Buzzards Roost is Only One Unique Place in Hinckley, Ohio - The Other is Whipp's Ledges

I suppose a good starting point would be the location of these rock formations as they exist today. "Whipp's Ledges" are part of the Hinckley Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. This is the same Hinckley that is world renowned for it's returning buzzards. Other than attempt to put in writing the exact location of this park, I think it is by far less ambiguous to just use Google Maps to find the place. If my photographs have inspired you to actually come and see, I suggest that you make a whole weekend out of the trip.

All of the information I have collected regarding the person whom these ledges are named after (Robert Whipp) was attained from the Hinckley and the Medina Historical Societies, especially the Historical Section of the Medina Public Library.

An initial statement concerning Robert Whipp: I about fell over when I started to dig into the long forgotten history of this person! In a nut-shell (I will expound on this later), there was an episode in this man's life that was the O.J. Simpson trial 100 years removed (117 to be exact).

Robert Whipp was a Cattle Baron, in today's standards he was a multi millionaire...he died penniless, so much so that there were no funds for a headstone, not only that, the head stone under which he was buried (his first wife's), a volunteer was sought to do the engraving. There is also one other very peculiar anomaly: the date of his death, there is no "day" just the month & year. Why?? Read on and I will offer my supposition. If anyone would like to visit his grave, it is in Hinckley's local cemetery (the Maple Hill Cemetery), it's on the south side of Rt 303, about 1/2 mile west of the intersection of Ridge Rd (Rt 3) and Rt 303. There is a mausoleum in that cemetery; the Whipp's final repose is about 10' northeast of the northeast corner of that structure.

I need to make a slight digression. I will make several suppositions. If you are a History Buff, and declare after reading this "You can't prove that", I will readily admit...No I can't. My conclusions are based on circumstantial evidence and a gut hunch...and a plausible explanation.

After an appraisal of the salutary story of R. Whipp, one could reasonably suspect he was a dirty old man, however, let me quote verbatim from The History of Medina County.

"He never chewed or smoked nor was he regarded as a drinking man, and as for his word in dealing, nobody questioned it. He never loafed or gambled, and possessed the push and energy of four ordinary men"
"He never abused his hired help or treated his wife other than kindly"

"He was not given to profanity"

So...Who was Robert Whipp? He was born in England in 1824; in England he was a butcher. At the age of 15 in Yorkshire he inherited a sheep business from his father. The business was prosperous but almost wiped out by a sheep blight about 1845. Shortly thereafter he decided to sell all his holdings and move to Australia. In Liverpool, awaiting a ship to Australia, he met a group of men that convinced him to go to America instead. He came to New York, than to Cleveland, than to Brunswick Ohio where he worked as a farm hand for one Preston Hart. After only one month working for P. Hart, Whipp rented some land from him and commences raising his own flock of sheep.

Commence the Civil War, and all the gyrations of the costs of material to support the effort. There was a craze by entrepreneurs (R. Whipp) to acquire as much land as possible. One of the notable persons of the time was one Horace Waite, always referred to as "Deacon Waite". Evidently all of the farmers in the area became insolvent save one, Deacon Waite. He dies, survived by his wife Mehetible. Whipp marries "The Widow Waite". "Ittie" as Whipp referred to her, was substantially his senior. Herein is the point of conjecture...Did Robert Whipp marry her for the reason of absorbing her land? This question cannot be answered in the affirmative because they remain married for 30 years until her death in 1876 (or thereabout), and, he always spoke of her in endearing terms. The next supposition: the two never had any children of their own; they adopted a boy named Marvin Wilcox. Whatever happened to M. Wilcox is unknown because he dies "in young manhood".

In 1877 R. Whipp was worth $100,000, and had land holdings of 2000 acres. Do you suppose that anyone would be scheming-kniving enough to inveigle him out of his worldly positions? Why No! Whatever gave you an idea like that?! (Ha-ha).

The major players: There was in Granger or Hinckley Center (not clear) an English family on friendly terms with Whipp. Hanna Spensley of this family was hired to be Whipp's housekeeper. She has a daughter Rachael (a young widow) and son Lonsdale Spensley. Rachel has a boyfriend (lover) "Taylor". (The details of the identity of Rachel's boyfriend are not clear)

The plot is hatched; Hanna Spensley approaches Whipp with the proposition that young Rachel "make him a happy home". Never mind that Whipp is 30 years her senior. Shortly thereafter Rachel and Whipp are "seeing each other". She becomes "in a delicate condition", (this a quote from the Medina Gazette) a 19th century euphemism for pregnant. Here is my next supposition: Even though Whipp & Rachel are having an affair, there is probable cause to suspect that Whipp might not be the father of her unborn child. The father might have been Taylor (The "History of Medina County" does state that Taylor was the father, but, what happened to Taylor and the child I will come back to).

In defense of Robert Whipp, it must be noted that he never thought that marring Rachel was a good idea. To Wit: Twice a date for the wedding was set and twice Robert Whipp leaves her at the alter. A third ceremony is scheduled; Rachel threatens to shoot Whipp on sight if he didn't show! The two were married at the American House Hotel in Medina Ohio on August 13, 1877. She was 22 (one source says 24) and he was 54.

Very shortly thereafter Rachel turns into a super bitch. Quoting from the Medina Gazette, who quote from court testimony, "...they constantly had violent arguments, and Rachael called her husband a mean old devil. It was intimated Whipp was a man bordering on insanity. Whipp chose to sleep out with his field hands, and talked of a divorce within three weeks of the nuptials".

The plot thickens. Even though Rachel denied everything, Rachel concocts a scheme to have her brother Lon and her boyfriend Taylor kill Whipp and make it look like a suicide. The suicide idea does seem plausible (if they got away with...which they didn't) because Whipp more than once had lamented to his neighbors that if the economy continued its down turn, he would commit suicide. Rachel buys a rope from one John Brongers, a local merchant. She said that she needed a strong rope with which she would hang cream and butter in the well...the rope was ½ inch in diameter.

The plan is to chloroform Whipp, than hang him! (It never was ascertained where they got the chloroform). On the night of September 15, 1877 the two attempt the murder, they fail. Keep in mind that Robert Whipp was not the average man, he was over 6' tall and 250 lbs...he fights them off!

I will greatly condense the details of what happened next. Lonsdale Spensley, Taylor and Rachel were arrested. Prior to the arrest Rachel flees to a neighbor's house, than to her mother, than returns home on September 17th. From the Medina Gazette "Her husband unceremoniously toted out of the house and set her in the middle of the road".

Mrs. Whipp, Lon Spensley and "Taylor" are charged with assault with intent to kill. I will now come back to "Taylor". He demands a separate trail, under the law the court is bound to grant his request. In the history of this incident he is only referred to as "Taylor", this is because Whipp could not positively identify him as one of his two assailants. Ultimately he never goes to trial...his exact identity vanished under the sands of time.

The trial began January 14, 1878, and lasted 11 days. Lonsdale Spensley and Rachel H Whipp were found guilty and sentenced to 7 years hard labor. Both Rachel and Lonsdale serve only one year of their sentence. Rachel and Taylor get married and move to somewhere in southern Ohio and also vanish in the sands of time.

For the next 12 years there is almost nothing mentioned about the once mighty cattle baron Robert Whipp. His final abode was on one of his land holdings, the "Kline Farm" on Hinckley Ridge. Now I will return to the afore mentioned anomaly of the date of his death. This is also one of my conjectures, why just "September 1890"? Could it be that he was so disliked because of his increasing debts, that a) he became a hermit and b) nobody wanted to see him anyway? Until c) Somebody was walking by his house and wondered... "What's that stink?!"

And so ends the saga of the person who's name is indelibly attached to the Ledges of Hinckley Ridge. One endnote: I have named one of my pictures "Inscription on Whipp's Ledges". I suspect but can't prove there was a connection to the name on the inscription, (William Sargeant) and Robert Whipp.

Starting A Photography Business 101 - Your Goals and Action Plan

Introduction

This article is one of a seven part series originally published as "The Seven Steps You Can Take RIGHT NOW To Get Your High School Senior Portrait Business Off The Ground" If you'd like to receive the report in its entirety visit the links in the author bio at the bottom.

Get started the right way with: Step #1 - Goals and an Action Plan

If you would accomplish anything of significance in life you MUST have a goal and you MUST have an action plan. The actual "act" of writing down your goals and creating your action plan being the most crucial step.

Each person reading this article will be at a different place in their life with respect to photography skills and business growth. You may already have an established portrait business and be looking to develop the senior portrait part of your business. Or you may be at ground zero, camera in one hand, desire in the other.

My goal for you, upon completion of the steps in this report, is that you are ready to photograph a high school senior and get paid for it. You'll still have challenges and hurdles to overcome in the creation of your business, but you'll have made that all important start.

Probably you're currently working some other job and may continue to do so for some time. (All the more reason to set goals and create that action plan.) Set aside a certain amount of time each day to work on your business. I find it's best to make it the same time each day. Then your spouse, your significant other, your kids and your dog all know that i.e. from 9:00 pm to 10:30 pm you are not to be disturbed.

