Illustrations of detective stories

Marinina was born in Lviv, Ukraine to a family of lawyers. She studied the personality of criminals with anomalies of mentality and criminals who have committed repeated violent crimes. She resigned from the militsiya system to become a full-time writer. Before her resignation, she had the rank of the lieutenant colonel of militsiya.

Marinina has written over 30 novels, published in over 17 million copies and translated into over 20 languages. Most of her novels have a common central character Anastasia Kamenskaya. Marinina has received several awards. In 1995 Marinina received the prize of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the best book about the work of the Russian militsiya, for the books Death for the Sake of Death and Away Game. She was recognized as “The Writer of Year” by the 1998 Moscow International Book Fair, based on the sales of the books in 1997.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

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There are a number of benefits that come from undertaking to write your very own blog for graphic design. To this end, you need to note that writing such blogs will be crucial to being able to build the community you need to rely on around you particular web site. In the same way, such blogs are useful for promoting businesses and helping to establish people as experts in particular fields.

One of the benefits of a graphic design blog is that you will get a route for promoting your business. To this end, writing blogs is one of the greatest ways through which you can promote a business and get clients.

When potential clients pay a visit to your web site, more often than not, they will head straight towards the portfolio you have made so that they see a couple of examples of the works you have come up with.

However, it is also possible to impress such clients with blogs. This is useful to showing such clients that you have a little knowledge in interaction and design with a number of other clients and creative professionals.

Blogs that are updated constantly have the capability of showing people your activeness within the community. They also prove that you always think about designs even in between the total postings of different projects within your portfolio.

To this end, graphic design blogs will give the visitors to your site the immediate sense that characterizes your basic personality. This way, you will get to show off how good and talented you are at writing. In fact, you can never treat your posts anything shot of a resume because you can never be too sure about who may be reading your blogs.

You can also make use of your graphic design blog to drive more traffic towards your web site. It does not really matter the number of projects you may have at whichever point in time. This is because it is not certain that you will post new projects on your portfolio on a regular basis.

To this end, it follows that you can make use of graphic design blogs to rank higher on search results. This is especially so if you post to your blog daily or after a couple of days every week. This is bound to keep your web content fresh thus helping to bring an improvement to your rankings on search engines.

When you have undertaken to write your graphic design blog for a prolonged period of time, you will be able to build some sort of online community around your site. Still, you will want to establish some sort of personal online voice. Write on unique topics ensuring that your blog remains open so that people can comment. This will encourage discussions.

Finally, go about promoting your own blog whenever you get the chance. Make sure that your family and friends are informed about your blog. They will be instrumental in helping to spread the gospel on your behalf. Also,  having a best web host provider provider is important. In the long run, your design business is bound to flourish.

thankyou to the artists for the lovely images

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Type of Hosting Offered

Web host providers have different types of hosting plans and it is crucial to ensure that you chose one that best meets your business needs. These can be broken down into different categories such as shared, collocated, unmanaged, and managed hosting. Each of these has certain advantages and disadvantages and a reputable web host will take you through all of them in order to ensure that you make an informed choice.

Blackholed IPs

With several web host providers in the market, there is a variety of them who don’t care about the kind of content websites host as long as they get their dues. Due to this fact, they host spammers, porn sites as well as servers that pose security issues. This could pose a serious problem for you since there are networks which are known to block IPs that come from blackholed networks and this is not good for business and especially, as you rely on legitimate loops to increase sales.

Size versus Stability

When looking for a web host provider, it is imperative not to confuse the size of the company with stability. To ensure that you safeguard your interests, there are a couple of questions that you need to ask such as whether or not the management has changed hands, the profitability of the company as well as the duration it has been in the market. With answers to these questions, it will be considerably easy for you to make an informed decision.

Redundant Data Centers

This is an important feature that should not be overlooked under any circumstances. The redundant centers should be in terms of power supply and connectivity and to ensure that you meet this end, there are a couple of questions that one must ask. This includes things such as whether or not they have a generator the type of physical security they provide, the suppression systems in place and any fire suppression system they might have.

Experienced Personnel

If you have a web host, it is important to ensure that they have staff that is technically experienced. This will take frustration off your back since you can rest easy knowing that in the event of nay technical difficulty, they will be at hand.

