<i>1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die</i> a Must-Read for Film Buffs

Cinema is an art form that's over 100 years old. Hundreds of thousands of films have been produced of all shapes and sizes and of all genres all over the world. As lovers of cinema, we are often confused and dumbfounded as to which films to watch. As an answer, Stephen Jay Schneider and a group of film critics and theorists around the world put together this compilation of 1,001 culturally, technologically, artistically and historically significant films.

Arranged in chronological order and covering over 100 years worth of history in film, from the early 1902 Georges Milies science-fiction film "A Voyage to the Moon" to last year's Oscar Best Picture winner "Million Dollar Baby", the book covers a very wide range of forms and genres of film: From huge Hollywood epic spectacles like "Gone with the Wind" and "Spartacus" to gritty independent pictures like John Cassavetes's "Faces" and Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor"; from famous mainstream blockbuster features like "Titanic" and "Jurassic Park" to obscure, daring short films like "Blonde Cobra" and Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou"; from kid-friendly "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to disturbing, daring films like "Salo" and "In the Realm of the Senses". Significant effort was made by the editors and the contributing writers to represent nearly every genre of film out there. In addition to featuring the well-known, highly regarded classics of horror, drama, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, etc. sub-genres as varied as Chinese kung fu movies ("Shaolin Master Killer"), blaxploitation ("Sweet Sweetbacks Baaadaassssssss Song") and mockumentaries ("This Is Spinal Tap") are also represented. Also impressive in this book is that it took the effort to feature significant films from all over the world even in countries which are not primarily known for their film industry like Senegal, Egypt and Jamaica. All in an apparent effort to cover as wide a range of the art of film as possible.

All the great directors, both of the past and of contemporary times, have several of their films on this book: John Ford, Steven Spielberg, Billy Wilder, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Luis Bunuel, Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodovar, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman etc. among others. Alfred Hitchcock has the distinction of having the most films with 15 from his oeuvre profiled. Each film is given an essay written by the various contributors detailing the film's significance, it's history and various interesting tidbits of trivia as well as a critique of the film in an intelligent non-pretentious or overly scholarly manner. Though the book is by no means perfect, the questionable inclusion of "Meet the Parents" is one of the more glaring of its flaws and arguments can be made for the inclusion and exclusion of several other movies, this book probably comes the closest to being the most definitive list available that's accessible even to the average film goer. Quite a number of films featured in this book are not currently available on video or DVD. Perhaps their inclusion in this book would help them get released on DVD and thus finding a wider audience.

Whether you are a budding teenage film buff or a veteran film scholar, there is plenty to love about this book which gives a straight-forward, non-snobbish take on film history that would make the art of watching movies truly enjoyable. This is the book all lovers of film should have on their bookshelves.

Upgrade Your Digital Photography Studio on a Budget

Digital photography is progressing almost as fast as the computer industry. Mega-pixels are multiplying faster than you can count them. As with all advances in technology, a higher price tag is attached. So, how do you upgrade your digital photography studio with out breaking your budget?

Let's go over a few ways to do just that.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Don't Buy New

The more mega pixels the better, I know. But, if you are using a 5.0 mega pixel camera now, wouldn't a 6.0 one be an upgrade? There is no need to spend the extra $3000 to get the newest 10 mega pixel digital camera.

There are plenty of used camera stores to find newer equipment that will fit your budget as well. KEH offers a huge selection of both new and used digital camera equipment, all of which has been cleaned and tested.

Let's not forget about eBay either. The deals there on new equipment are sometimes better then buying older used equipment. You never know when some college kid is going to sell off his $3000 digital camera just so he can make rent.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Compensatory Upgrades
Find way to stream line your business. Odds are, you don't have a lot of people working at your digital photography studio. So, you probably wont be buying equipment that saves you money by eliminating workers. Still, there is always new software coming out to help you stream line your business.

Such software may be expensive at first, but will be worth the price. Even if the software does nothing more than free up two hours in your work day, that is two more hours to make money. That is two more hours to see customers. Those customers could then turn into lifetime customers who bring your repeat business and great word of mouth advertising. All because you freed up two hours in your work day.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Upgrade Only What You Need
Upgrading your digital photography studio doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on new gear, lights, printers, computers, and what have you. Take some time to really identify what it is in your digital photography studio that needs to be upgraded.

Lets say you bought an expensive sub dye printer years ago to start printing photographs in house. 60,000 prints later, it's just not what it used to be. This doesn't mean you have fork over a huge amount of money to buy a new one. You could out source your printing for a while or you could even look into getting the printer refurbished by the manufacturer.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Upgrade Your Staff
Not every digital photography studio upgrade is a piece of expensive new gear. Invest some of your budget by training your staff. If you have other photographers working for you, try spending some money on a training workshop. The more your employees know about their job, the better they are at it. These workshops will help increase your staffs skills, but it will also help them get a better picture of what you want. Being on the same wavelength with your employees will also help them operate more efficiently

If you have complicated software programs, consider having a sales rep come out and teach your staff about the software. This goes back the same point, the more your employees know, the better they operate. Often, sales reps will be more than happy to come out and teach refresher courses or how to use new programs free of charge. After all, the happier you are with their product, the more you will buy from them in the future.

