Natural Gardening TipsSmart

Natural Gardening TipsSmart WateringDeep water trees. Punch a hole in the ground with a metal or plastic pipe. Just hammer it right in and leave it in the ground with just an inch or so showing above the ground. Put water into the pipe directly with a hose or watering can, and the water goes down to the tree roots. When you water the ground only, it is hard for the water to make it all the way down to the roots.
In hot or warm weather, the best time to water is early in the morning. Watering in the heat of the day will result in most of the water evaporating too quickly to get to the plants or trees.
Never get leaves or flowers wet when the weather is really hot. This can cause so much evaporation that the leaves and flowers end up drier than before you watered.
Cheap StakesUse cut-up strips from old nylons (pantyhose) to tie up tomato and other plants to stakes. The material stretches and will not harm plants.
No More Messy PotsPut small rocks or marbles on top of the soil in flower pots, and the dirt won't splash on the patio when you water.
Natural Fungus & Mildew SprayTo make a natural spray to eliminate fungus and mildew, chop a bulb of garlic and place it into a quart of hot water. Let this steep for at least 24 hours, then strain it.
Garden Tool TipsCover the handles of your long handled garden tools with a length of pipe insulation, foam tubing to soften the grip and help to prevent blisters. If you have to split the material to fit over the handles, use a strong tape to keep them on.
Keep a bucket of sand in the garage for your tools. When you are through using the tools, just stick them in the sand. This not only cleans them, it keeps them from rusting.
Cocoa MulchCocoa mulch should not be used in landscaping a yard shared by a dog. The mulch is actually cocoa bean shells and contain theobromine, which is the same ingredient in chocolate. Chocolate in large enough quantities will kill a dog, and cocoa mulch contains a much higher amount of theobromine. Most dogs may leave the mulch in the garden, but many love the smell and will eat it.
Don't Spread DiseaseWhen a rose bush, tree, or any plant has a fungus or mildew, you can spread the disease from one area of the plant to another. You can also spread disease from one plant or tree to other plants or trees.
To prevent this, spray your pruners with bleach water or water with grapefruit seed extract (GSE) after each cut. Mix a batch of one part water with one part bleach, or 30 drops of grapefruit seed extract to a quart of water in a spray bottle. Natural Planting TipsPlanting flowers early in the morning or in the evening gives them less stress.
When you plant flowers between morning and evening, keep a bucket or watering can of water with you. Put a little water into each hole before setting the plant. Then water all of the flowers when you are done planting.
Rotate your vegetable crops. Next season, plant the same vegetables but in different areas because each one depletes the soil of something different. This gives each area of soil a chance to rebuild its nutrients.
Cut FlowersCut fresh flowers longer than you need. Cut the stems again under water immediately before placing them in a vase.
Or, keep a bucket of water with you when you cut flowers in the garden, and put the flowers into the bucket immediately.
Cut fresh flower stems at an angle to double the area that can take in water.
Cut roses like to be put into hot water.
Don't put cut pieces of rose stems or any rose leaves into the compost pile - they often contain powdery mildew or black spot that will contaminate the entire pile.
The perfect rose for a vase is one that has not opened all the way and is not a tight bud. A tight bud will never open, and a bloom that has already opened fully will drop its petals and open way too far for beauty.
To keep flowers fresh longer in a vase, remove any leaves from stems below the lip of the vase.
Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and sugar, or bleach and sugar to the water.
Change the water when it gets cloudy, and add more vinegar and sugar or bleach and sugar to the water each time.
Don't touch flower petals, to prevent bruising or discoloration.
When cut flowers start to droop, you may get extra show time from your cut flowers if you cut the stems again (under water) and put them into a vase of very cold water.
Try dying your cut flowers to match your decor by adding some food coloring to the water. It may take a few days to get the full effect.
To take an arrangement of freshly cut flowers with you, use a balloon. Fill the balloon with water, add the stems, and use a twist-tie to keep the balloon closed. Or, you can transport them in a vase with water by putting the vase into a small but deep box. Secure the vase by wrapping a towel or two around it inside the box.
Clean a used flower vase by putting in a handful of uncooked rice, filling most of the way with water, and swirling. The rice will "scrub" the bottom and sides for you. Tiny pebbles should work as well, but don't let them go down the drain.
To make flower arranging easier, put strips of masking tape in a criss-cross design over the opening of the vase. Each stem will have its own support.
If a few stems are too short for your flower arrangement, stick them into clear straws for extra length.

