, since the Civil Rights Movement might not have blossomed when it did, had it not been preceded by Jackie Robinson’s joining the Dodgers. You have to remember that baseball really was the American pastime in the Forties, not football, basketball or any other sport. Baseball was a metaphor for America, both here and in terms of how it was understood by the rest of the world. So, the legacy of Jackie Robinson and the part he played in this very important chapter of our history is very compelling and very meaningful to me personally.

KW: My father took a photo of me with Jackie when I was a kid in the Fifties, and I kept that picture on my bureau my entire childhood.
HF: Cool!

KW: Well, thanks again for the interview, Mr. Ford.
HF: It was my pleasure, Kam.

To see a trailer for 42, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9RHqdZDCF0

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Jack the Giant Slayer (FILM REVIEW)

March 16, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
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Jack the Giant Slayer 97152_gal
Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Farm Boy Rises to the Occasion in Breathtaking Adaptation of Beloved Fairytale

When Jack (Nicholas Hoult) was a little boy, his imagination was whetted by a bedtime story about a mythical war waged ages ago against a fearsome race of giants that had descended from the sky. Before his mother (Caroline Hayes) died soon thereafter, she suggested that he might even be related to Erik the Great (Craig Salisbury), the brave monarch who had led the valiant defense of Earth against the gargantuan invaders.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the peaceable kingdom’ proverbial tracks, young Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) was being spoon-fed a similar tale about an epic showdown between good and evil. But she was read to at night by her doting father, King Brahmwell (Ian McShane), due to her mother’s (Tandi Wright) untimely demise.

A decade later, we find the lowly farmhand’s path crossing with that of the future queen the day the headstrong teenager sneaks out of the castle to rub shoulders with the hoi polloi. At a puppet show, Jack rushes to her assistance the moment she finds herself being accosted by a menacing gang of ruffians.

The damsel-in-distress becomes so smitten with the gallant lad that she informs her father of a desire to break off her arranged engagement to the insufferable Roderick (Stanley Tucci), an effete lout twice her age. Nonetheless, King Brahmwell would rather have his daughter marry a blue-blooded member of the Royal Court she doesn’t love than tie the knot with a mere commoner.

Before the moment of truth arrives, however, fate intervenes in the form of a monk (Simon Lowe) who hands Jack a few mysterious beans. During a secret visit from Isabelle, one slips through the floorboards, takes seed under his house, and starts to grow rapidly, sweeping the humble abode and the Princess way up into the heavens.

Soon, both of her suitors join the search party, scaling the mile-high beanstalk to an otherworldly realm in the clouds. Jack has no idea that the mammoth plant has also inadvertently reopened a gateway to the ground for an army of gigantic adversaries. And it’s not long before ancient hostilities are reignited over Isabelle and the fate of the planet below.

Directed by Bryan Singer, Jack the Giant Slayer is an alternately enchanting and eyepopping adventure which must be seen in 3-D to be appreciated fully. Between the breathtaking panoramas and the daring derring-do on display, the picture amounts to a captivating, cinematic treat guaranteed to enthrall tykes, ‘tweeners, and just about anyone interested in seeing a classic fairytale brought to life.

Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum! I smell a hit with the little ones!

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for frightening images, brief profanity and intense violence
Running time: 114 minutes
Distributor: Warner Brothers

To see a trailer for Jack the Giant Slayer, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ6aeaGQKUE

 

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Bryan Singer (INTERVIEW)

March 14, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
jack-main

Bryan Singerjack-main
The “Jack the Giant Slayer” Interview
with Kam Williams

Headline: The Life of Bryan

Bryan Singer has consistently entertained audiences between a bold visual style and richly drawn characters ever since his making a noteworthy feature film debut in 1993 with the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize-winner “Public Access.” He gained widespread attention a couple years later with the crime thriller “The Usual Suspects” which won Academy Awards for Kevin Spacey (Best Supporting Actor) and Christopher McQuarrie (Best Original Screenplay).

