Its The Year of The Tiger This 2010!

Here's a little 101 on the upcoming Chinese New Year! - -

Ideas for Celebrating Chinese New Years.

The days before Chinese New Year’s are spent thoroughly cleaning and decorating the home (often with red banners, as red is considered especially auspicious), preparing special foods, getting a haircut and mending old clothes. Everything is meant to look fresh and new to set the tone of the coming year.

Red is said to be the luckiest color and most celebrants decorate their homes with red banners and dress in red for the celebrations.

Chinese New Year Ideas for celebrating:
Host a Chinese potluck and invite your friends and family over to celebrate the Chinese New Year with you. Be sure to decorate your home with red!

If there is a large Chinese community in your town or city, check to see what will be going on. Often dragon dances, parades and other festivities are scheduled and open to the public. Check your local listings or contact the local Chinese cultural center or cultural association. The bright and open celebrations are not to be missed!

Red paper scrolls: Chun lian are special Chinese couplets, often written on red paper, which are hung outside the front door of houses and businesses. The sayings are meant to bring luck and fortune to the dwelling for the coming year. Check out the following pages to learn more about chun lian and how to write a common Chinese verses in the beautiful Chinese calligraphy.

Sources -
http://www.chinapage.com/duilian/chunlian0.html
http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/learn/class_newyear.html
http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/new_year_g.html

Red Packets - Hongbao, or red packets filled with money, are given to children on Chinese New Year’s by parents, grandparents, friends and other relatives to symbolize luck and wealth. Making red packets is a fun family activity that is easy enough for even young kids and a couple of dollars put into each makes them a well-received gift. Check out the following page for directions on how to make them:
http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/new_year/class_packet.html

Paper Lanterns The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year’s) lasts for 15 days and is marked at the end of it by the lantern festival (Yunxiao). Celebrating the first full moon of the year, paper lanterns were traditionally carried into the streets for a community parade and were often accompanied by fabulous folk dances, including the dragon dance. Try making paper lanterns to hang around your home as part of your Chinese New Year’s celebrations. Directions can be found at:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/chinesenewyear/lantern/


A MORE DETAILED LOOK:

(The Chinese calendar is based on solar and lunar cycles and thus the new year falls on a different day of the Western solar calendar each year.)

To have a Tiger in the house is great protection against fire, theft and evil spirits.

The year of the Tiger is one filled with drama and there is often tension & unpredictability in the air. Events can happen quickly.

Characteristics:
People Born in the Year of the Tiger are very lucky and very courageous. Tiger people are dynamic, attractive, lively, social, enthusiastic, intelligent, alert and optimist.

The tiger is very competitive with a wonderful fighting spirit. They are natural leaders with great strategy techniques. They can also be stubborn and impatient.

Compatible business partners
People born in the years of the earth dog, metal pig, water tiger, wood horse and fire dragons.

Good Careers for Tigers:
Artist, Acting, Comedian, Musician, Race Car Driver, Chauffeur, Aviation, Writer, Politician, Managers, Marketing and Sales

Compatible Friends:
Horses, Dogs

Most incompatible Friends:
Monkeys

Love Partners:
Best with: horse, dog
Conflict with: Ox and Monkeys

Tiger Holidays:
Tiger people love vacations filled with adventure and excitement. They love to soak up the sun as well as to enjoy an active night life.

2010 Horoscopes for Year of the Tiger

If you were born in the year of the Rat:
Rat people should curb their natural impulsive natures and try to avoid taking unnecessary risks during the Year of the Tiger. Travel can be good for you this year.

If you were born in the year of the OX:
Keep your head about you this year, as the year of the Tiger is not always easy for the stability loving OX person. There could be friction at home and work. However, your natural perseverance will get you through this dramatic year.

If you were born in the year of the Tiger:
Tiger will love to see the year of the OX end as the usher in their very own year. This will be a good year full of energy and activity for you. Just be cautious to not overspend.

If you were born in the year of the Rabbit:
Put plans and projects into gear this year! A time to prosper.

If you were born in the year of the Dragon:
Relationships may be difficult for the Dragon in the year of the tiger. This is a good year to take courses and learn new skills. Remember to stay positive this year.

If you were born in the year of the Snake:
A good year to keep a low profile and a level head.

If you were born in the year of the Horse:
A good year for the horse! A vibrant time and time of great socializing. Keep finances under control. Smooth sailing ahead.