The Importance of Goals

Do you ever wonder why some people always seem to rise to the top - no matter what they do? Perhaps you're personally acquainted with someone like this. You know for a fact they're no smarter than you and they certainly aren't better looking! But they always get the raise or the promotion. They enjoy better vacations and they drive a nicer car. What gives?

Do You Have a Plan?

In the "7 Steps" report I mention a man by the name of Jim Rohn. Mr. Rohn passed away in December of 2009 and believe me, it was a significant loss in the world of personal development. I was fortunate to have been exposed to Mr. Rohn when I was in my 20's and his voice still rings clear in my memory. "If you don't have a plan for your life chances are you'll always fit into someone else's plan. And guess what, you may not like what they have planned for you."

Don't Just Let Life Happen to You

In my life I have been a meat cutter in a grocery store butcher shop, I sold real estate and became a designated and licensed residential real estate appraiser; later starting and running my own real estate appraisal firm. I have presented to small groups on time management and motivation. I started my portrait studio in 1994, built it to one of the most successful senior portrait studios in southern Minnesota, added baby portraiture, family portraiture and then team portraiture.

Throughout my working life I've enjoyed great successes and suffered significant failures. I was exposed to the "art" of setting goals and creating action plans while in my 20's during a short experience as an Amway distributor. There is no question my greatest advancements came when I was actively involved in setting goals and creating daily action plans. The human psyche is a strange thing. If I know I do my best and achieve the most when I'm setting goals and creating action plans, why don't I continue to do it every single day of my life? I'd have a considerably larger bank balance if I knew the answer to that one.

We Are All Alike

I'm fairly certain you've been exposed to some kind of goal setting in your past and I have no idea your level of success. My guess is if you're reading this, there is still more in your life you want to achieve. Dreams as yet unreached. I believe you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. I don't even know you and I firmly believe that - because you're human.

What Do You Believe - About You?

I make the next statement at risk of your immediately hitting the delete key sending this article to the virtual garbage can. But then I like to live on the edge; so here goes. I'm a Christian and I believe in God.

Still here? Good. I believe you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to because we are all created in God's image. BUT - even if you don't believe in God, and that's fine - this is about pictures not religion. Even if you don't believe in God, is there any reason NOT to believe something as complex and intelligent as a human being can accomplish anything it truly wants to?

Our Beliefs Carry Us Forward - Our Beliefs Hold Us Back

The person we are today is the sum total of all of our experiences to date. Everything that's ever happened to us, every experience we've had, has somehow, in some way, affected and molded the person we've become, the person we are right now.

Over the years we've developed beliefs in our abilities and in-abilities. If we didn't do well in math as a young student we grew to believe we'd always have trouble with numbers and very likely today we suck at math. If we played basketball as a kid but were never very good, it's likely we migrated towards something else we were good at. "Nah, I don't really like basketball." I wonder why.

Figure Out Why and Then Get to It

If you go way back to the beginning on the Portrait Expert blog you'll find a post titled, "How Big Is Your Why?" What makes you get up in the morning and what keeps you awake at night. What do you want more than anything else in the world - Napoleon Hill calls it "developing a white-hot desire".

Photography is a wonderfully exciting, artistically satisfying business - but it ain't gonna trip your trigger every day of the week. It won't be long and you're bound to have a day filled with snotty brat, inconsiderate, ill-mannered, temperamental teenagers. You'll drag your weary body home, fall into your chair and wonder what could have possibly possessed you to want to start a portrait business. That's where your all important "why" comes in.

You can do this - you too can start a photography business.

How Much Can You Earn From Photography?

You have a camera in your possession and everybody is asking you to venture into the blissful world of photography. You are almost convinced and you seriously want to earn some serious money. But deep inside you are unsure, you lack the necessary information. Well not to worry, many have chosen that path and they haven't looked back.

Before selling your photos, think about what the potential buyers want. Therefore, take photos of attractive and appealing objects which will evoke some kind of feeling inside the potential buyer. That way he will be prompted to buy them and you will sell more photos.

Also, put into consideration the quality of the photos. Using poor or substandard cameras will produce poor quality images which will not make huge sales. Invest in high end cameras which will produce sharp, well-lit, high resolution images which are of superior quality. Only quality photos will increase your sales.

Prior to selling your photos, create a portfolio of your work It can be in print or online. To effectively do this, you can create your personal website or simply upload your images to one of the many companies that specialize in hosting portfolios for photographers like you. You should include details of what equipment you usually use, your favorite photo subjects and how your images can be bought. In short, the images in the portfolio should be specifically chosen to advertise your work.

In order for you to sell more photos, you should have large portfolios which will attract diverse clientele. And when you attract the potential clients with your photos; don't push them away with your utterly ridiculous prices. You should be realistic with your pricing. Take time to ascertain that the said photos actually deserve the price tags.

You can sell the photos online where you will enjoy numerous benefits. You can display a lot of images giving your clients a wider range to choose from. The images are easily downloaded once payment is made therefore you can maximize on sales.

You can choose to sell your photos through microstock sites which will give you a wider platform for your photos. These sites take images from photographers and sell them to designers from all over. The designers are attracted to the sites because of the low cost of images. The photographer in turn rakes in a commission from the sale of each image.

Bring Up Your Child to Be a Good Human Being

My personal belief has been that there is more to life than just trying to tirelessly bring up a child to be a Doctor, Engineer or Managing Director of a Blue Chip Company. They will become all that and more if they first learn the art of being a good human being.

When a child is born, he/she comes with a brain ready and enthusiastic to learn. The brain is like a brand new computer, with gigantic potential for development, depending on what we put into it. Early childhood interactions deeply influence the way a person develops, therefore parents have an awesome responsibility towards the future of their children.

But we as parents are only able to feed them information based on our experiences from our parents or the World around us. So if I ask you "What do you think about our world today?" You can imagine your answer and how devastating such an input would be to your child. Not that you would be telling them all the bad things in the World, but your child will learn from your reactions to the people around you, be it when you are struck in a traffic jam in a street, or arguments with the salesman at the store, looking through the peephole each time the door bell rings, everything is filed away in your child's memory for later use.

Today Multinational companies come up with In-house Training Centers to teach their employees soft skills, man management techniques and team building skills, which should ideally come from parents. Because schools and universities can only impart education, but it's the responsibility of the parents to impart wisdom, love and trust to their children, for who does nor love kids who are sensitive to others or show respect towards elders and are caring towards friends and family.

But in this competitive world, where success is an overrated word, with limited time and more financial freedom, all we want from our child is a 1st rank in school, even if he does not have any friends and is cooped up in the house whole day long, in front of the TV or Computer. So the values that he learns are from fast paced internet games or media hyped satellite channels.

We do not even have time for a weekly family gathering, outing or a visit to the nearest church, temple or mosque. How then would you expect the child to grow up to be caring individual who knows what's happening in his community and neighborhood? Why should she bother if there is an accident on the road, or the community garden is being bulldozed to make way for a shopping mall?

It's sad to see that with more financial stability people tend to alienate themselves from family, friends and the community in general stressing more on Math, English & Science, without a lesson in Humanity!

Online Photography Degree Education

There are various online schools and educational programs available that offer students the opportunity to receive an education in the field of photography. Photography professionals are trained to work with a variety of individuals in a number of settings based on the industry and specialty they choose. Students who enroll in an online photography program will learn various techniques for capturing still images using special equipment. With the proper education students will have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills needed to become a professional in the field of photography. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate's, bachelors, or master's degree online from the comfort of their own home.

Obtaining an associates degree in the field of photography typically takes around nine months for students to finish training with an online educational program. Students will have the chance to study various coursework such as:

• photography equipment


• design and composition


• lighting

and other related techniques. Online training from an accredited school or college allows students to obtain the skills needed to find employment as:

• forensic photographers


• portrait photographers


• fashion photographers

and other photography professionals. With an associates degree in photography students will be able to further their education and pursue a bachelor's degree in the field if they desire.

There are a number of accredited online schools and colleges that provide students with the opportunity to earn a bachelors degree in photography. Students can gain an education at this level with one to two years of study depending on their career goals. Career opportunities for those who choose to train for a bachelor's degree in photography can include:

• commercial photographer


• photojournalist


• entrepreneur

and more. With an online degree program students will be able to study a variety of courses like:

• flash


• digital imaging


• Photoshop


• exposure

and much more. An accredited online bachelor's degree allows students to be prepared for entering the workforce or a master's degree program.

Students who are looking to acquire a master's degree in photography can complete the program in around two years or less. Students can study various online coursework in areas like:

• fine art photography


• field techniques


• studio photography


• stock photography

and more depending on their desired career. Students who earn a masters degree will have the knowledge to pursue a number of career options in areas like:

• documentary photography


• microphotography


• action photography


• underwater photography

and much more. Online master's degree training can be completed online at the students' leisure. With a masters degree students will have acquired all the necessary training to enter the workforce prepared.

