Lifeline of Love
Photo Editing Apps Adding Special touches to Photos and Online Sharing
Top 7 Reasons we Love Hearts For Hearts Girls™
Connection
HaPpY BiRtHdAy! Discover Whose Birthdays We Celebrated this Month.
Mission: To connect the hearts of People & Businesses. Create * Conceive * Connect
Special News - Hearts For Hearts Girls™! Did you know that these dolls represent real girls from around the world? This month send in your Hearts For Hearts Girls doll pictures to the Facebook Fan Page for a special prize:)
Welcome to the beginning of FALL!
13
7
2 8 Melinda Nagy Photography Jenny Plocinski Photography Cheryl Flothe & Suzanne Ervin Cover boy - Joshua Wolfson
6
Cheryl Flothe's Corner.
How to capture the perfect memory.
12 Events & Free Stuff
13
9
10 4
Simple ways to add beautiful edits to your regular photos.
Navigation made Simple
Online sites to create your favorite works of art.
™ What if you could change the world just by buying a doll? You can, with Hearts For Hearts Girls™ dolls!
To contribute to our Heartbeat Connection Magazine contact: Nicole Flothe
Colorful Donna Sharam
1 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
Managing Editor email - nicoleflothe@gmail.com www.heartbeatconnection.com
Alzehimers Month International Literacy Day
Labor Day
Aster Flower
National Kiss Day National Teddy Bear Day
Sapphire Stone Ovarian Cancer Awareness
Grandparents Day
Resource - www.punchbowl.com
How are Companies touching the hearts of the world? At Heartbeat Connection we are discovering these answers. Online we offer companies the opportunity to complete our questionnaire at www.Heartbeatconnection.com and provide their explanation. Several new exclusive company reviews have been posted to our Blog.
letter from the editor
This Month has been filled with firsts: first day of school, new schools, Joshua our cover boys first birthday. I'm really enjoying the new iPhone apps that let one edit and create unique photos like camera+, picframe, and more. Instagram is a photo service that I use daily. Since I'm not a professional, I thought I'd ask some of my photographer friends to share a few tips on capturing the perfect memory. With the kids back to school and starting to make new friends, we've been to a few birthday parties. Recently a TV commercial tune, "The Hearts for Hearts Girls," stuck in my head. They're a doll company that helps promote working together for change. Since Heartbeat Connection is all about finding hearts and connecting, I was able to reach out to them and learn more about their company. I'm looking forward to sharing these sweet dolls and etheir company mission with my circle of friends . The beginning of Fall has already begun in many locations. My family in Alaska sent us pictures of snow on the mountains. We hope your Fall is full of exciting discoveries.
With love, Nicole Flothe
Managing Editor
2 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
Online Always adding.
RESOURCES
MOST WANTED: Websites, Online Magazines, Love Quotes, Events, and Books with a Heartbeat. Heartbeatconnection.com Managing Editor NICOLE FLOTHE Photographer MELINDA NAGY OTERO Photographer JENNY PLOCINSKI Art Director SUZANNE ERVIN Editor CHERYL FLOTHE Cover Art - Joshua Wolfson CONNECT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TRACKTHETIME FACEBOOK HEARTBEAT CONNECTION http://on.fb.me/HeartbeatConnection
Celebrate photography
I thought it would be fun to ask my photographer friends a few questions. This will give you a chance to get to know them and learn some tips for your own photos.
What props do you use? Jenny Plocinski said, "I like to use large picture frames and unique chairs to add something special to the shot." - Plocinski Photography
For a beginner, I'd recommend seeking a location that is beautiful, uncluttered, and offers soft lighting. * The park- Shooting in the shade at a park is an easy way to get even lighting any time of day. If you stand just within a shady overhang of trees, the light will "push in" from the side and look lovely. * The beach- Head to the beach at sunset for beautiful, soft lighting and a picture perfect setting. I love the light during the golden hour (the hour just before and after sunset and sunrise.)
How do you choose the best location? Fun and Easy Location Shooting with Megan DiPiero Photography The perfect place to shoot an imaginative couples shot may very well be in their pool at high noon. The perfect place to shoot a spirited 3 year old may be on a wide open beach at sunset. Or is it the other way around? It all depends on what you're going for! When choosing a location, I ask myself a ton of questions. What time of day will I be shooting? What/who is my subject? What look am I going for? In what direction will my light fall? As a natural light portrait photographer, my goal is to find a location that matches mine and my client's vision.
