Author: Wendy Dessler

Wendy Dessler is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

5 Easy Tips for Taking a Selfie Like a Pro

By Wendy Dessler

On July 17, 2020

In Photography

Having a presence on social media is something most people put a lot of stock in. If you are trying to land a larger following, putting out new content on a regular basis is imperative. When trying to interact on platforms like Instagram, you need to ensure you have plenty of visual content. Pushing your personal brand is easy if you invest time and effort in developing great-looking selfies.

A recent study found that over 93 million selfies are taken on a daily basis. With all of the different selfies, it can be hard to garner attention on social media. This is why your main goal should be to take selfies like a pro. Luckily, there are a number of useful selfie tips that can help you up your selfie game. Below are some of the things you need to do to make your selfies look more professional.

1. Invest in a Bluetooth Remote

Getting a professional-looking selfie is a lot harder than you probably realize. Rushing through the selfie-taking process can result in a number of mistakes being made. Having the right equipment is imperative when attempting to get a great looking selfie. The main piece of equipment you need to accomplish your selfie goals is a Bluetooth remote.

These remotes allow you to control exactly when the selfie is taken. This means you will have plenty of time to adjust your shot to ensure it is appealing. If you want to avoid buying a Bluetooth remote, you need to explore the timer feature on your phone. Many modern smartphones have these timers. However, each one is different. This is why taking the time to practice with your timer is so important before attempting to use it for a selfie you publish on social media.

2. Learn How to Hold Your Phone

Newcomers to the world of selfies fail to realize that the way a phone is held during the picture taking process makes a big difference in how the picture comes out. If you fail to hold your phone correctly, your selfies will look blurry and low-quality. One of the most popular methods used by selfie enthusiasts is to hold their phones at a 45-degree angle. With this angle, you will be able to hide any unsightly chin fat that may be present.

You also need to focus on bringing your phone closer to your face. The further your phone is from your face, the harder it will be to get a high-quality selfie. As time goes by, you will find your selfie sweet spot. The key to finding this sweet spot is practicing as much as possible.

3. Telephoto Lenses are a Great Investment

One of the biggest problems you could encounter while taking selfies is photo distortion. In some cases, this distortion is unavoidable due to the quality of the camera on your phone. If you are constantly dealing with low-quality selfies, you need to consider investing in a telephoto lens for your phone. These lenses are both affordable and easy to use.

With the right telephoto lens, you can take advantage of the shallow depth of field they offer. The shallower this depth field is, the lower the likelihood of blurs occurring will become. Before buying a particular telephoto lens, look at the reviews it has. Generally, you can tell a lot about a particular lens by looking at the experience others have had with it.

4. Getting Your Lighting Right

If you want to create professional-quality selfies, you have to get your lighting right. Taking a picture in light that is too bright will wash out all of the color and definition. On the other hand, selfies taken in low light are hard to see and very unappealing. If at all possible, you need to use natural sunlight to bring out the definition in your photos.

There are also a number of standalone lights that are available for cell phones. The money invested in this equipment will be worth it considering the increase in selfie quality they will provide.

5. Get Your Selfies Noticed

Taking a professional-looking selfie is just the first step in getting noticed on social media. You also need to focus on properly tagging your photos. The tags used in your social media posts will dictate how much traction they get. Using unique captions and popular hashtags can help you reach a wider audience. Finding the right captions and hashtags will require lots of research. If you don’t have time to do this type of research, hiring a social media professional to assist you is a good idea.

Start Snapping Selfies Today!

Now that you know more about how to take professional-looking selfies, it is time to get to work. The more selfies you take, the easier it will be to create unique and appealing photos.

Wendy Dessler

7 Great Ideas For Spending Quality Time At Home With Your Family

By Wendy Dessler

On April 17, 2020

In Customer Testimonials

There’s no better time than the present to learn fun ways to spend quality time with your family. Keeping things fresh and exciting is the best way to bond during difficult periods and keep everyone entertained.