If you were born in the year of the Sheep:
An interesting and busy year ahead for you. Could be a bewildering year, but stay positive and all will turn out well.

If you were born in the year of the Monkey:
Not the best year for the Monkey person. Best to keep on working steadily, keeping a low profile.

If you were born in the year of the Rooster:
Don't be afraid to make commitments and set plans this year, they will pay off.

If you were born in the year of the Dog:
A good year for romance. Your past hard work starts to pay off this year. This will be a busy year for you.

If you were born in the year of the Pig:
This is a year for the Pig person to keep their head down. It is not a particularly good year for pigs, although you still may have some luck coming your way.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!



SOURCE: www.chiff.com

Appreciating Photography

Do you remember growing up, because digital cameras still weren't that rampantly available then, family gatherings or vacations were at the mercy of Kodak rolls of film - you had no choice but to wait for "developing" before you see your eyes were closed or you had the red eye in 3 out of 12 shots in the roll... Those were the days.... Now, through the years, the wonders of digital photography is just as plain as drinking bottled water. So here we are led to the sparking interest and strong attraction of the people to photography and the camera...

And celebrating just that, Thunderbird Resorts recently just concluded its "Express Your Art Photo Contest!"... Going over the entries was overwhelming but there were just too many shots that were just absolutely amazing. To view the winning shots, enter this in your browser: http://www.thunderbird-asia.com/photocont-winners.htm.

So for the rest of us mere mortals who are happy with their 3-5 or even 8 mega pixel cams, here's an interesting article I found that can help our point and shoot style. Enjoy!

Top 10 Tips to Improve Point-and-Shoot Travel Photography

by Karen M. Cheung

Photography by Josh Root and Hannah Thiem

Do you flip through your photo albums and/or online gallery and sigh at the fact that all your photos look the same? The vacations all might blend together into an array of similar photos. It’s easy to fall into a rut of taking the same types of travel pictures, especially when our point-and-shoot cameras seem to do all the hard work of shooting. That’s the fun of it though. Rather than photographing the same old pictures from summers past, try out some of these improvement techniques from our top 10 tips for using your digital point-and-shoot this travel season.

1. Use the manual modes


Make the bold move to switch the camera dial from “Auto” to “Manual.” More point-and-shoot digital cameras these days come with built-in manual modes, depending on price and manufacturer. Some point-and-shoots cameras include manual features in which users can control aperture and shutter speed, features that were once only limited to higher-priced SLRs for advanced users. That isn’t the case anymore. Some point-and-shoots now carry manual functions that give users the benefit to control shooting capabilities in varied lighting and speed situations. Users can access aperture and shutter speed usually through menu settings and then via a zoom button. Although not all compact cameras have aperture and shutter speed controls, the majority of point-and-shoots include controls for ISO speed (usually 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and sometimes 3200), flash (On, Off, Auto, Red-eye Reduction), and sometimes exposure stops (+/- 2).

Experiment with the manual modes by first playing with the menu items. Change your menu settings by pressing the zoom toggle or main four-way controller, depending on the layout for your camera. If you have more time before the trip, remove the plastic wrap from the manual guide for some light reading about your camera’s full feature set, usually listed in the index. If you’ve lost the manual, access the manufacturer website for the online version to your camera’s guide.

2. When to turn off the flash


Point-and-shoots tend to employ a flash-on setting as the default mode. For travel photography though, most situations will call for little flash compensation since most vacationers spend their time outdoors that is already well lit. Those with a traveler’s heart, though, should shut off the automatic flash or suppress the pop-up in situations with plenty of light. To turn off the flash, hit the multi-controller button marked with a lighting bolt icon, which is oftentimes the preferred method that point-and-shoots identify the flash setting. Change the “Flash On” setting to “Flash Off.” Use natural lighting shining through a window during the daytime in lieu of the flash.

You can also turn off the flash for nighttime shooting. To compensate for the lack of light and flash, the camera will boost ISO or slow down the shutter speed, usually automatically, unless overridden in manual mode by the user. You might want to also use a mini travel tripod or simply set the camera to an automatic timer that is included on almost every camera for the increased time it takes to capture the night picture. Turning off the flash captures the ambient light for more natural-looking pictures.

3. When to turn on the flash

Some situations do call for the extra help of a flash such as the standard indoors settings or even outdoors in bright sun or shady days. For those outdoors situations, users should consider turning down flash to fill in for overcast or shady conditions. Not all point-and-shoots offer this adjustable feature to increase and decrease flash increments, but if your cameras does, use it. It can help properly expose your outdoor photos for even lighting.

