But in this empowering guide, acclaimed photographer and speaker Dane Sanders reveals that the key to success is to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and start focusing on your most powerful resource: you. Discover how to: ·        Use your unique skills and talents to carve out a niche all your own. ·        Avoid the mistakes most photographers make.·        Choose a business style that fits the way you want to spend your time—and live your life. Fast Track Photographer is not just another how-to book—it’s an entirely fresh way of thinking about your business, whether you’re just starting out, or an industry veteran wondering why all your hard work isn’t working. If you want to build a competition-proof creative business in the twenty-first century, it’s time to throw out the old rulebook and get on the fast track! Includes free access to Dane’s popular self-assessment test (a $20 value) to jumpstart your journey!"I can't think of a better way for anyone to start their professional photo career than to read Fast Track Photographer."—Scott Bourne, publisher and host of Photofocus.com  "As much about finding out who you are as it is about how to become a truly great photographer. Highly recommended!”—Amit Gupta, founder of Photojojo.com“This book is worth its weight in gold.”—Gary Fong, photographer, author, and creator of the Lightsphere“The best resource for today’s photographer—BAR NONE!”—Scott Sheppard, host of “Inside Digital Photography”

    Now you can learn how to photograph children with the style, clarity, color, and beauty you see in professional photographs. This fun guide combines humor with solid know-how to show you how to compose shots, handle cameras from basic compacts to advanced dSLRs, take portraits or candids, create prints that impress, and even work with kids Packed with beautiful examples and written in a down-to-earth style from one mom to another, this book will help mamarazzis everywhere take better photos.Moms are one of the fastest-growing segments of the camera-toting demographic, and the blogosphere has a term for them, "mamarazzis"Mixes information, inspiration, and fun for women who want to take better photographs of the children in their livesExplains how to set up a camera and use the controls on basic compacts up to advanced dSLR camerasCovers shot composition, determining settings, exposing images correctly, the essentials of printing images, how to process for clear and bright color, and moreIncludes stunning examples of portraits and candids of childrenBecome a better mamarazzi with this fun and informative guide

    The Bible calls us to not be afraid on many occasions, and of course we all want to live without fear. But just how is that accomplished when every news item seems designed to get us wringing our hands?Using her own story as a catalyst, Maria Furlough shows readers how to overcome fear for good. She calls readers to make a list of their fears, to choose to bring those fears to God rather than acting on them, and to trust God with the future. She shows how when we give God full control over our lives, choosing his sovereignty over our own ability, we can break the cycle of fear, grow through suffering, and trust God to fulfill his promises of protection and peace.Anyone who is filled with anxiety over their personal circumstances, the state of the world today, or even their fear-clogged social media feeds will welcome this hands-on journey from fear to freedom.

    Chain mail, also known as chainmail, maille, or chainmaille is a great hobby for any age that doesn't involve just making armor.You can make almost anything from chainmail. Below are just a few examples of what you can make:• Jewerly (Bracelets, Necklaces, Anklets, Earrings, Rings)• Clothing (Bikini tops, Belts, Shirts, Ties)• Art• Armor• Inlays (pictures in your maille)• And much, much more!This introductory volume focuses on getting you up and chainmailing as fast as possible. It’ll zero in on the absolute minimum you’ll need to start weaving within 24 hours as outlined below:• The tools and materials you’ll need• Wrapping wire into coils with a coiling jig you’ll build• Cutting rings from the coils you wound• Weaving one of the most common and easiest weaves from detailed graphic instructions• Practicing the weave learned with three different exercises• Learning the European or Euro 4-in-1 weave• An elegant bracelet project for women or men Chainmail is neither difficult to learn nor expensive. All it takes is a willingness to try something new no matter your age, education, or income! Scoll up and click the "Look Inside" feature on the top left hand side of this page to see what's included in this book.A Personal Note From The Author:This introductory volume blends 10 years of my personal experience chainmailling. When I first started chainmailling, I knew nothing about it except what I'd seen online or in movies; chainmail armor. Not very exciting for the average person but the idea of weaving metal rings into something I could create without any special skills appealed to me. I stumbled across a website with instructions and rings for sale and I've been hooked ever since!

    The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, a fun and feminist take on the often male-dominated world of geekdom. With delightful illustrations and an unabashed love for all the in(ternet)s and outs of geek culture, this book is packed with tips, playthroughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild.

    It’s about creating a personalized weight loss plan—your own easiest path to naturally thin. While you can lose weight with almost any diet, keeping the weight off is much more difficult, requiring permanent changes in eating and exercise habits. This book provides a science-based approach for making those changes in a way that works best for you, without wasting time, money, or effort.Dr. Spencer explains why we gain weight and why the fat lost by dieting almost always comes back. He then presents an array of practical weight loss tools for controlling emotional eating, calming cravings, boosting metabolism, and improving nutrition and exercise. In the final chapter he has you create a natural weight loss plan based on your unique set of needs, abilities, and preferences. Simple recipes are provided for weight loss foods that reduce cravings and prolong satisfaction. What this book offers is a solid approach to weight loss—self-directed, gradual, and lasting—in contrast to the quick but fleeting weight loss offered by most one-size-fits-all diet plans.

