Williamo’s Blog.

If you’ve ever been sat at your desk, hard at work, trying to finish
your report in time for that very important meeting with the Managing
Director; you’ll know just how annoying it is to have the wacky office
comedian come striding up to you in his Homer Simpson tie, wanting to
play his new collection of stupid cell phone ringtones. Welcome to the
dark and murky world of Office Etiquette.

I actually made a big etiquette faux pas at my new employer just this week. I was well-groomed, well-dressed
and I was polite, pleasant and smiling as I greeted my new co-workers.
But as I sat down after making myself a cup of tea, I couldn’t help but
notice that everyone in the office was looking at me like I’d just
murdered their cat. I’d committed a cardinal office sin: never, ever make a drink just for yourself.

So how do you know what the politics of your office are? Well, like
the many different cultures and societies of other countries and
continents, it varies from office to office. In England you could be
hung, drawn and quartered for not making a round of tea for your
colleagues. In Russia however, they’d be more upset if you forgot to
slip a drop of vodka into their brew. For this very reason, we’ve
created The Ultimate Office Etiquette Guide so that you never again
make the mistake of taking a stapler without first asking for
permission!

(via justaguything.com)

The following guest post on composition for portrait photography was
submitted by Christina Dickson, a portrait photographer and photography
instructor from Portland, Oregon. Her work can be seen at: www.christinanicholephotography.com.

1. Fill the frame with your subject

A portrait is about the person, so don’t be afraid to zoom in close!
Remember that zooming in does not mean capturing only face shots. You
can also capture “tight”, close up shots of your subject sitting on a
stool or leaning into a tree.

2. Keep eyes in the upper third

This is the most natural spacing for a portrait. Try not to divert
from this rule unless you are deliberately creating tension. Another
exception of this rule is when a subject is full-bodied in the bottom
third of the frame.

3. Use framing to concentrate all attention on your subject

Rather than eliminate the environment, use it! Doorways, arches,
windows, gazebos are all creative solutions that allow for maximum
subject focus and heightened visual interest.

(continued via digital Photography School)

What should a Photographer do when bad weather strikes? Peter Carey suggests 7 options and invites you to add your own.

I live in Washington State and it’s winter, which means it rainy and dreary most of the time, with some sun breaks. Right now the weather is telling me it’s a good day to build a fire and stay indoors. It’s a day where I just don’t feel like getting out to photograph, yet I still want to do something productive in the realm of photography. If the weather has you down and you just don’t feel like taking more pictures of your cat indoors, try out some of these suggestions to help when the sun starts to shine again.

1. Clean Your Gear

Admit it, you’re either a constant clean freak or you let things lapse. Most people fall into one of those general categories. If you are the former, then you may joyfully skip on to the next suggestion, but if you don’t clean your gear that often, now is a good time to give it the once and twice over.

(via digital Photography School)