The Impact of Cell Phones in Schools

Most school administrations regard cell phone use as disruptive and distracting, and have implemented policies that prohibits using them on school grounds. Cell phones are a disruption in school. Text messaging can be used to cheat on tests. Students who are text messaging are not able to give full attention to the lesson. If a student cell phone rings in class, it totally disrupts the class for a considerable period of time. Many cell phones are also camera phones. Camera phones present an invasion of privacy in the schools . One of the best ways we can protect the privacy of every student is to ban cell phones from school during the school day.

During the school day, students need to be focused on classroom instruction without distractions. While the phones are very convenient and a common part of everyday life, for the most part, they are a distraction everywhere. Have you ever been on a bus or plane and somebody is carrying on a loud personal conversation? At a school, the distraction may be even greater than in a public place. For many teachers, one of the biggest concerns about including cell phones in schools is that they will be used inappropriately.

Students do not need cell phones during school hours. Many schools now have telephones in the classroom, if it really is an emergency students are easily contacted. I don't really understand why some parents are so adamant about being able to contact their kids at school at a moment's notice. Teachers have a difficult job as it is. They don't need to be dealing with kids having cell phones going off, surreptitiously texting each other, going on the Internet, and taking photos and video not to mention the possibilities for cheating. There are enough distractions

Students will text each other all the time during class, and there are times when the teachers won't even notice! Cellular phones are very distracting. Are we now slaves to our technology? If the student needs to call home they only need to go to the main office or guidance to contact a parent or guardian. Most calls home are not for emergencies, they are for mere simple communication that do not need to be done during school. It must have been a miracle that I made it through that time without the need of a cell phone. The majority of the calls, if not all, will be used in idle chatter. Their current uses are for distraction, social interaction, and lewd photography. And let's not ignore the parents who would call students DURING CLASS to talk about non-emergency issues. If it is truly an emergency, call the school main number and have the child brought to the office. There should be NO tcell phones in the schools.

There are no pros for cellular phone use in school. While cell phones are a convenience, however they don't belong in the school with our students. Students will use them in the class regardless of the rules. It will be a disruptive convenience benefiting only the students to talk to anyone. They will use it to text their friends or to play games. If there is a true emergency the parent only needs to call the school. Cell phones in the school will be a total disruption, they will be a good cheating device.

Obviously the cons of allowing cell phones in school, outweigh the pros. Cell phones have become a nuisance. Youngsters have enough distractions. And, there is no difference between looking through your phone and reading a note passed in class. School is for learning. Students will take it for granted and answer calls during the class. It leaves no hope for the classroom teacher. Whether the phone is on vibrate or not, it still makes no difference because the youngster will be continuously looking at the phone in anticipation of a call or a text message. Text messaging turned out to be as popular as e-mail and is omnipresent in many students' hands, and can caused total disruption to mere chaos in the classroom.

Distractions such as cellular phones don't belong in school. There is no need for cell phones in the schools, just as there was no need for them in the past. In the case of a true emergency, schools have in place systems that protect the children and notify the parents. It is the parents who are entitled to a cell phone . As a result they will always be available at a moment notice. Cellular phones in school are an unnecessary distraction that take time away from teachers and can be a source in cheating. Text messaging is an epidemic. I'm sorry to tell you this, but if you think students will not be texting each other while a teacher is teaching, you're dead wrong. Whether parents feel it is necessary to have cell phones in the schools or not, it is still a distraction to their children's education. It is a disservice to our children to allow cell phones during in the schools. Cell phones have become a huge problem. Kids text during class, leading to cheating, or coordination of other "bad" activities.

10 Senior Portraits Dos and Don'ts

DO reserve a session with your photographer early in the season since their schedules can be booked months in advance.
DON'T wait too long...many high school yearbook deadlines are as early as October, so consider scheduling a session during late summer, before the school year begins.

DO pick a myriad of scenic backgrounds for your senior portraits - think wooded areas, old buildings with intricate architecture, railroad tracks, lush greenery, etc.
DON'T choose locations that have busy and really detailed backdrops that can detract from you as the focus.

DO opt to wear a variety of different outfits, both casual and dressy, especially if you will be shooting photos outdoor. If you are involved in school sports or activities, consider wearing your uniform (i.e. letter jacket or cheerleading uniform). You'll get a wide variety of photos to choose from.
DON'T clash with your surroundings. Avoid wearing loud, busy patterns and wording on your clothing - it distracts from you. Stick with solid, flattering hues such as neutrals, blues, and reds.

DO stick with your own, natural look to achieve the best photographs.
DON'T try out a new look! You'll end up with photos that look nothing like you! Boys should avoid getting a new haircut right before the shoot and girls should not try new hairstyles or makeup for the pictures.

DO relax! If you are comfortable, relaxed, and enjoying yourself, your personality and happiness will show beautifully in the portraits.
DON'T stress over blemishes, tan lines, and other minor imperfections - most Salt Lake senior portraits studios can easily erase flaws during the touch-up process.

Mass Communication Courses

Once considered the last resort for job seekers, mass communication in the last decade has transformed into a serious career option for the youngsters today. It is a profit making industry today with as many as six media companies listed in the stock exchange, each of the company valued over Rs.10,000 million ($250 million). The current scenario is a far cry from about two decades ago, when the largest media company reported net profits of about Rs.50 million (a little over a million dollars). The growth of technology, government's liberalized policies and the increased purchasing power of the expanding middle class and their changing life style has been the main driving force for this development.

In addition, the satellite channels, a series of Radio channels (FM) have also helped in the expansion. Every metropolitan city of India has its own various FM radio stations where several radio jockeys are working. Print media has also made a remarkable progress and dozens of Hindi, English and regional newspapers and magazines have come-up in the market. Today mass communication industry is not just limited to its country's boundary but has reached globally. It also covers all the latest updates and current happenings around the globe. The other development in mass communication industry is advertising agencies. A number of big and small advertising agencies have come up in the market and there are multiple career options available for mass communication graduates. Needless to say that the growth in the industry has created an expanding job market for the industry, this in turn has been instrumental in setting up of institutes offering mass communication courses.

Mass communication course is a broad term which is an amalgamation of the study of all mass media that helps communicate with the public. Hence, this course includes within its purview the study of Journalism - Television or Radio Journalism or Print Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations, Marketing. With the broadening of the definition of mass communication in recent times, the courses now also include specializations like radio jockeying, event management, film making.

In India, mass communication has developed into a highly comprehensive field of study and at the same time offering a challenging and bright career prospect. The advent and the growth of electronic media perhaps has a large role to play in the increase in the popularity of the medium. It gives an instant recognition and fame to the reporters as compared to the faceless bylines of the print media.

Several institutes across the country, in the metros and in the smaller cities today offer mass communication courses at different levels. One can opt for a diploma, PG diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and even doctoral level programmes. The eligibility criteria differ according to the level of course opted for. For diploma and undergraduate programs in mass communication, one should have passed the intermediate exam in any discipline. For PG diploma and postgraduate degree courses, Bachelor's degree in any discipline is required, whereas for doctorate level course, Master's degree in mass communication is mandatory.

Majority of the private run or government institutes offer all the streams that fall under the mass communication umbrella. But as the industry gets more demanding for better skilled professionals and the competition gets tougher, several institutes now focus on one of the mass communication subjects: be it journalism, advertising combined with management, film making etc. This focused approach perhaps helps the institutes to produce better skilled students.

Getting admission in the mass communication institute is also getting tougher as the competition hots - up. Most of the institutes that offer mass communication courses conduct an examination followed by personal interview as selection criteria. Students seeking admission to such courses require a more than average writing skill, good command over the language, a creative bend of mind in case of advertisements or film making and an interest in current affairs if it is in journalism.

Like any top ranking management institutes, most of the reputed institutes offering mass communication courses arrange for campus placements. In some of the top rated journalism colleges, media houses vie with each other for the first slot for campus placement to pick up the best students. Several of the institutes do include internship as part of the course that provides practical training to the students and exposure to the working of the industry. In several cases, the internship does turn into a job with the company.

While mass communication institutes have mushroomed all over the country, a students seeking admission into a course should do a thorough study before joining an institute. He or she should find out about the history of the institute, any affiliations to universities or well known organizations, the expertise and the experience of the faculty, the placement history etc.

Although the remuneration in the industry varies from one field of mass communication to the other, yet for beginners, on an average, the remuneration may range anywhere from Rs 20,000 to 30,000 per month and increases accordingly with experience and time. The remuneration also depends upon the institute from which the course has been pursued.

Students opting to making a career choice in this industry can take heart from the fact that the growth projection for the industry is bullish. According to a joint report by KPMG and FICCI, over the next five years, Media and Entertainment industry is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent to reach the size of US$ 24.04 billion by 2014. Some of the factors that will drive the growth in the next ten years will be digitisation, regionalisation, competition, innovation, process, marketing and distribution.

How to Choose the Right Online Photography School

A photography career requires more than a good eye and skills with a camera; good photographers must have drive, technical know-how, creativity, and business sense. Attending a photography school online could be a great way to develop these skills. But before you apply to that online photography college, here are some hints to help you get started and eventually reach your goals.

Know Your Photography School Goals

What kind of photography do you want to practice? Are you interested in photojournalism, family portraiture, commercial photography, or special event photography? Knowing your career goals can help you narrow down programs and figure out the amount of time you can expect to spend in photography school. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that photojournalists, industrial photographers, and scientific photographers typically need a bachelor's degree in photography or in the field that interests them, whereas other types of photographers can take a few courses or gain knowledge through experience.

