Problem: Article: Before you can start booking jobs or looking for a modeling agency to represent you, you must create a portfolio of photos. Usually, a model's portfolio contains pictures of past work, but when you're just starting out, you likely won't have any professional shots. If you have the money to pay a professional photographer to take photos, that's usually the best option. However, you can also have a friend or family member take some shots for you -- just make sure to use a good quality camera and have sufficient lighting. Your portfolio should include some headshots, with your face shot from a variety of angles, as well as some full-length photos in fitted clothing. You should have a mix of smiling and straight face shots to provide a range of looks. In some shots, it's also a good idea to go for a natural look with no makeup so booking agents will have an idea what you look like when you're not all made up. There should also be a page in your portfolio with your stats. Include hair color, eye color, height, weight, and other measurements. " If you live in a big city, such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, or San Francisco, it's best to call major modeling agencies and see if they're holding an "open call," which is an event where they invite potential models in for a consultation. That's because you get to meet casting agents in person, so you can make an impression with your personality in addition to your looks. If you don't live in a major city, contact agencies in the closest city and see if they work with any smaller agencies in your area. Make sure to do research on the agencies that you contact to ensure that they're reputable. You'll need to bring your portfolio to your open call. If you haven't put together a portfolio yet, make sure to have at least a few photos that you can bring to show your range. You don't necessarily have to wait for an open call to contact modeling agencies. Instead, you can send your portfolio and let the photos do the talking for you. Visit the websites of the agencies that you're interested in, and see what their procedure is for submitting a portfolio. Some will allow you to do it online, while others will ask that you mail a hard copy. If you're mailing a copy of your portfolio, don't forget to include your contact information, so the agency can get in touch with you if they're interested.
Summary: Build a portfolio. Find an "open call. Submit your portfolio.

Problem: Article: Store games in cases when they are not in use. Preferably, keep them in their original packaging along with anything that came with them. Scratches are one of the easiest ways to lose value on your trade-ins. Preserve your games to keep them looking like they did on the day you bought them. For example, keep game discs inside a case. Save the original case, instruction booklet, or anything else you received with the game when purchasing it. Wipe them clean before trading them in. For consoles and other items, keep them in the original packaging along with any accessories that came with them. Clean them off before attempting to trade them in. Gamestop accepts video games, consoles, accessories, and even devices like iPods, iPads, and smartphones. These products have to be in working order. Store employees test trade-in items before accepting them. Just like how you wouldn't want to pay for something that doesn't work, you won't get credit for broken things. If you wish to get the full value for your items, they must be in working condition. Gamestop stores have machines they use to test things like controllers. Expect store associates to even plug in consoles and controllers for a test. The exception is retro games and consoles. Most stores don't have the proper equipment to plug in something like a Sega Genesis and may just accept it for trade-in if it looks like it's in working order. If your games or devices aren't in full working condition, they may still be eligible for some credit. This is because Gamestop refurbishes some products for resale. You won't be able to trade in something that is completely broken, however. The most valuable products are ones that are either rare or popular. Many modern games are most valuable when they are new because more people are buying them. Unless games belong to a popular series, they will decrease in value the longer you wait to trade them in. If you're trading devices like smartphones, expect them to go down in value as well due to people transitioning to newer, more efficient models. Movie tie-in and sports games lose value quickly over time. For example, few people want Madden 16 for the PS3 when Madden 20 for the PS4 is available. Some franchises are always popular. Anything related to Mario, Pokemon, or Zelda, for example, usually has decent trade-in value. Some games become more valuable as they reach "retro" status. Gamestop accepts trade-ins for old games and systems, including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo 64 (N64), and many other classics. These items are no longer in production, so working copies become more valuable over time. If you happen to have something relatively uncommon, then it will be worth even more. Be sure to check Gamestop's website to see if any older games are eligible for special trade-in details. It's possible that more recent items can reach retro status in the future. For example, the Playstation 2 (PS2) and its games are no longer in production, so they may become more valuable over time. If you have a game or device that can be fixed, you may still be able to trade it in. Gamestop may offer to refurbish the game for you. However, they take a small fee, usually $1 to $5, off of the trade-in value. It reduces the amount of credit you get, so determine if the trade is worth completing. If an item isn't too damaged, Gamestop can fix it and sell it as refurbished. Game discs, for instance, can often be refinished to eliminate scratches. Don't expect to walk in with a couple of broken discs and get a few new releases in return. Even with extra promotions, damaged discs may barely give you enough credit to get a single used game.
Summary: Protect games from damage so they are worth more. Trade in games and devices that are still useable. Select in-demand games to earn more credit. Hold onto older games until they increase in value. Pay a fee to recondition damaged games you wish to trade.

Problem: Article: For the best results in your garden, six hours of sunlight is suggested. So it is best to avoid putting the garden too close to your house or in areas where it will be covered by the shade of a tree. If you have lots of trees, houses nearby, or other things that would block the sun, you may need to pay attention to your yard for a week or so to find the spot that gets sunlight for the longest time each day. A tree's root system can spread far out underground, even if you can't see the roots. If you try to set your garden up too close to a tree, the root system will cause problems with your plants. Try to go at least 10 feet away from the furthest point out that the branches reach. As you start to dig later on, you'll be able to tell if the soil has a lot of tree roots or not. If the spot you chose ends up having too many roots, it may be best to move to a different spot if possible. You need to find a balance between a spot that will not hold any water in the in soil, and a spot that will flood every time it rains. Look around your yard for spots where the grass seems to grow best, as these spots probably drain well. Ideally, your garden should be in a flat, even part of the yard. To find a spot that gets good drainage, wait until a few hours after a heavy rain and then go look around your yard for places where water is pooling. Avoid placing your garden in these spaces.
Summary:
Choose a spot for the garden that has good exposure to sunlight. Avoid root systems. Pick a spot with good drainage.