Inflikt

October 31, 2008

Recipe for Success

“Desire is a tremendous force, and must be directed in the right channels (to work). - Florence Scovel Shinn

Take one cup of Desire,

Mix well with a heart full of Passion,

Shake in a tumbler of Willpower,

Add a full cup of Thought.

Stir in a full cup of Commitment,

Slowly add one heaping spoonful of Planning, Ideas, Capital, and Fun

Add to this a pinch of Faith (about the size of a mustard seed), and stir all until well blended.

With lots of Action, you will soon start to see the results of your Effort and Hard Work.

If your success doesn’t come true the first time, start the recipe over again - this time with more feeling. Discovering what you need to do to make the recipe for success work, places you at the threshold of where you wish to be. Listen to the voice inside of you. Trust the source that comes from a Higher Power. He knows all of your wishes, your dreams, your ideas, and your plans for fulfilling them. You will be guided by the wisdom of the ages.

To do this you must start from a new point of action. Get rid of all doubt, confusion, and fear that prevents you from succeeding and reaching your goals. Then you will no longer react to the negative things in your life, but will live with a purpose, and go forth with confidence. Negative events will have no affect on you or the choices you make.

Pay attention to the guidance you receive. Your “inner ear” will lead you to the right choice and in the right direction. If it’s something you desire now, go for it. Fearing to make that commitment will make you loose the opportunity - and it may just be the opportunity of your lifetime.

Feel free to change the “recipe for success” in any way you wish. It’s yours to amend so that it fits your desires, your goals, your dreams, your life. Make it important enough to change your life. If you’re in business become aware of how you conduct yourself with your clients, associates, employees, your vendors and suppliers. Measure their performance based on the way you interact and/or react to them.

If your performance is negative and critical, change it. If it’s positive and uplifting, keep doing it. Try not to confuse or frustrate others. Try not to let them confuse, frustrate or anger you. Be aware of your feelings moment by moment. Do you show anger? Doubt? Fear? Are you judgmental? How can you stop your thoughts from controlling you? Knowing how is the first step to knowing yourself. This leads to empowerment - and success.

Can you do it? Can you actually take this step in faith?

Copyright 2005

Gerri D Smith is publisher and host of multiple Gateways to inspiration, motivation, and support for individuals, women business owners, and entrepreneurs. Gerri’s internet resource offers ways to unlock the doors to your personal and business empowerment. Now is a perfect time to own your own business and discover some of the best ways to market a product. One is by letting your customers see it before they buy it. This concept is a sharing of information and is made available by the Internet. Best of all it’s delivered right to your email doorstep. Why not invest in your future, now. To help you reach more of your personal and business goals, subscribe to Gerri’s Free bi-monthly inspirational newsletter.

Visit: http://www.distinctivebusinesswomen.com Or, send a blank email and your correct email address and mailto: gerri@distinctivebusinesswomen.com?Subject=EZ-Scribe

Filed under: Online New Age — Admin @ 8:00 am

October 29, 2008

Improvisational

Why are we trying so hard? It is like we are in a race to get somewhere and we don’t even know where that is anymore. We have lost contact with spirit and the purpose we have given our lives and we are going around in circles chasing our tails.

I know better and yet I must catch myself from time to time and ask myself-why? The harder I try the less effective I am in manifesting what I desire. In the moment that I give into the system and stop trying to control it, the easier it gets.

I sometimes try to fool myself and say I need to know how it works so that I can pass it on to my readers and my ego really believes that. The fact is I discovered the secret long ago and have written many articles about it. I exposed the secret to manifesting and have demonstrated how it works effectively and I still constantly try to control it. I have learned but have not fully appreciated that there is nothing I have to do.

Survival is guaranteed as long as you know that it is so. Love, abundance and happiness are just a thought away, yet I insist on going through all the physical manifestations to make it happen. Life is so very easy once you begin to let it happen-once you know what it is you want to experience.

It doesn’t appear to be the human thing to just let things happen. We need to know how it happens and why, we need to be in control and move past ourselves, to be greater than all that we know, to be God!

In an effort to be God we have forgotten that we already are–that all of us are a piece of that which we call the creator and we are driven to prove it physically. It just doesn’t appear to be enough to know it, but we must be able to prove it. It is the human thing to look for purpose in our lives, and yet we look outside of ourselves to others for definition. We have forgotten that it is our ego that attaches purpose to our existence and has nothing to do with life. Life is purpose unto itself, it is self evident, its only purpose is to “be.”

