Laura, This site has a couple of images that give you the general idea of what your eyes do when you read normally and then the parallel view (which is what we use for photoreading) Most of the time when you look at a page with parallel view you wind up getting a blip page.
When you first start photoreading the blip page often disappears while turning the page, because of our habit of going into focus for regular reading. It is easy enough to break that habit by staying with the chant and keep turning the pages, just noticing that you can see the outer edges of the book.
With the Tangerine Technique pretend that you are actually holding a tangerine. Toss it from hand to hand as described in the book and actually put it on your head by touching the top back of your head with your hand. That touch will act like a trigger for the tangerine technique. You'll remember what it felt like when you touched your head there and that's how you come to know. Later it just comes with thinking about it.
As for getting relaxed. I'm going to guess that you daydream. Think back to a time that you daydreamed about something you enjoyed. When you think about it you were relaxed, right? 
The relaxed state is just a soft, at ease, free from concerns about anything in particular 'for the moment' feeling. I once described it as; relaxed = a feeling similar to lying back in a nice warm bath. *not* relaxed = when you feel like some crazy person is chasing you with a stick.
Alex
