Step1: First, you need to organize and review your digital photos if you haven’t done so already. You may find that by reviewing some of your old or forgotten photos, you find some hidden gems that belong in that new portfolio you are creating.

Step2: Next, you should think about the audience of your portfolio. Who is the portfolio meant to target? Are you trying to land a new client for a certain project, talk to a couple about wedding photography, get into Art or Photography School, land a job, or just show off your best work to nobody in particular? Its important you understand your audience before you begin creating your portfolio.

Step3: Now that you understand the intended audience, you can begin assembling your photographs. If the intended audience is job specific (such as a modeling shoot or wedding photography), it will be very clear what photos you should include. On the other hand, if its for a school application or gallery showing, you may want to assemble pictures that show your artistic range. Be sure to assemble at least twice as many pictures as you think you need, as you will want to eliminate some.

Step4: Since this is an online portfolio, feel free to assemble several. You can create one “general” portfolio that has your best shots from all types of work, then create several sub portfolios that focus on your specialties.

Step5: Now that you have identified potential images for your portfolio, you want to choose the best ones. More often than not, a shorter portfolio with 10 great images is better than a portfolio that goes on forever with 50 images. Again, the number of pictures to include is really based on the type of work, but from my experience, most clients will make a decision within the first 5 images, then just thumb through the rest looking for support for their decision. That’s just human nature.

Step6: Now, its time to go online. There are many online photo sharing services out there (seems like more every day), see the resources section for some of my recommendations. In my opinion, SmugMug is by far the best, especially if you want to look professional. You can replace the SmugMug header with your own, and even use your own domain name, plus upload unlimited pictures and sell prints for a profit if you choose. Zenfolio and Shutterfly Pro are also worth checking out too, but they don’t let you customize as much as SmugMug. Use a compairson site to see all the features if you aren’t sure which one to choose.

Step7: After you have uploaded your images to SmugMug, or a similar service, you need to decide on the layout. I wold highly recommend keeping the layout as simple as possible, so as not to distract from the quality of your pictures. Basic black, white, or gray backgrounds usually work best. The best part about using SmugMug is that you can go beyond the basic layouts choose from many elegant pre-defined themes, or you can even create your own layout and theme by using custom CSS code, its totally up to you.

Step8: Now that your portfolio is done, its time to Promote, Promote, Promote! Create some business cards or glossy postcards to hand out to potential customers (I like VistaPrint since they almost always have something on sale). The last time I had photos up at a local Starbucks, I left a stack of glossy post cards and received 3 print orders and got 1 new client in just 2 weeks. The integrated theme from my custom SmugMug site and the post cards created a real professional feel that was very cost effective.

Tips & Warnings

Consider “Watermarking” your photos with your website address or name, but don’t go overboard as these can be very distracting.

Make sure the settings on your new online portfolio only allow visitors to download a thumbnail sized image, as some sites will let visitors download a full sized original.

Check out this guide to learn how to Create Your Own Online Professional Photography Portfolio

To read more details about many photo sharing and printing sites, as well as get in-depth reviews of features and services that they offer, check out http://www.PhotoSharingReviews.com

Author: Aaron MacDaniel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Employers cut jobs in July for the seventh straight month, while the unemployment rate hit a four-year high, according to a government report released Friday.

This is not surprising at all. Locally I have seen way too many retail and fast food businesses going under. Part of this has been do to the rapid expansion in these areas and keeping them understaffed while overworking the few employees they maintain. Lack of insight into the human behavior, poor management and the general economic down turn has truly hampered many of these businesses. I expect the trend will continue.

The best example of how dense some of these companies are can be seen in my small 40k person town. Currently in a three mile radius There is a K-mart, Super Wal-mart, Target, and a Super Miejers. None of the stores show any outward signs of doing well, and I have inside information that both the superstores are losing money hand over fist. Despite those issues Target is planning a new superstore of their own right between the other two despite having just done a multi-million dollar remodel. If trends continue, the currently understaffed Target will add fifty percent more floor space yet not increase their staff. Any lay person can see this won’t work, but somewhere in the minds of mid level executives they obviously are too afraid of losing marketshares to understand you can’t build up when your base is a fragile house of cards.

If that wasn’t enough of an example of over reaching another local area will be getting three new McDonalds in a five mile radius. Inside that radius they already have two stand alone stores, and two more inside of Wal-Marts. Why might they think they need the extra stores? The reason is obvious to them, blot out your competetion. These new stores are all going in next to existing or new fast food restaurants. Maintaining market shares at the expense of profits and employee retention is short sighted and likely to result in the further economic of already depressed areas.

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To be perfectly fair, she actually can’t name any she disagrees with. That however does say a lot right there, since I can’t imagine how many times the Supreme Court has ruled against Bush recently on the the matter of presidential powers. Even if she couldn’t name them by name I would have thought she could have at the very least said that recent one that did this. Maybe a little honesty about blanking on the name was a little much to ask for from the GOP firecracker. Maybe if her energy was spent being being humble rather flashy she wouldn’t come off looking like such an idiot. Of course to be fair she might really be as dopey as she sounds.

How many of you can name more than Roe v Wade? if you graduated from high school you should at the very least know the following even if you don’t know the significance of the case.

Dred Scott v. Sandford
Brown v. Board of Education
Plessy v. Ferguson
Schenck v. United States
Miranda v. Arizona

Anyone who wants to be President of The United States or VP should at the very least know Korematsu vs. United States concerning the executive orders.