Know Yourself

Contrary to romantic images of photographers easily snapping instantly-beautiful photographs with excellent balance and proportion, a successful photography career requires a variety of skills, many of which you'll want to develop during your course of study:

• Technical expertise
• A good eye
• Creativity
• Stamina
• Good business sense

The last skill may be particularly important; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of all photographers are self-employed, which means that good business skills are crucial for a photography career. So even if you're interested in a branch of photography that requires less training, you may want to take online business classes just to keep your head above water financially.

Know Your Online Photography Schools

Not all online schools are equal! Infamous diploma mills often offer degrees that can be bought at a price, sometimes involving little to no work on the part of the student and, accordingly, little to no acquisition of knowledge. Don't waste your time and money getting a degree from a diploma mill. Check out the website for the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, where you can find out whether the online photography school in which you are interested is accredited.

Know Your Financial Aid

According to a New York Times article, online degree programs typically cost about the same as traditional programs, with the added bonus of saving on commuting gas, housing, and food. But students can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year on tuition through available scholarships. There are scholarships based on your major, state, ethnicity, need, gender, career goals, or even your parents' jobs. So how do you get them? First, you have to know what they are. CNNMoney.com suggests the scholarship search Web sites Fastweb.com, Petersons, and CollegeBoard.com. Knowing where to look is the first step toward saving money on your online photography school.

Once you've done the homework, you'll be better equipped for studying successfully at photography schools online. The photography field is very competitive, so make the most of your studies at online photography schools.

Home Photography Courses - The Easiest Way to Improve Your Photography

Many amateur photographers want to improve their photography skills. If you want to learn some easy ways to improve your techniques and take your photographs up to a professional level then this could be the most important article you have read in a long time.

Improving the level of you photography has never been easier. There are two main things that now exist that will allow you to improve your photography quickly and cheaply. Below I will discuss these.

Firstly and perhaps something we take for granted is the benefits of digital photography over film. The advent of digital photography and the low cost of high capacity memory cards means that us photographers are no longer constrained by the number of shots we take. When taking a shot we are now free to take multiple shots of the same frame using different settings and techniques. During post processing we can then analyze and compare the results in order to learn what worked and what didn't.

The second thing that can help you improve your photography is the large numbers of 'home photography courses' now available. In years gone by your options were limited to class room based lessons and courses in order to learn. The internet has opened up a whole new way to learn various skills and technique - including digital photography.

The range of courses available can be a bit bewildering making it difficult to choose which one is the best. My website Digital SLR Guru has recently done some researched and reviewed what we believe are some of the best courses currently available.

How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget

Planning a wedding can be an extremely stressful thing to do and then trying to do so on a tight budget can only add to the stress. Here are a few tips that will help you to keep your budget low and still have a beautiful wedding.

Tip #1: Saving on the wedding rental
Renting a hall or church is very expensive. Try checking out your local community centers or parks to see what the cost is to rent one of those. Also consider friends and in-laws who might have a large backyard.

Tip #2: Saving on the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses
Always start early when shopping for budget friendly gowns. Check out the discount racks and watch for sales. Many stores offer a sale in the off season for $99 dresses and bridesmaid gowns. This could be a huge savings! Also check out the bridesmaid gowns for wedding dresses as you can choose a gown and have it done in any color so it is easy to get a cheaper gown off the bridesmaid rack and have it done for you in white or cream.

Tip #3: Save on a photographer
Many colleges offer photography classes. Post signs or ads looking for a photographer at the college. You can also have a professional come in for the important photos such as the one between the bride and groom but put out disposable cameras at your reception for your guest to take pictures then deposit the cameras into a receptacle on their way out. This will give you candid photos while still being super cheap.

The Things We Learn in Art School - Art School Taught Me That Painting is Dead

As long as I can remember I knew that I was an artist; as a young teen I knew that I wanted to pursue fine art and painting as a career. I remember my first few days in art school, I was so excited! Finally I would study that which I loved most; painting!

I eagerly participated in the lectures and went to every class with a smile on my heart and big ears trying to absorb as much information as possible.

One of the first things the instructors mentioned is that "painting is dead". I couldn't believe my ears. What were they talking about? That was a great way to discourage someone. I felt terrible, here I am a painter, something I knew about myself for a very long time, and the school is telling me that painting is dead. Did this mean that I was dead? I considered myself lucky because I already at a young age knew what I wanted to do with my life; so many people spend a lifetime trying to figure that one out! When I heard that remark I felt that not only did I have to start from scratch as a painter but I had to dig myself out of a negative dead hole, painting was dead remember?

They said painting was dead because in the mid-1800's photography could replace paint by representing and documenting the world in a much more precise and quicker manner than what could be accomplished with a brush and paint.

Marcel Duchamp simply gave up painting entirely and focused mainly on dada and neo dada objects which later became the inspiration for conceptual art.

In my humble opinion painting is alive and well. Painting is alive because it is driven by the art market. It continues to live because of the institutions which promote it; museums, galleries, collectors, critics and art schools. Now what about the artist? If I am alive , and I am a painter, therefore painting is alive!

Military Marriage After Infidelity and Its Family Affects

There are more than 56% of couples trying to work through infidelity. How easy is it? It's not! Especially in a military lifestyle when there's a code of conduct to stand by that soldiers simply don't follow. Yet we in the U.S.A look up to these folks and they are doing it to each other. Respect and loyalty seems to go out the door once you close doors and no one knows what is going on behind closed doors. It takes two very devoted people to engage in holding on instead of simply finding the quick way out. Divorces are rated at 2.4 million a year ending in a 50% rate. Tragically we take the easy way to blame the marriage and/or the partner. What we fail to see is our own selfish ways that affect the people we love. The ugly truth is one must live remaining with a deep seeded root of a hole in their spiritual character of immorality since birth. Your very own insecurities are what drives you outside the marriage, not your partner and only until you can face it. You will continue to leak as big as an ocean and drown in your own sorrow, because you will never know who you are and who you love. Until you can work on your flaws and the love within, the marriage is an unfortunate dissolution from the start.

Whether you're a man or a woman always seeking the thrill of no commitment and enjoy jumping in some other person's horse and carriage and then turn it in at the end of the day, that ride is going to cost you. You're in your own denial of loving abuse within your own hole in your character lies deeper. You're so afraid of love that you run from it or run into the arms of a married person sadder when you're a teenager starting a life this way. You're life will only be turmoil and you will reap what you sew, unless you make changes quick to care about who you are and what you deserve and others you hurt. The wife will always be the wife, you will always be the (mistress = mis-stess) you will not miss out on the stress, you will always be the miss in stress. Have value for whom you are, because you will be nothing more but just another one night stand to add to your collection.

The military takes care of their families, so much! I am not quite sure of this honor. However, if you're undergoing a dishonorable affair or are the victim or are the intruder there is much to think about before such acts. Many things will change your life forever: The one nightstand may not be worth it! Trust me! If you both military personal the pay of is check mate! I don't mean you'll be checking on your affair. You will pay a very big price for your dishonesty, disloyalty and/or intrusion. It can cost you up to one year in jail, dishonorable discharge and all monies and a bad rapport for your future career. You made your bed you will lie in it as you did lie in it! Don't in turn: Blame your spouse for turning you in you new the consequences when you signed your life to the military and when you signed your vows. If you weren't going to honor any of it, then you shouldn't take on more than you can handle.

Adultery affects everyone tragically but more so, when a spouse is taking care of things at home with children and the other spouse is taking care of someone else instead of his/her family. If you love yourself you will do whatever it takes to find everything in your marriage. There will be no room for a leaky ocean because you have healed that hole: that only you can heal. Therefore, so you don't end up being that 50% in divorce: don't marry until you truly love yourself first!

This is the biggest problem in marriages today and yesterday!

Discover How You Too Can Earn 3 to 5 Grand Online And Give Up The Day Job!

Here's the 8 Step Blueprint to Earn 3 to 5 grand a month and give up the day job...

Would you like to give up the day J.O.B? I thought so...

Well, earning enough to do just?that by any other means is not as hard as you would imagine!

There are ways for you to earn 3 to 5 grand a month (or even more) just by following a few steps to educate yourself as to the 'method' of creating an income online.
You see it really is just a method that you can easily learn, just follow good advice and eventually you too will be throwing away the shackles of that job you hate!

Want to know how you can learn the method?

....the easy way go here and learn from the best... earn 3 to 5 grand a month

OK still here? ok lets help you discover 'the blueprint'..

There are a few steps that you simply have to follow in order for you to get a foothold in the ways of earning a living online. here we have the basics for you?to follow...

1) Firstly you need to choose a market, it could be any, health, sports, photography, wealth etc. you just need to have an interest in it for you to really get into it!

2) Secondly you will need to research your market - find out what people want in that market, what are their questions, needs?and what are the answers you can provide for them... or sell to them?;-)

3) Thirdly you will need to create some content to get people to your website - you can either do this yourself or you can outsource the whole 'content creation' aspect of your business.

4) Fourthly, you will need to build that website around your content - don't be put off by technical issues, it is easier than ever nowadays to get your site up on the web.. try the best method to build a?website?here

5) You need to get traffic to your site - The building of the website is the easy bit, but we all need to attract people or 'traffic' to our site in order for us to make any money. Don't worry there are steps you can take to get hordes of traffic to your site but we will deal with that another time...

