The Anarcho Geek Info Center

Is the feeling of a soon-come-crashing birthday of your beloved, a close relative or a friend and the following headache about what to choose as a gift familiar to you? There are so many pretty things in store, but most of them seem a bit trivial and when you ask your friends for advice, they all have the same answer, similar to what probably everyone else would suggest, which signals “Hey, don’t buy it.” If you find yourself in a situation like this, and you would like your gift to have a personal touch, think photo mugs.

Why can a photo mug make a nice present? Because the companies that produce photo mugs can place any photo that you like on it. It can be a picture of the person that you are going to give a present to, or your own funny little face, or maybe a sweet picture of you together, or of your child or a pet. Moreover, if you add a pinch of creativity, you can bring in a picture of some object that has a meaning for both of you, something that can remind you of a special or a funny moment in your life.

Secondly, photo mug producers are ready to put in a customized text on the other side of the mug to supplement the picture, which can be funny, romantic or your self-expression can take some other shape.

And thirdly, because it is a mug and a photo in one and it is functional. You can enjoy your drink, a picture and a memory, at least of the moment and the person, who gave it to you.

Furthermore, the gift mugs that are advertised and sold online are in most cases made of ceramics. They are dishwasher and microwave safe, which means the picture will not fade and the text will persist as well after you put the cup in the machine or the oven. However, if you go for a stainless steel travel mug, that can be not dishwasher or microwave safe. The selling companies recommend delicate hand washing, but guarantee that dye-sublimation ink, which is used for printing the picture, is bullet-proof and will never fade.

Besides creating your own design with a personal touch, the mugs are beautiful from the point of view of delivery time. They can be obtained as quickly as in 24 hours. Of course, if you want to order it to arrive on Christmas Day or in time for any other big holiday, you should think about it in advance. Some companies would advise to place orders by December 14.
And then again, there is a discount system that is applicable to the amount of photo mugs purchased. The more you buy, the less you pay per cup. You might like to acquire a round of mugs to present it to all the members of your family with different photos and different words to accompany. That will surely liven up and stimulate the party.

This article was submitted by Mike Daniels, a professional photographer. Further information is available at this page - www.shotaddict.com

The golden rule when taking pictures of people is to always think about what you are doing before you press the shutter release. What do you hope to achieve? Is the image being taken for record purposes (that would make it a formal shot) or is it to display the personality of the sitter?

Pressing the shutter release in a haphazard manner will lead to uninteresting and poorly thought out shots. Neither you nor your subject will be pleased with the results.

Think about a number of issues first:

- What makes the subject interesting? - does your subject have a part of their personality that you wish to show - are they relaxed, happy, serious, austere, cheeky and so on. Or are they being snapped to depict a trait or a connection - for example a picture detailing their occupation, sport or interests?

- Is the arrangement appropriate? - there’s no point having an interesting subject with a competing background. Clear clutter and make your background and environment suit the sitter.

A teacher would look at home behind (or sitting on) a desk or surrounded by books. A basketball player wouldn’t. A child would be best placed near to toys, games and bright colors but your grandmother would wish a more mature and homely environment around her.

You could always choose a large aperture to blur out the background or place a white sheet behind the sitter to make the background neutral.

- Can you use props? - a pen, a book, a chair, a flower - something to make the subject feel more relaxed and to give the viewer a connection with the subject. Props can be very useful ways of enhancing a portrait.

- Is the lighting correct? - shots of females and children often look best with diffused light. Watch out for harsh shadows cast by angled lighting and always have a reflector ready to bring light into shadow areas.

Rugged faces look startling with harder and angled lighting whereas smoother faces look better with softer more flattering light.

Prepare yourself before the shooting begins.

Eric Hartwell is an enthusiastic photographer. He owns and runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums http://www.theshutter.co.uk/forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com Anyone interested in getting involved contact him at shutter@theshutter.co.uk