XALA - A Review of the Film "Curse"

Xala: women representative of the generational transitions of Senegal

Xala  is a perfect illustration of the underdeveloped middle class and its staggering flaws. The film is an allegorical tale of corruption told with simplicity and is inundated with satire exposing the emerging neo-colonial bourgeoisie. The story is of an African businessman recently elected to the Chamber of Commerce in1960 during the initial onslaught of independence in Senegal.  El Hadji Abdou Kader Bèye has been inflicted with the xala on his wedding night with his third wife, Ngone. His impotence parallels the same cultural affliction emerging within Africa’s post-colonial and post-independence society of nouveaux riches, its peasants, beggars, and the unemployed. The pseudo-bourgeoisie is crippled by selfish motives to trade with Europeans and exploit local Africans. According to Frantz Fanon’s theory of post-coloniality:

Closing the road to the national bourgeoisie is, certainly, the means whereby the vicissitudes of newfound independence may be avoided… But it is also the only means toward progress. 

Instead of making productive investments in his community El Hadji exploits the local people while trying to imitate the foreign consumer culture. He is confronted with the problem of regaining his sexual potency to consummate his new marriage. This issue consumes the story as El Hadji neglects his business affairs and responsibilities as a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He hopelessly searches for a cure to the curse that has ruined his reputation and farcical idea of elitist success in Africa.  The result is his bankruptcy and the ultimate loss off all of his possessions including his wives.
The women of Xala are vital to the story. It is through the female characters that El Hadji’s power is given to him and taken away. They demonstrate the cultural alienation of the bourgeoisie and present alternative models of tradition and modernity. The women “function on both a ‘sociorealistic’ and symbolic level and can be viewed as integral characters whose structural and ideological facets not only reflect but are [as equally important as the male protagonist].”  Rama, Oumi, Awa , and N’Gone all become an inherent part of El Hadji’s ascent and decline economically, sexually, socially, and politically.  Polygamy no longer functions as a traditional structure that brings labor and communal kinship to the community. El Hadji’s second wife, Oumi N’doye helps to install the image of a ‘modern’ Westernized couple. N’Gone symbolizes economic affluence and satisfies El Hadji’s conceit. The first wife, Adja Awa Astou,  is representative of tradition, dignity, and devotion to Muslim principles. Whereas, Rama, their daughter, is a model of the future generation of Africa that will emancipate women from stifling patriarchal traditions.

Awa, El Hadji’s first and oldest wife, retains the essential elements and character of African tradition even though her surrounding environment is rapidly transforming at the expense of modernity. She is docile, yet firm and is seemingly accepting of her role as a faithful and supportive wife in a polygamous situation. When Rama, her daughter, tries to convince her to divorce El Hadji Awa responds in a calm manner saying, “We must be patient in the face of adversity.  You think I’d find a husband. I’ll be a third or fourth wife.” Awa compromises displaying an aggressive character  towards El Hadji’s actions for emotional security and financial support in a patriarchal Islamic society. She stands by her husband in his professional and financial ruin. Awa exhibits passive resistance when relating to Oumi, the second wife. When asked to come inside of Oumi’s house, she refuses  in the name of the marital laws that place submissive restraints on her actions.  She explicitly reminds El Hadji saying, “Do you forget I’m your first? Go and say hello for me.” In a later scene Awa demonstrates solidarity with her co-wife. When Oumi is complaining about the third wife, N’Gone, Awa bestows words of wisdom about the situation. She tells Oumi with cynical humor: “Patience does not kill. If so, I would be dead.”  Once Oumi leaves the wedding Awa openly invites her to her home reminding her that she is the elder in the relationship.

Awa is a representation of Africa in its most unadulterated essence. Though she is rigidly traditional, she is a model for all Senegalese women. She personifies loyalty, patience, dignity, and poise. The African woman is the strength of the family; she is an advisor during times of struggle, in charge of educating the future generations, and a pillar of compliment and support to her husband.  Awa predominately speaks to El Hadji in Wolof , thus retaining the essence of cultural pride. She is also the refuge El Hadji seeks in his state of impotence after he is deserted by his community and three wives.
Oumi, the second wife, is a strikingly different type of woman compared to Awa.