Work With NatureSafe natural tips

Work With NatureSafe natural tips -- for your health, for your budget, and for the environment. Go green.
Work with nature. We were given all we need, the natural ways have just been forgotten over the years. Man has put medicines into capsules and tablets, but most of these were made from plants or trees, many of which we have access to today.
The helpful hints included in these pages will usually be non-toxic or more handy, or will cost less. Some are all three. We make frugal living environmentally friendly for busy people.
~ Updated January 21, 2009 ~
Remove Garlic Or Onion Odor From HandsTo remove garlic or onion odor from your hands, rub a stainless spoon over them under cold water. If you have a stainless steel sink, there's no need for a spoon. Simply rub the sink with your hands in cold water.
Potatoes for DiabeticsDiabetics need to watch their carbohydrates, including potatoes. But, recent studies reveal good news for diabetics.
Hot potatoes raise blood glucose, but after cooked potatoes are allowed to get cold, they have a much lower effect on blood sugar levels.
Adding vinegar or vinaigrette dressing to cooked potatoes affects their starch content and causes them to have a much lower effect on blood sugar levels.
New potatoes and some white potatoes affect diabetics less than other potatoes.
Turning boiled potatoes into cold potato salad is one good step, adding vinegar to the potato salad is a second good step, and using new potatoes makes potato salad even healthier for diabetics.
When a store has an item on sale at a great price, buy only as much as you can use today or have enough room for today. Then, go back to the store on the last day of the sale, when the items are sold out, and get a rain check. That will allow you to buy more later at the sale price when you have room to store more.
FEATURED ARTICLESNatural Version of Tamiflu for Flu Natural Tips for Flu Season Free Child ID Kit Easy Ways to Conserve Water Cut Your Gas and Electric Bills Nails as Signs of Health Problems Plant a Tree Health Warnings How to Brush Your Teeth Tips to Make Baby Feel Secure Memories CAN Last Forever Make Your Own Playdough or Clay Spanking How to Make Your House Sell BLOG ARTICLESSafe Natural Cures & Living Blog Remove unwanted odor before leaving the bathroom by lighting a match with the door still closed. Let the match burn a few seconds, and the odor is gone.
Photo PreservationScan your photographs into your computer and save them on CDs. Keep the CDs in a safe deposit box in case of flood, fire, or other disaster. If you're ever ordered to evacuate your home, you'll have one less thing to worry about.
Gift-wrap a large item in a paper tablecloth -- for only about $1.00.
Better Than RecyclingHelp "save the planet" when you go grocery shopping. Eliminate the paper or plastic bag altogether with your own reusable bags. This Insulated Tote Bag will get frozen foods and perishables home even more safely.

Foot Care Tips

Foot Care Tips Soak your feet in vinegar water. Add half a cup of vinegar (white or cider) to a pan of hot water and add feet.
Cutting your toenails is easiest after a bath, shower, or foot soak. These soften the nails.
When your shoes start hurting your toes, cut your toenails.
Wrap a corn with duct tape so that it even the sides are not exposed. Remove the tape and file the corn with an emery board, and add new tape.
Get rid of corns with a bread poultice. Add vinegar (white or cider) to a small piece of bread. Tape the wet bread to the corn and leave it on overnight. Repeat until gone.
To speed up corn removal, soak feet in hot water with vinegar added. After soaking for a half hour, use a pumice stone while the corn is under the water. If you don't have a pumice stone, you can dry your foot and file the corn down with an emery board. Pretty FeetOne of the best things to improve the look of feet is a pumice stone. It will get rid of white, dry, flaky skin in a hurry.
Keep the pumice stone wet at all times by using it in the shower, bathtub, or a foot soak.
Rub the stone over the heel, under the heel a short way, next to the big toe, and around the outside edges of the foot.
If you feel the stone rubbing, you've gone far enough. You just want to remove dead skin and calluses. Finish with a good moisturizing

Natural Tooth Care Tips

Natural Tooth Care Tips Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
For sparkling teeth, rub them with a dry bay leaf. Do this twice a week.
Flossing is the best way to keep your gums healthy and reverse gum disease.
While you are sick and after a cold or flu, don't stick that germ-filled toothbrush back into your mouth. Rinse it thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, or throw it out and buy a new one.
Toothpaste Tidbits Buy a new toothbrush at least every three months, but once a month is even best. Your teeth will be cleaner and whiter. Toothbrushes just wear out.
Toothpaste does lose its effectiveness over time, and many tubes come with an expiration date.
All toothpastes are not alike. Read the labels if you've been getting too many cold cores or if you get any allergic reactions, and try a brand with different ingredients. Tartar-control toothpaste is the biggest offender in this area.
No one should swallow toothpaste, but it can be extremely dangerous for little kids to do so. If you buy them shimmering, glittery, or special tasting toothpaste (like bubble gum), there is much more danger that they will ingest too much.
Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are heavy duty cleaners. Hydrogen peroxide should not be used daily. And, baking soda is too abrasive to enamel to be used "straight." Instead, try a natural brand that has incorporated one or both of these items into a safe toothpaste for you. Some choices are: Mentadent Advanced Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste w/Baking Soda and Peroxide, ♠ Colgate Whitening Baking Soda & Peroxide Toothpaste, and ♠ Arm & Hammer Advance White Daily Fluoride Mint Toothpaste, Dental Baking Soda & Peroxide. How to Brush Your TeethHold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against your gumline so that the bristles will go under the gumline. The picture above is the right angle for brushing your bottom teeth. Gently brush from where the tooth and gum meet to the chewing surface in small circles (not up and down or back and forth. This removes many times more plaque than regular brushing, which is most important to gum health.
Use a soft toothbrush for less gum irritation.
Brushing too hard can cause receding gums, tooth sensitivity, and even enamel loss.
To clean the chewing surfaces of your teeth, use short sweeping strokes and circles so the bristles get into the pits and crevices.
If your gums have receded anywhere, be sure to brush higher in that area.
Don't swallow toothpaste, and rinse the toothpaste out of your mouth after brushing.
Photo: http://www.d70.be/ - © 2004 - 2005 Dirk De Kegel (Sabam Belgium) Natural Teeth CleanersCrunchy foods, like raw apples, celery and carrots, scrub your teeth while you eat.
In contrast, pasty foods like peanut butter will not only not scrub your teeth but they will stick around too long and increase tooth decay.
Cheese contains calcium and coats your teeth with the mineral, which helps fight tooth decay.
Natural apple cider vinegar is very good at strengthening your teeth from the inside. But, you should rinse your mouth out after drinking it straight and don't brush your teeth right after drinking vinegar. Some people think that brushing with natural apple cider vinegar would remove stains. Just as with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, used straight or used on teeth too often can cause enamel loss.

