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Precepts as Path
Kyogen Carlson
Note: the following has been used as a hand-out for Precept classes at Dharma Rain Zen Center for a number of years
In the linage tradition handed down to me from Jiyu Kennett Roshi and Chisan Koho Zenji, the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts are more than just a foundation for practice. They are complete path. The tradition offers a method for using the precepts as a karmic mirror for self-reflection to establish and develop zen practice. Over time the arc of practice develops through refining one's relationship to the precepts, leading to the heart of zen.
At Dharma Rain we offer the precepts in the ceremony of Jukai once a year each March. We use a fairly traditional version of the precept ceremony at the end of a week-long sesshin. In preparation for the retreat we have a six-to-ten week series of classes on the precepts that are always one of our best attended each year, even after many years of covering this material. Those taking the precepts in a given year have one or two interviews with the preceptor in the weeks leading up to the sesshin.
When I meet with people about the precepts I explain that on one hand they are rules of conduct. "Do not kill" means exactly what it says. But while they are clearly rules, for us they are better understood as a path. In the truest sense there is no specific standard regarding any precept that marks where you have to be as a Buddhist. For example, a person is ready to receive the precepts when they want to turn toward them, not when they have reached some degree of purity regarding them. As Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." The Buddha ordained Angulimala, a feared murderer, when he turned away from that path and toward the precepts. No doubt he needed a lot more work in refining his conduct, but the way-seeking mind had arisen, and that was what mattered. I doubt many people at that time would have regarded Angulimala as a virtuous person, so he would not have been seen to "deserve" his ordination. So where is the line in the sand regarding conduct that marks where one is or is not ready to receive the precepts and become a Buddhist? This way of seeing it is in contrast to some religious traditions that have clear lines that demark when one is part of the "tribe" in a pact made with God. As a good Mormon, for example, you do not drink coffee and you wear the ritual underwear. When it comes down to specific Buddhist countries or communities, of course, there are standards that arise regarding various behaviors, and that is as it should be. But at the very core of it, these standards are not the primary point.
So what does it mean to take the precepts and to keep them? Taking the precepts means to acknowledge them as our path. Keeping them means to hold them and to measure our lives and actions against them, and to let this have an effect. They become a karmic mirror we use to see ourselves clearly. The ceremony of Jukai, receiving the precepts in this way, is a public statement that we are taking this path as our own.
In the zen tradition we also emphasize the koan aspect of precepts. Any close examination of them reveals how they cannot be kept perfectly. We're always killing, of course. All eating is killing, and our immune systems are always at work. In some traditions the line is clearly drawn at not killing another human being. For us it's not so simple. Some people think that without a clear line we will permit anything, but in fact it means we can refine our understanding. We work to minimize the harm we do in many dimensions, and looking at it this way the koan aspect of the precept arises. The second precept is sometimes worded as "do not take what is not given." That is far more subtle than "do not steal," and gets to the heart of the matter. Understanding what is given and what is not becomes much more subtle. As the line gets fuzzy, what is the real meaning of a precept? That is where it gets interesting. Yet another way the precepts turn into koans is when we have to break the letter of one precept to keep the real spirit of another. I will go into the method we use for examining the precepts and how it clarifies the koan a bit later.
When we look at precepts as hard and fast rules, another sort of koan arises. The more idealistic we get about the precepts, the more we try to keep them in some absolute way, the more trouble arises. The effort it takes to keep one precept absolutely inevitably causes the others to be distorted, which leads to all sorts of absurd behavior. One way to resolve this is to create hierarchies of ethical values, and to parse out each situation accordingly. This can be helpful, actually, but in the end it leads right back into paradox, and to the fact that precepts are essentially koans.
When I'm in conversation with Evangelical dialog partners I often say that our understanding of precepts is rather like the theory of relativity, but that I am not referring to moral relativism, a real red cape to them. A simplistic misunderstanding of the theory of relativity comes down to the phrase, "everything is relative." A variation on this view is sometimes used to justify all manner of behavior, since something could be seen as right if viewed from a different cultural perspective. While it is true that cultures vary tremendously, and that can change the context for many actions, putting it this way suggests there is no way to orient ourselves to a deeper moral compass. The theory of relativity does not suggest that everything is relative, but instead shifts a constant from space and time to the speed of light. Newtonian physics assumes that space and time are constant, but at the extremes of speed and mass that assumption breaks down and measurements no longer work. Around very great masses space bends, and for objects moving at very different speeds time passes at different rates. Shifting the constant to the speed of light resolves the problem. In daily life, however, the laws of Newtonian physics work out just fine. Bent space and time shifts do not get us out of missed appointments. Moral precepts as basic rules of behavior also work well in daily life. But in extreme conditions, in the more difficult ends of the moral sphere, simple rules also break down, and we encounter the koan aspect of the precepts. In physics the problem is resolved by a shift in constant from space and time to the speed of light, but is their an equivalent shift in constant with regard to the precepts?
When we look at the commentary in the Kyojukaimon for each of the ten grave precepts, we get a good clue. The second precept of not stealing is, "Do not steal – Honor the gift not yet given." Bodhidharma's comment on this is "In the realm of the unattainable Dharma, holding no thought of gain is the precept of not stealing." The "realm of unattainable Dharma" points past gain and loss to original completeness. What could be gained or lost? Dogen's comment says, "The self and the things of the world are just as they are; the mind and its object are one. The gateway to enlightenment stands open wide." This eloquently depicts how when we seek nothing, we hold the whole universe in open hands. In original mind everything is complete. Grasping at this or that we lose touch with that completeness. The fourth precept says, "Do not speak dishonestly – communicate truthfully. In the realm of the inexplicable Dharma, putting forth not one word is the precept of not speaking dishonestly. The Dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither surplus nor lack. The sweet dew covers the earth and within it lies the truth." The "realm of the inexplicable Dharma" refers to the place where anything said is extra; spoiling what is already perfect and complete. When we look at the precepts this way, we see that the constant referred to is original mind itself, our open, unobstructed and undefended natural connection to everything. That is the central meaning of the precepts in zen, and the loadstone for our moral compass. On one hand the precepts describe the enlightened perspective, how Buddhas see the world. On the other, they offer clues as to how we lose touch with that perspective, and this is how they guide us on the path of practice. This aspect of the precepts is not about how one should judge what someone else should do. That is a different question altogether. This is all about how someone on this path opens to a deeper relationship with the dharma, with things as they are, and with our own deeper nature.
Now we come to how we practice with the precepts, how they become a karmic mirror, and how this clarifies the koan aspect of the precepts. Years ago at Shasta Abbey we were given practice instructions around the time of Jukai, the sesshin and ceremony of giving and receiving the precepts. There were two parts to our practice; first, reading the Kyojukaimon in a meditative way, then something called "recollection," a way to carefully recall the events of the day.
For reading the Kyojukaimon we were instructed to do it in a manner rather like chanting. Reading it out loud is a good way to accomplish that. When we were learning how to chant we were taught to put our attention on the breath, the voice, and to listening. One monk complained that when he did that he couldn't pay attention to the meaning of the chant. Roshi told him that the right way to chant was as a body practice, and to forget about the meaning of the sutras and shastras we were chanting. I found that a very powerful way to practice with the sutras. It removes the lens of interpretation, the echo chamber of our own opinions, the habit energy of thoughts and views which we are actually paying attention to when we think about the meaning of a sutra. When chanting as a body practice the sutra goes straight in, bypassing the filter of our own interpretation. Practicing like that I found passages from the sutras coming up during the day; sometimes randomly, but sometimes in a way that was clearly in response to whatever I was facing at the moment. The lines from the sutras revealed themselves to me from a deeper place in my own consciousness, and I felt that I was learning them from the inside out. Reading the Kyojukaimon in this manner, drawing it through the mind as if chanting, we let the precepts reveal themselves to us in just this way. Phrases, particularly from the commentary, will start to arise during the day. It isn't necessary to recognize how they apply or what they mean. It is enough to just keep watching it happen, and to allow an understanding to emerge from a place deeper than our habitual way of interpreting things.
The other practice, recollection, is done in a similar way. At the Abbey we had time set aside in the evening, before zazen at the end of the day. We sat in comfortable chairs in a quiet room and recalled the day in a meditative way. The instructions were to recall the events of the day, drawing them out in a thread from the store of memory. The point is to recall the thread of awareness as it ran through the day, rather than the details of events. It can take some time and practice to get the hang of this. On one hand we can get distracted by the many details that come to mind, and then follow them off into other memories and speculations, just as we can get lost in our thoughts in zazen. On the other hand, we can easily skip right over the very things that are most important for us to notice if we move too quickly. There is a middle way to this, staying on track by discarding unnecessary side details, but holding attention firmly on the essential thread. It takes a little time and practice, but it is worth the effort.
