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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2006-12-21, Page 40awrence eane Financial Services 9 Rattenbury St. E., Clinton, ON NOM 1L.0 Ph.: 519-482-9924 Res.: 519-524-9260 At this special time of year, please accept my sincere wishes for .6 holiday that's deeply satisfying .rom start to finish. Your support has rieant so much to me. Thanks, everyone! P.O. Box 144 Londesborough, Ontario NOM 2H0 519-523-4851 We wish you all a most wonderful holiday and a very happy new year Ng ITICKERY Family Restaurant & Truck Stop Auburn 519-526-7759 ...And many thanks to you, our neighbours, for the goodwill you've shown towards us this past year. Please accept our warm wishes for a very, merry holiday season. JllJ 'C'ELITC MIKE McNICHOL 519-482,3752 DOUG RIEHL 519-482-9796 Hwy. 4 South, Clinton, Ont. &misdate& ctteetittga, ROBERT RADFORD FARM MACHINERY REPAIRS THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2 4 , 2006. PAGE B7. Photos make the most o your memories It often seems like every moment of the holiday season bears a special once-in-a-lifetime significance. Special "photo opportunities" go by so fast it's hard to catch them all. However, with a little thought and preparation, you can capture and preserve all the little things that make the holidays so treasured. Professional photographers have provided the following list of 10 basic picture-taking tips to help ensure the holidays are beautifully documented from the first shopping expedition to the last drop of egg nog. Keep the camera handy Spontaneous moments cannot be recreated. Keep a camera, film and extra batteries close by at all times. To help capture the holiday spirit from everyone's perspective, try placing several one-time-use cameras in different locations After the holidays, a real Christmas tree keeps on giving. Placed in the garden or backyard, the Christmas tree will provide winter shelter for small birds. Another good idea is to decorate the tree again. This time hang it with special treats for the birds: orange slices will attract birds, as will peanut butter spread on tree seed cones. Or hang suet balls stuffed with sunflower seeds. • If you set your tree outside for the birds, remember to carefully remove all tinsel. Birds will try to eat the shiny stuff and it will make them sick. A Christmas tree is biodegradable. Its branches and needles make a Continued from B6 growing nation. TODAY The Christmas tradition that is celebrated in Canada today has borrowed many customs from many lands, but families who have come from all over the world have all adopted the Christmas tree as the symbol and centrepiece of the festive season. As much as decorating the tree, choosing the tree has become a tradition of its own. Bundled in boots and winter coats, families walk through the snow to Christmas tree lots in the city or drive to plantations in the country in search of just the right tree. On some choose-and-cut farms, the growers may welcome the family with hot chocolate, a bonfire or a wagon ride through fields . covered with beautifully shaped trees. Making the right choice is never easy, especially when it comes to Christmas trees. Discussions on the matter are always lively. Is the tree big enough or will it fit in the house? Is it full on every side? Is a pine tree with its long soft needles more beautiful than a spruce or fir with their shorter, stiffer needles? Decisions are difficult but sooner or later everyone agrees on the perfect tree. Decorating the tree is an especially important job -that is shared by everyone in the family. These days glittering glass ornaments, electric lights and shining tinsel have replaced the gilded fruits, pine cones, sweets, apples and candles that were once used as decorations. , But the ceremony itself has around the house. Focus on Faces People's facial expressions can tell a complete story. A photo of a child laughing, smiling or making a silly face can bring back a torrent of special memories. In addition to group photos, experiment with close-up as kids open gifts, dad carves the ham, etc. Don't hold your breath If you're the designated photographer and are taking a posed photograph, don't hold your breath as you take the shot. Inhale as you compose the shot through the viewfinder, then exhale gently as you press the shutter. This simple tip will help you keep the camera steady and depress the shutter with a smooth, even movement. Wait until dusk That is if you're trying to photograph the Christmas tree. The good mulch in the garden, especially for plants like rhododendrons which like an acid soil. Many cities and municipalities gather Christmas trees on special collection days and put them through shredders which chop them up into small pieces. The resulting mulch is then used in the summer on the flower beds in city parks. Fir tree foliage can be stripped from the branches and snipped into small pieces for stuffing into aromatic fir needle pillows for the Iola or bedroom. Some people also use fir foliage in dresser drawers to give clothing and blankets a frangrant aroma. Large quantities of used trees changed little over the centuries. Glowing with colour and light and topped with a star or radiant angel, the Christmas tree, green and lush in winter, is a symbol that life is eternal while the gifts below it are reminders of the love, joy and close ties that are shared by families and friends. The German folk Tannenbaum, says: Not only in the summer's glow most common problem with "tree shots" is that they're too dark and the lights or ornaments are pinpoints of bright light that can't be seen clearly. Try photographing the tree at dusk or on a cloudy day, and use a higher speed film. Watch the background A beautiful picture can become unintentionally funny if the background is wrong. One photographer spent an hour setting up a lovely photograph of his grandparents in front of his fireplace — only to have it look like the candles were pointing out of his grandfather's head. When you get the photo set up, take a last look through the viewfinder to make sure you've considered the background as well as the subject. Don't hold back Don't just take one picture of a great moment — snap two, three, or make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially at beaches. Old Christmas trees stacked together in a forest provide shelter for rabbits and other small animals. Sunk into fish ponds, Christmas trees make excellent refuge and feeding areas. Woodworking hobbyists can make a multitude of items from the trunk of a used Christmas tree including buttons, gavels and candleholders. This information is from the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario. Phone 705-429-5328 or fax 705- 429-6561 or email: ctfo@christmastrees.on.ca or check out their website: www.christmastrees.on.ca But 'mid the winter's frost and snow - 0 faithful pine, 0 faithful pine You're true and green forever. As it has for centuries, the evergreen still symbolizes our belief in renewed life and the hope and faith that lives in all mankind, regardless of race or creed. It is a symbol of joy and a delight to all. By the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario. even more. Every time you press the shutter, different expressions and moods will be captured. Be candid with the family Sure, everyone loves to have a formal family portrait taken of the holidays, but you'll definitely want to capture the spontaneous moments that are the true spirit of the holidays. People photograph best when they're relaxed, having fun, and unconscious of the camera. Start early Let's face it, the holiday season is much more than what occurs on Christmas Eve or the eight days of Hanukkah. To truly chronicle your family's special moments, begin taking photos on the first shopping expedition or when dad makes a trip to the tree . farm. And don't stop when Christmas is over — unexpected shots of the wrapping paper strewn on the floor or everyone watching the football game in the den are part of the personal memories that help document the season in its entirety. Got out in the cold Don't expect great moments to come to you — go out looking for them. If it's cold, put on a hat and gloves and go outside. If it's raining or snowing, take along a waterproof one-time-use camera. Arid to capture action-packed sleigh rides and snowball fights on sunny days, be sure to load the camera with a 100 speed film. Above all, when it comes to holiday picture taking, have fun! Make picture taking a part of the tradition and celebration. song 0 After Christmas recycling ideas Choosing the tree never easy