Seeking to address the various challenges of off-camera lighting, professional photographers and advanced amateurs alike will find a range of confidence-building instruction, beginning with basic how’s and why’s of lighting for creative effect, the types of equipment available and instruction about their proper use, clear definitions of various technical concepts such as managing shutter speed and controlling flash exposure, using ambient light as well as natural sunlight during a shoot, and incorporating off-camera flash into a portrait session. Concluding this lesson plan is a look at five different real-life photo sessions, each employing a different flash technique. Here, photographers get a deeper understanding of each concept put into practice, marrying the elements of lighting with the natural elements presented by the shoot.

     The Trouble Boys is an historical crime novel about the Irish mob in New York City from the 1920s to the 1950s. The story opens in pre-WWII Europe when young Irish immigrant Colin O’Brien settles with his family in New York City. There Colin befriends a Cuban-American boy named Johnny Garcia. Life in America isn’t what Colin’s family expects and he experiences a shocking tragedy that alters his life. As Johnny and Colin grow into men, their friendship changes. They begin working for different crime syndicates, with Colin joining the ranks of charismatic Tom McPhalen’s Irish mob and Johnny becoming a member of debonair Tito Bernal’s Cuban gang. As Colin’s rise in the ranks of organized crime becomes increasingly more brutal and demeaning and his friendship with Johnny deteriorates, he begins to question his place in the seductive yet violent world he’s found himself in.

    Now calling herself 'Diamond Dupree', she goes to Paris to become an artist's model but the world there is different to what she had supposed it would be and she soon falls on hard times. When she manages to escape at the end of the First World War, she leaves behind her a mystery - and a dead man.Back home in London, she reluctantly re-joins the Soho family 'firm' she'd once been glad to leave behind. Having grown tougher during her time in Paris, she soon becomes a force to be reckoned with, a feared and respected gangland queen. But then she meets Jacob Dunne, the youngest son of a wealthy aristocratic family, and sparks fly.But can she escape the long arm of the law and the hangman's noose, when the crimes of her past finally catch up with her?For fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers, as well as viewers of Peaky Blinders, this is historical crime fiction at its most compelling.

    Why does everyone else look like they're smashing motherhood when she's barely made it out of her maternity leggings and out of the house? Her other half tries to say all the right things (can't he just keep making her toast?). Her mum is brilliant (but on the other side of the country). Her two new mum-friends seem to feel like misfits too - but there's really just one person she wants to open up to . . . only Emily hasn't spoken to her for fifteen years. Lonely but not alone, Emily's about to discover that when you're starting a family, what you really need are your friends.

    

    

    From the Chinese New Year to April Fools' Day, Father's Day to Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve - this book covers over 100 fun days, holidays, seasons and events, and offers simple lessons that will teach you how to draw like a pro and get you in the spirit of whichever season it may be! The third book in the How To Draw Cool Stuff series, this exciting new title will teach you how to create simple illustrations using basic shapes and a drawing technique that simplifies the process of drawing, all while helping you construct height, width and depth in your work. It will guide you through the creative thought process and provide plenty of ideas to get you started. The lessons in this book will also teach you how to think like an artist and remind you that you are only limited by your imagination!

    Meanwhile, her new landlord, Eric, struggles with a competitor bent on ruining his restaurant. But when petty crime turns lethal, Eric's father is arrested for murder and Kate is determined to prove his innocence.

    Desperately in need of kindness, love and a safe place to call home, local trainee nurses Clare and Gaye immediately volunteer, alongside their new friend Diana.While the rest of Britain is under siege, Clare is learning how to be a great nurse under pressure, Diana has found that love can be found in unexpected places and Gaye is hiding a terrible secret. But as the reality of war comes closer, all three girls will face personal challenges or tragedies as life changes in ways they could never have imagined.A heart-warming world war two saga of friendship and hope in the face of adversity, perfect for fans of Maureen Lee and Lyn Andrews.

    Little did he know that the job that only he could do would end up having him looking after thousands of uploaded minds for what would amount to more than 10,000 years. Earth is one step away from a nuclear war, and Paradigm Alpha’s solution to saving what they can of humanity is to upload their brains to The Doomsday System. But while most of the minds would be stored while they sleep, Jeff doesn’t have that option. As the only one who can seem to be uploaded digitally and remain awake, he will be kept alive, as it were, in order to help humanity 10,000 years from now. However, thanks to time compression in the system, it will only be 1,000 years for him. Can Jeff survive mentally for that long? That is where The Doomsday System’s game might help. Join Jeff as he explores this unknown world from one end to the other for the next thousand years. However, there is one tiny little issue. The class the AIs gave him, Battlemage, which sounded so awesome at the time, is broken. He is a Battlemage who can’t seem to use magic as a normal Battlemage. This is safe for teens as there is no sex and no extreme swearing.

    Utterly brilliant." Marjorie Hall-Venmore - reviewer A couple and their young son burn to death in a house fire. A girl dies from a nut allergy. A woman falls under a train during the rush hour. An accountant falls down the steps to his basement.Their deaths appear to be accidents but Gloria knows they were murdered because she murdered them. And every time Gloria kills she buys a doll.But how many dolls will she need to keep her satisfied?When Gloria takes a room as a lodger her behaviour starts to spin out of control. Gloria wants love and happiness and friendship and she will do anything she can to get what she wants... What everyone is saying about The Doll Collector: "Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end." Tracey Shults - reviewer"The ending was a real twist and I did not see it coming" Michelle Debnam - reviewer"OMG. A crime book with a difference." Nicki's Book Blog"The Doll Collector is one hell of a creepy read that is sure to give you goosebumps." Chelle's Book Reviews"I highly recommend this book.... a breath of fresh air and not too graphic." Peggy Beaver - reviewer"OMG I loved this twisty and creepy read which had a couple of twists I just didn't see coming!" Sandra Robinson - reviewer The Doll Collector is a twisty and gripping serial killer thriller. It will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers, as well as fans of authors like Mel Sherratt, Sharon Bolton, Jenny Blackhurst and Rachel Abbott.

