7 Ways to Dominate the Spotlight in Your Wedding Photos

It is the day you have dreamed of since you were young. Your wedding day is one that you will cherish for years to come. As the big day approaches, there are some things you can do to ensure you will dominate the spotlight when the big day arrives.

1. Get Rid of That Luggage
Makeup can do wonders. From completely concealing acne to adding a youthful glow to your skin, you will likely spend a good portion of time finding the shades that will best complement you on your wedding day. However, there is little magic makeup can do when it comes to bags under your eyes. This means you have to get to the root of the problem.

While heridity does play a part in the development of bags under the eyes, age is also a catalyst. As early as age 30, the development of dark circles is not uncommon. There are some prevention techniques that can help on the wedding day. First of all, ceasing smoking now can make a significant difference. You can also see your doctor to ask about prescription lotions such as tretinoin, which is high in vitamin.


2. Natural Oils
You will undoubtedly have some degree of anxiety during the course of the big day, and your skin will likely release sweat and oils after you have perfected your makeup. Unfortunately, a shiny face does not mix well with wedding photography. There is hope without having to constantly run to the bathroom to do a makeup touch-ups. Most retail stores sell blotting paper. These products are designed to quickly absorb oils that cause unwanted shine, and you can quickly fix your appearance at any time during the ceremony.


3. Experience Counts
It is important to spend adequate time researching your options when it comes to the selection of a photographer for your big day. Novices in wedding photography will normally not deliver you the quality of results that you are expecting. For example, they may be prone to taking a picture without proper warning when an experienced professional will give an adequate countdown. Make the competition work for you by meeting with numerous wedding photography professionals before making that final decision.


4. Understand Proper Posture
Your photographer will help you when it's time for a group shot, but there are other pictures of you in action, and you will be on your own regarding your stance and posture. The first rule is to never slouch. To ensure this, focus on keeping your neck elongated and your chin tilted up just a little bit. Also, avoid looking stiff by keeping your knees together and shoulders straight. Focus more on your posture than the position of the camera and you will look natural and elegant.


5. Window to the Soul
The eyes are the window to the soul, and, when your being natural, they can show people who you are and what you stand for. Unfortunately, many lose that natural glimmer the moment they pose for a photo. In wedding photography, this can make it seem as though you are apprehensive about the ceremony. To avoid this, try talking casually with your photographer. You can also close your eyes for a few seconds before the photo is taken or look away at friends and family momentarily.


6. Practice Makes Perfect
As with anything in life, practice makes perfect. It is good to stand in front of the mirror and rehearse how you will pose for various shots. You can also ask for help from a friend. Have them take sample pictures of you in different environments so you can better understand which poses and lighting scenarios enhance your best features. Your big day will only happen once, and this is a great way to ensure your pictures look their best.


7. Good Hydration
When skin is properly hydrated, it appears much more attractive on camera. While using a quality moisture is a good practice to get in the habit of months before the big day, there are a few other tips to enhance your appearance. First off, drinking around 2 litres of water a day supplies your body with the hydration it needs for proper functioning. Also, alcohol is known to dehydrate, so cease the use of alcoholic beverages several days before the wedding.


Worth a Thousand Words
Your wedding is an event that will be remembered for years to come, and future family and friends will likely want to relive your big moment. A picture is worth a thousand words, and they can tell the story much quicker than hours of reminiscing. By following these seven helpful tips, you will be ready to make lasting memories.

Viva Photography specialise in Wedding & Portrait Photography through out Perth and Melbourne.

Essential Business Tips For Photographers

Even if you are the best photographer in the world, you will need to follow smart practices in order to boost your business. If you want to gain as much exposure as possible, you have to put in the work to get your name out there in the community. Here is a look at five of the best practices you can follow in order to boost your photography business.

1. Make Sure Your Business is Easy for Customers to Find

If you want to gain new customers, you have to make it as easy as possible for them to find you. Make sure to get your photography business listed in as many areas as possible. Be sure to get your business listed in the phone book as well as online search directories like Google Places and Yelp. In addition, you should try to get your business included on wedding sites to boost your chances of scoring wedding photography gigs. Never hesitate to list your photography company in a new directory. When you have as many listings as possible, it will increase your chances of getting new business.