6) Manage your website - you will need to keep your content updated regularly to keep attracting new visitors, the odd review and update should surfice when you have the site up and in the search engine listings..

7) Build another one - yes, you need to move on, it may have taken tremendous effort on your part to create this beautiful thing, but you need to do it all over again for you to really make the big bucks!

8) Outsource it all! - yes, when you get to earning lots of moolah from all of your sites (10 should be enough) then you can look to outsource the bits that you do not like to do, whether its the contaent creation or the day to day tasks to getting traffic to each site, it can be successfully outsourced.

Ok so that is the blueprint on how to earn 3 to 5 grand every month basically on autopilot (once you have the sites up and running they will continue to earn you money even if you just leave tham be...)

"Oh and another thing, it is not a game!?NO, you will need to treat this as your 'business', with all business you will have to make a commitment, to yourself and the business for you to successfully earn 3 to 5 grand a month."

To your success

David J Abel

Finding The Best Dance Studio Management Software

If you run a dance studio, answer this question:

how many software applications do you use to organize your business?

Perhaps you haven't gotten around to getting any dance studio management software to manage your business and instead juggle a bunch of applications such as spreadsheets, Word documents, and other individual applications to manage your business.

A Dance Studio Has Many Software Needs

When you break it down, your dancing business has many software needs including:

• scheduling;


• payment processing;


• managing staff and payroll;


• perhaps you sell products and services online (e-commerce - if not, you're missing out on a great opportunity);


• client contact management;


• financial and sales reporting; and


• marketing.

There are certainly individual software applications that can serve all of the functions above, but in my view, you can make your administrative and marketing roles much easier if you use an integrated, all-in-one software package that performed all those tasks for you.

The trouble is there is a lot of small business software out there - even software that caters to dance studios. How do you start your search for the best dance studio software for your dance studio?

6 Tips for choosing the Best Dance Studio Management Software

1. Choose Web-based software.

Web-based software is hosted by the service provider. You simply log-in to your account through the Internet. All your data and functionality is accessible through the Internet. This avoids the hassles of downloading, installing, and then configuring software (typical of desk-top software).

The real advantage of web-based software is you can access it anywhere you have an Internet connection.

2. Opt for an all-in-one solution.

Juggling a variety of applications to manage your dance studio is inefficient - even when well-integrated.

These days there is dance software that integrates all your business' needs in one platform. This results in a central database from which you can process sales, client management, scheduling, inventory, payroll, employee management, marketing, and more within one software platform.

3. Look for as many automation features as possible.

Software is to make your life easier and save you time. Look for software that automates processes. Activities you can automate with software include:

• online class bookings;


• online class purchases (including packages, classes, workshops, memberships, gift cards - whatever your pricing models are)


• student self-check in


• e-mail and text messaging class reminders


• automated wait-list generation with e-mail messages giving notice of openings; and


• report generation - sales, class attendance, no-shows, etc.

4. Get powerful scheduling capabilities.

Your dance studio's business model revolves around its schedule. Without great scheduling software, you spend more time than is necessary managing your schedule. There a 3 types of scheduling involved:

• centralized dance class schedule creation: how many locations do you presently have your dance class schedule posted? On your website (on several web pages), in your studio - possibly many places which if not centralized in one location, makes changing your schedule a hassle. Look for scheduling software where you need only make revisions in one online location which then feeds the changes to all electronically posted locations.


• booking appointments and class sign-ups: look for dance studio management software that lets students sign up online for classes. This takes you out of the booking process.


• staff / instructor scheduling: centralized staff scheduling makes it easy for you to manage all of your staff scheduling complexities - especially if you have several instructors.

5. Customer-service oriented software.

Always think of ways you can serve your dance students better. One easy way to do this is to make it easy for them to access and buy your services. Methods to improve your customer service with software includes:

• online bookings;


• online purchases (classes, workshops, memberships, private instruction, packages, products, etc.);


• online self check-in and in-studio self check in with swipe cards;


• automated class reminders sent via e-mail and phone; and


• easy credit card payment system.

6. Marketing integration.

Unfortunately so many dancing business owners get too busy to focus any real attention on marketing. One often missed opportunity is e-mail marketing. Actually, I don't really like the term e-mail marketing. Instead, I prefer calling it client communication by e-mail.

Think about it - your dance business is based on your students. That's a large database of contacts. Wouldn't it be great if you could automate communicating to your students and interested students via e-mail? It's effective and extremely inexpensive.

Moreover, with the right dance business management software, you can get powerful e-mail software that attracts new members on your list and automates e-mail message sending to your existing students.

If you aren't doing any e-mail marketing now, you're missing out on a very easy and inexpensive way to build your dance studio business.

A final obvious tip is not to spend too much on the right software. Typically, web-based software is priced according to the number of users in the system. If you're a small dance studio and you're the only user, then your price range should be $40 to $50 per month.

How to Create an Online Dating Profile That Rocks - Perfecting the Profile Photo

Are you ready to begin the process of looking for love online? To be successful in online dating you need to have a great profile. Your profile will introduce you to the online dating community. Your profile is your first impression, and we all know how important first impressions are. You do not want to rush through the process of preparing your profile. You want to make sure that profile is interesting, unique and detailed. If your profile is boring, incomplete or unappealing you will probably not have very much success in online dating. There are multiple things that you need to do to create a great profile, in this article we will focus on perfecting the profile photo.

Let me start by saying that you DO need a profile picture. I know that the idea of allowing complete strangers to view your photo can be intimidated, but it is necessary. Studies have shown that people that have a profile picture are 75 percent more likely to have their profile viewed then people who don't have a picture. If you don't post a picture, people may assume that you are unattractive.

Most online daters will want to know what you look like. Many people don't want to form an emotional attachment to someone that they may not be physically attracted to. I would like to tell you people don't care what you look like on the outside as long as you are beautiful on the inside, but that isn't usually true. Physical appearance is a key component in traditional dating and it is just as important when it comes to online dating.

Since your photo will introduce you to the online dating community you need to put effort and thought into selecting your profile picture. The picture that you select needs to be current. If you are 40 years old you should not be using your high school yearbook photo. Your picture should be no more than 1-2 years old. You want your picture to represent an accurate you and not be a blast from the past. Don't be ashamed if you have put on a little weight or you hairline isn't as full as you want it to be. There will be people that will find you attractive regardless of your perceived flaws. Please don't use picture(s) that are overly photo shopped or altered or generally deceiving. You want the person that views your picture to know what you really look like. If things go well you are going to want to move your online experience to the real world. You want the person to actually recognize you when they see you in person and not feel lied to or deceived.

I recommend that you include at least three pictures of yourself. One dating site found that a profile with one image received 5 times as many replies than profiles that had no photo. Posting 3 photos netted 7 times as many views, and 5 photos netted up to 9 times the replies as profiles with no photo. Be sure to include a variety of different poses when selecting your profile picture. Make your primary photo a headshot, something that really highlights your face. For your additional photos, you should include at least one full body shot. A picture is worth a thousand words so use the picture(s) in your profile to tell your story. If your favorite hobby is horseback riding include a picture of you riding. If you love to be outdoors take a picture of you surrounded by the beauty of nature.

The picture(s) you select should be individual photos of you and not group photos. The person viewing your profile should not have to guess which person you are in the photo. Don't include picture(s) of your nieces, nephews, best friend,etc. You don't want the person viewing your profile to be distracted by the other people in the photo or be wondering if your ten nieces and nephews are all of your kids. (lol). You also don't want the person checking out your profile to eye your hot friend instead of you. Do not post a picture of you and your ex!!! If you decided to crop someone out of a picture make sure that they are fully cropped out and there isn't a mysterious body part left in the photo.

If you are having a hard time selecting your profile photos, ask a close friend or family member to help you with the selection process. Ask members of the opposite sex if the photos are attractive to them. What your mom might think is your best photo might not be the best photo for attracting the opposite sex. Get several opinions about the photos that you should use then select the photos that get the most votes. If you utilize a New Love Online-Dating Coach, your coach will help you select your best photos.

If you don't have any recent picture(s) that are flattering invest in a professional photographer. Let your photographer know the purpose of the photos so that they can help you meet your objective. If you cannot afford a photographer you may want to check out schools that offer photography classes and ask a student for help. Their prices will be probably significantly lower that a professional photographer. They may even be willing to take shots of you for free so that they can gain experience and build their portfolio.

If you are unable to find a photographer, ask a friend with a good camera to photograph you. If at all possible avoid taking your profile picture(s) yourself (no picture(s) of you in your bathroom mirror, please). Do not take the picture(s) from a camera phone, they usually do not have enough pixels to produce a clear picture. No matter who snaps your picture, avoid taking picture with messy backgrounds. Your messy bedroom with clothes strewn all around will not serve as a good backdrop! Not only will a messy background take away from the quality of the picture but it will also let the world know that you are a messy person which is a turn off for many people. Review your picture(s) to make sure that they are in focus and not too dark or blurry.

It is also important to know the maximum picture size that your dating site of choice will allow you to use. Your picture(s) have to fit the photo size specification of the site or you will not be able to use them. If you picture(s) are too big you may be able to resize them using a picture editor program and then upload them. Review the general Terms of Agreement for uploading your photo to ensure that your photos are also appropriate for the website.