    But she prayed tonight that they’d make this stupid baby he wanted.Meet Nora: Flawless. Enigmatic. Conniving. Ruthless.At seventeen, she escaped the grip of her cold and abusive mama after catching the eye of charismatic Merrell Hodges. His riches and fame became hers. In exchange, she could play the role of doting wife.But she alone was not enough; he wanted a family.With the birth of their perfect daughter, Elizabeth, something foreign and unnerving touches Nora: love. She wants to protect and lavish her child. She would show her mama how a real mother should be. But the sins of nature and nurture run deep. There’s a defiance and manipulation in young Elizabeth that’s all-too-familiar and triggering. Nora can’t shake her mama’s prophetic words: You’re going to hate that kid. Just wait. When Nora’s fortune goes sideways after a tragedy with shocking repercussions, she’s determined to reclaim her relevance. With a cunning plan—and surprising ally—Nora reinvents herself as benevolent icon, good mother, and the powerful, authentic woman she deserves to be.But seeds of the past still fester, haunting Nora’s victory and explosive, contradictory behavior. Caught in a cycle of fate, she’s both the heroine and villain of her own story. And as Elizabeth grows into an equally stubborn and strongminded young woman, Nora may have finally met her match.But if there’s one thing never to do, it’s to underestimate Nora

    With no hype building announcements, no history of any Alpha, or beta, or even as much as a leaked snapshot they released a first-generation fully immersive virtual reality pod and their bundled game Stellar Survival Quest. Even being 20 years ahead of anything else out, a new entertainment media is not typically world shattering. Especially, when players reported not being able to recall their time playing. The company made claims of not allowing meta-gaming, Thus keeping the game world pure. After every gaming session regardless of length the player could watch a short video of their session. Each video was only three minutes of randomly recorded footage from every hour played. Thus, a nearly impenetrable wall of secret gameplay was maintained.However, when that first generation of gamers left the white-grey egg-shaped gaming pods, they gave the world an even bigger shock! The technology was amazing, true VR with all five senses was outrageous, the stuff of fiction novels! No, what really sent the world reeling was skills learned in game translated to real life skills! Overnight the world was thrown on its heels. A new player could log into the game to be given a job in some way decided by the game and come out an ivy league educated scientist, or special ops level soldier. As the world reels from these first-generation gamers suddenly becoming some of the most highly skilled individuals in the world, more gamers clamor to buy their own expensive pod and hop into space!Nathan Tyrone Rogers or Bubba to his friends and family awoke on a small transport. Freshly landed on an ancient space station. As the first Human to be spawned outside the Sol System, Nathan is vastly unprepared and overwhelmed for the task. With a cryptic message that he needs to claim the solar system of Epsilon Indi before one of the other 12 alien species; whom were also spawned in system can. Some of which will supposedly be hostile to humanity. Nathan attempts to survive in the completely unforgiving environment of space. All the while trying to choose a path for himself, avoid being eaten by monstrous alien women, and growing more and more annoyed with his “real self” still back on Earth.Nathan’s first step to claiming the Solar system is simple to say, hard to do. He must survive!***This is the first Sci-Fi LitRPG in the Stellar Survival Quest series set in Jalf Whitemages Total Expanse Universe. This book contains adult themes, mild harem themes, base building, and real time strategy elements. It is not recommended for those new to the Lit Genre, and definitely not anyone who is easily offended by … well anything. You have been warned 

    Mercurial, versatile, inexpensive, and wildly colorful, alcohol inks are one of the newest mediums to hit the art community. Pigments of Your Imagination is your essential guide for working with alcohol inks, from choosing which inks to use for each project to learning how to maximize your artistic potential with a wide variety of fascinating techniques. Using an assortment of materials and tools, learn how to work on a variety of surfaces, including paper, glass, metal, fabric, and plastic. Find inspiration for your own masterpieces in the step-by-step demos and guest artist gallery. From the beginning craftsperson to the professional artist, Pigments of Your Imagination offers a broad insight into the expansive world of alcohol inks. Explore the limits of your artistic ingenuity with alcohol inks. Jump start your creativity!

    Her lifelong friend, Ingrid, has asked her to do the impossible -- authenticate the painting from a photograph. The photograph in question was passed down to Ingrid by her grandfather, Klaus Rettke a key member of the German Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, the Nazi organization appointed to confiscate art from the Jews. Obscure references in Klaus Rettke's diary convince Maggie that Rettke stole the painting from the Nazis. Now she must use science to verify that the painting in the photo is genuine, something that has never been done before. From the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. to the Musee du Jeu de Paume in Paris, Maggie searches for answers. Finally, she confronts the possibility that there is not one painting, but the original and several forgeries. With tens of millions of dollars at stake and a killer at large, she is determined to find the authentic Van Gogh. To do so, Maggie must stay alive . . . something that's proving difficult to do.