Just as in reciting the Kyojukaimon or in chanting morning service, we don't have to interpret or judge what we recall. Just notice things, note their qualities, and move on. We pull the thread of recollection through the mind in a steady, even manner, letting go of commentary while paying attention to the feeling tones associated with each thing. In particular, we are looking for moments of contraction; clenching in the jaw, stomach, fists or shoulders. Or, it could be a sinking feeling, a moment of "ick," where we encounter something we don't enjoy recalling. This could be about fear, avoidance, aggression, regret, or any number of things. Contraction also happens around grasping as a tightness that is extra to desire or enjoyment. Again, we want to drop the lens of interpretation. There is tremendous habit energy around these feelings; habits of judging self and others, good and bad. Just let that go. We want to allow an awareness about the patterns in these events to arise from a place of deeper insight. We can pay attention to context, the "who" "what" and "when," and that is sufficient. Over time, these moments of contraction become familiar in a new way and we begin to see patterns in them. Our insights into them start to align with insights about precepts, particularly from the commentary, that arise from the Kyojukaimon reading. The way this happens can be very instructive.
This method of recollection is based on ancient Buddhist practice. It is described by Buddhaghosa, a late 4th century Indian monk in his Visuddhimagga or Path of Purification, a treatise on meditation. In it he says
A monk who is still a beginner, and who wants to learn how to remember his previous lives, should in the afternoon, after he has finished his meal, go to a solitary and secluded spot, and enter successively into the four [samadhis]. He should then emerge from the fourth [samadhi], which is the basis of the Superknowledges, and think of the last thing he did before his meditation, which was the act of sitting down. After this he should, in reverse order, think of everything he did during the day and night, i.e. how he spread the seat on which he sat down, …. (etc.) from there everything he did early in the day, everything he did in the last and everything he did in the first watch of the night.
All this becomes manifest to the ordinary mind already, but to the mind which is prepared by [samadhi] it stands out most distinctly … He should furthermore think back in reverse order on what he did two days ago, three, four, and five days ago, ten days ago, half a month ago, one month ago, up to one year ago. In this manner he goes on for ten years, twenty years, and so on, until he comes to the time of his birth in this becoming, and then he should also direct his mind on the mental and physical processes which took place at the moment of his decease in his immediately preceding existence.
A clever monk can manage already on his first attempt to penetrate beyond the moment of rebirth to a perception of the mental and physical processes at the time of his decease. But for those who are not very wise the passage from one existence to another is hard to see, and must seem impassable and very obscure, for the reason that the psycho-physical organism of the previous existence has wholly ceased and another one has arisen in its stead.[1]
Remembering events in reverse order can seem very awkward if you think of it as a film running in reverse. But what is meant is something like dream recollection, which comes to us backward in segments. When we first wake up from a dream, it is the very end of the dream that we are aware of. We wake up aware of the final sequence, but if we turn our attention to the dream, as is done in dream recall technique, then an earlier segment comes to mind. After that still earlier segments appear until we can often recall the whole dream. The process of recalling events in reverse order works the same way. The monk recalls events of a day in segments, from later to earlier. Some people find our recollection practice easier when done that way, rather than starting at the beginning, and that is certainly an option.
Some people find Buddhaghosa's reference to previous lives a bit odd, even unnerving. But the concept of past lives is not just fanciful, and it is much more than a metaphor. We don't need to go back over years and into previous existences to do this. Just looking carefully at each day brings up all kinds of past karma and previous lives, because the past is, indeed, held in the present.
Looked at this way, what do we mean by past lives? I often use a simple example of a man having an argument with a co-worker late on a Friday afternoon. His confrontation is with someone with whom he has a history of conflict, and the situation flares up very quickly, then is over as each wishes to end the day and go home for the weekend. After spending a very pleasant time with friends, our worker returns to work on Monday in a good mood, and feeling at peace with the world. Then he sees his adversary, they lock eyes, and in an instant the "self" from Friday is reborn on Monday. This happens because the "seed of predisposition" left over from Friday sprouts on Monday. This is the first of the twelve steps of dependent origination leading to rebirth on the wheel of samsara. The rebirth of former "selves" happens all the time, moment by moment, day by day, year by year, and these rebirths become quite obvious when we pay attention to them.
Our practice of recollection is an exercise in "catching the self" at it appears. When we make note of the moments of contraction in a day we will locate the moment of the rebirth of a self in opposition to things as they are. In such a moment we lose site of original mind, undefended and open to everything. Recollection practice prepares us, by paying attention to and making note of these moments, to be aware of them when they arise again in the future. At first we wake up and become aware of them some time after the feeling tone, the negative mind state, is present again. Then we start to catch it earlier and earlier until we are aware of it just after it happens. Eventually we can watch it as it happens, but we can do nothing to stop it.
This is where our zazen practice comes into play. In zazen we learn to hold the mind still in the midst of conditions. We let thoughts and feelings arise and fall while remaining still but awake on the cushion. Years of practice at this really pays off. When the seed of predisposition sprouts, it is like a match being struck; there is friction and heat, and then ignition of the old karma. When we are unaware of this, we usually wave the match around until soon our whole house on fire. Or, we may push it down into a pocket where it smolders and just burns a hole in our clothes. But being fully aware of it, staying still while letting the match flame arise and fall, without reacting to it, the match will simply go out by itself. Buddhist teaching on the seed of predisposition says that its sprouting happens non-volitionally. It is bound to sprout when conditions are right. It is very liberating to realize this. Ignorance and predisposition, the two causes of the past, give birth in the present moment to the body sensations, thought patterns, impulses, and awareness, the "skandhas," of a being from the past.[2] What we do with it is called "the three causes of the present." When we act out the old karma, the steps of dependent origination describe the turning of the wheel of samsara, endless rebirth. We repeat the old karma, the self of opposition is born, acts out the karma, then passes away, leaving a new seed of predisposition like the seed appearing in the ripe fruit. Our practice takes place in those three causes of the present as a different way to handle the rebirth. It is just to be still, to recognize karma as karma, and to not react. This is not being deceived by karma, as old master Hyakujo put it.
When we stay still and let the match burn out we can take the next step. This is to take an action that is not conditioned by the old karma. The first part, being still, is the first pure precept: "Cease from evil – release all self attachment." The next step is "Do only good – take selfless action." That action is one moment of liberation. It would be wonderful if that was sufficient to overcome the karma and habit energy we have accumulated. Unfortunately, it practically never is. It is just one moment, and habit energy must be undone bit by bit. Nonetheless, it has tremendous power. Once we see that we can slip the bonds of old habits, the days of bondage are numbered.
I mentioned that we have a way of understanding the arc of zen practice as a refining of our relationship to the precepts. That is worth a sizable article of its own. But describing it briefly, the path begins with the recognition of dukkha, which means to see that the problem is with our selves, not with the way the world is. We see that we need to change the way we go about things, and this is the essence of contrition, the first element in the Kyojukaimon. Next, when we trust our intuition that there is something to seek, something to awaken to, we have the first appearance of taking refuge in our own deeper nature, our own Buddha mind. When we follow this intuition and seek a path, and a teaching about a path we are taking refuge in Dharma, no matter what path is taken. When we chose a teacher or community and make a commitment we are taking refuge in the Sangha. These are the three treasures in an elemental form.
Next, applying the teachings and making some changes in our lives is the first application of the three pure precepts. Someone might stop partying or drinking, or break off a toxic relationship. These are all "ceasing from evil." But this requires seeking something better, a more healthy way to live. Coming to a Zen Center might be part of that. This is "doing good." As we do this, the third pure precept of doing good for others arises. This means we allow ourselves to be engaged in life; we let it affect us and practice with it in the same way we practice with our own thoughts and feelings. Our practice embraces everything.
While this may sound great in theory, in practice it is very difficult. Life is pretty messy, and when you really focus on the details of life events, you come up against the ten grave precepts. The precept practice described here is about that part of the arc of practice. This work can bring us a long way in coming into harmony with original mind, but the koan aspect of the precepts is inescapable. Inevitably, we face the paradox inherent in them, and we come to a place where we must drop the self and all our struggles completely. Here the three pure precepts and the three refuges meet. Dropping self attachment, we go beneath it to the next level of ceasing from evil where we take refuge deeply in the Buddha, our own true nature. Then, as we take action from an unconditioned space, with original mind, we express the precept of do only good. Now we can see that meeting the moment right in front of us is taking refuge in the Dharma. Choosing to engage in the messiness of life and allowing it to touch us is doing good for others in a profound way. Here the whole world becomes the refuge of Sangha. This is living from and expressing our true nature, seeing the truth everywhere, and understanding our true connection with everything.
[1] As found in Buddhist Scriptures, Edward Conze, Penguin Classics, 1959, page 131-132.
[2] See "The Six Worlds" chapter in my booklet Zen Roots, (Dharma Rain Zen Center, 1989) specifically pages 31-37 for more information on Paticca Samuppada, "dependant origination," for more on the Buddhist understanding of rebirth.


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Ray J Denies Giving Whitney Houston Cocaine Before Her Death
Since the announcement that Whitney Houston's death was caused by accidental drowning and that cocaine was found in her system, serious allegations have been thrown at Ray J, Houston's significant other. Leolah Brown, sister of Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown, claims the R&B crooner provided the late pop icon with cocaine before she died.
On the March 23 episode of CNN's 'Headline News' with Dr. Drew, Brown alleges that she saw Ray J leaving Houston's hotel room at the Beverly Hills Hotel in a hurry before her death. She also claims that Ray J was not Houston's boyfriend but her "runner boy" and often supplied her with drugs. For the record, Dr. Drew said that CNN/HLN could not independently confirm or deny Leolah Brown's claims.
But a spokesperson for Ray J has vehemently denied the allegations, telling US Weekly that Brown's statements were "rife with false statements."
