Posts Tagged ‘weddings’
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
by Raymond Phang
There are a number of different tips that could be learned when discussing the subject of food photography and what every food photographer should know. We will go cover a few of the introductory tips here. Some of the important ideas to keep in mind are lighting, props, quickness and enhancement. Here we will learn techniques for food photographers to take the next step.
Let there be light
The first important technique food photographers should learn is about lighting. When photographing food you should treat it as you would any other kind of subject and make sure it is lit correctly. Many pictures can be improved by using adequate lighting. Natural light is the best light source to use, so by a window is an ideal location. Natural light cuts out the shadows, and gives the food a more natural look which all food photographers want.
Use of props
Food photographers setting up to take a picture not only arrange the food neatly but they also include a plate or table cloth to add the surrounding. The idea is not to clutter the picture but allow room for a few extra items you can add to it like a glass, napkin, or a fork. These items can be placed in the background in a secondary location of your picture area, giving it extra spice.
If you do a lot of food photography then shopping at second hand markets can be a great way to build your box of props. You can pick up expensive items like large pots and dishes and vases for a few dollars and a smile. If you do not do much then you may have to go shopping for what you need and bill the client!
Quickness
Unfortunately food won’t stay appealing for very long. As a food photographer you will want to be well prepared and ready to shoot your picture as soon as the dish is finished. This will give it no time to melt, collapse or lose its color. So knowing what you want the picture to turn out like will help you to prepare for the photo. One way food photographers prepare is to have everything arranged before the food is finished. By placing a temporary stand-in plate is an excellent way to get the lighting right, and when the food is finished you switch it with the finished dish and your picture is ready to be taken.
Way to improve your photographs in an instant
One simple way is to simply use a light high quality vegetable oil and brush it on the food! This will create a high quality shiny finish that we love to see on food.
Work with the chef
The last area to cover is working with you food professional. If you are unlucky you will have to do the presentation of the food yourself. If you are lucky and the client has a good budget you will have a chef to do the food display.
Take a few minutes before the shoot to talk with the chef and ask them how they like to work. Ask them if there is anything you need to know about the food that may not be obvious. If nothing else this will make them feel good so you will then be able to work closer and better together.
Tags: bridal photography, brides, food, food photography, Marketing, photography, wedding photography, weddings
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Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
by Rufus Sprague
As a mainstay at most Asian restaurants, almost everyone has been given a fortune cookie at one time or another. Although many people do enjoy the taste of this crispy cookie, their flavor is not what they are best known for. What everybody loves about fortune cookies is the message contained within them. So what would happen if you could put your own words on that little slip of paper? How many people would be paying attention to what you had to say if it was written on a fortune on the inside of a cookie? Your message would probably be the talk of the town.
There are many companies in American that will allow you to do just that. They make small groups of fortune cookies for each individual customer. Because of this they can create a cookie that looks the way you want it to and more importantly, says what you want it to.
There are so many things that can be done to change the appearance of the fortune cookie. You can get them dyed in a variety of colors. You can get them dipped in chocolate or coated with a colorful candy shell. You can even have them sent as a bouquet. This would attract much more attention than a common vase of flowers.
It is the ability to write your own message inside the cookie that truly makes custom fortune cookies unique. Think about how many people would pay attention to and remember the name of your business if the found it on the inside of a cookie. In addition, anyone who discovered your company in this manner is likely to tell their friends about it. Custom fortune cookies can definitely be an effective advertising tool.
You could also have cookies sent to people you know as a way to say thank you or make an announcement. They might also be useful to apologize to a loved one. What person could stay angry after being given a number of perfectly formed little cookies, each one of which contains a note that says “I’m sorry”.
Whatever your reason, custom fortune cookies are a novel and fun way to get your point across. Because each batch is made individually, they do cost more than regular fortune cookies. However, the response you receive to any message you print on the fortune will be well worth the cost. No one will ever forget the information they find on the inside of those cookies, nor will they forget the person who gave it to them.
