Blog Posts
Photography Tips
Did you know that June 29th is Camera Day? Even if you’re not a photographer by profession, you can celebrate Camera Day by taking some photos and understanding more about how to take better photographs! In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a few tips for how you can improve your photography skills and make the most of celebrating Camera Day here in Hollywood, FL! It’s time to get out of your apartment and shoot some amazing photographs. Composition If you’ve ever looked at photographs you like, it may be difficult to distinguish what makes them so appealing to you. Part of the appeal is composition. The way the photograph is framed can make a difference between a bad photograph and a good one. But how do you frame a photo? Becoming a master at composition takes time and practice, but you can always rely on the Rule of Thirds ! There is no set rule to composition, necessarily, but there are more pleasing ways to frame a photo. Keep at it and find what works for you! Lighting Playing around with lighting can give your photos a different, unique look. When taking photographs, consider the amount of light you’re shooting in, and how the light hits your subject. The amount of light you’re taking photographs in can affect how exposed your final product is, which is to say how light or dark your photo can turn out. If you have a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera, there are ways you can tweak your settings to compensate for the lack of or excess in light, but you generally want to ensure that the lighting conditions are favorable. On the other hand, how the light hits your subject can affect the mood of your finished product. To get started with practicing with lighting, we suggest taking photographs during the Golden Hour, which are the periods shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset. Editing Once you’ve taken some photographs, it’s time to start editing! Many choose to opt out of this step, but editing can take your photos to the next level. Through editing software like photoshop, you’re able to remove imperfections and edit the lighting conditions and highlight different aspects of your photo. It takes time to understand how different editing elements affect your finished product, so take lots of photos and play around with them in your editing software!
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Staycation Time!
You’ve worked hard throughout the year until now, so it’s time for you to pamper yourself! Taking a much needed vacation can help you recharge your depleted battery and give you a fresh outlook on life. The problem with vacations is that they’re usually pretty expensive. Instead of getting on a flight and going halfway across the world, we suggest taking a staycation. In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a few ways you can make the most of staying in town and having a staycation. Hotels Normally, if you’re headed on vacation, you’ve probably looked around extensively for housing accommodations. Many people tend to compromise a luxurious housing experience when they travel due to the cost, but with a staycation, you don’t have to. With the money that you’re going to be saving by not purchasing a plane ticket, you can use that money on a nicer hotel. Instead of a cheap motel, you can spring for a hotel with all the luxurious amenities you can use to pamper yourself! Activities Many people live in Hollywood, FL but have never gone out and experienced what the city has to offer. One of the benefits of a staycation is that you’re able to do things as if you were on vacation, which means you can be a tourist in your own city. If you’ve ever had friends come into town, they’ve probably asked you about activities you’d recommend while in the city. On your staycation, you can try out your own recommendations. Head to the beach, visit the Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts, or spend some time shopping at Aventura Mall. Regardless of what you do, we’re sure you’ll have a blast! Food There are many restaurants offering delicious food in the local area. We recommend getting to know your city a little more through the different restaurants. Instead of cooking food like you usually do, splurge and head to your favorite restaurant or try out a new restaurant you’ve never been to but heard good things about. Branch out from your regular spots and expand your palate while on your staycation. It’s time to get out of your apartment and enjoy the city you live in on your very own staycation. Are you a master at the staycation? Share your tips with our community by leaving a comment
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Picnic Ideas
The weather is a little warmer than during the winter months, which makes it a good time to get out of your Hollywood, FL apartment and enjoy the warmer weather! In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ll share with you some ways you can make your picnics more enjoyable and make the most of your time outside. Pack the Essentials The feeling of being at a picnic and finding out that you’ve missed something crucial is one of the worst feelings to have. To combat this, we suggest making a checklist and running through it the day or night before your picnic. Essentials of a picnic can include but are not limited to: A picnic blanket Bug spray Utensils (for serving and eating) Napkins Cups and plates Condiments Drinks Food Simple Foods Many mommy and food bloggers have popularized the idea of a fancy picnic, but sometimes, it’s just not practical to have such. We recommend opting for more simple foods like sandwiches, salad, chips and dip, and chocolate chip cookies. Not only will simple food cut down on your preparation time, you’ll also be able to have a more enjoyable time if you aren’t fussing around with complex picnic dishes. Activities Once you’ve eaten, you may want to have some activities to do, especially if you’re with others and children. There are plenty of things to do, but some of our favorites are playing around with a soccer ball or football, having a water balloon fight (if the weather is warm enough), or just spending the day laying out in the sun, enjoying the lovely weather. If you’re inviting friends, ask them to bring their favorite activity or even portable musical instruments for an impromptu jam session! We hope you enjoyed these tips, If you’ve got any crucial tips that we’ve missed, let us know by leaving a comment!
