GeekSugar

How to Pose Like A Celebrity For the Camera

GeekSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:00:01 -0700

Most celebrities have their token photo pose, which they undoubtedly adopted in an attempt to combat those 10 pounds the camera adds, but how did they come up with the actual stance? The Sun has put together a list of ways to Look sexy in snaps like celebs that offers a little behind the scenes advice for looking good in front of the camera. Highlights include:

The Over The Shoulder - Stars like Rihanna and Jenna Jameson (seen here) love the over-the-shoulder look because it's a statement pose and flaunts your back, bum and shoulders. It draws attention to detail of your gown if it's backless or really ornate.
Cheerleader kick - Used by celebrities of all body types, a pointed and turned out toe pose adds an extra few inches to your leg, elongating its appearance.

For the rest of the list, read more

Hands on Hips - This is Paris Hilton's token move. It's flattering because it makes your arm appear trimly toned and with the elbow pulled back it helps give you a bit of shape by drawing attention to your waist. Curvier celebs adopt the same pose but with their elbow straight out leaning their upper body away from the arm to give as much space between the two as possible.
Shoulders back, stand tall - Eva Mendes is a fan of this less "posed" stance, which comes off as more natural than other poses. It draws attention to your décolletage and shoulders.
Crossed ankles - Nicole Richie uses this one often to elongate her legs.

If you happen to be behind the camera, you can play with light and angles to make your subjects look thinner.

Source

Should Airlines Allow In-Flight Phone Calls Via WiFi?

GeekSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:33:00 -0700

In a recent USA Today article, I read about a man who was able to make in-flight phone calls on his iPhone during a flight using WiFi. With WiFi enabled, passengers on one of the 600 WiFi-enabled planes taking off in the US can use any number of video-chatting or voice programs like Skype or Gchat.

According to the article, a survey by the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics found 45 percent of Americans thought voice calls should be banned on flights, while 40 percent said they should be allowed if they don't pose a safety risk.

When we polled you guys, 74 percent of you said you'd switch airlines to have WiFi. I used Google Video chat on a Virgin America flight last month and actually turned my computer's camera so a friend at home could see the clouds out of my window. The person sitting beside me even waved hello! Chatting live at 30,000 feet was a pretty surreal experience - I love Gogo In-flight Internet!

Tech News Roundup - Strike A New Pose With XShot

GeekSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:48:19 -0700

On one hand it's really cute. On the other hand you're a total dork if you carry this around. XShot Revolutionizes The Myspace Pose, Renders The Tripod Obsolete - Gizmodo
Sure, The Transformers movie has been out a while, but some people still want their gear. Optimus Prime stereo hits the road - Crave
In an attempt to foster a more environmentally friendly society, a Dutch company has installed bike dispensers in Amsterdam. Bike Vending Machine - Techie Diva
If you're not familiar with AT&T's billing practices you might be a bit shocked to receive your first iPhone bill. Girl Gets 300-Page iPhone Bill Delivered in a Box - Switched
Sure, giant flat screen TVs are great to look at, but do you care what they look like? How Important Is Color For Your Home Theater Monitor? - Apartment Therapy
Behold the Digital Beverages MyFountain - the fountain of all drink machines. Automated drink slinger takes orders via LCD - Engadget

Strike A Pose !

GeekSugar — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:05:42 -0800

TeamSugar user xrockette19x sent over this pic of her striking a serious geek pose. Madonna would be soo proud! Be sure to check out another pic of xrockette19x with her man Shakespeare, or someone she likes to call Billy Shakes.

Thanks to xrockette19x for submitting her geekalicious pics!
Be sure to submit your own geeky shots and upload them to our Geek Shots Group so we can all laugh at each other and revel in our shared geekiness.

Googlers Ham It Up For Street View - Including the Icon!

GeekSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Remember when I said my goal was to spot the Google Street View cars around town? Old goal! My new goal is to be spotted. My inspirations are these Google employees, who clowned around at the Googleplex (on the clock, I'd bet too) for their very own Street View cameras.

I have a small sampling of the madness in the gallery below, but visit Google Blogoscoped to see more of this goofy "photo shoot," including a YMCA and mime tribute! Of course my very favorite picture is this one, with the Street View icon himself (he's so tall!).

And I take back all my gushings about wanting to live/work/eat/sleep at the Google headquarters. It looks way too serious for me.

View 4 Photos ›

Korean Actress Poses For Computer-Generated Image

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:00:03 -0700

I'm the woman that watches CSI and wonders how the heck they recreate a suspect's face in 20 seconds. Clearly, it's not as easy as it looks on the boob tube. It's hard to believe, but you're looking at an entirely computer-generated image of Korean actress Song Hye Kyo, created by Indonesian CG artist Max Edwin Wahyudi.

Wahyudi used a combination of movie stills as reference and 3D rendering software to create this amazingly life-like portrait. I'd say the area around the hair and lips are the only bits that give it away as a contrived image.

Photo Tips: Check Light Source, Strike Pose

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:12:52 -0800

Ever whip out your camera, line up your friends for a photo and suddenly realize you don't know where to stand with the camera? I have. When it comes to the direction of light, there are 360 degrees of possibilities, so when the natural or artificial light source isn't working for you, it's best to change it by moving your position, your subject's position, or the light itself. Knowing how each angle will affect the final photo is the first step to becoming the next Annie Leibovitz.