About the Author:
Rufus Sprague is an enteprenuer and owner of Tankinz Noodle MFG, a fortune cookie company known for its unique gift ideas using
fortune cookies. Ideal for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and corporate trade shows giveaways,
personalized fortune cookies allow you to create the messages that are placed in the fortune cookies. To view ideas and to see what fun messages you can create visit http://www.tankinz.com
Tags: adveritising, baby showers, birthday parties, bridal showers, business, flowers, fortune cookies, home and family, Marketing, unique gift ideas, weddings
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Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
by Rufus Sprague
While you would expect to have a fortune cookie after a delicious Chinese meal dont be surprised if they show up as a wedding favor at the next wedding you attend. More and more brides are using the tasty treats as a way of telling their guests about their future plans and to thank them for their friendship.
Creating a nice twist to the traditional after meal treat, brides are customizing the messages in the fortune cookies. Many will replace the Lucky Number with their wedding date. For example one fortune might read, Lucky Numbers: 05.10.10.
Known as Personalized Fortune Cookies, or Custom Fortune Cookies, many fortune cookie companies allow the brides to be their own Confucius. While you can buy the fortune cookies in bulk, take the message out and slip in a message of your own, many brides are using these specialized fortune cookie manufactures to make their fortune cookies.
Each message can usually fit around 20 words and many companies offer double sided messages. Twice the amount of space is allowed, by using text on both the front and the back of the message.
There are many popular messages that brides are using as their custom messages. Thank you for sharing this special day with us! is very popular along with In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.
If space allows many brides also use their name and the grooms name and the wedding date on each fortune. So their messages will read Thank you for sharing this special day with us! Bonnie and Ryan ” June 24, 2010.
These cookies are similar to those you get in a Chinese restaurant but most companies give you the option to have them chocolate dipped as well. Dipping ” of the cookie in chocolate gives them a nice upscale look and your wedding guests will feel even more fortunate! If you are planning wedding you certainly will want to consider using personalized fortune cookies for your wedding favors.
About the Author:
Rufus Sprague is an enteprenuer and owner of Tankinz Noodle MFG, a fortune cookie company known for its unique gift ideas using
fortune cookies. Ideal for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and corporate trade shows giveaways,
personalized fortune cookies allow you to create the messages that are placed in the fortune cookies. To view ideas and to see what fun messages you can create visit www.tankinz.com
Tags: bridal shower, bridal shower gifts, entertainment, family, Marketing, wedding favors, wedding gifts, weddings
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Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
by Rufus Sprague
Almost everyone is familiar with fortune cookies. Light and flavorful, these cookies are handed out at the end of almost every meal eaten in an Asian restaurant. Of course, as good as the cookies may be, what people are really interested in are the little pieces of paper inside. From the ridiculous to the sublime, these fortunes are the best part of the cookie. So what if you could print your own message on those little pieces of paper? What if you could create a custom fortune cookie to sell your idea or make your announcement?
It turns out that you can. A quick search on the internet turns up a lengthy list of companies that specialize in creating custom fortune cookies. Instead of being mass produced, these cookies are made for individual customers who can customize the cookies themselves as well as the messages contained within them.
There are so many things that can be done to change the appearance of the fortune cookie. You can get them dyed in a variety of colors. You can get them dipped in chocolate or coated with a colorful candy shell. You can even have them sent as a bouquet. This would attract much more attention than a common vase of flowers.
The real fun of custom fortune cookies is what you put inside them. You can have almost anything printed on those little pieces of paper. Want to advertise you business? Then have you company’s name and contact information put inside a fortune cookie. The novelty of it is sure to attract attention.
You could also have cookies sent to people you know as a way to say thank you or make an announcement. They might also be useful to apologize to a loved one. What person could stay angry after being given a number of perfectly formed little cookies, each one of which contains a note that says “I’m sorry”.
Face it, the world is full of people. Everyone needs something to help rise above the crowd. Custom fortune cookies may just give you the edge you need. They are a fun and unique way to communicate with those around you and should prove to be well worth the cost.