Don't use photos that show too much skin. Ladies, you do not need to post a photo of you in your bra and underwear. Guys, you do not need to take your shirt off. Studies have actually found photos that depict participation in a hobby receive a better response than "sexy" photos.. When you pick your photo stay away from anything that could be featured in Playgirl or Playboy. You don't want to use photos that suggest that you are interested in only a one night stand if you are looking for love.

I saved the best and simplest advice for last: SMILE in your photos. Smiling is so important for several reasons: First, a smile makes you look more attractive. Secondly, smiling makes your potential suitor feel more comfortable. Your smile will send the message to the person viewing your profile that you are approachable. A smile is often the most memorable part of your face. You should select picture(s) that showcase your best smile. Remember you are posing for a profile picture and not a mug shot. You don't want to scare away your potential matches with a grimace, scowl or frown.

Jewelry Photography with Photo Studio Box

For those who are selling on eBay or online, or any jewelry store owners, taking quality jewelry photos is a daunting task.

You are selling a product that is relatively expensive, and requires a high quality photograph to showcase your jewelry product. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In your case, a picture might worth a thousand dollars! A good piece of jewelry could retail for $1,000's or more.

As such, there should be no compromise on taking jewelry photography. The jewelry photo you take should be sharp, high detail and depicting the real color. In particular if you are selling diamond, gem stones, and other precious metals of which the color could easily distorted by light that is not suitable for jewelry photography.

By using a "photo studio box" product, a jeweler or jewelry seller can take high quality jewelry photos in a snap. No more running wires all over the place, and no more setting up different lighting tripods at different heights and at different angles.

Using this photo studio in a box system, you simply need to place your jewelry item inside the studio box, adjust the flexible LED lights to create the desired light intensity and reflection angles. Then take the photo with your camera. Viola, it's done. It sure makes life much easier. Most important, it will save you lots of time. Time that you can spend to promote and advertise your business, instead of spending countless hours on setting up the "perfect" stage for your jewelry photography session.

To achieve an optimum jewelry photography result, you should adjust the color setting of your camera to compensate for the various lighting effect that might affect the photo quality.

For example, if you want a whiter background and a "whiter" jewelry exposure. You might want to lower the color setting, and vice versa. Also, for diamond in particular, a daylight colored LED light is best suit to do the job. Using these daylight colored natural lighting will be least likely to distort the color of the diamond on the final photo.

With most higher end photo studio box system, this daylight natural color LED lighting is usually a standard accessory.

In short, if you are serious about making high quality jewelry photos that will attract the attention of potential customers. Using a quality photo studio box is essential. You might save a small amount with those cheaper "tent-style" fabric version. But with this tent type photo box version, a high quality lighting effect jewelry photo session would be more difficult and time consuming to achieve.

Giraffe Information

The giraffe is a favorite animal of many people. Everyone loves to see them at the zoo. They are the largest of any mammal and have very attractive markings on them. The giraffe is a very interesting animal to learn about.

People have always honored giraffes. There are many African cave paintings that have these animals in them. Ancient Egyptian art also has giraffe designs. Their tail hairs are used for jewelry and their hide has been used to make things like sandals and ceremonial shields. The Romans called the giraffe a camelopardalis, which means "camel marked like a leopard". This is where giraffes get their species name, camelopardalis.

Giraffes come from Africa. Because giraffes of this, they are used to droughts and can go for over a month without water! They can reach a height of eighteen feet and can weigh up to 2,800 pounds! Their body is a cream or buff color with irregular brown patches all over. The males are usually larger and darker than the females and also have thicker horns and a lump on the forehead. Both males and females have stiff manes on their necks. Their tongue is between 18 and 21 inches long.

There are nine subspecies of the giraffe: the reticulated or Somali Giraffe, the Angolan or Smoky Giraffe, the Kordofan Giraffe, the Masai or Kilimanjaro Giraffe, the Nubian Giraffe, the Rothschild's or Baringo or Ugandan Giraffe, the South African Giraffe, the Thornicroft or Rhodesian Giraffe and the West African or Nigerian Giraffe.

The Giraffe's unique body is a form of adaptation for them to survive. They have extremely long legs and a long neck in order to gather food better. They are herbivores and their height and leathery mouth allow them to reach and eat leaves. Their unique coloration is for their protection.

Giraffes stand up all the time; they even sleep standing up! When they give birth, the baby falls six feet to the ground. When they are born though, they are already six feet tall and can quickly stand up. Baby giraffes can even grow an inch a day!

Giraffes usually live in herds of five to fifteen individuals. There is only one male to a herd. Other males either live alone or in pairs. Giraffes can watch for danger very easily using their height and great senses of smell and eyesight. They actually only sleep for about a half hour a day, but only sleep for five minutes at a time. If they do sense danger, they are very fast animals and can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. The lion is their main predator. The giraffe's heavy hooves are powerful enough to take a lion's head off though!

The giraffe is an unmistakable, truly fascinating animal unlike anything else. There are so many interesting facts about the giraffe. Unfortunately, this animal is often killed by poachers and their habitat is destroyed a lot. Giraffes have even gone extinct in some countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali and Mozambique. Farmers also kill giraffes because they eat their crops. If people aren't careful, there will be no more giraffes in Africa. We need to protect these animals and their habitats.

The Questions of Esthetics, Mind and Ethics, In Hugo Munsterberg's Understanding of the Film Medium

Eight months before his death, Hugo Munsterberg published his seminal and influential book the Photoplay: a Psychological Study; a work that is viewed by many commentators as the first systematic analysis of the art of film. Unlike the Photoplay, previous studies of films were unformed, impressionistic and most importantly were characterized by what Annette Michelson calls 'euphoric epistemology.' Munsterberg theory (as explained below) is illustrative of silent film theory, particularly the question of whether and by what means film could be conceived of as an art form. Indeed, the whole book is an attempt to provide an answer to this question through a comparison of the photoplay (film) with theater, a comparison that proves to be both fruitful and problematic. In answering this perennial question Munsterberg emphasized the ethical dimension of the photoplay, contradicting to some extent his understanding of art as isolated from it practical use. This paper will provide a detailed analysis of Munsterberg's film theory.

Film as Brain:

Munsterberg's book is divided into three sections, an introduction that presents a short history of film's 'outer' (i.e. technical) and 'inner' (i.e. aesthetical) developments and two main parts, respectively the Psychology of the Photoplay and the Esthetics of the Photoplay. The first part as the title illustrates explores the psychological dimensions of the film medium, essentially its ability to objectify the mental reality. Munsterberg explores both the role of the spectator's mind in the production of motion and the ability of film to translate mental processes such as memory, attention, and imagination. While the equivalent of the psychological process of attention is the technique of the close-up, memory is objectified through flashbacks. The flash-forward technique objectifies imagination. Film in this sense and in contrast to theater obeys the laws of our mind.

Film as Art:

The second part of the book, the Esthetics of the Photoplay, attempts to establish the film medium as an independent art, worthy of attention. Following Munsterberg, film is not a mere imitation of reality; it rather reconstitutes whatever it records, transforming reality. To prove this view, he distinguished two modes of thinking, the scientific, scholarly and the artistic. Whilst the scientific thinking. The difference, in Munsterberg's own words, is 'connection is science, but the work of art is isolation." On the one hand, science isolates its object of study to connect it to other elements. Art, on the other hand, places emphasis on the particular. Science yields general knowledge through studying cases. But for art, the particular itself is that which is valuable.

Film and Ethics

The ethical question is central in Munsterberg's theory, particularly his hints to the negative sides of cinema (its negative impact on audience) and his emphasis on the role of the photoplay in education, instruction and esthetic cultivation. The social reformer in this sense should focus his interest "still more on the tremendous influences for good which may be exerted by the moving pictures."

Abraham Lincoln Depressed?

Whether we call it a disease, disorder, or state of mind; depression affects more than a hundred million people a year. According to the American Psychological Association, that turns out to be one of every five people have some form of depression. It's one of the leading causes of disability; in the year 2000 more than one million people killed themselves. However, mental illness is being treated more affectively nowadays then ever before. Stress is the leading cause to depression today, because many people don't know how to cope with daily stress.

Abraham Lincoln suffered from depression year after year. During the 1800's Lincoln was known to have suffered depression, anxiety and insomnia. Research states, it could be possible that Lincoln may have suffered from Mercury poisoning. Lincoln became extremely aggressive with severe mood swings, according to studies shown in the early 2000s. Lincoln's life depression began with the loss of many loved ones, as every as childhood. As a young child it was known that Lincoln lived to experience various traumas.

For example, Lincoln was known to be color blind. He also survived a near drowning experience, when he fell in the water at Knob's Creek, during a bird chase, his neighborly friend had saved his life. Once as a child, Lincoln was riding a horse one day when he lost his temper, whipped the horse hard and in return the horse kicked him; Lincoln suffered a concussion. One Historian suggests it may have caused a "petit mal" and possibly brought on attacks of transient aphasia, where Abraham would be in "another world" and fall into deep sleeps while visually awake. In 1841 Lincoln had a tooth pulled and the dentist broke a part of his jaw during extraction without anesthesia. And in 1863, Lincoln became ill with blotches all over his body, diagnosed with a case of small pox, which was highly contagious.

