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Here’s one competition you may want to check out.

Click HERE to read about it!

The contest apparently has been held by Nikon since 1969 and this time round, their theme is ‘At the heart of the image’!

The past winning entries are mind-blowing!! Go and click on each of the image to read about the background of the shoot!

I LOVE looking at the winning shots and the emotions captured in each one! And I love how one captured moment can be so moving, so inspiring to those who see and interpret it!

Click HERE to see the grand prize winner’s shot of the 2006 - 2007 contest!

Vai’s chubby foot and toes.

Not too big. Not too small.
They’re just right.

Today I’d like to share with you this site, The Christian Post (Singapore).

The Christian Post Singapore (CPS) is a branch of The Christian Post - headquartered in Washington D.C. in the US, and the site offers international Christian-related news, events and reports as well as breaking news from Singapore, Southeast Asia and around the Asia Pacific region, with write-ups on several subjects too, like, Ministries, Books/Movies/Music, Education and Family/Youth.

They have a few guest columnists who contribute their thoughts and writings to the site, and I thank God for the opportunity to be their guest columnist for their Family/ Youth section, where I get to periodically contribute my family-related posts on their site too.

[My first editorial contribution featured was my post titled 'About our choice, willingness and enjoyment']

Anyway. It sure is a wonderful way of reaching out the mass and extending what I have already been sharing through this site.

Do drop by their site for some insightful write-ups.

This is one of the things that I keep in mind when I take photos.

Camera angle.

Different camera angles create different kinds of feeling in the final shots.

When taking photos of pets and little children, I’d usually get down to their level. And this means positioning either myself or just the camera at the subject’s eye level (though the subject may not be looking directly at the camera).

For example : click here and here to see some recently taken samples

I like this eye-level angle as I feel it gives a more personal feel, as compared to a photo where the subject (eg. a pet dog, or a toddler sitting on the floor) is looking up towards us and our camera.

Sometimes, I’d even go a bit lower and take photos from a really low angle, as if I’m a little ant looking up towards the subject. I’d usually take such an approach when I wish to put the subject against the sky, eg. the nice cloud patterns, or an especially clear blue sky.

Here are two examples:

First photo:
I took it while standing straight up. Although it does capture the ‘Daddy-and-kids’ moment - Wilson helping Anya with her balloon - the photo itself looks plain.

Second photo:
I squatted, positioned the camera close to the ground and tilted it upwards. This way, I managed to capture Wilson’s expression AND have the beautiful blue sky as the background! I feel this photo is more meaningful and dramatic.

…

There are no ’specific’ rules when it comes to camera angles I think, ie. no ‘only ONE angle’ works best.

And so do try out different angles the next time you go out and shoot, to see which camera angle delivers the kind of shot you like.

- Shoot from a low angle
Click to see a sample.

- Try out the ‘eye level’ angle
Click to see a sample.

- Stand tall and look down on the subject
Click to see a sample.

- Or perhaps, take photos behind a glass window.
Click to see a sample.

…

The options are limitless.

Happy experimenting!

Fight over who gets to sit where

Make silly faces

Shout a loud hello to everyone nearby

Tickle each other silly

Fight over a 3cm paper aeroplane made out of bus tickets

Laugh out loud over something which only the two of them understand

…

Sometimes Mommy is just glad the bus is rather empty.

I get people writing and asking, what kind of cameras do I use? And whether I can share photography tips and tricks on my site from time to time.

So far I hardly ever write anything on this topic because, I just feel I know so very little about ‘photography technicalities’.

I’ve never taken any formal photography classes. And while some people find the ‘technical’ aspects of photography really easy to remember, I’m somehow just bad with it. Stuff like manual settings and aperture. Such ‘technical knowledge’ somehow can’t stick in my head too well, and I seriously don’t know why. My husband finds it weird too that I can hardly remember / digest anything technical that he’s told me a few times before.

But. I love taking photos. Very much like a passion. I’m one of those people who treasure moments.

When friends get together, when kids laugh out loud and have fun, when babies are asleep and gently carried by their moms.

I shoot and I capture moments.

And I guess that explains why I mostly take photos with people I know in them. Or of things that have deeper meanings to it that I’d like to keep or I’d like to share with others later.

I enjoy looking at great photos taken by other people too. I find them refreshing!

And recently somehow I feel I should perhaps share something, every now and then, on photography with other people through my site. Like, the kinds of considerations or approach I tend to keep in mind when I take photos. Or perhaps, share a great photography site.

Anyway, I’ll post one real soon.

As much as I find it hard to believe, we’re coming toward the end of the year 2008! The end of Anya’s nursery school and the start of her long school holiday break!

AND, we’re coming towards Christmas time too.

In less than two weeks, my church - Reformed Evangelical Church - will have a special Christmas event for little kids, and everyone (from toddlers to Primary 6 kids) is invited!

There’ll be singing time, little puppets, story-telling and games, all delivered in ENGLISH by our Sunday School teachers!

Here’s more info:

WHEN : Saturday, 8 November 2008

WHERE : The Alexcier #03-11&12  (it’s along Alexandra Road, just 7 minutes walk from Redhill MRT Station)

AGE-APPRORIATE SESSIONS :
9.30am - 11.30am (for Primary 1 - Primary 6 kids)
12pm - 1pm (for toddlers and kindergarten kids)

Click HERE to see the brochure in larger print

In this day and age, everyone needs a message of love and hope, especially all the little children. Because when they themselves hear, experience and realise how valuable and special they are in the eyes of their Creator, they in turn will love themselves and others too. They’ll find a deeper meaning to their lives, to their existence. And how wonderful it is to have such an understanding of one’s greater purpose in life at such a young age.

I hope your little ones and yourself can make it to the event next Saturday, November 8th.

Vivo City is getting ready for Christmas again this year, setting up a giant tree on its third floor.

Yes, we’re near the end of yet another year.

…

How’s our 2008 been so far?
Filled with positive changes, grace and gratefulness, I hope.

And are we getting ourselves ready for ‘Christmas’ too?
The time of the year when the whole world is reminded of God’s great love for us through Christ.

We’ve seen advertisements everywhere around us.

Art classes. Chinese classes. How to be an ‘early reader’. Maths. Soccer. Swimming. Piano lessons. Violin. Ballet classes.

In many parts of the world, especially in Singapore - where it is common to see children as little as 8 months old are being sent to attend ‘classes’ - the issue of ‘extracurriculars for the kids’ (ie. what extra classes, how many should one attends, and from what age should one starts attending) tends to be far from simple and straightforward.

There are so many options these day. Too many perhaps. And we parents want the ‘best’ for our kids, don’t we?

So, what should we consider?

I come across this good article from Familyfun.com called “Overscheduled Kids” that I’d like to recommend today.

Please do take the time to read the whole article. It has lots of good insights and thoughts! Things that I believe would help us - at least a little bit - in working out how our kids’ schedules should probably be like.

Click HERE to read it.

…

Here are a few quotes from the article:

If you’re signing your child up for one enrichment activity after another because you believe an early start will secure a lifelong interest or give your child the competitive edge in high school sports or music, think again.

Notice what your children do when nothing’s scheduled. Do they wander off to entertain themselves with a game, hobby or project, or are they bored and restless? One result of too many scheduled activities is that some children don’t know how to manage themselves when there’s nothing planned

Please realize that kids, just like adults, need downtime–it’s called play. Children between the ages of two and seven incorporate new experiences into their minds through imaginative play. If your child is overscheduled with activities, when will he have time to absorb all that he’s experiencing?

…

Anyway, what’re your thoughts on this?