Archive for October, 2009

SoCal Vacation Destinations That Have Exciting Coasters

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 27 2009

There is no place better vacation destination than Southern California if you are a lover of thrill rides. In fact, two of the coolest theme parks for coaster enthusiasts can be found in the Los Angeles area. No, Disneyland is not one of them, although it (and its adjacent sister park Disney’s California Adventure) does offer some exciting action rides worthy of a visit.

The two parks that come to mind when speaking of roller coasters are Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm The SoCal Guru notes that these two destinations have focused directly on roller coasters and thrill rides to differentiate themselves from Disneyland.

You won’t find any place with more edgy thrill rides and coasters than Six Flags Magic Mountain. If you are visiting with folks who don’t care as much about thrill rides, you’ll still find plenty to do; check out the Southern California Vacation Guru for useful ideas.

The second Southern California theme park with a strong emphasis on roller coasters is Knott’s Berry Farm, although it too offers many activities such as Ghost Town. My daughter worked on the new Silver Bullet ride and she says that is one of several coasters that will really help you lose your dinner.

One place at Knott’s Berry Farm that you don’t want to miss is the World-famous Chicken Dinner Restaurant. For like 70 years or more this establishment has been delighting tens of thousands of diners with down-home cooking. You’ll find useful information, tips and recommendations for enjoying Knott’s Berry Farm at the SoCal Guru site. You can find out about nearby hotels, and also about the many other vacation opportunities in Southern California.

You can learn about the other Los Angeles-area theme parks, namely the Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. You’ll find some fun thrill rides at other parks, but they don’t stack up to what they offer at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I hope this is helpful if you love coasters!

Arranging Unique Cleaning Services

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 27 2009

In order to maintain cleanliness, it seems that more and more people are looking to the help of professional cleaning services. Using cleaning services can alleviate the workload by allowing you to have someone else take care of those tasks on a regular basis. When it comes to hiring a service, you always need to be wary of incompetence. This is similar to los angeles cleaning service. Trying to save a few dollars with “bargain” services is only a temporary shortcut.

Some of these cleaning companies may have already captured your attention. If this is your situation, select a company that is able to meet your cleaning needs. It is similar to cleaning service los angeles. For this reason, it is important to choose a professional cleaning service that has a solid reputation for being competent and thorough.

The first thing you must do is decide how much needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. Although it might sound good, it is not like cleaning service. Some areas will need only minor cleaning, while others will require a complete cleaning. Not only will you have to decide how thorough the cleaning will need to be, but you will also need to decide how frequently it should be cleaned.

Every professional cleaning service should be able to provide quick and reliable service. We know that these kinds of commercial cleaning services have a lot of services to offer their customers. A properly insured cleaning service is mandatory. Be sure to verify the cleaning service is fully insured before hiring.

This may seem a bit obvious, but skipping this step could prove to cost you a lot in the long run. Also make sure that the company uses industry standards for their cleaning methods and regular schedules, and carry their own cleaning equipment.

You will find that many cleaning services also offer supplemental services. A competent cleaning provider will always ensure that you receive proper services that are always satisfactory. In addition to being more enjoyable, a clean area is also better for your health.

Why People Collect Autographs For Fun

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 27 2009

Many people believe that a hobby make one’s life less stressful. That is why people have their various kinds of hobbies to set themselves free from the dull rhythm of their life.

The hobbies that they choose are intriguing for them like collecting sports heroes autographs like cricketer autographs, f1 autographs, and the likes. They are doing all they can to maintain their hobbies. They advance their hobbies by giving so much effort to be able to collect autographs from sporting personalities.

But then, these collectors don’t look for celebs anymore or scream and run after their favourite celebrities’ cars. They can now get them through the net. Their popular stars signature will not be seen only on photographs but in diverse items too.

You may get the autographed collection online. It may not be too easy for you to finish it all as there are 100′s of personal items autographed by sports stars.

For certain you won’t get tired and excitement would be a normal feeling when you get to see all the assortments that are for sale. You will find out so many items like the legendary  f1 autographs. There are t shirts and albums signed by your favourite movie thespian or singer. Books are typically signed by noted authors or those stars that portrayed the characters in the book. Photographs are mostly autographed by any celebrated star and are popular with music autograph collectors.

