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Photography Interview Q&A With Matthew David Parker @mattdavidparker

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Interview for Matthew David Parker

Interviewer: Mr Parker, How did your interest in photography first reveal itself?

MDP: Well, I took pictures with those little disposable cameras when i was a kid, I just liked to try to capture what i was seeing to be able to relive it later. My first really good picture was on tourist cruise that i went with my parents in Hawaii… I had one of those little disposable cameras and i took a picture of Waikiki from the boat. The lights reflecting on the water and the skyline in the background with the blue expanse of the pacific between, it was the stuff of postcards. My parents had it blown up and framed. their pride encouraged me.

Interviewer: It’s amazing how a little encouragement from those we respect can influence us..When did you get your first ‘real “camera?

MDP: I saved my money and tried to get a polaroid because i liked the instant nature but I soon found that the quality wasn’t there and the fact that there was no negative was discouraging so I quickly moved to an inexpensive point and shoot. This satisfied me for a short while but I really was interested in the effects that i saw in magazines and learned that that was a much more expensive and complicated process than pointing at something. My first real camera was a SLR Olympus. It had a fixed lens but you could adjust the light exposure and I was in heaven with experimenting.

Schoolmates were mostly my subjects and i was chosen to be the photographer for my school yearbook. They had a REAL camera with interchangeable lenses this opened a whole new world for me and I’ve never looked back.

Interviewer: Being chosen to be the official photographer in high school must have been a real ego boost, but you were not being paid, when did you become a professional?

MDP: National Geographic had a contest for amateur photographers and I went through the negatives of everything I had to find just the right picture to submit. Nothing measured up so I went on a quest in the area where i lived to find the perfect picture that i thought would be National Geographic quality. I took a photo of a coyote in silhouette against the evening sky with a lone cactus. In my view it was the perfect shot. I filled out the application and sent in the photo..waiting for what seemed like forever to hear from them just knowing that i had been chosen. Weeks went by and nothing.. Finally a letter arrived from them saying that i had honorable mention. While i was disappointed that it didn’t win I was happy that at least it was noticed. I showed it to my teachers friend who was friends with the local newspaper and they wanted to buy the use of my photo for the travel section of the Sunday paper. So my first paid work started out as amateur work and morphed.

Interviewer: Just goes to show, never give up. What advice would you give to someone starting out like you were?

MDP: Take pictures of what moves you no matter if it’s people, landscapes or flowers, just what gives you a feeling when you see it. There are classes that will teach you about lighting and composition and placement but there is no class for heart, that you develop or you have from the start. Never give up and now with the digital technology that is available the sky is the limit. Just never stop and never let the price of equipment stop you. Use the best you can afford but always try to capture what you are feeling. Sometimes what started out as a mistake becomes the best ever!

***NEW***Have Your Tried McDonald’s New Signature Crafted Recipes Line? @McDonalds

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I received a complimentary McDonald’s Swag Bag that included a few coupons to try this sandwich. All opinions and thoughts are 100% my own. Information in this post provided by McDonald’s.

     Have you tried the all new Signature Crafted Recipe Sandwiches at McDonald’s yet?

I will be the first to admit that I love everything that McDonald’s serves. The New Signature Crafted Recipes Line is sure to please every palette. They have a sandwich that I am sure you will love!

You can now also create your own sandwich. Pick your recipe, Pick your protein and then pick your bun! How awesome is that? Leave it to McDonald’s to once again come up with an awesome idea for a sandwich!

FUNCAKE 30 in 1 Icing Decorating Kit #Review

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I received the below mentioned complimentary product for the purpose of this review. All opinions and thoughts are 100% my own.

     How do you decorate your baked goods? I took a cake decorating class when I was in my teens…So what 40 years ago? I failed miserably. This is why I was thrilled to be given the chance to review the FUNCAKE 30 in 1 Icing Decorating Kit. Ever we bought our home, I have taken over the love of baking that my Mom would have done when she was a live.

About The Company~

This is a fun company making this product to help make decorating your confections so much easier with step by step how to’s and giving you the tools you need to do this.

     I love decorating cakes, cupcakes and cookies but I will be the first ti admit that I am terrible at it. This was the best product I could of ever received. It walked you through every step of the way. The downloadable book that came with it taught you just what to do and how to do it. The FUNCAKE 30 in 1 Icing Decorating Kit came with 2 piping bags, 24 tips, a cute storage case and a downloadable instruction book. I cannot tell you enough that if you want to learn how to decorate your confections that this is the product you need to do just that.

     I give the FUNCAKE 30 in 1 Icing Decorating Kit my thumbs up and my highest recommendation. If you want to learn how to decorate, Then this is the product for you.

Three Simple Strategies That Can Improve Your Quality Of Life

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If you’re ready to take your life to a new level, now is the time to get strategic. Having life enhancement strategies available is a wonderful way to keep you on the road to continual growth in your personal and/or professional spheres. Below you’ll find just three simple strategies that can improve your quality of life:

1. Focus On Home Improvement.

One great way to enhance your life quality is focusing on home improvement. This technique is important because optimizing the functionality or aesthetic appeal of your property can make you feel more peaceful and happy when you’re at home. One simple and highly beneficial home improvement project you might implement is replacing your old carpet. Also know that you should always be prepared to quickly restore your property in the event of a disaster such as water damage. Companies such as DKI will provide you with this service. Find a contractor now by visiting the company website at https://www.dkiservices.com/contact_us.html.