This contrast is explored in the wedding scene where Awa is wearing a traditional African dress and Oumi is shown in a modish wig and a revealing black European style dress. She is a materialistic character and is overtly aggressive when she relates to El Hadji. She believes that due to her youth and sophistication she has the right to say and do whatever she feels.  When El Hadji visits Oumi to take her to the wedding she speaks in French and refers to Awa as an “old dried up fish” as she demands money from El Hadji: “Since you’re spending, I will too! This is not enough, hand it over.” In a later scene she unremittingly reminds El Hadji of his sexual duties in the marriage: “It is my turn. I want you at the house tonight. You know I am always ready.” Oumi arrogantly implies that she will uphold her duties as a wife as long as El Hadji continues to perform his financial and sexual duties when asked. She remains faithful to El Hadji until she realizes his downfall is inevitable.

At this point she decides to depart with the children and all of her belongings to another place far away from such a despicable man. Oumi is the archetypal seductive and disparaging mistress. Her character does not support El Hadji in any productive ways and she is the stereotypical representation of a woman who is foolishly attracted to the hallucinations of Western consumer society and negative post-colonial thought patterns.  Sembene uses Oumi as an example of the caricature that emerges from cupidity, shallowness, denial of culture, and the disillusioned eagerness to follow Western and foreign mores. Oumi is not a successful symbol of the strong progressive African woman. Her character is paralleled with that of El Hadji because her existence is counterproductive to post-colonial African cultural and economic success. 

N’Gone, El Hadji’s third wife illustrates his materialistically motivated greed. “A long panoramic shot of the endless parade of gifts displayed by El-Hadji as her dowry stresses the corrupted patterns of such a tradition. N’Gone is merely traded and exhibited to El Hadji’s middle-aged friends and colleagues.”  He uses N’Gone as his bragging trophy to the Chamber of Commerce by emphasizing her “virginal value.” He tells the counsel men: “My first wife was a virgin and so was my second.”  Accordingly, the brides’ mother teaches her about her duties of a subservient wife. She stresses: “Man is the master, you must always be available. Don’t raise your voice. Be submissive.”  N’Gone does not have an active role in the film; she is merely El Hadji’s “femme objet.”  The poster of N’Gone with her back exposed, located in the bedroom directly “presents the graphic correlation between the businessman’s sexual and economic impotence.”  After several failed attempts to “deflower” his new wife, El Hadji seeks the help of the marabout (herbal healer) only to discover that he has the xala.  His sexual impotence with his new wife portends his symbolic dis-function as a member of the corrupt neo-colonial bourgeoisie. El Hadji’s superficial economic pursuits and greed for elite status backfires into something much greater than sexual disfunction. His lack of cultural, spiritual, economic, and political wisdom causes his entire existence to become impotent and useless in African society.

Rama is a revolutionary and positive source of resistance to her father’s perpetuation of the corrupt bourgeoisie and the French Colonial presence in Senegal. Rama wears a short Afro hairstyle and alternates between modern clothing and her traditional Senegalese boubou. She rides a moped around her town, rejecting unnecessary luxuries of Western society such as her father’s Mercedes. She only uses aspects of Western culture that can directly serve her educational and technological needs.  She consistently speaks in Wolof when her father speaks in French and denies his promotion of foreign products such as French mineral water. She confronts her father in a responsible and mature manner when expressing her vehement enmity towards the traditions of polygamy and stifling post-colonial thought. During a conversation with her mother and father, she expresses that “men are all dirty dogs and every polygamous man is a liar.” As a result, Rama is slapped by El Hadji, but her spirit remains unbroken. “Xala’s evocation of this [issue] allows Sembene to highlight the suffering that [traditional] marriages cause to women and to denounce men’s egotistical motivations for taking several wives.”  El Hadji’s violent response to Rama’s statement is a confirmation of his unrealistic ways of perpetuating and understanding the patriarchal order influenced by the male/religious-instigated system of polygamy.

Rama is the only woman in Xala who is liberated from having to participate in a sexual relationship in exchange for economic support. She is well educated and she is a positive icon for hope in Senegal created by a balance of traditional and modern values. Rama is the single character who has succeeded in assimilating her African principles and European culture into a progressive way of life. Her advocacy of her mother and father’s divorce is symbolic of her mother’s separation from a draining relationship as well as Senegal’s annulment from paternalistic neo-colonial rule. She refuses financial help from her father and expresses that she is more concerned about her mother whom her father has neglected.  Rama demonstrates a synthesis of her mother’s wisdom and dignity and she embodies a universal view of the future, reborn Africa. Her character is indicative of a society that will create a synthesized language and culture indigenous to and reflective of the richness of African ethos while simultaneously emancipating women from patriarchal traditions.  Rama’s function in the film is penetrating and reveals significant issues of the new Africa dealing with progressive post-colonial and post-independence development.