Individuals don’t pick out a pursuit that they don’t like. They are always set of all the affairs that are ahead. Zero expense will stop them from exercising it. Fun is what they look after. They would enjoy to go back to the years of their favourite sport star victory, from the most successful events that they have seen.

Those moments were like their moments too. The felicity that their sport hero has felt has made them a hundred times happier. That is why compiling these memorabilia is so essential for them.

 

The 2012 Olympics and Recycled Concrete

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 27 2009

Introduction

Mention the word demolition to almost anyone and the picture that instantly comes to mind is a vision of a building being blown up and collapsing to the ground. Many people have stated that they would love to push the button, to detonate the explosive devices which bring a disused building to the ground. In many cases what comes down, must go up and we are seeing many old buildings being demolished to make way for future development, often as part of a regeneration project.

For companies who over many years have built their business around the demolition of buildings, the demolition sector is now far more reaching than just demolishing old buildings. Once the building is demolished the huge task of site clearance begins and in a world where consideration of the environmental impacts are high on most peoples agenda, the material residues from demolition need to be separated for recycling purposes. This will include such materials as steel, wood, plastic, brickwork and concrete.

Most of the materials can be bulked up and shipped to the appropriate recycling plants for reprocessing. Materials such as bricks and concrete can be crushed and turned into a recycled concrete aggregate product ready for reuse in the construction of new roads or buildings. Increasingly though, through advances in technological development, residues such as concrete to be recycled have to meet a very high specification for reuse in construction projects.

Crushed into different sizes of recycled aggregate will determine the future usage potential of the product. Large sizes could be used as decorative rockery products in gardening whilst much finer, almost shingle like product can be used as a bedding for pipe laying or as a layer in road construction. With an increasing number of opportunities identified for the reuse of recycled aggregate, the entire demolition and construction industry is making a significant contribution to sustainable development.

Reasons Behind the Increased Focus on Recycling from Construction and Demolition Projects

In 1996, UK Government imposed a tax on all wastes going to landfill. The tax is paid on top of normal gate fees for waste being disposed in landfill and since its introduction the cost has increased on an annual basis. When first introduced, the standard rate of tax for general wastes going to landfill was £7 per tonne and £2 per tonne for inert materials. The tax is designed to encourage commercial and industrial businesses and local authorities collecting from households, to divert waste away from landfill for recycling. In April 2009, the standard rate of landfill tax increased to £40 per tonne and is scheduled to increase each year by £8 per tonne until 2013. The lower rate of tax charged upon any inert materials going to landfill such as concrete and soils, has remained relatively steady in recent years and is currently at £2.50 per tonne.

However, the weight factor alone of a bulk load of these inert materials going directly to landfill will ensure that the entire cost of disposal becomes very expensive and so even in the demolition and construction sector, diverting waste from landfill is a priority.

Some demolition contractors will offer cheap recycled stone at low prices to move it off their premises.

Next time you see a demolition project in progress or pass any construction site during a build programme, it is clear to see the volume of waste being generated. If waste is not in skips, piles of rubble will be stacked high. The placing of brick waste in skips has been a major problem for waste contractors for many years. Having worked in the waste industry, I have seen skip lorries tipped backwards with the cab of the vehicle up in the air, due to the sheer overloading of waste skips with construction site waste.

Each year, the UK generates around 330 million tonnes of waste and it is estimated that around 90 million tonnes of this is from construction and demolition wastes. This figure has remained fairly constant since 2001. Around two thirds of this waste is usually recycled or reused in land reclamation or agricultural improvement projects. Since the late 1990s there has been a steady rise in the volumes of construction waste being recycled and this has been helped with advances in technology which have led to improved crushing technology to create more widespread use of different specifications of recycled aggregates. There has been a real focus upon the UK construction industry to encourage greater recycling of waste on site.

In recent years, the construction industry as a whole has worked hard to encourage construction project managers to place a greater focus upon recycling on site. This has led to an increase in the recycling of all inert materials from site.

Prior to the introduction of the landfill tax all construction site waste including bricks and concrete would be bulked up and transferred to a landfill site for disposal. No consideration was given to recycling. There are now stringent regulations across the sector, coupled with an increase in environmental awareness, as well as the commercial benefits in ensuring that this type of waste is now recycled. There is also greater recognition of the vast array of opportunities to use recycled aggregates within the construction process on new construction projects or in areas such as landscaping or home and garden DIY. Following the demolition process, together the waste concrete, bricks, masonry etc will be transformed into a recycled concrete aggregate. Recycling of aggregates has become a common process for demolition contractors.