Students who wish to study in order to become professional photographers need to be determined, and committed to the program they enter. Accredited online educational options are plentiful, allowing those who desire a career in this field to obtain the education needed. Accreditation is provided by agencies like National Association of Schools of Art and Design (nasad.arts-accredit.org) to programs that can offer a quality education. Students can pursue careers in a variety of areas whether they hold an associates, bachelors, or masters degree in the field. By contacting schools and colleges students can prepare for the exciting new career as a professional photographer.

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.

Digital Media Production Career Training Programs Online

When looking to gain an education in digital media production you have the option of enrolling in an online school or college. Training in this exciting field can be completed at your own leisure, allowing you to continue current employment while preparing for a new vocation. Training is available at numerous levels and will give you the skills needed to pursue a successful career. Online learning is available to help you obtain the degree and future you dream of.

Accredited career training will teach you to work with forms of digital technology in order to create various materials for movies and other media. Professionals in this field work with lighting, graphics, film, sound, and much more. You can train for a position in digital media production by choosing the level of education you would like to gain and the specific career you wish to pursue.

Online schools and colleges offer the opportunity to gain the degree that you desire while studying from your own home. You can choose to pursue an:

• Associate Degree


• Bachelor Degree


• Master Degree

The length of training will depend on the level of education you choose to complete.

• Associate degree programs typically require that you spend two years on coursework and training.


• Bachelor degree programs usually consist of four years of accredited online training and study.


• Master degrees in this field can take you an additional two years of educational training to obtain.

When you choose to enroll in an accredited online learning program, you can gain the quality education you desire.

Coursework will vary depending on the program and desired level of educational training. You can expect to learn a number of topics that relate to the specific career you wish to enter into. Training may consist of:

• Computer Animation


• Photography


• New Media


• Scripting


• Web Graphics


• Motion Graphics

...and many other relevant courses. By gaining a quality education in these subjects you will be ready to seek employment in the career area of your choice.

The type of careers available to you will depend on the level of education you choose to obtain. Digital media production possibilities can include working as a:

• Video Game Designer


• Video Editor


• Producer


• Video Equipment Technician


• Multimedia Artist


• Animator


• Script Writer

...and many other professions. By choosing to pursue a career in this field you can expect to enter the workforce ready for success.

Accredited online schools and colleges give students the chance to gain the quality education they need and deserve. Agencies like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (http://www.accsc.org/) are approved to provide full accreditation to online educational training programs that meet certain criteria. You can start the path to an exciting new career by researching digital media programs online and enrolling in the one that fits your educational needs and goals. Start the learning process today to prepare for your career of tomorrow.

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.

A Deafly Inspiring Story

College football is an arena where many inspiring stories surface and touch the heart. It is also a place where the passions of players, enthusiasm of fans, desires of coaches and expectations of community coalesce to form a unique atmosphere. Games are fan packed. Teams are considered home teams. Players clash and helmets thud. Marching bands pay tributes to their teams. 40000 plus fans are loud and critical. Amidst all these commotion and noises, all that Martel Van Zant hears is the beating of his heart. His story is deafly inspiring.

Van Zant is deaf, born without eardrums after his mother suffered from chicken pox while pregnant. He can feel the vibrations from the screaming crowd and from a hit, but he is unable to hear the referee's whistle and must use his eyes to confirm the play is over. Growing up in Tyler, Texas, Van Zant was brought up like any other school kid. His parents didn't treat him differently. They retained the same hopes in him. Van Zant attended regular high school and has thrived in his community. The source of this success an inspiring story was sports.

Growing up in a sporting community, and with four brothers to play with, athletics was a way of life for the Van Zant family. Martel took to this field very well. Through sports he leveled the field, and distanced himself from his classmates. He started playing soccer at first. He also tried out basketball and track. He excelled at all these, but he did not feel the great sense of fulfillment with these games. At eight grade, he was introduced to American Football. He learnt the game and compensated his hearing loss by watching the ball. The focus on the ball together with his natural athleticism made him into a very good defensive player. The more he played, the more he realized that he could use football as a leverage to his education and inspiring story.

By the time he finished his career at Lee High, he had 21 interceptions and was named to the Texas Top 100 prospects list, earning him the attention of Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU and Texas A&M. His ability caught the attention of former OSU coach, Les Miles. Other coaches were hesitating about choosing him, But Miles, with some basic sign language proficiency tool a chance on Van Zant and signed him for OSU. The rest of this inspiring story as you can say is history.

How does a deaf football player go about bridging the gap in the high tempo of American Football? Thankfully, Van Zant has the help of Allie Lee, his interpreter of sort. Lee is himself a inspiring story. He makes the 132-mile round trip from Oklahoma City to Stillwater every day, accompanying Van Zant to classes, team meetings, practices and games. If playing Division I-A football is a dream realized for Van Zant, being part of the Cowboys family is just as big of a thrill for Lee.

He may not like referring to himself as a "deaf athlete," but Van Zant has seen the way it inspires others. He has received letters from deaf children and has seen the excitement in their eyes when they approach him, an example of never giving up on their own dreams and expectations. They are all inspiring stories to be written.

"I'm a role model to these younger deaf people that they can do it too," Van Zant said. "It makes them get more involved in their interests and to go on to college and follow the same steps and do just as well as I have."

His triumph hasn't been lost on those outside of the deaf community. He has been nominated for the FexEx Orange Bowl FWAA Courage Award, which honors athletes/coaches who have displayed courage, on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship. Van Zant's mother sums up Martel's inspiring story best, "I really believe God does things for a reason," she said. "He doesn't put any more on us than we can bear. I never ever doubted that he would be doing the things he's doing now. It's just my faith."

In the Darkroom - Push Processing Your Film

Do you have some practical experience processing your own film? Want to go to the next level and have more control over your negative quality? Then push processing is your next step.

Push processing is exposing a particular film at a higher ISO than it is rated, and modifying development (usually time) to compensate. Push processing is generally done for one or more of four reasons:

1. A faster film is required

2. Pushed for effect (increase grain size)

3. Pushed for contrast (increased contrast)

4. Economy

Generally, the most widely used reason for pushing a film is to access a more light sensitive system. It can be used in an emergency - when fast film is not available - or to have the flexibility of using existing film stock to push to a desired ISO requirement.

It is generally cheaper to push slower film than to purchase very fast film (the faster the film the more expensive). It is conceivable to push a 400 ISO film to 6400 ISO (4 stops) and beyond. However, there are consequences to keep in mind when pushing film to these limits. The most obvious consequence when pushing film is an increase in grain size and change in contrast. These can be excessive and considerable testing is required to balance all these factors.

Pushing a 400 ISO film to 3200 or 6400 ISO gives you the ability to photograph under very low light conditions. This may be very useful for night photography or indoor photography where a flash is unavailable or not allowed.

In addition to push for speed, many photographers like to intentionally push for effect. The main characteristic change when pushing film is grain size. The further you push a film, the greater the grain size. This effect can produce huge grain size and is used widely for aesthetic reasons.

The other effect that can be obtained is to push for contrast. Increased contrast is another effect that some photographers use for aesthetic and/or quality reasons. A harder looking print may suit some genres better than a normal or soft contrast. This can be resolved by manipulating the development time.

A combination of push for grain and push for contrast may also be used. Two world renowned photographers who use this method are Ralph Gibson and Don McCullin. This results in a high contrast, large grain negative. Determining how much of each characteristic to be acquired for the image is to be resolved by the photographer and may take much experimentation.

Another reason for pushing is you simply made a mistake. The last film in your camera was 800 ISO and you just shot a new roll of 100 ISO at 800 ISO. The film is going to be 3 stops under exposed if you process normally. To resolve this you simply push process 3 stops, problem solved.

Push processing your negatives can take you into a new mysterious world of negative characteristics when you experiment with this method. As well as extending the development time for pushing, decreasing developer to water ratio and increasing temperature are two additional means to achieve the same result.

The Original OJ Simpson Inspirational Story

We have all heard of the trial of OJ Simpson, but not many people know about the original inspirational story of OJ Simpson, the greatest running back in National Football League during his time.

This inspirational story began when Orenthal James Simpson was on 9 July 1947 in San Francisco to Eunice and Jimmy Simpson. OJ was raised in poverty and his early days were spent in a Ghetto when food was always in short supply. As a result, OJ suffered from malnutrition and developed rickets. At the age of six, OJ's legs became permanently bowed and his calf muscles suffered from severely atrophy. He acquired the nickname of 'Pencil Legs" at an early age.

Growing up, OJ found his inspirational story in American Football through the All American running back Jim Brown from the Cleveland Browns. Brown was the best running back in the NFL at that time. But OJ was too poor to afford the tickets to see his idol in action whenever Cleveland visited San Francisco. That never stopped his dream and goal of becoming a star player in the future.

During those games when Cleveland played in San Francisco, OJ would diligently wait outside the stadium until the maintenance crew to open the stadium gates late in the 4th quarter. He would then go into the stadium and soak in the final few minutes of the game, dreaming for seeing his idol and also his own goals and inspirational story to become a professional football player.