Sembene’s female protagonists are archetypical and play imperative roles in his sociopolitical dialectics. The women in this film do not represent all types of Senegalese women, however they are symbols for the evolution of Africa. Awa represents the traditional culture and history of a transforming continent. Oumi is symbolic of a transitional Africa that places too much value on Western goods and ideology and thus she must “pack up” metaphorically to make room for the new Africa epitomized by Rama. She is the essence of a balanced conglomeration of modern and traditional values, synthesized to bring about the economic, educational, political, cultural, and social emancipation of the oppressed African. Senegal cannot develop with out the emancipation of its women. Sembene implies that Africa’s true growth will come from adopting the fecundity and nurturing qualities of the African woman.  Xala differs from Black Girl because the women of the contemporary generations use their agency to reject and combat the forces of post-coloniality that cause them to feel repressed and captivated.  Diouana chose to passively eliminate her troubles whereas the women in this film are predominately active in catalyzing change.  Xala is an evolution from Sembene’s dialectical messages in Black Girl. The female is the link between generations and she is the “genitrix” of a new Africa. “El Hadji is impotent because he has misused the fecundity of Africa/woman to assert his social and male ascendancy.”  His greed and neo-colonial ignorance overshadows his agency to change his situation and righteously serve his community as one of the first African members of the Chamber of Commerce.

The last scene of Xala is important because both the traditional and the modern, politically committed African women observe El Hadji’s rebirth as the beggars spit on his corruption, greed, and westernized illusion of success.  He is crowned by one of the beggars with the white flower crown worn by his third wife at the wedding. The crown symbolizes the preserved virginity of the woman he was unable to deflower.  It is also representative of the fertile, pure, virginal quality of Africa that will be restored through the elimination of the stagnating middle class bourgeoisie.  The women are the only dignified characters still standing in support of El Hadji in the end of the story, indicating that the fate of the community now lies in the fate of its grandmothers, mothers, and daughters.

A Look at Some Helpful Photography Websites With Beginner Photography Tips and Advice For Pros

When I was in high school I found my moms old Nikon camera. I always wanted to get into photography but didn't know anything about it. So I got a job at a photo lab and took that camera with me everywhere. I'd bring the film into work the next day to see what I had learned and how the photos turned out. When prom time came around a bunch of my friends wanted me to do their prom pictures. So I borrowed a nicer camera from a friend and charged my friends to shoot their prom pictures. I made enough money to buy my first camera. After that it was a start of a dream

Since then I have done paintball photography for a world wide magazine, been a sports photographer, wedding photographer, school photographer, child photographer, and every kind of photographer in between. These are a list of sites I used when I first started out that I found to be invaluable.


www.photographytips.com
Great site that is some what member based. You can look around most of the site for free but if you want to access everything there is to see you can sign up online for only $5.00 a month. There are great articles on subjects from composition, to light, to how to use your flash. There are also some great galleries so that you can learn by example. Every page is filled with helpful information and numerous pictures that help explain the topic of the article.

www.photosecrets.com
This site may not be graphicly pleasing but it covers its bases. The tips are divided up into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The beginner section covers topics like what kind of camera and film you should buy as well as how to take better pictures of people. he intermediate section talks about quipment, hot to tackle more complicated subjects, and travel photography. The advanced section is more about selling photos, more details about film, and the use of filters. The only thing I Don't like is there are no photos on any of the pages. I think a photography site should have pictures!

www.kodak.com
As one would expect this site covers everything that is photography. This site is easily to scroll through and has a wide variety of topics. Learn the best way to photograph your baby, take better vacation pictures, or photograph your pet. The site also covers topics like printing pictures, sharing pictures, and getting started in digital. The photographs on the site are great and offer some step by step examples of topics discussed in the articles. There are also interactive demos on different subjects that are worth checking out. You can even research information on
film and digital cameras.

www.photonhead.com
This site offers a great tool for the photographer who wants a better understanding of shutter speeds and f-stops. This is the hardest concept to grasp when starting out=t in photography. I know, Ive been there. No matter how many times its explained you just Don't quite get it. This site offers a tool where you can set shutter speeds ad and f-stops in any combination and see what the effect would be. You have a sample photo to your left and to your right you can see what it would look like with your f-stop and shutter speed combo. This is a great tool that helps you learn about f-stops, shutter speed, focal length, and depth of field.