Flexibility

A web host should be flexible enough to understand the importance of high quality servers to business people. They should be able to tailor their packages to meet your needs and at the same time, display a high level of expertise for handling different applications.

Recommendations and Hidden Fees

It is advisable to choose a web host from recommendations and take time to check them out to confirm that they don’t have any hidden charges in the packages they offer.

thanks you to the respective artists for the photos

Digital marketing can mean many things to many people but the primary focus is on marketing digital images. The internet’s power is concentrated in images. Images make the web shocking, awe inspiring and memorable. Images move us in a way that nothing else could. Technically digital marketing is anything in electronic media. Roughly 80% of our media is wired in some way today, only newspapers and print media isn’t electronic and traditional print media is going away fast! So digital marketing commonly refers to internet marketing.

So is digital marketing anything on the internet? Yes it is, but there are many forms of marketing on the internet that go unnoticed. A great example is audio. There are many audios used to market on the web but few move us the way an image can. Human beings are deeply connected to hearing as scientists say that hearing the first sense that we gain during the birth process and last to leave at death.  But images move us in a way that hearing can’t. Perhaps it is because sight captures our imagination in a unique way. We see images during the day, and we see images when we dream at night. Dreams touch the deepest regions of our internal psyche.

So how is digital marketing changing our perspective on the world? Digital marketing is making our world smaller. It is bringing our perception of life into a new era. In the past people lived in their small communities a whole lifetime and died probably within 200 miles of their birth home. Today people are more mobile than ever, and they are more open-minded than ever. Digital marketing is a new way of pinging customers with new products via e-mail, desktop and pop-up. Each one of these areas of contact allow marketers to share new products and ideas with customers. But digital marketing has to do one thing that all marketing does. It must repeat itself. Marketing is not effective if it is not repeated.

Our final forum on digital marketing is comprised of the future of the medium. As social media has emerged, the nature and reach of digital marketing has expanded to what appears to be infinite.  Facebook now has more than 100 million users. That is essentially hard to imagine. Digital marketing is something that you need to take an accounting of and focus to make it work. Like all forms of marketing it requires repetition and repetition on Facebook is very expensive. Social media has changed the game for digital marketing and it will never be the same.

thanks to Pete Philly ,Wausau Paper Digital Space ,Dijean Neo for the images

8 creative tips that will ensure you never use this horrendously destructive word ever again and I mean =NEVER ☺

(1)   You start writing or splashing paint or hacking at the lonesome log in front of you. Doesn’t matter what transpires what matters is doing. So onto tip number two

(2)   Action, repeated action, rinse and repeat type action, Massive action all combine to get you out of your lethargy (assuming you are breathing) I mean we could have filled in four more tips by just using this awesome keyword. Action  but we are not renowned for being brief so to tip no 3

(3)   Not so long ago using the term Creative Block was considered something cool inferring that you had created so much there was nothing left to do. I mean it’s a great phrase to use when you are meeting someone for the first time. Being a Creative type is just so awesomely cool it’s enough to stop someone in their tracks. Don’t use it! Use the positive… I am a Writer/Painter/Sculptor, period! : )

(4)   To banish the C block phrase like for ever (which is why we are here and you aren’t) you need the Creative Secret Weapon. You know the sort that is only available to members! The Swipe File! Sounds a bit shady but believe me it’s not. Swipe here, swipe there and tuck it all up in a little File. Well Portfolio sounds rather more cool!

(5)   If you’ve never experienced the power of a Swipe file then you are in for a treat. Because all you need to do when C block threatens is to open said file et viola a cornucopia of well… Swipes… bits of paper, press cuttings, e-book urls, magazine articles that you always meant to read but never did and so on. Sounds Good? Well it is good believe me!

(6)   We are assuming you are an Adult with some life experience to call on so this tip is exactly that. ☺ Life Experience. Nothing quite like it for stirring the nostalgia gene! When you upload your memory of the time you fell into the Canal or hooked a Marlin or grew the winning Rose (this tip generally only applies to the over 40’s) then with pen paint or chisel you are away and the starting Block (yes we’d forgotten, ignored that one purposely!) is vanishing into the rear view mirror. We are not suggesting you try writing while Driving but this leads to the next tip rather appropriately if I might say so.