2. Advertising Methods

Although you will get business simply by listing your company in directories, it will usually not be enough to get your business to the high level it deserves to be at. In order to get as much business as possible, it is important that you spend some money on advertising. National advertising campaigns do not make a lot of sense for a local photography business. Instead, you should focus your advertising budget on local media in order to gain as much local business as you can. Referrals will also help. If you can get a good relationship with local wedding dress shops and wedding planners, they will be able to shoot as much business your way as you can handle.

3. Satisfy You Customers

Once you start to get lots of customers using your photography company, you need to do everything possible to keep them satisfied. The key is to provide them with excellent customer service. Try to go above and beyond the call of duty whenever you can. Every opportunity you take to wow customers will increase the chances that they will rave about your business to others. Once you start to get a wave of positive word of mouth going, you will find that you get a lot of new business walking through the door that comes from customers’ recommendations.

4. Use the Power of Social Media

In the 21st century, business owners who want to thrive need to embrace the power of social media in order to grow their businesses. You need to create social media accounts for your business on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Once you have these accounts up and running, you need to make sure to utilize them to their fullest. In order to do this, you should be sure to update your social media accounts as frequently as possible. Daily updates are recommended, but weekly updates are the bare minimum you should make. These updates should showcase your beautiful photography as well as specials you are offering to attract customers.

5. Make Your Website Special

If you have an unprofessional looking website for your photography business, it will greatly reduce your chances of success. If you do not have web skills, then you need to hire a professional to design a website for your business. When customers check your website out, they should find a beautiful website that looks very professional. Your site should also be very easy to use for your clients. This will give them faith in your skills, and it will help to boost your business substantially. If you are insured, include that. If you are in any special trade organizations or community groups, let people know. Testimonials add great proof of value. 

They key to being a success in anything is never resting on your laurels. You should always keep looking for new ways to boost your photography business. When you are constantly driven to take steps to keep your customers satisfied as well as increase your business, you will help to ensure that your photography company will be a smash success. When you put in the time and effort to make your business succeed, you will be rewarded with a great deal of professional success as well as personal satisfaction.

Five Things You Never Knew About Aerial Photography

Aerial photography has been around since Gaspard-Felix Tournachon started taking snaps from the basket of his hot air balloon in 1858. Since then, the technology has been refined to deliver complex images of land masses, settlements and military installations. Have a look through these five fascinating facts about the technology – its history, its application and its equipment – to get a handle on the most advance form of photography on (and above) the earth!

World War I was fought with aerial maps

During the First World War, aerial photography was used to create or correct maps of enemy territory. The first protracted use of aerial photography for military uses was conducted by General Allenby and a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based in the UK. His five photographers flew over enemy lines in Turkish airspace, escorted by fighter planes, to carry out a photographic survey that enabled Allenby to correct vital tactical maps.

Robot helicopters take aerial snaps

One of the most common machines used for surveying and aerial photography is the Coptercam, or Octocopter. The Octocopter is a flying robot with a camera system mounted in its belly, powered and steered by eight rotary blades (hence the name). It is used to survey land from Australian airspace, and has recently been put into service surveying the damage done by extreme weather systems.

In the US, it’s legal to spy on people using aerial photography

In America, airspace is technically public. In US law, if you can see something from a public space then you are not spying. Because of this, it is perfectly legal to use aerial cameras to capture people doing things that cannot be seen from the ground. This includes the documentation of things that are happening in the boundaries of private property – which may not be documented from the streets.

Aerial cameras have been taking giant pictures for decades

In the 1930s, Sherman Fairchild perfected his design for an aircraft mounted camera system capable of taking a single image that accurately showed 225 square miles of land. Before the end of the decade, Fairchild had increased the accuracy of his cameras to 600 square miles per exposure. The advancement of the technology started by Fairchild is the basis for modern photographic mapping.

Aerial photography forms the basis for modern maps

Photogrammetry (the process by which geometrical relationships are deduced from aerial photographs) forms the basis of much modern mapping. Highly detailed aerial photographs are taken, which are then “translated” into cartographs (maps) using the principles of projective geometry. In its simplest form, projective geometry involves measuring the distance between two points on the map, then factoring in the known geographic coordinates of those points to get the proper cartographic representation.