"Even though Leolah Brown was no where near the Beverly Hilton Hotel on the day Whitney Houston died, Ms. Brown falsely claimed that Ray J was at the hotel and contributed to Whitney Houston's death," Ray J's rep says. "Even the most minimal inquiry with anyone actually in contact with Whitney would reveal that Leolah Brown had been out of contact with Whitney for more than a year."
Ray J's reps also told TMZ that he had no knowledge of Houston using drugs again and at the time of her death, the singer was in San Diego, Calif. Ray J also publicly denied that he owns a sex tape featuring him and Houston.
As we previously reported, Ray J has been grieving over Houston's death and will continue to honor her memory. "What my heart feels cannot be expressed in words. The world lost an icon, but I lost my close friend," he said. "Nippy I miss you so much. You were so happy and full of love. Your smile will live in my heart forever."
Do you think Ray J was involved in Whitney Houston's death? Tell us in the comments below.
Watch Leolah Brown Accuse Ray J of Supplying Whitney Houston With Drugs

subset: commoncrawl


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Here's an age-old question: is creative writing an art or a craft?
Artistically minded writers will say that writing is most definitely an art while those who who think more analytically will claim writing is a skill, a trade, and a business.
My answer is that writing can be either an art or a craft, and usually it's both. You can approach writing armed with learned skills and an ability to string words together in a sensible manner, or you can approach writing as a purely creative endeavor and call it your art or your passion.
Both approaches work, and either one can lead to good, strong writing. However, the best writing is a hybrid. It's both an art and a craft, a marriage between skill and creativity in writing.
Creativity in Writing
You read almost every day. Words appear on your computer screen, your television, on roadside signs, and product packaging. They're everywhere, and they all make sense.
But every once in a while, you come across writing that simply dazzles you. Have you ever responded emotionally to the way a writer uses language? Have you ever put down a novel and remarked at how impressed you were with the author's ability to create realistic characters or a riveting plot? Have you ever read a poem and felt transported to another time or place?
That's the magic of creativity in writing. It captivates the imagination. It's transcendent.
How to Be More Creative: Tips and Resources for Writers
There's an old, outdated belief that creativity is talent; it's inherent. Some of us are born right-brained (creative) and others left-brained (mechanical, analytical). That's only partially true. Writing can be learned as a skill, but so can creativity. Sure, some people have a more natural inclination toward creative thinking. But anyone can foster and nurture creativity.
So, how do you foster creativity in writing? Below are some tips and resources to get you started. Whether you're creative by nature and want to enhance your creativity or think you lack creative skills and want to build on them so you can produce better writing, these resources will point you in the right direction.
- Marelisa Fabrega's How to Be More Creative — A Handbook for Alchemists is packed with tools for fostering creative and innovative thinking. It's one of my favorite creativity resources!
- Don't want to spring for the e-book? You will after you peruse the idea-packed creativity section on Marelisa's blog.
- Find out how asking questions and encouraging curiosity can lead to creative writing ideas.
- Head over to the Creativity Portal, where you'll find tons (and by tons, I mean TONS) of creativity articles, resources, and project ideas.
- Nothing gets a writer's creativity flowing like poetry. If you think poetry is relegated to tweens, academics, and literary elites, think again. Poetry can be raw and brazen, and it will open your mind to new creative insight and strengthen your language skills. Read it, watch it, listen to it, and then try some poetry writing exercises.
Where do you go to turn up the volume on creativity in your writing? Do you have a favorite book or website, a quiet place in the woods or a quaint coffee shop in the city that you like to visit? Do you have any favorite creativity resources? Share your tips and ideas for how to be more creative by leaving a comment.


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To celebrate MODERN's 100,000 Facebook LIKES and to thank our fans for helping us get there, get ready for exciting giveaways!!
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The best hairdressers are the ones who _____
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The most inspiring day in my career was ______
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Superga X Drea Chong Junior Strap Print Pastel Flowers
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If you don't have a website for your business yet, you're missing out. More people are using the Internet to find businesses more than the traditional phonebook, and not being visible in search engines will hurt your bottom line. And, you need to develop strong local SEO marketing if you want to stay ahead of the competition.
Search engine optimization is a valuable asset when establishing your business. This is because nearby businesses are displayed first when someone uses their smartphones to search for products or services.
Even if you don't plan on making sales from your website, it's vital you have one geared for your local consumers. Even if it's just a simple blog or pictures showing what you provide, it's all about getting your brand on the Internet and in front of people.
In reality, nearly three-quarters of those who performed a local search visited a store within five miles of their location. About half of them did so within 24 hours. By appearing more prominent in search engines, it's safe to assume you could very well increase your walk-in traffic.
What is Local SEO Marketing?
Local marketing is when you target consumers who are most likely to visit your brick-and-mortar location. It's about engaging people who are within the vicinity of your business who may be interested in buying your products or services.
Here's an example of local SEO in practice. Visit Google and input the term, "pizza." The top results are local areas near you that provide pizza including hours of operation as well as ratings.
In fact, the search engine will scan through sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor for your specific city to show reviews on pizza places nearby.
This is the power behind local SEO marketing.
Why is Local SEO Important?
With the advancements of Internet technology and advertising methods, it's simply easier to reach specific customers which is why it's vital you dive into local SEO marketing. Chances are, you competition is doing just that.
Without a good strategy, you're essentially giving money to other companies.
Your website needs to appear in the top of search results in order to compete, it's that simple. I'm not saying you won't have a degree of success as a business without local SEO marketing, but it will make an impact on your growth and bottom line income.
Also, take into consideration how many people are searching for companies by talking to their phones. It's not enough to simply create good content. You also need to consider SEO for voice searching.
So, what can you do to make the most out of boosting brand awareness and increasing revenue? Here are 10 local SEO tips from experts across the web. Some of these you can implement right away to start seeing a difference in the short-term.
Tip 1: Understand How Your Domain Name Works
Many parts go into how people and search engines perceive a website. This goes beyond creating content, which I will cover in a moment. Here is a short breakdown of some of the more important aspects to consider:
- Your Domain Name
You want the domain name to reflect your business. However, you want to stay away from using cities or specific locations. What if you move? What if you expand and open another store in another area?
- Use ".com" when Possible
The ".com" suffix is one of the most recognized in the world. If it differs, it can create confusion or distrust among many. I know sometimes you won't have a choice because a domain name is already taken, but try to use ".com" when registering the site.
- Keep it Short
A long domain name is difficult to type and remember for the average person. It also appears poorly in search engine results. Keep it as short and succinct as possible.
Domain names play a crucial role in the success of a site. Make sure it's ready for the Internet.
Tip 2: Use Title and Description Tags Correctly
When creating content, whether it's a blog post or a landing page, make sure you include optimized title and description meta tags. These are important as they are the primary focus of how search engines and visitors alike find your business online.
Never underestimate the value of creating amazing titles. It's how people will find you in search and how sites like Google categorize your content.
You want to make sure your business name, location and the products you provide are easy to find. Think of it this way, the title of the site's article is the actual link people see in Google and the description is the text that is below it. Do these elements represent your business in less than 200 characters?
If you use WordPress, tools like Yoast SEO make these much easier to create for optimization.
Tip 3: Enroll in Google My Business
Google My Business is a great platform to get you started. It's essentially the launching point for any business to connect with local consumers. It comes with a variety of tools from displaying new products to gathering data about how customers find your business.
One thing you need to pay attention to, though, is keeping your information regularly updated. As listings are updated across the search engine as well as maps, you need to make sure your potential customers are getting the most current data possible.
For example, what if you changed your hours? Perhaps you got a new product in consumers might like and you want to share an image of it? You may also want to consider responding to reviews as it shows you value customer input.
All of this is done through the Google My Business platform.
Tip 4: Use Online Reviews
Reviews are a powerful thing to add to a website to engage a target consumer. In fact, as many as 84% of buyers trust reviews as often as they do personal friends. And, sites like Google add these to search engine results when applicable.
If you're using eCommerce apps like Magento for your site, you may already have reviews running. If not, perhaps you should turn them on. Reviews give the common buyer a sense of getting the real "scoop" regarding a product or service. They're associated with the input from past buyers, which is one of the reasons why they are so popular.
This is a bit different from the reviews you'd see in Google My Business. If you offer products or services online as well as through the brick-and-mortar location, people who research companies online will see the ratings of your products. It's influential when determining whether or not the visitor will make a purchase.
Tip 5: Use Social Media
About 81% of the population in the United States use social media in some form. And businesses are jumping on the bandwagon for a myriad of purposes. Not only does it help engage the target consumer, but it also gives a platform to address issues and boost the customer experience.
Just don't forget to be social in sites like Facebook and Twitter. You have to connect with consumers, and this means joining in conversations and replying to those who comment on your posts. It builds trust in the brand and makes the business feel more approachable.
Integrate more than just one channel, though. In other words, don't merely focus on Facebook. Find what your target consumer uses the most and socialize on several platforms. It'll expand your reach while making the brand more "likeable" on social media.
Make social accounts specifically for your business. You don't want to tie in your personal interactions with that of your organization.
Tip 6: Build Relationships with Other Local Outlets
A good way to improve SEO is to have relevant backlinks. This demonstrates authority to search engines which increases your page rank. Perhaps one of the best ways to do this is by building a relationship with other local businesses or outlets to create these links.
