#super happy with the range of background options; and how well they match with the girlies

[inafieldofdaisies]

OC Picrew | Tagged by @rosenfey

Featured: Deputy Sabrina Donovan / Mercedes “Mercy” Sibley Oakley Moore / Eloise “Lou” Morello

Tagging, @socially-awkward-skeleton @strafethesesinners @strangefable @hollywood-is-bleeding @cassietrn

@lilywatt @shellibisshe @aceghosts @wrathfulrook @josephslittledeputy

@josephseedismyfather @trench-rot @killyourrdarlingss @katsigian

@voidika @g0dspeeed @purplehairsecretlair @imogenkol @simonxriley

@derelictheretic @cloudofbutterflies92 @carlosoliveiraa @neonshrike @elligatorrex

@mkdecimation @theelderhazelnut @finding-comfort-in-rain

@direwombat @la-grosse-patate @roofgeese and anyone that would like to do the tag <3

[sunflowerstache]

Hi! So your writing is super good and I was wondering if you could write something for me? When you have time of course! So I was thinking about how Harry has said that he isn't attractive, that sometimes you can tell when a person is using you (and other times you can't). I think he's really insecure and has been used a lot. Probably cries himself to sleep, jerks off a lot in hotels, spends holidays alone. Well what if he had a new neighbor who is also alone, and though he doesn't talk much to

(cont) her, she does little things sometimes like leave notes at his door with something good about him on them, or gives him flowers from her garden. And, well, what if she comes over on Christmas eve and has a plate of cookies and is wearing a hideous holiday sweater and just says “I thought you might like some company. I could use some.” And they end up spending a great night and he realizes that he’s actually HAPPY for the first time in ages?

UR JOKING this is so cute I hope this does your request justice😍

The idea that with fame comes a maginitude of personal connections and close relationships was something Harry always struggled with. Of course, he had his select close friends and loving family, but there were only so many days that they could take a break from their own lives and jobs to spend time with the lonely rockstar. There were endless amounts of people willing to fill the empty voids in Harry’s life; so many so that he had to mute his phone most days because they wouldn’t leave him alone. It was sometimes difficult for Harry to tell the difference between people he had in his life that had his best interests at heart as opposed to those who simply wanted their own 5 minutes of fame. He’s seen it countless times; someone whom he thought was in it for the long haul, only to be met with disappointment when they leaked a story or left him in the dust. So, he went with the easiest option he could think of -secluding himself. Days spent alone, other than with the soft purring of Evie at his side on the porch swing, just preparing for his next album. Life around him kept on moving, the private streets of the neighborhood were filled with the sounds of children playing in their yards, families walking their dog, and the occasional block party. Yet all of it stayed in the background of Harry’s life. Like white noise fluttering through his extraordinary yet somehow still extremely mundane life.

Except for the girl next door. She was a quite girl, spending most of her time at, what he assumed was her job, and coming home to a corgi he had learned, through playful yells across the yard, was named Bean. Upon waking up one morning months ago and seeing a young girl moving into the house next door, past experiences crept into his mind. Would she be posting everything he did? Would he be able to leave his house without being met with a flashing camera? Would she be crazed and try to break in? But, none of his fears ended up coming true. In fact, it was the exact opposite. She kept to herself, enough that it reminded Harry of himself in the way that he never saw her spending time with anyone. Of course, there was a guest or two every once and while, but she didn’t seem to mind spending most days relatively alone. The two didn’t have many interactions, but when they did, it always brought a smile to Harry’s face. A quick hello here and there. A basket of homemade cat treats left for Evie. Small notes left on each other’s doors, carrying quick and encouraging messages to one another like; “you have a lovely garden” or “you have the most beautiful cars”. Harry found the first note about two months ago, after stepping out onto his front porch, ready to head to the studio. The small creme colored note taped to his front door read “You have a beautiful voice. Thank you for sharing it with me. I hope you never stop finding inspiration.” There was always a risk to sitting outside on his deck and singing melodies to songs not yet written, but for some reason, her hearing them didn’t bother him. He spent hours at the studio that day.

It was now the middle of December, the London air holding a certain crispness that seemed to only appear around the holidays. Like the planet knew everyone was bundled up, enjoying the warmth and company brought to them by being surrounded by their loved ones. Almost everyone. Harry was no stranger to having quiet holidays, but living in a community with many large families and loud holiday parties really had brought out the worst in him. Anne and Gemma had been snowed in by the rogue storm and reluctantly wouldn’t be able to make the trip down to his house this year. So, while everyone else began their festivities, Harry was joined by the flickering light of the television. He was seated in the living room, lounged under the heated throw blanket Anne had gifted him at the start of winter, while Evie rested on his lap so she could soak up a bit of the residual heat, and the unmistakable sound of Bruce Willis echoed through the eerily decorated yet empty room.

“Well, Merry Christmas Eves.” Harry muttered, scratching the back of his cat’s ear and earning a loud purr. “It’s just you, me and Bruce this year.”

Much to his surprise that the device actually works, due to the lack of use, Harry’s doorbell rang. Hoping that the “snowed in” excuse was just that, Harry sprang to his feet, uttering a quick apology to Evie who was unsuspectingly thrown to her feet in the commotion, and ran across the living room to answer the front door. The smile of his face was comepltely forgotten as soon as he opened the door, immediately recognizing that it wasn’t who he thought and his family was, in fact, not just making up an excuse.

“Oh. It’s you.”

“Not quite the reaction I was hoping for.”

Y/N, his neighbor, was stood on his front porch, clad in a pair of Christmas themed leggings, a thick winter jacket, and a matching scarf/hat/mittens set. A large tin rested in her left hand as well as a very large bottle of Moscato in her right.

“Oh, no, um sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! Just thought maybe it was someone else.” his now warm cheeks were a stark contrast to the winter breeze that began blowing through his front door.

“Oh yeah. I had to stand in line behind all your other friends just to make it up to your front door.”

“Like you have anyplace to talk, Miss ‘I only hang out with Bean everyday.”

Y/N threw her head back in an uncontrollable laugh, slightly the sound slightly echoing through his empty yard. There was a soft white glow from the moon illuminating the back of Y/N, creating a full body halo and beautiful aura to his neighbor. As the angelic sound softened and her head came back to it’s natural resting place, she shifted her weight from left to right. “I saw that the driveway was empty and figured you could use the company. I know I could. and I have cookies and alcohol so...”

“Yeah, yeah please come in.” 

It had been a few days since Harry had anyone over his house, the last people being Mitch, Sarah and Clare popping over to discuss steps on the next album. So, having YN standing in his foyer, removing her winter coat to reveal one of the worst Christmas jumper’s he’s ever seen, was a different feeling. The pair made their way into the living, where the television was still shining and Evie was cuddled on top of the heated blanket that was now piled on the floor.

“Please don’t tell me you’re one of those people who thinks Die Hard is a Christmas movie.” Y/N laughed, sitting down on the couch.

“Of course it is! John McClane has to rescue everyone from a Christmas Party! The entire movie is set on Christmas Eve and it plays Christmas music!”

“It absolutely is not! That movie could be set on any other day of the year and still be the exact same movie and the only person wearing any Christmas apparel is a dead guy!”

Easy conversation flowed between the pair, only stopping to refill their wine glasses or have uncontrollable laughing fits. It was fun to have the company, a nice change of pace in the large house. It was easy for Harry to see how kind Y/N was, how her eyes lit up when Evie cuddled closer to her side, how her attention was focused solely on him and not even bothering to glance at her phone (that sat across from her on the small wooden end table). That was something very new to Harry, being with someone who had more interest in what he was saying than the tiny portable screen. It sent a warm feeling though Harry’s body, that wasn’t caused by the burning wood in his fireplace. He enjoyed Y/N’s company, so much more than he thought he would, the two unsuspecting loners seemingly becoming instant best friends. Harry’s life brought him immense happiness; seeing his fans having the time of their lives at his shows, meeting his idols, and getting to live his dreams, but with all of these extreme highs, came the lows. The lows of not knowing your true friends, not seeing your family for long periods of time, and constantly being photographed. But in this moment, sitting in his living room with his neighbor, drinking wine and arguing over the greatest Christmas cookie, Harry had never felt happier.

tag: @emotionally-imbruised and @theasstour cause I sent them so many snaps about this blurb😂😂

[sidekickhq]

where do you think scarlett leithold could fit? this rp looks amazing !

thank you so much ! i think she could fit in a lot of different families : steve rogers ( adopted ), loki & sigyn, hope van dyne, black tom cassidy & eilish sullivan, caitlin snow & ronnie raymond, stephanie brown & cassandra cain ( adopted ), dan espinoza & chloe decker & lucifer morningstar, eddie brock, kara zor-el, hal jordan & carol ferris, harley quinn & pamela isley, jason todd ( adopted ), hela & thanos, koriand’r & raven roth ( adopted ), natasha romanoff ( adopted ), stephen strange & clea, bruce wayne, oliver queen & dinah lance, warren worthington iii, michael jon carter & ted kord ( adopted ) !

and if you’re interested, some familial wanted connections she could fit :

VIDAR BJÖRK-THORSON & TOVA VIDARSDOTTIR, our CHARLIE HUNNAM & EMMA MACKEY fcs are looking for a CHILD / SIBLING connection who looks like BILLIE EILISH, MARGOT ROBBIE, HENRIK HOLM, ELLIOT FLETCHER, KATELYN NACON, JOE KEERY, JENNY BOYD, NAT WOLFF / UTP who is 17-19 or 23 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying at ofichvr / tofuisms. ( but you can if you want ! ) ( tova would… die for each of them, any time any place, but also… you know how ur sibs are your best friends but also your worst enemies? .. yeah. when they’re good, they’re reALLY good - but when they’re bad, mom or dad probably has to step in eventually to referee the arguments. the dynamic would prob be different depending on whether tova is older or younger ; if she’s the eldest, then her natural protectiveness extends to them, and if they’re older… well, same, but she’s probably a little bit TOO textbook ‘annoying younger sister’ a lot of the time. it is very possible that vidar isn’t close to this child due to him not being around for AWHILE - he was in the army from age 18 to early 30s but would come home whenever he was able to - which was NEVER enough! so they could have a relationship where vidar tries and ur chara just doesn’t want that, ur chara looks up to him but they don’t rly know how to interact , etc! it is also an option for the chara to be a TWIN but thats completely up to u! please check out vidar’s INTRO for background info and more fc options! )

THEORA TREVOR, our KATE SIEGEL fc,  is looking for a FOSTER CHILD connection who looks like CAMERON BOYCE, LISA TEIGE, AMANDLA STENBERG, KARAN BARR, DAVID CASTRO, RJ CYLER, ABIGAIL COWEN, PARIS BERELC, YARA SHAHIDI, IMAN MESKINI // PLAYER’S CHOICE who is 16/17. you DO have to contact prior to applying at WVTCHFUL. ( credit to rachel for giving me part of this idea !! theora works in the e.r. and one day a kid ended up there for some reason.when it came time for them to be discharged, they had nowhere to go and theora got temporary custody while they waited for the situation to be worked out. flash forward a few days, theora is attached and filling out the paperwork to become a foster parent.  )

EMMA FROST, our KATIE CASSIDY fc is looking for her LIL DEATH MACHINES / STEPFORD CUCKOOS X3 - CELESTE, MINDEE, PHOEBE who look like GIORGIA WHIGHAM, KIERNAN SHIPKA, JENNY BOYD, ANNASOPHIA ROBB, ANY MATCHING BLONDE FC who are 16-26 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( we all kno the stepford cuckoos. they and their sisters - two named dead, thousands of unnamed - are emma’s clones, and though they appear to be mature, are actually, chronologically, like, five or smth, cos they were grown rapidly in tubes. it wasn’t known from minute one that they were emma’s, but the minute this became public knowledge, she accepted it and started to think of them as her daughters. diamond form, telepathic hive mind, coordinated outfits ; how much more could u want? )

GRÁINNE CASSIDY, our SOPHIE RUNDLE fc is looking for her SIBLINGS / TWO OLDER, TWO YOUNGER who look like FINN COLE, OLIVIA COOKE, CILLIAN MURPHY, EMILY BROWNING, DOUGLAS BOOTH / ANY FACE CLAIM who are anything from 20-40 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( do u want to play a member of a crime fam, but ur not sure which to pick? do u want to play an irish char, but dont know what to do? if the answer is yes to the first and no to the second, but ur ok with settling, then boy o boy do i have the crime fam for you ! mutant on their fathers side and mobster on their mothers, the cassidy-sullivan’s are honestly… p hot, if i say so myself. their matriarch was left the only member of the fam after they were wiped out in gotham about ten years ago, and now they’re all getting older, the kids are restarting that specific fam business. i love the idea of them all having like… conflicting ideals, conflicting ideas for their fam, conflicting LIVES. gráinne fancies herself the head of the family right now, and at least for the minute is continuing their loyalty to the falcone’s. her sibs could want to challenge her… could be happy working alongside her… could mayb not even wanna be apart of the family - it’s honestly up to YOU ! )

JEANNIE DRAKE KENT, our STEFANIE SCOTT fc is looking for a HALF SIBLING ( via warren )  connection who looks like ( EMMA DUMONT, ASAMI ZDRENKA, RYAN POTTER ANY ½ WHITE FC ))  who is ( 19-23 YEARS OLD. ) you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( half siblings that are known publically to be worthington – nothing is set in stone with this connection but feel free to message at gods lost roomba#5813 to hear more about it!  )

PERSEUS XAVIER-LEHNSHERR, our NICK ROBINSON fc is looking for an UNKNOWN BIOLOGICAL FAMILY connection who looks like any white/half white (brunette) kid !! / grace phipps, jake t austin, madison davenport, noah centineo, piper curda, richard harmon, thomas hayes, willa holland, xavier serrano who is  20+ YEARS OLD. you DO have to contact prior to applying at JEEZPERSEUS. ( he was born to two degenerates in camden, new jersey. neither good parents, but he never experienced it because he was very little when he & his seven siblings were placed into the custody of the state for neglect. they were a high powered family, two mutant parents, but there’s a possibility one of the kids was human. they can be siblings or half-siblings or even cousins. or even his twin sister!! they’d be 20 or older if they’re a (half-)sibling, bc percy is youngest. go wild. ) ( thalia, more )

ROSARIO HILL, our MELISSA BARRERA fc, is looking for a YOUNGER HALF SIBLINGS / ADOPTED SIBLINGS ( 1 to 2 ) connection who looks like DIEGO TINOCO, TRINITY ANNE, EDEN ESTRADA, SOFIA REYES, CIERRA RAMRIEZ, ISSA LISH, DANNA PAOLA, ARIELA BARER, MANPREET MABRA, LAURA HARRIER, TRISTIN MAYS, LULU ANTARISKA, KEKE PALMER, TAZZY PHE, TINA TAMASHIRO, TOMMY MARTINEZ, MARLON LANGELAND / AT LEAST HALF MEXICAN IF BIO, ANY FACE IF ADOPTED who is UNDER 25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying.