Here are seven great ideas for spending quality time at home with your family.

Schedule a Games Night

Set a standing date for an at-home game night. Do a weekly rotation that allows everyone to choose a game. If your options are limited, reach out to community members and do a temporary swap so that everyone gets a chance to play something new.

Instead of defaulting to the same old board games, shake things up with an RPG. Grab a D&D dice set online and start a campaign that spans over a few evenings. Alternatively, look at interactive multimedia games like JackBox, so that the whole family can play from their devices.

Have an Ultimate Movie Bucketlist

Set a timer and have everyone sit down and write their favorite movies. This is an opportunity for the parents to shine. Write down a bunch of movies from your childhood that you want to share with your children. With streaming services and online portals, it’s easier than ever to revisit your old favorites.

If you’re at a loss for what movies to include, there are plenty of lists online that outline the best family movies of all time. You can even schedule themes or marathons for extended periods of downtime.

Schedule Tech-Free Hours

Technology is both a blessing and a curse. Schedule tech-free hours in your household in which everyone leaves their phones and tablets in a common area. Use this time to come together and talk about your day or share some snacks and conversation.

Pick up a few conversation prompt cards to discover new things about the people you live with or play a rousing game of “Would You Rather?”

Get Cooking Together

Cooking is an essential life skill that children can start to learn at a young age. Empower your kids to choose a recipe each week that they’d like to make for supper. Grab the supplies and have them in the kitchen helping.

Young children can help with measuring, stirring, and collecting items. Older kids can learn how to cut food safely and cook it with supervision and help. Cooking together is a great bonding experience, and also takes the pressure off the parents for meal planning.

Schedule a Porch Project Photoshoot

The Porch Project is a family photo shoot project in which a photographer snaps a couple of pictures of your family sitting on your doorstep. The idea is that it promotes the #stayathome movement. You can create your own Porch Project photo with a smartphone.

Schedule your photo shoot as you would a regular appointment. Give everyone time to pick out a fancy outfit that they love and put themselves together. This is an excellent way to feel human, especially if you’ve been in the house for a while. Print those photos out or have them commissioned into a custom piece of art using one of these Instapainting packages.

Take an Online Course

Learn new things together by taking an online course. You can do a child-centric program like The CEO Kid or something broader that you can learn together as a family. Keep an open mind when choosing an online course and give everyone a chance to pick something that appeals to them.

Some ideas for online courses include:

learning a new language
learning how to code
taking dance lessons
personal development courses
fitness training (yoga, for example)
acting classes

Pursue your passions and learn some neat things together as a family.

Get Gardening

Gardening offers a lot of benefits to families looking to spend quality time together at home. For example:

It’s versatile. You can grow a garden in your kitchen window, on your balcony, or in your yard.
It benefits the environment.
You can grow healthy food to eat later.
You can offer seedlings as gifts.
It’s a science lesson.
It teaches responsibility.

Choose some things to grow and have your kids be responsible for various tasks. You can also create a log of your experience, with the kids adding their observations each day.

With these seven fun family activities, you have fun together while being safe at home.

Wendy Dessler

The Importance of Wedding Photo Album Memories

By Wendy Dessler

On February 19, 2020

In Photography

One of the next most important aspects of a wedding (after the exchange of vows, of course) is the photo coverage of the big day. Every bride and groom would want to immortalize their special day in pictures, which will be a powerful reminder of the path they have chosen to take and of the great moments they’ll experience along the way.

While a cache of digital pictures has been a staple in most photo coverage packages, nothing’s better than flicking through an album of printed wedding images. It’s more exciting to see your pictures in a book than on social media. If you’re still not convinced, here’s more about the importance of a wedding photo album.

Traveling Through Memories

It’s easier to reach out and travel down memory lane when you have photos. With a photo album, you’ll have something to pass down to the generations to come. Your great grandkids will look at the pictures and see similarities with family members they may never meet.