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Celebrate Motherâs Day
Mothers do a lot for the family, often times without any recognition and praise. For Mother’s Day this year, treat her to what she deserves! In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a few suggestions on how you can give your mother a Mother’s Day experience she deserves! On May 12, put yourself aside and focus on showing your mother that you love and appreciate her for the things that she’s done for you! Write a Card Writing a card may seem a little simple, but it can be a quaint way of expressing your love for your mother through words. Whether you’re getting a card from a store or if you’re going the extra mile and producing a handmade card, what matters is the words you write in it! We recommend expressing thanks or sharing your favorite anecdote of your mother! It’s preferable to give it to her in person, but the point is that she receives it and can witness how much you care. Send her Flowers Flowers are a beautiful gift to give to your mother on Mother’s Day. Find out your mother’s favorite flowers then sneakily order some to be delivered to her! Along with the delivery, you can include a little card expressing your gratitude. Mother’s Day is in spring, which makes it the perfect time to get her flowers. Treat Her to a Meal If you live close to your parents, take some time during the week to surprise your mother by taking her to lunch or dinner! Treat her to her favorite restaurant or show her your cooking skills by making a delicious meal. If you aren’t as lucky to live by your parents, you can always surprise your mother by showing up on Mother’s Day to take her out to the meal she deserves. If you’re planning on doing so, make sure you communicate with someone who knows your mother’s schedule to ensure that she’ll be available. Whether you use these tips or not, your mother deserves to be pampered. Share with our Hollywood, FL apartment community some of your favorite ways to show your mother you care!
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Board Games for a Game Night
Bored with nothing to do on a night in? We suggest inviting some of your friends over to your Hollywood, FL apartment for some dinner and a game night! Games are a fun way to spend some time with the ones you love, which is why we’ve decided to share with you some games for your game night in this week’s Sunset Palms Blog. Settlers of Catan This game allows you to take the role of a settler establishing colonies. Your main purpose is to build settlements, cities, and roads using the resources that are available to you. Barter and trade all that you need to in order to achieve your goals, but don’t expect your fellow players to be nice, especially if you’re ahead. You can be sneaky or honest, but that’s really up to you. Accumulate 10 victory points to win! Betrayal at House on the Hill Venture into a haunted mansion and discover what’s held inside! Betrayal at House on the Hill works in phases and starts with the exploration phase, where everyone operates on the same team and explores the house together, then moves into the Haunt phase when its triggered by a player.. The Haunt phase holds diverse scenarios that can be triggered by different players. In the Haunt phase, anyone can be the “traitor” even though it’s usually the person that triggered the haunt. Follow the instructions detailed in the Haunt description to win, whether as a player or as the “traitor.” Pandemic Work together with your friends to stop four viral diseases from spreading throughout the world and destroying humanity! Pandemic requires all players to work together and make decisions to achieve a singular goal: the salvation of the world. You can play as one of five roles (dispatcher, medic, scientist, researcher, or operations expert) each with their own unique skills. Consider how each role works with each other and find that perfect synergy!
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YouTube Channels to Subscribe to
You don’t have to be tech savvy to be spending time on YouTube. The video hosting site has been around since 2005 and has grown into one of the most common ways people spend their time. You may be one of those people, so in this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve decided to share with you some YouTube channels we think you should subscribe to. We hope that you enjoy these channels the next time you’re hanging out in your Hollywood, FL apartment watching some videos! The Bucket List Family If you’re into travel but aren’t able to do so yourself, this channel is for you! The Bucket List Family has gained popularity with their extensive travel as a family, visiting exotic destinations and doing adventurous activities. Through their vlogs and beautifully shot videos, you get a glimpse into their life and can feel like you’re there with them. Be warned that you’ll probably develop a major case of wanderlust! Geek & Sundry If geeky things fit your fancy, Geek & Sundry offers you videos of geeky things galore, from playthroughs of some of the most popular boards games to VODs (Videos on Demand) of tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons and Vampire: The Masquerade. There are plenty of videos, so peruse at your leisure to find something you’ll enjoy! Wong Fu Productions Since YouTube is a video hosting site, it’s a hub for many storytellers and creators. Wong Fu Productions is a production company that focuses on telling various real world stories. Many of Wong Fu’s videos run for under 15 minutes, making it perfect for short breaks or for binging many videos at once. If you spend time on YouTube, we encourage you to check these channels out! If you’ve got any channels you’d like to share with our community, leave a comment so we can check them out.
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