To recycle concrete aggregate to a high standard and resalable product, it must be entirely free of other contaminants such as wood, paper, card, steel and other general waste materials. The final product must also conform to the requirements of British Standard BS 8500. The process of recycling the concrete can usually be achieved in one of two ways. Some demolition contractors will install a crushing machine on the demolition site, whereas some contractors will prefer to transport the waste to be recycled, back to their own premises for separation for recycling or re-use. On projects where demolition and new construction is to take place at the same location, the contractor is very likely to locate a crushing machine on site to avoid incurring additional transportation costs in taking the material back to a sorting and crushing facility.

The expert demolition contractors in Nottingham can be found by searching the web.

The Increasing Demand for High Quality Recycled Aggregate

Before commencing the crushing process, it must be determined what the end product is to be used for to ensure that the recycled aggregate is to meet the required standards. There is huge requirement for recycled concrete aggregate to be used back in the construction process. As a product, recycled concrete aggregate can be used for almost any type of concrete structural work, road surfacing or pipe laying project. Having passed through the crusher the pieces of aggregate will be separated by size. Bigger pieces may be retained as a decorative product for use in garden rockery projects, or they may be passed back through the crusher to be crushed to a smaller size. The smaller pieces of recycled aggregate may be suitable for use as a gravel on new construction projects, road laying or driveways at home. The crushing machines are now capable of achieving good quality small aggregate grades such as the production of a 20-5mm gravel which can be bagged and used in the garden at home or purchased in bulk as part of projects involving new concrete production. The advances in technology mean that the recycling of aggregates for other uses such as a simple gravel product or for use in concrete products has greatly reduced the need to dig quarries to mine for gravel. Recycled aggregates have become a versatile reusable product and has eliminated the need for large volumes of a good material to be disposed of in landfill and therefore offer significant environmental benefits.

The demand for high quality crushed aggregate is increasing. There are key standards in place which are focused upon improving the recycled concrete aggregate industry. Through research and development, more widespread uses are being identified for the use of recycled aggregate. No longer is concrete, just concrete. What we are talking about now are many different grades of recycled aggregate, ranging from the large chunks of aggregate to very specific 6f2 recycled concrete which can be used as a sub-base material for construction jobs, or 20-5mm recycled aggregate, which is a gravel and can be used in road construction or at home on driveways. As well as being used as a mix for road construction, recycled aggregate is being used as bedding for pipe laying or foundation material prior to construction projects commencing. In achieving such good quality grades the 20-5mm recycled aggregate can be used as an aggregate base in road construction and the quality meets the standards required to allow its reuse in concrete production. The 20-5mm recycled aggregate is a very versatile product.

One of the important criteria when using recycled aggregate is selecting the right specification for the task. For example, when using 20-5mm coarse graded aggregate as a road base, the thickness of the layer required must be determined to withstand traffic flows. Traffic flow on a motorway will be significantly different to that of a country road. One reason aggregate produced to a 20-5mm specification is used as a road base is that it aids good drainage. Once the recycled aggregate is laid, appropriate layers of asphalt or concrete can be laid over it to create the road surface.

In recent years, in the UK we seem to have more rain than sunshine and therefore the selected aggregate must be able to withstand variances in temperature and conditions e.g. dampness for long periods, torrential downpours, long dry spells. With its good drainage qualities, the recycled 20-5mm product is the perfect choice for many sand and gravel applications including, pipe bedding, driveways and footpaths, landscaping, plus for use in ready mixed and precast concrete products.

There is stringent legislation in place to provide guidance on the safe asbestos removal from buildings.

Recycled Aggregates and the 2012 Olympics

In its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, London placed sustainability as the focal point of its bid. The bid team identified a major opportunity to increase awareness of climate change and the issues which surround it, and bring it to the World’s attention. With the eyes of the World watching, the Olympic Games present a unique opportunity to communicate key messages about sustainability. Throughout the entire development of the Olympic project, there is a commitment to make 2012 the most sustainable Olympic Games ever held. This focus began when planning the development and build programmes for the facilities and venues, the transport links and network, the hosting of the Games themselves and will end by leaving a long lasting legacy of a sustainable environment.

