HOLIDAY SUGGESTIONS

For that perfect family photo ......

It's time to take the annual family snapshot - the one that shows family and friends just how much the kids have grown.

Lisa Hoang of Windwardskies & Tiny Moments Photography offers “;Holiday Greetings: Sharing Your Smiles,”; a list of tips for maximizing that shot and making everyone look good. Among her suggestions:

» With kids, the best camera angle is down on their level. Close up the gaps - “;a small space between people seems larger in a photograph.”;

» With adults who have bumps and bulges to cover up, shoot from slightly above - it's a slimming angle. Lift your chin and stretch your neck. Open your eyes wide so you don't look squinty.

For Hoang's full list of tips, visit www.windwardskies.com/remember/tips-for-perfect-photos. 

Resorts auction vacations for charity

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Hawaii has put more than 1,000 resort and spa packages up for bid, with a portion of the proceeds going to food banks throughout the state.

“;Big Give Hawaii”; began Thursday, with bidding continuing until midnight Sunday.

On the block are vacation deals at Starwood properties in Waikiki, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, with 20 percent of each sale going to the Hawaii Foodbank and similar charities on the neighbor islands. Bidders must be Hawaii residents.

Opening bids are set at as much as 80 percent below regular prices. For example: Two nights at the Sheraton Waikiki, regularly priced at $730, open at $210. The goal is to raise $40,000 for the food banks.

To bid visit www.biggivehawaii.com.

Symphony, HOT offer holiday special

If you or someone on your gift list is a fan of the classics, the Honolulu Symphony and the Hawaii Opera Theatre are offering holiday specials:

With the Honolulu Symphony's “;Holiday Duets”; package, buy a ticket to the Beethoven's Ninth concert on Dec. 27, then add a second symphony or pops concert for $10 more. Total cost ranges from $30 to $92.

Personalized concert packages may include:

» This weekend's pops concerts with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

» Prokofiev's “;Peter and the Wolf,”; narrated by Jorge Garcia of “;Lost,”; Dec. 13 and 14.

» Saxophonist Dave Koz with the Honolulu Pops, Jan. 16 and 17.

  Call 792-2000 or 524-0815, ext. 245 (evenings), or visit http://www.honolulusymphony.com.

The Hawaii Opera Theatre is offering a $99 Holiday Package, including two tickets to any 2009 performance, a $20 gift card to Kincaid's and a HOT coffee mug—total value, $150.

The Grand Opera Season of Escape begins Jan. 30 with “;Manon Lescaut,”; followed by “;Abduction from the Seraglio”; on Feb. 13 and “;Carmen”; on Feb. 27. Call 596-7858 or visit www.hawaiiopera.org.