On one of these occasions at the age of thirteen, he finally got his dream of meeting up with his idol, Jim Brown. As the inspirational story went, he approached Brown and said, "Mr. Brown, I am your biggest football fan!" Graciously, Brown thank thanked the young boy and went on his way. But OJ persisted by asking for Brown's autograph. As Brown signed the autograph, OJ related to him how he had all his pictures on his wall, and that he knew all the football records that Brown held. Brown was flattered and thanked his young charge again. Before leaving, OJ surprised Brown by saying, "Mr. Brown, one day, I am going to break every one of your records!"

O.J. Simpson went on to break all but three of the rushing records held by Jim Brown before injuries shortened his football career and inspirational story.? Goal setting is the strongest force for human motivation.? Set a goal and make it come true.

Fashion Photographer - What to Look For When Hiring One

Finding the right fashion photographer for your project can be a difficult task. You want the best quality available, but many people with a digital camera and limited experience claim to be professionals or expert fashion photographers. So how do you separate professional photographers from the regular ones? Here are some things to consider when hiring a fashion photographer:

Does the photographer really look like a professional? As a professional, the photographer has to become part of the scene, especially in fashion events; nobody wants to have a guy that is not dressed accordingly. It actually applies for any other profession, but it's essential that a fashion photographer shows his sense of professionalism in his appearance.

Does he have previous experience in this type of events? There are several types of events such as weddings, corporate portraits, etc. And some photographers tend to specialize themselves in a particular type. It's because there are certain details involved that makes them different. Even though a person offering his services may be really talented, it's better to have a specialist shoot the event. After all, being the first experience on a fashion event for a photographer specialized in weddings may not be the best idea.

What do you think about his portfolio? The photographer could have a strong reputation, but if the portfolio he presents to you seems not to be what is expected for the specific event, then chances are that the final job would not be what you pictured in your mind. As mentioned before, photographers develop styles after some years, and that is reflected in their portfolios, asking them to do something completely different or new may end up being a problem instead or an innovation for them. A good photographer will adapt himself to your concept, but the end result will be much better if that concept is within his style.

Does he ask the proper questions to get the best possible result? An experienced photographer will ask as many questions as he needs to make sure he will get the best results. He should ask questions about what style is preferred for the event, if there is any in particular, what type of photographs are expected, etc. He should also consider the time and location chosen for the fashion event to get familiar with the space and the angles, and the sunlight or illumination available.

Does he have backup equipment available? A professional photographer has to be prepared for the worst. He has to carry a couple of back up cameras just in case one of them breaks. Lenses breaks also, batteries can run out of charge. There are a few things that may go wrong while shooting the event and you should expect nothing less than a prepared photographer to get the job done. That includes the lighting; a capable fashion photographer should have the necessary equipment to make you look good during the big event.

An Arizona Canyoneering Adventure: Hiking Christopher Creek's Box Canyon and Ellison Creek Cascades

If you live in here in Arizona then you know that without good A/C and a swimming pool, it's just too hot! Even though temperatures may be sizzling here in the desert region of the state, you can still get out and enjoy nature and the outdoors. More any other state in the U.S., Arizona is famous for its many beautiful canyons and gorges, many of which can be reached in as little as a few hours drive from the Phoenix metropolitan area. If you're ready for a real outdoors adventure, and a great summer day trip & hike into one of Arizona's gorgeous mountain canyons, then check out Christopher Creek's Box Canyon & the Ellison Creek Cascades, and discover the adventure of Arizona Canyoneering!

Through a local hiking group I joined called the TLC Hiking Group, led and organized by Eric Kinneman, I saw that there was a really interesting water hike scheduled, rated easy to moderate, which sounded like a lot of fun. Though I have hiked and camped in Arizona's beautiful Mogollon Rim area for many years and recently visited the Christopher Creek area a couple months ago too, I had never heard of Box Canyon or the Ellison Creek Cascades before. But I always enjoy hiking, getting outdoors and exploring new places to go in Arizona so I was excited to sign up for this day hike.

I met up with Eric Kinneman and the TLC Hiking Group early on a Saturday morning, and by 7:45 am, we left the Fort McDowell Casino, heading north on Rt 87, aka the Beeline Highway. The drive up on Route 87 to Payson is one of my personal favorites. Absolutely gorgeous mountain scenery all the way! We arrived in Payson in about 1.5 hours, then made a right onto Route 260 east and drove 30 minutes and another 19 miles to Christopher Creek, arriving by 9:30am. Because there was no official parking for this hike and with the road construction that was going on that day, Eric advised us to park at the Christopher Creek Campground's day use area. So for a small fee of $6, which was strictly enforced, and with ample space available, we all parked our cars there.

Starting out from the Christopher Creek Campground, we hiked about a mile along the shoulder on the south side of Route 260, where just next door to the right of the Boy Scout Camp, we passed through a fence, collected the group, then set out on our descent down into Box Canyon. The trail was not real well marked at the beginning but we quickly found our bearings then trekked our way through the beautiful pines and forest vegetation and after only a short ways, maybe about a mile, we arrived at the top of Box Canyon. Wow, what an incredible view looking down into the canyon. Absolutely gorgeous! After stopping to take a few photos, we then followed the trail steeply down to the creek bottom below.

Once everyone had made it safely to the water's edge at the top of the creek, Eric quickly jumped into the water and began guiding the group down stream, swimming and scrambling from one waterfall and pool to another until roughly about 1/4 to 1/3 mile down they reached a 35 foot waterfall which could only be safely attempted by rappeling. With this being my first experience "canyoneering", I took it at a much slower pace and lost most of the group! After taking the plunge into my first swimming hole, I found the water to be cool, but surprisingly very refreshing. So one waterfall after another, each one seeming larger than the next, I slowly kept swimming, scrambling, jumping into pool after pool, trying to see if I could reach the group. I had just jumped down a 10 foot waterfall, dropping completely into a deep pool of water, then continued on a little ways further when I started to notice feeling cold and my feet and hands feeling really numb. That's when I knew I had reached my limit and the point where I couldn't go on any further. Christopher Creek Gorge is a beautiful and popular place for canyoneering in Arizona because of its many small waterfalls and pools. However, be aware that the water temperature is cool, especially if you've been in it for awhile and if you don't have a wet suit, getting hypothermia is a possibility and one of the hazards of canyoneering. But I made it back safely with the help of a few people along the way who helped pull me back up onto the rocks. Once I had arrived back, it only took a few minutes to warm back up in the hot sun at the top of the cliff and I was okay again.

It was by this time that Eric had returned, with the rest of the group coming in one by one behind him. After a few minutes collecting the group again, we started our hike back and arrived at the Christopher Creek Campground and our cars by 12:30-12:45pm. As soon as everyone had safely returned again, it was time to journey on to the 2nd water hike of the day, the Ellison Creek Cascades, just north east of Payson. By 1pm we got back into our cars and drove route 260 west back to Payson, then hung a right onto Route 87 north for a couple of miles until we reached the Houston Mesa Campground, then turned right onto Houston Mesa Road, aka FR 199.

It was a very beautiful and scenic drive out Houston Mesa Road, though some signs were still evident of the devastating Water Wheel Fire in 2009. It was about 8 miles later and shortly after crossing the East Verde River that we turned off into a small parking area on the right at the Cold Springs Campground. We parked, got out there, passed through the gate and began the short hike, roughly about a mile down the dirt road trail, FR 420, then hung a right down into Ellison Creek. The views along FR 420 of the surrounding Tonto National Forest area were really spectacular!

The temperatures on this August day were by now pretty warm, about the low 90's, so there were a lot of people already there at Ellison Creek as it's a very popular and well known swimming hole during the summer months. Once down at the creek, I hopped across the rocks and boulders until I caught sight of Eric and the group at the swimming hole next to the falls. Everyone that day was having a great time because next to the water fall there was a large tree that had steps carved into it like stairs so that you could climb up and jump off into the water pool below. Wow, that looked like fun!

After spending a couple of afternoon hours relaxing and enjoying the cool water at Ellison Creek, it was time to head back home again. We started our hike at around 4pm, making the trek back up the hot dirt road but feeling much cooler and refreshed now! We returned to our cars and the parking lot by 4:30pm, drove it back to Payson, then headed on down to Phoenix where we arrived back at the Fort McDowell Casino by 6pm.

In all, truly an extraordinary day and another excellent hike, very well planned, organized and guided by Eric Kinneman himself of the TLC Hiking Group and a great summer day trip and outdoors canyoneering adventure that I highly recommend and look forward to doing again in the near future!

Discover Your Personal Photography Style With Reflections

There are many styles in photography, but it is better to focus on one and make it your personal style. Photographing reflections is a style you can develop because reflections are mostly unnoticed by the average person, so therefore you have a chance at being unique and showing the world something only you have seen. This article helps you discover the types of reflections, their features, how to notice them, and a common mistake photographers make.

Reflection photos have a whole lot more going on in the frame than other types of photos. They double the elements and colors, they are more dramatic, and provide a balanced composition.

These are the most common types of reflections:

Natural reflections: These occur in nature such as waterscapes. An example of a photo would be a cityscape reflected on a river, or a group of birds reflected on a pond.

Architectural reflections: These occur on architectural surfaces. An example of a photo would be an old building reflected on a modern glass building in front of it.