Lincoln's childhood derived from poverty, no educational background; he lost his mother and brother by the age of twenty one. First Lincoln was engaged to Anne Rutledge, Anne Pass away from Thyroid Fever, leaving Abraham devastated. Also, Lincoln was engaged to Mary Todd, which lasted until the very day he was getting married. Although he was secretly in love with another woman named Matilda Edwards. When that ended, his friends stated that Lincoln went "Crazy" and they removed all dangerous objects such as razors and knives from him. Next, Lincoln was reunited with Mary Todd and they married three years later. Over the next eleven years they had four children. With more children to come, a total of twelve but only two survived. Furthermore, the death of his son Willie was extremely difficult for him; everyone thought Willie was a clone to Abraham.

Lincoln suffered a great deal; however, it was well known melancholia was part of his history, his mother, sister and cousin suffered from depression. Based on written records and his friend said, "'Lincoln was suicidal,'' although there was never actual proof.

Lincoln was defeated, fired in political ability and state legislature, he was found insufficient. His demeanor, depression had become part of his mental and emotional state. (This was one of his many states of depression.) Then, Lincoln was elected President on November 6, 1860 and was sworn in on March 4, 1861. He had extremely emotional pressures; "loss of life," "battlefield setbacks," "assassination threats" and more.

Upholding his beliefs and commitments to the world, Lincoln had freedom within himself, I believe.

7 Ways Models Can Make Money From a TFCD Shoot

For all but the most famous models, it's nearly impossible to pay your rent with signed 8 x 10's. Everyone else needs cash. If you've decided to approach modeling as a business - a money-making venture - rather than as just a hobby, I'm sure you're looking to get paid for your contribution to the artistic process.

Most photographers, however, cannot afford to pay cash for every minute of time a model stands in front of their lens. This is why, for as long as there have been photographers and models, there has been a basic barter system. Many photographers offer to exchange time for prints (TFP) or time for CD (TFCD). This means you contribute your time and expertise in front of their camera, and in return they give you copies of the best of the work as either prints or as digital copies on a disk.

Many beginning models make the mistake of looking at the TFCD exchange as getting ripped off, especially if they know the photographer is a "name" in the industry, someone who usually gets paid for their work. While it's true that there are some people out there who refuse to pay for anything they can get for free (we've all met people like that), there are many valid reasons for a lens jockey to offer TFCD.

The first reason is that the photographer doesn't have enough money. This group usually involves students, people on a fixed income, and beginning hobbyists. They may have spent all their money on equipment, and the most valuable thing they can offer you is the result of your collaborative time and efforts.

All new models are an unknown quantity. They have a small or no portfolio, and no professional references. Look around - there are literally thousands of aspiring models coming into the industry every day, all scrambling to build a portfolio. Any given photographer simply can't afford to pay every model who approaches him for work. However, in exchange for the chance to practice their art, the photographer should be willing to share your combined efforts with you as either prints or digital copies.

Many "name" photographers are hired to produce specific images for advertisements. They may be working on developing a concept for the image, and simply need stand-ins so they can work out lighting, location, camera angles and a million other technical aspects. Or they may be testing out new lights, a new camera, or a new technique. For whatever reason, they need a body in front of their lens. Since they're not getting paid to practice, they may not be able to afford to pay those who collaborate with them.

Every photographer who offers TFCD or TFP has their reasons. They usually have nothing to do with you or any other particular model, so don't take an offer that doesn't include cash as an insult. But since we all have bills to pay, how can a model go about making money from a non-cash shoot?

1 Book a paid shoot before or after your TFCD shoot. This is the easiest and fastest way to make money from a non-cash shoot. As soon as you book a TFCD shoot, go looking for photographers in the same area who pay. Tell them you're coming into the area for a shoot, and are looking for other fill-in work while you're there.

2 On commercial shoots where a photographer is looking to make his bones, most of the budget may go towards props, costuming, location and travel. You might be able to get other forms of compensation in addition to images. Depending on what their expenses are, you might get a hotel room, or be able to take home the costumes or props the shoot uses. You might be able to get free transportation to an exotic location, or just to somewhere else you need to be. Even a meal at a four star restaurant is worth something.

3 Act professionally, and you may be able to ask the photographer for a paid shoot in the future. "Please keep me in mind," along with a follow-up hand written note goes a long way to getting you paid work. Make sure you treat everyone on set nicely, and before you leave hand them each a business card and ask them to keep you in mind. Nothing would make a prop guy's career like having a black book full of attractive, professional models he's able to call when the photographer's star flakes out.

4 A knockout image in your portfolio can get you paid gigs.

5 Don't wait for someone else. Take all those non-paid images and add them to the paid area of your web site. You DO have your own web site, right? In addition to various portfolios and fan pages on social networking sites, you should have a web site with a paid-members-only area. Make sure you credit the photographers.

6 Turn the best of your TFCD images into products your fans will pay for. Coffee mugs, mouse pads, and especially calendars are examples of products that people will be willing to pay for and show off at the same time, gaining you money and exposure. (You can send these out to photographers and advertising agencies as promotional items as well.)

7 Use an image from a non-cash shoot to promote your appearance at a function. If you help promote attendance, the organizers of almost any event will love you for it. Maybe even enough to pay you to come back as a speaker at a future event.

So now you have seven quick and easy ways to turn a TFCD or TFP shoot into cash in your pocket. Each of these will help you build relationships with photographers, talent buyers, and your fans. Relationships lead to cash gigs, and you can pay your rent from those!

Little Fish - Little Pond

"This isn't Omaha, Nebraska. This the big pond where the big fish play for big bucks. There's sharks in these waters and you can get cut in half real quick. So before you dive in, give it a lot of thought".

- Charlie's Angels

Many of us spend enormous amounts of time and energy trying to convince ourselves and others we are big fish in small ponds or even bigger fish in larger ponds. The reality is most of us are little fish in little ponds. How so?

Most us navigate our lives swimming around in little ponds - defined by our immediate circumstances and our immediate identity. Many of us have little to no idea what it's like to see beyond our rational mind, our immediate thoughts, or our long-held beliefs. Most often, we are unable to even consider the possibility of there being another "reality" or "pond" out there.

The reason we never venture out to see if there is a larger pond is because
(1) We feel content, secure and in control in our little pond (i.e., at least we think we are),

(2) We are afraid to look beyond the edges of our little pond; we swim around preoccupied and obsessed trying to make our "pond" work for us - being intimidated by the unknown "ponds" out there, or

(3) we have no interest in exploring other ponds.

Most folks fall into reason number two, living in fear of the unknown and the related feelings of aloneness, abandonment and separation from what gives them a (false) sense of security. This false security is accompanied by a lack of trust and faith in even considering swimming in another pond.

So, in our small pond we effort to create a life of security, order, control and perfection. We swim to exhaustion while experiencing greater and greater stress, anxiety, and insecurity, trying to maintain greater and greater control.

A different pond

" Something in a koi pond. They're very zen." - The Trial

What would it be like to venture into a different pond? To venture into a reality where we would give up the need to control, to give up the safe boundaries of our familiar pond, to surrender, to trust, to experiencing a new pond in a new way - i.e., accept new ways of do-ing and being, maybe even new ways of swimming without any preconceived notions of "pond-ness" - just jumping in and swimming?

What would happen if we were to leave behind our life preservers - our ego, beliefs, preconceptions, ideas, and judgments and swim with faith, trust and surrender? What would it take to enter into a "new pond experience" at work, at home, at play or in relationship? What would it be like to move into a new pond with an open mind and an open heart, without needing to control? What would it be like to swim in this new pond trusting that we won't drown or lose our way?

The deal is we can't think our way into this new pond. We have to take a deep breath, let go and dive in without a life jacket, without resistance - i.e. without our familiar and habitual ways of thinking, acting, judging, doubting, or medicating ourselves in order to feel safe and secure.

Being conscious in your new pond

In our familiar pond, we generally spend our swimming time in a normal thinking-judging-reacting mode or day-dreaming while in the throes of daily routines and habitual activities. In our new pond, we will need to be alert, aware and neutral.

Swimming with this new awareness, we are present in the immediate moment, not judging, not thinking and not reacting - just present and aware. Awareness fosters inner peace, well being, alertness and clarity. We are swimming without thinking, without our customary beliefs and thoughts.

In our new pond, we swim into familiar and new experiences with a sense of openness, kindness, service, compassion and curiosity. In this new pond, we are transformed; we seem to swim free of anxiety, depression, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, loneliness or deep sadness and longing.

In our new pond, we swim with strength, courage, power, contentment, joy and possibility. As the shark needs to continue swimming in order to breathe and access oxygen, in our new pond and everyday activities, we must choose to remain present, authentic, and access our heart and soul - providing the "spiritual oxygen" that keeps us optimally alive, conscious, and alert.

Are you ready to dive in?

"Be not the slave of your own past. Plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Would you be willing to experience this new pond in order to experience well being, possibility, and a sense of groundedness?

If so, the first step is to explore your little fish in your little pond, taking stock of your habits, beliefs, addictions chemical and non-chemical), and self-limiting and sabotaging thoughts that keep your little fish depressed, suppressed and repressed. What is your little fish attached to, obsessive about, and driven by? What drives your little fish to want power, control, recognition and security?

Once you uncover what drives your little fish, and choose to let go of your ego needs to control and possess, your little fish begins to transform and morph into a trusting, surrendering allowing fish that is ready to swim in another pond.

