Political uprisings are common place in democratic societies. But not so in China. The Chinese Communist Party ensures that dissent is continued to be frowned upon and dealt with harshly.

Since China won the 2008 Olympic bid it has sought to show the rest of the world that human rights are well respected in the country. But the Falon Gong, a movement that practices meditation, claims that its members are so badly dealt with by authorities, they continue to be tortured, murdered, and have their organs harvested and sold.

In this protest march in Brisbane Australia, the Falun Gong carried photos of their lost relatives and friends who they claim are the victims of authorised murders in China.

For these people at least, raising awareness of their cause ...

Designers or writers looking to add visual impact to their work quite often look for a metaphor to use. These can come from a variety of sources, but what seems to work well is a simile. A similie of course differs from a standard metaphor because you are suggesting something is "like" something else, that is really not like it at all.

Take the image on the right here. The image is of a businessman playing Blackjack. He has drawn 18 and decides to sit. This image of course could be used to add to a dialogue about risk in business. And even though there are certain similarities between business and gambling, those of us with an analyst background would suggest that gambling is unsure and little science can be applied to gambling. Whereas due diligence, analysis of the ...

Scrolling through a billboard company’s website I was astounded at the price of hiring a bit of space to advertise a product. Installation alone was $1000 and that did not include the artwork!

A lonely old road in the back of nowhere at around 6 metres by 3 metres of space would then set you back $1500 a month. And if you wanted something near the traffic in a city be prepared to dig deep to find $20,000 each month. Ouch! The Haka Beer campaign in Australia cost $75,000 over 8 weeks. The company however stated in a testimonial the campaign created in excess of $800,000 in revenue.

Now outdoor media is a proven medium in any campaign, it delivers impact and awareness. And it can reach a formidable number of people.

But interestingly, one of ...

For many of us from mixed races, there is a desire to know from where you came. What did your ancestors do? Were they famous or important?

My family history has been the subject of much debate and mystery for as long as I can remember. One side of the family came from Ireland in the 1860s to Australia. Those who had any first hand knowledge of why they left their homeland and spent months on a dirty boat going to an uncultured and distant land is only a guess. They came, using incorrect names. One ancestor even used his brother's name! Was he in shame for something he had done. Was he shunned, was there criminal aspects to his life?

Why why why?

The other side of the family is even harder to trace. All we know is my grandfather,...

The past few years have been good for business. Profits high, revenues from new markets. It all spelt a brand new beginning. But as anyone in business understands, it is cyclical. What goes up ...

What seems to happen every boom part of the market cycle is companies seem to forget the basics of accounting and let their fixed and variable costs get out of control. They employ far too many people, spend like a madman, and fail in their initial pursuit of lean and mean. Costs eat you up, costs become the controlling factor.

Not surprisingly, it is not until the end of the financial year when an accurate and auditable set of financials are released for taxation purposes that many businesses find they are broke. Then they start to ask the shareholders ...

Like most of us here, I have been playing with cameras for 20 years or so, a passion, and an expensive hobby.

So when I joined Dreamstime all the time ago ... end of 2006 ... I really did not know what to expect. My first sale came in the first week. I had the enormous portfolio of 3 images.

Right now, I only have 342 images online. It is not uncommon for me to take 140 shots in a day and only submit 1 picture. Over the years I have learned to be really picky about what I submit. And it has worked. My return per image is much higher than most photographers with thousands of images in their portfolio.

At the moment I am comfortably moving on with around $500 a month in return. I use the money to feed my habit and buy better gear. This month I ...

See the construction lights on the left here, they are a thing of the past for those new to microstock. Hey they are cheap, A set at Bunnings or Home Depot is probably just under $25.

A warning though, they get damn hot. And change the bulbs to quality bulbs. But no matter what you do, that horrible halogen yellow is virtually impossible to get rid of.

GOOD NEWS.

I have been in contact with one of the major manufacturers of studio flash gear in China. These kits are normally badged with "a very famous" brand and sold to you at highly inflated prices. Soon, you will be able to buy these right from the factory with a slightly changed name. On the way currently is a set for me to test and review.

Once the review and testing is completed I will ...

It seems nothing tells a story in photographs like money. Cold ... hard ... cash. You can fold it, roll it, just have it sitting there. Everyone knows what money is, and what it means.

Steve Luker's shot on the right here seems to say to me the lady has got cash for a present, maybe a birthday. And now she is off for some retail therapy. Money money money. You have it, I want it. It is greedy, but it is good.

What is Alexandr Denisenko suggesting here? An expensive meal? Is take away eating into your budget. Has the cost of feeding a family got out of control

Nothing tells a story like money. I just want more of it, how about you?