With a wedding photo album, you can leave behind a stronger legacy than if you only have digital photos. Photo albums are easier to look through any time you wish to, especially when you have visitors. Pulling out an album is more manageable than opening a media file.

Tell a Story in Photos

With a photo album, you can sort your wedding photos in a sequence that tells a story about your journey. There are many ways to arrange the photos. You can arrange them chronologically, depending on the time of day they were taken.

Alternatively, you can group them depending on the people on the photos. Whichever approach you choose, people who look at your album will want to see it over and over. A physical album wins over digitally stored photos, any day.

An album will especially be useful to people who weren’t able to attend your wedding. Digital photos may never get printed. Future generations may never get to see them if they don’t have access to online storage.

A Unique Gift

There are plenty of thoughtful gifts, such as whiskey barrels and mason jars from WhiskeyMade. Other gifts, including photo albums, can be made more special with custom personalization for your loved one.

You can give your family a creative gift in the form of a wedding photo album. This is a gift that will stand the test of time and help them celebrate your memories for years to come. If you can personalize the wedding-photo album, the more meaning it’ll have to your children and family.

Technology Can Become Obsolete

Storing your photos on digital media may be a great idea today, but years later, you might regret the decision. Technology changes over time, and what works today may not work tomorrow.

Think of people who captured their wedding day on a floppy disk. Today, they have a hard time accessing their photos, and their younger loved ones may not be able to see those photos. Even those using CDs and DVDs to capture their photos today may no longer be able to access them in a few years.

Transferring photos from one digital form to another as technology becomes obsolete may not be a very viable idea. A physical backup to online photos is essential as it’ll stand the test of time and protect your photos.

Ensure you use a professionally created high-quality album to give your photos the protection they deserve. Albums will never become obsolete, no matter how much technology changes. Besides, digital photos can get lost, become corrupt, or can be accidentally deleted.

A great way to prevent such incidents is by creating several digital copies on different disks, as well as storing your photos and videos on the cloud. Nixplay offers a great cloud storage solution for digital photos and videos, which can be easily synced on Nixplay’s Wi-Fi-enabled Smart Photo Frames. With a Nixplay Wi-Fi Frame, your digital photos can be enjoyed anytime by you and your loved ones.

Great for Social Gatherings

When friends and family are visiting, it’s easier to pass them a photo album than search your computer for a digital file. They’ll better connect with an album, and they’ll have more time to soak into the memories and resonate with the moment they were created.

No Regrets for Having an Album

Creating a photo album for your big day takes effort, but you’ll live to appreciate that you did. If you have your photos stored electronically, consider having them printed and stored away safely in a photo album. You can also have the album professionally made for you by experts.

This is the one investment that will remain long after the wedding day has come and gone. Your family will thank you for it.

There’s Nothing Like Print

The only thing that’ll remain with you after your wedding day is the memories. If you don’t preserve them well through photos, you may never have something to show the future generations. A wedding photo album is the best way to keep the memories alive.

You may want to store them digitally, but an album will prove to be a great complement to your files. An album is a gift you can pass down to future generations, unlike digital copies that may become obsolete, corrupt, or can accidentally get deleted.

It may stressful or demanding to put an album together, but it’ll eventually be worth every effort. Engage professional services, and you’ll be proud of the end product.

Wendy Dessler

2020 Gift Guide: Birthday Gift Ideas for Family and Beyond

By Wendy Dessler

On February 6, 2020

In Gifting Guides

Selecting the right birthday gift for family members, friends, and other loved ones can be a daunting task. Birthdays are major milestones meant to be celebrated, and finding that “perfect” item can seem like an impossible task. Even if you know the individual very well, the anxiety stemming from all the gift options around you can pile up. Out of all the options around you, you don’t want to pick the wrong thing.

However, with a bit of preparation and the ideas on this list, you can shop like a pro for anyone on your list. Keep reading to learn more!