(7)   Technology. We can’t all be web designers or software developers but we can most definitely utilise a lot of this geeky stuff. Get yourself a small voice recorder, don’t phones have this facility? When you are driving or waiting for the train or plane or boat get the picture? Just switch on and start talking. What’s to talk about?  Your Job, Your House, Your interview, Your Dreams for the future, Your next Holiday, How you are going to drop that awful Boyfriend /Girlfriend without creating a scene, how you are going to get that web site set up without breaking the bank and so on and on and on. No sign of any Blocks here are there? I mean in this tip number seven there are 7 sub sections so where’s the problem people? It’s just a Myth perpetuated by Conspirators.

(8)   Tip 8 is probably the most important. Take a Note Pad and Pen write down your Most Important and Cherished Goal in life and start breaking this down one line at a time describing how you are going to start to achieve this, how you will feel when you reach this goal, what’s the time line to completion, who’s going to help you, what things are essential in reaching the goal, whose going to share it with you, whose going along for the ride and so on. One line at a time! You’ll probably need at least an hour and a half to complete this exercise and could end up with 50 sub headings! This is your very own personal Swipe file and needs to be kept under wraps, since there are a lot of people out there who would love to see you fail at the first hurdle so just don’t tell them! simple!

We could have entitled this Article 50 ways to Rule the Creative World but  hey let’s be kind on all those other poor unfortunates who have yet to discover the Secret .Hey you could even teach them the secrets of awesome creativity yourself once you have mastered them yourself! ☺

Winner is

avegagti

avegagti@yahoo.com

Well Done : )

just in time for xmas

Last week we teamed up with  Next Day Flyers to offer you the chance to win 100 custom postcards

The holidays are just around the corner.  As designers we’ve all probably worked with some clients whom we’d like to continue doing business with.  This is a great time of year to say thank you. One way you can do this is by sending out custom designed postcards to those companies and individuals who have come to you for your design skills.  After all, you don’t want them to think they are unappreciated!

Next Day Flyers, the online printing company, can get you started. They are offering a giveaway of custom designed postcards.  Their website will allow you to upload your custom layout directly to their site with just a few clicks. For those new to the design world, they also have a Design Online feature which will allow you to start off with some templates, and then customize them to meet your needs.  With a couple clicks your order will be sent to you. They also have products like brochures and business cards, so if you need to update your marketing materials, be sure to check them out.

BY: SUFYAN BIN UZAYR

Suppose you’re walking down the alley and you see that weird signboard which kindles your thirst to shoot. But then you realize that your mighty SLR isn’t with you (be practical, who carries that heavy piece 24×7).

Well, this is exactly where your cell phone comes in handy. Nowadays, the pocket sized all-so powerful mobile phone cameras have driven the point-and-shoot ones to near extinction (well, almost).  We take a closer look on some tips that can help you get the best out of your cell phone camera.

CHOOSING THE SUBJECT

Many present day phones offer megapixel counts above 5, but that doesn’t mean they are apt for every shooting scenario. For instance, if you are employing your phone to shoot a rock concert, more often than not you’d merely get dark blurry images. The fact is, camera phones are ideal for shooting still objects in well-lit scenarios, preferably in broad daylight. Even if your phone offers Xenon or LED flash, night photography shouldn’t be its cup of tea.

So what is the remedy? Well, look into your camera’s settings. You will find a number of scene modes (even with the most basic VGA ones) such as ‘night landscape’, ‘portrait’, ‘sports’, ‘fireworks’, etc. These presets automatically choose the ideal shooting options for the given scenario. Experiment with each and you are sure to see your photographs improve drastically. In the newer breed of Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot phones (and in some of the Samsung phones too, though features on Samsung are country-specific most of the time), you will come across an option called Slow Sync Flash. Don’t hesitate to use it. Basically, Slow Sync tells the camera to shoot with a slightly longer exposure time thereby giving the Flash an enhanced duration of exposure. Bluntly put, it helps to lessen the dark.

KEEP IT STEADY

If you are getting blurry images with your phone, don’t fret because you are not alone. Most of the phones’ cameras have slow shutter speeds with no feature to vary the exposure settings. The best thing one can do is to hold the phone as steady as possible, preferably with both hands while shooting. It is not difficult but does require some practice.