TRIXIE ESPINOZA DECKER MORNINGSTAR, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for her ( TWO ) YOUNGER HALF-SIBLINGS VIA CHLOE & LUCIFER who look like ANY HALF WHITE, HALF MEXICAN FC who are anything from 16-22 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i’m tweaking the timeline that i’m mainly working from - the lucifer tv show - just a bit to allow for a broader age range of siblings, but what i waNT here is !! lil decker-morningstar kids !! i’m not even fussy on whether they’re like, bio or not, i just think… trix would be an awesome big sister, and it would REALLY solidify the fam connection here for there to be a lil fam running abt the place. )

WILLIAM WADE WILSON, our BRANDON FLYNN fc is looking for a FULL SIBLING connection who looks like CAITLIN STASEY, MERRITT PATTERSON, NINA DOBREV, DAISY RIDLEY, COLIN FORD, ALEX LAWTHER, TYLER YOUNG, THOMAS HAYES, UTP+  who is 16-17, 22+ you DON’T have to contact prior to applying at willicmwilson. ( Okay, I’m not super duper picky with this connection- I really just want to explore their relationship/the family dynamic. Also, it’s completely optional but I think it’d be cool to continue the whole 3 W tradition when naming them! Feel free to contact me if you do have any questions!)

[socialfairytale]

Evaluation

My project has changed a lot throughout the course- my final outcome has differed greatly from what I set out to make at the beginning, mainly due to the fact that I was trying a lot of new things and they didn’t all work as expected. But i’m glad that my project evolved. 

The social issue I decided to choose for this project is the Environment and Climate Change- I wanted to make a game concept that would encourage people to fix the planet before it’s too late. There are many issues that are affecting and changing our planet currently, most of which are direct result of human activity. We are responsible (directly or at least for the majority of) for the Earth’s changing in climate- we release too many greenhouse gases through various means such as transport, factory farming and deforestation. 

One of the things that has remained consistent in this project is that the social issue being a key part of the game - I haven’t diverged much. The character design and game themes definitely incorporate some fantasy themes (such as the main character) but the underlying issue about the world being uninhabitable and ruined is still a very obvious feature. I would have created a project that more subtly related to climate change, but it’s something i’m very interested in so I thought it would be a good idea.  I was aware that a game based very obviously on a social issue may not attract a lot of attention as people tend to avoid things that are ‘politcal’ but I think it works - I tried to make the character design and magical elements very visually appealing so the game so that it would appear more interesting and attractive to play upon a first glance. 

The work I have created - Echo - is for a game concept. I created some concept art for the character and landscape, made some pixel animations to show how the game could potentially look, and made a model of the main character’s head. The model was created so I could get a better idea of how the character could look from all angles, thus making it easier to draw. I am also very interested in modelling so I thought making a model would be a lot more interesting than just two dimensional artwork.

The Character Design/Concept

I wanted to create a concept for the game’s main character. At the start of the project I envisioned them to be a cute & brightly coloured animal - to try and contrast with the bleak reality in which the game is set. I made a pinterest board to try and establish the kind of look I wanted it to have, and came up with some concepts. At the time I was also really inspired by Kitsune & their magical connotations in Japan so I wanted it to look somewhat fox like. 

I jumped straight into the character design without really considering the rest of the work I wanted to do which would involve it - which is where I started to make some questionable choices. I decided to give Echo four ears to make them look very unique and otherworldly - but didn’t really consider the practicality of having these, nor did I think ahead to when i’d actually have to make them later. I also have a tendency to design the character’s appearance first before coming up with their personality - which also meant that the second set of ears didn’t really have a purpose of being there. Alongside this I also gave them an enormous mane and extravagant tail to help them stand out - this was also annoying to animate. However, despite the impracticality of their design, I really like how the final appearance turned out - it definitely looks aesthetically appealing and different compared to something you’d expect to find on Earth.

Another problem I had when drawing the character was trying to establish their anatomy and keep it consistent when creating the concept sketches for them. I wanted to make Echo walk on two legs yet still have an animalistic appearance so I made them anthropomorphic with shorter digitigrade legs than those of a human - this made a lot of poses quite difficult to draw as his body proportions were very different than the references I used - so in some sketches his legs are far too long. 

I created several pieces of game art featuring Echo although I’m not totally happy with any of them- this is due to my experimentation with new programs and different techniques. All four of the artworks were created outside of my comfort zone - 3 of which were created using Procreate and a shading style which I am not as proficient in - and the final one was created in Paint Tool Sai with a wacom intuos (which was a vastly more complicated task than using my Cintiq). I felt that some of the work just didn’t have atmosphere I was trying to create- some of the pieces looked flat, and using the iPad to paint meant that I didn’t have access to my usual tools for painting. To improve next time, I will practice more both with procreate and the Intuos tablet, but also try and create some artwork that i’m actually happy with by spending a lot of time on it rather than giving up after 2 hours - which was very common with a lot of my work in this project as I felt like the deadline was approaching too fast. 

I really like Echo’s overall character design but I think that it could have been developed a lot better if I had spent more time on it, and used more realistic animals as reference material. My favourite parts about their design are the glowing colourful ears and tail, as well as the mask, which I think gives them a very mysterious and ethereal appearance (which I think it suitable considering they’re meant to be a space deity). If I could design them again I would have also created a wider range of concepts before creating the final design so fast, as I ended up having some really cool ideas later on. I would have also reduced the number of ears and made the tail/mane smaller to try and make this character actually easily reproducible. 

I did also design Radio and Pix, the other two main characters, but these were done very quickly near the end of the project so they are also not as developed as i’d like them to be. I think my target for next time would definitely be to not try and rush my projects as much and actually put thought and consideration into them. It would have also been nice to do more environment design as this was something I was really keen to explore at the start of the project but didn’t have enough time to explore - I would have rather put more time into this than trying to create finished artwork of Echo. 

Pixel Art/Animation

For this aspect of my project I aimed to design some animations and sprites/environments to show what the actual game would look like if it was made. This was one of my first experiences with pixel animation and sprite artwork which made it quite a challenge for me, especially in the beginning.

Animating in pixel art is a really different experience, as I found that almost every pixel had to be placed perfectly to make the movement look smooth - quite often I found that just by changing a few pixels on one frame completely changed the shape of the head in another - but this paid off as I got used to it. Overall, i’m really happy with the way my weapon summoning animation turned out - I think the movement looks really fluid and even though it’s small and pixelated, you can still make out the individual parts of the character.

Some parts I should have done differently were definitely the smoke animation and effect - I made the smoke and staff Glow using an overlay layer on Photoshop - which messed up the transparencies of the finished sprite. When I tried to export it as a gif with no background, there were white pixels surrounding the body due to the partially filled in pixels from the glow layer, which the PNG could not interpret properly. To fix this, I added a grey background to the animation when exporting it so that it would display correctly on my blog - but this was only a temporary fix, as It would have had to be transparent to import into Unity, for example. I think that the glow could have worked if it was added afterwards once imported into the games engine rather than as part of the animation, but it worked to show my ideas.

Another problem I had was with the animation cycle itself - this was another project which I rushed into a bit - as I ended up not being able to loop it due to Echo taking a step forward midway through, so ending up in a different location to where they started off. I should have also made the overall pixel sprite smaller I think and maybe tried a lineless style - as the 120ish pixel height of the character meant that it took a while to replicate for each frame.

In term of success though i’m happy with the actual artwork of the pixels - I also really like how the icon of Echo and the dialogue box turned out, as they fit together well and match the aesthetic of the game. As well as this, the text animation I created also looks really cool I think - there isn’t anything I would change about that. The pixel art backgrounds I created also turned out pretty well, but I think it would have been nice to create a more refined and clean, lined background rather than the sketchy lineless style it ended up having. 

Model/Mask Attempt

This was the project I had the most difficulty with out of all three I attempted. I started off wanting to make a super sculpey model of Echo, which soon changed into a wearable mask of his head, and then finally changed into a small model.

The first thing I tried was making the mask in Blender - which I have no experience with - which may have been the cause of some of the difficulties I had. I first sculpted the shape of the mask and decided to try and print it out as a pepakura file - which didn’t work initially due to the high number of polygons. if I was to make another pepakura mask I would instead work with a very low number of polygons instead to start with rather than trying to retopologise the model later which was also rather tedious. 

After retopologising the model, the option to 3D print it was available - unfortunately since I hadn’t planned this from the start my model also was not suitable for this. I think that all of these attempts didn’t work properly since I hadn’t researched them enough and built them with these results in mind - I had to strongly rework my model again to get it to work in a 3D printer. Despite this difficult stage though I do really love the look and anatomy of the model I made - it actually looks how I intended it to and has the perfect cartoony/realistic mix I was going for. The 3D print had to be split up into sections and then printed one at a time. This process had some flaws which I would execute differently if I had more time - I didn’t realise how difficult it would be to make the 3D model look presentable (sanding and filling etc) so I should have printed it in a higher resolution to start with, as it was too low res to make a smooth model out of. On top of this, there were some scaling issues which meant that several pieces were very slightly different sizes to each other. To fix this, I should have kept each piece on the same document and scaled them all up together rather than each one individually. That being said, the mask I did 3D print did end up fitting my face which I consider a definite win, as I measured it all beforehand in the hopes that it would not be too small or big for my head. I should have done a lot more research into 3D printing before rushing into it. 

Unfortunately due to the quality and mishaps with the 3D print (the hollow surface meant it could not be properly sanded, and one corner was missing due to the supports collapsing during the printing process - causing it to droop down and break off), I had to move to a different method. My main regret during this stage was my time management - I tried out 3 different techniques during 3 days and none of them worked to my standard so I scrapped all of them. The first was the EVA foam patterned model. I really like how all of the edges are crisp and fit together really well but unfortunately the pattern was not able to capture the exact head shape, which ended up looking a bit weird. I think this could have been remedied if i’d kept working on it and made manual adjustments. The foam I used was also far too thin (5mm) which caused the model to be very weak as it kept squashing and changing shape. It would have worked a lot better if i’d used 10mm foam I think. 

The two upholstery foam attempts were actually probably fixable, again if i’d spent more time on them. The carved block head especially, I think it would have worked a lot better if my electric knife had been sharpened. I like the way which they started to turn out but I got a little too ambitious and removed too much material too fast. These two attempts were another case of me not doing enough prior research into them beforehand, and could have turned out a lot better if I watched more than one tutorial for each.

The last thing I resorted to was a super sculpey model, which has turned into one of my final outcomes. While it is unfinished, I am really really pleased with how it looks for the most part. I used my original 3D sculpt as a reference to model the head out of super sculpey, then sealed and painted it with acrylics. I’m really happy that I used sculpey as the material as it keeps its shape well and was very smooth - although I think it could have been smoother if I had used some sculpting tools or turpentine to help even out the surface. 

[juliusyqcm761-blog]

Why You Should Forget About Improving Your pokemon emerald rom download

There are numerous factors why I personally enjoy to employ this astounding streaming software, it really delivers the best from the tv and movies to view on the web.

First of all, we'll use a glimpse on how to obtain Showbox Application in your MAC after that we'll focus on ways to get it about other platforms like iphone or iPad. Regrettably, you cannot operate this application instantly on the MacBook or other MAC Pc. Do not get worried! There is an alternate to it. You can obtain it completed through the use of an Emulator where one can operate this App on MAC. There are such a lot of emulators easily available in the market right now, but I'll recommend Bluestacks Application Player since it is the ideal just one single out of all. Having said that you can utilize various other emulators also, however they may work sluggish with the prevailing Computer configuration.

Effectively, now you could have recognized that people have been more likely to methods to use Showbox Software applying Bluestacks Android Emulator about MAC device. You can abide by this process more than any of the Apple desktop or notebook computer products which operates on iOS partially as well.

For downloading Showbox on iPad, apple iphone or iOS there is no need to have of any program. But that will not mean you can operate it straight on you iPad or iphone. Frankly talking, Showbox App is not actually readily available for iPad and iphone. Don't worry over it. In this article is undoubtedly an option for it that's Moviebox which I mentioned earlier. Here is a backlink to download Moviebox for iPad, iphone and iOS .

In case you are Windows user, then you certainly need to use an emulator to run Showbox on Computer program. The favored emulator is normally Bluestacks. The web link specified above is certainly super mario rpg snes rom Bluestacks for Mac and it could not operate for Home windows. So you should acquire Bluestacks for Pc .

Immediately after downloading Bluestacks, you are able to abide simply by all these methods diligently and progress accordingly. You merely need to download the Apk file from any reference like aptoide and could devote it on your own Home windows desktop applying Bluestacks emulator. It is extremely a lot simple and usually takes fewer than couple mins to acquire installation performed.

Do you think you're fellas looking forward to my overview? It can be rather usual to marvel you about why I'd like ShowBox since the very best streaming software. There are therefore many reasons which make this software the most efficient. Many companies and community also enjoys to make use of it. The explanation I exploit this software is the fact that it is tons of new and aged selection of Television Demonstrates that i enjoy every day and movies which engage me in boring instances. For the people that would like for amusement, Showbox Software could be the finest a definite to consider. This a person updates often with brand-new assortment of reveals and flicks. For my component this application is considerably much better than all, using the latest of no advertisement and free of cost service is never discovered these commonly.

I assume you have got recognized on the way you may install and operate Showbox on Home windows, MAC, Google android and iOS. In case you nonetheless handle any problem at any stage, you could set up your queries within the feedback segment. We'll be happy to help you out as soon as possible about downloading Showbox Application on Pc.

Case Study: 1

Web-based Solution

Background

You are creating a web-based remedy that learners and teachers may use to collaborate on written assignments. Teachers may also use the remedy to identify potential plagiarism, and they can manage assignments and data by using locally available network shares.