Photogrammetry requires range data to work properly. This is often obtained through LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) – a relative of RaDAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) in which light pulses are measured to determine the distances between objects. For more information about aerial mapping, LiDAR and photogrammetry, follow the link.

About the author: 

The Author is a technology writer, whose blog posts are used on a number of internationally recognised technology home pages. In their own right, they attract an average of three quarters of a million unique visitors every day, and are often syndicated for appearance on the news pages of communications providers and email services.  

7 Unusual Ways To Improve Your Photography Skills

Welcome to this guest post by  Jose Barrera who is an avid photographer and a blogger. Who likes to share tips on how to improve your photography skills. He is also working for Inkjet-Photo-Paper.com, a website that sells photographic paper rolls and other photography printing needs. Here's Jose 7 most Unusual Ways To Improve Your Photography Skills.

Most people believe that having the ability to take good photographs is a talent; this is where they go wrong. Even though some people do indeed have this ability given to them naturally, a large number of photographers gain their skills through trials and errors. 
If you are among the group of people who claim to be lousy photographers, here is a list of seven weird ways to improve your photography skills.

1. Deleting old photos

I'm sure you are asking yourself, how deleting old photos that you do not need, will make you a better photographer? This is how. Once you get rid of your old photos, you will develop a need to replace the old photos by taking new ones, and in the process of acquiring new photos you will unknowingly be practicing and you know what they say practice makes perfect.

2. Limit your tools.

When leaving for a photo trip try to limit the tools that you will use occasionally. If you normally use like 6 lens, for example, try to carry 2. The shortage of working tools will force you to innovate ways of getting better photos. Truly, necessity is the mother of all inventions.

3. Switch on your camera white balance

When you take a photo in a dark room, it appears somewhat yellowish while it will appear to be bluish if it is taken in bright places. In order to fix this problem it is advisable to always adjust your cameras white balance so as you can get the best image.

4. Use photo-editing applications.

These applications make it much easier for a photographer to improve on the quality of the picture or photo. These applications make it easy to add some cool features on your photo, remove what you seem to be excess in your photo as well as add what you think would make your image more attractive.

5. Take your lens off

This is a cool camera trick that helps you create a macro lens. For this trick to work perfectly you will need to adhere to the following instructions;
- You first switch the camera to manual mode, as the camera will not take a picture in auto mode.
- The best focal length to use is 50mm for prime and for kit lens; you should use 18-55mm.
- Physically open the aperture with your hand. 

6. Use paper shaped bokeh

All you need to do is to cut a shape of your choice in the middle of black paper then place it in front of your lens to give your photo a beautiful back ground.

7. Take photos from all angles.

It is advisable to move around when taking photos. Feel free to move about, you never know a pose might look bad from one angle but look perfect from another angle.

There will always be new skills to help people improve their photography skills, as the art of photography will always evolve; it is up to you to keep yourself up to date with the trends.

Tips on becoming a professional wedding photographer

Tips on becoming a professional wedding photographer

If you’re into snapping pictures, then getting involved with the wedding photography business can be a great way to earn money from your passion.

But, in a trade that’s highly competitive, the need to edge your way into the forefront of the crowd is essential, and, if you want to be trusted with some of the happiest memories of a couple’s life together, you’ll have to prove your worth.

Get a photography degree

There’s little better way to vouch for your photographic knowledge than with a degree under your belt. The chance to study your art will give you a much better foothold in the realms of lighting, lenses, effects and focuses that will allow you to give a happy couple the wedding photos they deserve.

Not only this, but a photography degree will broaden the range of your visualskills to such an extent that you could potentially break into a number of realms in the visual medium, from nature photography to advertorial stills.

Work your way up

Working in such a competitive industry, it’s not unknown to have to do a few freebies before anyone will actually pay you for your work. Even with a degree, a client still wants to know that you can deliver the goods come their special day.

Try building up a varied portfolio of previous shoots before demanding pay.

Figure out an effective rate of pay

Once you've built up enough experience for a bride and groom to actually have confidence in paying you, the need to finally be able to cover your costs will be pressing.

Don’t just factor in the travel, food and time labour for the wedding day; also consider the time it will take to develop your photos and the cost of materials in the development process albums take time and money to create.

Don’t leave your guests waiting

One of the worst things you can be at a wedding is disorganised. Bear in mind that you’re at the happiest day of two people’s lives, which, chances are, has been meticulously set out like clockwork by a wedding planner, and no one will want to be kept waiting around as you fumble with your lenses.