Natural Body RecipesEye Make-up Remover:

Natural Body RecipesEye Make-up Remover: Mix one tablespoon of castor oil with one tablespoon olive oil, jojoba oil, or coconut oil. Wipe the mixture on with a tissue, wait a minute or so, then wipe.
Facial Scrub: Put uncooked oatmeal through the blender, but stop before it is a powder. Wet your face and hands with warm water, massage the oatmeal over your wet skin, then rinse with cool water.
Facial Mask: Add two tablespoons of honey to half a cup of uncooked oatmeal, and apply this to your face. Rinse off after a half hour.
Nail Whitener: Dip your fingers into a small dish of hydrogen peroxide. Rinse your fingers afterwards.
Facial Cleanser: Add 1-1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice to 1/2 cup of yogurt (plain); and add 1 tablespoon of jojoba, coconut oil or olive oil. Mix well before using, and rinse well afterwards.
Age Spot Lightener #1: Dab areas with undiluted natural apple cider vinegar and leave on overnight. You can add a bandage to keep the area moist longer.
Age Spot Lightener #2: Mix natural apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of lemon juice and apply. Don't rinse it off.
Pimple Remover #1: Dab white toothpaste (not gel) or Milk of Magnesia directly onto pimple before bedtime, giving it time to dry. Keep on overnight. A pimple that is just an itch or pain under the skin will go away. A new pimple will shrink and may even be gone by morning. (See more in the "Pimples" section on our home remedies site.)
Pimple Remover #2: Wash and rinse your face before bedtime. Onto damp skin, dab a mixture of one part natural apple cider vinegar and three parts water with a cotton ball. Don't rinse this off. Your skin will be super soft, and much clearer by morning. A forehead full of very small blemish bumps should be all clear in one or two days. (See more on Acne on our home remedies site.)
Deodorant #1: Half natural apple cider vinegar and half water. Put on wet or dry skin. (The vinegar smell will not last.)
Deodorant #2: Strong black tea. Put on wet or dry skin.
Deodorant #3: A tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a teaspoon of cornstarch. Put on damp skin.
Deodorant #4: Sage leaf. Put on wet or dry skin. Moisturizing Skin To rub under your eyes, go from the end of your eyebrow toward your nose or you'll encourage wrinkles. Dab on moisturizer instead of rubbing it in under the eyes.
When moisturizing your neck, rub up instead of down to not cause sagging.
Wearing rubber gloves to wash dishes will keep your hands from drying out. Do double duty by putting lotion on your hands before putting on the gloves (you may need gloves one size larger than you are used to for this) and let the hot water "cook" that lotion deep into your skin.
Moisturize skin when it is wet. It takes longer to rub the lotion in this way, but water is really what the skin is lacking.
Soaking in the tub too long will rob your body of moisture.
Bathing in water that is too hot will rob your body of moisture.
The best moisturizing is done from the inside. Drink lots of water every day - not soda or coffee, but water.
Cutting out fat will help you lose weight, but cutting out too much will leave your skin extremely dry and itchy.
Cook with coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. On top of being a much healthier fat, it is actually good for health. One of its possible benefits is lower cholesterol.
For deep moisturizing: Take a shower before bedtime, and barely blot off water with a towel. Rub Vaseline all over to lock in the moisture. Then, put on pajamas and socks. The pajamas and socks will keep your sheets clean and double the moisturing power of the Vaseline.