Since London was awarded the Games, all partners involved in the development requirements, from the construction of the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Village and transport links to the venues have been focused upon ensuring the use wherever possible of sustainable materials. Across the entire Olympic build programme architects have worked hard to identify suitable sustainable materials for use in the build programme. At the end of the overall project there will be some clearly visible examples of the use of sustainable products.

qually there will be many more much less visible and furthermore, many which will be not visible at all. One of those products which visitors to the games and its many venues will not even think about will be how recycled aggregates have been used as part of the overall construction project. But developers and specifiers of materials for use in the build programme will be comfortable in the knowledge that they have selected sustainable products including, the most appropriate recycled aggregates as part of the project. With its identified qualities, let’s hope that somewhere in the world wide TV coverage the 20-5mm recycled aggregate gets a mention somewhere, somehow. Imagine being asked to supply recycled aggregate which meets a very specific 20-5mm clean material specification, to help build the 2012 Olympic Village.

Conclusion

How times have changed in recent years for the demolition and construction industry. Companies have had to adapt to meet challenging environmental requirements. As with almost any industry, new regulations and legislation dictate the standards to which your business must aspire, if it is to be successful.

Businesses involved in the production of recycled concrete aggregate are no different. These are classed as processed materials and must conform to a particular product specification which can be used in the construction process. The standard BS8500-2 offers a full specification for the uses of recycled concrete aggregates in concrete, although with such a vast range of recycled aggregates an all encompassing specification for the use of these aggregates is yet to be determined. The most important thing is that the industry does not stand still and wait for the specifications to be finalised. The versatility of recycled aggregates means that demolition contractors operating crushing plants are seeking to identify markets through which to sell their recycled products. The advances in crusher technology and machinery has seen a big increase in the options now available in supplying large chunks of recycled aggregate for landscape gardening use in rockeries, down to a gravel type 20-5mm recycled aggregate with its good drainage qualities for use in road construction and driveways.

I’ve Got Some Suggestions For What To Give Relatives

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 26 2009

You can spend a lot of time and energy trying to think of good gifts for family members.  You might look for gifts that fall into an area of their interest such as a hobby.  Everybody has a different opinion as to how they prefer to spend their time.

One big way that people relax is with computer games like Roller Coaster Tycoon and The Sims.  There are thousands of titles to choose from.  The fact that there are so many choices is a good thing.  Choices are great, but the flip side is that it can boggle your mind sifting through the massive variety of computer game choices.

Travel gift vouchers represent another category of interesting gifts you might consider.  Many hotels, and some airlines and car rental companies sell these vouchers.  You do need to know that you are purchasing a gift that will actually be useful, so it might be worthwhile to look closely at gift cards from Travelocity.  If you choose the right gift voucher it will be a great choice for almost anyone on your list, including those graduating from school, getting married or retiring.

Our last gift category suggestion would be to keep your eyes out for freebies stuff for that special loved one.  Free discount cards, samples and promotional items can serve as a small gift if you are on a tight budget.  For example, students can spend some time looking online for free stuff to give a loved one, rather than spending cash they don’t have.  Finding free stuff as a gift is no different than conventional gift-giving, in that you want to take the time to know for sure the kind of items the person would like to receive.

Diet For Six Pack Abs: Five Helpful Tips

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 26 2009

Looking for more information on a diet for six pack abs? There is lots of information on the internet that tells you what you should not do when it comes to getting six pack abs, but what you really need to know is what you should be doing instead. Knowing what you should do is more of a help than knowing what you should not do. Why? Because it helps steer you in the right direction instead of leaving you wondering.

With that being said, here are five tips for the right diet for six pack abs:

1. More Is Less

You never thought you would hear that phrase accompany a diet did you? Well, when it comes to a diet for six pack abs more is definitely less. Instead of eating three meals a day, you should eat six. The more often you eat, the less you will consume. At the same time, you are boosting your metabolism and giving your body ample time to break down the foods because you are not eating as much.

2. Stick To Power Foods – Don’t Starve Yourself

Many diets focus on what you should not eat instead of telling you what you should eat. With a diet for six pack abs, you should include nuts, beans and legumes, green veggies, dairy, oatmeal, eggs, lean meats, berries, whey, whole grains, olive oil, and peanut butter. Smoothies are great for the abs diet because first it includes these power foods and second, you are satisfying your sweet tooth – which is the general cause of most diets failing, they try to eliminate sweets.