Surreal reflections: These are the hardest to notice since they require an artistic eye. An example of a photo would be the Eiffel tower reflected on a puddle of water on a rainy day.

Abstract reflections: These show colors and lines without revealing what the reflected subject is. An example of a photo would be a colorful building reflected on water, showing wavy lines and colors.

As a photographer whose goal is to develop a personal style you must train your eye to notice reflections. For natural reflections, look in front of you, at rivers. For architectural reflections look above, on building surfaces. For surreal reflections look at the ground to notice objects reflected in puddles of water.

You do not need to spend a lot of money on professional equipment to photograph reflections as they can be photographed with any mid-level camera and lens, you can even use a mobile phone.

At the time of taking the photo make sure you do not cut off the reflection, since it is a major element in the photo. Cutting it off would unbalance the composition and confuse the eye into forcing it to imagine the cut off part. That is exactly like taking a photo of a model and cutting her feet off.

Reflection photos provide you with an opportunity to produce unique work, so get your camera ready and start hunting for them.

Careers In The Fashion Industry

A thing of beauty is a joy forever! This thought holds complete significance in the fashion industry. It is an exciting industry that attracts many brilliant, ambitious, creative, talented, committed and hard working people. Success in the fashion industry calls for an ultimate passion and enthusiasm to achieve set targets. The desires to create, see, explore and appreciate beauty must be inherent. It's a creative field and one needs to possess as well as acquire certain skills that are indispensable, such as thinking creatively beyond the obvious and the ability to carve a niche in almost all the possible projects by making it different yet stunning than the previous one.

Careers in the fashion industry revolve around beauty. In order to be successful in this field you should have the unquenchable thirst for beauty in its all-relevant forms. Changing fashion statements determine the change in the trend of clothing, ornamenting and above all, adopting new ways of carrying oneself.

It is the style that brings elegance with a difference in different designs. Style is an individual aspect. No two people can have exactly the same style statement because every person has a unique style of their own. Therefore, the concepts related to fashion are also different. Some people feel that fashion is the passion of the slaves and that is why they try to dress and carry themselves in a manner similar to that of models walking on the ramp. This thought is challenged by a different thought - those who go against the fashion trends are themselves the slaves of the fashion.

No matter what different concepts abound, fashion is a career industry that is never going to fade. There are immense opportunities in this field, as you can opt for any of the following job prospects pertaining to your areas of interest: modeling, catwalk choreography, fashion photography, designing, merchandising, make- up artists, hair styling, and accessory designing.

Modeling: Modeling is a promising career that requires having a certain confidence and a pleasing appearance that needs to confirm to the basic standards of fashion designers. One needs to have an inclination towards glitz and glamour, as it is part and parcel of this industry.

Catwalk Choreography: Catwalk Choreography aims at training models to present their attire in an appealing and professional way. Designers hire talented choreographers because they know that every movement with the background music counts on the ramp. It can make or break an entire fashion show.

Fashion Photography: Fashion Photography is a very demanding career that requires the utmost dedication, sincerity, sensitivity and at the same time objectivity towards the subjects. It is the job of the fashion photographer to present clear expression to almost all the possible facets of style such as fabric, design, designer, model and the like.

Fashion Designing: Fashion designing is one of the most promising careers in fashion industry. It needs to have the ability to think, comprehend and implement the latest and original ideas in order to be successful in this field. Designers can specialize in apparel, textile, accessory designer and many more.

Fashion Coordinator: A fashion coordinator is responsible for coordinating fabrics and trimmings, quality and design. He/she needs to keep a constant track of production schedules and needs to be aware of the status of buyers' orders.

There are several career options that need to be explored by aspiring students. You can certainly excel in this field provided you believe in the proverb - "work is worship" and have immense potential to rise and make your mark in the fashion industry.

Tips and Tricks of Better Portrait Photography

We love to look at stunning portraits. It may be our friends, family members, a model or a perfect stranger. A well taken portrait tells us stories, creates some mystery or brings out some memories. A good portrait also reveals the true personality of someone. So how to take a good portrait? Below are some tips and tricks.

1. Background factor: Background plays a vital role to a portrait. As you know, portrait is all about someone's face. So it is important to have a background which is not interfacing with the subject. On the other hand, simpler and less cluttered background works better for portrait. However, sometimes surroundings may need to be considered to bring out the personality of the subject. For example, if you are taking the photo of a Lawyer, you may like to do it in his office where you may see stacks of legal books or references. Including them in the background will be a good idea. However, it may not have to be prominent. Make them blurred or dimmed by focusing on the object itself. Same applies to almost all sorts of portraits. In most of the cases, it is a good idea to blur or dim the background. This can be accomplished by using a zoom lens and shooting from a short distance or with a wide aperture manual setting. If you don't carry an SLR, then use Photoshop or some software to blur the background.

2. Light factor: If you have the chance to take the portrait in Natural light, you have the best chance to get the great natural look with the natural colors' and skin tones. However shooting outdoor may be tricky as you may not be able to control the light in most of the situations. Make sure that you don't keep the object right in front of the Sun or don't keep the Sun right in front of the object. These may cause unwanted brightness or deep shadow. Shooting in mid day also may be avoided as much as possible. For best results, position the object such a way that Sun light falls on it from the side. You may also use reflectors or external flash to light up some parts of the face. If you are shooting indoor, make sure that you use soft and evenly distributed light source to light up the subject. You may use highlighters sparingly in certain occasions. For example if you want to make the hair glow or something.

3. Aperture: Try different apertures. A wide open aperture (with a lower number) will blur the background and make the subject stand out. A smaller aperture (with a higher number) will make the whole scene come into better focus. Typically f/2.0 - 5.0 is good for Portraits.

4. Focus: As it is said, 'Eyes are the mirrors of mind.' it is true for Portraits too. When taking portraits, your focus should be your model's eyes. Every eye has lot of stories to tell and as a good Portrait photographer; you should be able to bring those out to your photograph. And it's not always a smiling face which makes a good portrait. Try different expressions on face while keeping focus on eyes.

5. Getting the right angle and pose: Pose and angel of body and face plays a key role too. Looking straight to the Camera with motion less expression can be boring. Try to flare up the portraits with some twist. May be it is an inviting smile, a sexy expression, a flamboyant look, tilting the chin down or up, turning the head back while walking forward, sitting and looking up etc. Experiment with poses and you will get some great Portraits.

6. Make the model comfortable: In order for the Portrait to look natural and in order to bring out the true personality of your subject, you must make the subject (your model) comfortable and easy. He or she must feel at home in order to be free and spontaneous. Make sure you spend some time with your model before starting the shoot in order to know him/her better and also make him/her comfortable. Also don't forget to smile and make some jokes or talk about something which interests the model.

7. Take lot of shots: It's the digital age. Unlike the conventional film shooting, your digital photos cost nothing. So why not shoot as many as you can with as many angles, poses and expressions from your model as you can. Shoot inside, go out, walk around and shoot, sit in the park and shoot, change outfits, change makeup apply all the creativity and options. Keep shooting. It will not only give you chances to shortlist some great portraits out of the lot but it will make your model more comfortable and get used to your shooting and it will bring out his/her true personality and portraits will look more natural.

8. Get high or get low: Taking portrait is not always shooting at the eye level. Positioning the camera high or low while keeping the focus on eyes brings out interesting features and add different flavors to the portraits. So make the model sit, stand up, climb up to the stool or ladder or stairs and shoot. Or you go high, climb up or position your camera high and shoot. You will have more and more interesting options.

9. Make up factor: Makeup is an essential element for most of the Portrait shots. Makeup not only covers up the dark sides of a face, it may also make a face glow and look even. Some creative makeup also can be done to give your model sophisticated or trendy or different type of look based on the personality. It also will make your model more confident and happy.

10. Get a helping hand: Getting a helping hand to hold the reflector or help your model to change the outfits etc., is always a good idea. You may ask your model to bring a friend or family member with him or her who can give a helping hand and also will make the model more comfortable with their presence. You may also hire someone who is experienced for the job. An intern from a local Photography school may come handy.

How to Collect Golfer Emails

Top 10 Most Effective Strategies for Collecting Golfers eMail

Digital Marketing and broadcast eMail is proving to be the most cost effective means of generating an increase in your course revenues. Using exceptional photography of your golf course, creating dynamic stationary and upgrades to your website are critical elements to effective digital marketing. Increasing the size and quality of your email database is also vitally important.

Here's our Top 10 Ways to Collect Golfer Email:

1. Digital Photo Shoot at Your Most Scenic Hole

You can collect emails from virtually every person who plays your course by offering to send them a digital photo of their group. Have a trained staff person stay at your most scenic hole with a digital camera and photo registration form. They should ask each group if they would like to have a complimentary digital photo taken of themselves or their group. Collect as much data as you can on this form, including special offers they may want more information on. You can download these photos to a computer and send their photos via email with thank-you note and a special offer. People will appreciate this as a classy gesture. A good data base is worth a great deal of money - this is an inexpensive way to collect names.

