Ideas for Setting Up Your Gaming Room

It’s every gamer’s dream to create the ultimate gaming room where they can spend their free time playing for hours and admiring their growing collection. However, you don’t have to rich to create one of your own.

What do you need to set up your own gaming room with comfort, accessibility, and function in mind?

Location and Size

If you already have an extra room in your home, the you can renovate it to make it an ideal place for storing your gaming gear and accessories. The gaming room should be well-ventilated, insulated, soundproofed, and has enough space for all your items. There are no rules on how big the room should be, but it should have enough space for your television or projector, personal computer, consoles, games, chair and tables, and other items.

Soundproofing

If you are planning to invest in a good sound system, then you should make sure that the room is soundproofed so you don’t wake up your neighbors in the middle of the night. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to soundproof the room because a cheap alternative is to install soundproof foam.

It’s easy to install and remove and will easily absorb the loud noises so that the other family members can have a good night’s sleep. Make sure that the quality speakers are placed strategically so that you can still hear all the explosions and gunshots without disturbing your neighbors. Most gamers recommend a surround sound system for this setup.

Insulation and Ventilation

You can hire a specialist to inspect the place if you want the room to be well-ventilated and well-insulated. You will be investing a lot of money on the room, that is why you need to make sure that there will be no heating issues or damage to your consoles, PC, and games. Invest in quality ventilation and air conditioning to protect your items and gadgets from the elements.

Wiring

A tangle of wires will not only look messy, but they can also be a source of fire and accidents. Make sure that you cover the wires properly or place behind shelves and tables or under the carpet, so that they do not make the room look disorganized. You should also have enough power sockets to avoid using too many extension cords, and don’t forget to tie all the cables that cannot be hidden under decor and furniture. An organized gaming room also makes cleaning and maintenance easier.

Decor

Try to make the place look aesthetically-pleasing besides placing your collection of action figures and gaming posters. Invest in quality chairs that are comfortable and easy to clean, quality lighting, and in sturdy shelves or storage cabinets to hold your collection. You can also decorate the walls with gaming wallpaper or removable vinyl and install arcade gaming machines for a complete experience.

Techniques in Photography Every Beginner Should Know

With so many options for beginner photographer nowadays, there is no excuse for not getting at least one good shot with constant practice. However, getting a good photo doesn’t only mean being at the right place and at the right time. There are useful techniques that will help you get optimal photos every time.

Here are some techniques every beginner should know.

• Try black and white shots. The best way to understand how lighting works and affects the subject is to not be distracted by colors. This will let you shift your focus into getting the best angle to see all the details into appreciating how the light, dark, and shadow affects your presentation.

• Experiment with different lighting effects. By lighting, you should also utilize other sources besides natural sunlight. Try taking photos by lighting the subject with candles, lamppost, flashlight, glow sticks, and other sources. You will be amazed how a subject can transform under different lighting conditions. You can also combine different light sources. This is similar to experimenting with different color combinations when painting.

• Use silhouettes to focus on outlines. A silhouette places the subject against a bright background so that the subject is darkened. This works really well when you are outdoors and will allow you think of different ways to use the background instead of focusing solely on the subject.

• Don’t be afraid to try motion blur. If you have a tripod, now is a good time to use motion blur and master the long exposure. It’s also a good practice on getting the timing right with the shutter speed and panning. If you have a willing subject, this can be a fun exercise.

• Master the long exposure. Ever wondered how the pros take photos of moving objects with stunning results? You can find hundreds of examples of waterfalls or any flowing body of water, highway traffic, moving animals, athletes in action, etc. The idea is to let in more light by leaving the shutter open a bit longer. With the modern digital cameras, you can easily see the results without worrying about how much time you will need for the exposure.

• Practice night photography. Your camera settings are different when you are taking photos at night from when you take photos during daytime. The exposure will also depend on what your light source is and how much light is available. This can be tricky, but it is a good way to finally master the settings in your camera.

• Try macro photography if you like close-up photos. If you like showing the details in your subjects, it is easy to take macro photos with modern digital cameras. This is also a good opportunity to learn how to distinguish between the different types of lenses for your next purchase.