For example, having a story written about your business by a local journalist who is published online links back to your brand. Perhaps there is a local organization that promotes businesses on their site, such as an advertised trade show. Is there a local charity you support, and will they be willing to link back to your site?
It all boils down to getting attention from those who are in your immediate area. You want as many arrows as possible pointing to your business on the Internet.
You'll have to spend a bit of time looking in your area, but it may provide a boost to SEO if the right site links back to your own.
Tip 7: Practice Good Internal Links
Backlinks are great for SEO, but don't forget to link internally. These are quite valuable in terms of local SEO marketing. Websites have been known to grow in page rank quite rapidly just from building good internal link structure. It tells search engines which content is the most important.
One of the most important things to remember when creating links within your own website is to make sure they are relevant to the content. Just like linking back out to other webpages, the content needs a relationship. For example, you wouldn't link to a page covering fishing rods if the content is about automobiles.
Think of an internal link as giving the visitor access to more information that supports the material he or she is reading. It's like you're telling the reader, "for more information, click here." Of course you wouldn't want to use that text because it's a poor anchor for the link.
Tip 8: Focus on Localizing Content
The city location and what you offer is a good place to start for creating content. However, adding more localized aspects helps boost awareness of your area. This is usually most beneficial for businesses that have more than one location.
Each page for the business should focus on something unique to its particular neighborhood or part of town. Is there an event nearby people will want to visit? What kind of elements are nearby that can relate to your operation?
This is known as hyper-localizing, and it's often effective when engaging consumers within five miles. You don't need to be a news service, but relating your business to events in the area helps create more of a localized connection with potential buyers.
Tip 9: Be Authentic
Listing the details of your business in various sites like Google and Yelp is important, but being authentic with information is paramount. This includes things like truthful descriptions, updating descriptions as often as possible and using high-quality images.
When taking pictures of your business or the products you provide, don't attempt to alter them to appear "better" than they are. I know Photoshop is an incredible tool, but it's often damaging to a brand's reputation if you use it the wrong way.
Another way to deliver high authenticity is to address positive and negative reviews individually. Don't simply copy and paste a standard response to certain types of criticism. People who read the reviews will quickly see through these posts and form a negative opinion based on your responses.
Tip 10: Focus on Brand Reputation
Your brand reputation will play a role in local SEO marketing. In fact, Google may adjust your visibility partially on the reviews of your customers. It's important you address any concerns as quickly as possible to deliver the best experience for those who are buying your goods.
When people look at that little star rating from their smartphones, are they going to be inclined to visit your business? If the rating is poor, they will already begin to form a bad impression before the customers even begin to read the reviews themselves.
Use negative reviews as a form of constructive criticism. Some claims are often outlandish and not indicative to the general experience. However, the more detailed forms of critiques are usually quite informative about what practices or changes you should consider.
Perhaps one of the most effective methods of boosting a business is by delivering a superior customer experience. It will contribute to whether or not a customer shares your brand with friends and family through social media.
A happy customer is a repeat customer.
Local SEO Marketing Improves Visibility
There's no doubt that local SEO is important to the advancement of any offline business. Millions of people use their smartphones daily to look up nearby companies to make a purchase. If you're not visible to sites like Google, you're less visible to your target consumer.
Do what you can today to improve your local searchability tomorrow.


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2010 January Americans Arrive in Gibraltar
|Americans Arrive in Gibraltar
|January 26, 2010
8th Gibtelecom Chess Festival in Gibraltar runs from January 26 till February 4.
American stars participating include GM Gata Kamsky, GM Vinay Bhat, GM-elect Alex Lenderman, IM Irina Krush, US Women's Champion Anna Zatonskih, IM Sam Shankland, IM Justin Sarkar and FM Andrei Zaremba. US resident Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk is also playing!
See pairings, live games and news on the official website. Also keep your eyes on CLO for photos and other materials on Gibraltar by Shankland and Krush. Read Krush's final reports from 2008, "Irina Blogs From Gibraltar" and 2009,"Irina Krush on Gibraltar Highs and Lows."
Good luck to our Americans in Gibraltar!


text: Eddy Anemian Wins H&M's Global Design AwardPrize Deniss February 3, 2014 Designers, News Roll up, the results are in! And the winner of H&M's global Design Awardprize is Eddy Anemian. The fashion student at the prestigious La Cambre in Brussels has bagged himself €50,000 and, most importantly, the opportunity of having H&M developing pieces from his collection to be sold in at least 12 countries under the mentorship of Ann-Sofie Johansson, the brand's creative head of design. Competition was tough and the jury included London Fashion Week designer Erdem and Vogue's Serena Hood, but Anemian's talent saw him succeed over eight other semi-finalists from top-tier fashion schools. 18-piece collection was unveiled to international press and buyers at the Mercedes Benz Stockholm Fashion Week. Titled They Can Cut All Flowers, They Cannot Keep Spring From Coming, the collection had a strong Haute Couture influence and consisted of 3D shapes covering the body almost completely and ranging from sea blue to forest green hues, with subtle floral patterns. The quality craftsmanship and elegance of colour juxtaposition were the stars of the collection. The floral range is inspired by the French painter Ingres and Tilda Swinton's character in the film I Am Love. Anemian told WWD: "I like the idea of sensuality, and perhaps even glamour. I wouldn't object to that description. But I don't want any nudity. Rather, I tend to cover the body, and I just wanted to play with proportions – the idea of lots of patterns, or cutting jackets with really high collars that make you carry your head in an aristocratic way". Ann-Sofie Johansson said: "All of the judges fell in love with Eddy's collection, both the romance of how it looks when it is worn and the extraordinary skill of his work seen up close. He is a worthy winner, and a bright new star for fashion's future" Manuela Calascibetta


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Camera: Olympus
Model: E-P1
F-stop: 5.5
Exposure Time: 1/400
Lens: 14-42 M.Zuiko
Light: 1 x flood light approx:400W
This is my first shooting challenge (and a new camera) and it was
actually much harder than I first thought! I totally underestimated
the amount of light that you need to get a good picture of smoke. I
was thinking of a subject matter and by chance I had to move the
toaster, for some reason a light went off in my head and I thought
bingo, burnt toast = smoke!
So after putting one of the last bits of bread we had in the toaster I
waited... and waited... and finally smoke! I used a flood light that I
normally use to work on my car and it did an OK job but really I
needed two more and on some stands! I also used a burst shooting mode
so I could catch the toast popping out of the toaster... that didn't
work so well!
Now all I have to do is explain the huge amounts of smoke and why it
smells like burnt toast to my housemate when he gets back and remember
to put all the damn smoke decetor batteries back!
-Adam Clash
I was ask to go take pictures at a friends birthday party. Shot at night a outside a fire lamp, with my Rebel XTI on program with an old canon flash.
-Alvin Vera
Taken with a Nikon D80, 28-80mm F/3.5-3.6 D at a focal length of 52mm and a slave flash for side lighting and built in camera flash for slave trigger. ISO: 200, Shutter Speed: 1/60s, Aperture: F/4.8
Adjusted Brightness and Curves to adjust for front flash lighting on background. Sharpened and increased contrast. Increased overall saturation levels and adjusted to color smoke. Set all color specific saturations at -100 (except blue) to remove the color from the hand.
This image was originally titled "Splash". I loved the way it the smoke "dripped" through my fingers, but the sideways images was most striking to me. After a day of reflecting (and obsessing) about this image, by roleplaying background decided to rear its head and I changed the title to "Mana" for the magic used in most systems.
-Amber Psautti
This was shot with a canon t2i and the stock 18-55mm IS lens at ISO 1600. I shot it at the highest possible res then edited in MS paint (too cheap for PS). This was my first time entering the shooting challenge so I didnt want to go crazy with this shot. I took about forty pictures and then realized that if I shot upwards into the light I was using I got a cool effect where the smoke rose from light to dark. So after around twenty more shots I chose this one. By the way the light I was using for this shot was a 8 year old reading light and the black background was created by hanging a black fleece jacket on a music stand which I then put behind the smoke.
-Andre Vogel
"Freedom by Fire"
Shot with a Nikon D90 with a 50mm prime lens. I used an f-stop of 1.8 with a 1/500 shutter speed.
Cleaning out our filing cabinet, my wife and I found a bunch of old checkbooks. We didn't want to just throw them into the trash. My wife is a bit of a pyro, so she decided to burn all of them in our firepit. As I was sitting out there with her, I was able to take a couple of photos. This was the best of the bunch.
-Andrew Carrigo
Shooting Info: Sony A550 at f/20, 1/80 sec., ISO-200 through Sigma 50mm Macro Lens with External Flash
I've done plenty of smoke shots with single incense sticks but tried four at once this time, and tried getting the sticks themselves in frame as well. Generally the smoke got too busy. I got the best results when blowing the smoke out of the way for a few seconds and capturing the recovering streams of smoke. Ext. flash was positioned to the right, with a mirror placed to the left reflecting back some of the light. In Photoshop I tinted the upper and lower portions of the smoke to achieve a sort of flame effect. Wife was not happy with the smell of the house afterward.