Singer’s subsequent film was an adaptation of the Stephen King novella “Apt Pupil,” followed by the wildly successful “X-Men” and “X2: X-Men United.” He was next tapped to helm “Superman Returns,” the first blockbuster shot on the Panavision Genesis digital camera, and the first live action film to utilize the post-conversion 3D process.
Most recently, Bryan made the World War II drama “Valkyrie,” starring Tom Cruise. And he is currently in production directing “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” which reunites numerous cast members from the franchise’s previous films.
For television, Singer directed the pilot and was executive producer on the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series “House,” starring Hugh Laurie. He also produced the ABC series “Dirty Sexy Money” and the HBO documentary “Vito,” about author and 1980s AIDS activist Vito Russo.
Bryan has directed and/or produced a myriad of other projects through his Bad Hat Harry Productions, a motion picture and television production company formed in 1994. To date, his projects have grossed over two billion dollars worldwide.

Here, he talks about his latest film, “Jack the Giant Slayer,” a big screen version of the classic fairytale.

Kam Williams: Hi Bryan, thanks for the interview.
Bryan Singer: Sure. Not at all, Kam. My pleasure.

KW: Guess what? I met your mom in a waiting room last year. We happen to have the same dentist.
BS: Oh really? That’s cool. Are you from Princeton?

KW: Yep.
BS: How random! That’s funny. How did you know it was my mom?

KW: I struck up a conversation with her, and mentioned I was a film critic.
BS: And I bet it was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

KW: Just about. She’s a very proud mama who’s very knowledgeable about film in general. We had a great chat!
BS: That’s so nice, since she’s a big movie fan, herself.

KW: I invited her to attend the screening of the film the studio set up for me locally, but she declined.
BS: Yeah, she’s flying out to join me at the premiere here in L.A.

KW: What interested you in making Jack the Giant Slayer?
BS: At the time, there were no fairytale movies in development that I was aware of, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to do something different that I hadn’t seen before and that I hadn’t done before. A product existed called Jack the Giant Killer, which I kind of rewrote from scratch with Chris McQuarrie and Dan Studney, who are also Jersey kids. So, it began with that and my desire to see beanstalks and giants in a way they’ve never been portrayed before.

KW: I was familiar with Jack and the Beanstalk, but I don’t remember reading Jack the Giant Killer as a child.
BS: Jack the Giant Killer was from the 1700’s, and kind of an Arthurian character who went around slaying giants and sending their heads back to King Arthur. This film takes some inspiration from both fairytales but, frankly, it’s its own original story.

KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Can you tell me about how you directed the relationship between Jack [played by Nicholas Hoult] and Isabelle [played by Eleanor Tomlinson] with all the chaos going on around them.
BS: How do I put this? By basically making sure there was enough material that could build between them. But one of the key things was something I shot very late in the game, namely, the opening scene. I still didn’t feel that their destiny was cemented, so I went to New Zealand to shoot the opening where you see them being read to as little kids, and designed it to be intercut, much the same way the next scene is intercut when Jack’s uncle and Isabelle’s father are scolding them. By doing that you set them on a path of romantic destiny. So, that setup not only gave the history of the giants, but put the idea of the two characters being on a trajectory to be together in the audience’s mind. By the way, I used some of [director] Peter Jackson’s stages and crew from the Hobbit for that. And I got to go to the Hobbit premiere while I was down there, which was a lot of fun.

KW: So you shot some of the film in New Zealand?
BS: Only those scenes where the parents were reading to the children. Those scenes also established who Jack and Isabelle were meant to be had his father and her mother not died. Now, Jack is fatherless and trapped on the farm, while Isabelle is motherless and trapped in a castle by an overprotective father who is afraid of losing the only other woman in his life. So, that opening tableau sort of sets the characters up in a fun way, and we shot it in New Zealand over a couple days. The rest of the movie was completely shot in London.

KW: Is there a message you want people to take away from the film?
BS: No, I don’t think of it as that kind of film. It’s just supposed be entertaining. Awards season is over, so it’s time for an adventure.

KW: Documentary filmmaker Kevin Williams says: I’m from Trenton and almost everyone I meet from Princeton says they know you or your mom. His question is, how do you fight off complacency, and do you look at scripts any differently today versus earlier in your career?
BS: Well, early in my career, I really wasn’t look at scripts. I was developing them from scratch. Now, I look at them for inspiration but, ultimately, I’m driven to a kind of movie I want to make, knowing that eventually I’m going to bring aboard my friends, some of whom I grew up with, like Chris, and others whom I met later in life, like Dan. So, initially, I’m just looking for an idea, for a kernel of a story.

KW: Have you met Damien Chazelle out there in Hollywood yet? He’s an up-and-coming young director also from Princeton whose short film just won at Sundance.
BS: No, I haven’t, but it would be great to meet him.

