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How To Tell Your Stories In a Meaningful and Memorable Way

This may sound a bit structured, but it will help family and friends who don't see you that often to understand the event and how your special occasion unfolded. If you are combining written content with photos or a video. Try to keep the number of words to seven hundred (or less). This seems to be the magic number before people start to drift off when reading online.
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I have a friend who is getting married overseas this month. There will be 300 guests in attendance and the affair will take place over several days. Eating, drinking and dancing for hours on end. Another friend of mine just had a baby girl. It is amazing how now, with the internet and social media we can share these special life experiences with loved ones around the corner or on the other side of the world.

It is possible to share your 'story' with friends and family and reveal your most treasured moments in a way that is meaningful and poignant.

I spoke with Maggie Langrick, President and Publisher at LifeTree Media Ltd, to find out some key tips on how anyone can share their story in a cohesive and vivid way. Maggie knows a thing or two about how to reveal a story, she worked at the Vancouver Sun Newspaper as the Arts and Life Editor for five years.

Maggie shared with me her top tips on how you can share your story:

Know your comfort zone of what you are comfortable to share with everyone. How much information would you want your family and community to know about your event? What medium do you feel most comfortable in to reveal your story, is it photography, video or through writing?

A common pitfall is to be overly formal. Allow your true voice to come through. Honour your voice to effectively shape your story.

Consider the five W's:

•Who is it about?

•What happened?

•Where did it take place?

•When did it take place?

•Why did it happen?

This may sound a bit structured, but it will help family and friends who don't see you that often to understand the event and how your special occasion unfolded.

If you are combining written content with photos or a video. Try to keep the number of words to seven hundred (or less). This seems to be the magic number before people start to drift off when reading online.

When taking photos, most people these days use their cell phone.

Kiyomi Rutledge, the PR Manager at BlackBerry shared her top tips on how you can use your cell phone to take the best photos of your special occasion:

There are a few key components to consider that, when done well, will make a photo stand out.

1.Consider the purpose of your photo

Always remember the story you are trying to tell with your photo, and use that to guide how you frame, capture, and design your image.

2.Choose your subject

Don't just point your phone's camera at something and shoot - take the time to plan your image. Choose the subject of your shot carefully, and use it as the focal point for your image.

3.Pay attention to composition

Once you have your subject, compose your shot so as to cut out everything that doesn't matter. You don't want anything to distract from the message you're trying to communicate.

Shoot in landscape mode to create a full perspective of the scene.

Don't be afraid to try shooting from different angles. Get down low, climb up high, and move around.

4.Experiment with lighting

Play around with the natural and artificial light that's available to you to find the best lighting to capture your subject. For example, you can take advantage of strong backlighting to create silhouette images.

5.Capture the moment

Look out for those moments that will make your photo special, like a fleeting smile or an animal in action. Capture things or people interacting with your subject, and have your camera phone at the ready.

Take multiple shots of the scene -- one of those images is bound to contain a moment that you didn't predict capturing!

There are a number of ways that Smartphones can help you create great photos:

1.Filter apps

Apps add a filter to your image to enhance or alter the mood of the photo, helping you to tell your story and evoke emotion.

2.Camera apps

There are some pretty cool apps that provide you with more control over your photography and allow you to do different things to your photos.

There are so many ways you can share your special story with the world. If it is an engagement or just taking a long weekend getaway. Life is so short, it is wonderful if you can share those special memories with your loved ones near and far.

Keep an eye on my blog as I continue to try different ways of sharing my story and find inspiration around every corner. I am delighted to share my experiences so you can live your very best life.

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