About the Author:
Rufus Sprague is an enteprenuer and owner of Tankinz Noodle MFG, a fortune cookie company known for its unique gift ideas using
fortune cookies. Ideal for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and corporate trade shows giveaways,
personalized fortune cookies allow you to create the messages that are placed in the fortune cookies. To view ideas and to see what fun messages you can create visit http://www.tankinz.com
Tags: adveritising, baby showers, birthday parties, bridal showers, business, flowers, fortune cookies, home and family, Marketing, unique gift ideas, weddings
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
by Ciara Daykin
Have you ever felt like your business was in a slump?
No phone calls from clients. No emails to read. And dust gathering on your wedding emergency kit. Is this what is happening to your wedding planning business?
I understand it completely. I have also gone through a slump period.
And it sucks.
Of course, a slump sucks. I also hated being in the slump. And then I came across 3 of the most effective ideas to get my wedding planning business out of the slump. And sure enough very soon I was back among happy brides and grooms as my clients!
So what did I do?? (dont worry- its nothing illegal)
What I did was to look at the core of my wedding planning business. And there I had it
RELATIONSHIPS
So, here are my 3 brilliant ideas that can also help you get your wedding planning business out of the slump:
1. Get in touch with vendors youve worked with in the past- Dont call them to commiserate about the business that you dont have, call to tell them how much you enjoyed working with them. Better yet, send them something fun in the mail like a funny comic about weddings or a beautiful piece of ribbon that reminded you of their style. Youll definitely make a great impression and youll be at the top of their mind when theyre meeting with clients.
2. Get your wedding planning business back on track with the help of past clients – Go back to your list of previous clients. If you liked working with them, remind them how great it was to work with them. And dont forget to remind them how much fun they had working with you on their wedding! You can drop them a note on Facebook or call them up. Maybe they have some friends who are about to get married and are in need a wedding planner!
3. Get your wedding planning business back on track with the help of some internet marketing – You have the time now to challenge yourself to do something great for your wedding planning business. When I was in a slump, I began writing an ezine and believe it or not, now I have 6000 brides as subscribers! This ensures that I have a steady flow of business. So, challenge yourself and try some blogging or social networking. They are usually free or the cost is extremely minimal. So, put yourself out there and create some wonderful online relationships!
Ciaras Rockstar Wedding Planner Advice
So, the way to get your wedding planning business out of the slump is to get out there. If no one can see you, no one will come to you with their business. So, begin to focus on relationships. I find that I buy more from people I have relationships with. I need their service. I love their passion and want to support them in their growth.
One thing that has always helped me in my wedding planning business is that I always buy from owners with small businesses. The reasons are simple. Firstly, there were people who supported me in the past and I similarly want to support others. Secondly, I need clients for my wedding planning business. And a small business owner is more likely to remember me and refer a client than a big store where I will be forgotten as soon as I walk out the door.
About the Author:
Calgary’s premiere
Wedding Planner, Ciara Daykin specializes in planning weddings in romantic Banff in the Canadian Rockies. Check out pictures of weddings she has planned and sign up for her
FREE Wedding Guide “The Top 10 Tips to Take Your Wedding From Cookie Cutter to Couture”.
Tags: a, business, e, m, marriage, r, relationships, s, Small Business, small businesses, society, w, wedding, wedding planning, wedding planning business, weddings
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
by Justin Keller
Looking for a photographer for a special day? Well my experience being a San Diego photographer has given me some insight on how to make the best choice for that special occasion. So don’t even think about popping open the yellow pages and picking any old photographer that you find. Take it from my experience and follow these steps on choosing a good photographer.
For special days, most people want to capture those special memories with pictures; so it is very important that you research the photographer you are going to trust for the job. So why not ask friends and family for some recommendations. Their recommendations will help you formulate a list of candidates for the job.
After you have gathered that list from friends and family, you should see if they have a website and take a look at it. Look at some of the work that they have done in the past. Look to see if it is the type of shots and the style you want your pictures to be like. If the photographers you have listed have their portfolios online, it will save you a lot of time because then you can narrow your list down even more by what you see.