Natural Hair Care

Natural Hair Care Gum in the hair can be removed by saturating it with baby oil, peanut butter, or mayonnaise.
If your hair is turning green from too much chlorine, rinse it with tomato juice, then a final rinse of water.
Remove static or the flyaways from your hair with hairspray - sprayed on your brush instead of your hair. Brushing the hairspray through your hair will make it manageable but not stiff.
An ionic hair dryer dries your hair much faster (which causes less damage) yet is still gentler to hair than the old-fashioned dryers.
Do not blow dry your hair when it is soaking wet. Heat on wet hair leaves your hair looking dull. Let the hair dry partly first.
All clarifying shampoos and most dandruff shampoos will remove artificial hair color.
Use clarifying shampoo occasionally to remove hair color build-up that weighs hair down.
The right hair conditioner makes all the difference. Thin or fine hair will just cling to your head and look flat with no conditioner at all. A regular conditioner will eliminate the static but still weigh your hair down. Fine or thin hair needs a light conditioner to be its fullest. Conditioner also makes any hair so much easier to comb.
With any condition except one for dandruff, try to use it on your hair but not your scalp. This will allow for fuller hair at the roots.
When drying your hair, use a towel to blot it dry instead of rubbing or wringing, in order to prevent breakage.
Hair is damaged less when using a brush only when it is wet or damp.
Tangles in very curly hair should be combed out when the hair is wet. Combing again after it has dried can make it frizzy and too full.
Curl your hair for instant "highlights" since curls catch the light from many more angles than straight hair.
Roots that are darker or lighter after coloring hair are less visible if your part is not perfectly straight. The zig-zag part is not necessary, just keep it messy.
Thicker Tresses For thicker hair that grows faster, add two drops of rosemary essential oil to your hairbrush before brushing. Or, try Avalon Organic Botanicals Volumizing Rosemary Shampoo.
Hair will look fuller and thicker when you use a blow dryer if you bend over and dry the hair from underneath.
Don't use the blow dryer when your hair is soaking wet. Let your hair dry partially on its own first to prevent damage and flattening hair. Bending over to fluff up hair with your hands also separates strands for more fullness.
Alternate shampoos to help keep hair cleaner of shampoo build-up. A clarifying shampoo will take out all build-up, but it will also take out all temporary hair color.
For hair that never seems to grow longer, trim it a little occasionally. Split ends not only are unsightly, they break. Trimming your hair will make it look better (and will thicken it) and result in less breakage. Prevent Tickle & Itch When Letting Hair Grow OutA short hairstyle is fun for a while. When you want to grow the hair out for a longer style, you often give up because the hair hitting your neck feels terrible.
The easy way to stay comfortable while your hair is growing out is to curl it. Since curled hair is shorter than straight hair, this gives you lots of extra growing time. As it gets longer, you can make the curls tighter. An added bonus is that your hair actually gets longer when you curl it because it gets stretched a little.
Curling your hair into a flip will keep it off your neck better than curling it under. This keeps the soft part of your hair against your skin instead of the pokey ends.
When you do not have time to curl your hair, you can pin up the back or put it into a little ponytail.
Photo by Enver Uçarer Homemade Hair Recipes Firm Hair Spray: Put 2 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of boiling water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Light Hair Spray: Simmer two sliced lemons in a pan of four cups of water for an hour. Pour into a spray bottle.
Add an ounce of vodka to homemade hair sprays so you don't have to keep them refrigerated.
Hair Gel: Dissolve a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin in 1 cup of hot water. Don't use it as a gel until it is cooled and thickened.
Styling Spray: Mix 2 cups boiling water, a teaspoon of vinegar, and a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin. Put the mixture into a spray bottle.
Hair Clarifying Conditioner: apple cider vinegar gets rid of dirt and shampoo residue in hair (and helps control dandruff). Mix one part apple cider vinegar with two parts water. You can take a tumbler one third full of vinegar into the shower and fill it the rest of the way with hot water. After shampooing, rinse hair with the vinegar mixture and don't rinse with water. The vinegar smell will go away quickly.
Hair Repair Conditioner: Massage mayonnaise from a new jar into hair, especially the ends. Cover hair with a plastic shower cap or saran wrap. Leave on for 15 minutes to an hour, then rinse it off.
Scalp Conditioner: Massage plain yogurt onto the scalp then through the hair. Cover hair with a plastic shower cap or saran wrap. Leave on for 30 minutes to an hour, then rinse it off.
Dandruff Control: Mix natural apple cider vinegar and water in equal parts. Douse your scalp, get the hair wet, and pile the hair on top of your head. Wrap your head with a towel to prevent drips, and let it stay on for an hour. Shampoo as usual. (See the "Dandruff" section on our home remedies site.
Get Rid of Gray Hair: (To bring back your own hair color.) Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 1/2 cup of dried sage leaf. (Boiling sage will decrease its effectiveness.) Let this simmer or a half hour and then steep for several hours. Apply the tea to gray hairs once it has cooled down. Don't rinse it out. Let the hair dry naturally, then rinse. Apply this tea once a week until you have the shade you want and then once a month to maintain the color. WARNING: Sage should be avoided if you have epilepsy, are pregnant, are nursing (or it will stop the milk), or if you have a fever (sage warms the body even more). * (see FOR CONTEMPLATION below.)
Get Rid of Gray Hair: (To bring back your own hair color.) Add 1 tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water, use as final rinse. Taking natural apple cider vinegar liquid or tablets regularly also helps keep your grays away.
* FOR CONTEMPLATION: "Sage tea use to be given to young men and young women during adolescence; for sage has the reputation of tempering sexual desire." Paula Johnstone

Natural Beauty Tips

Natural Beauty Tips Sleeping on your back will prevent many wrinkles and breakouts on your face, and even wrinkles in your cleavage area.
Wearing clothes that are tight make you look heavier. Even a slim girl can bulge over too-tight jeans.
Put on a coat of clear nail polish before a colored polish to keep your nails from discoloring.
Being angry really does take away from your beauty now and will result in more wrinkles later.
Wearing less make-up makes you look younger.
Vitamins and minerals are needed for health and beauty, but more is not always better. Too much Vitamin A or Selenium can cause hair loss. There is nothing beautiful about losing your hair.
If you are unhappy with a hair conditioner, it will still make a great "shaving cream" for your legs in the shower.
When shaving, don't stretch the skin or you could cause ingrown hairs by shaving hair off slightly under the skin.
Drink plenty of water and get eight hours of sleep every day.
Tighten bra straps as they stretch out, or buy a new bra when they can't tighten any further, to keep the bosom looking young and perky.
Instead of shaving over and over, with the hairs coming in darker and thicker each time, try waxing. Waxing to remove hair will result in softer hairs each time and result in permanent hair loss after a few sessions. Aussie Nad's is an all-natural product which is easy to use.
Sleeping on two or three pillows at a time, or on an Acid Reflux Sleep Wedge will help get rid of dark circles under your eyes.
Exercise while dieting is a must or your skin will be too large (and saggy) for your smaller body. It is much, much tougher to tighten skin after your body shrinks than as you go.
After washing your face, rinse in cold water (fair-skinned people should use cool instead of cold) to close the pores and tighten the facial muscles.
If you are out of quick-dry spray for nails, dip your fingers into a bowl of ice-cold water. (Don't to touch the sides of the bowl.) Your nails will dry very quickly.
Good posture can make you look much slimmer.
Wearing a low heel will give you better posture than wearing flat shoes.
Renew thick nail polish by adding a few drops of fingernail polish remover to the bottle.
Make a nail polish bottle not get stuck closed, put a thin coat of Vaseline inside the lid.
Clean hair brushes occasionally with dish soap and borax. In a dishpan of very warm water, add 1/2 cup of borax and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Swish the brushes to stir, rinse, and let air dry. Scrub any stubborn spots with a used toothbrush.