3. What You Drink Counts

Many diets focus on the foods as being your enemy. However, when it comes to a diet for six pack abs, it is most likely the drinks that is your enemy. Items such as high fat dairy products, juices that are high in sugar, sodas, and alcohol work against your abs diet. Instead, you want to include nutritious smoothies, milk that is low fat, and water into your diet.

4. So What, You Cheated

With a diet for six pack abs, you have to realize it is ok to cheat. In fact, many of these diets include times for cheating. You know it is bound to happen, so why not plan for it. It is ok to cheat once a week, your body will eventually not want to cheat and that is your goal. Your body will get used to the foods you are feeding it and perhaps, not even desire your cheat foods.

5. It Is Not Just A Diet

The best way to look at a diet for six pack abs is that it is not just a diet, it is a lifestyle change. It is eating healthier, feeling healthier, and looking great. Diets fail, lifestyle changes are forever.

The author of this article runs a cheap makeup brushes web site, which also offers products and information about wholesale makeup brushes and eye makeup brushes.

Removing Acne Scars

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 25 2009

Acne Scars develop if acne becomes infected and the skin repairs itself so that it remains healthy however leaves discoloured and / or pitted marks on the face, dear to treat.

many] over the counter ‘cures’ for acne scars ranging from creams to skin needling. The most [regularly which can (but not always) be affective but take quite a while for improvements to start to show as a huge percentage of these creams aren’t absorbed by the skin. Creams are, therefore, wasted and so are not economical.

Another gadget that can be bought to treat acne scars is the dermaroller. This is a roller for skin needling; you gently roll the derma-roller over the scarred area of skin which opens the pores of your top layer of skin (epidermis) causing it to believe that it is damaged activating the production of collagen and elastin which heals the skin over time.

Once the derma roller has been used the pores on the top layer of skin are enlarged for up to an hour making this the best time to put on creams as they are much better absorbed when the pores are open as opposed to when the pores are closed. This reduces the waste in creams and boosts the effectiveness of the derma roller.

There are more extreme methods to remove acne scars however these are all expensive and have to be carried out by professionals and then they’re not even guaranteed to work! These include; Micro dermabrasion, laser treatments, chemical peals and also skin needling can be done by a professional more vigorously using a longer needle size and numbing cream.

Visiting France Disregarding of Seasons

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 25 2009

France has always been a favourite destination. Just about everybody dreams of standing at the ground of the Eiffel Tower or at least have their footage taken with the Eiffel Tower on the background. There are lots of things you can do and places you can go to in France.

Summer is nearly here. Your kids will soon be crowding your home, running around, watching TV or bickering with each other. A summer holiday to France will look after all of these problems. You’re doubtless thinking that you cannot afford the airfare to France. Before worrying about expensive flights to France, you must consider the things you and your youngsters would enjoy in France.

France is excellent country to visit without reference to the season. However, during summer you can enjoy the French countryside, walking along the French coast, eat various French food and enjoy various other attractions the country has to offer. France is also one of the finest places that you may visit in the winter. It doesn’t matter what season it is, Paris always stays beautiful. The Eiffel Tower, the Seine river and the Notre Dame remain the best spots to visit in France.

Airline tickets to France are always inexpensive regardless of the season. However, the best costs are offered for flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you would like the best deals on airplane tickets to France, then plan on visiting during January, Feb, or March.

Try visiting also France vacation hotels to get more information about dirt cheap airline tickets to Europe. You also need to know how to pay your cheap airline tickets to France using your prepaid mastercard to avoid any troubles, so you’ll be able to savor your France vacation.

Similar to most places, the airfare costs are stiff during Mondays and especially in the weekends. Obvious, there are far more folk traveling to France during these days. Most of the time folk from surrounding states fly over to France during the weekend and return on Mondays. Always compare airplane tickets for massive cities in France before you make your purchase.

Cheap flights to France mean low season. Many of us travel to France during spring and autumn. Plan your visits during winter or summer. Besides, there are a lot of things that you can do in France with no regard for the season. The countryside breeze is the best in France during the summer season. So, plan an off-season vacation for you or your family.

You can also attempt to get your plane tickets from a tiny airline or any reduced cost airline to save even more money. There are many bigger airline firms also who offer discounted tickets in order to battle with less expensive prices. If you’re living somewhere in Europe, you’d definitely enjoy the numerous flights to France. You would have the posh of choosing from one cheap airfare to another.