Swimming, now powered by our heart and soul, we begin to build trust and faith that in every moment, we are guided to move in the right direction. We are more able to swim with other fish from a place, not of competition, envy or resentment, but a place of service, with an attitude of kindness and respect. We experience greater moments of synchronicity and connection with others. In this new pond, our sense of identity comes from a deeper place, not the place of our limited mind and ego.

Swimming with your eyes open

In this new pond, we must swim with consciousness, always being alert and awake. Swimming instruction gives us tools and techniques to support our new way of swimming, such as:

We need to continually be aware of our breath.
We need to allow our vulnerability.
We need to stay away from self-destructive beliefs, illusions and fantasies.
We need to pay attention to what we sense, feel and experience in our bodies.
We need to trust, surrender and let go of our dogmatic thoughts and beliefs.
We need to express gratitude consistently.
We need to trust our heart and soul to direct us to right knowing, right understanding and right action.
We need to be open to change, synchronicity and intuition.
We need to look for balance in our sense of our self, our finances, relationships, and daily activities.
We need to reconsider (re) prioritizing our goals so they truly support our inner sense of balance, harmony and well-being (not our ego).

The new pond with clear water

"Hiccup Hole isn't just a pond. It's a symbol... of freedom... and justice... and home, and country, and, and, and... apple pie!" -101 Dalmatians

Moving to a new pond and keeping our water clean, clear and life-sustaining, means allowing our "neutral mind" and knowing when our neutral mind is being muddied by our "rational and logical" mind. Our neutral mind is awake, alert, clear, and conscious. Our "rational and logical" mind is tangled up with worry, goals, judgments, invidious comparisons, and constant chatter and "busy-ness."

The new pond of clear water at work, at home, at play and in relationship is still, quiet, peaceful and relaxed - in mind, in body and in breath. Here, we are awake and vigilant as we swim. We are open to new experiences, higher wareness, and the support of our heart and soul. We are mentally and emotionally at peace.

In this new place, there is no bigger pond, no better pond - just one pond. In this new place, we swim in the stillness of the moment, with our breath - free from the hustle and bustle of activities and the nagging of our rational mind. In this new place we transcend time and space while being present in time and space.

So, some questions for self-reflection are:

·Do you consider yourself a big fish in a small pond? How is it to constantly maintain that image?
·Do you always compete with the other fish in your pond? Why?
·Are you peaceful and content in your pond or are you always searching for a bigger pond?
·Is the water in your pond clear, healthy, and sustainable? If not, why not?
·Do you need "chemicals" to keep your pond healthy?
·How would you describe life in your pond? Balanced, peaceful and harmonious or stressful, rough and stormy?
·Are your eyes clear as you swim?
·What kind of fish are you? Why?
·Are you constantly searching for bait or being baited? What's that like?
·Is you pond inundated with pond scum? Who or what accounts for this? How can you clean your pond to make it sustainable and life affirming?

The roots of a lotus are in the mud; the stem grows up through the water, and the flower lies above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.

What Can You Do With Your Old Digital Camera

So you just got a new digital camera. Congratulations! What are you planning to do with your old digital camera? Many people just forget about it burying it in a drawer or somewhere around the house. There are better things to do with it, here are a few.

Digital cameras evolve all the time. New cameras have more megapixels, they have better lenses, electronics and software. It is very common to get a new digital camera every few years and sometimes even more often than that. Every time you buy a new digital camera you need to make a decision as to your old one.

You have many options for what to do with your old digital camera. Here are a few:

Put is aside: the simplest thing to do is just to put the digital camera somewhere in the house and forget about it. Many of us do just that. This is not the best solution though as your are wasting a perfectly good product.

Use it as backup: you can use your old digital camera as a backup for your new one. If your new digital camera breaks you can revert to the old one. Another option is to keep the old digital camera in a place where you would not normally store your camera. For example you can keep the old digital camera in the car. You can safely do that since you are less sensitive to the old camera getting damaged or stolen. By doing that you can take pictures when opportunity strikes and you do not have your new camera with you.

Give it as a gift: give your old digital camera to someone who can use it. For example give it to your kids or to other family members. Usually you would want to choose someone who can use it and for whom using your old digital camera will be a step forward relative to what they are using now.

Sell your old digital camera: One obvious option is to sell your old digital camera. Depending on how old it is and its condition you can get a nice sum of money for it. Getting any money is better than just throwing it away. You can sell it online on auction sites like eBay or you can use local classifieds.

Donate your old camera: you can donate your old digital camera to charity, to a local community center, to your kids' school and more. With some donations you will be able to get a tax receipt so you can also get some money back as tax deduction.

Continue using your old digital camera: This option is not obvious. Why would you keep using the old digital camera when you just paid for a brand new one? There are many reasons. For example in some scenarios your old digital camera might be more appropriate. If for example your old digital camera is a small pocket one while your new digital camera is a big digital SLR there are times when you would not like to carry the big SLR around but you would still want to capture experiences on digital film. In such cases using the old camera is a good solution.

The way of thinking is that you did not replace your old digital camera but got a new digital camera that complements It. This is not relevant of course if you bought the same type of camera but with better features. For example this does not make sense if you bought a brand new digital pocket camera that looks the same as your old one but has more megapixels.

The most important thing is not to forget about your old digital camera just to find it uselessly thrown in a closet somewhere after a few years. Digital cameras like other consumer electronics devices age fast. Their value drops significantly after a few years. Be conscious about your old camera. You can use it for a while as a secondary camera, you can later on decide to sell it or donate it or to do something else with it.

Can You Fake Your Own Product Photography Studio In House?

Do you really need a product photography studio, or can you get away with photographing your products in house? If you look at the average sort of price charged by a commercial advertising photographer you'll almost certainly be tempted to consider avoiding having to rely on a fully equipped product photography studio, instead using lower grade equipment, and hoping that a few key techniques will get you by.

It's understandable since at the moment almost all small and medium sized businesses are looking to make cuts wherever possible. Sadly many photographic studios seem unwilling to help smaller businesses keep up with the big businesses, pricing themselves out of the market in many cases. It should be noted though that this isn't always the case, and if you're prepared to look about there are a few photography studios offering lower priced deals for small and medium sized businesses.

But is even that expensive fully justified, if it really is possible instead to take your product photographs in house? Certainly it's relatively easy these days to pick up a pretty decent digital camera in any high street store. With even mobile phones now able to take the same sort of quality image of a decent digital camera a few years ago, the quality of the image is likely to be very good if you're prepared to spend over 瞿300 at least. But you shouldn't just be budgeting for the camera, because there are many other camera equipment items besides the camera itself which will be necessary.

Thinking small and simple to begin with, you'll certainly need a tripod in order to make sure the camera is stable and lined up correctly. But if you hook a camera to a tripod, no matter how careful you are there is often a slight bit of movement once you press the shutter button. This is why it's often a good idea to have a remote shutter button on a lead, so that you can trigger the camera without nudging it, even slightly.

Then of course there's the lighting. Don't think for one moment that the built in flash on even a good camera will be good enough. In fact you needn't even consider the flash as usable on most digital cameras. You'll need to look at an external flash or lighting system, and this will of course need to be hooked in to the remote trigger. Different products will require different lighting solutions. A fully equipped product photography studio will have a whole range of lighting solutions, including soft lighting, hard lighting, coloured lighting and even LED lighting.

But then again, lighting is not just about lights, because sometimes it will be necessary to diffuse the light, or even have it reflect in different ways for a clearer result. This is where reflector boards, panels and umbrellas will be helpful, creating the sort of diffused lighting which allows products to be seen clearly, as they would in optimum daylight, without lights creating or exacerbating shadows and contrast. Another issue you'll find with taking product photographs in house is that you'll be unable to remove the backgrounds very easily. You can tell at a glance when a product photograph has been taken in house, 'on the cheap', because you can see the background - often just a sheet hung over something.

A professional product photography studio will usually have what is called an infinity cove, which is a specially designed room or space which has no corners or edges, and therefore nothing to suggest that there is any background at all. Products can be photographed in front of this, and will stand out clearly, and can even be cut out from the backgrounds and superimposed on alternative backgrounds. This is just the starting point for creating decent photographic images, although there's a great deal more besides these first few tips. If you're looking to save money, you really are best off looking for a product photography studio which specialises in offering service which are affordable for small and medium sized businesses.

Digital Photo Tips - 3 Reasons Professionals Use Available Light

Available light, in photographic terms, is defined as existing light in a scene other than outdoor sun light. This article will discuss the three main reasons why professional photographers often prefer to use available light.

Some common examples of available light might include that which comes from a household lamp, sun light streaming through a window or a fireplace fire. Here's what makes these conditions so desirable for taking beautiful images.

In order to capture a great picture of some one, they must be at ease. Professional models are probably not bothered by hot lights glaring all around. But the average person might become self-conscious and tense up in these conditions. By using available light, your subject will feel more relaxed and at ease. If you allow your subject to forget the camera, you will get a better candid portrait that truly shows their personality.

Photographs taken using available light tend to impart a sense of reality. These images also can convey a specific mood that cannot be achieved using studio lighting techniques. Your photos can give the viewer the sensation of darkness and melancholy or emphasize brightness and excitement. Observe the light around you now. You can train your eye to recognize different moods of available light and capture them in a way for all to enjoy.

Lastly, available light photographs are easier in many respects for the photographer. There are no heavy lights and stands to carry, no electronic flash to wait for. The photographer is free to move about trying different positions or angles. A tripod can be used but this is typically not recommended by many professionals. They simply feel an inexperienced subject will become stiff and unnatural.

