Tips For Taking Photographs In The Snow

By: Tom Myers
      Bundle of Paws Photography, LLC
      Photographer

Whew New Jersey! Depending where you are, you’re able to see anywhere from 14″- 33″ of snow outside your window right now. What to do? Well, how about getting out and making some pictures! Before you plunge headlong into the nearest snowdrift, check out a few of our tips for making the most of your time with your camera in the snow:

1. Bundle up and stay safe.

This is first and foremost. If you are not dressed appropriately at best the whole experience will be uncomfortable, at worst, dangerous. Frostbite sets in quickly, especially on wet fingers and toes. Be mindful of where you walk – overhanging snow and ice can come down at any time. Tell somewhere where you’ll be and when you expect to be home.

2. Protect your camera.

You’ll likely be carrying a camera worth a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars – do what you can to protect it from the elements. Keep your lens cap on until ready to shoot. Try to avoid blowing on the lens….the warm breath you generate can form a thin layer of ice or condensation (you did bring your microfiber cloth to wipe it, right?).


3. Manage image exposure.

Without getting into a deep technical discussion regarding camera exposure – trust us when we tell you your camera’s sensor always looks to find a neutral 18% grey in your image. So when you’re out shooting those brilliant white landscapes….your camera will likely dull the actual capture to approximate a grey. Who wants grey snow? NOT US! If you are comfortable shooting in Aperture Mode on your camera, and/or dialing up +1 stop of exposure compensation on your camera to help the whites stay white, you’ll likely be much happier with the result.


4. Preserve your work.

When you’re done and headed back to the car or to home. Pull your memory card out of the camera and pop the camera into a ziploc bag and seal it. This way any condensation that will be formed when the camera begins to warm up will form on the ziploc bag, and not ON, or most importantly, IN, your camera with it’s sensitive electronics.

Tips for an Effective PowerPoint Presentation

By: David Schuchman
      Princeton Technology Advisors, LLC
      Innovative Solutions for Your Growing Business

Making an effective PowerPoint presentation is an acquired skill, and one that can help you succeed in your career. It's important to make sure you know what is necessary to deliver a good PowerPoint presentation before you step in front of a room filled with an expectant audience. Otherwise, whatever important information you present will likely be lost on your listeners.

Write a Script

A little planning goes a long way. Since the point of your slides is to illustrate and expand upon what you are going to say to your audience, you should first plan what you intend to say. Then, figure out how to visualize and present it in PowerPoint.

No Paragraphs
Your slides are the illustrations for your presentation, not the presentation itself. They should underline and reinforce what you are saying as you give your presentation. Save the paragraphs of text for your script.

One Point at a Time
Plan your presentation so just one new point is displayed at any given moment. What should be on the screen is the thing you are talking about. Your audience will almost instantly read each slide as soon as it’s displayed. If you immediately display the next four points you plan to make, the audience will be three steps ahead of you waiting for you to catch up rather than listening with interest to the point you are making.

Avoid clutter
A headline, a few bullet points, and maybe an image. Anything more than that and you risk losing your audience as they work to sort out the information on the slide.

Ask Questions of Your Audience
Engage in a little Q&A with your audience. Questions arouse interest, pique curiosity, and involve audiences. Build tension or anticipation by posing a question and letting your audience think a moment before moving to the next slide with the answer.

With a little preparation and attentiveness to the needs of your audience, you will effectively deliver the important information from your next PowerPoint presentation.