www.betterphoto.com
This site offers online photography course for the photographer who wants to become a professional. The online classes are rated for skill level of the photographer. Classes usually include weekly assignments and have the course instructor personally look over your work. Course range from the business of photography to how to use photoshop and many other topics. Classes vary in price. A 8week class could be between $200-$400. If your aren't happy with your course by the third assignment there is a money back guarantee.

www.scphoto.com
This is one of the best sites I can recommend for young photographers who need direction. This site was created by a high school photography teacher. Its is a free lesson plan that offers homework for photographer. The best thing it offers is assignments on different areas of photography. There are assignments for learning magazine photography,lighting, concepts, and much much more. There are list of words and terminology you should new. Its basically a free high school photography class. I went through the whole lesson plan when I was teaching my self photography and highly recommend it.

Photosecrets.com


Photographytips.com


Kodak.com


Photonhead.com


Betterphoto.com

Art and Religion

here

Art is an important element of a society’s ability to translate its religious belief to its members and to the world. Religion uses verbal arts, music, and pictorial arts in order to preserve its traditions and messages.

Verbal arts, such as myths, are used to explain why a religion has certain beliefs. These beliefs often stem from religious theories of creation and existence. Other verbal arts used to maintain religious timelines and storylines are legends. Legends are stories told and passed down as true accounts of what happened. (Haviland, 2002, pp.394-399). They are intended to support the greatness of a group’s heroes or god. In Ancient Greek society legends about heroes such as Hercules, were told to reflect the strengths and weaknesses of mortals.

Music is also a very important element of religious systems. It is used to unite and identify its members. Music is a very important element in African American religious groups and has developed into a unique style, gospel. The incorporation of traditional African rhythms and harmonies, helped unite this group of people in the south during times of slavery, and gave them a unifying force and power. Gospel was used further to transmit information long distances in the fields, and thus again it was being used as a unifying and communication system. Lyrics in songs also could be used as a way for religions in non-literate cultures to preserve oral histories and mythologies. (Haviland, 2002, pp. 403-406).

Pictorial arts are used as physical representations of religious themes and accounts. Religious art takes on many forms and styles, and reflect the ideologies and mythologies of a society. (Haviland, 2002, pp.406-414). Christian art is based on stories told from the Bible, usually depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, his resurrection, or the Madonna. However pre-Christian symbolism has also been incorporated into these types of paintings that preserve European religious beliefs that pre-date Christianity. These pagan symbols, however, are applied to Christian mythologies. Islamic art, unlike Christian art, does not use figurative themes based on people or animals. This is because portraying humans and animals is seen as a form of idolatry. Therefore they developed a style of art that had an abstract and geometric motif. Words from the Qu’ran are deemed sacred and very important to calligraphy was developed as a beautiful art and used to transmit religious ideologies.

References

Haviland, William A. (2002). Cultural Anthropology. (10th ed.). Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers.

Lee, Valerie L., and Searles, Richard T. (2002). Study Guide for the Telecourse Faces of Culture. (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Learning Baby Sign Language

celtics baby clothes

Babies learn language in a progressive way. First, they learn to distinguish sounds from each other, and notice familiar syllables and patterns. They also have a sense for tone, which conveys emotion. They see facial expressions and begin to assign them meaning, as well.

For example, a rather high-pitched repetition of their name with a smile can be recognized early on by very young infants. Babies learn to understand language before they have the ability to articulate the words themselves. They can learn to follow simple directions, recognize key words like "more," and "no", as well as "eat" and their names as young as 4-5 months of age.

The key to helping the baby to bridge the gap between being able to understand and being able to communicate needs, wants, and even what they are thinking and feeling. There is a way to do this. It's called "Baby Signs." Baby signs are a helpful tool which reinforce a baby's language development. They are something that can help with parenting, and decrease a baby's frustration (not to mention the parents')!

The way baby signs works is that you take a simple word that you say often, such as "more" or "eat" and attach a simple gesture to the word. Maybe it would be pointing to your mouth. Just do the gesture whenever you say the word. Speak directly to the baby, talk just the way you do normally - usually enthusiastically and with great eye contact and some repetition, and do the gesture too. If you start doing this when the baby is 6-7 months old, chances are that when he is 8-10 months old, he will be using the gestures himself to communicate the idea to you.

The earlier babies learn that gestures can be used to communicate as well as words, the earlier the baby can develop language connections is his brain. These connections give him a head start into the world of communication, and will lead to speech as soon as he is able. 