Set aside specifictime for all the photos, and arrange this in advance with the bride and groom. Also, try to take posed photos of the couple at a time that isn't the day of the wedding, as this can be a time-consuming process that will inevitably disrupt the festivities.

As well as this, try not to schedule the group photographs after everyone has been drinking for a while. The last thing that people want from their photo album is a snap of Uncle Pete with his arm around the bride because he’s struggling to stand.

Get the right kit and know it inside-out

Knowing your lenses from your filters and your SLRs from your DSLRs is a must in the photography business.

Being able to exude confidence in your knowledge of lighting, framing and equipment will make a far greater impression on your potential employer than someone who simply seems like a keen amateur.

And, if you can purchase the right kit to match your confidence, you can ensure great photos, allowing you to build up an even wider folio and give a couple the happy memories they desire. 

How to choose the perfect wedding photographer

So you’ve just started planning your wedding day and you are now looking for the perfect wedding photographer. This can be daunting, where do you start? How do you start? And what should you look for?

Shortlist potential photographers

The first step is to create a shortlist of potential wedding photographers that you wish to contact. This can be done via Google and visiting different photographer’s websites. Once you have made a list its time to start contacting them and getting a feel for their personality.
Try to determine which photographer will meet your budget and needs. You should also consider how well they perform in different settings and environments. For example, if you’re getting married outdoors or in the countryside, it makes good sense to choose a photographer who is experienced at filming outdoors. Think about the tone that you want your wedding photos to convey. Would you like your photographs to be traditional or fun and light hearted?
After narrowing down your selection of photographers, make appointments to meet with them. During the interviews, ask them to show you examples of previous work that they have done. It is very likely that the photographer will have a couple of wedding albums available to show you.
Pay attention to the photographers personality, do they have the type of personality that will make people feel comfortable and happy?  You will be making special requests on your wedding day, so it’s important that your comfortable communicating with them.

Ask family and friends for recommendations

The best wedding photographers will have developed a successful reputation. They should be extremely easy to find. Start your search by asking for recommendations from friends and family who have recently held or been to weddings. Ask them if they liked the photographer, this will give you an idea of his/her personality and their ability to make you and your wedding guests feel comfortable.  Any good photographer will know that wedding photography is all about getting the most out of the bride, groom and the guests.
Your family and friends are the best people to ask because they will have your best interests at heart. Also, ask other professionals that are involved with your wedding day, it’s likely that they will have worked with wedding photographers in the past. Ask for recommendations from your florist, DJ, car driver or caterer. If other professionals are willing to stake their reputation on recommending a photographer, chances are that the person is very good.

Signing the contract and negotiating costs

There have been a number of horror stories when it comes to paying wedding photographers. Make sure that the contract provides a full outline of each service that you’re paying for and the time frame in which everything will be delivered. Try to get this sorted well in advance of your wedding day. The more clear the contract, the better it will be for everyone involved. The last thing you want is your photographer holding your wedding photos hostage until you pay his extra fees.
Contrary to what other people may have told you, pretty much everything is negotiable, including packages, price and various extras. Before you start negotiating with the photographer, it’s worth knowing exactly what level of service you require. It is also important to ensure that the photographer you booked is the photographer that you will get. Many large companies will promise you one photographer and then do a switch on your wedding day.

How to Photograph your Holiday Cottage in Cornwall?

I've got a wonderful guest post to share with all my photography fans from a wonderful Cornish graphic designer on Interior Photography.

"I have kindly been asked to share a post on photography, I'm a graphic designer with a keen interest in photography. One of the websites I was involved in designing recently was for a working farm near Port Isaac. They converted some of their barns into luxury holiday cottages.

When we are designing websites for our clients, like Rooke Cottages, we know it is all about good photography. I like the design to be minimal so the photographs can set the scene, and after all, Cornwall is just so beautiful! But it is a challenge when you need to capture an interior, especially in the low light levels of a Cornish cottage.

So, here are some tips when taking promotional shots of interiors:

1. Light

One of the best thing you can do is to show light and space. If you don't have any special equipment then try and catch evening sun. A warm glow can make a charming but dark Cornish cottage feel cosy and inviting.