-Ben Torode
Canon EOS 7D
f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO-100, focus length: 59 mm, camera flash used
Taken with a Canon Powershot S90, 1/30 second at f/5.o, ISO all the way up to 3200. Standard home studio set-up, with a black cloth backdrop and the brightest lights I had at home, a couple of triple-bulb LED reading lamps (no external flash).
-Brian Hall
Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
Incense stick
Black poster board
It took quite a while to figure this one out, but eventually I decided on a flashlight shining sideways through the smoke trail of a burning incense stick as my only source of light. Neither the overheard fluorescents nor the on-camera flash were really giving any contrast with either a black or white background. Getting enough light into the camera was a definitely challenge, but ISO 3200, f/4.5, and 1/20sec seemed to work. I wish I could have had a faster shutter speed, but 1/40sec was just too dark and I didn't want to shrink the depth of field any further. Once I started getting images it was just a matter or taking lots of pictures and hoping for the best.
To get my final image I just cropped out the incense stick, and then duplicated and flipped the layer. Finally, I shifted the color toward purple to make the smoke seem a little more ominous. I think it kind of looks like a monster coming out of the shadows...or possibly the cover art for the next Black Sabbath album.
-Chuck DeLuca
"Dorm Room Shenanigans"
I don't have a wallpaper sized photo to submit
Nikon D5000, stock 18-55 mm lens, auto mode.
Not quite sure why the flash didn't go off in this picture but it looks better than the others.
Set up a firecracker in the hallway of my room, set up my laser pointer about 5-6" above the firecracker to catch the smoke and highlight it.
-Cody Clarke
Canon XSI with 50mm 1.8
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1/13 SEC
Just scotch and a cigar.
-David Getchel
Trying to get enough light on this burning stick of incense proved to be more difficult than I though. By the time this photo was taken it was lit by A desk lamp, (2) iPhone 4 LED flashes, a Photon LED light, and a Kodak reel to reel projector aimed at the smoke. Looking back, I should have had the room darker, unfortunately I can't reshoot, it is way to late and I'm all out of incense. Shot with my Canon 20D, fixed 200mm @ ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/80 . Because I did not have a black background or a well enough lit smoke source, I was unable to process this as I would have like. I am happy that I still have a submission this week, and with the knowledge I gained from this shoot.
-David Nemerson
Canon T2i
After my friend complained about me not photographing him being "BA" I begrudgingly took my camera out and ended up with about a hundred or so pictures that came out rather spectacularly. This was actually a bit more challenging to shoot than it would first appear, as the spark from the welder is actually much brighter than the sun and quite dangerous to look at. So most of what I shot was composed and shot fairly "blind" or pre-composed.
-Donald Campbell
Shot with a Canon Rebel XSI, Sigma 17-70mm 2.8-4 Macro HSM Lens @ 46mm, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, Aperture f/16.
Originally, I was going to try shooting the smoke alone, but when i was setting up the camera all the smoke from the incense i used started to annoy me.I found a clear plastic cup and covered it. It looked really cool when I released it so I got a few shots of the plastic cup before deciding to get a fancier looking martini glass.The incense didn't create as much smoke as i wanted. Trapping it in a glass and releasing it worked out a lot better and made focusing easier.
-Esmer Olvera
Pentax K-X, Tamron 90mm Macro lens. F-4, ISO-800, 1/30th sec exposure.
I didn't have enough light so had to use pretty much opposite settings to the ones recommended. I set up in my garage as I didn't want any wind and used an incense stick as the smoke source. I put my macro lens light directly under the chilli and another table lamp off to the right which was aimed at the smoke. I set up my black snowboard behind as it has some interesting patterns and I thought they might look good, but they didn't come out. First I took a picture with no smoke, then started shooting with the smoke. After taking a load of shots I chose my favourite and layered it on top of the no smoke one in Photoshop. I then used the eraser tool to rub out the small section of smoke under the chilli to give the false impression that it was the chilli smoking and not coming from a source underneath it. I didn't use a flash as it reflected off the shiny snowboard behind. I wish I had more light so I could have used a higher shutter speed and lower ISO.
-Gary Gray
Canon XSi, 18-55mm, f3.5, 100 ISO. + a Flash behind the scene.
I took this shot with a Nikon D3000, f 5.6 and ISO 1/100 and no flash. It was taken in my friend's garage with a floor mat as the black background, color-changing professional show lights as our light source, and Joss sticks (borrowed spur-of-the-moment from our Chinese friend's restaurant) producing the smoke. Because the lights weren't super bright we had a hard time getting pictures that weren't blurry, and we didn't use a tri-pod. This was definitely a group effort- one person holding up the back drop, one person aiming the lights, one person holding the incense and then me as the photographer. The shots we took with more billowy, full puffs of smoke weren't very clear or defined, so I chose this one because of the smooth stream of smoke, the color (my favorite) and the spacey-vibe from the light. If you look closely, the smoke looks like a smiley face with two faint puffs above the larger curve.
-Hannah Nofsinger
For this I used my D5000 with a 55-200 VR lens at 102mm, Iso ~ 100 and a shutter speed of 1/250. I chose this shot because I think that the smoke looks like it's dancing. Bought enough light bulbs deserving of the weird looks this afternoon, found out that it can be rather difficult to break a bulb while saving the filament and the shot was taken around 12:15 at night in the basement, (which may very well be haunted...) Safe? Meh, Fun, Yes.
-Harvey Taylor
Canon EOS 7D, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO-100, focus length: 59 mm, camera flash used
I placed a cardboard on the background and lit it up with a big lamp so you could see the dark shadowy smoke pop up nice and smooth. I burned, you can see a little flame in the picture, dark den wood which made some real black smoke. Now I don't have to smoke for at least 10 years, but it was worth the experience J I did used the camera flash, but I needed to improvise a soft box to avoid any shadows in the background.
-Ismael Tan
Equipment used: Nikon D5000 set at F/8.0, Shutter speed of 1/200s, ISO of 100 and a focal length of 145mm. I used photoshop CS5 to add the silver color as seen in the picture. This was the second shot I've done with smoke and I really liked how it came out. My setup for this was a black card background held up by a clamp and a piece of wood, a speedlight shot through a white umbrella, an incense stick and a tray to catch the ashes.
-James Ferrell
"The Tiki Lord"
I recently received this wooden tiki statue from a friend who visited Hawaii. I was photographing it and loved the reddish sheen that shows up under low light. I set up an incense stick inside the tiki's mouth and waited for the smoke to curl around its head.
Nikon D90, Nikon 50mm, 1/60 sec. f/11, ISO 200, using an off-camera SB-600.
-Jeff Faria
Shot this with a Canon Rebel XT with a very old Lester Dine 105mm macro lens, the kind that doesn't have any auto focus or any electronic components for that matter. The light I used was with a cowboy studio light with a softbox. I have a 24-105mm F4 L Canon lens but for whatever reason it decided not to cooperate with my camera as soon as everything was setup so I switched to this Lester Dine macro as the next best lens. Unfortunately due to having to set the aperture manually it made it very difficult to do that and manually focus the lens at the same time. Anyway great contest, I learned a lot, hopefully will be able to get some better ones once the lens contacts on my L series lens starts to like me again.
-Jeff Hills
To make my smoke picture, I used a Canon Rebel XT and a 50 mm lens at f/8, ISO 400, and 1/250 sec. To light it, I used a LumoPro 160 flash with a homemade gridded snoot on camera right and placed a black board behind the smoke. To make the smoke, I burned some foul smelling incense and occasionally blew on it to create air flow. Post processing was done in Photoshop.
-Joe Russo
Canon XSi with Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro.
1/200 sec @ f/6.3
manual focus
Setup was a single incense stick with two flashes (LP120 and SB-20) at right and left a few inches away from the stick and slightly below the frame, fired at an upward angle with a green gel on the right strobe and a red gel on the left one. The background is a cardboard box with a black cloth over it about a foot and a half away. Everything was sitting on my dining room table, and I had the dining room light on, otherwise I had no hope of getting the focus right. But at those settings the cloth easily stayed black. The colors are straight out of camera, but I did some basic contrast, exposure and noise reduction adjustments in lightroom. I originally tried to shoot this on a white background, but was not successful in getting the smoke to stand out. The white smoke blended in with the white background. After getting a couple shots with white smoke on black background, I realized it really needed something else, and added the two gels to give the image another dimension. The hardest part of this shot was finding a place near me that sells incense. I ended up going to a "make your own candle" shop. The incense advertised that it burns for 45 mins. I spent the first 2 thirds of that time figuring out my setup and the last third actually taking potential shots. The one I'm submitting is the very last shot I took, and I think it's the strongest.
-Joe Simons
Nikon D90
45mm (35mm equivalent)
I hadn't intended to participate in the challenge but then I stumbled upon my "Zero Blaster" smoke ring toy gun in the back of a closet. After a quick change of batteries I was up and running shooting smoke. I shot the "Blaster" rings across the front of the lens and set the remote flash to fire upwards into the smoke . The rings travel quickly across the frame so it took about 100 shots to get a few nicely framed and lit rings after trying a few different angles.
-Joe Sugden
Photo was taken with a Nikon D300s DSLR
1/80 sec.
18 mm
My girlfriend Jessica Bartek and I set up this shot. We set up a door in the creek to create a reflection, using a broken broom stick to prop it up. Behind the door is an external light triggered wirelessly via Pocket Wizard transmitter. There is another light on the right side of the door to light up the front face of the door from the side. Also behind the door we set off two smoke bombs.