4. Remember the zoom

Do a practice run on your zoom by photographing objects like flower buds and engagement rings. Sometimes, you might notice that your point-and-shoot sets off a ”!” alert that indicates the image might be blurry. Instead of putting the lens too close to the subject, move back and then zoom in using the lens.

This technique is also particularly useful for portraiture. Pulling back away from the subject allows the person to feel more relaxed for more natural smiles, but also provides less foreshortening of noses or foreheads for more realistic and prettier faces.

5. Get a new perspective


One of the easiest ways to vary your shooting involves some exercise. Photograph from below or shoot from above. Try getting down on the ground to spruce up landscape photography that can make small churches look like cathedrals. You can kneel or simply crouch similar to the way baseman empires do. Point your camera upwards to make things in the foreground appear much bigger than they really are. Look for things like street signs with the city behind it or flowers in the foreground with the grassy knoll in the background.

Also consider shooting overhead for a bird’s eye view. Climb to the second level of a shopping mall or other multi-floor venues, and shoot down below. Zoom out, and keep your camera parallel to the ground. This will get the tops of people’s heads, which is interesting for big crowds or people in formal wear. This is particularly effective for wide shots in banquet halls for weddings or rockers at concerts. Get the muscles moving for new perspective shooting.

6. Steadier landscapes and night scenes


Tripods are helpful for nighttime and landscape photography. Bolt the point-and-shoot to the camera socket. Be careful to twist just enough for stability, but not too tight, particularly if the socket is made from plastic, which can peel if worn away from over usage.

During nights, turn off the flash for some long exposures. The tripod will steady the camera. Try shooting cars zooming by on a busy city street. The long exposure will make the cars look like streaks and the light posts like starbursts.

You can consider using the tripod for landscape shots. Rotate the camera horizontally using the tripod. Take a series of photos at the same level for a 180-degree, panoramic view. If you choose to, you can use this series of photos for a post-processing stitching to create one long, wide photo.

7. Creative subject framing

To get a little more creative, try framing your subjects off center. Try depressing the shutter halfway to focus. Recompose the photo off-center, and take the shot. This should keep the focus on the subject, even if it is not at the center of frame, adding a dynamic element particularly to your portraiture photography. This should work with most point-and-shoots, but some cameras will default to the center as the point of focus. In that case, change the AF setting to “Spot” or “Tracking AF” via the menu system.

8. Find some red


Look for interesting points in a landscape or street scene with a flash of red to make subjects stand out from their surroundings. Ask your portrait subject to wear a red scarf or hat or switch shirts to a red color. Just as in car colors, people are more likely to be drawn to red.

9. Always be ready to take a great photo

If you are using the manual mode on your p&s, make sure you have the settings correct for the environment you are in (i.e. ISO set to 100 for broad daylight, or 800 for nighttime, aperture and shutter speed appropriate for action or still shots). If you are suddenly inspired to take a photo, or something interesting happens, be ready to capture that moment instantaneously without fumbling to change the settings.

Also, it may seem obvious, but all users should remember that battery life during vacation is the key to successful travel shooting. Charge your batteries the night before your hike for the full amount of required time that your manual dictates. Most chargers have a blinking light that signals when the charge is complete. Remember that overcharging your battery can also lead to damage to your battery. Read the fine print on your camera’s battery charge times, as spelled out in your manual specifications.

10. Submit your photos for critique

There’s no better way to improve your travel photography than sharing your photos with other photographers through a network. Try submitting your favorites to Photo.net’s Photo Critique Forum or even informal person-to-person feedback. You’ll find that other photographers—novice users and professionals—have plenty of travel tips to offer.
Conclusion

Travel time is playtime and what better time to experiment with your point-and-shoot than on your vacation? Remember that a new environment means a new kind of shooting. Practice these tips prior to the trip, and then use them for live event. You might be surprised at how easy some of the techniques are. It merely requires you getting to know your point-and-shoot better to take advantage of its full feature set of manual modes and customizable settings. Beyond the camera itself, remember to mix it up a bit with varied angles. In addition to thinking about what kind of shoes to pack, consider the places of travel when deciding on what camera equipment to bring (camera bag, extra batteries, and memory card reader). A little planning can go a long way when it comes to travel photography. Using these tips can help capture you to fully capture your travels.

Source: http://photo.net