The Most Popular Multi-Cooker

If you have yet to jump aboard the Instant Pot hype train, you may wonder what the fuss is all about. However, countless consumers have confirmed that the buzz around this pressure cooker is definitely deserved. With this cooker, you can give someone on your list the ability to cook an entire meal with minimal fuss. If there is someone you know who hates cooking or isn’t too good at it, the Instant Pot is a perfect gift. There are several models available, but the ones that got the best reviews are the Ultra and the Instant Pot Duo. Just pick one that’s right for your recipient!

A Robot Vacuum

Modern technology has infiltrated all aspects of life today. From smart doorbells with video screens to gadgets that dispense treats for your pet while you’re away, there’s a futuristic appliance for your home’s every need. However, something that most people can get behind is a device that makes cleaning your house easier.

Cleaning your floors can be such a chore, especially when you’re got a jam-packed schedule. That’s why a robot vacuum is a great investment. With this device, you’ll have no problem keeping your home (including those hard-to-reach areas under the table or couch) clean and dust-free. You can find these robot vacuums at virtually every price point, and they make for great gifts for your mom, sister, bachelor brother, or anyone who could use a helping hand.

The Gift of Memories

Memories are priceless, but as family members get older, some stories or things may be lost. In addition, older types of media, like VHS tapes and printed photographs, tend to fade or stop working properly, leaving reminders of your fondest moments lost to time. Consider using a service like Everpresent, which ensures that your precious memories are properly safeguarded now and in the future. This is something that both young and old members of your family will appreciate and treasure for many years to come.

Another way to keep your favorite moments alive is by investing in a Nixplay Smart Photo Frame. Scan your old photos and upload them on playlists, which you can easily display on your frame. You can also upload 15-second videos–perfect for immortalizing snippets of your milestone birthdays. Take advantage of our Valentine’s Day Sale and get as much as 30% off selected frames!

Wireless Earbuds

When it comes to the latest wireless earbuds, you either love them or you hate them–there’s no in-between. While the Apple Airpods started the true wireless trend, an array of other brands have also jumped on board, including Samsung, JBL, and Bose. Just make sure the person you’re giving the gift to is on the “love” side of the fence!

An Updated Gaming Experience

Is the birthday celebrant an avid gamer? If so, there is an array of ways to update their gameplay. One of the hottest gaming systems on the market today is the Nintendo Switch, a handy console that offers a little bit of everything for all gamers. If you’re not too keen on splurging for a Switch, other gift ideas for gamers include Steam gift cards and computer gaming accessories, like gaming keyboards and mice.

A Weighted Blanket

Imagine drifting to sleep while wrapped in a cozy, warm, and comfortable bear hug every single night. This is exactly how falling asleep cocooned in a weighted blanket feels like. These blankets are often requested by people of all ages, and you can find some great deals if you look hard enough!

DNA Testing

Did your parents ever have the opportunity to trace their roots? If not, you can surprise them with one of the many DNA kits currently on the market. You’ll find several options, each of which can provide some pretty amazing insights into your history. Some kits can even provide health overviews, letting the test taker know if they are at risk for certain conditions or diseases. It’s amazing what science and technology have made available today!

A Streaming Service Subscription

Chances are you can name a few of your loved ones’ favorite shows, right? Perhaps it is Friends, an oldie but a goodie, or something more recent, such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Regardless of what they love, a streaming service subscription will allow them to watch their favorite show (and thousands of others) on-demand. There are several options out there, so make sure to do your research before swiping your card!

Relaxation

Did you know that you can give others the gift of relaxation? From sound machines and oil diffusers, the concept of gifting relaxation has never been easier. Given the busy and stressful lives that most people live, there are few who would not appreciate this type of gift.

Buying the Right Gift Every Time

There is no question that there are more than a few amazing birthday gifts to consider in 2020. To find the right one, be sure to consider the recipient’s personality and interests. This will ensure that you will get them a gift they will love and use for many years.

Wendy Dessler