Business Requirements

The solution contains three parts: a website where students work on assignments and where teachers view and grade assignments, the plagiarism recognition service, and a connector service to manage data by utilizing a network share.

The system availability agreement states that operating hours are weekdays between midnight on Sunday and midnight on Friday.

Plagiarism Service

The plagiarism detection portion of the perfect solution is compares a new work against a repository of existing works. The original dataset contains a large database of existing works. Teachers upload additional works. Furthermore, the program itself searches for other works and adds those functions to the repository.

Technical Requirements

Website

The web site for the perfect solution is must run on an Azure web role.

Plagiarism Service

The plagiarism recognition service runs on an Azure worker role. The computation runs on the random quantity generator. Certain values can lead to an infinite loop, therefore if a specific function item takes much longer than one hour to process, other cases of the program must be able to process the task item. The Azure worker role must completely utilize all obtainable CPU cores. Computation results are cached in regional storage resources to reduce computation time.

Repository of Existing Works

The plagiarism detection service functions by comparing student submissions against a repository of existing functions by utilizing a custom matching algorithm. The expert copies of the functions are kept in Azure blob storage. A daily process synchronizes files between blob storage space and a document talk about on a digital machine (VM). Within this synchronization, the ExistingWorkRepository object provides the documents to Azure Cache to enhance the display efficiency of the web site. If a student's submission is definitely overdue, the Late property is defined to the number of days that the work is overdue. Work files can be downloaded by using the Work actions of the TeacherController object

Network Connector

Clients can connect to documents that are kept on the VM by using a network talk about. The network permissions are configured in a startup job in the plagiarism recognition service.

Service Monitoring

The CPU of the machine which the plagiarism detection service runs usually limits the plagiarism detection service. Nevertheless, certain combinations of input can cause memory issues, which results in decreased efficiency. The average time for a given computation is 45 seconds. Unexpected results during computations might cause a memory dump. Memory dump documents are kept in the Windows short-term folder on the VM that hosts the worker role.

Security

Just valid users of the solution must be able to view content that users submit. Personal privacy regulations require that all content that users send should be retained just in Azure Storage. All docs that learners upload should be signed by utilizing a certificate called DocCert that's set up in http://rpg-rom.com/mario-rpg-rom/ both the worker part and the web role.

Solution Development

You use Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 and the Azure emulator to build up and test both the compute component and the storage space component. New variations of the perfect solution is must undergo screening by using production data.

Scaling

During non-operating hours, the plagiarism detection service should not use a lot more than 40 CPU cores. During working hours, the plagiarism detection service should immediately scale when 500 work products are waiting to be prepared. To facilitate maintenance of the machine, no plagiarism recognition work should happen during non-operating hours. All ASP.NET MVC actions must support documents that are up to 2 GB in proportions.

Biographical Information

Biographical details about students and teachers is certainly kept in a Microsoft Azure SQL database. All solutions run in america West region. The plagiarism detection assistance runs on Extra Large instances.

Solution Structure

Relevant portions of the answer files are demonstrated in the next code segments. Range numbers in the code segments are included for reference just you need to include a two-character prefix that denotes the specific file to which the line belongs.

Question: 1

DRAG DROP

You should configure storage space for the solution.

What should you do? To reply, drag the appropriate XML segments to the correct locations. Each XML segment may be used once, more often than once, or never. You may want to drag the split bar between panes or scroll to view content.

Answer:

Ref:

Question: 2

You are deploying the web-based solution in the West Europe region.

You need to copy the repository of existing works that the plagiarism detection service uses. You need to accomplish that goal utilizing the least period of time.

What should you do?

A. Copy the files from the source file share to an area hard disk. Ship the hard disk drive to the West European countries data center by using the Azure Import/Export service.

B. Create an Azure virtual network to connect to the West European countries region. Then make use of Robocopy to copy the data files from the current region to the West European countries region.

C. Provide usage of the blobs by using the Microsoft Azure Articles Delivery Network (CDN). Modify the plagiarism recognition service so that the data files from the repository are loaded from the CDN.

D. Utilize the Asynchronous Blob Duplicate API to copy the blobs from the foundation storage accounts to a storage accounts in the West Europe region.

Answer: D

Ref:

Question: 3

HOTSPOT

You should find all existing works about World History that are overdue and are kept in the repository.

How should you complete the relevant code? To answer, choose the appropriate choice or choices in the response area.

Answer:

Question: 4

DRAG DROP

You should insert code at collection WR16 to implement the GetWork method.

How should you complete the relevant code? To response, drag the appropriate code segment to the right location. Each code segment may be used once, more than once, or not at all. You may need to drag the split bar between panes or scroll to view content.

Answer:

Question: 5

HOTSPOT

The Compute method in the PlagiarismCalculation class takes a significant amount of time to load existing works from blob storage. To improve performance, the service must load existing functions from the cache.

You have to modify the Compute method in the class PlagiarismCalculation.

How in the event you modify the method? To answer, select the appropriate option or options in the response area.

Answer:

Question: 6

You update the portion of the website which has biographical details about students.

You have to provide data for testing the updates to the web site.

Which approach in the event you use?

A. Make use of SQL Server data synchronization.

B. Utilize the Active Geo-Replication feature of Azure SQL Data source.

C. Make use of SQL Replication.

D. Utilize the Geo-Replication feature of Azure Storage.

Answer: A

Question: 7

HOTSPOT

You should configure scaling for the plagiarism recognition service.

What should you do? To answer, choose the appropriate ideals in the dialog package in the answer area.

Answer:

Question: 8

HOTSPOT

You need to implement the task action on the TeacherController object.

How in the event you complete the relevant code? To solution, select the appropriate options in the solution area.

Answer:

[clarraoswald]

graphics tutorial !!

hey guys !! i’ll be doing a tutorial on how to get this effect:

find the post here

before going on, you must have SOME basic knowledge of how to use photoshop. for example, how to use the tools, undo, copy and paste, colour adjustments, etc.

this tutorial will be pretty straight forward, but still pretty long so beware. this was requested by an AMAZING anon who is too pure and sweet for this world. i’m only doing the first image in the two-image set because i figure the second image is easy to do :)

what you ( might ) get out of this tutorial:

how to make this graphic

how to do shadows based on a light source

how to be a bit better at photoshop ( not that i’m like really super at it but )

how to cut out teeny tiny hairs and details on a person without it looking ( too ) gross

some fonts, textures, techniques

some happy feelings :)

rest is under the cut !! if you’re on mobile, draft it to look at it later ;)

( NOTE: in all honesty, this is not my idea. i saw someone else’s graphics a long time ago of this and a few weeks later, on a whim, i decided to try it. i don’t know the person’s url or have the link to the graphic that inspired this, but all i can say is that i can’t take credit for the idea, but i can take credit on how i did it )

1. how to cut out a person ( or basically anything with lots of detail )

ok so the first graphics is the most difficult one ( not that it is difficult, but more difficult than the second one ) i’m using photoshop cc, but any photoshop i think will work with this. ( i suggest as old as you can go is photoshop cs3 )

you also got to have SOME experience using photoshop already, like how to use most of the tools and stuff on here. if not, this may be a bit confusing. 

1a) first off, go find an image. you’ll want a pretty high resolution picture if you want to be able to cut out all the little hairs. i suggest anything over 1080p, so basically either REAALLY good screencaps or promotional pictures.

( NOTE: when picking a good photo, make sure to take in the fact about the background as well. if you’re going to try cutting out the little hairs and such, it’s good to have a sorta solid background or something that isnt like very complex. you can still do it, but it’ll be more difficult and might not look as good as it could if you had chosen a picture with a simpler background. )

i chose this one ( it’s a promotional picture and is 3000 x 4000 pixels, so it’s a guaranteed good cutout ) :

now the arms and stuff is pretty straight forward cutting out, so lets zoom in to clara’s head. ( if you look closely at the hair on the right side you can already tell its going to be difficult to cut out. i like this photo though so i’m gonna do it anyways )

( she’s so pretty i can’t akghslgdjlkgjlhjl )

you can adjust the colours or shadows if you want, but i usually do that later.

1b) select the lasso tool ( just the regular one ) and outline all the hair that’s in front of the white circle light thing like this:

( NOTE: if you’re trying to cut out the little bits of hair and stuff, don’t do it all at once unless the background colour is one solid colour. )

now go to select > colour range.

once you’ve opened that, you get this pop-up window beside your image and it’ll look something like this:

click the part of the image that you want to delete, then and drag the fuzziness bar until you see the part you want to keep is all black.

click ok and now look at your image.

now press delete and add what’s going to be the background colour of your graphic on a separate layer behind it to see what else you need to get rid of for your image to look good. my background is black, so it’s going to require more effort into getting rid of the little bits. if your image background is a light colour, you’re probably done at this point.

we still have a little bit around her head and in between the hairs by her head, and that’s bad if i want to make the background of the graphics black ( which i do ) so i’m going to select the hair to the side of her head and repeat the process, clicking the white in between the hairs because that’s what i want to delete.

it’s not perfect yet, but it’s close !! click on the eraser and choose a soft edge brush. make the brush size pretty big and click AROUND the hairs, softening the edges so it looks less harsh. ( you can turn down the opacity of the brush too if you feel like its taking away too much of the image ) if you’re worried about erasing the face by accident, do a selection around the face, invert that selection, then erase. this will protect the face so it doesn’t fade away like the hairs. during this, also erase any unwanted bits that make your image look kinda ugly.

now, all you have to do is cut out the rest of the image and you’ll get something like this:

it looks odd right now because we haven’t edited the colours or added shadows yet so it matches, but that’s going to be the last thing we do.

here’s some other examples of this cut out method:

2. how to make the mask effect on your image

2a) first, make a selection on part of the face that’s going to be the mask.

2b) copy it ( control + c, or command + c if you’re using a mac ) THIS IS IMPORTANT, DON’T FORGET TO COPY. the copy will be your mask.

go to select > modify > contract and contract by 10 pixels.

press ‘delete’ and you should have something like this:

paste the face we copied earlier onto a new layer and, if it’s not already, align it back over the cutout. control click ( or command click ) on the image of the layer so you have a selection like this:

this part is going to make it look like the mask is real, rather than just cutting out her face and placing it somewhere, which would look fake. 

2c) lock your layer so the brush strokes that we’re going to do stay only on the image.

with lock:

without lock:

after you’ve locked it, select the skin colour and pick a few shades darker than it. using a soft brush, colour the part selected based on where you’re going to put your light source. my light source was here:

this means that the left side should be lighter than the right side. knowing that, i can go ahead and colour it so it looks like this:

2d) now we can deal with the copy of the face we made !! go to that layer and place the face ( mask ) where ever you want. then, do the same thing we did for the body and add a outline to make it look more realistic. finally, cut out the eye so we’re left with a real-ish looking mask.

now, time for the shadows !!

3. how to put shadows and make it more realistic

3a) so we already have a light source, so we now know where to put the shadows accurately.i’m doing the shadows on the mask first. take a soft edge brush and make a new layer above the mask layer and set the layer style to multiply. this will make the image darker, but not black, so it won’t look fake.

right click > create clipping mask on the new layer. this is like locking a layer except it will make it so the shadows are on a new layer, but don’t go on anything else except the mask. now you can brush on your shadows so you have something like this on the mask:

do it to the body as well so it blends in better with the background. finally, i put in my light source ( i just used a soft edge brush and made a white circle, then positioned it where i wanted my light source to be ). here’s what my image looks like now:

now on to the textures !!!

4. finishing touches ( textures, adjustment layers, etc. )

4a) first, adjustment layers. they’re basically just filters to make the colours look better or match your background. i won’t go into too much detail because if you’re reading this, you shouldn’t be new to photoshop and would probably know sort of how to do this.

i want to edit the lights and shadows, so i’m going to use curves. to do that, go to layer > new adjustment layer > curves. 

then, you’ll get a popup and just drag the points and fool around until you like how your image looks.

next, add selective colour. selective colour is important if you don’t like the colours of your image, or if you want to change the colours. i usually use it to make the reds and yellows more pinkish. go to layer > new adjustment layer > selective colour. play around with the slide on each colour level until you like how your image looks.

( NOTE: if your image has a yellowish tone to it, go to the yellow option and drag the yellow slide to the left. this will turn down the yellows in your image and make it a more pinkish-neutral colour. this applies to any image that has a color tone that you don’t like. )

here’s my image now:

4b) for textures, i love the grainy ones. i usually use a paper kind of texture. i’m using this one, which is my favourite:

drag it over your image and set the layer style to linear light. this will really bring out the detail in the texture.

here are some of my other favourites ( set these layer styles to screen ):

4c) font is important. the font can either ruin the whole thing you have going or make it 20x better. sadly, i’m not good at picking fonts, so here’s a pack of good ones that will for sure make your graphic look good.

i really like hand writing / messy looking fonts. the one i used is called shopping script and can be found here. place the text where ever you want.

aaaaand there you have it !! those are the two images side by side. you can go back to the very top and click the link to see both images in HD.

thank you for reading all this and making it this far, and good luck with photoshop !! i only started a year ago so that’s just proof that practice makes a huge difference :)

[gfriendomg435]

The League Dating App In Silver Firs Wa

Search for users that fit your criteria with Plenty of Fish. We allow you to narrow down our massive list of users to match what you are looking for. But there’s one app, The League—known as the Harvard of dating apps—that I feel anything but neutral about. The League wants you to know that it’s A-okay to be picky about who you date. . The League gives you just a handful of matches per day (potentially even fewer if your settings are really strict). 3-6 seems to be a norm. A lot of users say they’d prefer more. Many reviewers have noted that users of The League, while willing to meet, don’t seem to be quite as chatty in-app as on Tinder.

So what’s the deal with The League dating app?

Is The League really any better than Tinder? Worth sticking it out the waitlist to get in?

We scoured the internet for information and reviews so you don’t have to.

Here’s everything you need to know.

The League dating app cities

The League is currently open to singles in: • NYC • San Francisco • LA • Chicago • Boston • Washington DC • London • Philadelphia • Atlanta • Miami • Austin • Houston • Dallas • San Diego • Denver • Seattle • Toronto

The League Dating App In Silver Firs Way

How good do I have to be to get in?

A lot of people have questions about The League dating app requirements.

According to CEO, Amanda Bradford, the app was designed to appeal to people who value “ambition and intelligence above everything else.” So you want to exude these two things. Some pointers:

1. Give your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles a once-over before applying. Sometimes small changes make a huge difference, fast. Like if your FB profile pic has you in your zombie Halloween costume? Revert to whatever it was before.