These are just a few ways to upgrade your digital photography studio with out breaking your budget. There are always ways to pinch pennies if you think about. The biggest obstacle to get over is the, must have the new stuff, mentality. You almost never need the new stuff, it is almost certainly nothing more than a want. Think before you buy and you are sure to save money in the now and make more in the future.

Shooting for Stock Photography

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A great way to earn money and learn a lot in the internet is participating in stock photography. Stock photography has been around for a while. And there are a lot of great stock sites that sell photographs for a reasonable price.

Just how and what should you shoot to be able to participate in stock photography?

Photographers say you should start with the concept. But the very first thing you should do is to know your equipment. I literally spent ten times more time trying to know how my camera works than thinking of something to shoot.

Stock photography is a very demanding industry. It's as close as you'll get to professional photography. It requires you to be able to produce images of the highest quality. That is because this industry is very competitive.

Try shooting the same subject with different settings. You should know how your camera reacts with different kinds of light. You should also know how it responds to different levels of illumination. Note the differences you see and keep them in mind.

Next you need a concept. Your images should present an idea, a thought or an expression. Consider a photograph of a man typing on a computer. What is he doing? Why is he typing? Is he working? Is he Blogging? Or just playing?

Designers buy stock images because of the concept they present - not because they look good. Stock photos are used in web sites, brochures, magazines, publications, advertisements, and almost anything that has a print.

So you need to have an image that has a concept that satisfies the needs of the would-be buyers of your pictures.

Then, you need a lot of light. Stock photos require that images have the right level of illumination and contrast. They need to be clear. If you can't afford a big set-up, you can always use desk lamps or even the sun.

You'll also need a computer and two kinds of programs: noise reduction tool and a photo editing application. Most stock photographs go through a noise reduction process. They also get a little tweaking in color, contrast and brightness.

Stock photographs need to be as close to perfect as possible. It's like what they say in the computer graphics industry: "it does not matter how you do it as long as you get the job done." Don't think that editing a photo in your pc is cheating. That only goes for journalism.

The next is pretty simple. You need a stock agency to upload your images to. Or you can showcase your work in your own site. Uploading in stock agencies is better. That is because you can find out where and how to improve. Use their powerful community to find out your weakness and strengths as a photographer.

Then when you have all this, what you need to do next is to be consistent and improve and improve and improve. You need to keep up with the ever demanding industries. If you don't, you'll get left behind.

Baby Shower Gifts Under $10

baby clothes gifts

The pitter-patter of little feet is always a joyous sound to your ears, but all those baby shower gifts are draining your savings. You don't have to blow a bundle on adorable toys and outfits to create a memorable baby gift. The next time you get invited to a baby shower keep these great $10 or less gift ideas in mind:

1.)Babysitting Coupons: This gift will only cost a bit of your precious time. Print up cute certificates offering hour-long babysitting sessions. The mom-to-be will adore a baby-free afternoon and the chance for a pedicure or uninterrupted lunch.

2.)Movie Package: Buy a pre-owned DVD ($5 or less on Amazon or eBay) and package it with microwave popcorn - it could be awhile before the new parents can get back to a movie theater.

3.)Mix it Up: Burn a CD of your favorite, upbeat, baby-friendly tunes. The Beatles, ABBA and Simon and Garfunkel are always popular with kids. Your friends will thank you for saving them from suffering through an endless loop of Raffi.

4.) Subscription Prescription: Give the new parents a subscription to a parenting magazine like FamilyFun ($9.95 for ten issues), Parent & Child ($9.97 for six issues). This gift will outlast any clothing purchase and promises to deliver monthly tips on childrearing. Look for discount subscription offers online or special "2-for-1" subscriptions.

5.)Meal Solutions: Offer your personal chef services. The new parents will love having a night off from cooking or a break from the monotony of take-out cuisine. Make sure you show up with all the ingredients and clean up after yourself.

6.)Start a Baby Book: Carry a colorful notebook, Polaroid and colored pens to the baby shower. Snap away and while the mom-to-be is busy opening gifts, you'll have attached the first few photos in her new baby book.

7.)Pacifier Package: Pacifiers (a.k.a. binkies, nuk-nuks and soothers) are small and inexpensive, but extremely practical. Baby superstores sell two-packs for $3. Purchase two different brands and add a pacifier "leash" ($2.95). These little items always seem to get lost; any mom can use a plentiful supply.

8.)Create Your Own Layette: Purchase a 3-pack of onesies ($9 or less) and put your creative energy to work. Embellish the onesies with nontoxic paint pens and markers to create fun designs for the baby.

9.)Start a library: Scout out local yard sales and snap up vintage baby books. Look for volumes in good condition and check for missing pages. Try to stick to theme: Dr. Seuss, Beatrix Potter, etc., and make sure to wipe down the pages before wrapping.

10.) Hospital Help: Offer to take care of Fluffy or Fido while your pal heads to the hospital. Keep your schedule open for the weeks preceding the delivery and get a spare set of keys and care instructions.

These thoughtful gifts will be deeply appreciated and more memorable than yet another bear sweater or plastic toy. Use your creativity and save your cash.