Now you are ready to conduct some interviews. This doesn’t have to be in person. You can do it over the phone. The goal of these phone interviews is to ask questions. Questions that will help you determine if this is the right person for the job. The more specific you are in asking your questions, the more specific your prospective photographer can be helping you better understand if this is the right person for the job. By doing this you will narrow the field even more, and from that you can finally schedule to meet those in person who you like so far.
After you have completed the final steps of this process of narrowing down the field. After you have gone through your interview process, it is time to pull the trigger and make a choice. The factors you want to base your decision upon will be, does this person know what you want for that special day? In other words, do they know your vision? Also you want to make sure it is a person you like. Getting along with a photographer for that special day is something not to be taken lightly. You want it someone you match with personality wise, because the last thing you need is to have a stressful day. If they meet your criteria, go ahead and choose one.
Completing all these steps will be huge in helping ensure that you find the right person for the job. Doing this simple process will help you determine a couple of very important things. It will allow you to get to know your photographer more than any other method. This is important because it will allow you to know if this person has the style and the vision you are looking for on your special day. And most importantly you will have a piece of mind that you will not have found any other way in regards to knowing if you have found the right person. On special days, the last thing you need to stress over is the photographer.
Tags: a, advice, art;entertainment, cameras, d, digital cameras, e, education, f, family, h, home, i, l, leisure, p, photographer, photographers, photography, r, reference, s, society, special events, t, technology, Tips and Advice, travel, w, weddings
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Saturday, April 18th, 2009
by Rufus Sprague
While you would expect to have a fortune cookie after a delicious Chinese meal dont be surprised if they show up as a wedding favor at the next wedding you attend. More and more brides are using the tasty treats as a way of telling their guests about their future plans and to thank them for their friendship.
Creating a nice twist to the traditional after meal treat, brides are customizing the messages in the fortune cookies. Many will replace the Lucky Number with their wedding date. For example one fortune might read, Lucky Numbers: 05.10.10.
Known as Personalized Fortune Cookies, or Custom Fortune Cookies, many fortune cookie companies allow the brides to be their own Confucius. While you can buy the fortune cookies in bulk, take the message out and slip in a message of your own, many brides are using these specialized fortune cookie manufactures to make their fortune cookies.
Each message can usually fit around 20 words and many companies offer double sided messages. Twice the amount of space is allowed, by using text on both the front and the back of the message.
There are many popular messages that brides are using as their custom messages. Thank you for sharing this special day with us! is very popular along with In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.
Many brides are also adding their name and grooms name along with the wedding date to the end of each message. For example one common message would read, Thank you for sharing this special day with us! Ross and Wanda ” October 23, 2010″.
While the traditional fortune cookies are very popular with soon to be brides, some of these brides are making the fortune cookies ever sweeter. Many custom fortune cookie companies have the option of having the fortune cookies dipped in premium chocolate. Just ” of the cookie is dipped. If you are planning a wedding or bridal shower you might want to consider custom fortune cookies.
About the Author:
Rufus Sprague is an enteprenuer and owner of Tankinz Noodle MFG, a fortune cookie company known for its unique gift ideas using
fortune cookies. Ideal for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and corporate trade shows giveaways,
personalized fortune cookies allow you to create the messages that are placed in the custom fortune cookies. To view ideas and to see what fun messages you can create visit www.tankinz.com
Tags: a, b, bridal shower, bridal shower gifts, e, entertainment, f, family, g, gifts, i, m, Marketing, n, r, s, society, w, wedding favors, wedding gifts, weddings, women
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Thursday, April 16th, 2009
by Cindy Stephens
When you are looking to buy roses in Silver Spring Maryland there’s only 1 place to look. Creative Floral Designs in Silver Spring Maryland has the largest choice of roses anywhere in the state of Maryland. Creative Floral Designs has roses of all types and the colors. Delivery is fast and easy. Roses are a good selection for many occasions. If you want to send roses to your new lover, your mom for Ma’s Day, your secretary for secretaries Day, your buddy for their birthday, or simply to send the roses because. Roses brighten everyone’s day, whatever the color or the occasion. Roses come in many colors : red, yellow, white, blue, purple and lots more. You can purchase roses in Silver Spring Maryland by simply putting in the address bar of your Net browser for Creative Floral Designs. When you’re at the Creative Floral Designs internet site navigation is simple and easy. You could have the largest choice of flowers to select between. Creative Floral Designs can get your flowers delivered quickly. Frequently the same day. So if you need to buy roses in Silver Spring Maryland there’s only one place to go, Creative Floral Designs to find the best selection, at the best price and with the speediest delivery. Creative Floral Designs has been the leader in Silver Spring for flowers for at least 20 years.