2. Preferred Golfer Loyalty Program

The most effective strategy for successful marketing is to reward your most loyal clients. It always costs less to retain a good client than to gain a new one. We've developed a complete marketing program that will allow you to collect as many as 5000 new eMail addresses every year. The Preferred Golfer Loyalty package is so strong that golfers will actually pay you to give you their eMail address.

3. Website Collection

One of the primary purposes of your website should be to collect email. Your website can promote the same contest give-a-way as you do with a registration draw box. You can create a survey check box so customers will automatically be sent information on specials or sales one week before the public is informed.

4. Auto-responders and Send to a Friend

For website data collection to be done properly, you should have auto-responders set up so the people who enter your contest can opt-in to several of your emailing lists. They should also have the option to send the promotion to a friend (where you collect another email address). Our Golf eMailer program has all these data collection tools, auto-respond and broadcast capabilities.

5. E-Postcards

This "free service" can be an excellent addition to your website. People love to send postcards from where they play - it's a "Bragging Right." When you have an E-Postcard, you are automatically collecting two emails: Both the sender and the receiver. Again, you should set up your collection tools with auto-responders so you can get people to opt-in to your emailing lists.

6. Joint Venture E-mail Promotions

There are many vendors and retail golf shops you work with that own large golfer databases. Resorts, hotels and your Chamber of Commerce can be excellent joint venture partners. You can create arrangements where they send your email promotions out to their databases and you pay them a referral fee for everyone who responds. This is a win/win because they make extra money from your promotion and you gain new prospective clients. Be sure to have a hot-link to your database collection tool so these people can "opt-in" to your mailing list.

7. Contest Registration Box

Provide a drawing for a foursome round of golf or a set of golf clubs or a trip to an exotic golf destination. You can simply put up a sign up behind an elegant glass bowl or a in a plexi-glass box and suggest people enter their business card to win. This strategy can work very well at tradeshows and public counters.

8. Lessons

You should have a student registration form for every golfer who takes lessons from your facility. If you'd like a complimentary sample form that you can modify for your own use, just send me an email and I'll send you one - no charge.

9. Coupon redemption

Any vouchers or coupons you use in your adverting should be redeemed with a registration form with valid email required for redemption. All specials, vouchers or coupons found online should only be "unlocked" by providing an eMail address first.

10. Tournament registration with give-a-way

At the tournament registration desk you should have a registration form from every golfer that they need to submit in order to qualify for a special tee gift and a return discount voucher. The most effective voucher's our clients have used previously are VIP Business Card offers.

Another way you can access golfers is through renting lists of golfer emails. It's a little more expensive but can be highly cost effective.

Renting lists can be very tricky because you can rent bad lists and get blacklisted. Make sure that your list broker 's list is a double opt-in and is strictly identified as golfers. Also, make sure to test a small batch before you roll out a campaign.

Having said that, I've tested marketing campaigns and had great success with a few reputable list brokers. Typically you can rent the lists for 10 - 15 cents / lead. The most important thing you can do with this type of campaign is to ensure that you have a great FREE offer.

If you'd like to talk more about improving the response to your advertising or email promotions, slip me a note.

Event Photography - The Digital Workflow

The latest digital photography equipment makes the process of photographing an event a lot easier that in the pre-digital era. So what exactly is the modern day workflow for shooting an event.

If it's an indoor event such as a school prom or black-tie dinner then the studio will first be setup. Once the backdrop and lighting is setup and tested then it's time to take the pictures. You'll need a subject obviously and when they're posed in a relaxed and smiley manner then it's time to click the shutter.

Now the digital magic starts. Once the image is in the camera it needs to be transferred to a central computer system. Effectively the camera becomes part of the computer network either through an physical Ethernet cable or, more conveniently, over a wifi connection. The image is transferred to the central computer and it can then be displayed on a computer monitor where the guests can view the images almost instantaneously. Specialist event photography software is usually used for displaying these images. This software is specifically written to enable the images to be viewed and selected quickly. The software is usually operated by an assistant or sales person but separate viewing stations can be used that work with a touch screen and let the guests browse and select their images themselves as well.

The event photography software is also able to overlay graphics or text onto the photographic image to produce a wide range of finished images if required. Magazine cover styled images are popular as well as graphics relating to sports. Corporate logos can be incorporated into an image to brand a photo for corporate events.

Another popular function of the software is the ability to shoot green-screen. This is the same technology as used in the film industry where the photo is taken against a green or blue background and then an image is inserted into the background, you could walk on the moon or be on a beach without leaving the building.

After the photos have been viewed and an image has been selected by the guest it can be purchased. Again this is where the magic of digital comes into its own. A digital image could be put onto a USB stick or burned to a CD. If an old fashioned print is required it can be output to the digital printers. The latest Dye-Sublimation printers offer lab quality photographs, indeed most of today's high street photo kiosks use Dye-Sublimation technology for print output. An event photographer may use two or three printers that allow different sized prints to be produced, right there at the event and printing can take less than a minute. Slip in mounts complete the process to produce a quality printed product.

Other products such as mugs or mouse mats can be created given the correct equipment although this equipment is bulky and not usually taken on-site, these are more of an after event sale item. This leads us onto the next step that's been made possible by digital photography, that of putting the photos onto the internet where they can then be viewed and purchased after the event. Special gallery software to display the images on a website and allow the images to be purchased is the last step in the digital workflow for event photographers. Unfortunately, if a print is ordered, we have to rely on the good old analogue postal system to deliver the final product. Unless the guest chooses to purchase a digital version of the image that is.

The 3 Best Photography Books For Beginners

Although the most efficient way to become a good photographer is to just go out and take tons on tons of pictures, it doesn't hurt picking up a few photography books for beginners either. The key here is that you take what you read in these books and try it out afterwards. That's how you become a pro in less time than you could imagine. There are so many books in photography, that it can be difficult to tell which ones are any good.

What I've tried to do in this article is to point out 3 best "must-read" photography books for beginners, based on reviews, forum advices and my own experience.

Beyond The Lens
by: Association of Photographers

This book is widely considered one of the best books you can get if you plan to make photography more than just a hobby. Although it's more based around how the industry works and how to make a living from photography, it will give you important insights into the mindset of professional photographers.

It is used in many professional courses throughout the world and is considered a must-read by most professionals.

I recommend this for anyone wanting to take their photography to a professional level.

Digital Photographer's Handbook
by: Tom Ang

Although somewhat dated, this still remains one of the best guides to digital photography available.

It starts out somewhat basic and builds the foundation for the rest of the book beautifully. The book goes into how to plan trips, using the "digital darkroom", file maintenance and the basics of composition.

The book use everyday pictures as examples to make it easy to understand and follow along with the examples. It show you how to handle common problems that often occur when taking pictures and goes really in depth on how to take the picture from the camera, onto the computer and then making it look awesome.

I recommend this to beginners and intermediates that have little or no experience in digital image manipulation.

How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from your Digital Camera
by: Tom Ang

This is not some kind of special endorsement for Tom Ang, but he does write some really impressive books, and this one is not an exception.

As the title says; you will learn how to photograph absolutely everything. How?

By teaching you the basics that are always applicable whatever you're taking pictures of. All the technical jargon is gone and the focus is put into how to take great looking photos. This is really what puts this book way ahead of similar books.

The book is beautifully structured and illustrated and explains everything in plain English, making this book very accessible for anyone with digital camera.

I recommended this to beginners and beyond.

Cash From Your Camera - Tips to Make Money From Calendars

Every year we look at calendars from about August. The shops start marketing them and businesses start giving away calendars soon after. We are dependent on calendars despite our electronic diaries and cell phones. There are many people who buy calendars every year so the market is huge. This means that there are huge opportunities to make cash from your camera in this market.

The great thing about making money from calendar photography is that there are two routes, the more difficult calendar publishers market and the option of self-publishing. I think that both have great possibilities and the standards are pretty much the same. The only differences are entry points which both demand serious photography and quality. So what needs to happen to get into these markets?

1. Focus on quality

As with any photography venture, if you are not producing quality then the market will determine whether you sell or not. Calendars, because of the size of the images say in comparison to postcards or greetings cards, demand high quality. In the old photo days if you were shooting on 35mm film you didn't stand much chance as medium format was the requirement. Today, if your digital images are high quality you are in with a big chance. So keep your quality high and your compositions of a high standard.

2. When to submit to publishers

It's important to know when to submit a portfolio of images to publishers so contact them individually in order to find their production cycles. Some work a year in advance while others start in the first few months of a new year so be aware of the right timing. Publishers are more eager to view new images during their selection process than during deadlines. If you are not sure then go to the company's website or ask them for a submission schedule and guidelines for submitting.

3. Where to submit

With the world of the internet everything is made easier and you are able to research with ease in the comfort of your office or home. But, don't stop there. As with postcards and greetings cards the best place to find out what is selling is at the point of sale. Because of costs involved it's not as easy as starting a postcard collection so get into the stores and find out the details of publishers on the back of the calendars. By knowing which are good sellers you will know who to approach first.

