Lennox Honychurch, historian of Dominica, told me his story of experiencing the worst storm ever to strike his island. He described the steep uphill battle that Dominica is still facing three months later, after the most damaging Caribbean hurricane season on record. Even to begin a rebuilding process will take years, and in the meantime, the world’s spotlight moves on.
To the Editors: In his review of William Taubman’s biography of Mikhail Gorbachev, Strobe Talbott also comments on two subsequent rulers of Russia: Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin, like the last leader of the Soviet Union, writes Talbott, “was loath to use force or risk instability as the world’s largest territorial state dismantled itself,” whereas Putin pursued a “scorched-earth strategy in subduing Chechen secessionists.” Yet it was Yeltsin in late 1994 who first chose force to crush Chechnya’s separatist movement, by launching a devastating war that entailed massive indiscriminate bombing of the capital city Grozny and smaller Chechen towns.
Do you really know how to apologize?
In some cases, saying sorry isn’t enough. Instead of smoothing things over and making the situation better, it just leads to an even bigger explosion and mess. Often, we just put our hands on our hair and wonder why the other person doesn’t seem to appreciate what we’re doing.
Why do other people always have to see what you’re saying in the worst light?
Well, it might not be their fault.
It’s possible that your apology isn’t coming over as sincere or as well-meaning as you intend it to be. That’s because many of us make mistakes when we apologize. We say and do things that don’t help what we’re doing.
For that reason, here’s a helpful guide on how to apologize.
In Game of Thrones, they compared everything before the word ‘but’ to horse manure. Well, that’s true, particularly when you’re apologizing.
If you say “I’m sorry, but it’s your fault, too”, then what your audience will hear isn’t the “I’m sorry” but the “it’s your fault” instead.
The best advice when you apologize is to focus on actually apologizing and leave the quibbling for later. If you’re finding it hard, just remember this: Apologies wouldn’t mean much if they were easy.
Do you know what the norm of reciprocity is?
It’s the one where we do unto others what they have done unto us.
For example, if you go to somebody’s house and he gave you a bottle of wine, you should do the same. If someone sent you a postcard or messaged you on your birthday, then you should do the same thing.
Often, if you want an apology to run smoothly, you should apply the same idea.
You apologize and the other person returns the apology. If you don’t do that, then things can easily get out of hand. The person who apologized first will feel that he put himself out there only to be ignored.
Apologies only work if you mean them. Often, people will say ‘I’m sorry’ and then insist that it’s not really their fault.
That’s not an apology. That’s just saying ‘I’m sorry’ before complaining.
Focus on being sincere and taking responsibility for your actions. Later on, when you’ve repaired the breach in your relationship, you’ll have time to deal with the unfairness of the world.
Yes, it’s you that’s apologizing. All the same, that doesn’t mean it’s all about you.
To apologize effectively, you need to not just accept responsibility for what you’ve done, but also take the other person’s feelings into account.
Things like ‘I can only imagine how this makes you feel’ or ‘I understand that this wasn’t nice for you’ will demonstrate that you’re considering the other person’s feelings. It will show that you’re capable of showing empathy which can really help soothe the other person’s anger.
Rushing through the apology and not leaving enough time for the other person to decide if the apology has satisfied him creates a bigger problem. He can end up feeling like he’s been cheated, leading to all sorts of resentment.
So, how to apologize?
Say ‘I’m sorry’ and then give the other person enough time to respond. Practice active listening and pay close attention to what he’s going to say.
When you do this, you’ll be able to understand and respond to the actual issues you’re dealing with. It will encourage the other person to accept your apology and see it as sincere.
See Also: 5 Ways to Say Sorry
Apologizing is a fact of life. We all screw up. Nobody is perfect. Heck, sometimes it is even a good idea to apologize when we’ve done nothing wrong.
For example, a very useful apology when you’ve done nothing wrong but the other person is still angry is to say ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’. This shows empathy and can help mollify another person’s anger. It puts you closer to fixing a problem and moving on from it.
The post 5 Common Mistakes When Apologizing appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
You won’t see much snow at Merced National Wildlife Refuge in California, but you can see a whole lot of snow geese. The refuge’s wetlands attract large numbers of migratory birds throughout the winter. Living in large groups, they watch out for each other as they forage for stems, grains and berries. Sunset photo by Joanne Freemire (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
The tax legislation that was just rammed through Congress makes it quite clear that Donald Trump’s first year in the White House has been much more damaging to the nation than that of any other president in modern times. Before this bill, it might have been possible, though wrong, to argue that as president, Trump had brought to his office more sound and fury than action. No more.