3 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
* The pool- Take a dive with your underwater point and shoot or disposable camera when the sun is out for a whole new world of fun! By asking your subject to tilt their head towards the surface you will get light on their face and often, beautiful reflections. For more advanced shooters, location scouting can make for some exciting imagery. * The swamp- I like to experiment by putting brides and families in swampy locations and enjoying the beauty of golden backlit halos. Plus, getting dirty can be fun! * The home- Lifestyle imagery can take place at home. North lit windows bring in beautiful, even light any time of day. Watch how light falls throughout the room and aim to set your subjects just a bit behind windows to let the direction of light add dimension to their faces.
* The field- Set your alarm and get knee deep in grasses as the sun is rising. You'll find that the light has a slightly different quality (often noted as bluer) during the sunrise golden hour. Try out some silhouettes to showcase the textures of the field.
That giggle of a little boy when he finds a pretty shell on a beach, that smile on a woman’s face when her husband is whispering something in her ear or that hearty laugh of a pregnant woman when you tell her to “work it” are only captured candidly and usually make for best photos.
* The city- With a sturdy tripod and a darkening neutral density filter, you can experiment with long exposures. Ask your subject to stand as still as possible while city dwellers hustle by them. The blurred movement beside the static subject can be stunning. Conversely, ask your subject to dance about and see what exciting motion blurs develop.
The question I am asked often is, “Can you make me look good?” I usually say that my photos will reflect their beauty no matter what tricks and Photoshop actions I use. What I love about photography is the ability to make people look themselves in a mirror, discovering their uniqueness, their own strength, beauty and sparkle. My photos reflect and represent the people that I photograph and I don’t add many distracting actions or edits because I don’t like to take away from the character of the people portrayed.
Most importantly, keep shooting to find the locations that inspire you! Portrait photography is all about light, it's true, but it's also about connection, interaction, and expression. Persistent photographers find the spots that are right for each subject and so can you. Visit me on Facebook at Megan DiPiero Photography to share captures of your fave locations.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANGLE WHILE TAKING A PHOTO? Melinda Nagy Otero: The angle I most like to shoot from is the angle that allows me to take a candid shot. I tell my clients sometimes to pretend I am not there, because usually when they don’t pay attention to a camera that captures their every move, they get more relaxed and I can easily capture their emotions.
4HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
My clients make my photos! Their reactions when they see themselves in my photos are priceless to me because I feel that I have done nothing but given them a polished up and crisp image of who they really are in reality. I love to bring out personalities in photos, such as their humor or laughter, because I love to capture people just the way they are. There is no magic or fairy dust sprinkled on my photos, no over-the-top artistic imagery, just regular people whose inner beauties are shining through. That is why I love what I do! Melinda Nagy Otero www.facebook.com/MelindaNagyPhotography
HOW TO TAKE THE BEST CLOSE UP PHOTO Whether you're a professional photographer sporting the biggest DSLR camera or a civilian armed with a little point and shoot, the best way to take a close up photo hinges on a few things. First off, when shooting up close, I always like to assure my background is uncluttered and free of any distractions that will take away from my subject. Are there any trees growing out of the subjects head? Is there a leaf or object nearby that appears to be in the hair of the subject? If so, I reposition the client or I situate my stance a bit differently to avoid those distractions. We want the photo to be all about the subject. Therefore, we want our eyes to go straight to them when we view the image. If there are distractions in the background, even ever so slight ones, it's inevitable that our eyes will focus on those first rather than the subject at hand. Even though close up shots are tight and show little background or environment behind the client, it's possible to still capture interference when shooting a tight shot like that. Secondly, I always set my camera's focus point to toggle right on top of one of the subjects eyes. By doing so, it helps assure me that my photo will have a client with sharp, crisp, beautiful eyes. If you focus on the eyes, you are guaranteed to have an image that is in focus. Using random or multiple focus points when shooting one individual can cause everything in the image to be in focus BUT your subject. When selecting to use just one focus point on one eye, your image will turn out much more crisp and sharp. Next, when shooting up close and personal in a tight shot, I like to watch where I'm cropping (in camera) when it comes to arm joints, hands, the forehead/head, etc. The rule of thumb is to never crop a person in a joint. A joint would be considered a persons hands at the wrist area, feet at the ankles, knees, etc. When shooting a close up shot, determine whether you want just the head showing in the image or do you want part of the upper body as well. Once you've decided, just watch those joint areas.
5HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
Lastly, canvas wall prints are very popular now days. There are multiple non-pro labs out there that will prints canvases for consumers should you wish to order one. Many times, consumers do not know that when ordering a canvas, the print company will need 2 inches on each side of the picture to wrap the image with. Therefore, if you are shooting a close up image on purpose and know you'll want to order a canvas of it, always make sure to leave a good amount of space around the head and lower image areas when shooting so that the company will have room to wrap your image without cutting into the hair line, forehead, hands and so forth. This is especially important when ordering a canvas of a close up image. You can visit my website in regards to the beginner classes I teach on-line and in person. (Angie Seaman Photography - Naples, Florida)
Gift Shops & Promotions Events & Free Stuff
The Clay Place crossword giveaway www.facebook.com/naplesclayplace
www.avemariadance.com
Become a Fan Giveaway Contest Free Gift Cards www.facebook.com/donnasharamart
Free Book excerpt Websites with Freebies 1. Groupon 2. Freebies4mom 3. Semyart - Free Emv 4. Alphaaps - Free pen 5. Heartbeat Connection Hearts For Hearts Girls™ Free Online Games http://www.facebook.com/heartsforheartsgirls http://www.stephaniefleshman.com/
6HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
SIMPLE MEDIA CIRCLE Website
Identity
Marketing
Awesome Facebook examples : www.facebook.com/simplyorangejuice www.facebook.com/ralphlauren www.facebook.com/waltdisneyworld
Useful links: www.facebook.com www.facebook.com/twitter www.twitter.com www.blogger.com www.wordpress.com www.youtube.com www.linkedin.com
Social Media Blog
Website x
QR code generators : www.bitly.com www.qrcode.kaywa.com
QR code Business Youtube
Videos
Social Media Simple Circle Update your website by having a Blog. You can email posts to your blog or directly online, post on your blog with updates like qr codes, youtube videos, emails and other support. Connect your RSS feed from your blog to your Facebook Fan page. Connect your Twitter to your Facebook Fan Page. Once these connections are established you only have to post once and the simple system will autopost. x
JENSTAR Media j Nicole Flothe j Naples, FL (239) 777-9396 j FAX (877) 292-9997 j nicoleflothe@gmail.com Web: www.jenstarmedia.com
7HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
S
eptember Birthdays
Happy Birthday to all who are celebrating their Birthdays this month!
Have your Cake and Eat it Too! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
8HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
Joshua Kaplan Vanessa Panicola Long Amy Blackwell Stefanie Zigby Jennifer Lidke Barber Chille DeCastro Gregory Taylor Heidi Meehan Dee Cosgrove Caffey Marc Flothe Kristina Flothe Jana Marie Smith Rob Almanza
Cheryl Flothe's
MINI Frittatas
Recipe Corner Labor Day---the last gasp of summer has come and gone. Many of us took a long weekend, barbequed, travelled, camped or just got ready for the school year or upcoming winter. These busy fall mornings leave us searching for healthy but quick meals to get the family out the door. I found this delicious looking recipe for mini frittatas in the September issue of Family Circle Magazine. It’s easy and can be kept in the frig for several days, ready to heat up quickly in the microwave. It can be served alone, with toast or on English muffins. Enjoy! Recipes from Family Circle Magazine
Mini Frittatas Makes: 12 muffins Prep time: 15 minutes Bake at: 350 degrees for 20 minutes 3 cups chopped precooked vegetables and/or your favorite meats 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese 8 large eggs Salt and pepper to taste Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12 cup nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray. Place ¼ cup of the vegetable-meat mixture in the bottom of each cup and top each with 2 tablespoons of the cheese. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and season with salt and pepper; divide evenly among the cups. Bake at 350⁰ for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Can be refrigerated up to two days. Note: The picture above didn’t come with the recipe, but I found a similar recipe in Cooking Out Loud. Other recipes called for adding ½ cup of milk or a splash of water and different kinds of cheese. Experiment!
A few Recipe's on a Dime websites www.dinneronadime.blogspot.com www.4ingredients.com.au www.cookingonadime.com www.easyrecipes4frugalliving.com www.daytononadime.com www.livingonadime.com www.gourmetcookingonadime.com
Heartbeat Connection Magazine
Finding Inspirational Heartfelt companies to connect with others. Have you made a QR code yet for your business? They are so much fun to scan and visit the websites quickly. Ask me how!
9 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
10 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
Hearts For Hearts Girls™ Top 7 reasons we love Hearts For Hearts Girls™ 1. The song While watching a commercial recently there was a catchy tune, "Hearts for Hearts Girls." I was intrigued to find out more about the company and researched them online. I was pleasantly surprised to find much more than a great song but a wonderful doll company. 2. The dolls They have several dolls in their collection. Each with their own unique story. Right now, there are six Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls: Lilian (Belarus), Rahel (Ethiopia), Nahji (India), Tipi (Laos), Consuelo (Mexico), and Dell (United States). The girls tell a story about life in their country, inspired by real girls who are strong, smart, courageous, and determined to rise above challenging circumstances. 3. Their mission Their mission is Changing The World one Heart at at Time. When you buy a doll, Hearts For Hearts Girls donates part of the purchase price through their charitable partner, World Vision, to programs that support children families, and communities in that country. Whether it’s malaria nets in Africa, schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in Eastern Europe and the US, these programs help children and families thrive and succeed. What an amazing way to give back to the World! 4. The accessories They have accessories for the dolls, giving girls more entertainment and enjoyment. The material is soft, good and durable. As a mother it's always nice to see a company that cares about the fine details right down to the feel of the fabric. Each girl has a unique clothing line featuring the customs of where they are in the world. Najhi came with a Dance Costume, Headpiece, Tea Tray with Teapot, and Tea Cups.