2. Details

When showing an interior off to its best it can be a good idea to focus on a detail. With the holiday accommodation we wanted to hint at the lifestyle, creating moments of calm or suggestions to tempt. You can stage a scene or just just think how the room is going to be used.

3. Bringing the outside in

Every interior can be enhanced by some nature. Whether that is a bunch of flowers, or angling a shot to include an open door, or an open window hinting at the world beyond. It can really help with enlarging spaces too.

4. Composition

Of course this is crucial to all aspects of photography, but in a crowded interior I feel perhaps more so. Are there any structural details that can be enhanced, or consider a different angle, get low down or take an image framed through something."

Common sense really, but have a go and see if you can improve your interior shots. I’m Emma and you can see more of my posts at Design Debate All images copyright Rooke Cottages taken by Angela Spain

10 Wedding Reception Activity Ideas

Weddings at the moment seem to be all about the guests. You want your guests to have an amazing time so that your wedding is memorable. You will also enjoy your wedding more if your guests appear to be enjoying the celebrations and appreciating the wedding activities, food and entertainment you have arranged. It’s so hard to decide what to do for your wedding, especially if you want it to be unique. Here are 10 ideas for potential wedding receptions activities.

1. Secrets For Success Want to know what makes a happy marriage? Why not ask your guests for their stories and advice? You can get funny and interesting tips from the people who know you best. It’s also quite fun for guests and makes them feel included in the celebrations.

2. Guest Book Almost everyone has a guest book at their wedding. However, there are lots of different and quirky ways to present guest books. You can do things like getting guests to write on the back of polaroids or taking a picture with their note written on a chalkboard. Get creative and find a unique way of doing your guestbook.

3. Photo booth Photo booths are probably one of the most popular wedding activities this year. They have taken the wedding market by storm because of the unique and memorable experience they provide. Guests love to pose in the photo booth with items of fancy dress, and the pictures will get more interesting as the night goes on.

4. Cartoon Portraits Cartoon portraits are a good activity to have at a wedding. Artists can move around the table drawing people or set up a stand after dinner. Your guests can have a good laugh at their caricature and have something to take home with them and keep as a memory of your wedding.

5. Lawn Games If you are having an outdoor wedding and the weather is kind to you then lawn games and outdoor activities can go down really well. They get everyone involved and interacting and provide some fantastic photo opportunities. Some lawn games you can have at your wedding include giant jenga and croquet.

6. Icebreakers When everyone sits down for dinner and realises they don’t know everyone on the table things can get a bit awkward. Shy guests may find it hard to start conversation and break the ice. Place some games and ice breaker questions on the table so that your guests can get to know each other, and as the alcohol flows they will get on just fine.

7. Drinks Tasting Having alcohol samples and alcohol experts on hand can work very well at weddings. If you love wine then get people to do some wine tasting or if you prefer spirits then why not get guests involved in some cocktail making?

8. Live Music Some people prefer to play their own playlist from their ipod, others prefer a DJ to get people on the dance floor. However, live bands can really add something extra to your wedding. They create a completely different atmosphere that is likely to have everyone enjoying a dance and strutting their stuff.

9. Food Stall One thing lots of guests think about when they go to a wedding is food. Don’t leave your guests hungry in the evening, impress them with food stalls of exciting treats. You could do a sweetie stall or if you enjoy savoury food have a selection of cheeses or send waiters around with canapes. If your guests have a full belly at the end of the night they will be satisfied.

10. Memory Boards Weddings are a time to look to the future, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring up the past. Have an area dedicated to old photo’s and memories that you share with your guests. This will make them feel part of the wedding and everyone can enjoy looking back at some happy memories.


Kiri Novak works as an events planner in the wedding industry. He recommends Blue Steel Booths for any photo booth hire needs at http://www.blue-steel-booths.co.uk

10 Fun Ways to Showcase Your Photography

So you have a bunch of great looking pictures but now what? Do you let them sit on your computer, collecting virtual dust and completely hidden away from all potential appreciative eyes? No way! You need a unique way to show off your pictures that is as unique as your images.

Here are 10 fun ways to showcase your photography outside of having standard prints delivered and hung around the house.

1. Ceramic Mug: Your pictures will look extra slick wrapped around a dishwasher and microwave safe ceramic coffee mug. If you want to get really weird with it, try putting a picture of someone drinking coffee on this coffee mug from York Photo.