    But then her son came to her with a real one…Josiah was nineteen with the world at his feet when things changed. Without warning, the new university student’s mental health deteriorated to the point that he planned his own death. His mother, bestselling author Amanda Prowse, found herself grappling for ways to help him, with no clear sense of where that could be found. This is the book they wish had been there for them during those dark times.Josiah’s situation is not unusual: the statistics on student mental health are terrifying. And he was not the only one suffering; his family was also hijacked by his illness, watching him struggle and fearing the day he might succeed in taking his life.In this book, Josiah and Amanda hope to give a voice to those who suffer, and to show them that help can be found. It is Josiah’s raw, at times bleak, sometimes humorous, but always honest account of what it is like to live with depression. It is Amanda’s heart-rending account of her pain at watching him suffer, speaking from the heart about a mother’s love for her child.For anyone with depression and anyone who loves someone with depression, Amanda and Josiah have a clear message—you are not alone, and there is hope.

    As almost every photographer knows, the word -photograph- has its roots in two Greek words that, together, mean -drawing with light.- But what is less commonly acknowledged and understood is the role that shadow plays in creating striking, expressive imagery, especially in portraiture. It is through deft, nuanced use of both light and shadow that you can move beyond shooting simply ordinary, competent headshots into the realm of creating dramatic portraiture that can so powerfully convey a subject's inner essence, communicate a personal narrative, and express your photographic vision. In The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow, Chris Knight addresses portraiture with a unique approach to both light and shadow that allows you to improve and elevate your own portraiture. He begins with the history of portraiture, from the early work of Egyptians and Greeks to the sublime treatment of light and subject by artists such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. Chris then dives into a deep, hands-on exploration of light, shadow, and portraiture, offering numerous lessons and takeaways. He covers: - The qualities of light: hard, soft, and the spectrum in between- The relationships between light, subject, and background, and how to control them- Lighting patterns such as Paramount, Rembrandt, loop, and split- Lighting ratios and how they affect contrast in your image- Equipment: from big and small modifiers to grids, snoots, barn doors, flags, and gels- Multiple setups for portrait shoots, including those that utilize one, two, and three lights- How color contributes to drama and mood, eliciting an emotional response from the viewer- How to approach styling your portrait, from wardrobe to background- The post-processing workflow, including developing the RAW file, maximizing contrast, color grading, retouching, and dodging and burning for heightened drama and effect- How all of these elements culminate to help you define your personal style and create your own narrative

    It’s an exploration of making, but it’s also a permission slip of sorts from me to you. Permission to grab hold of the things you’re interested in, that fascinate you, and to dive deeper into them to see where they lead you. Through stories from forty-plus years of making and molding, building and break­ing, along with the lessons I learned along the way, this book is meant to be a toolbox of problem solving, complete with a shop’s worth of notes on the tools, techniques, and materials that I use most often. Things like: In Every Tool There Is a Hammer—don’t wait until everything is perfect to begin a project, and if you don’t have the exact right tool for a task, just use whatever’s handy; Increase Your Loose Tolerance—making is messy and filled with screwups, but that’s okay, as creativity is a path with twists and turns and not a straight line to be found; Use More Cooling Fluid—it prolongs the life of blades and bits, and it prevents tool failure, but beyond that it’s a reminder to slow down and reduce the fric­tion in your work and relationships; Screw Before You Glue—mechanical fasteners allow you to change and modify a project while glue is forever but sometimes you just need the right glue, so I dig into which ones will do the job with the least harm and best effects. This toolbox also includes lessons from many other incredible makers and creators, including: Jamie Hyneman, Nick Offerman, Pixar director Andrew Stanton, Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro, artist Tom Sachs, and chef Traci Des Jardins. And if everything goes well, we will hopefully save you a few mistakes (and maybe fingers) as well as help you turn your curiosities into creations. I hope this book serves as “creative rocket fuel” (Ed Helms) to build, make, invent, explore, and—most of all—enjoy the thrills of being a creator.

    Instead, Scott shows you step by step the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That's why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guides in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world.LEARN HOW THE PROS DO ITEach year, Scott trains thousands of professional photographers on how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges - and that's exactly what he covers in this book. You'll learn: The sharpening techniques the pros really use. The pros' tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast! The step-by-step setup for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you see onscreen. How to process HDR (High Dynamic Range) images using CS6's Merge to HDR Pro. How to master CS6's Content-Aware features. How to use Photoshop CS6's new video editing features to make movies from your DSLR videos. How to process RAW images like a pro (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features in CS6!). The latest Photoshop special effects for photographers (there's a whole chapter just on these!). A host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick "insider" tricks to send your productivity through the roof! Plus, Scott includes a special bonus chapter with his own CS6 workflow, from start to finish, and each chapter ends with a Photoshop Killer Tips section, packed with timesaving, job-saving tips that make all the difference. If you're a digital photographer, and if you're ready to learn all the "tricks of the trade" - the same ones that today's leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work--then you're holding the book that will do just that. Note from the publisher: August 9, 2012: All binding issues mentioned in our July 31, 2012 note below have been resolved. Thank you.July 31, 2012: We have encountered issues with the binding in our initial print run of this book. If you have purchased a copy of the book you are not happy with, please return it to the store where you made your purchase to request a replacement copy right away. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