It is in those moments that we let go, that we find the inner peace that we search for. It is a moment of surrender and knowingness that life will take care of itself. It is not about giving up, but giving into the process that will bring us what we desire. It is when we have this glimpse into our inner being that we realize that there is nothing to fear, nothing to worry about and nothing to want. We try to fool ourselves and say that rest comes in death, but death is just another beginning and a repeat of the former life if we have not yet learned how to give into the rhythm of life that moves in and out with each breath of air that we take. Our bodies have learned to surrender to this automatic, natural movement and sustain itself until a new thought comes along that ends it.

It is in the 65,000 or so thoughts that we have every day that try to take control that causes the confusion. It is poor choice and alienation from what it is that we desire and wish to experience in this lifetime that leads us to a life of struggle, disappointment and a sense of un-fulfilment. The truth is that we have made our lives too complicated within our ability to be effective.

It is when we move within our own rhythm or the beat of our own drum that we can truly enjoy life. Life is not in competition with life, and it is glorified within the ability to adapt and harmonize with the environment it finds itself. As one finds peace within oneself, he/she will find peace in all the things that are manifested into their lives, because peace is what is manifested first.

A person does not have to walk around in long, saintly robes through flower beds to demonstrate inner peace. Peace can be found on the corporate ladder as long as one is in tune with their natural abilities and are acting selfishly to manifest their lives in harmony with spiritual awareness.

To balance one’s life, you must look inward, and forget about what people have told you about yourself and what your purpose is. Discover yourself as if for the first time. Acknowledge what brings true happiness into your life, what you like and don’t like. Learn to act intuitively and in harmony with the purpose that you have defined for yourself. Learn to be flexible and know that your purpose and truth will change from time to time, acknowledge that life is constantly moving as does your environment and belief systems.

Immediately drop the concepts of “right and wrong,” “good and bad.” Replace those perceptions with “what works,” and “what does not work.” Understand that there is no reward for living a virtuous life, nor is there any punishment for living an immoral life, except for that which you bring upon yourself either way. Heaven and Hell are places in your mind and are experienced by you before or after death because that is what you believe.

Peace is also a place in your mind and you demonstrate it in physical life by doing peaceful things. All of physical life is just a manifestation of your own thoughts. You create all the circumstances of your life; you are not a victim of it.

Choose what you want to experience. Take responsibility for your life and your death and you will have made the connection to the power that is rightfully yours. Know also that death is not an escape but a rebirth into another life that takes over where you left off in this one.

Life is easy or hard as you determine it, it is your thoughts that lead you to demonstrate physically how easy or hard it is.

Peace, love and abundance are yours the very second you believe that you have these things. And from that moment on it is all you will bring into your life until your thoughts change again. You cannot ever find these things until you know that you have them.

I cannot stress long and hard enough how powerful your words are. Listen to your choice of words when you speak and you will have a pretty good idea why your life is the way it is. You must learn to control what you say and use the best words that you know to demonstrate what you are thinking. Do self analysis on yourself and be your own therapist. Your words say it all and they will not lie to you.

If your words point away from you then you have not taken responsibility for yourself and have given up your power to others. You are not living your life according to you. You are somebody’s shadow and you do not exist except behind the image of another and the sun can never shine on you.

There is never a price to pay for possessing true power, which is seen in the eyes of those who don’t have it. Power can not be taken from you, it can only be given. Because there is really only one soul and not individual souls there would have to be complete co-operation between the two parts in order for any event to happen. Your right hand cannot slap the left unless this agreement is there. There are no innocent victims. Everything has purpose and chance is just failure to recognize the obvious-that you create all the circumstances of your life.

Know this one thing-hope, faith and trust are steps in the future to knowing and it never comes. If you want it all now… “know that you have it.”

Take responsibility for your life and your death now, and you will assume the power that you so desperately seek. Do not victimize yourself, which is also a choice that makes you powerless. You do not have to live “long” to prosper, you need to live “well” to prosper, so live well and prosper.

EzineArticles Expert Author Roy Klienwachter

Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A student of NLP, ordained minister, New Age Light Worker and Teacher. Roy has written and published five books on New Age wisdom. Roy’s books are thought provoking and designed to empower you to take responsibility for your life and what you create. His books and articles are written in the simplicity and eloquence of Zen wisdom.