11 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
5. The website A pretty pink heart logo is what grabbed me first when I visited the site. I browsed the different pages and loved the interactive sections. One of my favorite fun features was to swing the H4H Girls back and forth in their frames before you choose to learn about them. With the doll and accessories you are given a special code to join the website. We used the code and registered to enjoy the games. There were several games that included interactive play. We ended up spending the most time on Marketplace. We spent hours collecting money to complete missions. This will be something that brings us back time and time again. I say us because even I enjoyed playing some of the games with my daughter and my son joined in too. He enjoyed the fishing game the most. 6. The videos They have several videos on the website to watch. One is the commercial that my daughter can play over and over again and sing with the girls. The other is behind the scenes making of the video. 7. The joy it brings to girls around the world Not only are the dolls beautiful and the packaging amazing, but the joy that my daughter experienced when dressing Najhi and learning about her life in India is priceless. We have never had an Indian doll or really learned about how someone many miles away from us lives their lives. On the website they have true stories about real girls who inspire us, the reason that Hearts For Hearts Girls exists. We enjoyed reading about them. If you happen to know a girl who inspires you, then tell them about it! Her story might end up on their website. www.hearts4heartsgirls.com
tech tips & quotes
FAVORITES
Design & Create online
There are so many websites specializing in creating your own cards, t-shirts, mugs, photo magnets and more. I've recently used Tiny Prints (http://tiny.cc/tinyprintsdesigns) to order a specialized Birthday card for my daughter.
Photo Editing Apps: Picframe Instagram BeFunky
Beth Gatrell, provides some tips for, "Into Tomorrow" on the new technology that is available.
Into Tomorrow's Tech Tip of the Week Make your technology work for you! Design your own, Online ‌ Ever go out looking for the perfect pair of sneakers only to never find them? Well you can go online to design and order your own at places like Converse as well as download their app, which allows you to "try on" different pairs to see what they'd look like on your feet. Nike also lets you go online to design the perfect sneaker, and you can design your own sandals as well as many other shoes online. If you are looking to create clothes just for your kids, try places like Fashion Playtes or Zazzle. Ralph Lauren is a great place to visit that offers the whole family clothing they can design themselves. And you can even design your own home dÊcor as well as M&M's. We hope you have fun with your creations and be sure to visit us on Facebook and let us know at www.facebook.com/intotomorrow what you designed! Beth Gatrell www.intotomorrow.com
www.facebook.com/donnasharamart
12 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
Apps for Photo Editing! I love photography and what happens after I edit the photo with my iPhone apps. I found "PicFrame" that combines several of your photos into a collage and lets you save the layout. You can zoom in on a section of your photo and round the edges. This is a FREE app. I also use "Instagram" to post my pictures to an online photo social media service. They have filters that you can use when you upload your photo and make the image change in style and design. FREE "BeFunky" is a great app for editing cropping and sharing. They have a paid and FREE version. To view some information about iPhone Fun apps visit
www.iphonesnapshots.weebly.com
September Quotes -
"But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head ... The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on." - Robert Finch "In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, save perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November." - Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden, 1905
Artist Donna Sharam
Featured Artist
'Living Architecture'
This series, 驶Living Architecture始 is littered with influences of Hundertwasser, Matisse, Done and Australian Indigenous Painters. Colour, shape, texture, a way of speaking and telling a story through the painted image are my drivers. My work is impulsive, the colour and shape saturate the canvas as quickly as my mind creates the image. The energy in my work is pure joy and an expression of the life I live and love. This emotion is passed to all those who view my work.
13 HEARTBEAT CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2011
This series speaks of the way the built environment and natural architecture should coexist. As the population grows and spreads into our amazing country it is important that we see the shapes and colours of this most diverse continent. Therefore we must build in a way that doesn始t scar the countryside with brick boxes that have no harmony with the natural features of the land. Make a statement or blend with nature, but please do not be bland!!! View full art photos online. www.facebook.com/donnasharamart
Check back next month for coupons and specials.
LOVE
www.heartbeatconnection.com