Make sure your LinkedIn headline is current. Make sure the title you use makes sense to someone outside your company.

2. When applying, never leave your “About Me” blank. Talk about where you are in your life and where you want to go. (Read: smarts, ambition/vision/motivation/passion.)

3. Have good pics (!!!). The League CEO defines these as “clear, crisp photos showing a well-rounded life.”

Reasons The League is better than Tinder (PROS)

• Obviously, potential dates on The League come vetted. They’re more professionally-minded than your average person. You’re not likely to encounter bots or anyone too sketch. (Arrogant, maybe, but those guys are on Tinder too, unfortunately.)

• The timing of the app is easy to remember and act on. You get your matches every day at happy hour — 5pm.

• Unlike Tinder, The League equips you to filter matches to your heart’s content: by distance, age, height, ethnicity, religion, education, etc.

• The League filters out Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections. It is their way of saying, “That awkwardness needed to die.” And for that they deserve a thank you.

• The League doesn’t like flakiness, so users who don’t login for a long time or consistently don’t respond to matches get kicked out. (They have to pay a $25 “re-admit fee” if they decide to join up again.) So essentially: the app is doing the best it can to not waste your time.

Reasons The League is kinda “meh” (CONS)

• Some people stay on the waitlist for months and months. Waiting sucks.

• The anti-flakiness rules apply to you, too. So if you go inactive for a long time, don’t heart anyone, or consistently ignore messages, you run the risk of losing your spot on the app.

• The League gives you just a handful of matches per day (potentially even fewer if your settings are really strict). 3-6 seems to be a norm. A lot of users say they’d prefer more.

• Many reviewers have noted that users of The League, while willing to meet, don’t seem to be quite as chatty in-app as on Tinder. But this could easily be a pro or con, depending on your perspective.

Overall takeaway

The League is worth it if you share its essential values. It’s not if you don’t.

You value ambition in a partner? Intelligence and/or excellence in a subject of their interest? Then by golly, you’re going to like this app.

Got it? Good. Now if you want in, let’s get you in

The League Dating App In Silver Firs Washington State

Before you apply to The League, test your Facebook and LinkedIn pics on Photofeeler to make sure they are 👌.

The League Dating App In Silver Firs Washington Dc

Studies show that people are terrible at picking flattering photos of themselves. And nowhere is that more evident than on dating sites/apps.

Photofeeler tells you how you’re coming across in pics. That way, you only use your best ones. (And you might be shocked at which ones those are!)

Go to Photofeeler.com now and give it a try!

No-shows, catfishing, ghosting… we’ve all heard our share of online dating horror stories. At the same time, we progressively hear of more and more long-term partners who met on dating apps.

The League Dating App In Silver Firs Washington

So which app is right for you? These reviews and user stories will give you a feel for how Tinder, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, and The League connect people.

Tinder

Tinder created the standard gestures many dating apps have adopted: Swipe right to like, left to pass. As explained by tech writer Mark Jansen, you can swipe “up if you want to use one of your precious “super likes” to show them you really really like them.” Each use is armed with only a few Super Likes per day.

The biggest downside of Tinder? Only that it has been blamed for the fall of romance and the rise of hookup culture. As Nancy Jo Sales wrote in 2015 for Vanity Fair: “The innovation of Tinder was the swipe—the flick of a finger on a picture, no more elaborate profiles necessary and no more fear of rejection; users only know whether they’ve been approved, never when they’ve been discarded.”

This had led people to think of Tinder as more of a game and a competition to see how many matches and hookups can be achieved. They didn’t see it as a place to find meaningful relationships.

The League Dating App In Silver Firs Wa

Many still don’t, and it often gets classified as the “hookup app.” As Vice’s Emily Guendelsberger reports, one user named Shelby detailed her negative experience with a guy: “He started talking about how he makes so much money a year, high six figures. I just thought, ‘Dude, you’re rocking basketball shorts.’ But he kept going on and on about it, talking about his friend who’s a chef that opened up his own restaurant and only makes $100,000 a year.” Cut to a first date at a dollar taco shack, where Shelby was on a mission to escape the man as quickly as possible. He attempted his slickest moves to persuade her to come to his apartment, but she slid away, telling him to never call again.

Tinder isn’t exclusively full of guys like this, though. There are plenty of happy couples who met on the app. Take the story of 35-year old Carrie, who met her current love on Tinder. As Carrie explains to Cosmopolitan writer Lane Moore, she knew that it was real after a few messages: “Our conversation felt so natural and like we’d already been friends for years. He gave me his number within a day and then we started texting. About a week later, we met in person and we’ve been together ever since.”

Bumble

Unlike other apps, guys aren’t able to make the first move on Bumble.

Bumble “wants to enable women to be as confident in the dating sphere as they are in their professional lives,” says Grazia writer Edwina Langley. “Ensuring women make the first move, Bumble believes, starts the future relationship off on a more even keel.”

Bumble also includes profile information like career and education, so users have a basic understanding of potential matches’ backgrounds. LGBT+ women can use the dating app to find other women for romance, and Bumble’s BFF feature helps users find friendships.

One drawback to Bumble is that it doesn’t have a wide range of genders and sexualities represented, says Business Insider’s Avery Hartmans. “For those who identify with a different label, or prefer not to identify their gender at all, Bumble doesn’t provide that option yet.”

Another thing to keep in mind is that Bumble isn’t for women looking for an ego boost. Bumble asks women to put themselves out there — and that sometimes means being rejected. “If your self-esteem can’t take the potential (and likely) hit of not getting responses after putting yourself out there, this app’s not for you,” Abigail Yonker at The Everygirl writes.

On a positive note, a woman named Mary tells writer Alexia Dellner how Bumble reconnected her cousin with an old flame. The two had always had been interested in one another, but the timing was never right. When they found each other on Bumble, they knew it was the right time to see whether sparks would fly. They’ve been dating ever since.

Of course Bumble provides negative experiences as well. Communications consultant Julie Buckner wrote a Los Angeles Times article about her Bumble experience. When a man she met on Bumble agreed to fly to LA to meet her, she was elated. But then the man kept pushing their date back later and later, stringing her along hour by hour, until finally she realized it was never going to happen. Being stood up is horrible wherever you are, but being stood up after traveling hours through LA traffic is the stuff dating horror stories are made of.

Coffee Meets Bagel

One of the best features of Coffee Meets Bagel is that it helps eliminate mindless swiping. It does this by limiting the number of profiles you see each day, which in turn makes matches more thoughtful. This means that you can only swipe right (or, in this case, “like”) on a limited number of people in a single sitting.

“The service gives male users 21 curated matches every day that they can either like or pass on,” says entertainment writer Anna Burleson. “The women, in turn, get to see which men have liked them and decide whether to like them back. If they do, the matched pair can then chat for free.”

The app works by using “beans” as currency for gaining points and accessing special features.

Burleson explains how logging in and completing certain tasks, like rating user photos, can earn you more beans.

Coffee Meets Bagel recently rolled out a feature that allows users to comment on other people’s profiles before they’ve matched. “The hope is that by sending messages specific to that person’s profile like ‘I also traveled to Japan last year,’ users will have a better idea if a match will be worth their time,” VentureBeat reporter Anna Hensel writes.

This differs from most other dating apps, where a mutual like must be initiated in order for contact to occur. Some people enjoy the ability to contact a potential match before the feeling is declared mutual, while others find it leads to connections with people who are slightly, um, overbearing.

One user, Rebecca, a nonprofit grant writer, tells reporter Allison Fox about how she joined Coffee Meets Bagel because she was tired of trying to meet people in bars. When Rebecca met a man named Sohan for the first time, she liked that he had planned the date and was ready for unexpected events. He continued to show interest in her and plan ahead, unlike the other guys she was dating at the time.

“Here’s this guy who knows he likes me, knows he wants to spend time with me and he plans accordingly,” Rebecca says. “That was the first thing that made me think this guy is serious and cares about me.” When he proposed at a restaurant, she knew for certain the answer was yes.

A less successful experience on Coffee Meets Bagel comes from a user named Mark, who told his story to writer Alicia Chiang. Mark and his match were like two peas in a pod when chatting online. But when they met in person, they felt like strangers with nothing to say. The awkward silences led them to believe the match had been a mistake, and they didn’t talk again after that night.

The League

Like most dating apps, The League uses data from social media to auto-populate your profile. But unlike other apps, The League is more concerned with details about your accolades and accomplishments.

“Most apps gather personal information and photos from Facebook when they sign up,” Theo Miller writes in Forbes. “The League is integrated with LinkedIn because (LinkedIn’s) educational and professional information is more accurate.”

Another benefit of LinkedIn integration is a feature that blocks a user from seeing current coworkers (as well as Facebook friends!) on the app. This creates a much-appreciated separation between dating and work, as well as dating and social networks.

Career-minded individuals will have fewer bad matches to sort through when using The League, and the varying tiers of membership offer varying numbers of matches per day. With matches based on your preferences, you’ll only see people who meet your tastes to a T. If you’re in one of the 59 cities where The League operates, sign up for the waiting list. It can take some time to get approved, as applications are reviewed manually, unless you receive an invitation from a current user.

New Yorkers Tricia and Greg didn’t have to go far when they found love on The League. “We work essentially across the street from each other and would never have met had it not been for the League,” Tricia says. “We chatted for about two weeks on the app prior to meeting on December 2nd for our first date. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”

MyDomaine editor Gabrielle Savoie didn’t have as much luck on The League. She explains that while nothing negative happened, she’s still waiting to find her prince charming. “Each guy was certainly normal and well put-together and could hold a conversation — but no sparks have really flown yet.”

Dating is a tricky endeavor — to be successful, you might need time, patience, a certain availability to love, and a willingness to fail before you succeed. You also need the right dating app for you, and sometimes… a little bit of luck.

[recentanimenews]

Fantastic Fighting Action in Arc System Works’ Granblue Fantasy Versus Closed Beta

  When I was a kid, one of the most fun ideas around the lunch table was talking about who would win in a fight between favorite characters from various TV shows, anime, and other media. After discovering my love of fighting games, I started talking with people not just about who would win, but how would they play in a fighting game based around their property; who would have what types of moves, what would the system be like, all of those conversations of what-ifs and if-onlys seemed totally fanciful. After all, fighting games were usually original properties, and the history of most licensed fighting games was generally pretty grim. That all changed when Capcom branched out into their VS. series, bringing comic book characters and video game characters to their fighting game engines, giving us amazing titles like Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Nintendo gave us even more food for thought with the Smash Bros. series, pitting fan favorite Nintendo characters against each other in four player brawls. NetherRealms followed suit, giving us the Injustice series, and recently Arc System Works got in on the action with the Persona 4 Arena titles. The rebirth of fighting games seems to be now, and what better time to reignite those debates of “who would win” than with a game filled to the brim with colorful, unique characters: Granblue Fantasy!

In Granblue Fantasy Versus, players are given the ability to take on the role of various Granblue character summons and pit them against one another in fast paced, arcade style combat. Fans of Arcsys’ other fighting games such as Persona 4 Ultimax, Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, or Dragon Ball FighterZ will likely find Granblue Fantasy Versus quite welcoming, building upon many of the systems and Arcsys fighting game style that these games generally exude, while adding its own unique twists to the mix. If you’re new to fighting games, Granblue Fantasy Versus is actually very inviting, allowing players to use a simplified input system to pull of character’s special moves, and focusing on somewhat easy to learn but hard to master combat mechanics.

Each character has 3 base attacks, and a 4th specific ability unique to each character; Charlotta, for example, creates a barrier that blocks damage, and if an enemy is close enough will launch an automatic counter attack. These extra abilities help make every character feel unique and special, with the focus being on how these abilities match character personalities and fighting styles. In many cases, these abilities aid in mobility and defense, with specific and unique offensive capabilities in certain circumstances. As the game roster grows from what we were shown here, I’m eager to see the ways each character will be unique. This mechanic instantly reminded me of BlazBlue, where characters had similar 4 button layouts with one of them being a specific ability that only they had access too, such as Iron Tager’s magnetism mechanic.

Unlike games such as Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat, the focus in Granblue Fantasy Versus skews much more towards what fighting game players refer to as “anime games”, with one minor missing element: air dashing. Otherwise, there are a lot of similarities here between Granblue Fantasy Versus and other Arcsys games, showing that mechanically the company is relying on the solid basis of great games they’ve made before to keep branching out into new territory. As with Persona 4 Ultimax and Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy Versus puts a lot of emphasis on making the game match the universe it draws from. And aside from making characters play similar to their personalities and traits from the base Granblue Fantasy universe, the graphical touches and voice acting are also top notch, giving characters tons of personality as they fill up the screen.

In fact, this may be one of the “largest” Arcsys casts in recent memory, with every character, from the imposing Katalina to the diminutive Charlotta, taking up huge chunks of screen real estate; I was honestly pretty surprised by how large each character was, and the amount of detail in their animations and movements were extremely fluid, making them seem alive and breathing on the screen as they fought. Overall, Granblue Fantasy Versus is a gorgeous game, and the two stages on display in this beta gave a good indication of the types of arenas we can possibly look forward to, each with lots of vibrant detail, color, and background animations and actions to occasionally draw your eye to them in the midst of battle.

Of course, a fighting game is only as good as it plays, and in this regard I’m happy to say that I was very impressed with what I got to play of Granblue Fantasy Versus over the past few days. My personal tastes in fighting games tend to skew towards “anime fighters” to begin with, so I was at home with the inputs and style of fighting game that I was going to experience, but what really caught my eye was how deep and complex the seemingly simple systems really were. The player guide that was provided was a huge help, and I feel that when the game comes out, if it has a fully realized training mode, this game will prove to have a lot of options for players to tinker with and find optimal combo strings and patterns. The simplistic input option for special moves relies on using the R1 button and simple directional inputs, but I honestly found myself not using it after I had gotten used to the game, as it relies on tried and true fighting game inputs like quarter-circle movements and charge movements to accomplish characters’ special abilities.

That said, I think these simplistic options are a great addition to help players get accustomed to the game and feel like they can do one of the most important things in a fighting game for new people: do cool stuff! And, as I played more, I found that I could sometimes extend a combo or find a new combo path by combining traditional inputs with simplistic ones, something that I think will become potentially an interesting option for more seasoned players depending on what’s going on and what needs to be accomplished.