KW: Erik Daniels, who teaches at West Windsor High School South, your alma mater, says: We all know how formative the high school years are. How influential was your high school experience in shaping your desire to direct?
BS: It was very fostering. I had a communications teacher named Denise Mangani who really opened up my mind to the cinematic arts in general. And I also had a creative writing teacher, Mr. Berridge, who was very inspiring in terms of thinking about stories. Another was my social studies teacher, Ms. Fiscarelli. She was very influential because she taught a comprehensive unit on The Holocaust. That material has found its way into many of movies, from Apt Pupil to X-Men to Valkyrie to X-Men: First Class, as well as into some of the documentaries I’ve produced. That subject-matter has been very important to me.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: Is there a new genre of film that you would like to tackle for the first time?
BS: Yes, horror. Something supernatural. I always enjoy a good horror film, and there hasn’t been a great horror film like The Exorcist for awhile.

KW: Patricia also asks: What director did you admire the most growing up?
BS: Steven Spielberg.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
BS: I’ve been reading a lot of David Sedaris lately. I recently finished “When You Are Engulfed in Flames”
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316154687/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20 
and his “Holidays on Ice.”
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003H4RDZQ/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
And I’m currently reading “Barrel Fever.”
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316779423/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles notes that you produced the TV series “House” which is set in your hometown, Princeton. She asks: Were you also involved in the writing?
BS: No, the original script which was written by David Shore, was set in Boston. I moved it to Princeton because I didn’t want it to be just a city hospital. I also felt Princeton was a perfect location to have a diversity of patients.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
BS: Time moving forward, not backwards. [LOL]

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
BS: I don’t cook, but I love eating sushi.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
BS: Eternal good health.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
BS: My father reading a storybook to me at about the age of 2. It had a fly on every page, and whenever we saw the fly, we’d fall back on the bed together and laugh.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Bryan, and best of luck with the film.
BS: Sure thing, Kam, and if you see my mom in town, tell her I said “Hi.”

KW: Will do!
BS: Thanks!

To see a trailer for Jack the Giant Slayer, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ6aeaGQKUE

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Get Free of Stress and Skin Problems at FaceLuXe

February 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Massage Luxe 2-FaceLuxe-

 

The latest data when it comes to the field of skincare as well as cosmetics is the fact that the ‘facial’ trend is growing by leaps and bounds. More and more women AND men are coming to understand that healthy skin is just as important as having a healthy body.

Although it once seemed like nothing more than pampering, the art of facials has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry that is now recommended by doctors and specialists to maintain health and youth all at the same time.

This news means that not only is FaceLuXe a location that relieves you of your stress and the tension of daily life, but it’s also now a ‘must’ in order to achieve the best healthcare possible. After all, the ‘outer wrapping’ is the first line of defense you have against environmental issues, air toxins, and more.

What many clients first come to realize is that when they walk into a FaceLuXe salon, anything and everything that their skin Massage LuXe 3needs to become and stay healthy is right there on the menu. The multitude of benefits that this company provides for your skin health and wellness are too many to name, and choosing the type of facial you want depends on what you’re looking for and what best suits your skin tone. There are facial treatments designed to deep-clean your skin, while others were created for their moisturizing benefits; while still others are all about relieving the stress on the skin – stress that causes the acne that all age groups seem to suffer from.

When it comes to the benefits of facial care, the skilled staff at FaceLuXe can already see what it is that would best meet your needs. And by speaking with you and getting to know their client’s better, they understand whether a face pack, aromatherapy facials, massage therapy with facial creams, or a list of other remedies, will best help your skin. Toxins, pollution, dirt and grease – everything found in our daily environment perforates the skin – and facials reduce that overall attack by utilizing all-natural substances as well as moisturizes to lubricate the skin and keep up that first line of defense that your body has to stay healthy.

Sebum is a particular skin issue and the overproduction of sebum has shown that it can cause major skin problems. Through exfoliation, sebum can be removed and the skin becomes more firm and tightens the pores so that you can scratch that worry, that one worry, at least, off your list.

When people head to the gym they are looking to increase their circulation, lose weight and feel better. But skin needs that increased circulation as well. Think about it…you are talking about a body ‘part’ that is the largest and most expansive that is being harmed by the sun, wind, weather issues – at all times of the time. Even while you’re inside; the heaters, the dust, air conditioning, you name it and this particular body mass is being exposed. Facial treatments solve this by increasing the necessary flow of oxygen-enriched blood to skin cells, concluding with a healthier glow and providing your skin with vital nutrients and water. Oh, yes…water. Which is the one thing that your skin MUST have in order to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Nutrients plus hydration will consistently give you that youthful, healthy appearance.