2. iPhone Case: More pictures are taken with smartphones than actual cameras these days. There’s even a decent chance you have smartphone pictures worth having printed! Why not protect your iPhone and show off your photography skills with a customized smartphone case? York Photo carries customizable smartphone cases for the iPhone 4, 4s and 5 and also the Galaxy S3.

3. Fleece Blanket: Wrapped up in your photography? Print one of your best pictures on a fleece blanket from SnapFish and you literally will be! The 50x60 fleece blanket makes a great gift for that person who loves getting cozy under the covers… anyone!

4. Doodle Frame Pillow: A 16x16 pillow from Shutterfly with one of your top-notch pictures printed on it helps create a mood for your living room. Throw a picture of the sky on there and you can rest your head on the clouds!

5. Mouse Pad: A personally customized mouse pad gives the office a little more personality and legitimizes your picture taking skills. Find mouse pads for only £5 at Shutterfly right now!

6. 110 Piece Puzzle: How can you turn your photography into fun? Order a personalized 110 piece puzzle from York Photo and have some fun putting one of your favourite pictures back together. The more elaborate the image, the more difficult the puzzle!

7. Deluxe Tote Bag: The deluxe tote bag from York Photo provides plenty of room to carry stuff but also to have a photograph printed on the outside. And if you decide to put a picture of you or your family on it, there is never any chance your bag will get mixed up with someone elses!

8. Calendar: Keep track of the days and remember where you have been with a personalized calendar from SnapFish. SnapFish is even offering free shipping on orders over £30, so it’s a good idea to get a few customized calendars printed!

9. Playing Cards: It’s all fun and games on poker night with a custom deck of playing cards from SnapFish. Pick a photo you love and have it printed on the back of a standard deck of playing cards and bring a whole new flavour to game night!

10. Photo Gallery Magnet: The sleek photo gallery magnet from Shutterfly is a homely addition to the fridge. The 4.5x5 magnet uniquely showcases your photography and costs only £4.50!

dBy Allison Preston. Allison is an avid sports fan and an experienced writer with a passion for deals and coupons and for saving her readers money. She currently writes for leading coupon and online promo code site bluepromocode.com based in Santa Monica, California. 

What Determines A Car’s Resale Value?

One of the main deciding factors on the car you’ll drive is the resale value. The only thing better than getting a fair price for your new vehicle is getting a fair price on it when you decide to sell it. If you’re a driver who likes getting a new car every two or three years, you’ll most definitely want to pay attention to the car’s resale value. But what factors determine how high or how low the resale value will be on your car?

Deciding Factors
The very first thing you’ll want to pay attention to when shopping for a Scion or any other type of vehicle is a proven history of low depreciation rates, or at least lower than a majority of other car models.
The part of the country you live in is something else that will determine how much you’ll be able to sell your car for. Look up popular vehicles in your area before you buy a new car so that you can determine how easy it will be to sell it later and how much you’ll most likely be able to sell it for. For example, if you live in Cornwall you’ll probably have a harder time selling your sports car and an easier time of selling a camper van. Cornwall residents will have a harder time of selling their two-seater convertibles.
Automobiles with all-wheel and four-wheel drives will be more valuable in areas like Cornwall and other areas that are known for their countryside location. You’ll also probably have an easier time of selling a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle in the winter than in the spring or summer. Timing is everything.
Pay attention to the color of a car while you’re shopping for a new one. Fad colors might look absolutely fabulous at the moment, but they might be all but undesirable in a few years when you’re ready to sell.

Upgrades
Before you go crazy with adding upgrades and extra options to your car, you’ll want to make sure they’re the ones that will add value to your vehicle rather than add to its depreciation. While you might be quite excited about the £1,000 you spend on your window-pulsing sound system, it might not fetch you very much extra money when you’re ready to take it off of your hands four or five years from now. Consider getting an automatic transmission instead of a manual one since automatic transmissions are the more popular option. Other options and upgrades that can add to your car’s resale value include CD changers, sunroofs and leather seating. Navigation systems are something else that you’ll want to leave out when you’re customizing your car as they won’t bring you much value when you’re ready to trade your car in or sell it.