My most interesting take-away from the games I played was the importance of super meter moves (called Skybound Arts). Each character has at least 2, one that can be used when the super meter hits 100%, and another that can only be unleashed when your character hits a certain HP threshold. What I learned about these Skybound Arts is that most matches seem to only allow you to use them once per round, and knowing when to save your Skybound Art for a Critical Skybound Art, or when to use your regular one, can make all the difference between defeat and victory. Whiffing your super leaves you extremely vulnerable, but your opponent also knows that you won’t be doing that again! This isn’t to say that these Skybound Arts aren’t strong, as many of them can easily kill opponents with far more health than you’d imagine, meaning that knowing when and where to use them is extremely important.

I liked this mechanic a lot more than I thought I would at first, because I think it removes a somewhat constant crutch of some fighting games that allow super moves to become a fallback for when new players don’t do well. Relying on extremely strong moves that you can wait for and using on wake-up is an old strategy, but it makes you less aware of what you have available in your own character’s kit to save yourself. It also means that supers are very cinematic and feel, well, super, when they go off, making huge impacts on the outcomes of matches in ways that you may not normally expect. When a well timed block stopped my opponent’s super from winning them the match, I could feel the confidence drain from them as they proceeded to try and stall for time instead, knowing that they couldn’t expect to win against me now in straight on combat. In another match, I realized that if I used Charlotta’s regular Skybound Art, I’d be able to chip my opponent to death, and baited out an opening to use it, snatching a “cheap” but shocking victory from the jaws of near defeat.

Of the characters offered in the beta, I was really surprised by how varied each of them felt. Sometimes, fighting games tend to have characters that are very similar, using variations on fighting styles or other similar techniques. In this beta, each character not only felt totally unique, but each of their movesets and toolkits were totally specific to them, rather than built off of a singular framework with some minor tweaks here and there. Gran, Ferry, Charlotta, Lancelot and Katalina all feel as distinct in battle as they are in their visual styles, with each character fitting a specific style of fighting without really crossing over into the others’ territory. In some ways, I actually felt a similarity between this and Street Fighter 2 or Super Turbo, where characters became distinct by how they fought as much as how they looked.

Charlotta, the charge character offered in the demo, played totally different from Ferry, who utilizes zoning and range abilities to control the battlefield in her favor. Gran felt the most general or simplistic, but his power-up mechanic gives him avenues to change up how he plays, while Lancelot’s hit and run style means he can dish out huge damage with big combos, but can just as easily take tons of damage in return if he gets caught out. Katalina felt like a variation of Mitsuru from Persona 4 Arena, but I also found that she fulfills a very solid jill of all trades role, with her unique cancelling options from her ability giving her answers to numerous questions on offense and defense. I think in many ways Granblue Fantasy Versus will really succeed or fail after this based on the ability to build on these characters and their individual styles, giving every new playable character a wholly unique roll to fill in the roster. Based on previous Arcsys games like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue, I feel like there’s a strong potential for this to be the case, but I will always remain somewhat cautious about balance and match-up options in fighting games as they develop. Granblue Fantasy Versus feels balanced now, but that’s also because it has 5 characters available to play. How that will change over time remains to be seen.

Overall, I was incredibly surprised with how much I loved Granblue Fantasy Versus, and I’m looking forward to getting more time with the game as soon as Cygames offers us new tests leading up to a final release. The success of games like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Persona 4 Ultimax and BlazBlue Cross Tag shows that tie-in games from ArcSys have a lot of originality and life in them, and the integrity of the original material is maintained with the life that only a fighting game can really breathe into them. Hopefully Granblue Fantasy fans and fighting game fans alike find a lot to love here and support this game when it releases, as I’d love to see lots more out of this game and engine down the line. Until then, I’ll be rewatching combo videos and replays, waiting for my chance to take my beloved Charlotta back out onto the field of battle again!

Are you excited for Granblue Fantasy Versus? What character would you like to see added to the game? Are you new to fighting games, and curious because of the Granblue tie-in? Let us know in the comments!

----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[sailorrrvenus]

A Photographer’s Tips on Preparing to Pose for Actor Headshots

Your actor headshots, combined with your actor showreel, are the foundations of your actor profile. They are without a doubt a key marketing tool for your acting career. It’s important to prepare yourself in order to get the most out of your session.

If you are reading this, it is because you have booked or you are thinking of booking a headshots session. In this article, I’ll try to answer most of the common questions that we usually receive on how to prepare for your actor headshots session.

Clothing

The clothes you wear in your headshot are crucial; the type, color, and style can make the difference between having an effective headshot that gets you noticed and one that’s ignored. But figuring out what to wear is actually the third step in prepping for a headshot session.

The first thing you need to do is figure out your “type.” How are you realistically going to be cast? Are you going to get work as the doctor or lawyer are you a Russian spy or a private detective?

Once you determine the roles you’ll realistically be submitted for, practice creating the right emotions and expressions so you come across as that type in your photos.

Only after you are clear about your “type” you can think about wardrobe. So let’s dive in.

What to Bring?

For actor headshots, please bear in mind that you are selecting your outfits to create a character (the more different looks, the wider range for castings). Don’t select your clothes solely just because you look good in them, rather think about which outfits will help you portraying those characters the best.

Please remember to bring a range of different outfits. How many?, Unless you are coming for the refresher shoot (Adamantium) which is limited to two outfits, I would recommend 8 – 10, the more options the better!.

A top with a vivid color also helps to make the headshot stand out from the rest and “pop”. It is also a good idea to make this color match your eyes.

Make sure everything is ironed and looks neat. Unless casting is after “wrinkled shirt guy,” it’s not a good look.

Black and White Tops

A white or black t-shirt is always a safe bet and I always recommend having at least one headshot in this simple outfit. It kind of works… is it the most exciting? no. Can it make you look like a college grad? Potentially, but bring interesting black tops, vests for people happy with their arms can look great, a shirt can look great, white or black blouses.

Make sure you bring at least one Black and one White t-shirt when you prepare your bag for actor headshots.

Dark and Jewel Colors

I personally prefer darker colors on most people unless you have a really rich skin tone or loads of dark hair. Other colors that look great on camera are mustard, dark greens, blues, maroon, burgundy. Be bold and surprise me!

Your shots need to look good in color. The way the colors work together with you and your hair is important.

Dresses

Girls don’t forget you may have some nice dresses in your wardrobe where the top half and neckline are great. you can even wear them over your jeans, I won’t laugh or judge you.

Vests and Off-The-Shoulder

Yes, can look lovely, skin is a great way to bring color and a natural tone to the image, and necks and shoulders are a lovely feminine feature to show off.

Layer up with Jackets, Blazers and Coats

It’s also great to layer up clothes: Denim with a t-shirt is a solid casual young look. Leather jacket and t-shirt is “instant rock & roll”.

Blazers are fantastic if you’re a little older and can play corporate or cop/business type roles, or smart mums. Coats are really good but avoid big furry collars or oversized collars.

Smart and simple is best… duffle coats and bombers look too casual.

I rarely recommend turtle necks. In my opinion, it makes your neck look shorter and sometimes we end up having “floating head effect” in which your top blends too much with background making your head appear like its floating in the middle of the frame, not cool!

Patterns and Logos

Avoid crazy patterns. Some light patterns are fine and can be great for character shots, but mad neon tie-dye is out I’m afraid! Try and avoid heavy logos as well, as they are distracting sometimes.

Hair

Let’s talk about hair, and this is really important: Do not get your hair cut or colored the day before or, worse, the morning of the shoot.

Why risk it? It could go horribly wrong. Give it some breathing time so you know you’re really happy with it and you can control it.

Also, don’t come for headshots if you’re planning on cutting in a fringe a week later… pointless!

Everyone’s hair is obviously so different, but 9 times out of 10, girls if you have a long hairstyle, I LIKE (relatively) big hair, there I’ve said it. Also, here are my thoughts about parting: lots of girls come with neat center partings, but by the end of the shoot we’ve experimented and they prefer an off-center as it creates a bit more interest with the asymmetrical shape.

Layers

Layers can be tricky, if you stand in the mirror, tilt your chin down 10 degrees, and your hair falls in your face, it will probably do that for the whole shoot. So do you need to use some hairspray to keep it back open up the face a bit? does it look good with sections gripped back?

Hair up

Also have a think beforehand about what ‘hair up’ works best, if any? Very high ponytails and high buns often get lost off the top of the photo as we crop the top off a little bit. Does it look nice a bit lower? or even anything to the side or platted? just thinking out loud.

When to wash?

This sometimes takes military precision! Wash it first thing that morning and it can be too soft and not hold any shape or style, leave it too long and we don’t want greasy dirty hair either. Only you know your hair, but too clean can be a problem.

Shaving

You can shave during a session, but wet shaving doesn’t always work out. You can cut yourself, the skin can look a bit raw and aggravated and for guys we normally want to make the jaw look nice and strong, so baby face clean leaves no detail to hold some shadow. Of course, if you’re always clean shaven, don’t grow a beard for the shoot!

Makeup

Prepare your Make Up before coming for actor headshots. We have a make up table to do some touch-ups as you go.

Come with the same amount on as you would wear to a normal audition for you. If you’re a dancer may be a little less, as full dance make-up will probably be too heavy.

Most people like to start very neutral, just covering up blemishes, and a little around the eyes.

If you book a 30-minute session with me, it needs to be done beforehand — you won’t have time to do it in the room as that will probably be 15 minutes of your session gone already.

Feel free to add more as you go and develop your look.

Fake Tan

Generally, no. If it’s super subtle and you know what you’re doing fine. If your neck is a different color to your face, it will look stupid.

Fake Lashes

Normally a bit too much, but if you wear them all the time, then we need the photos to look like you so fine, but it’s probably a bit over the top for most people.

Lipstick

A tinted gloss is normally a good way to start, it gives a little shine and color whilst being subtle. A nude color works nicely. You might want to do one look with color on your lips if a more dramatic and sassy look is useful for your bracket. I can’t think of ever getting a good shot with dark purples or browns.

Rest and Recovery

Preparing your skin and lips before the shoot as much as you can is also advised. Sleep, lots of water, no late nights, cut out fatty foods and chocolate if you can.

Spare a thought for your lips as well, dry cracked lips can be quite noticeable, lots of vaseline and lip salve to moisturize them leading up to the shoot might help.

Guys

I rarely think you need any make-up. If it’s a spot we can clean it up easier in the retouching stage. Under-eyes maybe a little will help if they’re bad. Don’t do anything unless you’re really confident with what you’re doing.

I hope you found this article helpful to prepare for your actor headshots. Do you have any other tips that help you prepare for headshots or portraits? Feel free to share with us in the comments below!

About the author: Roberto Vivancos is an internationally published photographer and actor with over fifteen years of experience specializing in the areas of headshot and commercial photography. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Whether shooting in his own London studio environment or on location worldwide, Vivancos’s clients range from models, actors, singers, bands, and dancers. His bold cinematic style inherited from 80’s films, Japanese anime and superhero comics uses dramatic lighting techniques to bring his subjects to life. You can find more of his work on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This article was also published here.

source https://petapixel.com/2019/04/04/a-photographers-tips-on-preparing-to-pose-for-actor-headshots/

[pauldeckerus]

A Photographer’s Tips on Preparing to Pose for Actor Headshots

Your actor headshots, combined with your actor showreel, are the foundations of your actor profile. They are without a doubt a key marketing tool for your acting career. It’s important to prepare yourself in order to get the most out of your session.

If you are reading this, it is because you have booked or you are thinking of booking a headshots session. In this article, I’ll try to answer most of the common questions that we usually receive on how to prepare for your actor headshots session.

Clothing

The clothes you wear in your headshot are crucial; the type, color, and style can make the difference between having an effective headshot that gets you noticed and one that’s ignored. But figuring out what to wear is actually the third step in prepping for a headshot session.

The first thing you need to do is figure out your “type.” How are you realistically going to be cast? Are you going to get work as the doctor or lawyer are you a Russian spy or a private detective?

Once you determine the roles you’ll realistically be submitted for, practice creating the right emotions and expressions so you come across as that type in your photos.

Only after you are clear about your “type” you can think about wardrobe. So let’s dive in.

What to Bring?

For actor headshots, please bear in mind that you are selecting your outfits to create a character (the more different looks, the wider range for castings). Don’t select your clothes solely just because you look good in them, rather think about which outfits will help you portraying those characters the best.

Please remember to bring a range of different outfits. How many?, Unless you are coming for the refresher shoot (Adamantium) which is limited to two outfits, I would recommend 8 – 10, the more options the better!.

A top with a vivid color also helps to make the headshot stand out from the rest and “pop”. It is also a good idea to make this color match your eyes.

Make sure everything is ironed and looks neat. Unless casting is after “wrinkled shirt guy,” it’s not a good look.

Black and White Tops

A white or black t-shirt is always a safe bet and I always recommend having at least one headshot in this simple outfit. It kind of works… is it the most exciting? no. Can it make you look like a college grad? Potentially, but bring interesting black tops, vests for people happy with their arms can look great, a shirt can look great, white or black blouses.

Make sure you bring at least one Black and one White t-shirt when you prepare your bag for actor headshots.

Dark and Jewel Colors

I personally prefer darker colors on most people unless you have a really rich skin tone or loads of dark hair. Other colors that look great on camera are mustard, dark greens, blues, maroon, burgundy. Be bold and surprise me!

Your shots need to look good in color. The way the colors work together with you and your hair is important.

Dresses

Girls don’t forget you may have some nice dresses in your wardrobe where the top half and neckline are great. you can even wear them over your jeans, I won’t laugh or judge you.

Vests and Off-The-Shoulder

Yes, can look lovely, skin is a great way to bring color and a natural tone to the image, and necks and shoulders are a lovely feminine feature to show off.

Layer up with Jackets, Blazers and Coats

It’s also great to layer up clothes: Denim with a t-shirt is a solid casual young look. Leather jacket and t-shirt is “instant rock & roll”.

Blazers are fantastic if you’re a little older and can play corporate or cop/business type roles, or smart mums. Coats are really good but avoid big furry collars or oversized collars.

Smart and simple is best… duffle coats and bombers look too casual.

I rarely recommend turtle necks. In my opinion, it makes your neck look shorter and sometimes we end up having “floating head effect” in which your top blends too much with background making your head appear like its floating in the middle of the frame, not cool!

Patterns and Logos

Avoid crazy patterns. Some light patterns are fine and can be great for character shots, but mad neon tie-dye is out I’m afraid! Try and avoid heavy logos as well, as they are distracting sometimes.