4. Self-publishing

This is considerably more difficult than postcards or greetings cards just because there is more printing to be done so the costs increase. There are different levels of entry into this market and with the high quality printers of today you can actually start the whole process from home. Many local businesses give away calendars so find out what they want and you may be able to brand your calendars with their name and sell to local business. With the age of digital well entrenched in the printing business you will be able to find printers giving reasonable prices on low volume print runs so testing the market is nowhere near as costly as it used to be.

5. Marketing

Once you have created a quality product you need to take the time and effort to market to the retailers. Be prepared for rejection but also be wise in who you approach and where they are situated. It's pointless finding resellers of your calendars if they are in the wrong areas. Rather target the right areas where you will experience more rejection but the ones who are prepared to sell for you will achieve a higher volume of sales.

Here's a plan of action to get your going:

a. Do your research and find out what type of calendar subject sells.

b. Select images from your own portfolio.

c. Shoot new images in line with market trends.

d. Find a publisher or decide to self-publish.

e. Submit your images.

f. If you are self-publishing select your final images.

g. Once your calendars have been printed, market to the right retailers.

There are great possibilities with calendar publishing if you can get you work accepted by a publishing company. If you can't then self-publishing can also work and probably will be more profitable in the long run. Perseverance is key so keep knocking at doors until they open. Happy shooting!

How to Get Your Photos Off of Your Digital Camera

How do I get my photos off my digital camera? For some, this is an obvious question with an obvious answer. But as digital camera purchases continue to grow in leaps and bounds as more people convert from traditional 35mm to digital, new users may be confused about the many options. Here is a review of the various ways to get your digital photos off your camera and printed.

Via Software and USB Cable

Digital cameras usually come with software that you install on your computer. It launches a program that prompts you to transfer your photos directly from your camera to your PC using a USB cable. Photo editing and photo management software like ACDSee Photo Editor and Adobe Photoshop Elements also feature prompts to transfer your images to your computer. You can choose to have your photos automatically erases from your camera's memory card afterward, or you can do it manually later. Once your photos are on your computer, you can organize them in folders and rename them just like you would with any other files on your computer, as well as use photo editing software to crop or enhance the images. Then you can either print them on your own color printer or upload them to an online digital photo service for printing.

Via PictBridge

Many cameras have a "PictBridge" feature which means you can connect your camera directly to your printer via USB cable and bypass a computer completely. You can print your photos immediately.

Camera Docking Station

Some cameras have a docking station that connects via USB port to your computer. You just put your camera in the docking station and your photos will transfer automatically.

Memory Card

There are several methods here. If your computer or printer has a memory card slot (many newer ones do) you can take your memory card out of your camera and insert it into the appropriate slot and transfer them that way. Another method is to take your memory card out and take it to your local drug store or photo store to review and print them at the photo kiosk.

Upload your Photos to Online Photo Service

Online photo processors offer simple, free software programs to help you upload your photos to their site either directly from your camera or from your computer. You can use their editing tools to crop or adjust color and contrast and then order prints for home delivery. Some services even offer in-store pick-up.

There are so many options for getting your photos out of your camera and printed. Don't let your memories languish in your camera-get them printed so you can see and relive them!

Creating Celebrity Autograph Collections And Making Sure That They Are Authentic

At some moment, anyone who owns an autographed celebrity photo has likely considered the fact that maybe the item is not authentic. With options like having it appraised to acquire knowledge of the general value, the amount of current interest, or whether it can be certified authentic are all things thought up when considering insuring items, passing them down, or when you are ready to sell.

Collecting Celebrity Autograph photographs may be a hobby for a lot of people but the celebrity autograph industry is large venture nowadays.

Creating an autograph collection can be the perfect stress-free hobby that might additionally be considered an incredible investment when done properly. In addition, collecting autographed memorabilia is a fun pastime with great excitement in the "hunt" to find that new addition to your collection and promise of resale profits down the road.

The most important thing to consider however is where and how to start. You must start with an authentic autograph. Wolves are wearing sheep's clothing all over the place. Con-men are at their best so you need to be educated if you are going to do any autograph purchases. Without question if you can take any advice it would be this: Only buy autographs that are accompanied by a COA from a UACC Registered Dealer or from PSA/DNA or JSA. These are the 3 most trusted documents out there and oh yeah, ignore any items with 'Forensic Documentation' or 'Full Written Appraisal' which are well known in this industry to be attached to forgeries. When you start your collection with these simple rules you will avoid 99.9% of the headaches of being ripped off and having created a collection which will end up virtually worthless. Remember, autograph collecting is fun but it's definitely a wise investment so don't jump in blind. Be smart.

When it comes time to sell an autographed celebrity photo or any autographed music memorabilia out of your own collection, you'll undoubtedly want to understand how to decide the most effective cost for your piece. A good tool is Google and their "SHOPPING" tab as well as online auctions with using their "Completed" searches. This can give you a general idea of what things are selling for and you can price accordingly.

When most of the people think about Celebrity Autographs on photos, they leap to the most famed actors and actresses of the time. Understandably so, you have to realize this is where the forgers make their most money as well. Their art of deception has gotten so convincing that they employ collectors to take photographs of celebrities signing to use with their forged items to convince buyers their items are real. If you've already purchased autographs that do not come with a UACC Registered Dealer COA and without 3rd Party Authentication from any of the top authenticators you can still have the option of having the item Authenticated. Either that or you can pursue the online Twitter, Facebook, or other associated accounts of their agents to see if they can help.

Accumulating autographed photographs out of your favorite celebrities can be a thrilling assignment and there are numerous ways in which individuals can gain autographed celebrity photographs. Be warned however that writing to celebrities or sports stars through the mail may often reap confusing results. With all the top stars known for sending fake secretarial autographs back, you are basically left in the middle of a mine field.

Amassing autographed celebrity photographs may be an ideal hobby for any individual looking to spend their time doing something constructive. It provides people the facility to have a section in their home stocked with memorabilia of favorite movies, film stars, athletes, or musicians.

Autographs have always been a very hot commodity; folks scrambling for memorabilia with the all of a sudden scrawled signatures of favourite celebrities, rock stars, heroes, and athletes.

While online retailers are obviously the #1 source for purchasing autographs, one of the most exciting can be at a live auction. We must caution you though, over the past several years Charity Auction Fundraising has been a major target of fake autographs. These major forgery businesses have been offering their wares on consignment to unknowing and unsuspecting charities so even if you do find yourself at any type of auction that has autographs, the same rules apply. If the item does not carry any of the pre-mentioned documentation, you are gambling and likely to get ripped off. Always play it smart. It's hard because as you'll soon see, you'll get caught up in the excitement and desire to acquire incredible autographs to add to your collection but always remember this, the item while exciting to you is only worth something if it is real.

If you are looking to expand your education on the ins and outs of autograph collecting you should start also using the few online autograph forums and blogs. Publications like Autograph Magazine have started an Autograph Live forum where you can and should post images and ask questions about your potential buys. Also there are "Quick Opinion" services for an evaluation of an autograph from a 3rd Party Authenticator on items that aren't already PSA/DNA, JSA, or UACC Registered Dealer authenticated. Use these services. They are always at or under $10 and again, if you absolutely have to have an item that doesn't have a UACC Registered Dealer COA, this is the next best thing.

Your Photography Business Plan

A business plan serves as a blueprint for your photography business, and will probably change over time as your business develops and grows. Writing a business plan is time-consuming, but it is time well-spent. There are several reasons why you should write a solid business plan:

1. To ensure your success. Writing a business plan enables you to consider all aspects of your photography business. When you have thought about all the details, you will have a smoother start up process, since your business plan should help you spot any pitfalls before they happen.

2. To obtain funding. If you are planning on getting any sort of loan, you will definitely need a business plan in order for a bank to consider you.

3. To set goals and track your growth over time.
Things to consider:

-Day to day operations of your business

-All of the equipment you will need

-Any financing you'll need to get started

-Where will your photo business be located?

Below are some ideas to get you started:

-Summary of your photography business (also called an Executive Summary)
Here is where you give a basic overview of your photography business (state what it is, what you are selling, what services you are providing, where you are located, your qualifications, your target market, etc.)

-Your Objectives

-Description of your product (describe your photography services and what you are selling, along with a description of how you will fulfill customer orders - vendors and labs you will use, etc.)

-A Market Analysis Who is your market? What are your customer needs? How will you reach them, What is your sales strategy, etc.

-Market trends and future growth (you will have to do some research here)

-Your financial plan
A full listing of all start up costs, your current assets, and any liabilities you have. If you have investors, list them here, too (along with amounts invested).

-Your mission

-Where your photography business will be located
Will you shoot on location, have a home studio, have an external studio, etc.

-What facilities are available / desired for your business

-Legal considerations (describe your business structure, taxes, business licenses, insurance needed, etc.)

-Description and locations of your competition

-Any competitive edge you have

-A management summary (who will manage, will there be employees, etc.)

You may want to include additional items. If writing the plan yourself seems too daunting, you can hire someone to write it for you, or purchase special business plan writing software. If you do an Internet search for "business plan software" you will find many options.