With a company history like that you know they must be getting something right. Tons of people every month trust their critical flower deliveries to Creative Floral Designs.
Creative Floral Designs does much more than roses. When you visit them on the internet you will see a full catalog of available flowers. The photos on the site are beautiful like the flowers. You can see each detail of your flower order before hitting the submit button.
You can virtually feel the emotion of the person you are sending flowers to while you are putting the order. Try something else, there are some very unique color roses available today. As an example blue, have you received a blue rose? The public haven’t so shocked someone today by sending them a spray of blue roses. Why not add a balloon. Everybody loves balloons…
Balloons are not only for children. Adults love them to. Balloons help to claim, look what I got or perhaps somebody loves me. When ordering your roses, you’ve got a big variety of vases to choose between. You’ve got the normal crystal looking vase or you can get the more creative more modern vases that add some aptitude to your order. It is all under your control. So don’t delay, surprise your better half, affect your lover, make your mom feel special, put a grin on your secretary’s face, buy roses in Silver Spring Maryland from Creative Floral Designs.
Tags: birthday, buy flowers in silver spring maryland, Buy roses in silver spring maryland, florists, Flower Deliveries, flowers, Funerals, Marketing, marriage, Vanentines Day, weddings
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Thursday, April 16th, 2009
by Rufus Sprague
One of the lightest and most fun desserts to eat has got to be the fortune cookie, but did you know that you can obtain personalized fortune cookies? Well you can, they make superb party favors, and when people read their fortunes they have a real laugh about them. While it is true that the fortune you get in your cookie hardly ever come true, they certainly give you something to talk about and this in itself can get a party going.
Fortune cookies actually don’t come from China, this is a strange thought, but even though you generally end off a Chinese meal with one of these, they were invented in the USA, California to be precise. They were initially a Japanese concept that was adapted for American consumption. American/Chinese restaurant owners took to the idea and they soon became part of the Chinese restaurant culture.
Beside the facts that these cookies taste so good and are great fun, they are purported to have been adapted from a Japanese sweet treat known as Tsujiura Sembei. They were sweetened a little and adapted for tastes in the USA by the Japanese designer who landscaped the “Japanese Tea Garden” in Golden Gate Park. His name, if you are interested was Makoto Hagiwara. When he made them for frequenters of the tea garden he would insert thank you notes into them, but Chinese restaurant owners like his idea and it soon took off in popularity, only they decided to insert fortunes instead of thank you notes.
In keeping with more modern times fortune cookies now contain lottery-like lucky numbers and more trite fortunes. However it is possible for you to insert your own little bits of wisdom if you decide you want to serve personalized fortune cookies at a celebration.
Thinking up your own fortunes will add a more personal touch to them and make them great fun to read. These cookies have become great favorites as party favors. If your party or celebration has a particular them, they may also be decorated to fit in with the theme.
They are not only delicious to eat, they are original and ideal for weddings, birthdays, corporate functions, banquets, actually any celebration. They can be served with desert or handed to guests as a parting gift when they leave. You might be amazed but it is actually fantastic what can be done with these delicious treats.
The fortune cookies can be frosted or dipped in chocolate in any color. They can be covered in tiny sprinkles or decorated with all kinds of super goodies. The cookies each arrive packaged in their own cellophane packaging or can even be presented in a tiny transparent Chinese take-out container to make them more fun.