Memories CAN Last Forever

Memories CAN Last Forever
It is now possible to share and save our memories almost forever. First, for family and friends that are spread all over the country, or even the world. Second, to keep a "part" of loved ones long after they're gone. And, third, to share with your children and grandchildren later on.
For Mom
Johnny signed up for Little League baseball in California. You as parents may take his hobby for granted. But, your mother in Florida hangs on every word when the subject comes up. You even send her some photos occasionally. But, it's not the same.

Your mother can experience all of it with a memory book. Include photos of him in his uniform, standing at bat, sliding home, with his teammates, and with his trophies. You can add a photo of the scoreboard at the end of the winning game, or maybe some tears when the other team won. And, don't forget to take a picture of how filthy the uniform is by the end of a game. With all of these in one photo album, Grandma can be "at" his games with him no matter where she lives. What a great Mother's Day present, or Grandmother's Day gift.

Photographs from your own childhood are yellowed with age, but digital photos can be shared on the internet in all their vibrance and detail. Computers can crash, and all your pictures can be lost. But, you can keep them safe in cyberspace by putting them on an internet website. Not one of the free websites, or your photos will disappear if the site goes out of business, but your own website. Then you can share all of your photos on the internet with family and friends in any state or country through Photoworks.com. And, you can make this an even more intimate experience with all of the photos printed in a book (a real book) through Photoworks.

From Mom
Your mother is the best cook in your world. Now that you have started your own family, you'd love to recreate all of mother's recipes. So, make your own recipe book. Each time you get together with Mom, take pictures of each dish in the meal she prepared. Then type up her recipe for each item. When you are done, you'll definitely have the very best recipe book. If you also take a picture of each set of instructions, you can have the recipes and finished dishes printed in an actual book through Photoworks. The book would be yours to use daily and treasure long after Mom is gone. And, one book for each of her children would make great Christmas or Hanukkah gifts. You could even order an extra for your daughter and put it away for a wedding present when the time comes.
Mom's Past
The house that you grew up in will be yours someday. Your mother told you that it was once a Victorian beauty, but you just see it as the old family home. Ask Mom to find pictures of the house when it was new, any paperwork that tells about the construction or purchase, and some pictures of your family growing up in the house. Pictures of both the inside and outside are ideal. After the house does become your own, you will have a blueprint for restoring it to its original beauty. Pictures of the restoration and the finished product can then be added to this memory book.
Mom's Family
Mom has talked at great length about her relatives. You have even met many of them. But, there are photographs of all of them in a box somewhere in the house. Ask Mom to bring them out of hiding. Start this memory book with the oldest pictures possible. If you upload the pictures to your website, you can then add data (name, place of birth, date of birth, etc.) to each one. In the end, you will have a photographic family tree for yourself and to show your own children and grandchildren later.

viewer of nature

If you’re an avid viewer of nature channels like the National Geographic and Animal Planet, you’re probably used to the sights and sounds of nature and wildlife in all their glory. You’ve probably seen them in their natural habitats, doing all the things that come naturally to them, not knowing or not caring that human eyes were being trained on them. And you’ve most probably wondered at the resilience and skill of the photographers and videographers who risked life and limb to bring you such beautiful images and videos. If you’re thinking of launching yourself as a nature photographer, here are the skills and attributes you need to possess:
• Patience: This is one discipline where patience pays rich dividends. As a nature photographer, especially if you’re concerned with wildlife, you need to be extremely patient. Some photographers have been known to wait for days without making any large movements for their targets to behave in certain ways.
• Speed: Wildlife photography and pictures that capture natural events like sunsets, cloudbursts, thunderstorms, typhoons, hurricanes, avalanches, landslides and furious seas are a success only when speed is involved. You need to move quickly and click furiously and accurately if you want to capture captivating photographs that translate what you’ve seen into timeless memories on paper.
• Observation power: Nature photography is all about being in the right place at the right time. You need to be ready to shoot the moment the event you’ve been waiting for takes place. There are no action replays and retakes if you miss the first time round when it comes to photographing nature.
• Technique: It doesn’t matter if you’re photographing still life or moving objects, you need the right technique either way. You need to know the best times of the day to capture the best natural lighting, and you need to be attuned to the vagaries of nature so that you don’t put yourself in harm’s way, especially when you’re shooting natural disasters and dangerous wildlife.
• Care: Nature is extremely fickle, even when it’s at its best. You need to be extra careful when you’re in the wild or in the open with only your minimal crew and your camera for company. Stay in touch with the regular world so that you’re just a call away from help even if you’re under the high seas or on the tallest mountain slopes. It’s also best to visit remote and exotic locations with company rather than alone.
• Equipment: Wildlife and nature photography require precision, skill, and speed, especially if you’re trying to capture the grace and beauty of moving targets with your camera. So make sure you invest in the right equipment and that all your gadgets are in working condition before you set out on a shoot.