Last but not least you would have thought someone so strong in their pro-life stance would also be able to tell you about Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Stenberg v. Carhart, or Gonzales v. Carhart all of which deal with abortion. No, Sarah Palin couldn’t even tell you about these. She doesn’t have to be a legal scholar to be the vice president, but you most certainly should know about the cases important to any cause you claim to hold as dearly as she does pro-life. As it stands she doesn’t know enough to graduate from most high school government classes, and probably not even the eight grade or fifth grade levels of US history, yet she claims to be ready to be our Vice President.

Pop star Ashlee Simpson and her rocker hubby Pete Wentz had their baby Thursday night. Bronx Mowgli Simpson-Wentz weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and measured 20 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby were said to be doing well. Many are now speculating as to why on earth they gave the poor boy the name Bronx Mowgli.

Pushing Daisies fans, break out the tissues, your show has for all intents and purposes been canceled. ABC has not greenlit any additional shows for it and two other shows; Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money. Daisies wrapped production on its 13th episode last week, at which point series creator Bryan Fuller said he was holding out hope that high-ranking advocates for his show would work some magic. Didn’t happen. Fuller, though, has said that Ned and Chuck’s story, in such a situation, will continue on in comic-book form. I for one wonder if perhaps Fuller will return to Heroes and help out that show.

Stargate Atlantis star Jason Momoa was attacked on November 15. Dominic Bando, 21, who allegedly argued with the actor and hit him in the face with a pint glass, was charged today with assault with a deadly weapon, the Los Angles District Attorney’s Office confirms to E! News. The intergalactic actor required reconstructive surgery and 140 stitches when his face was shattered. This blogger wishes Momoa a swift recovery.

Costumes part of annual fun

By Amanda Wells
Special to The Clinton News

Melanie Thortis | The Clinton News

Five-year-old Ellie Scott and her sister, Emma Scott, 9, put on their best pirate face for the upcoming Halloween holiday. Ellie and Emma’s cousins will also dress as pirates this year for trick-or-treating fun.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

# Plan bright, reflective costumes. Make sure shoes fit and costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.

# Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility. Because a mask can limit or block eyesight, consider instead non-toxic and hypoallergenic makeup or a decorative hat.

# When shopping for costumes, wigs, and accessories, purchase only those with a label indicating they are flame resistant.

# Think twice before using simulated knives, guns, or swords. If you must, make sure they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury.

# Children and their escorts should use flashlights with fresh batteries. Plan ahead to use only battery-powered lanterns or chemical light sticks in place of candles in decorations and costumes.

# Review with your children the principle of “stop, drop and roll” should their clothes catch on fire.

# Eliminate tripping hazards on your porch and walkway. Check for flowerpots, low tree limbs, support wires or garden hoses that are hazardous to young children rushing from house to house.

Despite the tough economy, parents are still purchasing Halloween costumes for their little goblins or making them by hand.

That’s the finding of Angie Hicks, founder of the consumer awareness Web site www.angieslist.com.

She finds many people spend between $25-$50 on Halloween costumes.

At Party City on East County Line Road in Jackson, the economy hasn’t spooked off customers.

“Sales are really good. They’re comparable to last year,” said co-owner Alice Harrigill.

“You hear more people saying that it’s going to be one night of having a little bit of fun. They’re looking forward to it.”

Party City’s big sellers for kids: Characters such as Cody and Rex from Star Wars: The Clone Wars; Hannah Montana; and Sharpay from High School Musical.

“The adults like the couples’ costumes, like Fred and Wilma, or the funny ones, like ‘The Freshman 15,’ ” Harrigill said.

She’s had to reorder the Star Wars characters already. “Darth Vader is still a huge hit, too, with the young boys,” she said.

Prices start at $9.99 and go up from there, with the average price at about $19.99, Harrigill aid.

Heather Head said she enjoys making costumes for her children – Jake, 5, and Elizabeth, 3 – and saving money in the process.

“I enjoy being creative, and my kids love the outcome,” said the Byram mom. “I don’t sew, but I have found that you can do a lot with a cardboard box.”

Head credits her husband Keith with contributing imagination and energy in making sure the boxes will withhold the wear and tear of harvest carnivals and trick or treating.

“Last year, Elizabeth was Sally from the Cars movie and Jake was Underdog from the Disney movie,” Head said. “I fashioned an empty Pull-Ups box into Sally, which required a lot of cutting, taping and stapling.

“For Underdog, I bought red sweatpants and sweatshirt, cut out a ‘U’ in white felt, found some blue fabric for a cape and purchased a dog mask.”

Sarah Broadus of Clinton coordinates costumes for her two daughters, Madyson, 2, and Aubrie Kate, 7 months, to match those of their cousins.

This Halloween, the Broadus girls will be pirates. Madyson is fascinated with Dora the Explorer’s Pirate Adventure, Broadus said.

“Halloween has always been a fun holiday around our house,” she said. “Instead of walking the neighborhood this year, we are going to do a hayride with a pirate ship theme.”

Adults in the family join in the fun by dressing up, she said. “Madyson’s first year, we all went as a litter of kittens,” Broadus said.

“I added fur to her costume that year, but as for sewing, I usually leave that up to my mother-in-law.”

Broadus appreciates the once-a-year whimsy that Halloween offers.

“How many days of the year can you walk around as a pirate, princess, bottle of mustard or a pumpkin and not feel out of place?” she said.

Staff writer Ruth Ingram contributed to this article.