About the Author:
Rufus Sprague is an enteprenuer and owner of Tankinz Noodle MFG, a fortune cookie company that is known for its unique gift ideas using
fortune cookies. Ideal for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and corporate trade shows giveaways,
fortune cookies allow you to create the messages that are placed in the fortune cookies. To view ideas and to see what fun messages you can create visit www.tankinz.com
Tags: a, art;entertainment, b, business, custom fortune cookies, e, entertainment, events, f, food, food;drink, fortune cookies, g, gifts, i, m, Marketing, n, o, p, party ideas, promotional products, u, v, w, wedding favors, weddings
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Monday, April 6th, 2009
by Mala Webber
Every woman wants her wedding to be different! Did you think that when he asked you to marry him with a diamond, did you think that you’d be choosing sapphire or ruby…for your wedding colors? Nowadays, many brides-to-be are becoming creative and exciting with their use of color and are moving away from traditional pastel colors to brighter, bolder ones. Colours and tones that you find in some of your favourite jewels such as sapphire, garnet, emerald, and amethyst are just a few of the many choices you have.
To have your perfect wedding without blowing your budget, try doing your own shopping for accessories instead of having your decorator do it for you. In fact, most of the fun in planning a wedding is accessorizing just the way you want! Use a coordinator to help you put your ideas together, but make sure that you get most of your own ideas in so that your wedding day is just as you dreamed it would be. Here’s how you can bring jewel tones into your special day:
Invitations: Your invitation is the first glimpse into your wedding for your guests, so choose carefully! Color combinations such as different blues, greens, and pinks with rich accents create a stunning effect. One way to do this is to select a main color for the invitation pocket. And, for an elegant touch, try a metallic accent. Add the accent color on the inside of the invitation and use the actual invitation paper outside. To finish up, seal the invitation with a jewel or glamourous ribbon. Another option to this is Indian-styled scroll invitations that arrive, not an ordinary envelope, but a box!
Setting: Whether you’re planning a beach wedding or a wedding inside, be sure to capture some natural aspects of the lush and tropical surroundings by bringing more green into your bouquets and head table. If you’re having a formal indoor wedding, use ficus plants and cover the pots with your wedding color. Add some intimacy by decorating the plants with fairy lights. If you’re having your wedding outdoors, create a stunning ‘enchanted’ garden by hanging colored Chinese lanterns that match with your theme. Hang white lanterns and colored light bulbs for softness and true romance.
Cuisine: Be bold and include food from a culture that’s not your own! Remember, this is a destination wedding! Offer a colorful blend of Chinese, Indian, and Creole dishes, or experiment with Mediterranean cuisine for a nice addition to your menu. Some simply irresistible and eye-catching finger foods include samosas, seafood kebabs, spring rolls, jerk pork, and wontons.
Dress: A Caribbean Destination wedding allows a bride to choose colors and experiment with unique combinations without being limited by seasons. Chocolate brown as an accent color is a real favorite, and fresh, bright colors such as pink, tangerine, and aqua are also becoming very popular. Borrow from the Caribbean’s diverse cultural heritage by using bold colours and heavy beading wherever you can on your gown and other wedding attire. For instance, Eastern-inspired looks such as sari-style dresses with intricate beading will surely give exotic allure to your bridal party. And, if your bridal party is made up of different ethnicities, it’s a great idea to use color combinations that will enhance each member’s skin tone and complexion. Remember to think about your favorite jewels and choose the colors that you love!
Isle Do encourages all of their brides-to-be to research their wedding vendors carefully, get referrals, opinions and feedback from friends and past brides. Be sure to use the free tools such as a budget calculator and free wedding website that can help you to bring your wedding planning to life and keep you on track.
About the Author:
Mala Webber is a Caribbean wedding planner and the owner of IsleDo.com – Caribbean Wedding Resource. Mala, and her husband Luke, created Isle Do so that brides planning a destination wedding could get information about Caribbean destinations, and have wedding accessories delivered to any island. Isle Do offers couples free wedding websites and other great wedding planning tools. Visit them at
Caribbean Wedding and Destination Wedding Website
Tags: a, b, beach wedding, c, caribbean destination wedding, caribbean wedding, caribbean weddings, destination wedding, e, Ecommerce, internet;business, m, marriage, o, s, society, w, weddings
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