In the meantime, the baby sign gestures will allow you and your baby to communicate with each other before the baby can talk. Use of these baby signs will greatly reduce the frustration of not knowing what the baby wants.

Baby signing is a great technique for parenting and language development in babies of a very young age.

10 Great Tips to Make Any DIY Winter Wedding Photography Successful!

Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes

This winter many couples are choosing do it yourself wedding photography in an attempt to save money. Wedding photography is tricky because if not done right there will be no good documentation of the special day. My dad does wedding photography as an amateur hobby; wedding photography is not skill less, but can be done easily with practice by almost any amateur photographer. This article will take a look at 10 tips to make DIY winter wedding photography successful; however keep in mind DIY wedding photography takes copious amounts of editing after the ceremony.

1. Camera

Taking wedding photographs should be done with the right camera, not a regular point and shoot camera. I recommend using the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, it takes high quality pictures and is relatively easy to use. This camera can be found at www.buy.com for $569.95, but you should check to see if anyone in the wedding party can provide this camera or a similar model to save on money.

2. Flash

Relying on the built in pop up flash in any camera is a recipe for failure; you will want to use an external flash for low lighting pictures, such as a church or an evening reception. Winter conditions outside will not require a flash due to the reflection of the snow, but it can be used if done right; however inside you will want a powerful flash. I cannot give a recommendation because certain flashes work for different cameras; therefore the flash will be determined by your digital camera choice. www.ritzcamera.com has a good variety of flashes, lenses, and cameras.

3. Lenses

Unfortunately DIY picture taking is not cheap and requires the proper zoom lenses for great photos from anywhere in the room. Buying any secondary lenses is not necessary, but they will make the pictures better. www.ritzcamera.com has a good selection of lenses; it is where I purchased mine.

4. Go Digital

The hardest part of DIY wedding photography is getting professional looking shots. Going digital allows for touchups on the pictures after they are taken so that they come out perfect. Going digital also saves on prints since all the photos can be saved on a flash drive or a CD.

5. Choose an artistic guest for the job

Capturing the right moment is what photography is all about; having a guest that is willing to take pictures who has an artistic eye is the best way to get quality shots. Do not expect a gift from the photographer as it takes hours of work to take and edit great shots.

6. Be aware of lighting conditions

Winter is the hardest time of the year to take photographs outside due to the reflective nature of snow and the brightness of the sun. Be creative on the angles of your photographs; many high end cameras also show the contrast ratio on the photos taken, look at the contrast to make sure the photos are coming out correctly.

7. Be aware of where the sun is

Do not shoot towards the sun or objects that are in the sun, it can cause shadows and some funky looking pictures. Just be aware of the sun and preview one or two pictures before taking more.

8. Capture photos with the theme

If your theme is a winter wonderland then capture that theme in the photos! Try to include shots of the bridal party and newlyweds in the natural theme of the wedding; also try to include guests in the same theme. Be creative with the shots, you may have to shoot at different angles to get the desired results.

9. Use the flash

Even in snowy conditions you should experiment with the flash for better pictures, the bright the background the more the object you are photographing will stand out. This may not always be the case; therefore you should check the pictures being taken to make sure they are coming out professionally.

10. Edit, Edit, Edit

No DIY photography is complete up completion of the ceremony! There are countless hours of editing that must be taken on to get professional looking results. If you do not have the proper computer skills try to find a guest that would be willing to help edit in exchange for their wedding present.

This site has some extra DIY tips that can help during a winter wedding; I did not cover many these tips, so it may be a good read: http://www.squidoo.com/weddingphotographyguide

Sources:

www.ritzcamera.com

http://www.squidoo.com/weddingphotographyguide, DIY Winter Wedding Photography

Amazing Secrets of Underwater Photography

photo source

Do you like underwater photography? Do you want to know how it is done and what are the different things you should look out for when taking underwater pictures? Then you have come to the right place to learn what really underwater photography is. We all know that underwater photography can be a great fun and enjoyment activity and it can be more enjoyable experience for you if you really know all the nitty-gritty about underwater photography.

If you want to take beautiful underwater pictures then most importantly you should have a powerful digital camera which can work underwater without any hassles. Because it is not like that you go underwater and immediately start taking pictures. Rather you have to take care of many things when taking pictures in the deep water. If you do not take enough care then your pictures can become blurred and quality can be compromised. You should always look out for the direction of the sunlight underwater as sunlight travels differently in the deep water which affects the picture quality. You have to adjust your camera angle properly with the direction of the sunlight when you are underwater.