High front light (sunlight)
We are trained early on that high front light is the best type of light, and often it is. The pro of high front light is the fact that the scene will be well lit and that the colors of the scene will be extra bright. The negative aspect of lots of sunlight in a picture is that your subject may squint and very high sunlight (seen at noon) will create deep shadows under eyes and chins, unless you use fill flash.

For more about lighting angles, just read more

Front light
Front lighting illuminates the portion of the subject facing the photographer. Your camera's flash is the most common type of front lighting. It's great because it provides the most information to the camera by lighting the entire scene. It's also the easiest type of light to deal with photographically because there are fewer shadows to confuse the camera's light meter. The trouble is textures and details are minimized and scenes appear flat with few shadows.

Side light
Side lighting is great when you want to emphasize texture, dimension, shapes, or patterns. Side lighting sculpts a subject, revealing contours and textures. Use side lighting to exaggerate dimension and depth. At a 45-degree angle to the side, it's one of the most flattering types of portrait lighting. It can separate the subject from the background. Problem is, it may be too severe for some subjects, creating some areas that are too bright, and some that are too dark.

Back light
Light that comes from behind your subject is by far the trickiest to use, but the dramatic results may be worth the effort. Back light is great because it simplifies a complicated scene by emphasizing the subject, as in a silhouette, it also provides a flattering halo of light in portraits. You do have to be careful as it can cause lens flare resulting in low contrast and strange light spots across the picture.

How to Take a Good Profile Picture

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:02:27 -0700

Say cheese! I remember lining up for school photos and thinking, "I have to look good this year! I just have to!" Digital photography has freed us from those stomach cringing moments (and the desire to burn photos!) because we can always pose again, try better light and edit without wasting film.

Of course, getting that perfect photo is critical in an age of social networking and dating sites. I was cruising the Canon website (cause you know, that's what I do) and I came across the company's suggestions for taking better online dating portraits. It says:

Keep it Simple: Posing, Cropping, Framing, and Backgrounds -Your online dating portrait should be about you. That means no one else should be in the shot, and you should avoid distracting elements that will take attention away from the most important thing in the frame – YOU! Try turning the camera 90 degrees, and shoot a vertical picture. The longer vertical frame is better suited to capture a single person, without too much 'empty space' in the background.

Photo Techniques: Lighting, Lenses, and Camera Settings - One of the biggest mistakes in online dating portraits is poor lighting. Again, the photo is all about letting others see what you look like. The goal is to make sure the image is well (brightly) lit, but with no harsh shadows.

To see my tips for looking good in your pretty profile pic, read more.

Say No to Mug and Lingerie Shots - Profile pics that look like mug shots are the worst! Don't take a picture specifically for the purpose of being your profile image (you know, like the ones where you can tell the subject held out her arm to take the shot?!). Pictures taken in the mirror (unless they are incredibly artistic), or pictures taken on a camera phone are also discouraged. Also, think twice before you use that sexy one of yourself on the beach in Hawaii with a barely-there bikini (especially for a dating profile!).
Act Natural! - Whether you are looking for a dating profile picture, or a pic to use for your Facebook or Sugar account select a fun, natural picture. It doesn't have to be a glamor shot, just an image that shows your personality. Sure it's an ego boost to show off how cute you looked in that bridesmaid dress, but you don't look like that everyday. Try a pic in your natural element. Or a casual photo from your last vacation. I love nancita's carefree and happy look in her TeamSugar profile image.

Source

Do You Use Your Gadgets in the Bathtub?

GeekSugar — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:05:10 -0800

The other day, I was chatting with another Sugar employee about how they love their Kindle, but they don't know what to do about their love for reading in the bathtub.

You see, the Kindle is certainly not waterproof (kids, don't test this out at home), and for those of us like my co-worker - who love some reading material while rub-ba-dub-dubbing - this can pose a serious problem for any Kindle owner. Maybe in due time, there will be fancy schmancy protective cases that come out to protect the Kindle from water damage.

Nevertheless, I know how dangerous it is to have devices near water but I do it anyway. For those oh-so-important phone calls I can't miss, I'm known to wrap my cell phone in a towel - so it's safe from the spraying shower, but I can still hear it ringing. Tell me I'm somewhat normal and there are more of you that do this? Or am I completely solo on this one?

US Congress Launches Their Own YouTube Channels

GeekSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:00:33 -0800

Taking their cue from Barack Obama's high-tech campaign that won him the presidency, the US Senate and the House of Representatives have launched their own YouTube channels in order to connect with the American public. Although past restrictions have prevented government officials from posing on outside websites, the rules have quickly changed to catch up with the online population.

Not only will the Senate's Official YouTube page bring you messages straight from your senator's office, but you'll also catch some behind the scenes tidbits, like which senators entered into a friendly wager on the Florida Gator/Ohio Buckeye game, and which one had to pay up in push-ups. As for the House of Representatives, they like to stay a little more low key - you can get your burning questions answered from the Reps themselves, and find out how many friends Ohio Representative Tim Ryan has on his Facebook page. That's right, he's on Facebook.