So next time your behind the lens, try turning off the flash and give the available light an opportunity to shine in your prize photos. Just one word of note, because available light tends to be dim as compared to sun light or studio lights, be sure to pay special attention to your exposure.

Online Film and Photography Higher Education Opportunities

Online schools and colleges are available to provide students with the accredited educational training they need to obtain a degree in the field of film and photography. Students can gain an education at the associate, bachelor, or master degree level in this field. By enrolling in an accredited online school students can study and train for the career of their dreams from the comfort of home. Training for a career in this field will prepare students for a variety of career in a number of specialized areas.

Online educational programs are available to train students for careers in film and photography. Prospective film and photography students can learn a number of things about gaining an accredited education in this area of the field.

1. Accredited training is available to students at the associate, bachelor, and master degree level of education.


2. Career training will teach students how to capture images or videos for a variety of uses in their desired career.


3. Coursework will vary but may consist of budgeting, camerawork, producing, lighting, scriptwriting, videography, photography, and much more.


4. Possible careers in this area of the field can include working as key grips, editors, gaffers, photographers, videographers, and many other related professionals.


5. Gaining an accredited degree in film and photography will provide students with the skills needed to start a successful career.

Students who choose to earn a degree in this field can do so by seeking an accredited online school or college that offers their desired training. With a degree students will be able to enter the workforce prepared for an exciting career.

There are numerous accredited training programs online that offer an education in the field of photography. There are a number of things to know prior to enrolling into an educational program in this area of the field.

1. Students who choose to enroll in a photography program can earn an accredited associate, bachelor, or master degree.


2. Training will prepare students to take photographs for various personal or professional reasons.


3. Training will require students to complete coursework that may include history of photography, film developing, creative expression, digital camerawork, and much more.


4. With training in these areas students can pursue various careers such as photojournalist, wedding photographer, portrait photographer, artist, and more.


5. With an accredited education in this area of the field students will be ready to enter into the workforce.

By enrolling in an accredited online school or college and obtaining a degree in photography students will have the opportunity to receive the education necessary to pursue the career of their dreams.

Accredited online learning programs allow students to gain the quality education they need and desire. Accreditation is provided to qualifying online film and photography programs that prove they can provide the best education possible. Agencies like the National Association of Schools of Art and Design ( http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/ ) can fully accredited online schools and colleges. Students can research various degree programs and enroll today to start the path to an exciting career.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

What Is Kirlian Photography, and Why Is It Used by Pseudoscientists?

The art of photography includes many different forms, methods, and schools of thought. But what everyone can certainly agree on, photoshop and claims of ghost photographs aside, is that photographs show images of real life.

Enter Kirlian photography! On its own it isn't that weird- it's a form of photography (surprise) that uses electricity. It's actually a type of photogram, also known as a contact print, which is a photo taken without a camera by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper and exposing them to light. In this case the surface on which the object is placed is exposed to electricity. The process was accidentally discovered by Russian inventor Semyon Davidovich Kirlian, thus the title.

The typical process of Kirlian photography involves a metal plate with a sheet of film on top, and the object to be photographed placed on top of that. High voltage is momentarily applied to the plate, onto which the corona discharge is then copied. A corona discharge occurs when a current flows from one electrode to another through a neutral fluid, like air, by ionizing that fluid. The ionization creates a region of plasma around the electrodes. The plasma goes around whatever object is placed on the plate, thus following its shape. The resulting picture shows a simple outline of the shape, surrounded by a beautiful glowing ring, usually blue or purple in color. The ring often looks somewhat fuzzy, as if thousands of bright filaments are jutting from the perimeter of the object.

Pretty cool! But it's just a captured image of a naturally occurring electrical phenomena- the same phenomena that sometimes appears on airplanes and ships in the form of St. Elmo's Fire. But that explanation isn't mystical enough! Doesn't that spooky glowing light look sort of like... an aura?

A lot of people apparently think so. Kirlian photography has been seized by New Age pseudoscientists of every caliber around the globe to reinforce their ideas about mind-body energy, chakras, and auras. Kirlian photography is used by quacks of all kinds to identify (for a fee, of course) individuals and objects with supernatural powers, to study the before and after effects of whatever special healing method they're using, etc.

According to Quackwatch, the quality and appearance of the light captured in a Kirlian photograph can be influenced by up to 22 different physical, chemical, and photochemical characteristics, thus creating a field day for pseudoscientists who want to claim that changes to the photographed "aura" are occurring because of xyz.

Electricity is such an incredible force to be reckoned with (and harnessed!) that it really is no wonder that so many products claim to use electricity to tap into some mystical alternate dimension or reality. But rest assured that everything about Kirlian photography, at the very least, can be scientifically and rationally explained.

Why Taking an Online Film Making Course is an Excellent Idea

Selecting an online film making course is easier now than it was a few years ago. As the popularity of the internet grew, more businesses were making their services available online. And as people grew more familiar with online businesses and their trust in doing business on line grew, many began to look to the internet as a valuable learning resource as well.

There are many advantages to taking film courses online. One of the major benefits is the flexibility in being able to take courses from home whenever they want. For those that have tight schedules and cannot attend an outside class, having the ability to take classes online according to your schedule is an added benefit. The costs of online courses are also cheaper than going to a college or university course. Film school is very expensive and the very same principles can be successfully learned online.

Online film school instructors are usually individuals that were once in the industry or are still currently active in the industry. Many are film makers and are able to share their knowledge and experience of working in the film industry. Before signing up for any online film class, you should make sure that the instructor has the level of experience and credentials necessary to deliver the training that you need. The courses are set up many different ways. Some offer discussion boards so that other students can interact with each other. There are a number of ways to facilitate communication with the teacher and fellow students in an online class.

Many online courses offer video lessons. These lessons will go into full detail about everything you need to know about creating and editing your own films. These are very helpful when it comes to the technical aspects of film making. Video links will often show how to use certain video equipment. This is better explained with a visual than just text instructions. If the student has any questions, they can either call or email the instructor. Each online course has its own way of communicating with their students.

There are many different ways to teach film course over the internet. Some will also send their students a set of CD-roms to supplement the online training. The CDs or DVDs will usually go into further detail and will reinforce subject matter that was discussed in the online course. There is also textual information that can be downloaded from the site to provide additional training materials.

It is important to select a comprehensive online film course. Film school involves a lot more than just shooting the actual video. You will have to know how to write the screenplay, create a budget for your film, understand complex film theory and many other factors. This is all possible in an online film school but you will have to do your research to find the best fit for you.

Most of the online film schools offer advanced film school training. The course work is typically broken down from beginning, intermediary and advanced concepts. Film school training online may also include information on animation and digital media. There is a lot that can be learned from an online film school. And many will provide their students with a certification upon completion of the course.

An online film making program that is comprehensive and affordable is not so hard to find. A simple online search will produce a number of internet film schools that offer many different types of courses. It is a good idea to investigate as many schools as you can before making a final decision.

Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 For Image Editing - 11 Good Reasons to Choose Paint Shop Pro Over Photoshop

I have been using Corel's Paint Shop Pro for several years. As a professional photographer, I absolutely depend on it for my daily image editing and management. Though I am in the minority of professionals who don't use Photoshop, I take pride in using and promoting this very powerful and cost-effective image editing suite. Here are several reasons why this is a great tool for professionals and amateur photographers. These comments are based on Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 (PSP/X2).

1. Cost. The base product is $65, with occasional sales or specials offering it for under $50. Corel also bundles it with painter essentials, media recovery, a thumb drive and more under the "Ultimate" package for under $80. Compare this to Photoshop elements at $95 and CS4 at $700. PSP/X2 is much closer in capability to CS4 than elements. And upgrades are very reasonable and frequent.

2. Workflow. The Express Lab feature lets you quickly make edits to many files quickly. The Smart Photo Fix will make suggested changes to an image to improve attributes such as brightness, contrast and more. For rapid processing of many images, this tool is very capable.

3. Shortcuts. There are several ways to activate most of the features, including assigning new shortcut keys to frequently used functions. For example, I map Alt-F1 to the Levels adjustment, and Alt-F2 to Curves. Within those dialogs, you can also assign presets so that you can reproduce certain settings with a single click. This alone saves me hours each month when editing hundreds of images.

4. Costmetics. I take a lot of people pictures, and quick cosmetic editing is one of the strongest attributes in this product. The makeup brush deals with blemishes, lines and skin tone differences. The toothbrush whitens teeth, and the suntan brush does what you expect it would. I can complete a cosmetic edit on a high school senior boy in just a minute or two. And the results are very good.

5. Image Adjustment. The good contrast tools, Curves and Levels, are quick and full of features. Straighten allows you to rotate and crop to a horizon line. White balance and other color adjustments are equally strong. Black and white conversion and "time machine" film style emulation give you some great creative options. There are many great features for image editing, cleanup and creative change.

6. Workspace. You can define, save and retrieve different workspaces for different editing activities. This lets you open and anchor dialogs and change other settings on how the program operates.

7. Plug-ins. Many if not most plug-ins designed to work with Photoshop will also work with PSP/X2. I use one called Virtual Photographer which gives me even more opportunity to artistically edit images.