But it’s not only the medical issues we’re speaking about here. At the gym you look into the mirror and know you are doing you best, feeling your best, and even stepping on that scale seeing the pounds come off gives you the necessary emotion you need to be happier and healthier. We all know that emotional benefits come with the medical ones and, frankly, facial treatments feel good. Not only does you skin receive what it needs, but it also gives you that ‘better’ more confident feeling about yourself that each and every one of us strives to find.

Aromatherapy, moisturizing oils – all of these treatments leave a lovely scent behind and give the mind encouragement. And when it comes to anti-aging, which is still the most wanted ‘miracle’ that all people across the globe – no matter what age – seek; facials do what needs to be done in that area as well. No heavy duty surgery is necessary to look and feel young. In fact, these particular surgeries harm the skin and actually make the skin age faster.

In this day and age there are so many treatments and technologies in the world of facials that have been truly proven to slow the aging process down considerably. Intense pulsed light, laser treatments that remove dead skin and increase collagen and cell growth and development – there is a menu of new services in this particular health and wellness field that will do anything you want to see done.

AND, when you begin by walking through the doors of a FaceLuXe, you are automatically taking the right path toward feeling and looking better!

This amazing franchise is popping up all over the country, with hundreds more being planned, and the reason for this rapid growth is the amazing experience client’s receive from the skilled and expert staff within the FaceLuXe corporation. And when you hear that you can receive the Renew Package; which is a true ‘gift’ that offers a one hour specialty massage, a one hour VIP Facial, eye and lip treatment – you will be amazed at how your mind, body and soul will be ‘renewed’ in just one visit.

This is the ‘age of reason’ once again, folks. With reason comes the intelligence to know what you need and the only place to get it! Call your FaceLuXe location for pricing and more details today. You don’t have one in your area yet? Head to the website now and delve into the possibility of opening the first franchise in your neck-of-the-woods!

www.FaceLuXe.com

 

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Help Aiken Cinderella’s Get to the Ball

January 25, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

S.C. Bar Young Lawyers collect formal gowns for Cinderella Project

There are only a few Cinderella’s in Aiken. However, the Young Lawyers Decision of the South Carolina Bar believes that you and some friends may be able to help them so Cinderella can get to the ball at the High School Prom.

The S.C. Bar Young Lawyers Division is sponsoring its annual Cinderella Project, which provides gently worn formal, bridesmaid and prom dresses for young women who lack the financial resources to buy a gown for their high school prom.

This unique project is also being held in Anderson, Columbia, Greenville, Greenwood and Orangeburg.

Clean dresses in all sizes, as well as evening bags, jewelry, shoes and other accessories, are needed. Donations are being accepted until March 2 and can be dropped off at either of the following Maxwell Law Firm locations in 225 Chesterfield St., NW, Aiken, 516 West Ave., N. Augusta

A boutique will be held on March 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Maxwell Law Firm in Aiken to give the girls an opportunity to shop for dresses at no cost. Girls from all area schools are invited to attend and must bring their student ID.

For more information, visit www.scbar.org/cinderella or contact Christy Tyner at (803) 641-6700. The YLD includes all members of the S.C. Bar under age 36 and those with less than five years membership.

The South Carolina Bar, which has a membership of more than 14,000 lawyers, is dedicated to advancing justice, professionalism and understanding of the law.

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Great Tips And Tricks For Aiken Photography Enthusiasts

January 4, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
canon 7d with shoulder brace in Aiken

We take pictures as a way to remember. We want to remember the way that something or someone looked, acted, or achieved around Aiken. We take them to show others something that we witnessed firsthand and pass along the experience. If you want to take better pictures of your memories, then read this article and the tips contained within.

Toy around with taking pictures in nature – there are so many things in our local area. Take pictures of the landscape, sunset, landmarks, animals, anything that takes your fancy. Take interesting shots and see what photo gems you come up with. Nature provides many wonderful and beautiful scenes. Try going on a nature walk with your camera a few times, and take shots to make a portfolio.

canon 7d with shoulder brace in AikenFamiliarity with your camera is important if you want to shoot the best pictures possible. Make sure that you take some time to study your particular camera. This doesn’t mean just reading the manual and snapping a few photos. You really want to become familiar with everything your camera’s capable of. I have a Canon 7d and a range of amazing lenses, but The more I learn about the camera, the better the shots I capture.