Timing
Your timing will also play a part in how much your vehicle sells for. Don’t be too hasty and make sure that you check the used car market before you put out an ad. If the market is soft, you’ll want to wait at least six months before selling your vehicle when the demand will be higher. You’ll also want to take the current price of petrol into consideration. If petrol is high, wait until it’s lower before you sell or trade in your car.
The time of day you go to a dealership will also affect how much you can get for your trade in, so you’ll want to go when they aren’t busy and are more willing to bargain with you about the price. Think about going on Wednesday morning as opposed to Saturday afternoons when most people are off and have some free time on their hands to stop by the car dealership.  


Related Reading:
Edmunds.com Used Car Pricing Guide 
Scion Pure Pricing Model

Top Ten Cars to Look Out for in the Year 2022

When Jessica asked me to host a guest post by her on car's that will still be cool in 2022, I couldn't say no, especially as it featured the VW beetle in the list!

"Cars are a trend in technology and fashion as it were which cannot ever be extinct and this is as a result of the fact that cars provide you with the comfort that you deserve when you are someone who is always moving from one place to another most especially if such movements are work related. Car manufacturing companies churn out cars on a regular basis. It is on this note however that a look at some of the cars that can be trendy and fashionable by the year 2022 will be done through the help of this article.

Reasons why people buy cars:

There are many reasons that make people buy cars and some of such reasons are as follows:

a. To show off that they drive the latest car of a particular car manufacturing company;

b. Simply because of the love of the particular kind of car;

c. The aesthetic design of the car;

d. The last but not the least is as a result of its functionality and comfort ability.

Factors that were put into consideration before coming up with these cars:

It is to be stated here that the following reasons are a few of the factors that were put into consideration before the compilation of the list of the cars that can be used even till the year 2022:

i. Sturdiness: how strong a car is, is a very essential reason that was put into consideration especially when you are making up your mind on buying a car that can last you for at least a decade? The strength or sturdiness of the car will go a long way in helping you decide on which type of car to buy.

ii. Aesthetic Design: how a car looks should also be considered so that you can be sure of the fact that the car will still look great by the year 2012.

iii. Functionality: the functional ability of the car is also an added advantage when you are going for a car that will last you for the minimum of at least a decade.

iv. Comfort: how comfortable the car makes you feel when you are in it will also help you determine whether you will be able to make use of the car for a long term of at least a decade.

The List of Ten Cars that have been rated to still look great even till the year 2022:

The following are some of the cars that have been rated to still look great even up till the year 2022 which is at least about a decade:

1. Jeep Wrangler: this car is one of the cars that have been rated to still look great by the year 2022 and this is due to the comfort and functional abilities of the car.

2. Honda Civic: this is yet another great car that can be recommended to still look great even till the year 2022 and the major reason for this brand of car to be chosen is simply because it is a car that draws attention to its self and is therefore easily loved and noticed by people wherever you take it to.

3. Mercedes Benz G Class: this car will last and still look great in the year 2022 because it is especially designed for durability and it has the ability of functioning properly even when the terrain that the car is being driven on is rough.

4. Aston Martin Virage: the materials that were used to design this car makes it a durable car that will last till the year 2022 and still look the way it looks today and that is great.

5. McLaren MP4 -12C: this car will still be in vogue and still look great by the year 2022 because of the fact that it has been designed to function smoothly and properly on the race tracks.

6. Mini Cooper: this is a car that will look great by the next decade due to its ability to function properly at every point in time.

7. Chrysler 300: the fact that it was designed as a good combination of the Bentley and the Rolls Royce cars will make it last for at least a decade.

8. Volkswagen Beetle: this is a very sturdy car that was especially designed to be able to stand the test of time.

9. Dodge Challenger: this car is a very good car that is especially designed for the race tracks and this will still continue by the year 2022.

10. Rolls Royce Phantom: this is the last but not the least of the cars that will be mentioned here and the design of the car leaves one with no other conclusion than to state that it will last till the year 2022.

The above mentioned cars are cars that are sure to last for the next decade (till the year 2022). These cars will still look great despite the change in the trend of cars that are made and bought in the future."

Jessica Atlass is a mother of two and had previous experience working in Consumer Rights. She loves to blog about cars, finance and safety. Recently, she has published a guide on how to save money on car insurance in Cambridge, Ontario and Kitchener, Ontario.