Conceptual Photography

One of the things you may come across in photography school is Conceptual Photography. Conceptual photography differs slightly from regular photography, in that it's about the concept or idea of the photo, rather than the subject itself. In some schools of thought, conceptual photography is actually considered to be a more artistic application than other forms of photography, because it tends to incorporate aspects of abstraction as well. Though some photography schools specialize solely in the subject of conceptual photography, most photography schools at least offer some courses in it.

Most conceptual photographers aim to communicate some type of message to their viewers. The most common types of these are political and social commentaries, as well as advertisements. When making a conceptual photograph, the artist will take the various elements that make up the subject of the photograph/concept, and place those elements in the picture in a way to communicate their ideas. Though some photographers may come upon their concept through experimentation, it's usually the concept/idea that precedes the photograph.

In the past, much conceptual photography was done by hand. Nowadays it's just as common to use computer programs like Photoshop to generate the effects found in conceptual photography, though many artists still do utilize organic conceptual photography techniques.

You may have studied the work of Eug癡ne Atget in photography school. Atget was one of the first conceptual photographers. His work, "Avenue des Gobelins," often taught in photography school classes, depicts three mannequins in a shop window. One of these mannequins is actually a live person, which the audience discovers upon closer examination. From a distance, the real man appears to be the same as the mannequins, because he's wearing similar clothing and his posture is set in a similar way. Often, Atget's photograph is interpreted as an allegory of modern civilization, communicating the uniformity that fashion and clothing generates on society.

Other famous conceptual photographers you may have studied in photography school include Man Ray, whose conceptual use of the photographic technique of solarization brought him much acclaim; Herb Ritts, who use his black and white fashion photography in a classical Greek sculpture style; Andreas Gursky, whose best known for his large format architecture and landscape photographs (an interesting fact here, Gursky's "Rhein II" became the most expensive photograph ever sold on November 8, 2011 at Christie's in New York City, when it sold for 4.3 million dollars); Cindy Sherman, one of my personal favorites, whose known for her conceptual self-portraits-Sherman's work often raises questions about the role of women in society.

Photos like Man Ray's "Le Violon d'Ingres", which shows a nude woman with the f-holes of a violin on her back, and his famous solarization work, "Julie et Margaret", which turns the women in the photograph into contours (exemplifying the depersonalization of society), are both great examples of conceptual photography. Sherman's "Untitled Film Stills" is another excellent example. In these self-portraits, which are intended to look like film stills, Sherman acts out different roles of women and depicts the fantasy of popular culture.

G12 Review of DSLR

Engineering today has flourished with the progression of computers, and recently, digital photography has certainly made film old school. Just 15 years ago, no one could even imagine seeing a picture on an LCD screen in back of the camera was possible. Today, it is no surprise to see the photo and DSLRs just keep getting better and better.

The types of digital cameras even differ to accommodate different individuals. There is the basic point-and-shoot camera designed for taking pictures on the go. These are generally ideal for capturing special occasions with friends or family. For professional photographers, the Digital Slr style serves best as it is designed after the standard single lens reflector camera but with digitized pictures. DLSRs provide much better quality intended for more artistic shots.

Lenses have generally been created to make outstanding shots. These types of lenses are generally attached to DSLR cameras for photos that are long-distance, panoramic, close-up or just regular. It is up to the photographer to use a lens that suits the event. Although costly, they do not disappoint professional photographers around the world.

Some basic ideas to keep in mind in portrait digital photography: take care for your SLR. Keeping it clean and inside a shock-proof case is going to protect it so it will last longer. Don't just work with the "auto" option for taking photos. Test out various settings like white balance, exposure, and colors. Keeping your battery charged is essential. You won't want to find you have no battery when you have that fantastic moment in your viewfinder.

Camera reviews can be found on the internet to help you select the very best camera for your requirements. Whether it's a basic point-and-shoot cam such as the Canon Ixus or a high quality DSLR from Nikon, there's something on the market for absolutely everyone. To find the best of both worlds, there are also hybrid cameras for photography that are small much like the point and shoot models but come with much more professional lenses.

Comparing Film and Digital Photography

Making the transition from film to digital photography wasn't easy when I was in photography school. It was like learning a new language. Sure it was easier in that you didn't have to buy film and load it into the camera, yet with all the new-fangled gadgets attached to digital cameras, I found it a bit intimidating. There will always be an argument that film is better than digital. Digital cameras have all but replaced film cameras, yet in photography schools, both film and digital are still taught, so that students are aware of each format's attributes.

I went to a camera show recently knowing that film cameras had fallen out of favor, but I was somewhat surprised to see the total lack of interest. Ten people (in addition to the vendors) were at the show besides myself. The sad truth is that even though film cameras are still being used in photography schools, most professional photographers rarely use film anymore, for many reasons, including expense and lack of resources for developing the film.

These vendors had a multitude of old and unique pieces for sale, some of them dating back to the late 19th century (when I was in photography school, I actually had one of these antique cameras, but that's another story for another time), but the overall vibe was one of frustration as many of the people I spoke with loved film, but had forcibly made the switch to digital.

I'm not knocking digital cameras here, they have their advantages in that they're compact, they produce an immediate image and they have a greater storage capacity than a film camera, which in 35mm, only has the capacity for 36 exposures. With digital, you can shoot hundreds of images, as well as video clips, until your memory card fills up. Digital cameras also allow you to see your image immediately after you take the picture, as opposed to film. And even though the image quality is different, with computer programs like Photoshop, you can actually replicate digital images so that they resemble film.

Digital cameras originally got their start as a CCD (charge coupled device)-a digital image sensor that was originally developed for computer memory in the late 1960s, yet the technology would eventually be used for video cameras, the bulky kind used in broadcast television. And like the first cell phones, digital cameras were big and bulky things to carry around; it was through trial and error that digital cameras would transform over the years into products that were compact enough to fit into one's pocket. Today, some look like actual cameras, whereas others don't.

The added plus with digital cameras is that they can be found in many other products, such as smart phones and PDAs, making it more convenient for spur of the moment shots. But more elaborate digital single lens reflex cameras, as opposed to point and shoot cameras, are often used by professional photographers, as they have greater capabilities and are more versatile. Though nifty, these are the culprits for having veritably replaced the standard film camera and making it pretty much obsolete.

And though film still exists, it's harder than ever to find. Ask at your local drug store for a roll of film, and you'll find that they look at you cross-eyed. Gone are the days when people would buy film cartridges and plop them into their small instamatic flash cameras with 24 exposures; the convenience of that has now been replaced by the even more convenient digital camera.

Those just starting out in photography schools also may not have had access to film cameras beforehand, unless one of their parents is a photographer, so the concept of shooting film may be entirely alien to them. In fact, the other day I was talking to a friend of mine's son, who's considering a career in photography and was asking me about various photography schools. This young 15-year-old boy had never once used a film camera. I made a mental note to get him one for his next birthday.

The point being that digital has now become so ingrained in our point and shoot culture that even those of us who once used film have altogether forgotten that there was a real process involved in setting up a photograph. You had to check lighting and all your settings then go through the procedure of taking the pictures. The same goes for digital, but its relative ease of use has to some degree eradicated the romanticism associated with photography.

Interior Photography

Interior photography is very demanding and the photographer must be sensitive to all the elements that will appear in the final print. Most rooms consist of small objects that look good in the room, but in a print, these objects may cluster the image.

Photographing interiors involves working within a confined space, so the first thing you need is a suitable lens. Most of us would prefer to use a wide-angle lens, but this lens causes problems with image distortion. Distortion is a large and common problem when shooting interiors, but can be reduced if you use a lens with the focal length set between 80 and 100.

Interior images should be bright, with perfect exposure and have fresh vibrant colours. This is the standard used by publishers all over the world. To achieve this the photographer must be able to control these elements and have a very good understanding of light.

Light will play an important part when photographing interiors. Most of your images will be shot with a low shutter speed, because natural light levels will be very low, so a tripod will be needed. If the natural light is good, use a reflector to bounce the light into the dark areas of the room.

If the natural light is not good enough you will have to use a strobe unit. Try to bounce the light off a photographic umbrella to soften the light in the room. If you are using more than one light have some reflectors with you.

Composition is very important when photographing interiors. Here are some pointers that you may find useful and helpful:

Look out for lines that will lead to the focal point of your image. By leading with lines into the main part of the scene you will draw observers into your photograph. These lines don't have to be straight. They can be a row of seats or interesting converging vertical objects.

Simple foreground objects are also perfect for composition. Patterns on a floor can give your interior a greater sense of depth. Use a small aperture (f/22) to keep the entire scene in focus.

Try to frame your scene with some of the elements in the room. This will focus attention on the main part of the picture.

Tiles on the floor and walls can be very handy as composition when photographing a room - use the tiles to focus attention on the focal point of the room. When photographing bathrooms, if possible exclude the toilet. Always try to exclude anything that you think is distasteful.

Sometimes framed pictures hanging on walls will appear distorted so it is best not to include them. If you are photographing someone's home ask the owner before you move items.

Good interior images are not easy to take but the rewards are great if you can master the trade. If you are unsure of the standard, buy some of the magazines that use these images. Publishers pay fine prices for well exposed, good quality indoor images.