One of the things that you can do when you are taking pictures is to lean on something to achieve better balance. The more balance that you have, the less movement the camera will make, which can improve the sharpness of your shots. Multiple connection points are important too. Try a monopod or a shoulder brace, or even tighten up the strap. Anything you do to stabilize the camera is a good thing. Maintain your balance and add another stabilization point if you desire optimal photographs.

Pay attention to natural lighting. You might need to use your flash feature or install additional sources of light, but you can use natural lighting to create interesting effects with light and shadow. Position your subject accordingly. Make sure the photograph is not too dark or too bright. Learn to use the histogram feature. if you have it, to make sure there isn’t too much light, or too much dark.

Select a subject and focus on it. Point your camera towards this subject or object and use the auto focus feature if necessary. If you don’t do this, your picture will look blurry. Play with conventions and select an unusual point of focus if you want original pictures. I always check the focus of someone’s eyes – zoom right in and see if they are crisp or blurred – that is my wife’s tip.

Always be early when you’re planning on shooting a sunset or a sunrise. This will give you ample time to compose the perfect shot. You don’t want to get there and be forced to take lousy shots because you ran out of time. I am guilty of this!

In the beginning, I talked about the reasons that we take pictures and their roles in our lives. Taking great photos means you have a wonderful visual for a story that you are telling. I hope I’ve given you some useful tips to take better photos around Aiken.

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Bank of America consumers victorious vs $5 debit card fee

November 2, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
topics_bankamerica_395

Bank of America consumers clinched victory over the $5 monthly fee for using debit cards.

Bank of America co-chief operating officer David Darnell announced foregoing the monthly debit card fees last November 1 after irate consumer Molly Katchpole of Washington, DC started an online petition calling for the bank to cease its unnecessary monthly charges.

America’s largest bank had to cancel the additional $5 charge when more than 300,000 consumers supported Katchpole’s petition on www.change.org calling to “reject any claims that this latest fee is somehow necessary.”

“The American people bailed out Bank of America during a financial crisis. You paid zero dollars in federal income tax last year. And now your bank is profiting, raking in $2 billion in profits last quarter alone,” Katchpole reminded Bank of America officials.

“How can you justify squeezing another $60 billion a year from your debit card customers? This is despicable,” Katchpole added.

Katchpole’s petition snowballed and Bank of America’s extra $5 fee for debit card usage was short-lived, which was first implemented late in September.

“We have listened to our customers very closely over the last few weeks and recognized their concern with our proposed debit usage fee,” Darnell said in a statement.

“Our customers’ voices are most important to us. As a result, we are not currently charging the fee and will not be moving forward with any additional plans to do so,” Darnell added.

Bank of America earlier defended its new policy.  It claimed that the minimal $5 fee will help regain revenue loses with the passage of the Dodd-Frank Financial Regulation Bill, where its revenues in debit-swipe transactions were cut in half.

The vigilance of Katchpole and the more than 300,000 consumers online finally ended new bank policy that was also supposed to be replicated by Wells Fargo & Co. and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

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Debit card users, watch out

October 7, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
5-ways-get-nicked-new-bank-fees-3-debit-lg

You may not know it, but your bank may be charging you a monthly fee for using your own debit card.

Bank of America has already started charging its debit card users $5 monthly fee since September while Wells Fargo & Co., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. are also thinking of following suit.

Financial analysts explain the extra fee is designed to regain lost revenues due to new federal regulation, where it slashes half the amount of money banks gain from debit-swipe transactions.

The Dodd-Frank Financial Regulation Bill is only applicable to banks with assets exceeding $10 billion and the banks are estimated to lose $6.6 billion in revenues per year.

If you’re not too sure if you’re bank is charging hidden fees for debit card services, check with your local bank manager to find out.

If indeed your bank is charging you, analysts suggest looking for an alternative in smaller thrift banks that are not affected by the new federal regulation.  There are still smaller thrift banks that offer the services for free.

Debit cards have long been the alternative against drowning in debt with credit card usage.  But with this new scheme, it practically defeats the purpose while adding more financial burden on your part.

Filed Under: Aiken, Feature · Tagged: , , , , , ,
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