Then there is the impurity in the ocean water like mud and dirt which can really affect the picture quality underwater. This dirt can make the water so impure that you can not see properly in the deep water. But this happens most of the times only in the lakes and rivers. But many of the oceans are so clear and pure that you can see longer distance without any problems and your pictures most of the times comes as a quality product.

Many people who try underwater photography; takes their own friend's and families pictures and this can be more entertaining and really memorable experience for the family members to cheer for long time. But one of the most important factor every underwater photographer should remember is that the underwater currents and their effects. It is the most unpredictable factor which really affects our picture quality when you are underwater. When you are underwater it is extremely difficult for everybody to stand still in the same pose. And with the dynamic nature of underwater currents it becomes more difficult to give the still pose for the photo. So you should always keep in mind the direction of the underwater currents while taking pictures.

With the advancement of different types of digital cameras it will become easier in the future for us to take underwater pictures and really enjoy the experience of underwater photography.

Photography Tips and Tricks

credit,photo source

Photography isn't just about making memories, it's about art. Be artistic. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make those photos, picture perfect.

To make those dull photos turn into works of art, consider these questions:
Decide if you want the full subject, half, or even a close up. How much background do you want, or even foreground? Exactly how close do you want that close up? What details do you want to focus on? Do you want a vertical, horizontal, or tilted photograph? What angle do you want? What's the best lighting? What background do you want to use?

1. Placing the subject of interest. Choose how much of the subject you want photographed. (Example: you want full body, half body, or face shot.) If your subject fills the frame then it's okay to center it. If you are trying to get more of the background, try placing your subject to the right or left in the viewfinder. With a horizontal (laying down), try to place them at the top for more foreground, or at the bottom for more background. And you could even tilt the camera for a more funky picture. It all depends on what part of the scenery you want visible in the picture. Maybe you want that tree to your left and your subject to the right. Or the patch of flowers in front and the mountains in back. (I find it best to take my time and take shots of each possible way and several different poses. This way I know I'll find the best photograph with the most potential.)

2. Don't center. The circle, plus sign, or brackets in the middle of your viewfinder is for focusing and isn't necessarily for centering the subject. Placing your subject in t he circle could leave you with a lot of empty and useless space on your photograph. Too much background and not enough subject. If your subject fills the frame then it is okay to center them. (Sometimes you just have to ignore the focus points and concentrate on your subjects placement in the frame instead.)

3. Camera angles. Walk around the subject, shoot from all angles and sides. This will help you to get the best lighting, background, and different aspects of the subject. You will want to find the best angle for all three. Pick a background that will not distract your viewers from the subject of interest. (I choose my backgrounds to where there's not much clutter. Sometimes I will use a plain sheet or blanket and place it behind the subject, but making sure it does not clash or blend.)

4. Reflectors. In some situations you just can't get enough light or you perhaps you just want more. To use a light reflector, place it in a position where it reflects light onto the subject without it getting in the frame. Use this if your shot is coming out too dark or there are too many shadows. On night shots that you need more than your flash can put out, place a lamp (or several) near your subject, but out of sight, and use the light reflectors to bounce from the lamps to where needed. (Some homemade light reflectors can be real cheap to make. You could use white cardboard, or if you can't find this, then simply take any piece and paint it white. For more light, place tin foil over your piece of cardboard, smooth it out, and reflect where needed.)

5. Shading. Using the same piece of cardboard as mentioned above, you can use this to block the light as well. You could make this easier by painting one side white and the other black. Or just place the piece in front of the lamp or sun to dismiss light from your subject. On most cameras you can use a sunshade for the lens, some cameras come with this, some you buy separate. This won't keep light from your subject, but it will block the light from causing a flare effect on the outcome of your photograph. The sunshade just clicks into place around your lens, and keeps the lens safe from any glaring.

6. Outside daylight. Direct sunlight is when you place the sun behind the camera, but in front of the subject. Using direct sunlight can cause shadows on the subjects face and possibly their eyes squinting. Back light is when the sun is behind the subject and in front of the camera. This will lighten the photo and cause much softer features on the subject.

7. Preventing red eye. Red eye is caused when the flash is too close to the lens. Ways to prevent this are: Attach a larger flash to your camera, t his way the flash is further from the lens. Or if buying a camera, look for one with the flash located far from the lens. Try getting closer to your subject when needing the flash. (Before I bought my camera with built in red eye correction, I had to use a photo editing program to correct these problems. I was even scanning my pictures and still having to edit when I was using my film camera that was hopeless against red eye.)