Photography is a fantastic hobby. For some people, it’s a lifelong profession. It gives people the chance to create works of art, capture precious moments, and make lasting impressions of our world.
If you are looking at taking up photography as a hobby or have already purchased a DSLR camera, you may find the process of getting started a bit daunting. After all, photography isn’t just about “pointing and clicking”.
To help you get started, here are 7 really helpful tips for amateur photographers.
This might seem like a really basic tip, but you’ll be surprised to find a lot of photographers overlooking this critical point. A DSLR camera or any advanced camera is usually heavy and bulky. There is a wrong way and a right way to hold it.
Here’s how:
Most importantly, ensure that you are comfortable!
Light is one of the most important factors to consider when taking a photo. A digital camera has a sensor. This sensor is exposed to light when the shutter button is pressed and makes an imprint to create the photo. If too much light hits the sensor, the photo will be over-exposed. Alternatively, if not enough light hits the sensor, the photo will be under-exposed.
Underexposed, normally exposed and overexposed photo
Note: Sometimes, photos with different exposures are taken on purpose for HDR photos
Try to look at the light balance in a photo and consider manually changing the exposure. If there are any predominantly light areas, lower the exposure. Conversely, if there are any darker areas, consider increasing the exposure. If you cannot get your exposure levels right, you can always alter them using a post-processing software.
Light also creates depth and can turn a plain photo into something special. Keep in mind that natural sunlight can provide beautiful highlights and add definition to objects. On the flip side, a lack of light can create haunting silhouettes and interesting shadows. Make sure to use light to your advantage!
As mentioned above, DSLR cameras have a plethora of buttons, features, and settings. Before you even start taking photos, it is advisable to have an extensive play with your camera. Read the manual, test out the buttons, and try manually altering the focus.
You should also dissect your camera menus. Find out how to change your image settings, how to format your memory card, and how to switch between single and multi-shot.
It is also advisable to be fully aware of how each part of your camera works.
Where does the battery pack go and how does it slot in? Where does the memory card slot in? How do you swap camera lenses or attach a flash device?
As the saying goes, knowledge is power!
Flash in photography can be truly frustrating. Most new photographers will simply use their flash to take low light photos and wonder why the results are poor.
It is important to remember these simple pointers:
To create clear and sharp photos, you must understand how to focus on an object or a particular part of an image. A DSLR will usually have a series of focus points on the viewfinder, which is usually small white squares.
If you half-press the shutter button, some of the focus points will turn green. Those green points are where your camera is focused on. Depending on the aperture, it’s what will appear “in-focus” in the photo.
Note: Blurred photos can also be taken on purpose – for example, to create bokeh effect
Most DSLR cameras have an auto and manual focus feature. To manually focus your camera, you usually have to twist part of the lens. As you twist it, the focus will move forward or backward. Take time to test both the manual and auto focus features and get accustomed to how they work.
Image composition can turn an OK photo into something spectacular. There are several rules and pointers to remember when composing your photo. For example, there is the rule of thirds.
This means that if you are shooting an object, it should be positioned in the left or right third of your photo horizontally and the top or bottom third vertically.
Another rule says to consider making use of leading lines. Look for any sort of flow or lines within your photo that directs your eye towards a particular area or object. Make use of leading lines to naturally draw attention to parts of your photo and to make it easy to follow. For example, leading lines can be found on the sidewalk or pavement of a road leading off into the distance.
Roads are one of the most obvious examples
Many beginners believe that once you have taken a photo, that is it. You can’t do anything to fix or improve it.
However, in today’s modern world, we have plenty of post-processing programs, such as Photoshop, Luminar, or GIMP, which allow users to edit their photos and improve their quality ten-fold.
You can change the white balance and exposure and also improve color saturation. You can also re-position photos that were mistakenly taken at an angle. In short, you can use a post-processing software to salvage photos you felt were unusable and add that finishing touch to your work.
We hope you have found these tips for amateur photographers both insightful and interesting. Photography is a fun hobby and once you understand the basics, the quality of your work should improve!
The post 7 Tips For Amateur Photographers You Need To Know appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned professional, understanding how to price your services or products can be a daunting task for any creative professional. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes freelancers make is underselling themselves because they either don’t take into consideration all the proper factors or underestimate the value their experience brings.
