“We share our stories; we learn we are not alone in our fight.” The words of Lance Armstrong enlarged and powerful in an examination room of the new LiveSTRONG Survivorship Center at the Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin.

The purpose of the Center is to help young cancer survivors during and after their treatment. Many will face tough physical and psychological issues related to their cancer and treatment long after it may have been cured. In a press conference on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Armstrong said “We expect people not only to survive, but to thrive.”
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Imagine, if you will, turning your home into a dazzling showcase filled with art from you and your family. Did you know that with the right shade of color on your walls, you could turn the simplest art into a masterpiece? Thinking like an artist or designer means coloring “outside the lines”. Most artists live their lives “outside the lines.” That may be why everyone thinks we are a tad nuts. I know I wear that label with great pride and would like to give you a few pointers on how you may release your inner nut… er… I mean artist.
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That’s right – watch out for leopards in your pictures. What am I talking about? Splotchy and uneven lighting can cause the subject of your photograph to appear spotted. Other lighting problems that might make a photograph unsuccessful are harsh light and shadows, improper white balance, and unnecessary flash.

First, let’s tackle how to avoid those pesky leopards.
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If you are like me and capture digital pictures in almost every circumstance, the frustration of organizing all of these has crossed your mind once or twice. Two common options are (1) installing software on your computer to help keep track or (2) uploading all your pictures to an Internet site like Flickr. With the first option, the software to organize your pictures is likely to require you to open its user interface (i.e. application) to manage your pictures, and you will be responsible for transferring this application to another computer when you upgrade. With the Internet upload option, which I partially use, the idea of having all your pictures labeled, grouped, and constantly backed up does have its advantages; however, I’m not a big fan of uploading every picture I’ve ever taken out on the Internet. (Call me old-fashioned.) In both cases, there’s likely to be a license or subscription to purchase.
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