Thrive On Success with the James Family: Happy New Year!

Thrive On Success with the James Family: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

4wd Adventures

Check out our day at the beach on the 27th December 2009.
I do appologise for some of the colourful words and discussion!
Life is about having fun and making memories. We love sharing outdoor fun with our kids, life is never dull with the James family!

Take a Tour of the Jayco with Chloe

In preparation for our big adventure we have upgraded our caravan to a more comfortable model. Watch Chloe's video as she takes you on a tour of the new caravan.

Following your Dreams

Hi all,
Just a little update... Jayson has now joined me fulltime in my business and we are going to follow our dream of travelling with our Kids and never working for a paycheck ever again.
This has been a surprisingly easy decicion for us as we both knew that now was the time for us to put focus on our business and be true to our goals and passions.
Success can be measured by our willingness to step out of our comfort zone and test our limits, trust our instincts and have the courage to follow our dreams.
We hope that we can inspire you to follow your dreams as we lead by example and live the life we have always wanted... Total freedom to do anthing we put our mind to.
Take the time to look at your dreams write down your goals and put trust in your ability to make them reality.
If you need help with your dreams and want to achieve your financial goals we can help you. Let us guide you to a life of freedom and passion!

How to make the most of you holiday snaps

Do you ever feel disappointed when you get back from a great trip and your photos just don't portray the beauty you saw when you were there?

Here are a few easy tips to improve those photos.
When photographing landscapes, lighting plays a big role in the effectiveness of the colours and details.
If we take photos in the heat of the day they can be washed out and have harsh shadows and areas of brightness that lack detail.
When travelling, go and look at the scene you want to photograph at different times of the day and see how the light changes the scenery.
Take photos in the softer light of morning or afternoon. This will give more intense and warm tones.
One way to photograph scenery is to pick out a focus point like a tree, building or person. Encourage the eyes to lead to the focus point. To do this try to find a natural line like a fence, a path or the water’s edge. This way your eyes follow the line creating depth and interest.
Try to change your perspective. Don’t just stand in one place and take three or four photos the same. Get down low to the ground or climb up high and see how different the scene looks.
When we travel in the outback I like to get down on the road and shoot along the rough stones and dust towards the vehicle to give a perspective of just how rough the road really is. I also do this on the beach as a wave washes in right under the camera.
When you travel it is always a good idea to photograph signs along the way so when you get home you can tell roughly where in the trip you were when you took the particular shot.
And I always try to take images that tell a bit of a story about the locals. For example, I might take a shot down a lonely outback street of a couple of old guys sitting on the bench having a yarn.
Try to avoid taking photos out the window of a moving car or through the windscreen as you will find the camera will not be able to fix its focus properly. If you shoot through the windscreen your camera will focus on your probably dirty windscreen and not the scene you’re trying to shoot.
Make sure you get the right balance between scenery shots and those of your loved ones. You don’t want to get back and find that you have no photos of yourself on the trip or the opposite people in every photograph.
When photographing buildings don’t just stand back and get the whole thing in. Yes it’s good to have that shot but also look for some interesting detail to focus on. For example, when we visited Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco I found some really interesting attic windows covered in moss and a lone seagull sitting on top. This photo turned out to be so good we enlarged it and framed it for our wall. Every-one commented on the photo asking “where is that?” and most thought it was a poster not an photo I had taken on
our trip.
Night time images can also be effective. Use your timer and turn off your flash so the camera can open the lens for a longer time allowing more of the natural light to be captured. If you hold your camera you will end up with shaky images so learn how to use your timer and night time mode for some different looks.
I have taken some really great photos of Las Vegas at night just by using the timer and slow shutter speed.
The most important thing is to have fun and keep your camera handy, especially when on a road trip, you just never know if over the next hill you are going to see the most spectacular view. And if your camera isn’t by your side you might not bother to get the shot. I always keep my camera and video camera in the front with me and we have had many occasions when we were thankful it was there. For example’ in South Australia we came across a pair of Wedge Tailed Eagles sitting in a dead tree very close to the road. Those shots were fantastic, especially with the long lens.

I always post regular images on my Face-book so look me up and send me a message to let me know you are interested in my photography and I will add you to my friends list.
I wish you all the success in your quest for the perfect holiday snap.
Cheers
Annette James

Setting up for another big trip

Yes we are getting ready for the next big trip. We will be getting our new Jayco Expanda Caravan very soon. This will be so much bigger and more comfortable for our family. We intend on doing longer trips and you do need some comforts from home when you are on the road for a long time. Our new van is the Outback version so it will be able to handle off road conditions.
Life is too short to spend it at the office or at home in front of the telly. We live for the special times we can share with our kids and it is so important to us to show our kids as much of the world as we can starting with Australia. This is an amazing country with so much to explore.
If you would love to have a business that gives you the felixiblity to travel and the income to pay for it then send me a message and I can help get you started on those dreams!

Do you love your life?

Sometimes we can get caught up in the how to of life and the need for more that we don't stop to take in what we have around us that we should be grateful for.
Live a life of gratitude and you will find yourself filled with happiness.
I am grateful for so many things but the most important ones are my husband, children, family and friends and my awesome business that has allowed me to join a wonderful community of like minded entreprenures who inspire me daily. If you are looking to make a positive change in your life please contact me so I can help you love your life.