May 29, 2008

Picking visually appealing Photography frames

Photography frames are used to preserve and display your fine photography from humidity, acidity, environmental pollution and ultraviolet rays as well as plain dust. You can choose from ready made picture frames, or use available framing supplies to construct your own custom picture frames. The types of photography frames youll want to use will depend on several factors, including the value of your photos, how permanent the display will be, and environmental conditions in the display area.

Metal picture frames are an excellent choice for most purposes. These ready made picture frames are usually of very simple design, allowing the viewer to focus on the photograph instead of the elaborate frame. Metal picture frames are also usually less expensive than wooden ones.

Granted, when it comes to custom picture frames, wood does offer a certain warmth that matches a wide range of decor, and may be a better choice for those who feel that metal photography frames are somehow too sterile-looking. You can either build your own wooden photography frames from kits, or purchase ready made picture frames made from a variety of woods in several different finishes. One thing to remember is that wooden photography frames should be very simple in design so as not to detract from the artifact.

Also keep in mind that framing a photograph is a process that needs to be taken as seriously as the art of photography itself. If the framing process itself is not carried out with a certain amount of care and precision, the result can make even an award-winning photographic image look like a cheap department store poster. A serious investment in quality supplies for custom picture frames will go a long way toward making sure your phots look as good as possible.

There are other supplies you will need for your photography frames, even if the frame itself is prefabricated. Items and materials such as mount board, backing material, hinge tissue or photo corners and glazing are all necessary; the mount board will hold your photo rigid in place, while special photo mat board is used for the artifact itself. Paper hinges are used to affix the photo in place, and are much better for this purpose than most adhesives, which are messy and may destroy the photographic image. Lastly, the glazing is important in order to keep the image dust-free, and protect it from direct sunlight and the UV rays that can cause it to fade. Just remember that you need good quality photography frames in order to protect and display your photographic masterpiece properly.

About Author

Susan Slobac is an avid photographer. Susan believes a picture frame is more than just fashion; it’s a safeguard for something you love.

Source: ArticleTrader.com

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Words: Weak or Strong?

Choosing your words and how you say them will have an impact on:

• how others perceive you as a leader of change
• how persuasive and convincing your coaching is
• how much your team understands what youre trying to achieve

Clear communications will make the grade, ambiguous pronouncements will not. One leadership coach admitted that despite majoring in communications in university, her words alienated her from others and were not delivering the intended message.

Having the right credentials in change management but lacking the skills to engage others in meaningful dialog carries with it a risk of failure. To be effective means that team leaders must find the disconnect and fix it. Good change management relies on good communication skills. And good communication skills must be accompanied by an unshakeable sense of ethics.

Because organizational change is crucial, were more concerned with ethics because it is often lacking in the very same people people who are leading others towards change.

Ethics and Cultural Diversity

When we think of ethics in communications, our primary concern is a sensitivity to cultural diversity.

Much attention has been given to the role that effective communication plays in persuading, convincing, and winning people over. The media have clued us into what some advertising experts call power words or high impact words. But little attention is given to the recipients of our communications.

The United States is a massive cultural mosaic. It is no longer predominantly white or Anglo Saxon. Today, we see the country as clusters of Black Africans, Hispanics and Asian Americans. Have you ever worked in a company where everyone was white? We doubt it.

When you listen to team leaders speak, do you think theyre aware that their audience is culturally diverse, or do they assume that everyone in the team are wired the same way, raised in the same values and mores of American society?

John and Catherine Kikoski wrote Reflexive Communication in the Culturally Diverse Workplace (Praeger Publishers, 1999) wherein they highlighted the findings of Workforce 2000 about the changing demographic trends of white America. The Kikoskis said that very few Americans understand these demographic changes. When a Fortune company CEO attended one of their seminars, he said he was grateful for the knowledge the Kikoskis shared because it will guide him in his human resource strategy and will help his company prepare for a multicultural workforce.

What did this Fortune company CEO learn exactly? That managers must consider the law of thirds when it comes to the labor force: 1/3 white male, 1/3 white female and 1/3 minority (African Americans, Hispanics and Asians).

What does this law of thirds tell us? One, it tells us that by taking the law of thirds as an essential component of our implementation strategies, we need to face certain demographic realities. Two, it tells us that while there is great temptation to stereotype, it has no place in corporate or government life. Three, it tells us that before we speak to a mixed audience, we must think twice - even thrice - about what we say. And four, it tells us that more than anything, a heightened sensitivity to cultural values takes precedence over the changes were planning.

Thats a Cheap Shot!

Its appalling how careless communicating can undermine even the best of intentions.

For example, we have heard speakers blurt out comments like:

Okay, for those of you whose mother tongue is not English, dont be shy about raising your hand to indicate that you didnt understand a word

Note: a good speaker must assume that not everyone in the group was born and raised in English so it is up to him to make sure that everyone understands what hes saying.

When I was in China on a business trip, I noticed that the Chinese dont speak up. For the Chinese people present in this meeting, please do open your mouths, okay? I dont read minds.

Note: it is true that the Chinese will never criticize or openly express an opinion, but this need not be turned into a mockery.

In my last change management session, I found some Russian team members rather argumentative. I dont know if it was the vodka but I hope I wont experience the same thing here.

Note: the speaker was probably trying to be funny and to put everyone at ease, but to actually link Russians with vodka and a tendency to be argumentative reflects a weak sense of ethics.

Want change to happen smoothly? Communicate sensibly and sensitively!

About Author

Peter Peterka is the president of SixSigma.us. For information on six sigma training, six sigma black belt certification or six sigma green belt programs contact Peter Peterka.

Source: ArticleTrader.com

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Buying Property for Cheap with Miami Foreclosure Listings

With the housing market in a slump and property values still falling in many areas of the country, it can be a very difficult time to get involved in a real estate purchase. There’s no certainty that any purchase you make now will have the same value as time goes on, wince no one knows where the market is going to go. However, buying homes through Miami foreclosure listings can solve this problem and allow you to get great investment value upon purchase, since they allow you to buy for below market prices.

Most buyers are unfamiliar with Miami foreclosure listings. Since they’re sold by lenders through special auctions and sales, real estate agents don’t have a chance to profit off advertising them, so generally they are a bit more under the radar than open market properties. But, since they are sold as repossessions, the chance for savings is huge, as most properties found through Miami foreclosure listings end up going for anywhere between 10 and 50% off market value.

Buyers are having no trouble finding Miami foreclosure listings these days either, as the market for them has grown exponentially in the past few years. In the past year alone, the volume of Miami foreclosure listings has grown by 98%, and many of these properties are new developments. In terms of quality, selection and price, you won’t find a better market for foreclosures anywhere in the country than in Miami.

Whether you’re looking for apartments, houses or even commercial properties for businesses in South Florida, Miami foreclosure listings really are the way to go. One of the easiest way to find them is to use an online listings service, like ForeclosureListingsNationwide.com. This service can be especially helpful, since they also provide step by step instructions on buying, as well as tips on how to find and buy the best valued homes out there.

About Author

Philip Smith has been educating buyers on the finer points of Miami Foreclosure Listings purchase at ForeclosureListingsNationwide.com for over four years. Click here to visit and read more advice on buying discount real estate.

Source: ArticleTrader.com

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