Hair

Let’s talk about hair, and this is really important: Do not get your hair cut or colored the day before or, worse, the morning of the shoot.

Why risk it? It could go horribly wrong. Give it some breathing time so you know you’re really happy with it and you can control it.

Also, don’t come for headshots if you’re planning on cutting in a fringe a week later… pointless!

Everyone’s hair is obviously so different, but 9 times out of 10, girls if you have a long hairstyle, I LIKE (relatively) big hair, there I’ve said it. Also, here are my thoughts about parting: lots of girls come with neat center partings, but by the end of the shoot we’ve experimented and they prefer an off-center as it creates a bit more interest with the asymmetrical shape.

Layers

Layers can be tricky, if you stand in the mirror, tilt your chin down 10 degrees, and your hair falls in your face, it will probably do that for the whole shoot. So do you need to use some hairspray to keep it back open up the face a bit? does it look good with sections gripped back?

Hair up

Also have a think beforehand about what ‘hair up’ works best, if any? Very high ponytails and high buns often get lost off the top of the photo as we crop the top off a little bit. Does it look nice a bit lower? or even anything to the side or platted? just thinking out loud.

When to wash?

This sometimes takes military precision! Wash it first thing that morning and it can be too soft and not hold any shape or style, leave it too long and we don’t want greasy dirty hair either. Only you know your hair, but too clean can be a problem.

Shaving

You can shave during a session, but wet shaving doesn’t always work out. You can cut yourself, the skin can look a bit raw and aggravated and for guys we normally want to make the jaw look nice and strong, so baby face clean leaves no detail to hold some shadow. Of course, if you’re always clean shaven, don’t grow a beard for the shoot!

Makeup

Prepare your Make Up before coming for actor headshots. We have a make up table to do some touch-ups as you go.

Come with the same amount on as you would wear to a normal audition for you. If you’re a dancer may be a little less, as full dance make-up will probably be too heavy.

Most people like to start very neutral, just covering up blemishes, and a little around the eyes.

If you book a 30-minute session with me, it needs to be done beforehand — you won’t have time to do it in the room as that will probably be 15 minutes of your session gone already.

Feel free to add more as you go and develop your look.

Fake Tan

Generally, no. If it’s super subtle and you know what you’re doing fine. If your neck is a different color to your face, it will look stupid.

Fake Lashes

Normally a bit too much, but if you wear them all the time, then we need the photos to look like you so fine, but it’s probably a bit over the top for most people.

Lipstick

A tinted gloss is normally a good way to start, it gives a little shine and color whilst being subtle. A nude color works nicely. You might want to do one look with color on your lips if a more dramatic and sassy look is useful for your bracket. I can’t think of ever getting a good shot with dark purples or browns.

Rest and Recovery

Preparing your skin and lips before the shoot as much as you can is also advised. Sleep, lots of water, no late nights, cut out fatty foods and chocolate if you can.

Spare a thought for your lips as well, dry cracked lips can be quite noticeable, lots of vaseline and lip salve to moisturize them leading up to the shoot might help.

Guys

I rarely think you need any make-up. If it’s a spot we can clean it up easier in the retouching stage. Under-eyes maybe a little will help if they’re bad. Don’t do anything unless you’re really confident with what you’re doing.

I hope you found this article helpful to prepare for your actor headshots. Do you have any other tips that help you prepare for headshots or portraits? Feel free to share with us in the comments below!

About the author: Roberto Vivancos is an internationally published photographer and actor with over fifteen years of experience specializing in the areas of headshot and commercial photography. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Whether shooting in his own London studio environment or on location worldwide, Vivancos’s clients range from models, actors, singers, bands, and dancers. His bold cinematic style inherited from 80’s films, Japanese anime and superhero comics uses dramatic lighting techniques to bring his subjects to life. You can find more of his work on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This article was also published here.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2019/04/04/a-photographers-tips-on-preparing-to-pose-for-actor-headshots/

[colourmyliving]

I was going for 65-inch but the missus said it is too big and wanted me to go with a 55-inch instead. 60-inch was a compromise. There aren’t many panels at this size and the 60-inch LG is a mid to high-end panel with plenty of appealing features and a premium look.

Features at a glance

LG Super UHD TV is the pinnacle of LG LED TV

Nano Cell™ technology, for precise colour

Billion Rich Colours – More of the colours you love

Genuine LED innovation and Nano particle precision

The optimal viewing experience from any angle

Multi HDR with Dolby Vision™ unlike other HDRs

Top 8 Reason Why I Chose the LG 60-inch Super UHD TV

Apart from being the right size, not too big that they dominate the room, and not too small that it won’t pass for a big panel display, here are five reasons why I went for the LG SJ810 series. Note that other sizes within the series starts from 49-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch. These are 2017 models so if you can still find them, the price tag would have come down considerably.

1. Amazing Colour:

We have always been very impressed with LG’s panels. When browsing for a suitable LED panel to buy, we had a look at many different screens and we always come back to LG for the sheer brilliance and colour thanks to the Nano Cell Technology. The Nano Cell display offers more precise colour, a wider colour gamut with  advanced 10 bit processing unit to expand the colour spectrum and project billions of colours, shades and hues.

The TV has a billion colour panel offering 64-times broader colour range compared to conventional TV for a more lifelike picture.

2. Deep Black

Black are not as dark as compared to OLED panels but deep enough. We couldn’t fault the OLED display with its 1 to infinity contrast. There is no way an LED panel can match the contrast from self lighting pixel on OLED panels. But you are going to have to pay more for OLED. At the time of writing, OLED panels at equivalent size are still pricey, some more than double the price of LED.

There is no way that the black is going to be as deep as that on the OLED but here is a very well executed LED panel with sufficient black.

3. Outstanding Picture Quality

I couldn’t stress enough this point. The biggest reason why I fell for the LG SJ810 is because of its outstanding picture quality. When compared to other LED panels, LG with its Nano Cell technology just stands out. The technology offers amazing picture quality with uniform colour volume thanks to its consistently placed pixels, one nanometer apart, hence the name Nano Cell technology.

4. Wider Viewing Angle

One of the tests we do when reviewing big screen TV is the viewing angles. We do a sweep from side to side, changing viewing angles to see how the panel performs. When you have all televisions lined up horizontally, it’s even easier to pick up which performs the best. Simply stand at 45-degree to the right or left of all the panels and look at the display from where you are. The brightest panel when viewed from an angle will be your best choice.

LG SJ810 covers this with accurate colour and contrast at any angle achieving 100% color gamut up to 60-degrees off axis, credit to IPS and Nano Cell technology. Cheaper models do not support Nano Cell Technology so you have been warned.

On conventional panels colours also tend to distort when viewing off-centre. Again, LG’s Nano Cell Display enhances off-centre colour consistency and reduces colour distortion caused by viewing angle. The Nano Cell records 100% colour gamut at angles up to 60 degrees off-centre. So it doesn’t matter if you are sat on the right or left couch, 60% of people watch TV off axis, you are assured of rich, deep and wide colour with plenty of contrast.

5. Active HDR with Dolby Vision

We know we are going to be the TV to stream Netflix and Amazon Prime content either 4K or Full HD and wanted more than just broadcast level HDR. LG SJ810 supports Active HDR with scene by scene optimisation and automatic switching between several High Dynamic Range algorithms. These are HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision. We knew that going with Samsung and Panasonic panels leave us with only HDR10 and HDR10 Plus apart from HLG. We like knowing that the extra formatting ability, Dolby Vision on the LG SJ810 and there when we stream Netflix content, and it doesn’t let us down.

Netflix supports Dolby Vision

Amazon Prime Video supports HDR10 and HDR10 Plus

Broadcast TV supports HLG

The advantage of Dolby Vision is that every scene contains dynamic metadata for optimised picture quality within every frame. HDR10 and HLG does not support scene by scene dynamic switching. You can find out more about the different High Dynamic Range algorithms in our article How to Choose the Right 4K Ultra HD Large Screen TV.

6. Excellent Quality Audio

The sound department is never an area that big screen televisions are good at. In making the television slim and surrounding bezel as small as possible, the sound system is usually compromised. This is not the case with LG SJ810. Even without a sound bar or external sound system, the LG SJ810 performs exceptionally well without cracking at high volume. For the panel, LG used high quality sound from Harmon/Kardon. The result, an all immersive sound experience enough to carry a theatrical feature without a sound bar or separate active woofer.

If you don’t have the money to buy both the TV and sound system in one go,  the audio system by Harman/Kardon is a blessing, pushing a balanced sound performance with good mid-range and crystal clear conversation.

For even better quality sound, we would still recommend a multipoint theatre sound system or Dolby Atmos capable sound bar. This is after all a super thin TV with limited room and space to push the low range.

7. WebOS and Magic Remote

We are still getting used to the system as there are still many features we have yet to take full advantage of. The smart software supports Netflix, Prime, Now TV, iPlayer and FreeView hub service (also known as Freeview Play), Youtube, Web browsing, TV guide, USB content (music or video) and more. YouTube browsing and viewing is great. The interface doesn’t take up the entire screen but only a sliding launcher bar at the bottom of the display. This lets you quickly access frequently used apps without much effort. The current vision is WebOS 3.5.

WebOS supports direct 4K streaming from Netflix, Amazon and YouTube so you can take advantage of the Ultra HD panel’s capability immediately given the right 4K HDR content.

The Magic Remote combines normal buttons, voice and on-screen pointer navigation. With the buttons, we use mainly the directional and scroll wheel the most to navigate and click on the option we want. Voice search using the remote is a bonus, saves one from typing. The system is smart enough to search across all streaming sources and offers it as a keyword search for the browser as a last resort.

iOS and Android app available should you prefer to type. Smartphone and table apps also let you share your media to the TV. We tried 4K and Full HD video content from iPhone streaming via the app straight to the big screen and it worked really well. The family can relive the moments with videos capture during our holiday together without a computer.

The voice remote with motion control and cursor makes browsing the Smart OS easy. Some users have complained that the remote is confusing and it takes time to understand but we don’t think so. I get it, the disconnect between the motions sensor for pointing and clicking does take a little getting used to. The dedicated Netflix and Amazon button is handy for us as streamers.

8. Cheaper

We mentioned this point before and will make it here again. LEDs are still ultimately cheaper. If you are on a budget but still want a panel that can hold a candle to OLED panel, only the Samsung QLEDs or mid to high end LEDs will do. And, the LG SJ810 is not one to let us down. Considering the price of the LG, when compared to OLED TVs, this really is the sensible choice.

Caveat: We don’t watch live tv anymore so cannot comment on the tuner or broadcast TV quality.

What Could Be Better

Two things we noticed with the panel, when the system is loading WebOS, the smart TV software, with the pointer or cursor moving over the screen, you can’t help but notice a light glow around the cursor and sometimes a long vertical streak. LG has since corrected this with updates using a light grey background in the load screen for Netflix or Amazon Prime. the colour bleed and this is especially prevalent especially when the whole screen or scene is black. Local dimming can be hard to achieve with the aforementioned issue with some areas insufficiently dimmed.

We also picked up juddering with fast motion scenes but this could be lack of frames or video data from the source. We don’t always see this so it doesn’t bother us much. When you do see it, especially where there are sudden panning or movement, you can sense a skip frame or two. Still some games are pretty happy with the result and can voice that even with a high motion game, the response time in game more is close to 15ms.

We have fairly bright living room with natural light during the day from the windows, and soft lighting in the evening, the panel performs well and with the right tweak, these flaws are not noticeable.

One last thing, we picked up a little lag in audio output between the optical output and the on-board Harman Kardon speakers. It is not enough to call out or make the video and audio stream seems out of sync. We just mute the sound from the TV’s onboard speaker and use the external multi-channel surround sound sound. A dedicated AV receiver with Dolby Atmos surround that supports high resolution audio and 4K passthrough will alleviate this issue.

Specifications

Display Display Type LED with IPS Size 60-inch Resolution 3840 x 2160 Audio Audio Output 20W Speaker System 2.0 channel Harman Kardon Yes Surround Sound ULTRA surround Magic Sound Tuning Yes Hi-Fi Audio Yes LG Sound Sync yes DTS Decoder Yes Audio Codec AC3(Dolby Digital), EAC3, HE-AAC, AAC, MP2, MP3, PCM, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS Express, WMA, apt-X Smart TV WebOS 3.5 Magic Remote Included Natural Voice Recognition Yes Universal Control Yes Web Browser Yes Music Player Yes Freeview Play Yes Connectivity HDMI 4 ARC (Audio Return Channel) Yes USB 3 (1 x 3.0) LAN 1 CI Slot 1 RF In 2 (RF, Sat) WiFi Yes Digital Audio Out (optical) Headphone out / Line out 01-Jan WiDi (PC to TV) Miracast (Mobile to TV mirroring) Simplink (HDMI CEC Yes Network File Browser Yes Broadcast System Digital TV Reception (Terrestrial, Cable, Satellite) EPG 8 days Digital Recording Yes Power Energy Saving Mode Yes Energy Efficiency Class A+ Standby Power Consumption 0.5W Dimensions and Weight Size without Stand 1344 x 774 x 64 Size with Stand 1344.x 835 x 313 VESA 300 x 300 Weight (TV) 20.8 kg Weight (TV + Stand) 22.3 kg

LG 60-inch 60SJ810 Super UHD TV: the rare 60″ 4K panel with Dolby Vision I was going for 65-inch but the missus said it is too big and wanted me to go with a 55-inch instead.