Archive for the ‘Business Tips

Archive for the ‘Business Tips’25 09 08 • Start a Photo Business Pet Photography as a Profitable Business Animals and photography are your passion, and people often ask you to take photos of the pets for them. Now you dream of starting a pet photography business. Pets have been a part of your life for so long and you have hundreds of photos spanning many years. You have captured them as pictorial memories for [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: animal_photography, pet-photography-business, pet_photographer, pet_photography, photography_business Comments (2) 11 06 08 • Start a Photo Business Work at Home with a Photography Business The presence of computers in the home, the Internet, and digital cameras have brought us a new category of professional: the self-sufficient home freelance photographer. Before the Internet, this would have been a prohibitive venture; you’d have to send printed photos in the mail, and you’d have to correspond with publishers and buyers. On the [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: auction_bid, darkroom_studio, digital_cameras, freelancing, graphics_designs, model_photography, Photography, photography business, product_branding, quality_photographs, stock_photography, work at home, work from home Comment (1) 25 05 08 • Start a Photo Business A Low Budget First Gig Photographer’s Tool Kit & Strategy Let’s face it, sometimes people do want to leave their existing boring role in life and do something they like for a living. I was one of those. Each day just became worse in the job I was doing. Hey…but I needed the money and there was no other way back then (at least, that’s [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: Photography, photography business, selling photoraphs, Start a Photo Business, Start a Photo Business, work at home No Comments 01 11 07 • Start a Photo Business Secrets To Bringing More Visitors To Your Photo Website Any photographer who nourishes and loves their unique gift, and is passionate about their craft, should embrace this report. In it, I’ll not just tell you how to bring more traffic (targeted visitors or customers) to your websites, but also show you how easily it can actually be. The fact is that no matter how beautiful, [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: Fine Art Photography, Selling-photographs-online Comments (3) 17 09 07 • Start a Photo Business A Photography Lifestyle Here’s the thing. I am not a professional photographer. I don’t have loads of useful photography tips or know what the best equipment is. What I can talk about is how taking pictures has changed my life and my feeling of passion for capturing beauty in pictures. It all started about 3 years [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: photography-lifestyle, photography-tips Comments (5) 02 08 07 • Start a Photo Business 5 Photography Business Choices To Consider This photography business article has been compiled from five articles of mine to consolidate some of the opportunities that are available for you to make money from photography. You may already be up and running which deserves congratulations. However, if you’re not, I can’t force you to take action but take heed; Do nothing and [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: Business Tips Comments (4) 22 07 07 • Start a Photo Business Photography Business Suggestion No.2 In my last article relating to a suggestion for your photography business No.1, I went straight to the heart of things with little distraction and I was (I hope) straight to the point. I did this for a number of reasons but none less than the fact that it can be difficult starting your own [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: Business Tips No Comments 12 07 07 • Start a Photo Business A Freelance Photography Business Research has been undertaken that identified photography was in the top 10 of the most favorite things to be when working for a living. Apparently the top 5 were creative vocations and digital photography was among them. So what!… Many people are satisfied to do photography purely for pleasure. However, if you like photography, why not [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: Business Tips No Comments 07 06 07 • Start a Photo Business Photography Business Tip Suggestion No.1 Some Tips on How to Run a Photography Business Lots of “greenies” to the photography business often do not have a clue as to where to look for their first gig. Some overeager photographers go right for the gold with marketing campaigns and advertisement organizations before they’ve strengthened their base concepts of taking photographs. Of [...] Read the rest of this entry →
Tags: Business Tips Comments (4) 09 05 07 • Start a Photo Business 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Profit before You Start a Photography Business Each year without fail over ninety percent (90%) of small business fail in the USA and in western civilization across the globe. This, my friend, includes the photography arena. I have never been able to come to grips with this figure because I find it frightening. As it turns out though, most people in those [...]

Sony Cyber-shot DSC HX1by Sime

Sony Cyber-shot DSC HX1by Sime
5Sony have today announced a new jewel on their “Cyber-Shot” flavoured crown. The Sony Cyber-Shot HX1 is a high spec “compact” camera that has a whole host of high end features, including a 10fps mechanical shutter, a 20x optical zoom (Yes, that’s the equivalent of a 560mm telephoto lens) and the little camera also features the newer “Exmor” sensor that was developed for the Sony Alpha range of dSLR cameras.
Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1 - Sign up on Amazon to be notified when this product is available

The Sony Cyber-Shot HX1 shoots HD video and can be plugged directly into your Sony Bravia television (with a HDMI cable*) where you can view your stills and video in all their HD glory….
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Tags: New Cameras, Sony, Sony Cameras, Sony Digital Cameras, sony HX1 Fujifilm Finepix S100FS Reviewby Barrie Smith
5Fujifilm has a long-established fan base for its interchangeable lens digital SLRs, based on a Nikon body, but in recent years has tended to concentrate on its fixed lens digicams. The Fujifilm FinePix S100FS confirms this situation spectacularly.