The concept behind the image is the idea of a supernatural unknown. The smoke gives a eerie vibe while the light represents "going into the light". The door represents the unknown as no one knows what is on the other side just as no one knows what happens when we die.
-Josh Trolio
Equipment - Canon T2i and the Kit Ef-s 18-55mm lens, Yongnuo Yn460 Speedlite off Ebay with some DIY diffusers, and My cheapy tripod from London drugs
I used ISO 100 shutter speed 1/200 at f/8 and 37mm Focal Length
I have always wanted to submit to your shooting challenges but am always putting it off. I had just watched a tutorial not a week before this contest was announced on taking photo's of smoke off of incense. I saw the video and the name of this weeks challenge and thought...HMMM plain smoke streams are boring. I glanced up while sitting in my den and saw my dorky Star Wars Toys and thought that Darth Vaders mask with smoke bellowing out would be COOOOL. So I did just that I used the basic guide lines of the smoke tutorial and started taking pictures. I ended up using an orange DIY diffuser (I think I saw the plans on Giz or Lifehacker) I made from Orange foamy paper which I never thought I would use this soon. Was a fun as heck little shoot! I am unsure how licensed things like this fit into your challenges let alone portrait orientation photo's but I thought this was worth submitting!
-Joshua Maurer
Shooting Summary:
Camera: Canon T1i
Lens: Canon 18-200 IS
ISO: 800, Shutter: 1/320, Aperture: F5.6, Format: RAW, Full M & MF.
I decided to call this "Smoke Under Water." I was reading about the photography challenge while making a cup of Roselle Tea. I had never had Roselle tea before (turns out, I don't really like it), but to my surprise, when I dropped the tea bag in the hot water, it looked a lot like it was smoking, downwards. The Roselle tea had such a strong color, and created these great swirling waves of color, that I decided to duplicate the tea making while shooting. I used a clear plastic bottle with hot water inside. I turned on all the ceiling lights in the room plus put a desk lamp directly over the bottle (you guys were right about needing more light), dropped the tea bag in and started shooting. Before I knew it, the water was full on dark red. I managed about 45 shots in that brief time period. Hope you all like it. Thanks!
-JT McGrath
So I was outside trying to set up a complicated smoke picture. Which was
not working out. I was getting discouraged, when I looked up and saw 'real'
smoke off in the hills. I wish that the day would have been brighter. I
used my little Olympus e-PL1 set at F/11, 1/320 sec and an ISO of 400
-Kay Owens
Equipment: Rebel T1i with EF-S 18-55mm lens, two Lumopro LP160 flashes. ISO 200, f 4.5, 1/200 sec.
I set out to try and do this challenge without photoshopping the smoke. I used a Joss Stick and two flashes: one to light the scene in general, and one with a red filter on it to light up the smoke. The Joss stick was placed right in front of the didgeridoo (bet you don't have one of those lying around the house!) to make it seem as though that is where the smoke was coming from. I used a snoot on the red flash to not flood the scene with red which led to the nice effect of the smoke changing colors mid-flight.
-Kitt Turner
"The Temptation of Buddha"
-Shot with a Canon 40D, Tamron 28-75 mm f/2.8 XR Di lens
-1/1250 shutter at f/4.5, ISO 500 (Buddha image)
-1/160 shutter at f/6.3, ISO 1000 (smoke temptresses)
-Three separate images composited in Photoshop CS3; used sunlight as light source for all three images, plus boyfriend's white T-shirt as reflector and dark shorts to block unwanted reflections; black dress used as background
-Incense sticks provided smoke (burned two at a time for more intense smoke)
-Smoke and highlights/shadows from smoke colored blue in Photoshop
I was inspired by the feminine qualities of the smoke, which led to the idea of portraying the smoke as "temptresses." The opposite of lust and temptation, a figurine of Buddha provided a warm contrast to the icy apparitions. He remains calm and introspective, paying no heed to the transient specters.
-Kristina Jacinth
I used a 5D Markii, 24-105L and an Alien Bee B400 shot through a softbox to achieve this shot. I chose pink because it's breast cancer awareness month.
-Kyle Ford
After finally learning how to properly burn the incense (thank you YouTube kids), I took over 300 photos of these whimsical smoke ribbons. My equipment consisted of a cardboard box, dark towel draped as background, and four 40W lamps pointed at the smoke. Needless to say, the room looked really strange... Then narrowed my favorites to two. I edited each in GIMP, combined them, and had one last edit on colours in the iPhone app called PhotoWizard. Olympus E-510, 14-42mm, 1/250 & 1/320, F5.6, ISO 200
-Lea Chambers
Shot this little gem by my grandmas house in Lake Tahoe with the default camera on my iPhone 3GS. Her neighbor was burning some slash from trees the forest service fell last week. The smell added a lot of depth too the applewood bacon i ingested before i left.
-Lee Welsch
Sony DSC-HX1, f/2.8, 1/4s, ISO 200
After following Gizmodo for some time I found interesting the photography challenges and decided to apply this time. Got my camera, lit up a inscence stick, however the smoke coming from the match caught my eye. Got a cardboard and took some shots.
-Luca Leite
The day the challenge was announced I went to my local farmers' market to do some photography and talk with some of the sellers. One lady was nice enough to give me a few peppers to sample. After I got home, I thought this would be the perfect thing to use for a smoke pic. This photo is shot with a Canon 7D, Sigma 50mm 1.4 lens. Shutter was at 1/250s and aperture was f/9.0. To light, I used an off camera 580ex II flash placed camera left and bounced onto an 9 foot white ceiling. The peppers were placed on a 1'x1' glossy granite tile and the background is black art board. I had a friend light a series of matches hidden behind them and then had him blow them out while I snapped a few shots of the billowing smoke that rose afterward. After that I used Photoshop to tweak levels, contrast, brightness, and colored the smoke via a photo filter and a hue/saturation adjustment layers.
-Lynn Chyi
Camera : Canon 7D
Lens : Canon 24-70mm f/2.8
Aperture : f/9.5
Shutter Speed 1/250
Focal Length : 32mm
Flash : Canon 580 ex2
Softbox : Honl Photo Traveller
I was shooting the most boring thing in the world (still clothes for my brand), and during my cigarette break, I read about this contest !
Perfect timing since I already had the cigarette in my mouth and the camera in my hands.
The confusion created by the smoke/nose/beard at first glance gives this picture an interesting effect.
-Mario Velloso
I used a Canon Rebel XSi, the shutter was set to 1/100, f5.6 and the ISO to 400. It took several hours to get an image, the only pieces of professional equipment I have are umbrella lamps. I started with two lamps and a flash, but just got one big white image, I even tried turning off all the lights, focusing on the tip of the incense and then firing off some shots blindly. In the end, I turned on one lamp, bounced my flash off the wall and got this!
-Marisa Soto
Canon xsi
Canon 50mm f22 1/250 sec ISO 200
Taped a black piece of paper on the wall, lit some incense below it and used a remote trigger on a canon speedlight to freeze the smoke from below. I played around with color as suggested, but found that the black and white image had a lot more impact.
-Mark Lee
Used my old point and shoot, Canon PowerShot SD600. Set to manual (as "manual" as this camera can do) for exposure compensation +2. Smoke was created with an incense stick, a desk lamp and on camera flash for lighting.
-Matt Sills
Camera: Canon Rebel XS w/ Kit Lens
F-Stop: 100
This was a lot of fun to try to create. The room was completely black except for a mag-lite my husband had suspiciously given me (let's face it...a camera, incense, a black backdrop and mag-lites ARE a somewhat odd combo). I used a black piece of fabric for the background and snapped away. These were my three favorite wisps, so I combined them in photoshop, inverted them, and gave them their color. Definitely one of my favorite photos I've taken so far.
-Megan Allen
Canon Eos Rebel XS + 18-55mm Kit Lens
1/200s F/5.6 ISO-400
Built in flash fired
The only thing I found readily available to create smoke was a couple of sparklers. I tried taking pictures with various backdrops, but each backdrop showed too much detail so eventually I decided to shoot against the night sky. Since the flash in my camera is relatively weak, It didn't light up any trees or anything behind the smoke. It was pretty hard to get a good smoke shot since I couldn't see the smoke in the dark, the wind kept changing direction, and I had to wait for the flash to recharge each time. After I got one that I liked, I added a gradient map in Photoshop to give it a flame-type look.
-Nick Cheng
"Yin + Yang"
Camera - Nikon D70 (soon upgrading to a D7000)
Lens - Nikon Nikkor f/2.8 80-200mm Manual Lens @ f/2.8
F-Stop - f/5.6
Shutter - 1/250s
Focal Length - 120mm
Post-Processing - Adobe CS5, mirrored image, inverted colors, desaturated, resaturated with a gradient.
I was always interested in smoke photography, back in high school, I studied the ins and outs very thoroughly and I ended up making my own rig using strobes with makeshift snoots. I decided to try my luck with it again. An incense cone was used as the smoke provider for this one, and I had the photo taken in a completely dark room. I used crossing strobes with my good old paper snoot idea from back in high school to aim the flashes and limit diffusion. Upon completion of my photoshoot, I walked out of the room with red eyes from all of the smoke. I then uploaded the photos into photoshop; then had my way with them. Once I was finished, I made a print, and since the printer prints out the photo upside-down, I saw the demon head looking at me. I'm kind of weird in the sense that I thought this was one of the coolest things ever...and still do. I still use the peaceful orientation of the photo initially just so people can experience the effect I first had when seeing the photo upside-down.