2. Implement An Exercise Routine.

In addition to focusing on home improvement, make sure that you implement an exercise routine. This step is important because it ensures that you will reap all of the life-enhancing benefits that result from engaging in regular physical activity. Some of those benefits include:

• enhanced metabolism
• weight management/weight loss
• improved skin quality
• better sleep
• enhanced digestion

If you’re ready to implement an exercise routine now, know that one of the most effective ways to get started is joining your local gym. In this environment, you can attain guidance and support from a trained staff. This includes group fitness instructors and personal trainers.  These professionals may point you towards some dietary supplements like Nucific BioX4, which can aid the aforementioned benefits of physical activity greatlyAlso know that putting yourself in this setting can help you develop positive relationships with individuals who are internally or externally motivated to pursue health through fitness!

3. Get A Monthly Facial.

As many beauty experts know, improving your appearance is linked to enhanced self-esteem and greater confidence when interfacing with others. As such, it’s a good idea to implement effective beauty strategies that will help you look and feel your best. One of the most practical and effective beauty techniques is a monthly facial. Because the skin of the face is the most visible region of the body, you want to keep it in exceptional condition. There are a wide range of facials you can attain, meaning that you should be able to address any unique skin issue you have. This could include issues such as hyperpigmentation, acne, or premature aging. It can be really hard if you have bowel problems, something you can do to combat this is to buy incontinence pads for men, they will really improve your quality of life.

Start Living An Amazing Life Now!

If you want to be healthy and happy, know that you can make it happen. Use the helpful tips and techniques outlined above to get on the road to a more amazing life immediately!

Work, Rest And Save! Your Home As A Money-Making Tool

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We are all feeling the financial strains these days. All walks of life, from the young to the elderly and everyone in between. As we are all trying to find ways to stay afloat, naturally the temptation to get a loan pops into our minds, and it is definitely a way to get rid of all of your debt. But is it just replacing all your little debts with a much bigger one? As more people are trying to find ways to get out of debt, everyone is turning to the less traditional methods. But in this difficult financial climate, you need to be able to combine money-saving attitudes with an extra income. So how can we do this? The answer is simple, and it’s right in front of you, literally!

There are so many options to make money online, that you can try so many different avenues and find the right one for you. For families who are too busy to get a typical 9 to 5 job, there are many ways to make money around your existing commitments, which is something that we are all after when we have kids to look after. For many families, both parents have to take full-time jobs, meaning they don’t get to spend much time with their children. For those that are on the lookout for a job that is full-time work but at home, there are lots of options. There are companies like Appen who hire people from all over the world to do the equivalent of basic admin tasks. The contracts are freelance, and they can be on a long-term basis, and for a lot of the tasks there are no set hours so you can do the work around your life commitments. For these types of jobs, a professional background is usually required, but there are social media oriented roles that are a great entryway into this type of work, and they normally ask that you have some basic experience in social media sites like Instagram. Another route to making money online includes transcription. So many marketing companies, legal services, and research businesses look for people to transcribe recorded interviews, hearings, and legal proceedings. It is a great way to work from home, but you do need to have some quiet to be able to transcribe the audio, and it helps if you have lightning fingers as the pay is usually done per audio minute.

Other options for earning money from home includes doing surveys (they pay per survey completed), being an online moderator for games (like black jack), or even just being a freelancer. The perk of freelancing at home is a far more enticing option for many over the dreaded commute to work. And so many of us are in agreement, the freelance industry is booming at the moment, with so many sites like Freelancer signing up newer members on a daily basis. It does mean that there is more competition, but if you have a skill to sell that is far from the norm, it does make you a lot more likely to pick up work. Making money can have its difficulties online, which is why lots of people opt for selling their stuff on items like eBay, but there are some other sites that reduce the lengthy process of auction sites. Decluttr is simple in the fact that you can check whether the site will buy your item by scanning the barcode into its “valuation engine” and you can choose to accept the cost they offer, send the item off to them, and receive payment the day after the item arrives their end.

While selling your items online can help to cover yourself financially for a short period of time, you need to get into the habit of saving money. This means getting into the right mindset of being a bargain hunter. Some of us have the time to go to stores and hunt out the bargains, while most of us, who are so busy with two jobs or many children, need to find our bargains at home. To make the most of saving money online, there is a little knack for finding the best deals, and it’s in how you search. Searching online for the best deals can be very confusing, or you can end up being more out of pocket than if you just went to the store. The simplest approach is to just do the following…

In our quest to save money we sometimes go for the most expensive product with all the bells and whistles when, in fact, is it essential to have all those features when a cheaper option will do? Price comparison sites are one great way to find bargains, but you need to search through all the available ones. Don’t forget, price comparison sites only show the products from retailers who pay them. Another method is to shop around the offers that are ongoing. Going onto a site like www.CouponSherpa.com, you will see all the offers you can get right now. So by just going for the discounted items instead of the items you usually buy, you can easily save a 1/3 off your shopping bill. There are many coupon websites, and you just have to search for them. The important thing when it comes to shopping online is to make sure that the sites are reputable. While cheap items are great, if they aren’t branded or come from a questionable source, you need to find out if they are not just out to grab money. Before purchasing an item, check to see if they have a dedicated office, a server that is secure, and a phone number and address.

Making the most of being online means that we don’t really need to leave our home anymore, and as we are all so busy nowadays with our families, we need to find the quickest and easiest way to earn money and to spot a bargain. With these two methods, you can just sit down at your computer and get typing!