8. Automation. There is a robust scripting language which allows you to automate tasks such as resize, watermark and rotate. Any function that can be done on screen can be recorded using a macro mode, and saved and edited. These scripts can then be applied in bulk to any and all images in a folder. I use this feature to copy and resize images to a new folder for upload to my lab for proofing prints. You can also bulk rename files so that they follow a name scheme and sequence. This is great for renaming the keeper images from an event such as a wedding.

9. Preservation. You can enable Preserve Original mode, where the original images is saved in a lower folder, able to be recovered if you wish to go back. This simple feature gives you the peace of mind that your images are preserved regardless of your editing.

10. Layers. I use the Layers capability very often. It is very strong, for both text and graphics/images. Special characteristics such as emboss and drop shadow are available. Layer masks and interactions provide for very powerful and quick image changes. I often produce partial color black and white images using layers and the Channel Mixer and the eraser brush. I can create nearly all partial color edits in under 5 minutes, often in under 1 minute.

11. Development. Corel releases a new version of PSP about yearly. Each new release is more stable, faster and brings more technical and non-technical features for users of all levels. My per-year cost of use is probably $50 or less, and that's purchasing every upgrade as it comes out.

12. Opportunities. I do have some needs that aren't met by PSP/X2. The browser could be more capable with image viewing, ranking and moving/copying. I use another tool for the portion of my workflow that I call "Image Triage", but I would prefer they beef up their browser interface to handle this capability. I would consider this a feature request.

This is my personal experience from my use of the product, not a comprehensive feature listing. As a professional photographer, I am very satisfied with the performance and capabilities of the product, and find it to be very cost effective and productive. I encourage you to try the product as an alternative to the other image editing products out there.

Wild Birds - Nests and Nest Building

Birds are the true architects of the natural world. Not only do they design fascinating and complicated structures, the variety of materials used is absolutely amazing. From tree cavities to cliff banks to simple platforms birds utilize any sort of natural substance they can maneuver with beak or foot. They're not above making use of man-made structures or objects either, which is why it is so easy to enhance your bird watching activities simply by providing a properly designed bird house or some dog hair, then watching them go to work.

The act of nest building is triggered by hormones. Other factors such as migration, day length, food availability, and territoriality also contribute, though such behaviors are themselves subject to hormonal influence. The reproductive organs of birds are significantly reduced in size for most of the year, an adaptive strategy so they have less weight to carry in flight. Once hormones kick in, a male's testes and a female's ovaries increase in size enormously. On post-mortem examination, it is simple to tell the reproductive status of a bird simply by checking the size of these organs. Once the breeding season is over, ovaries and testes shrink back to tiny little structures located ventral to their kidneys.

Nest types

Most people are familiar with the size and shape of a robin's nest which is a mud and grass structure often found in our yards or even built over the porch light on the front steps! But there are many other types of nests made with a host of innovative materials. Here are a few examples of nests you may find when you're out exploring.

• Cavity nests: Created in trees by woodpeckers or natural weathering, tree cavities make homes for many species, including tree swallows, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, house wrens, bluebirds, wood ducks, saw whet owls and many more. Some birds may even build a nest where they find the 'artificial' cavities in human structures, such as stove vents, dryer vents, chimneys, eaves, soffit, and under shingles. The classic bird house, manufactured by humans in a variety of shapes and styles, caters to many cavity nesters.


• Cups: Commonly seen on ledges or in the crook of a branch, a nest cup is usually a woven circular bowl made from grass, leaves, string, hair, and mud or saliva to help hold it together. Many species make this type of nest, such as blackbirds, goldfinches, robins and barn swallows. The two latter species may build their nest cups on an artificial nest platform secured to the side of your house or garage.


• Hanging baskets: The colourful Baltimore oriole makes a delicate grass basket that hangs from a branch and sways in the wind, looking for all the world as if it will fall apart in a mild storm. However, orioles aren't the only ones who weave baskets. Other species like the bushtit also weave baskets, using moss, hair, and plant fibers.


• Mud tubes: Who hasn't seen the amazing globular nests of cliff swallows? It takes hundreds of trips from the mud source to the bridge, building, or cliff wall that is host to a cliff swallow's tubular nest. Each little mud ball is mixed with saliva to create enough sticking power to hold it all together.


• Platforms: Gathering branches, twigs, grass, (even green herbs), into a rather untidy mass, many raptors build their nests on top of a supportive platform, using both natural and man-made foundations. Some are relatively small and inconspicuous, hidden from potential predators. Cooper's hawks and sharp shinned hawks are likely to build these. Others are huge in both size and stature, like those made by osprey and eagles. Adding materials year after year, both ospreys and eagles can accumulate hundreds of pounds worth of nest material that increase in size, perhaps reaching 7 feet across and as many feet deep. One nest was known to weigh well over a ton when it finally collapsed. Platform nests may be located atop an old magpie nest, in a sturdy tree, on a cliff edge, or on a man-made structure such as a power pole, a bridge, or an artificial nest platform. The green plants added each year are known to contain natural repellents that help ward off insects and parasites.


• Tunnels: Kingfishers and puffins, two species that feed on fish, gouge out tunnels in dirt banks or on cliff edges overlooking their favourite hunting zones. Burrowing owls will use the pre-made tunnels created by rodents such as Richardson's ground squirrels.


• Ground: Many species hide their nests somewhere on the ground, sometimes protected by a low-growing bush, sometimes protected only by the fantastic camouflage of the substrate itself. Shorebirds, ducks, and a lot of songbirds build this type of nest. Even some birds of prey will nest on the ground, such as short eared owls, snowy owls, and ferruginous hawks. These raptors have evolved in areas where they may not see a tree for weeks on end, so they have adapted accordingly.

The main purpose of a nest is to hold eggs while they are incubating. This is a very vulnerable time, not only for the eggs but also for the adults who are sitting on them. It usually takes several weeks for the eggs to hatch so it's critical they remain hidden from predators and protected from the elements. Nest structure often provides insulating properties, either by the materials used - such as feathers - or the nest location with respect to prevailing winds and sun exposure.

Nest Materials

When it comes to nest building, we think of grass, mud, feathers, and twigs, as mentioned in several of the above nest types. Indeed, all of these are common 'fabrics' in nest architecture. We could add to that list what may seem like strange items: guano, spider web, snake skin, shells, saliva, fur, even human artifacts such as string, plastic, buttons, shoelaces, and jewelry! Each of these has a purpose, believe it or not. For example, manure helps disguise the scent of nestlings, thereby fooling predators. (Look up references on burrowing owls!) Saliva acts as a super-glue. Insect and spider silk add tensile strength and can also repel rain. Nuthatches smear pitch around the entry hole of their nest and then rub ants in the pitch; the combination is both a both a chemical and a mechanical deterrent to ward off marauders.

If that weren't enough, it is not uncommon for a bird to deliberately build near a colony of bees or wasps, a truly ingenious way to keep parasites like botflies and warbles away.

The Construction Process

So how complicated is it to be a bird 'contractor'? Some species are so lazy, they prefer not to build at all and simply take over a previously built nest masterminded by another species in a previous year. The great horned owl is a class example. This species often uses old magpie, crow, or hawk nests, adding a new twig or two and being quite satisfied with that. Several species of shorebird use little more than a slight depression in natural substrate, camouflaged by rocks, earth, and vegetation. Other species have such complicated nests they literally need to make over a thousand trips back and forth, carrying needed materials.

In most cases, a new nest is built each year though a few species will return to the same nest year after year, adding materials and making repairs to any damage that may have occurred over the winter.

A newly constructed nest is beneficial for several reasons. Firstly, nests need only last a short time as the entire time-line from egg-laying to fledging may be as little as six weeks so it is counterproductive to spend a lot of time and energy on something that is required temporarily. Secondly, avian parasites can accumulate in the nest materials, then persist over winter so when the nesting pair returns in the Spring, there may be enough parasites to pose a serious health risk to nestlings, perhaps even contributing to their mortality.

Conversely, making simple modifications to an existing nest, rather than starting from scratch, saves time and energy, resources that are priceless to almost all birds.

To maximize efficiency, birds tend to build relatively small nests. Again, temporary accommodations do not need to be large. Another advantage of a small nest is the ability to hide it from predators more easily. Perhaps the most important reason for a small nest relates to the super-speedy rate at which nestlings grow into fully-flighted juveniles. Imagine developing from a new-born baby to an Olympic caliber athlete in just six to ten weeks! The nutrition required to accomplish this is astounding but even the best nutrition is not enough without adequate leg support for maturing birds. As a nestling grows, it must keep its legs firmly tucked beneath its body or the legs grow sideways, in a splayed-leg fashion that is ultimately fatal. Therefore, the close proximity attained in a crowded nest ensures that won't happen.

Bird Nests and the Law

The vast majority of bird species in North America are protected by an International treaty known as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This protection is extended to their nests and all of its occupants. It is against the law to harm, move, or harass nesting birds. If a bird builds its nest in a location that may be dangerous or inconvenient to a homeowner, they must obtain permission from their local and/or federal wildlife authorities in order to remove it. The wisest choice is generally to leave it where it is; it is not difficult to co-exist peacefully with most species. Keep in mind how short the nesting season is and how enjoyable it can be to watch the labour-intensive process of rearing baby birds until that momentous day when the fledglings venture out of the nest for the first time!

If you think nest building is fascinating, the intricacies of egg-laying will blow your mind! Watch for a future article on this subject, as well as a fistful of other cool topics on wild birds and mammals.

All rights reserved. Copyright: Northern Bird Houses