Recently, we tackled art commissions and best practices for ensuring they run smoothly, which touched on pricing to a degree. Here, we’ll go further in depth about the steps you can take to set your prices and make sure they are on target for your market. Photographers, designers, and makers all need to have a good grasp on pricing if they want to create a successful, long-term career. And while we won’t discuss fine art pricing, which is a separate argument, The Value of Art is a great book to begin understanding the contemporary art market.
Here are some considerations to help you better understand how to price your creative services or goods in order to stay competitive, but keep your business running successfully.
This is a common dilemma for anyone offering creative services. While a flat rate can seem like a straightforward, easy way to go, if not considered carefully it can have some downsides. There can be such a wide range of needs within any given service, that you might find yourself setting a low price to get people in the door, and then spending considerably more time than you’d like on the given project.
So, while a doing well-priced flyer designs, for example, might be a good way to get your graphic design business off the ground, you may find yourself pouring too many hours into a project that, when broken down hourly, pays peanuts. Conversely, setting a high flat rate squeezes out a lot of potential clients who simply can’t afford the large number. If their projects are actually straightforward, from a time standpoint, you could be missing out on easy money. So, if you go the flat rate route, make sure you take into consideration these different aspects to come to a happy medium that you—and your clients—will be pleased with.
There are a large number of factors when thinking about pricing, and the amount of time you are physically performing the task at hand is only one thing to consider. Aside from expenses, one of the first questions you want to ask yourself is, “How much do I want to earn in a year?” and “How many hours a week do I want to work in order to achieve that goal?” And, of course, you’ll want to make sure you get paid for all the intangibles of a business that aren’t directly connected to a specific project, whether that be hours spent doing market research or time brainstorming new creative concepts for your brand.
If this all sound daunting, there are a number of online calculators that will take you through the process, step-by-step. BeeWits and the NPPA have comprehensive hourly rate calculators for any freelance business, while Sprouting Photographer has a number of rate calculators specifically for photographers.
Maybe you aren’t selling a creative service, but rather producing artistically crafted items to sell, whether that be online or in person. There are different considerations when thinking about products aside from production hours, but you will still want to factor things like the costs of marketing or research for your new line. And some of the issues you’ll face are different, including whether or not you want to wholesale items and transaction fees or commissions from services like PayPal or Etsy. Remember, most artisans have a markup of at least 50% in order to account for eventual ventures in wholesaling and to have enough of a profit margin to be able to reinvest in the business.
Craftsybase has a simple and efficient calculator for pricing out Etsy products, while Creative Hive Co has a comprehensive guide to pricing handmade goods, as well as a free downloadable calculator for setting prices.
Of course, calculators are great for crunching numbers, but as any successful entrepreneur will tell you, math is only part of the story. One of the most important reasons to find your artistic niche is that once you know who your customer is, you’ll be able to think about what they can realistically afford.
This will require you to do some market research to discover if the pricing you are calculating is competitive in the marketplace or is completely out of synch. Sometimes this will be based on location. If you are a wedding photographer, there will be a particular radius you work in, and doing research to find out what other photographers in the area are charging will be key. Of course, when comparing your prices to others, also think about what makes your work comprable—or not. Maybe you have more years of experience or have had your work exhibited by important institutions. These are all reasons to justify a higher rate. Conversely, if you are just starting out and looking to cultivate a client base to grow your business, pricing competitively will help you do so until you have enough experience to raise your rates.
If you are selling goods online, a quick search for comparable items on Etsy and Amazon will help you see if you are under or overpricing yourself. It’s also helpful to look at Google Adwords and the search volume for the type of item you are selling. If a lot of people are searching for the product, that’s good news for you—thought you’ll want to think about what makes your work unique in order to market it successfully. But if the volume is very low and you aren’t able to find many comparable items online or locally, you’ll want to think about whether or not there is a market for what you want to sell.
Remember, selling—whether it’s a service or a physical item—is all about supply and demand. If you have a market for your work, but your clients can’t afford what you are selling, you’ll need to get creative in thinking about how to get them what they want without compromising your business. This may mean creatively sourcing less expensive materials or starting out part time until you can grow enough to support yourself fully.
5 Alternative Art Careers to Stay Creative and Move Beyond the Studio
7 Tips to Help Make Your Next Creative Project Go Viral
5 Factors to Keep in Mind When Marketing Your Creativity
5 Ideas for Creative Side Hustles You Can Start Today
The post Creative Career Advice: Knowing Your Market and Setting Prices appeared first on My Modern Met.
Sig Nordal 