    We don't want to just go to work and build someone else's dream, we want to do our life's work. But how do we find out what we're supposed to contribute? What are those key ingredients that push those who succeed to launch their ideas high into the sky, while the rest of us remain stuck on the ground?Don't Keep Your Day Job will get you fired up, ready to rip it open and use your zone of genius to add a little more sparkle to this world. Cathy Heller, host of the popular podcast Don't Keep Your Day Job, shares wisdom, anecdotes, and practical suggestions from successful creative entrepreneurs and experts, including actress Jenna Fischer on rejection, Gretchen Rubin on the keys to happiness, Jen Sincero on having your best badass life, and so much more. You'll learn essential steps like how to build your side hustle, how to find your tribe, how to reach for what you truly deserve, and how to ultimately turn your passion into profit and build a life you love.

    After his death, the contents of his studio, including thousands of glass negatives, were sold off for five dollars. For years the fragile negatives sat forgotten and deteriorating in cardboard boxes in an open carport. How did it happen, then, that the most implausible of events took place? That Disfarmer’s haunting portraits were retrieved from oblivion, that today they sell for upwards of $12,000 each at posh New York art galleries; his photographs proclaimed works of art by prestigious critics and journals and exhibited around the world? The story of Disfarmer’s rise to fame is a colorful, improbable, and ultimately fascinating one that involves an unlikely assortment of individuals. Would any of this have happened if a young New York photographer hadn't been so in love with a pretty model that he was willing to give up his career for her; if a preacher’s son from Arkansas hadn't spent 30 years in the Army Corps of Engineers mapping the U.S. from an airplane; if a magazine editor hadn't felt a strange and powerful connection to the work? The cast of characters includes these, plus a restless and wealthy young Chicago aristocrat and even a grandson of FDR. It’s a compelling story which reveals how these diverse people were part of a chain of events whose far-reaching consequences none of them could have foreseen, least of all the strange and reclusive genius of Heber Springs. Until now, the whole story has not been told.

    Maybe the wedding is mid-day in the middle of a field, or perhaps the event is in a florescent-lit room. These scenarios can be particularly intimidating for beginning photographers who don't know how to handle the many undesirable lighting situations they may encounter. In "Shooting in Sh*tty Light," professional photographers Lindsay Adler and Erik Valind cover the top ten worst lighting situations and provide a variety of solutions for each. They explain which solutions are most practical and why one option might be preferable over another, examining such problems as extremely low lighting when no flash is allowed, strong backlight, and the light on an overcast day. Unlike other books that focus on natural light or lighting in general, this book addresses a very real need of beginning photographers, answering the question, "What do I do when the lighting is terrible?" Lindsay and Erik candidly show you the tools at your disposal, demonstrating the techniques essential to getting the job done with minimal fuss. Shows how to deal with ten of the worst lighting situations, such as harsh midday light, extremely low light, and mixed light.Offers real-life examples and practical solutions for handling poor light, such as identifying natural reflectors, bouncing light off a wall, or utilizing flash gels. Features a fun, conversational style to help you conquer the fear of poor lighting and approach any lighting situation with confidence!

    Wow. Too much energy. Wow. Too much anticipation. WOW. It’s the new memoir from the biggest star in gaming: Dr Disrespect.Dr Disrespect is a 6-foot-8 freak of nature with a 37-inch vertical, the two-time, back-to-back 1993-94 Blockbuster Video Game Champion, and in his factual opinion, the most dominant international gaming superstar in the history of the world. It was just a matter of time before Western civilization came begging Doc to save literature by writing a memoir that reads like a vicious, muscular lion clawing his way through the rocks, roaring in anger and dominance. Here you will find his deepest, most intimate secrets. The untold history of his mysterious, legendary origins and his rise to unparalleled dominance. And most of all, you will find out what, exactly, Doc’s a doctor of. Are you ready for a book with the rhythm of a sleazy ’70s muscleman and the ruthlessness of a ’90s serial killer? A journey that stares down the long, dark alley of your fears and never looks back? Does your warrior’s heart yearn to reach the tippity top of the mountain just to realize you’re still only halfway up? If so, firm handshakes, Champion: Welcome to the salvation of literature.

    With a sharp sense of humor and boundless enthusiasm for the wonders of our ancient ancestors, Who Ate the First Oyster? profiles the perpetrators of the greatest firsts and catastrophes of prehistory, using the lives of individuals to provide a glimpse into ancient cultures, show how and why these critical developments occurred, and educate us on a period of time that until recently we've known almost nothing about.