-Nick Page
My setup was an empty Bulleit bourbon bottle heavily duct taped to my
kitchen counter at an angle, a shot glass suspended upside down from a
string and microphone stand, black poster paper taped to my cabinets
as the backdrop, individual strobes on the left and right using paper
snoots, and an incense stick lined up behind the bottle. Once the
frame was set and the strobes lined up, I lit the incense and used
cheap radio units to fire the flashes. This was my first time trying
manual strobe settings, and I quickly overheated them (full 1/1 power)
and had to stop for the night. Luckily, this was one of the five
successful shots of the bottle I was able to get. The "liquid line" in
the bottle is actually the incense stick - I colored the lower half in
post-editing while inverting/flipping the image. Nikon D90 and
18-200mm lense @ f10, 1/250, ISO 200, 105mm.
-Nick Sprankle
Camera: Canon 5D Mk2
Lens: EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Focal Length: 30mm
Aperture: f/5.0
Exposure: 10 sec.
I took this shot at an "Old West" themed playground late at night. I had my friend stand behind the train's smokestack while pointing a flashlight in the air and throwing sand over the flashlight's beam. I wanted to get some kind of cool smoke effect for this contest, but it turned out a little different than I planned. I still think it looks pretty cool and since smoke can take on any shape, I think it still applies.
-Nolan Gaudreau
Nikon d700 w/ 70-200mm 2.8F
Shot at 130mm, 1/250sec, f8, iso100
Vivitar 285HV at 1/4 power (positioned right side of the smoke)
Triggered with cybersync
Black poster board background
I originally had the idea of just having the shot filled with smoke rings, but as I was looking through the shots on my computer, I realized that a number of them were shaped like jellyfish. I decided to scratch the rings theme and go with the jellyfish idea. My girlfriend, who helped with the smoke rings, then said, "Why not have both the rings and the jellyfish?" I thought for a bit on how both could be incorporated...I hope you like the result!
-Perry Chung
Camera: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
Flash: Nikon SB-800 connected with SB-28
1/20 sec
I dropped matches into an empty .50 caliber shell and pretty much held down the shutter until smoke stopped coming out. This one is take 79 of 148. My flash was below and to the right. I probably would have played around with it a bit more, but my mom started complaining that I was stinking up the house so I had to quit.
-Quentin Swager
Camera Nikon: D300s
f stop: 11.0
Focal Length 50mm
I have always wanted to try out smoke photography, so thought I should give it a go.
I used incense sticks for the smoke as they give a decent amount of smoke. I really love the different shapes that the smoke gives off.
I used my Nikon D300s with a 50mm prime attached on a tripod with a cable release and all shot in RAW. The set up was the back of my duvet for the black background, a table lamp to the left and a SB600 flash (in commander mode and triggered via on-board flash) to the right. Both the flash and the lamp had black card attached to them via rubber bands to prevent light spilling on to the background, to make the light focus more on the smoke itself. I took about 200 images in total and have had a great time playing about with them. (inverting, changing the colour of the smoke etc)
Images taken into Bridge where I increased the black to give the image more contrast and also remove any light spillage on to the background. Then into Photoshop to remove dust picked up by the flash and increase the canvas size and flip, invert and colour image. Annoyed that I forgot to reset my ISO (would have had it set to 100 normally) from the previous day…..doh.
-Richard Gailey
Nikon D300
Focal length: 200
F Stop: 5.6
Exposure: 1/500
So I was trying to get a photo with smoke in a bubble. However, trying to set the camera timer, take a drag, dunk the tube, and then attempt to stand within focus... Needless to say it wasn't really working out that well, so I called for some help from my fabulous wife. My next problem was trying to decide between a bubble explosion with smoke or a bubble full of smoke. Upon review of all my photos I saw this wonderful little vortex and decided this had to be my submission.
-Rico Nolan
Camera: Olympus E-PL1 w/ Kit zoom @ 35mm f6.7 @ 1/60
Lights: dual lowel ego's each with 2 5500K 26W bulbs, plus 2 6500K 26W "daylight" clamp lights
PostProc: lightroom, croped left and right, and used split toning to change the hue.
Smoke Angel
While I got a few "better" shots, with better defined smoke and more contrast, I liked this one best due to the "angel".
I quickly learnt that the biggest trick was getting the contrast between the smoke and background.
My second shoot I put a couple yards of black fabric down my bookshelf, and had that 5 foot behind my coffee table.
My lighting limited me a bit, as I couldn't use the depth of field I wanted, but got a few nice shots, mostly with the Panasonic 20mm lens.
I found there was an art to getting the air still enough, so the smoke didn't drift in any one direction too much, and getting the smoke to not fall down again onto my "stage".
I also learnt to place the incense down - or really the lights/camera up - so some books from my bookshelf came in handy for that too.
-Riki June
I set some incense burning on top of my dining room table underneath the Ikea chandelier. I figured the LEDs in the fixture would be bright & focused enough to work with the smoke. I took a lot of pictures because I wasn't sure once I saw the finished product if I'd like the contrast between the geometrical light fixture & some very organic smoke trails or if I'd prefer a strong, straight smoke trail to go along with the geometry of the fixture. In the end I chose an organic shape. The only alteration was to brighten the image. I set my Pentax K-x to aperture priority at f5.6 per the suggestions in the link & that led to a really dark background so I wanted to lighten it to show the actual colors of the room. Yes, the one wall in my dining room really is that orange but somehow the other wall (which is a boring, Navajo White) came out orangey too.
-Robin Rigby
There's been a terrible accident. I don't know how it happened.The safety was on, and I didn't think it was loaded. We were just playing around and then... there's a huge mess. I don't know what to do. Someone, please help.
Gear: Nikon D90, Nikon 18-200mm VR-II, Nikon SB600 in remote mode
Settings: 1/100th sec, f/11, ISO200, 24mm, The flash was fired in TTL Auto, so I'm not sure what power it actually used.
-Ryan Powers
Shot with my Nikon D5000 stock lens, Full Manual mode, 3200 Iso, 1/250 shutter speed, F stop 8.0, 55mm zoom. I only have the flash on the camera so I set up a black t shirt in my window area, angled with the sun light. Shot about 300 pictures, and then stared at them for three hours, lol. Finally my boyfriend said, hey that one looks like a flower! So I then meshed my incense smoke pictures together till I came up with some cool looking flowers. Changed the hue/saturation to the colors I wanted. Was still looking plain so I added the neat mirror image!
-Sam Katz
Shooting Summary: Nikon D3000, 18-55, ISO-200, f/5.6, 1/60 sec.
Well this is my first time submitting to the photo challenge, and what a fun way to start off! I set up my little "studio" in a small corner of my kitchen with a heavily ironed pillow cover as my back drop, incense sticks and an adjustable desk light as my lighting. After a little bit of tweaking and testing out different angles of lighting, I started to get a hang of the process. While it hurt my back and I smelled of incense for the rest of the day, it was a great experience and I can't wait to do more!
-Sravya Nallaganchu
I thought i'd have a bit of fun with this shot and try to incorporate the smoke into a scene. It was more difficult then i had expected. Sometimes the smoke would look great and my lighting would be off, other times the smoke was totally out of picture and everything else looks great. This one turned out the best.
-Stephen Galpin
I used a sony a350 camera with a 16-105mm zoom lens and an external flash and used a black bed sheet for the back drop.
The settings were ISO 200, 50mm zoom, f/5, 1/250.
The inspiration behind this picture is the idea that drinking and smoking are both social activities that are often done at the same time, so I wondered, how it would look if the two got confused?
-Tim Nummy
Camera: Nikon D3000 - Lens: Nikkor 18-55
Iso 100 - f 5.6 - 1/250 Camera set to RAW, tweaked exposure and saturation in PSD.
That was a pretty hard one - first, I tried to figure out how to produce smoke. I ended up with some rolling tobacco which I burnt in a little bowl. I used matches to keep the tobacco burning, blowing into the bowl to keep the smoke going. Problem was, the tobacco didn't burn that well, so by the time I stopped blowing the smoke stopped as well. I felt like a scout trying to make fire. Lighting was a desk-lamp.
By the end of the shooting I was concerned that the firefighters might show up once I open up the window to let the smoke out. My apartment was all hazy and I realized that breathing was kinda hard. Which makes me realize that smoking is really bad and I really should stop doing it :)
-Urs Brauchli
Three different shots taken with a Canon 5d mark ii, 24-105mm lens and a speedlite 430exii flash off camera. I had my camera set at 105mm, 1/200sec, f/10 and ISO320. After a few failed attempts using a candle, I made a special trip out to the local grocery store to buy a pack of incense. I played around with where to hold my flash, blinded my boyfriend a few times and finally came up with a few photos that I really liked. I adjusted exposure, brightness and hue/saturation and finally merged these 3 shots in Photoshop.