You may not always agree with what he has to say. You will always come away with a new perspective and your thinking will never be the same.

Roy’s style is honest and comes straight from the heart without all the metaphorical mumble jumble and BS.

Visit Roy at: http://www.klienwachter.com

Filed under: Online New Age — Admin @ 10:13 pm

October 28, 2008

I Don’t Like This

You always do this wrong, how many times would I have to tell as to how to do the thing right, don’t you understand to what I say, I am talking to you, are you listening to what I am saying. It would have been much better if I would have done that myself. Now go.

Please don’t take me wrong when you read that, cause this is the behavior I see prevailing from a human to other human.

How did you feel if any of you started reading that as it was being said to you? I know you felt bad inside and this is natural. Why are we all going bitter? Why? Any specific reason for that? Well there could be million reasons to that with million situations, but still why?

Do we hear to how we talk to other people? Do we? Do we hear ourselves loud enough when we are talking with someone in a harsh way, do we hear that, and do we switch shoes to feel that as well? Do we? I guess not? Else the face of Earth bearing humans would have been different than what it has become now, I think. I think.

I am not merging words to words they are doing that on their own, its just feelings that are pouring out.

Can’t I talk politely to you? Do I have to holler everytime when I have to say something? Don’t I feel how you would feel when I holler at you? I do feel bad when somebody does that to me and I say that he doesn’t know how one should talk to others, but I won’t see myself when I holler at others, Why? I think I am talking to myself again, loud.

We are all just human beings, made of dirt, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, that is our fate, but why we don’t live and let live, why? These question do really bug me as I explore and am unable to find answers, but I know they are scattered all around, its just we need to see, to bring in a change in ourselves, I believe that its all out there and we just have to see, I believe that.

Its not too late to see all that, but it has to be late at one point in time, I don’t know when, though I see things are at their max in hatred and distrust, I think I know why, because I think that is a simple equation, I hurt you and you hurt me and we go enemies forever, but why I think of hurting you, thats a question that I have to ask to myself again.

Have you seen Dominos falling one upon the other, till the last one falls too, and there it goes, they are all down, they are, there has to be one domino that stands and doesn’t lose its place to support who have fallen on it and prevent the ones ahead from falling down, I know its hard and might seem impossible, but it is achievable, we all can do that, we can, we can by standing still at our places, strongly, I believe we can do that. I do.

Hope I care and feel for you and you care and feel for me and the humanity can survive. Just a feeling, don’t feel any bad to what is said, its all feelings.

http://www.keeptheheartsalive.com

Filed under: Online New Age — Admin @ 10:01 pm

October 25, 2008

A Little Blessing Changes Everything

“We’re on a one-game winning streak!” That’s what freshman Dawan Boxley said after his basketball team, the Rutgers-Camden Pioneers, beat Bloomfield College 77 to 72, snapping a five-year, 117-game losing streak. Imagine losing every game for five years; how depressing that must have been for the team, the coach, and the entire school! But what a joy when that buzzer sounded and game 118 turned out differently.

Despite the thick book of gloomy stats, the jokes, and the humiliating ridicule, at least one tongue kept repeating, “That was then. This is now.” At least one person’s brain imagined a victory celebration. Someone’s heart soared upward, piercing the dark clouds to reach the sunshine. No doubt, after the game with Bloomfield, that person was running around, slapping pessimists’ backs and shouting, “You see? I knew we could do it!” And game 119 had 10-fold more believers.

What a difference one success makes! Have you ever experienced it? I have! Things keep going wrong that ought to go right. Your hopes get dashed again and again. You want to quit, but quitting would just pile another failure on the rest. You look for the light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel has caved in. Like Paul, you cry out, “What a wretched person I am! Who will deliver me?” Like the psalmist, you scream, “Where are you, God? Will you forget me forever?”

Then a blessing comes. Not necessarily a big one, but big enough for you to recognize the stark contrast between its sparkle and all the dullness around it. “Thank you, Lord!” you whisper. “I’m sorry I doubted you. Please forgive me for being bitter.”

So begins your one-game winning streak. Like the Apostle Paul, you can say, “We are hard pressed, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8-9). And if you know that such is the pattern, you can watch for the blessing, prepared to receive its turn-around power.

For us Christians, the blessing is always present. Jesus Christ’s love and sacrifice enriches us, enlightens us, and empowers us day by day, even in the darkest tunnels of life. God has so arranged our destiny that if we don’t quit, if we don’t give up, we’ll be winners.

EzineArticles Expert Author Steve Singleton


Copyright ©2005 Steve Singleton, All rights reserved.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.org for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter.”

Filed under: Online New Age — Admin @ 12:24 am

October 24, 2008

The Great Challenge of Life

Here’s the great challenge of life - You can have more than you’ve got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is it will go back to where you are. Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it among everyone equally, it would soon be back in the same pockets.

However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads - unless you change how you are, you will always have what you’ve got. The marketing plan won’t do it. It’s a good plan but it won’t work without you. You’ve got to work it. It is the human effort that counts. If you could send a sales manual out to recruit - wouldn’t that be lovely?

The major thing that makes the difference is what YOU do.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The guy says “If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off.” If that is your philosophy you are destined to stay there. Some people say if I had a lot of money I would be really generous, but I don’t have much so I’m not generous.

See, you’ve got to change that philosophy or you will never have “the lots of money”. Unless YOU change, IT won’t change. Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves - the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn


Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine.
Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved
worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to
http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

Filed under: Online New Age — Admin @ 7:45 pm

Principles That Govern My Life

The strength and durability of a building is found in its foundation. The same is true in a life. What we accomplish and the effect we have on those around us is not only in what we do, but also in who we are. In fact, what we do is driven by who we are, what we believe and value and by the principles that we live by.

Principles give us direction in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. They are transferable to any given situation and will determine our direction. Those who do not have permanent principles will find themselves drifting along and making decisions that are personally expedient, short-term oriented and usually bad for their long-term success.

So I thought I would share with you the principles that govern my life. These are the ideas and concepts that drive my behavior, my career, and my family. I would encourage you to sit down and write out your own principles. Those that drive your life, or at least that you want to drive your life!

God first, others second, me third. Gale Sayers, the running back of the Chicago Bears wrote a book titled “I am Third.” This is true. If I am to do and be what I want to do and be in this life, I recognize that I must have my priorities right. Some people think that the way to success is to put themselves first. This is short-term thinking. Yes, you may be able to accomplish much in the near-term, but long-term, the best is accomplished by those who live by the above.

Always be completely honest. You really only have your character when it comes right down to it, and honesty is the quickest way to determine your character. Live in such a way that you can be completely honest and be willing to accept the responsibility that being completely honest will bring.

Make it your goal to help others, income will come from that. Zig Zigler is the one who got me thinking about that. If you take care of others and their needs, you will earn your income. If you simply try to earn income, people will stop responding to you and you will have defeated yourself.

You reap what you sow. This is the most common truth on earth. You put an apple seed into the ground, you get an apple tree. An orange seed produces an orange tree. If you invest, your money will grow. If you eat right and exercise you will lose weight. If you are kind to others they will be kind to you.

The true measure of a man’s wealth is in the things he can afford not to buy. This is one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Things are great to have and so is money, but true riches are the priceless things we can’t buy, like our family, our integrity and the sense of a job well done. Pursue true wealth.

Work smart - and hard. Some say you should work smart, not hard. I say work smart and hard. A good day of hard work is a blessing and ought to be appreciated. Hard work is what changes the world - as long as it is smart, hard work!

Follow through on all commitments. If there is one thing I can’t stand it is when someone doesn’t do what they say they will. When we don’t do what we say we will, we essentially say that the job wasn’t important, the people we promised it to aren’t important, and that we can’t be trusted. This is a good way to short-circuit your success.

Challenge others to greatness. There are enough people who will hold out the low bar for people to step over. I want to be a person who holds up the high bar, causing people to have to run and jump with all their might. And when they clear that high bar, I want to be there celebrating with them!

Find ways to generously give of your resources. The old saying is true - you can’t take it with you. But you can spread it around to lots of people while you are here. If we wait until we die to give money away, we don’t get any satisfaction in seeing how it is used and enjoyed. Write a few good-sized checks each month!

Treat people right no matter how they treat you. You cannot control another person’s behavior. It took me a long time to realize that. I can only control my behavior. And I can choose to do what is right no matter how another person treats me. If everybody retaliated every time someone treated them bad, we would have a mess on our hands. Instead, choose to act appropriately at all times.

When relationships go bad, be the first to hold out the olive branch. Life is too short to leave a relationship broken. As much as it is up to me, I will pursue reconciliation, for their sake, and for mine. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and wish I tried harder in my relationships. For this reason I attempt to restore broken relationships.

Regularly try new things. This is what keeps the spice of life going! Try new foods, go to new places, and make new friends. You will be amazed at the joy you receive and are able to give when you make it a habit to try new things. Break out of the mold, do something unusual today!

Treat everyone equally. No one is better than anyone else. I know people with tens of millions of dollars and people who do not have two nickels to rub together. They are both equally valuable and worthy of being treated as such. Don’t fall into the trap of treating some people better than others. It doesn’t matter what color they are or how much money the have or what country they come from, treat them with the respect and dignity each human deserves.

Use any success you have to help others. What good is success that only helps you? Instead, use the money you make to help others. Use the connections you make to help someone else up. Use the knowledge you achieve to give someone else a leg up. Take what you have and give to others so that they may join you on the journey of success.

Look down the economic scale more often than up. When I look up the economic scale too often I become greedy and unsatisfied. I become selfish. Looking down at others who have less than me on a regular basis keeps me humble. It reminds me of all of the blessings I have and keeps me thankful for them.

I want to encourage you to sit down soon and write out the principles that guide your life. It is an excellent exercise that will help you refocus and keep your life going in the right direction!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

Filed under: Online New Age — Admin @ 2:17 am

October 21, 2008

Chosen to get Mobile Broadband by the good value Compare Wireless Broadband United Kingdom

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Mobile Wireless Broadband the existing name applied to clarify a diverse forms of devices that provide you with the most recent faze located in technology, this is wireless mobile high speed mobile internet access without the wires and without a fixed line connection. Wireless internet broadband gives you the convenience to use your laptop where ever you are situated. All you are required to do is plug in your universal serial bus modem & off your able to go, easy wireless Wireless Broadband everywhere you are. There are various excellent types of offers to go for amoung many different suppliers. The providers are O2, Vodaphone, and Orange. These traders have all taken the lead with supplying wireless mobile internet, although these mobile phone networks have primarily focused on marketing the service to I book users. Save money with Compare Broadband UK and Orange Broadband.

Wireless has become really accepted & more or less three million United Kingdom Wireless Broadband clients nowdays connect wirelessly to the broadband at home. This is a number that is constantly rising as tonnes of consumers get wise to the benefits of wireless internet. Wireless Broadband uses high speed mobile broadband access this is because it generally has a high rate of data transmission. Not only is it 10 to 100 times speedier than a dial up account it doesn’t tie up the telephone line so you can make and pick up telephone calls normally while your able to use the Wireless Broadband You will be billed a simple monthly fee for an always on connection so there is no need to dial one hundred to get online, all we have to do is turn on the laptop and your are online.

Filed under: Web Tips — Admin @ 2:09 am

October 20, 2008

Working With Seo Is Unique Technology For Web Promotion

In my journey to learning how to build web pages that search engines favor of discovered a couple things along the way.

On the first things I learned was that content is king. Does this mean? It means that the better your content the better chance you have of the search engines ranking your site higher.

But unfortunately this alone won’t do it. For seo to work a bunch of other things need to be in place as well.

Your site must have link backs coming in from other sites primarily from authority sites or high ranking pages.

Your site must be keyword saturated to about 3%. Your site must be on a topic that a lot of people are looking for.

There’s something about the word search engine optimization technology that really strikes a cord when it comes to marketing on the Internet.

If you’ve never heard the term seo before then you probably have not been marketing on the Internet very long, as search engine optimization is all about Internet marketing and vice versa.

When we think about it, the search engines are holding all the cards when it comes to searches, that’s just simply what they do.

If we want to get some of that traffic funneled to our website we simply have to follow the rules of the search engine.

By optimizing your website both on-site and off-site you bring your page into alignment with the search engine code of quality.

Filed under: Best Marketing, Biz, Plugs — Admin @ 3:40 pm

The Ultimate Advantages Of Digital Photography

Advances in the design and capabilities of digital cameras are happening nearly at the speed of thought. Digital cameras are experiencing technological advances as rapidly as PCs did a few years ago. Once marginally acceptable for taking a snapshot or two, the digital camera is forging its way into mainstream amateur and professional photography circles. And it’s no wonder.

Once of the best of the long list of advantages of digital photography is the immediate ability to view the scene through the digital camera’s LCD screen. Even the best TTL focusing doesn’t convey how the scene is going to come out as well as the LCD screen does.

