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Nicotine patches are also generically known as the nicotine transdermal system. Before explaining how stop smoking patches help you to forsake smoking, let us first take a brief overview at what the patches are exactly.

What are patches?

Patches are oversized adhesive plasters and are stuck onto the skin. The patch contains nicotine which is slowly released into your body through the skin. The nicotine delivered is clean and doesn't contain any harmful chemicals such as those released by cigarettes.

How do patches help you to quit smoking?

The main ingredient in cigarettes that makes people addicted is nicotine, so when you stop smoking, your body craves nicotine and tempts you to light the cigarette again. This craving for nicotine often happens with other nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as cravings for tobacco, irritability, loss of concentration, depression and so on.

Nicotine patches help smokers to beat these withdrawal effects by slowly releasing nicotine into the body. The nicotine from these patches is absorbed by the body at a much slower rate than from a cigarette, and there are less chances of getting addicted to these patches. The patches keep you at a steady level every time and make you used to a certain level of nicotine which in turn helps you to reduce your habit of lighting a cigarette.

The main advantage of nicotine patches is they provide you with a steady supply of nicotine without your conscious mind having to think about it. They also allow you to overcome the behavioral and psychological habits without making you susceptible to the complications of nicotine withdrawals.

These patches, when used with other nicotine replacement therapies, can work wonders for you if you really want to quit smoking. There has always been a constant evolution in the techniques that help to give-up smoking and one such method is the development of Herbal stop smoking patches. These patches don't use nicotine to wean your body off cigarettes. Instead, herbal patches use an all-natural formula which helps you to get your body off its nicotine habit.

Relapsed rates: The main disadvantage of patches is half the people who stop smoking for a year after using nicotine patches eventually start smoking again.

Side effects: Patches sometimes cause itching, burning or tingling on the skin where they are applied. They can also cause dizziness, headache, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Learn most effect ways to stop smoking by downloading Stop Smoking Ebook. It's based on studies over 50,000 people.

Sharper Photos Using A Table Top Tripod As A "Chest Pod"

Most photographers today, both amateur and professional, have a Table Top Tripod in their gadget bag for use when photographing small objects on a "table top," or for bracing on top of a car, wall, or fence when a full size tripod isn't available or practical.

There are times, however, when you want the support and vibration stopping of a tripod, but the subject is moving around way too quickly - you just can't get reoriented fast enough to get the shot: just think about shooting photos of an active child on a playground. But you really do want the steadiness that a tripod affords for sharper photos that can be blown up big and still be eye-catchingly sharp.

Enter the classic table top tripod.

By twisting it around into a novel configuration with the tripod against your chest and the camera to your eye, you can brace the camera to get much of the stabilizing power of a tripod on the floor - but the flexibility to move around quickly with fast moving subjects. It also can be braced on a wall, fence, the side of a house - anything that gives you the stability you need for the sharpest photos.

I have two. First, a classic Leitz Table Top Tripod with Large Ball and Socket Head. I think this is no longer made (mine is over 40 years old - Leica makes good stuff!). It has one disadvantage. You cannot set the ball head for limited or smooth drag. It is either loose or locked. And though it folds flat, it doesn't fold compact (unless you separate the two parts - which makes it more difficult to set up quickly).

I used this setup several times photographing Indy Type race cars going by at over 200 miles per hour! I was standing about 50 - 60 feet from the track and just panned my whole body, with the chest pod supporting the camera, and released the shutter while I was moving through the pan. Great action shots - and sharp! (Bonus tip - with this technique, you can slow the shutter speed down to 1/60 or 1/125 or so, and when you pan with the car going by, releasing the shutter during the pan, you get a picture that just SHOUTS SPEED!)

And, of course, slowing down a bit, you can use it on hikes to increase the stability and sharpness of your photos while lightening the load you carry. And it sets up more quickly than a full size tripod.

My other, newer model is the Slik Mini-Pro. These folks make many, many tripods in all sizes, weights, materials - you can select just the right one for your needs. The tripod folds up very small, and comes with a typical (though small) pan head. The small pan head is great for basic table tops, but it is somewhat awkward for chest pod use.

Far easier and more effective, I recommend a Kaiser Lightweight Ball & Socket Head to replace the pan head that comes with the tripod (don't throw the pan head away, you will always find times when you still want to use it). When you are actually using the ball & socket head, you may not want to totally lock up the ball head, just use a slight drag. This gives you much more flexibility to move with the subject, while giving you the extra support for extra sharp photos.

Since the Leitz model is no longer available (unless you find one used), the Slik/Kaiser combination will make a valuable addition to your gadget bag, giving you freedom for photographing fast moving subjects while keeping the camera stable enough to encourage large prints you'll be proud to display. This is especially true if your camera has image stabilization.

By all means try this valuable technique. It will really help you get more great photos to make really big prints.

About the Author

For an illustrated version of this article, go here
Dan Davenport has been involved in photography for more years than he cares to think about. He taught photography and developed the Minolta School of Photography which evolved into The Maxxum Experience photo education seminars. He wants photographers to take the best photos they can and encourages them to proudly display their work.

What you Think??

I am sick and tired when my hair gets so messy in the morning...I spent hours drying it and straighten it into style the night before. But, I heard that if you buy a Slik pillowcase it doesn't wreak your hair when your moving about in your sleep. But Im worried though, moving my hair about on the Silk pillowcase, will it create static?? Have you any tips?
I have to get up at 6am to head to work. I deal with meetings and must look impressed!!

I don't know how much good it will do for your hair...get up earlier in the morning and do it then...or shower at night, then style in the AM

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