It has really been a while since I wrote a food for thought article here at LifeSpy. Since it’s the new year and we’re all in to bit the huge sh*t sandwich that is the economic crisis, let’s start talking about smart spending and pennypinching.

A lot of my friends got themselves the latest electronic gadgets during the holiday season – phones, media players, LCD TVs… And I’m sure there are quite a lot who tried to exploit the low-low bargains offered by stores in last year’s Black Friday sales.

I too was tempted in treating myself in some geek treats over the holidays. Thank goodness that after two years of pennypinching, I finally had an ample emergency fund in the bank and a budget surplus that would’ve allowed me to treat myself on a new laptop.

However, I didn’t buy anything at all. Instead, I just allocated the surplus into my emergency funds. Yup, what a scrooge. But come to think of it. Electronic gadgets aren’t really smart investment these days especially if you’re part of that population who buy gadgets as fashion accessories.

Electronic gadgets depreciate real quick. They’re basically half-off as soon as they come out of the box. If you’re the type who wants to have the “latest,” then you’re just another sucker duped by Moore’s law. Chances are, if you bought an Apple product, they might just pull something new out of their magic hat in just six months and that would just make your purchase a previous-gen item.

My hard and fast rule when it comes to electronics is simple – Make sure that I can use them for something profitable. My most recent purchases – laptop, business phone, and prosumer camera have effectively covered all my bases for work and play. And those I consider smart investments on gadgets since I’ve turned quite a nice profit on them well within and beyond their supposed lifespan all the while using them for leisure purposes.

So what purpose does your latest electronic purchase have?

Got the looks that say you should be on TV? There are a lot of beautiful people out there. Half of them just don’t look good on pictures and TV and 90% of them have no talent. Well, looking good takes kill too. If you look hot on paper, you’ll be a star in no time! If you master these tips then maybe you can print your own poster!

Only wear clothes that look good on you. You don’t know when you’ll be in a room full of camera so try to look your best always. You might unexpectedly walk in a party and get surprised to find there’s some paparazzi at the entrance. You might not be the reason why they’re there, but if you get captured in the photo, there’s no excuse why you should be looking like a mess. Does green bring out your eyes or pink look good with your complexion? Study your outfits and determine which look best on you and let this guide you the next time you shop for new clothes. Well, if look good without clothes, then consider showing some skin.

Got a pimple on your left cheek? Easy. Just turn to your right when there’s a camera flashing nearby. Don’t allow your double chin to show. Simply practice your angles in front of a mirror so you’ll know how to properly tilt your face without showing what doesn’t need to be seen.

Flash that practiced but relaxed smile. Remember Chandler’s face every time he gets his picture taken? Don’t be like that. Do a trial and error to see what smile looks best on you and learn how to readily flash it every time there’s a camera in front of you. You can use your phone’s camera to study your different smiles and poses.

Close your eyes and open them just before the camera snaps and the bulb flashes. This would give your eyes a good sparkle. This would also minimize the chances of you blinking.

One of the most important things to take when you travel overseas is your camera. You can buy jewelry or local paintings as souvenirs but nothing is more practical and more lasting than photographs! But if you are to take pictures of people other than members of your party, then you’d better learn a bit of photo-taking etiquette.

The first thing you need to practice is to smile. Yep, it’s a great way to establish rapport with people even of different cultures. After all it’s a universal form of greeting. Next, ask your subject’s permission if possible. You are after all, stepping inside their private space, and a little courtesy goes a long way.

This is especially more so in cases where you have to photograph children. If the parent is present, ask the mother or the father’s permission (or both). If not, then make sure that it is understood by everyone around that your shots are innocent and wholesome. If the child appears uncomfortable or scared, then don’t push it. The reason for this is that you would not want to be accused of taking perverse pictures of children and then be taken by the police. Another alternative is to be beaten by a village mob. What a way to ruin a holiday!

Refrain from taking pictures with a large group of people with cameras. Seriously, it becomes pretty intimidating to be bombarded with a horde of amateur photographers with what seems like a hundred clicking and flashing cameras. Do it alone, as this is the best way to get good street photos.

So there’s an artist in you after all. Ever since you bought that camera, the two of you are inseparable, and all you want to do is point and shoot. Photography is a pleasurable hobby. You walk about, and you look and you wait for a perfect moment which you can immortalize with a snap of your camera. If you have developed an eye for beauty, then why not turn it into something profitable? After all, photography is not a cheap hobby.

Invest on equipment. Well, if you’re really into it, be prepared to invest on a good camera, lenses, lights… I talked to one professional photographer colleague of mine and he says that any yahoo with a good digital SLR and Adobe Photoshop can call himself a “pro” nowadays. It’s really easy to just shoot-now, manipulate-later where you can dish out terrific pro-level shots even if all you know is click.

Learn. There’s so much in the art and science of photography that you need to learn. Lighting, composition, aperture speed… Enroll in short courses and workshops from pros to learn what you need to make it to the big leagues.

Value your personal style. Even though you are a beginner, you have a style all your own and that’s what makes you stand out from the other photographers. You don’t need anyone telling you which angle looks better because you know where it is. The most important thing is to keep your cool and trust in your own talent. If you can’t do traditional wedding photos, then do it your way. No one will complain as long as your shots are all pretty. People won’t be looking at angles or lighting, they’ll only care about how they look in the photos. So be on guard so you won’t miss a perfect shot.

Launch a photoblog. You can still earn by publishing your portfolio in a photoblog. Let the magic of Web 2.0 fund your hobby.

Be organized. Make sure you set up ahead of time. There’s no room for mistakes so make sure you’re all set when the event starts. To be sure that you don’t forget your extra batteries at home, make a checklist. Make a portfolio of your whole coverage so that you can officially promote your own photography services to future interested clients. Take on available jobs. Do you know someone who’s getting married soon? Make a phone call and offer your “services”. You’ll do something you love, plus you earn extra cash!

Watch the light

Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles. But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles. Don’t like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the light is orangish and rakes across the land.

Use flash outdoors

Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-power mode may be required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review the results. On cloudy days, use the camera’s fill-flash mode if it has one. The flash will brighten up people’s faces and make them stand out. Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.

Know your flash’s range

The number one flash mistake is taking pictures beyond the flash’s range. Why is this a mistake? Because pictures taken beyond the maximum flash range will be too dark. For many cameras, the maximum flash range is less than fifteen feet—about five steps away. What is your camera’s flash range? Look it up in your camera manual. Can’t find it? Then don’t take a chance. Position yourself so subjects are no farther than ten feet away.

The Kodak site even comes with Interactive Flash tutorials, so it’s certainly worth paying a visit to get the rest of the tips.