KNOW THE ‘CLICK’

Another key to getting sharp photos is to know the camera’s shutter release. In simple terms, how long does it take for the camera to accomplish the task after you press the shoot button? If there is a lag, you will need to account for that. And if the shutter release is on a touch screen (such as on the Apple iPhone), the shutter probably gets tripped after you lift your finger, not when you press down. Either way, you will need to hold the camera steady while the picture is actually being exposed. This does not mean that you need to get a tripod for your phone. Just keep your hands still (or at least as still as possible).

OPTIMIZING THE CAMERA SETTINGS

Most camera phones today provide a few settings that you can use to optimize your exposures. All the standard rules and terms from digital cameras are applicable. If there is an ISO setting, take it off Auto. When you are outdoors in daylight, you should set the ISO to its lowest value to minimize the digital noise in your picture (which can be pretty grainy with a camera phone). In lower light settings, bump the ISO up as high as it will go (which normally should be at least 400 in a decent phone).

For instance, look at the two images. Both are of the same landscape taken at around 5:30 PM using a Sony Ericsson C510. Image 1 uses 200 as ISO value while Image 2 uses 400.

Likewise, the phone may provide you some control over the JPEG image quality. Always go for the lowest compression/best quality option available. After all, camera phone pictures are already compact enough to begin with – do not compound the problem with needless photo-damaging compression.

If you are the owner of handsets with good optical zoom ratings (such as Sony Ericsson C903, Samsung Pixon or the newly released Nokia N8), use the zoom to the fullest. You will find zooming in at 3x or 4x on the object a better option as compared to yourself moving forward. However, be warned: this is fruitful with OPTICAL zoom only. If your phone is one of the 20x DIGITAL zoom types, bother not. Digital zoom won’t be helpful much and is at best used sparingly.

GET THE RIGHT TOOLS

Your photo editing software – whether it is Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Photo-Paint or even something like Google’s free Picasaweb – can help improve most of your camera phone photos. If you have an Android device or an iPhone, you are in good hands as there are numerous applications and softwares available that put most of the image editors to shame. For iPhone users, the plethora of options from the Apple stable includes Free Photo Filters, SP Photo Fix Lite, Photobox and iRetouch Lite. If you are an Android user, well, the galaxy is filled with apps for you. Check out Picsay and FxCamera. Both of them, along with many other apps, are freely available from www.androlib.com

FINAL WORD

When cameras where first incorporated into mobile phones, they were something of a gimmick, providing very low resolution and poor quality images. Today, cameras are an indispensable part of the phone and the features just keep going higher. Even though your phone will stand nowhere in comparison to a mainstream camera, with some effort and implementation of the above said tips, you are sure to get great results. Happy shooting!

Here are the lucky winners of our PrintRunner Free Massive 1500 Business Cards Giveaway!

The rules for the competition were simple, leave a comment and stand a chance to win. Today we announce the lucky winner.

LUCKY WINNERS:
Steve Capell
Ben Kuyper
cam thomas

have fun designing and remeber to come back and show us your designs – we’ll showcase them for you

Digital Art Empire is pleased to announce we are partnering up with Printrunner.com to host one of our largest giveaways to date! We have 3 sets of 500 business cards to give away to all the loyal readers! Yes, you heard right 3 sets of business cards!

This is a massive givewaway all you have to do is write a comment -

How to enter

It’s easy! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post before August 16^th , 2010. We will then select 3 random comments as the winners. Be sure to use a valid email address.

Please note that shipping is not included and will need to be paid when placing the order. Shipping costs vary depending on where you live, but U.S. shipping is generally around $10 or less (for ground shipping).

Earn points for the following activities to increase your chances of winning!

-Digg, Stumble, Retweet, DesignBump, DesignFloat, etc. (Social Media) this article

-Follow us on Twitter

-Comment on this post, on why you should win the business cards (Required)

-Total number of points you have earned. (optional)

-Mention this post on your site (5 points)

And thats it! This contest will expire at the end of July 31, 2010, so you have plenty of time!

Think of all the business you will win with these high quality cards

Official Rules

• One entry per person
• Open to U.S. residents online
• Must be 18 and over and not an employee or relative of an employee of PrintRunner LLC
• No purchase necessary

PrintRunner.com is one of the top printing companies on the web. PrintRunner specializes in affordable high quality printing and offer a wide range of products including business cards, catalog printing, flyer printing and more. Check the website for all the latest PrintRunner coupon codes.