The camera captures 11.1 megapixel images onto a 17 mm CCD, via a substantial Fujinon 14.3x optical zoom lens, stabilized with a lens-shift arrangement. Viewing is via a turret-mounted LCD or a rear 6.4 LCD screen; the former is particularly sharp and useful for focus determination when ambient light is too bright for the rear screen, although the latter gains from an angular movement that swings 90 degrees up and 45 degrees down.
The camera captures in RAW or JPEG but cannot store an image in both simultaneously. Weighing nearly a kilo, this is serious near-DSLR territory.
Fujifilm Finepix S100FS FeaturesIn case you were wondering, the FS in the model name stands for ‘Film Simulation’ and there’s a heap of features to substantiate this claim.
The S100FS is the first fixed lens digital to have an extended Dynamic Range feature similar to that of film. Three shots in a row can be shot with 100/200/400 per cent variation. To explain: this suppresses white flaring and black patches in scenes with high contrast, while also delivering good levels of contrast in flat indoor or overcast exterior pictures where a wide dynamic range is not needed.
Another attraction is the camera’s ability to take three shots in sequence — with a novel twist. Called FSB (Film Simulation Bracketting), as you press the button the camera takes three shots in sequence with characteristics that simulate Fuji’s well-regarded Provia and Velvia transparency films plus a final one with a ‘soft’ look.
Naturally, this bracketing feature extends to a three shot run with exposure variations of an f stop each.
Straightforward continuous shooting is also well served: you can bang off seven shots at a speed of 3 fps or (with reduced resolution) 50 shots at 7 fps.
With a fixed lens of enormous zoom power, one of the DSLR’s bugbears — dust intrusion — is removed, thanks to the composite body and lens structure.
Aside from the accepted auto, Program AE, shutter and aperture priority modes, there are manual and 14 different scene settings. Plus two custom modes.
Auto focus can be handled in single AF, continuous AF, manual focus and one-push manual AF.
If you need it, the camera has a face detection system that sets optimal focusing and exposure for faces, with the camera held vertically or horizontally.
Startup time
Not bad. Three seconds from power up to first shot; subsequent shots about two seconds apart.
Distortion
The bad news is that pronounced barrel distortion occurs with the zoom set to the wide end and some pincushion distortion is evident at the tele end. But don’t forget: this is a hell of a zoom!
The VerdictThis is possibly the ideal camera for those who want a DSLR but without the hassle and expense of additional lenses to make it sing and dance.
Make no mistake: this is a serious shooter and one that I and many others would be keen to use on all our photo projects.
Quality: fine, sharp and naturally coloured images.
Get a Price on the Fujifilm Finepix S100fs at Amazon
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Tags: Camera Reviews, Digital Camera Reviews, Fujifilm Cameras Fujifilm Finepix S2000HD Reviewby Barrie Smith
7The Fujifilm Finepix S2000HD one is a big surprise, with many attractive features — not least being the reasonable asking price of $399.
Basically, it’s a mini DSLR look-alike, nearly pocketable, with a 15x zoom lens, imaging to a CCD capable of acquiring 10.0 million pixels. In stills shooting, the camera uses an optical stabiliser; when shooting movies, a less desirable digital stabiliser is used.

Fujifilm Finepix S2000HD FeaturesTen megapixels gives you access to a maximum image size of 3648×2736 pixels as well as 1920×1080 pixels for an HD ratio image; print sizes at these resolutions are, respectively, 41×31 cm and 22×12 cm at 225 dpi.
Then it gets really interesting, because this is the first Fujifilm camera with 16:9 HD video capability. Note: the video image is 1280×720 pixels at 30 fps, so it’s not Full High Def, but it’s still pretty impressive all the same to shoot big stills and HD video with the same stills camera. The only flaw in the picture is that the camera’s HD terminal is a proprietary one, so you have to buy an optional camera to component video cable to connect the TV set’s input.
The S2000HD has a continuous speed of up to 13.3 fps for a maximum run of 33 shots but only at the 2048×1536 pixel size; if you want 3648×2736 pictures, the burst rate falls to 1.1 fps for three images.
Like every camera on the market, or so it seems, the FinePix has a face detection mode which can detect up to 10 faces in the frame, adjusting focus and exposure, regardless of the background. The automatic red-eye removal feature then checks each detected face for red-eye and routinely corrects it.
There’s a new mode called zoom framing that should make the framing of a shot less of a nerve-racked challenge for the digital newbies. Tap the four way rocker and you’re presented with a series of cropping shapes; choose one and, when you fire the shot, the zoom automatically frames tighter. Just great!
Then there’s zoom bracketing: each time you hit the shutter the camera fires three shots at three differing image sizes. Should save you some image editing later.
And then the FinePix goes even further: it shoots two images in rapid succession — one with flash and one without — then saves both.
Surprisingly for such a camera in this price range, it shoots auto, Program AE, shutter priority as well as manual. There are also 13 scene modes, ranging from sport to fireworks to snow/beach.
Startup Time
In four seconds after power-up I was shooting my first shot, then follow-up shots were taken at about a second apart.
Distortion
There was noticeable barrel distortion at the wide end of the zoom but minimal pincushion distortion at the tele end. An excellent performance for a camera at this price level.
Comment
The camera takes SD or SDHC cards … is Fujifilm’s support for the xD-Picture card faltering?
Quality: I felt the camera recorded colours quite naturally and with an appreciable lack of noise.
In so many respects this is a phenomenal camera — image size, lens power and HD video capability.
Order the Fujifilm Finepix S2000HD at Amazon.
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Tags: Camera Reviews, Digital Camera Reviews, Fujifilm Cameras Leica C-Lux 3 Reviewby Barrie Smith
3The arrival on my desk of a beautiful, petite, glossy, black, metal-bodied snapper is something of an event … even though virtually the same camera is on retail shelves in the form of Panasonic’s FX37 (also known as the FX38 in some parts of the world) at significantly less price.
The Leica C-Lux 3 is palm-sized, dressed in black and satin chrome with the distinctive red dot signifying it’s top of the class. You can also buy the little Leica in gloss white but, for my money, the red Leica badge on black comes in trumps.