[automaticreviewwhispers-blog]

Entertainment Articles From AMAZINES.COM Page 16

We have workstations and desks that fit correct in, wherever they're required - regardless of whether that's in a child's bedroom as portion of a brightly-coloured homework haven, or inside the clean, minimalist lines of a higher-tech workplace. There are wood-impact desks whose comforting, all-natural appears combine very easily with practical attributes like drawers and cupboards to preserve paperwork and office clutter tidily stashed away. For a contemporary, super fashionable and stunning look, you might opt for tiled light or even set up numerous backlit glass panels. This will generate effectual lighting around the workstation and your countertops. Pc wellness and safety can be seriously affected by EMF (electromagnetic field radiation.) This can be avoided by making use of wired networks as opposed to wi-fi or wireless networks. It's achievable to grow to be a tree surgeon without having any qualifications. Functioning with a expert is a excellent way to achieve knowledge. However payment is typically poor when an individual is operating without any qualifications. There are a quantity of distinct certifications and accreditation certificates which can be achieved alongside function knowledge. Contacting the Arboricultural Association is greatest for much more data. The very good feng shui position for your bed is of chief value simply because in contemporary society, it is not uncommon getting a Tv or even a computer inside the bedroom. In addition, it is also believed that the fantastic feng shui location could actually, relieve irritability, some stresses, and even particular health problems or issues. Obtaining observed my mother's set-up, I decided that a corner desk would be the ideal solution. Not only does it maximize space and get rid of monitor glare although enabling me to look out the window, but also, it puts the cat within arm's attain and positions the cat bed in the window. Our sit & stand desk workstation is made to give you and your needs throughout the entire day. With one touch, you can switch your position to sitting or standing, and keep a balanced level of your activities. The workstation functions an strategy to an arm that is designed for comfort and offers effortless movement to you where you can basically raise or lower the platform with one touch of the lever. You can smoothly adjust the standing desk to match your exact height specifications, alternatively of deciding on from predetermined heights. You can also adjust the tension according to the weight of monitors, laptops and other things on the platform, to make your encounter effortless. Attributes The only memory attempted, tested and assured by Toshiba. Supplies a price efficient enhance to overall program overall performance. Expands method memory rapidly and simply. Blink, Drink and Splash at the Sink - The flicker price of monitors causes our eyes to blink significantly less and as a result dry out. Writers, try receiving into the habit of blinking every single time you read or variety a period. Designers, use the moving of an image as your reminder. Drink lots of water and make a point of wetting your eyes each time you use the restroom. Provided the workstation's current subnet mask, the IPv4 Address of the workstation and the Default Gateway are not on the very same network. In addition, the subnet mask is not the default subnet mask for the Class C IP address variety being utilized. With 255.255.255.240 as a subnet mask, the network would only include addresses from 192.168..48 to 192.168..63. The IP address for Server (192.168..ten) and the ISP fall outdoors of this range. The details in step four confirms that the default subnet mask for the Class C IP address variety (255.255.255.) is getting employed. On sale now at inexpensive price, specific discounts and quickly shipping. I am really satisfied with their attributes and hugely advocate it to someone wanting for a superb item with the valuable specifications at an low cost. You can study testimony from consumers to find out more from their encounter. SixBros. Computer Desk - Computer Workstation - Office Desk - Glass/Silver-Grey - CT-3783/40 has worked advantageous for me and I hope it would do wonders on you also. So why spend a lot a lot more time? Appreciate oneself, you understand exactly where to purchase the greatest ones. If you take a appear at the line of beds supplied by Style Bed Group, you may possibly uncover the inspiration you are seeking for, with a number of diverse types available that will aid you maximize the space in a tiny room, especially you children's rooms. They offer an incredible line of children's beds. One way to make space in these modest rooms is to use a trundle day bed. This is specifically helpful in a space shared by two youngsters, enabling one bed to be place away for the duration of the day so that there is far more room to move about and play or do college function. Daybeds can also function as couches during the day for watching tv, playing video games, or reading a book. On sale now at cheap price tag, promo discounts and quickly shipping. I am truly satisfied with the qualities and very suggest it to somebody hunting for a best high quality item with the useful specifications at an affordable. You can read assessment from buyers to locate out much more from their encounter. Home Workplace Furniture - Completely Assembled - Overshelf- Hutch - English Oak - Wood Impact... FOR USE IN: study bedroom lounge conservatory WE ALSO MAKE: cupboard strategy chest hideaway desk draw drawers table cost-free standing personal computer unit skirting clearance has worked useful for me and I hope it will do wonders on you also. Why then invest a lot far more time? Get pleasure from yourself, you recognize where to shop the greatest ones. At the moment getting adapted for quadriplegics by signifies of an alternative pc manage method (ACCS) which areas a manage unit in the mouth to do all of the function and permit for breathing, drinking, talking, smoking at the very same time. Use haptic feedback for warnings - vibrations are send to the user as a warning of a incorrect action taken. Investigation has consistently shown that haptic feedback is more effective even when there are distractions such as higher background noise. In addition, it is tough to ignore and can't be muted when compared to auditory warnings. On sale now at reasonably priced price tag, particular discounts and quick shipping. I am genuinely happy with their features and highly recommend it to a person browsing for a good quality product with the helpful specifications at an low. You can read assessment from consumers to uncover out a lot more by way of their expertise. Eliza Tinsley Higher Back Operator Chair 505FB - Blue has worked wonders for me and I hope it would do wonders on you too. Why then waste much much more time? Appreciate your self, you know where to acquire the best ones. A walking workstation signifies less stress on your back and nerves. It leads to less flab around the middle and poor postures. It leads to much better circulation, therefore cutting down the danger for diabetes mellitus or peripheral vascular disease as it increases circulation to the decrease extremities. Select CD/DVD (IDE) and below the Connection settings, select Use ISO Image File. Click the Browsebutton and navigate to the Darwin_Snow.iso which is situated in your Snowy_VM folder. Click the Openbutton to select the virtual machine. Thanks for your help prasetio30. I will be publishing hubs on neck, upper back and upper chest stretches and workouts in future hubs. The volunteers were connected to an exercise monitoring device installed on their computers, which tracked their activity and gave them true time feedback on pedaling speed, distance covered, and how a lot of calories they burnt. client-server A type of laptop networking exactly where the information or web application is hosted on a server and accessed by client computers. There are a number of staff roles you should grow to be familiar with. They are the Warden, Associate Wardens, Unit Manager, Case Manager, Counselor, Correctional Officers, and Camp Unit Secretary. Occupational Health and Security (OH&S) provisions are now in location to make sure that absolutely everyone has access to an ergonomic workplace workstation. The factors to appear for in workplace furnishings are: the angle of arms and wrists the angle and height of personal computer monitors cabling specifications (there should constantly be easy access to the mouse and telephone) the height of keyboards the seat height in relation to the desk height and that workplace furnishings has a matte finish that minimises glare. Make certain that any paper documents that you are reading are placed as close to the computer monitor as attainable and that these are at a related angle - use a document holder where feasible. Suggestions are advised practices that are developed for particular tasks and industries. These are voluntary, not mandatory. Employers use the suggestions to identify and modify risks in the workplace. Implementing these practices reduces injuries associated to the way folks do their jobs. Pay a visit to nowadays for far more details relating to why Full Circle Solutions Group is considered one of the top Lancaster PA computer services provider. As one of the premier Lancaster PA pc networks businesses, Full Circle Options Group continues to give its consumers with unparalleled service. High-performance CPUs : although RISC in its early days (early 1980s) provided roughly an order-of-magnitude functionality improvement more than CISC processors of comparable price, one particular loved ones of CISC processors, Intel 's x86 , usually had the edge in market share and the economies of scale that this implied. By the mid-1990s, some x86 CPUs had accomplished overall performance on a parity with RISC in some areas, such as integer efficiency (albeit at the expense of greater chip complexity), relegating the latter to even a lot more high-finish markets for the most part. The reclining position also promotes blood circulation and prevents swelling of the legs, enabling for much more relaxed working and improved focusi on laptop work. This makes it possible for the employee to be in a position of siphoning valuable info out and hold it against the organisation for a ransom, or to sell it in the black industry,” he says. For the air flow filtration that greatest works with the structure of my new desk style and requirements, I decided to go with 120 mm Vortex fans (x five), which all have PWM handle. The modulatrC-styled frame design extends one or more LCD monitors straight overhead and in front of the user and makes it simple to integrate new platforms, PCs and entertainment devices. This is Tiffany Morris from United States but, at present I stay in Mumbai, India. I have been working as a manager in ztechsolutions organization for 3 years. Return to the principal interface of Kaspersky and click Update button => Click Run update” button. Please wait until the update is total and check the database.

Thanks for the visit Paris. Barbara is on Facebook. You ought to post to her wall and let her know you identified her info helpful. I am certain she'd love to hear it. I have a Minolta SRT101, but alas, no one particular tends to make or develops 35mm film that I know of. I loved taking pics with that Minolta. It was a very fine camera. A novices guide - finding out code refactoring in Python. How to refactor to make your code more Pythonic. computer desks ikea Lots of truly cool ideas all rolled collectively. I like the thought of a Pc case inside a desk. For your sake, I hope the ATX form issue doesn't go out of style anytime quickly! It is argued that a clean desk aids in maintaining thoughts unobstructed during function. Even though it is accurate for some, others feel free of charge to decorate their function stations according to their tastes. Decorating desk with personal things is a continuous reminder that you have a life away from your desk as well. The most considerable gear to contemplate is the workplace chair. A combination of poor postural balance by way of improper pelvic manage, typically triggered by lack of physical exercising , creates a cyclical pattern of chronic musculoskeletal injuries. Please note: This item is non-returnable as it is produced to order. The computer and accessories featured in the item photos are not included. Please Get in touch with Us or call for much more information on 01733 511121. The steel on the desk is black in colour, and the wood is mahogany-stained and is nevertheless in wonderful shape. There is a few scratches on the side and on the top that was designed in the course of the delivery. The desk also has two file cabinet with 3 drawers with locks and keys. All mounting bracket, fasteners, and screws are offered.

[miamibeerscene]

10 Beer and Food Pairings That Wow Craft Brewers

Credit: CraftBeer.com

May 17, 2017

An expertly handcrafted beer from a small and independent craft brewer is a beautiful thing, but pair that beer with the right food and the results can change both the food and the beer in ways you’d never expect.

We asked brewers and brewery founders across the country to share their favorite craft beer and food pairings. The results will inspire you to think outside the box the next time you choose a perfect bite for your favorite beer.

(MORE: SAVOR’S 10th Anniversary Brings Exciting Changes)

Danny McMahon, Door County Brewing Co. Head Brewer | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Pastoral Farmhouse Ale + Pad Thai

“We brew a lot of Belgian beers and that style lends itself so well to food,” says Danny McMahon of Door County Brewing Co. in Bailey’s Harbor, Wisconsin. He got his start homebrewing in college and eventually went to brewing school. When his family had the opportunity to open a brewery in Bailey’s Harbor, he was a clear fit for head brewer.

(MORE: CraftBeer.com Flavor Triangle)

McMahon shares that living in a rural area, they don’t have access to a wide variety of Asian-inspired ingredients. But there is one Asian dish his family makes often, and it is his favorite to pair with their Pastoral Farmhouse Ale. “Pad Thai is one thing we can find all the ingredients for so we make a lot of Pad Thai at home,” he says. “Belgian saisons have super dry spice complex without bombarding you with 50 different flavors,” he says. This allows for the aromatics and spiciness of Southeast Asian foods, specifically their Pad Thai, to pair well with the juicy character of the yeast and the aromatics of the saison.

Ting Su, Eagle Rock Brewery Co-Founder | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Yearling American Wild Ale + Lamb

“I grew up in a restaurant family so I am essentially the palate for the team,” says Eagle Rock Brewery co-founder, Ting Su. That team includes Su along with her husband and her father-in- law who were avid homebrewers before the three opened the brewery in Los Angeles. Su is also the founder of the Women’s Beer Forum, an educational forum that meets once per month and has hosted as many as 70 participants per meeting. “We incorporate pairings quite a bit,” she says, adding that a recent forum topic was pairing beer with baking.

Su’s favorite pairing is their Yearling, an American wild ale, with gamey meat, specifically lamb. “The funkiness matches really nicely with the gaminess,” she says as she explains why the beer works so well with the meat. It’s a balance of the richness that comes from the meat with the acidity of the wild ale.

Jason Alexander, Free Range Brewing Co-founder & Brewer | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Cream of the Crop Cream Ale + Eastern Carolina Barbecue

When asked about his favorite food to pair with beer, brewer, Jason Alexander, immediately says, “Eastern Carolina barbecue.” “Whole hog, wood-smoked and vinegar-based sauce. Those are non-negotiable,” he states when asked to define that type of barbecue.

At Charlotte’s Free Range Brewing, their beers change all the time, but they do keep one staple beer on the menu and it is his favorite to pair with the barbecue. Cream of the Crop, a cream ale brewed with North Carolina malted grains, has a crisp sweetness that is balanced by the acidity of the pig. Alexander also adds, “Cornbread or hush puppies are served with it and they augment the flavor of the beer.”

But for him, this pairing is as much about the company as the flavors. Eastern Carolina barbecue is almost always a gathering food. “It’s not just eating, but eating with people you care about being around,” says Alexander. It makes both the food and the beer comforting and delicious.

Bailey Spaulding, Jackalope Brewing Co. CEO & Brewmaster | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Rampo Red Rye Ale + Banana Pudding

Jackalope Brewing Company in Nashville was established because of brewmaster Bailey Spaulding’s love for beer. She describes it as, “A passion for creating something, and the perfect blend of art and science.” The brewmaster also adds, “Being an active part of your community is a fun way to spend your time.”

According to Spaulding, one of their beers that has somewhat of a local cult following is Rampo, a red rye ale. She describes it as being like an Irish red, but with some spice that comes from the rye. Her pick for a pairing? Banana pudding. Specifically, banana pudding from the popular hot chicken spot, Haddie B’s. “It has a nice malty backbone. Rye gives it some spice and it dries out in the finish,” Spaulding says of the beer. It’s these qualities that balance out the sweet creaminess of the dessert.

Robyn Schumacher, Stoup Brewing Co-Founder & Brewer | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Stoup’s Robust Porter + Short Ribs

Robyn Schumacher’s brewing inspiration comes from the camaraderie of the brewing community and the joy of harvesting the power of living organisms to create a beverage that brings happiness. “Before I’d even tried craft beer, I loved the communal aspect of drinking beer with friends at parties, around campfires and in loud bars,” says the brewer and Certified Cicerone.

(WATCH: Stoup Brewing on the Art & Science of Craft Beer)

Regarding her favorite food and beer pairing, “There are so many delicious options! Don’t make me choose!” she jokes. She shares that there is a strong Vietnamese community in Seattle and that her wife is Vietnamese making the cuisine one of her go-to favorites. Vietnamese short ribs with Stoup Brewing Robust Porter is her favorite combination. Schumacher explains, “The short ribs are slightly sweet so the maltiness of the porter complements the dark, caramelized sugars. We use several types of roasted malts in our porter, so the grilled beef and the roasted malts are a natural complement. The roasted malts also cut the richness of the beef fat very well.”