Wedding favours for the Imaginative

Wedding favours might not be an essential part of the wedding and in fact some people nowadays don’t even know what they are because they have never experienced them at a wedding. However, when they are done the right way they can really contribute to the overall experience of the day and are a lovely way to thank the guests for attending and offering their best wishes to the happy couple. Nowadays people truly use their imagination when it comes to wedding favours so get your thinking cap on and find something suited to your joint personalities. 

Here is our list of 5 unusual and imaginative favour ideas.

It is very rare that you come across someone who doesn't like chocolate so a homemade box of chocolates is a wonderful gift idea. You can make a big batch of chocolates simply by melting chocolate and mixing it with marshmallows and nuts and then allowing it to set in little cases. Then add a few to each box and tie with a ribbon and a little name card. This is something that everyone can enjoy, although they might not last very long.

1. If your wedding is themed then you need something to tie in with that theme. For example, at an Alice in Wonderland wedding you might see a table filled with pots of different sweets and little labels saying ‘Eat Me’. Guests can then help themselves, adding sweets of their choice to little bags and nibbling on them throughout the night. This DIY idea is becoming more popular, allowing people to take as much or as little as they like and it is always a hit with children.
2. A novel idea that has started to catch on in recent years is to leave little bags of grow seeds in everyone’s places. They symbolise growing a positive future and will often feature a little saying on the bag, such as ‘grow a little love’. This would tie in nicely with a more homely wedding theme as it is a very rural idea.
3. A simple yet effective idea is the keyring gift. This could apply to numerous ideas and can be personalised by the couple to suit the occasion. Standard keyrings can be bought that have space for a small photo on the main piece. There are also silver keyrings that could be engraved or novelty keyrings featuring a joke or a toy. The idea is to give the guests something to take home and keep and this product is always popular with children who might need entertaining after a certain amount of time at the wedding.
4. Finally, a very popular, simple and cheap wedding favour idea is to buy personalised chocolates that are wrapped with a little message on each one. They usually feature a message of thanks for attending the wedding, but if you have the time you can personalise each message so that is special for that table or the individual guests, although this will cost much more.

To find suitable gifts all you really need to do is put a little time aside to work out how many you need to buy and what kind of budget you have. If you are low on time then buying something like the Alice in Wonderland sweet idea might be ideal as the guests do the work themselves which is a lot more favourable. Choose something that you would like to see at a wedding and something that makes you smile, I am sure you can think of numerous things. Hopefully it will have the same effect on the guests and it will be money well spent.

Chartering a Yacht for a Wedding Reception

Whether you’re a boating-crazy couple or simply want to do something a little bit different for your wedding reception, have you ever considered chartering a yacht? It’s a fantastic way to make your wedding stand out and to make it a day that people will talk about for years to come, and you can get some truly unique photos to add to your wedding album.

One of the most popular yacht chartering spots, the Solent, has lots of companies offering up yachts for corporate events, but why not take advantage of these well-equipped boats and use them for your wedding party instead? They are attractively decorated as they are used for business professionals, and it is possible to get catering, drinks services and music on board. You could transform the indoor event space into a dancefloor.

This is a particularly good idea if you have a smaller reception planned. This is a great way to get both families bonding, and any little ones invited will love helping out on the deck and learning all about the boat. You can get some spectacular shots of the family with a beautiful backdrop of the sea and the coastline for some really unusual mementoes of the big day.

You can set the yacht to travel along a route that means something to you as a couple, or simply follow a route with some particularly attractive stretches of coastline. Sun-drenched cliffs, twinkling city lights and majestic stretches of beach all make for some fantastic sights through the afternoon and well into the evening while you dance the night away on your own private yacht. And even better, you can make as much noise as you like without worrying about disturbing anyone else!

Remind your guests to wrap up warm and make sure that everyone has received a safety briefing before you set sail so that everyone knows what to do if there is a problem. Also make sure people watch what they drink or line their stomachs sufficiently to prevent any drunken accidents at sea.

Make sure someone has decorated the yacht beforehand to make it look a little more special. This might mean bunting, balloons and drapes, or you might want to carry the nautical theme inside with anchors, rubber rings and seagulls. You should be allowed to decorate the indoor space any way you want so that you can have a theme which reflects you as a couple and the nature of your big day for a truly unique wedding day.