The failing to flying to France on a low-cost carrier is that you’d land in smaller, though less congested, airports. Oftentimes, these airfields are found somewhere outside of the massive cities. In the end you’ll have to spend a bit more money to go to a city like Paris if you fly into smaller airports. But in the final analysis you’re still left with profit since the price to travel to giant cities from the airfield is a lot less than the airplane tickets in the major airports.

A Guide to Foreign Exchange Program

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 25 2009

forex loophole
Foreign Exchange trading software comes in abundant formats. Trading software can undertake anything from helping you make your own trading system to automatically assigning your trades for you.

Below we have an synopsis of several Forex trading software variants as well as their constituents:

Forex trading platform – A trading platform is the interface between you and your merchant. These softwares are obtained from the broker’s website for installation on the PC’s of their clients.

surefire trading challenge review
Once your account is created and funded you will be able to place trades right from your PC. Trading from any where that has an internet connection is perhaps one of the best things about Currency trading.

Forex system development software is engaged by some traders who wish to originate their own foreign exchange ideology of trading. Development software equips a trader to analyze their trading ideas by using historical data. Called back testing, this practice is extremely profitable to traders longing to determine how their ideas could have operated had they been employed in past scenarios.

FX robots– A Foreign Exchange robot already has a FX trading system pre-programmed inside of it. It is called a robot because it automatically initiates Forex signals for the trader without human interference.

If a robot is adjoined with a trading software that it is consistent with, it can automatically place trades. Thus conceiving the king of the hill in automating trading in the Currency market.

Bear in mind that before you venture to allow a Forex robot to trade for you automatically you should completely test and examine it in a demo account without placing any real money at risk. Once you are actually confident that it behaves as it should then you can have it trade in your live funded account.

FX system software can be approximated to a forex robot in the sense that Forex trade signals are formed automatically. The software can be used standalone and reproduces signals which the trader can then manually assign using their Forex trading platform.

5 emas forex
As you can see FX trading software can absolutely make life more convenient for the FX trader. But again, it must be iterated that the automated systems like the Forex system software as well as the Forex robots must be subject to close examination and survey evaluation earlier to procuring them. It is this form of trading software that can mean the difference between success and failure in Forex trading.

Notice: Currency trading is not risk free, may result in significant losses, and is not right for everyone.

Indoor Flash Photography Tips

Blog | Posted by Burt
Oct 25 2009

Over the years, you’ve probably seen plenty of indoor flash pictures that have a pitch black background and a washed-out, overexposed foreground. Many factors conspire to produce these stark, unflattering shots, but one of the major contributors is, once again, your camera thinking on its own. You’re letting it decide when to turn on the flash and which shutter speed to use.

First of all, you don’t always need the flash. Indoor photography offers many opportunities for stunning existing-light portraits and moody interior shots. And when you do have to turn on the flash, you can make certain adjustments to preserve the ambiance of the room so that your background doesn’t fall into a black hole.

Flash shots may have a pitch-black background for a couple of reasons. The first problem is that the light from a typical digital camera’s flash reaches only about 2 to 3 metres. Anything beyond this range, and you’ve got yourself an accidental ambient-light photo.

If your camera has a manual mode that allows you to dictate both the aperture (f stop) and shutter speed, you can easily overcome these problems.

Once in manual mode, try this combination as a starting point for flash photography indoors:

* Set your film speed to 100

* Set the aperture (f-stop) to f-5.6.

* Set the shutter speed to 1/15th of a second.

* Use the forced-flash mode. (Don’t use the red-eye reduction feature)

When you use these settings, hold the camera as steady as possible or better yet, use a tripod. At these slow shutter speeds, your shots are more vulnerable to camera shake, and therefore to blurriness. Your flash will help freeze everything in its range, but the background, not illuminated by the flash, may blur if the camera isn’t steady.

If your camera doesn’t have a manual mode, all is not lost. Almost every consumer model has a night time or stow-synchro mode (look for a “stars over a mountain” icon). The intention of this mode is to let you shoot portraits at twilight. But you can also use Nighttime mode indoors to open up the background. Granted, you don’t have as much control with this setting as you do with manual mode, but you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Browse our Australian photo library and have a look at our wide and interesting selection of Australian stock photos. We pride ourselves in quality iamges at affordable prices.