Steph Cope, CraftHaus Brewery Founding Brewer | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Evocation Saison + Grilled/Poached Fish & Seafood

A 12-month tour of the U.S. beer scene by Las Vegas’ CraftHaus Brewery’s Steph Cope laid the foundation for the beers they offer. “We identified key elements of our favorite breweries that we eventually emulated at CraftHaus Brewery. For example, we specialize in fewer (albeit still broad) styles, namely Belgian-styles and IPA’s – the two styles I enjoy drinking and brewing the most,” says the founding brewer.

It’s one of these Belgian styles that she enjoys pairing with food, the CraftHaus Evocation Saison. She likes it best with grilled or poached fish and seafood. “Our saison has subtle notes of lemon, pepper and rye-spiciness. It is also dry and effervescent so it lends itself well to be paired with seafood dishes, helping balance any saltiness or oiliness of the dish.” She sometimes takes things a step further and, in addition to pairing the beer with fish, she cooks with it, too. “I also enjoy using saison to poach the fish, then use the leftover broth to create a sauce. This brings out the nuanced flavors of the saison,” she shares.

Harvey Kenney, Great Raft Brewing Chief Brewer | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Pale Lager + Raw Fish

A career that began in biotech eventually led Harvey Kenney back to his love for beer and brewing. It’s a journey that has taken him from California to Turkey, and currently to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he is the chief brewer at Great Raft Brewing. “Our inspiration is often from within and based on what we want to be drinking. A hoppy lager or funky saison. We brew what we like to drink,” Kenney says.

(READ: IBUs: Fact, Fiction and Their Impact on Your Beer)

His pick for a favorite beer and food pairing is a pale lager with raw fish. “The clean refreshing aspects of a good lager pairs beautifully with the delicate flavors of a good raw fish dish like Poke or sashimi. Both are perfect for showcasing quality, but not intensity of flavor,” he explains. He also adds the same beer is a nice match for onion or vinegar-based salad dressings and the shoestring fried onions you can often find atop hamburgers.

Cole Corbin, Maine Beer Company Director of Brewing Operations | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Lunch IPA + Fruit Tart

For many, craft beer is their second career, but few spent career number one as an aerospace engineer, or what we commonly refer to as a “rocket scientist.” But this is the path for Cole Corbin whose past as an avid homebrewer led to a career switch making him Director of Brewing Operations at Maine Beer Company in Freeport. “What draws me to making beer is that it’s the perfect balance between science and art; using my creativity to come up with recipes with unique hop flavor combinations, while also using my scientific and engineering background to consider the variables during recipe design.”

Corbin’s perfect pairing is Maine Beer Company’s Lunch IPA with Chef Emil’s Passion Fruit Tart at Sur Lie, a restaurant in Portland, Maine. “This pairing was so special and memorable for me because I’ve never had a dessert paired with an IPA before,” says Corbin. When explaining how the beer and dessert worked together, he says, “The tropical fruit flavor and aroma in our Lunch IPA melded seamlessly with the bright passion fruit flavors of the tart; each enhanced the intensity of the other and elevated both to a whole new level.”

Kathy Davis, Abbey of the Holy Goats Founder, CEO and Brewer | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: The Goat’s Obsession Belgian-Style India Dark Ale + Dimmed Duck with Maple Syrup and Orange Glaze

“I was introduced to Belgian beers and fell in love,” says Kathy Davis, “Head Goat” and brewer at Abbey of the Holy Goats, as she shares about her journey in craft beer. Before opening the brewery, she went back to school to better understand the business side of brewing, and spent time perfecting her beers, centering them around food pairings.

Her favorite food pairing goes with their Belgian-style India dark ale, a beer she describes as being like a Belgian dark strong, but hopped up. “I pair it with dimmed duck that has a maple syrup, orange glaze. The richness of the duck is balanced perfectly against the bitterness of the hops, but the malty background of the beer brings out the smoky notes of the duck,” Davis says.

Randy Mosher, 5 Rabbit Cervecería Active Partner | Favorite Food and Beer Pairing: Yodo Café con Leche Imperial Porter + Italian Piave (cheese)

An active member of the brewing team at 5 Rabbit Cervecería in Bedford Park, Illinois, Randy Mosher shares that the brewery considers its job to represent the culture of Latin America by brewing beers that tell stories. “We formulated our first three beers around certain types of food,” says Mosher. As an example he explains that 5 Lizard, a passion fruit witbier, is a creamy, acidic, fruity beer tinged with fresh lime peel making it perfect for ceviche and other light seafood and vegetable dishes.

When it comes to his favorite beer and food pairing, though, Mosher turns to cheese. When asked which beer and cheese is a favorite combination, he says, “With the Yodo Café con Leche Imperial Porter, I’ve enjoyed an Italian Piave.” He explains that it’s a hard cheese comparable to Parmigiana, but slightly rounder and sweeter. “This brings a meatiness and a hint of salted caramel to the pair, relating to the coffee roastiness and the dulce de leche. Dairy and chocolatey notes are another layer. Because it’s a fairly strong beer, there’s enough alcohol and carbonation to scrub the fat off the palate,” says Mosher.

Lori Rice

Lori Rice is a photographer, writer, and nutritional scientist whose interests in beer began a decade ago in a biergarten in Vienna. When she’s not writing about the science of food and drink and photographing the process, Lori can be found traveling with her husband to investigate all things beer in the U.S. and abroad. Read more by this author

The post 10 Beer and Food Pairings That Wow Craft Brewers appeared first on Miami Beer Scene.

from 10 Beer and Food Pairings That Wow Craft Brewers

[roomdock]

Compatibility matters when it comes to everything from selecting a college major to swiping right on a Tinder match. It’s especially important when it comes to a roommate situation. (Just ask the early bird and night owl who had to share a 12 foot by 12 foot room in the dorms!) Below are 10 things to consider before moving in with a roommate, all of which will help ensure harmony in your household. But to make things easy for you, when you register for Roomdock, you’ll fill out an “About Me” profile as well as select roommate criteria based on things like “language,” “work schedule,” “cleanliness,” and whether it’s OK for your potential roommate to have children or pets who live in the rental, as well. For face to face questions, Roomdock also provides live video chat and secure messaging between potential roommates.

Do you have good credit and a clean criminal background? If you’re renting out a room, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting a tenant that won’t cause problems and will pay their rent on time.

At Roomdock, we’ll make that easy for you with an integrated service that includes an option to request a credit check complete with a TransUnion report and FICO Score that gives you a snapshot of your renter’s credit worthiness. Plus, you’ll get a report on whether your potential tenant has ever been evicted and whether they have any liens or financial judgments entered against them. We’ll also conduct a state criminal background check and a county criminal background check. The tenant pays $24.99 for the service, which is a bargain compared to what other agencies charge. You, as the landlord can request the background check with an easy click and let Roomdock take care of the rest. We’ll send an email to the tenant requesting all of their necessary information to run the background check, then you can view the easy-to-read report in Roomdock.

When a #room #rental is finalized near campuses, #students have no way of knowing whether the listings are genuine. But choose from #Roomdock and be sure. All listings on our site are checked and authenticated with IP addresses to verify the #real person behind it. Book at Roomdock. Be #Safe! http://ift.tt/2lNXcW3

A post shared by Roomdock (@roomdock) on Dec 21, 2016 at 1:23am PST

What’s your schedule like? When Roomdock matches you with potential roommates, your schedules are taken into consideration. When you fill out the “About Me,” section, Roomdock will inquire about your “wake up time” and your “bed time.” It also queries about your work schedule, whether you work a traditional 9-to-5 job, work at night, or have a mixed schedule. That way, we can match you with roommates who have similar schedules.

For those who are interested in #bulletjournaling, here is what my weekly/daily layout looks like, inspired by @my_blue_sky_design and tweaked to fit my lifestyle! I like having structure to my day and this helps me be productively creative about it . . . . . #bulletjournal #bujo #bujoinspire #journal #leuchtturm1917 #bujojunkies #bujolove #bujolover #madetocreate #calligraphy #pursuepretty #thatsdarling #christianliving #hellofebruary #habittracker #bujotracker #planwithmechallenge #dailyspread #weeklyspread #bujoweekly #showmeyourplanner #dayplanner

A post shared by Dayna | (@daynanicolea) on Feb 13, 2017 at 5:24am PST

Are you clean or messy? Are you the type who hardly notices if dishes are piled up in the sink or does it make you twitch with anger? We’re willing to take a guess that a majority of roommate disagreements come down to cleaning duties. When you’re sharing a space, it’s important to agree on expectations for cleanliness and even divvy up some household chores in shared spaces so that one roommate isn’t always stuck vacuuming the living room and wiping down the kitchen counters. When you fill out a Roomdock profile, you have options that include “clean,” “average,” and “a bit messy.”

Home sweet home! Mattresses can be cleaned using the Rug Doctor hand tool, which makes this machine perfect for home lovers. #carpetcleaning #carpet #floor #cleaning #stains #rugdoctor #smellsfresh #house #family #fresh #housecleaning #clean #machine #cleancarpets #hire #sharephotos #home #interior

A post shared by Rug Doctor UK (@rugdoctoruk) on Feb 14, 2017 at 8:50am PST

What’s on your Spotify most-played lists? A conversation about music preferences is a good vehicle to discuss your shared expectations about quiet hours and noise preferences. We’re not suggesting that you rule out a roommate if they’ve got Nickelback playlists—but if you do happen to have the same type of taste in music, overhearing the tunes coming from your roomie’s wireless speakers can be enjoyable rather than annoying. It’s also good to have a contract of when “quiet hours” are in the home. (Read: It’s super jarring to wake up in what you think is a war zone but is really just your roomie playing a video game at 3 a.m. with the speakers cranked up).

Some people may do breakfast in bed, I do music in bed. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #music #audiotechnica #headphones #musicinbed #listenmore #relax #sleepin #mondaysoff #musicisbetterwithyou #comfytime

A post shared by Kelly (@reflectivewaves87) on Feb 13, 2017 at 10:55am PST

Do you smoke? Decide before moving in whether smoking is allowed and check with the rental policies. When you sign up on Roomdock, you can indicate whether you smoke, and, if so, if you only smoke outside.

bad for ur health or bad for your wealth . . #cigarettes #bad #quit #vscocam

A post shared by Akinggg (@hakimmmohd_) on Feb 14, 2017 at 4:55am PST

Are you looking for “4/20 friendly” home? More states are legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, with the common caveat that marijuana use be limited to the home. This takes the conversation beyond whether it’s OK to smoke in a residence as marijuana use can include vaping and edibles, as well. Decide whether your home will be 4/20-friendly. And, if so, remember it’s always a nice courtesy to label those pot brownies so they’re not mistaken as regular ones — especially if you and your roomie have a “sharing is caring” approach in the kitchen! Also, if you’re moving to the United States here’s a map that shows where marijuana is legal. 

#flower #cannabiscures #ptsd #thc #cbd #terps #smokeweedeveryday #highashell #stoned #rosin #bho #hash #co2 #marijuanaplant #mmmp #nug #indoorgrow #hps #frosty

A post shared by ogdank58 (@ogdank58) on Feb 13, 2017 at 6:46am PST

How will we split up bills? Beyond divvying up rent, it’s a good idea to decide how bills like cable, internet, and utility bills will be paid. Whose name will the bills be put in? And what about sharing services like Netflix or Hulu? Now, to get technical. Will you take turns buying shared household goods like toilet paper and household cleaners? To make it easy, consider signing up for an app like Venmo so you and your roommate can quickly transfer money to one another.

"Hey we should mount the tv on our loft door" says @imagesofthisandthat "Let's do it" says us. #greatidea #wallmounttv #flatscreen @pmwyre #loftdoors #wedothat

A post shared by Loft Doors (@loftdoors) on Nov 3, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT

What are the kitchen rules and what’s your diet like? Really, it’s a bummer when you go to pour a bowl of cereal or dip your knife into some organic peanut butter you shelled out extra cash for only to find it almost empty. Have a convo with your potential roommate about whether it’s OK to share groceries. Is it a free-for-all in the kitchen or should you each have your own shelves in the fridge and pantry to separate your groceries? Or, maybe meet in the middle and share things like condiments and items that can spoil quickly like milk and certain produce. Cooking for one can be expensive (and end up in a week’s worth of leftovers), so maybe the two of you could take turns being in charge of dinner each night. Whatever you decide, set some ground rules in the kitchen to avoid food fights! Roomdock also has a feature that allows you to include your food preferences such as “almost everything,” “vegan,” “vegetarian,” and “kosher.” 

  I found very interesting those refrigerator sliding drawers available on amazon.com #refrigerator #organiser Achei bem interessante estas gavetas deslizantes para geladeira disponíveis no amazon.com #organizacao #geladeira #cozinha #northshore

A post shared by Diana Organizer (@dianaorganizer) on Feb 12, 2017 at 5:31pm PST

Are overnight guests OK? It’s an all too common roommate story when one roommate’s significant other does more than move in a toothbrush and actually becomes an extra roommate. Roomdock can help alleviate the awkwardness of this situation during the customized roommate match process. When you’re filling out your profile, you’ll be able to select how often you have overnight guests – with options ranging from never to frequently. 

CLEAN TEETH DIRTY KISSES #majlounges #majlounges #majsmile #mysmile #valentinesday #loveyourteeth #curaprox #bremen #wachmannstrasse #dentistry #zahnarzt #dentist #brushwithlove #love #toothbrush #zahnbürste #smilefactory #happy #fff #lfl #potd #zahnmedizin #smile #teeth #white #whiteteeth #healthy #smilemaker @curaproxdeutschland @curaprox @majlounges_zahnmedizin

A post shared by S M I L E . D O C T O R (@smile.doctor) on Feb 14, 2017 at 10:34am PST

Do you like to party? When it comes to parties, maybe you’re both OK with dinner gatherings,  but not parties that resemble those in Seth Rogen’s comedy “Neighbors” and that can net you nuisance tickets and fines. Or, maybe you both like to cut loose on the weekends. Your Roomdock profile will let you fill out a party profile that queries about your party habits to prevent any mismatches.

This weekend was pretty exciting so let's have some fun this 2k17 #monsterdna #gemini #lux #numark #monsteraudio #tbh #remember #luxlive #collegeparty #rate #partytime

A post shared by LUX LIVE (@luxliveofficial) on Feb 13, 2017 at 6:49am PST

The post 10 questions to ask when looking for a new roommate appeared first on Roomdock.