Combine that nifty preview feature with the immediate gratification that comes from the ability to view the shot after it’s been taken, and there are no longer any excuses for coming home from vacation with a pile of lousy photographs.

Then there’s the low cost of film. Wait! Make that the NO cost of film. Sure, digital camera storage devices tend to cost a bit more than your average roll of ASA 1000, but it’s a one-time cost that keeps on giving and giving over and over again. Combine the no film costs with the no film processing costs and you suddenly find yourself being able to afford to shoot anything and everything you see without ending up short of beer money! Surely that’s an advantage all by itself.

Moving right along on the growing list of why you simply MUST own a digital camera, we come to what I like to call the ‘digital darkroom’ which is what the rest of the world likes to call graphics software.

Without having to mix a batch of chemical soup, without having to own a single red light bulb and without having to wait hours for your paper to dry, you can professionally process, morph, annotate, animate, enlarge, compress and remove the dreaded ‘red eye’ from your images with the click of a mouse. Hate how it all came out? No problem. Just click “undo” and start all over again.

Let’s not overlook the convenience of being able to e-mail shots of the kids to grandma. No trips to the Post Office, no ordering double prints at the drug store. You just snap, download to your PC and send the kid’s into cyberspace. While you’re in cyberspace, don’t forget to update your family photo album which you can have hosted for free at any number of the free “look what I did” photo album sites on the Internet.

Probably the best advantage of digital photography is that there is no cost for making mistakes. This allows you to experiment with different f/stops, white balance settings, focal points and lenses without emptying your wallet just to see how bad they turned out.

When there is no cost for making an error, you’re bound to end up taking better photographs as you learn how to take your digital camera to the limits.

This digital photography tip article is brought to you by award-winning professional photographer Warren Lynch. Exciting articles gives both beginners and advance digital camera enthusiast the leg up.

Filed under: Photography Stuff — Admin @ 11:19 am

October 19, 2008

The Art of Communion Portraits

The First Communion is first in many ways. It is the first formal event in a young person’s life, the beginning of a life of good character and a milestone in a seven year olds education. The First Communion portrait is especially treasured by the parents, showing the innocence and hope for the future in their young faces.

For these reasons, a natural, happy face takes precedence over creativity in posing. Communion poses are studies in confidence and naturalness. An ideal session starts with a standing full length pose holding the missal and rosary beads. Girls have their weight on the back foot, their front knee slightly bent toward the camera. Boys stand with legs slightly apart facing twenty degrees off center. Several shots from the left and right sides will assure a perfect expression.

While the subject is standing come in for a medium shot cropped just above the knee. Some happier expressions can be included in this variation. Lighting should be soft but modeling, say two and one half to one ratio.

Medium close up poses are the most popular, so concentrate on getting a good selection for the parents to choose from. A posing bench that simulates the altar rail places the hands and elbows comfortably at waist height. Variations include hands on missal, reading missal, looking up, smiling and serious. You should photograph both left and right sides for a good selection.

Girls allow a little more leeway in prop usage. White tulle placed over a bouquet of flowers, a white or brass candlestick with candle in the background or a small, round topped table holding the missal and gloves off to the side and behind the subject are appropriate props. If there is time, a seated pose for the girls can be effective. Boys can stand with their elbows on a raised marble column holding the missal, the other hand in their pocket.

Always check that the tie is centered and the collar fits snugly to the neck in front. If the shirt collar is too loose, place a roll of tissues behind the neck to tighten it up. Make sure the roll is not seen by the camera. Shirt cuffs ideally should show one half inch of white past the sleeve end. If this is impossible, then show no cuff at all. Too long cuffs can be rubber banded under the coat to the correct length. Veils should be checked for equal length on the sides and the crown centered on the head. Gloves look better held in the hand or on a pedestal, never worn. White dresses and accessories are a natural for high key photography. Boys in navy blue suits look better on a medium gray background with the edges darkened.

Some unusual shots can be tried for appreciative customers. A super close up with eyes raised is quite angelic. Place a small light above the lens for a nice catchlight. Profile shots with a candle and rosary are very effective for the more artistic clients. Throughout the session talk to your subject, tell them how nice they look and give them a chance to relax and look confident. At any sign of nervousness, take a break and distract them with conversation on another subject. Remember that expression is nine tenths of a good portrait.

Kenneth C. Hoffman - EzineArticles Expert Author

Retired portrait and wedding photographer. Any thoughts?

Filed under: Photography Stuff — Admin @ 8:00 am
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