The CCD captures 10.1 million effective pixels, imaged by a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 5x optical zoom lens that equals a range of 25-125mm in SLR-speak. I have one carp about this lens: it has a maximum aperture of f2.8 at wide angle but this closes to a tiny f5.9 at the zooms tele end … that’s more than two stops lost.
Maximum image size is 3648×2736 pixels; from this you could make a sharp 41×31 cm print. There are options so you can shoot 16:9 wider screen ratio stills and run them on the home tele as a slide show. HD movies with sound can also be shot at the 1280×720 pixel size at 30 fps and played to a High Def TV via a component output.
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Tags: Camera Reviews, Digital Camera Reviews, Leica Cameras Canon Powershot D10by Sime
7A couple of weeks back we saw the OLympus Tough launched, then a few days ago we had Panasonic release the Lumix DMC-TS1. I mentioned in that post that I was pretty sure that we would see an offering from either Canon or Nikon along the same lines in the coming weeks, and, sure enough - here it is!
The Canon Powershot D10.

The Powershot D10 is a 12.1mp compact camera, it takes advantage of Canon’s new Digic4 processor and has all the features you would expect to find in a “tough” camera. Including being waterproof to 10m, shockproof when dropped from 1.22m, (I had to ask myself, what happens at 1.23m?!) freeze-proof down to -10°C and dust-proof… Just you try and break it!

NATURAL

Over the years my camera has become an extension of my arm, relate? Of course you do. Those lucky souls like you and I who discover they have a passion for photography quickly find it to be magically intoxicating in every way. We just can’t get enough.
Well passion and creative vision out the wazoo (pardon my French), even when coupled with perfect light, perfect equipment, and all the experience in the world will amount to very little if you’ve got a subject who just will not cooperate.
When I first started as a professional photographer it was mind baffling to me the way some people responded when I’d point my camera at them. “FOR PETE’S SAKE!” I’d lament to my husband after a shoot. “They were paying me to photograph them, they hired me, it wasn’t as if I ripped them from their houses, tied them to a tree and forced them to say ‘Cheese.’ What am I missing here?!?” Grrr. I would leave shoots like those EXHAUSTED… absolutely ready for a cup of tea and a bubble bath, and TOTALLY dreading uploading the photos… knowing that all I’d ended up with were a bunch of awkward smiles on tight, strained faces.
Then there came a time in my career when I was in desperate need of a head shot… I hate being in front of the camera… I know. I know. Go figure. Does the irony of all this tickle you as much as it does me? I called a friend and fellow photographer to handle the shoot. “OK Nic, short and sweet. We just need ONE good shot.” She pulled that camera out and it was everything I could do not to run screaming down the beach. She may as well have actually ripped me from my house and tied me to a tree. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating and I could feel all the blood in my body racing to my face. Needless to say we DID NOT get that “ONE good shot.” Alas, the finished product showed just nervous, awkward bubble headed me … with a face as red as a cherry I might add.
Well over the years I’ve finally cracked the code to dealing with people photographically… Thus, The Human Side of Photography. Here’s 4 tips on how I work toward those beautiful, natural, genuine portraits that make our hearts sing, end up framed on our walls, and/or sell like crazy post production.

Khichdi

Beauty Eyes Natural Tip

Beauty Eyes Natural Tip

It is said that 'Beauty is in the beholder's eyes'. But very few remember that the first feature that attracts the beholder's sight is the eye. You can have wide eyes like an Egyptian, small eyes of the East Asian, almond eyes or hazel eyes, but enhancing its beauty is entirely in your hand. It appears that whatever people have, they pine for something better. But nobody is God who can change one's feature.
What one can do is to make one's eyes beautiful in its own way. Beauty Eyes Natural Tip has tips to make the eyes seductive.
Minor changes in your eating habit can let you get rid of those ugly puffy eyes. Diuretics, Asparagus and Parsley reduce bloating. Potassium-rich bananas and citrus fruits control the flow of body-fluids. Cayenne pepper balances lymphatic drainage round the eyes. So including these things into the diet can help reduce the puffiness of the eyes. Salt is infamous for draining out water off the cells. So it is better to avoid preserved food as it contains high level of salt. Cheese, Deli meat, this kind of food is a strict no. Consumption of baked food must be restricted as yeast can cause puffiness as well. To top it all reduce consuming alcohol if you genuinely want to cure puffy eyes. Many under-eye creams are there in the market to reduce puffiness of the eyes. A list of Beauty Eyes Natural Tip is here to help you out when you are in a serious problem. If you smear mascara or smudge a liner you need not to panic. Theydeserveit is here with a few remedies.
In case you smear the mascara, you need not spoil your entire make-up. We have a spot removal procedure which will help you in case you find your blush-on or eye-shadow to be too dark. Just dip a cotton bud into make-up remover and remove the specific area.
Blue, pink, gold and burnt orange looks great on brown eyes. How dark or light the color will be, it entirely depends on your skin tone. Soft blue will look good on fair skin. Pink is apt for the area under the eyebrow. Plum looks awesome on the outer edge of the eye. For deeper skin tone, plum can be chosen for the eye-lid and the crease area. Navy or plum eye-liner will look good highlighted with dark mascara.
Pencil eye-liners are ideal for the upper and lashes. Liquid liners are best used on the lid.
Cake eyeliners are used with the help of water and can be used both on top and bottom.

This beautiful waterfall

This beautiful waterfall flows in the Austin Creek State Recreation Area just above Armstrong Woods in Guerneville, California. A slow shutter speed of about 1/4 second enhances the feeling of the water's motion, and also allows the light to build up on the film in the lower pool area. A small aperture (and no breeze) keeps the rest of the picture in sharp focus. We use this image for our business card and website logo.

There is great beauty in nature. Andy and I started Nature Photography in 1983 to be able to express that beauty on film, and offer our unique photographic viewpoint. We try to capture in our photography the same sense of awe that we feel when we are out hiking about. We started the greeting card line at that time, and our extensive library of stock images has been used in brochures and commercial advertising

Sun rise&set

Sea

San Francisco