-Winnie Tsui
Name: Zac Mansfield
Camera: Canon 5D MarkII
Lens: 24-70mm 2.8/f
shutter: 1/500
Aperture: 2.8/f
This was one of my ideas for the smoke challenge. I had a friend hold a 1/4" irrigation line in his hand while we blew cigarette smoke through the line. He held his hand up against a softbox and let the smoke ooze out between his fingers. I also added a little bit of sepia look in Photoshop.
-Zac Mansfield
Canon 7D
EF 85mm f/1.8
1/250 sec at f / 4.5
Off camera strobe 430ex
Underlit by lamp (I love lamp)
After almost setting my living room on fire, here is my final smoke shot. The two tone smoke is natural and the image is straight from the camera with a slight blacks tweak. The colors are probably a result of the inks on the corrugate I burned. Only after the fact did I think to burn a stick of incense for more controlled smoke, oh well, I had fun and scared the neighbors in the process.
-Zachary Tolbert


text:
— Domani Spero
On November 20, 2013, the National Catholic Reporter had an article about the plan to move the U.S. embassy to the Vatican onto the grounds of the larger American embassy to Italy. The US Vatican embassy will reportedly move into a separate building and with a distinct entrance but made news because it drew "fire from five former American envoys despite the tacit consent of the Vatican itself."
At the time of the report, the NCR notes that the move has not yet been publicly announced, a contract for renovations to the new facility has been awarded, and it's tentatively scheduled to open in January 2015. One former ambassador, James Nicholson told NCR, "It's turning this embassy into a stepchild of the embassy to Italy."
The ambassadors named in the report includes three political ambassadors appointed by George W, Bush, one political ambassador by George H.W. Bush, and one political appointee by William J. Clinton. No career diplomat to-date has ever been appointed chief of mission to the Holy See.
What follows the last several days is mind boggling though not entirely unpredictable. The planned relocation of the embassy has been reported as a "closure", a "slap", a "snub", or as a "downgrade" in diplomatic relations. It has also been linked to Obamacare and the Iran nuke deal.
Below is a photo of Embassy Vatican from 2008.
At the time the embassy was inspected by State/OIG in 2008, during the tenure of Secretary Condoleezza Rice, it had seven American direct-hire employees, two American local hire and 10 local employees. Embassy Vatican represents the United States to the Holy See, a sovereign entity headed by the Pope and populated by approximately 800 people. Post total funding in FY2007 was $2,888,882. Way back in 2008, this is what the OIG report says:
The embassy is housed in a leased building fronting on a busy street and in need of relatively costly upgrades. Its budget is tight, and it seems clear that relocation would provide significant cost savings.
Embassy Vatican's chancery consists of a long-term leased building that is somewhat awkwardly configured for office space. The main meeting room is open to the lobby, the only staircase is spiral and narrow, and the office space for most of the American officers is small and affords no privacy. The terms of the lease, signed in 1994, include a 15-year base with two five-year options, and the current annual cost of the lease is $530,000. The building does not meet setback requirements, and local guard services currently cost $335,000 per year.
The U.S. government could realize significant savings if Embassy Vatican relocated to the compound on which Embassy Rome now stands and where the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome soon will move. In addition to cost savings, security would be improved. The possibility of relocating Embassy Vatican was raised in 2005 after the addition of the spacious Sembler Building to the Embassy Rome compound. The Embassy Vatican ambassador at the time opposed the move citing "policy grounds" that included anticipated strong objection by the host government and Congressional support for physically separate missions to Italy and the Holy See. In June 2006, the Department authorized Embassy Vatican to remain at its current location based on these considerations. [REDACTION] addition, significant cost savings and improved functionality would be achieved by a move to the Embassy Rome compound into a building that would preserve Embassy Vatican's identity.
The State/OIG inspectors recommended that "Embassy Vatican, in coordination with Embassy Rome and the Bureaus of Overseas Buildings Operations and Diplomatic Security, should develop and implement a plan to relocate to the Embassy Rome compound, as soon as possible, with an eye towards cost savings, improved security, and maintaining as much as possible its separate identity to include a separate street address. (Action: Embassy Vatican, in coordination with Embassy Rome, OBO, and DS)."
One of the proposed work arounds in 2008 involved replacing the existing steel casement windows and sliding doors on Embassy Vatican chancery since the existing windows were rusted and beyond repair.
Further, the inspectors note the operating reality in the last several years:
The Embassy Vatican operating environment has changed drastically since OIG's last inspection in 2001. Regionalization, rightsizing, collaborative management initiatives, standardization, and post-to-post cooperation are now the imperatives. Diminishing budgets, exchange rate losses, and stagnant LE staff wages are now the resource realities. Notwithstanding the considerable support it already receives from the Embassy Rome tri-mission management platform, Embassy Vatican could move more aggressively to implement management initiatives that could ameliorate the effects of increasingly constrained resources. Post then could redirect any savings to efforts that relate more directly to program goals or otherwise reprogram them.
The ambassador in 2005 who opposed the move could either be James Nicholson (2001-205)or Francis Rooney (2005-2008). The 15-year base lease was up in 2009. So when the ambassador opposed the move in 2005, there was still time on the base lease. It appears like the USG exercised one of its two five year options, which would bring the lease up to 2014 and makes this move timely and sensible. The alternative is to kick it down to one more five-year option lease which would see the embassy continue in the same location until 2019. In which case, the USG (and taxpayers) would most certainly be saddled with costly expenses for
band-aid solutions security upgrades.
Ambassador Ken Hackett, the current U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, and his immediate predecessor Ambassador Miguel Diaz, both Obama appointees, support the embassy move according to media reports.
CNN also reports that Rev. Thomas Rosica of the Vatican's press office, said the Vatican requires foreign embassies to the Holy See be separate from the country's mission to Italy, have a separate address and have a separate entrance. A spokesman for the Vatican said that Embassy Vatican move was well within the Holy See's requirements for embassies and that "relations with the United States are far from strained."
And yet … here we are, now on a third week on this subject.
The good news is — no one has yet charged that the "closure" is due to President Obama being a secret Muslim.
* * *
Related articles
- No, Obama Isn't Shutting Down the Embassy to the Vatican (phillymag.com)
- Holy See Ya Later: U.S. Moving Vatican Embassy (world.time.com)
- Jeb Bush – the 'Smart One' – Tweets Crazy Falsehood About the U.S. Embassy at the Vatican (thedailybanter.com)
- Why the U.S. Is Moving Its Vatican Embassy (world.time.com)


text:
Media Contacts: Steve Lyle, CDFA Public Affairs, (916) 654-0462, firstname.lastname@example.com,
SACRAMENTO, August 3, 2011 – CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is urging California farmers to consider signing up for the USDA's Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The USDA just announced project areas in six states to expand the availability of non-food crops to be used in the manufacturing of liquid biofuels. The four project areas set aside acres in California, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington for the production of renewable energy crops.
"Bioenergy is a cornerstone of the renewable energy future of this state," said Secretary Ross. "These biofuel projects will be at the vangaurd of fuel technology and can hopefully be a catalyst to much needed economic development in some our distressed rural communities."
According to industry estimates, more than 3,400 jobs in the biorefinery, agriculture and supporting sectors will be created due to these new BCAP project areas, with more than 2 million gallons annually of biofuels manufactured when full production levels are achieved.
The BCAP, created in the 2008 Farm Bill, helps farmers and forest landowners with start-up costs of planting non-food energy crops for conversion to heat, power, bio-based products and advanced biofuels. BCAP is designed to ensure sufficient biomass is available to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil, improve domestic energy security, reduce pollution and spur rural economic development and job creation.
"The Obama Administration is committed to providing financial opportunities to rural communities, farmers and ranchers to produce biomass which will be converted to renewable fuels and increase America's energy independence," said USDA secretary Tom Vilsack. "The selection of these project areas is another step in the effort to assist the nation's advanced biofuel industry produce energy in commercial quantities from sustainable rural resources. This effort will create jobs stimulate rural economies across the nation."
Two of the new BCAP project areas, targeted for California, Montana, Washington and Oregon, will grow camelina at a significant scale. Camelina, an oilseed, is a rotation crop for wheat that can be established on marginally productive land. Biofuel from camelina is an ideal jet fuel substitute. The project has a target of 51,000 acres. The sponsors are Beaver Biodiesel, LLC and AltAir Fuels LLC. The project areas are near biomass conversion facilities in Bakersfield, Calif., Tacoma, Wash., and Albany, Ore.
USDA has allocated approximately $45 million for contracts that range between less than five years up to 15 years in the four project areas for producers who volunteer to enroll in BCAP. Producers who enter into BCAP contracts are eligible for reimbursements of up to 75 percent of the establishment costs of the perennial energy crop, and up to five years of annual maintenance payments for herbaceous crops and up to 15 years for woody crops.
The project area in California covers 17 counties: Tehama, Solano, Butte, Colusa, San Luis Obispo, Glenn, Tulare, Sacramento, Yolo, Fresno, Kings, San Joaquin, Kern, Merced, Madera, Riverside, and. Stanislaus.
The sign-up period for these new project areas will begin on Aug. 8, 2011. The deadline to sign up for the project areas is Friday, Sept. 16, 2011. The Farm Service Agency, administering the program on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation with conservation planning assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and other partners, will enter into contracts with landowners and operators in these project areas. Producers interested in participating in the project areas should visit their local FSA county office. Information about BCAP may be found at www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap.