Online Teaching Jobs - What Qualifications Do I Need?

If seeking online teaching jobs is a new avenue for you, the first question you will ask will probably be 'Do I have the qualifications?', or 'What qualifications do I need to have to be an online tutor? That will depend partly on what and whom you plan to teach.

Do I need formal qualifications?

For some online teaching jobs, some agencies and learners will require degree-level qualifications in a subject area, and some will also require a teaching diploma or similar certification. If you want to become an tutor for undergraduate students, a Masters degree in your subject is likely to be a minimum requirement. Membership of a professional body may also be helpful in establishing your competence.

Formal qualifications will be a great help to anyone seeking online teaching jobs but there are openings for people who want to become online tutors and looking for jobs. As well as teaching subject content, there are openings for teaching professional to help school-age learners with homework or with a revision or test prep routine. Though that will typically require some subject competence, the tutor's role will be partly supervisory, helping the learner to keep to a schedule and assisting them with independent working (not doing the work for them!). Student teachers may find openings of this kind of jobs for tutors, even though they have not yet completed their studies.

Alternative or equivalent qualifications

In some cases, demonstrable experience can be as good as formal qualifications in a subject or in teaching itself. For example, people who have successfully home-schooled their own children may be well qualified to become online teaching professionals for other people's children.

Proven expertise in a subject can also be a substitute for a degree or diploma. Online teaching jobs assisting adult learners are plentiful. Many of these learners are not seeking to acquire qualifications, but take courses or seek online tutoring as a matter of self-development. Someone wanting online tutoring in water color painting or photography may get what they need from an established artist or hobbyist, regardless of whether they have the paper certification.

When qualifications are vital

Learners seek online tutoring for a variety of reasons. In some cases, they will be looking for very specific qualifications. One scenario in which parents seek to hire online tutors is when children are struggling in school. Online tutoring of children with learning difficulties will typically require the online tutor to have specialist training, documented experience and perhaps testimonials as well.

Signing up for online teaching and online tutoring jobs

Some agencies advertising online teaching jobs have particular specifications with regards to qualifications, the hours an online tutor will be expected to put in per week, and so on. Others are more flexible, providing a service that helps learners to find an online tutor to suit them, with details of hours, payment negotiable between the parties.

Of course, those seeking online teaching jobs will find more opportunities if they have formal qualifications as well as a track record of experience in their subject or educational field. However, online tutoring is not only for graduates with diplomas in education and would-be online tutors with appropriate skills are likely to find a niche for them.

Digital Photography - Using Lines to Create Strong Image Compositions

A very powerful method of improving the composition of photos is the use of lines. Properly used, lines can significantly increase the impact of images.

Lines serve to affect photographic composition in two ways. First, they serve to create a mood. Second, they lead the eye through the photograph. By affecting mood, lines add emotional content to images. By leading the viewer's eye, they keep the viewer's attention focused on the image. When dealing with lines, the subject can be broken into the following types:

• Horizontal


• Vertical


• Diagonal


• Jagged and irregular

Mood: Horizontal

Horizontal lines tend to indicate a sense of homeostasis (lack of change). This use in an image often projects a feeling that an image, or part of one, is somehow frozen at a point in time. Horizontal lines should be used when a photographer wants to impart a sentiment of timelessness or lack of change to an image. In addition, they can serve to provide a contrast with more dynamic parts of an image. Examples can be found in buildings, horizons, and fallen objects (e.g. trees).

Mood: Vertical

Vertical lines can project either a mood of stability or peace. When projecting a mood of stability, they often function similarly to horizontal lines. This can convey an implication of substance or permanence. Examples of vertical lines used to impart a mood of stability can be found in rock formations, power line poles, and vertical lines of buildings.

Proper use of vertical lines can also impart an impression of peace and tranquility. Examples of this use are trees in a fog shrouded forest, old fence posts on an isolated prairie, and a figure on a secluded beach in the early morning.

Mood: Diagonal

Diagonal lines can convey a sense of action or make an image more dynamic. For this reason, diagonals are a very powerful tool. Their power resides in their ability to grab the attention of the viewer. The viewer's eyes tend to travel back and forth along diagonals. Diagonal lines can be formed, not only of objects such as streets or sidewalks, but also of color. For instance, a diagonal section of color can add drama to a flower image. Examples of diagonals are plentiful: roads, streams, waves, and branches are but a few examples of objects that can be utilized in a diagonal manner.

Mood: Jagged and Irregular

Jagged and irregular lines take us one step further on the continuum of emotion and feeling. While diagonals move us into the area of the dynamic, jagged and irregular lines often impart a sense of unease, tension, or fear to the viewer of the image. Heavy use of jagged and irregular lines can cause a negative feeling in the viewer (which may be exactly what the photographer intended). Therefore, they are the tools of choice for the photographer who wants to create a feeling of disquiet or agitation in the viewer. Examples can be found in roots, a crocodile's teeth, stark mountain peaks, and the twisted metal of an automobile wreck.

Leading the Eye

As powerful as lines are in helping to create a mood in an image, they become even more powerful when they are also used to direct the viewer's attention. When using lines to direct the viewer's attention, two rules need to be followed. First, make sure that the lines always point toward the most important object in the image. This will direct the viewer's attention directly to that object. Second, make sure that the lines never point outside of the image. Lines that point outside the image will make the viewer's eye leave the image. This weakens the image and may result in the viewer losing interest in the image entirely.

Working in Documentary Photography: Career Opportunities

Career in documentary photography is for those who are keen towards creating a niche in the photographing industry and maybe not be among the over paid jobs in the fraternity. A comprehensive study in a photography school will focus the person's creativity towards the documentation he or she aspires to pursue. Documentary is an evidence of an event or an incident that happened in a place or for a person which is captured aesthetically by a photographer. Being in the right place, at the right time is the key to success to become a successful documentary photographer.

The job role of a documentary photo creator is to provide the source and reason of a real life incident rather than capturing the beauty of nature or fantasy. So, creativity takes a back seat in this area but it has to be implied in a way where real life things are conveyed with a touch of creativity. Photography schools like the Academy of Art University have two different ways of certification both online and in the campus at San Francisco. The BFA program's academia is designed to cover the fundamentals of photography, technical aspects, organizational behavior, time management and many others.

In the career graph, an individual's growth as a documentary photographer depends on their ability to organize the situation, make use of technical skills to capture impressive images on the go, being bold enough to venture into perilous situation for capturing the moment, time management and having the creativity to deliver the story in the form of pictures. Job opportunities are huge as media, television, internet, newspapers and magazines are in constant need of documented photographs for their database. High quality images which are captivating have greater chances to have priority in the market.

If a person aspires to earn well besides being a successful photographer, then having a strong portfolio of the best images is a must. The media demands such quality on all levels while it is the job of a photographer to organize themselves with reporters and understand the emotion of public in order to provide authentic documentary images.

Tone Mapping and HDR Photography

Anyone interested in tonemapping? It is very easy to do if you have the right software...I use Photoshop CS5 for RAW conversions and then Photomatix Pro for the HDR(1) generating and tonemapping.

You can generate HDR from one exposed photo but I find it best to secure camera on tripod and take at least three shots using AEB(2) if your camera has it, what you are looking for is underexposed shot to get details in the lighter areas, 'perfect' exposure for midtones and overexposure for details in the darker areas. If you don't own a tripod don't worry as you can fake it with RAW conversion...i.e change the exposure value before you open the RAW file, do this three times and save them to your desktop, open Photomatix and click on HDR tab on tool bar, then click where it says generate and it will then ask you to load images, browse to desktop and select your saved images, then click ok.

Photomatix will then come up with another box to align images, again click ok, wait for the script to do its magic and you will be presented with the worst looking image ever!!!! Fear not brave cameraists this is HDR in all its raw glory, you also will see a HDR viewer so as you scroll around the disaster scene you will see lots of detail in the viewer but not the bigger picture (seems ironic to me lol).

OK now we would normally bin this image as unusable so now comes the magic part...tonemapping! Hit HDR on the toolbox and in the dropdown menu seek out tonemap or hit ctrl+t, then more computing magic and you are presented with a much better looking image...play around with the strength and luminosity etc have fun!!! If anyone found this remotely interesting then I am quite prepared to carry on...let me know;o) HDR(1) - High Dynamic Range. It's a feature in Photoshop CS2 or Photomatix or FDRTools. A way to 'digitally develop' your photos using tonal information contained in multiple exposures of the same shot.

AEB(2)- Auto Exposure Bracketing; simple automated technique professional photographers use to ensure they properly expose their pictures, especially in challenging lighting situations; taking two or more pictures: one slightly under-exposed (usually by dialing in a negative exposure compensation, say -1/3EV), and the second one slightly over-exposed (usually by dialing in a positive exposure compensation, say +1/3EV).

Why You Should Get Trained In Film Schools

One of the most creative and the broadest field in such terms is the film industry today. To appreciate the dreams of people who are interested in movie making, people who are trained in movie schools have large openings in the movie industry. After successfully completing a course, one can hope to get into a large movie production and be absorbed in the movie industry.

There are different movie production studios available today. These include both private and government film studios. Also advertising firms are on the lookout for students who have finished their training from such schools. If you are out of such a school, you even have the option of starting your own firm or become an assistant director, director, camera man and other such positions.

Also today, there are a number of online film schools that help guide students and those who want a career in the silver screen in the right direction. These online movie schools are perfect for those that cannot commit to a fixed time for classes but have a passion for the movie industry. The career in the movie field is very competitive and challenging. Therefore if you are choosing this line of work then you should have the passion and determination to face it so.

It is very effective to get trained in a movie school. You will learn various aspects of movie making from a movie school. This can vary from producing to physical production. Also this can extend to legal issues and post production work. You can gain training in the various aspects of film making. This can be in directing, production, makeup, visual art, cinematography etc. If you are expressive and have a lot of talent in the visual art then this is the right industry for you.

There are a number of art schools today that will help you become adept with the movie industry today. You can go for a specific training or take a general course in film making. You should make sure that you know where you want to head after you finish with your school. You can make your path in production artwork, cinematography, choreography the fields are vast. If you are not sure on which path you want to embark upon, you should consult councilor to get your interests in order. You should be able to focus your interest on one particular field and make sure that you stick to that field.

Like real life, you cannot do everything in the movie world. You can at best cover a majority of the work, but to do everything would be too much even for you. Therefore you should make sure that you specialize on your path and stick to it. Obtaining training from a reputed film school will defiantly set you on a path and help you launch your career well. This is because the movie industry would look for people who are trained in their sphere. They would be more willing to choose people from film schools than from anywhere else.

Digital Photography Tricks - Make Your Sensational Night Shots Light Up the Darkness!

Those new to photography can spend a lot of time worrying about capturing good shots. There is lighting, composition and other technical considerations to take into account. And this is just for a normal every day shot. When you move into a challenging area, such as attempting night shots, a beginner can really start to struggle. However, just like anything, you can learn to take amazing night shots. Here are some rules of thumb and digital photography tricks to note as you start to develop your skills in this exciting genre.

When you stop and look at a truly amazing photograph, you don't see the blood, sweat and tears that has gone into getting that one great shot. Visit an artistic display by your favourite photographer and it's tempting to go crawl into the corner and nurse your feeling of inferiority. However, even the best photographer needs many attempts before bagging that one perfect image. That's one advantage of digital when learning night shooting. You can take hundreds of shots of one subject or situation. The more pictures you take, the better chance you have of capturing a really great night shot.

There is quite a learning curve when it comes to taking night shots. There are challenges and limitations that are not present in any other shooting environment. If you have a night setting on your camera, start there. However, to get really familiar with the nuances, the best digital photography trick to suggest is to experiment with your manual settings. Make tiny adjustments with each series of shots. It will increase your chances of hitting the right spot. An online photography course would be able to guide you in detail on how best to move from auto to manual settings, in order to take control of your photographs.

Light is a huge challenge with night shooting. Frankly, there is just much less of it. That makes for rough waters, as your digital camera relies on the nuances of light to capture any image. The first thing you need to do in order to compensate is to get that shutter open. You will need a longer capture time to get a decent shot. Don't worry too much if you get some blur. It can add to the ambience. If it is not conducive to the type of image that you desire, play with other settings, like pumping up the ISO. In most circumstances, you should not need to resort to flash. It will likely not be effective and can detract from the desired mood.

Camera shake is the instability that comes into play in a shot when you are holding the camera yourself. As with any living and breathing person, you can never be entirely still. In daylight, the affect of camera shake is often negligible. However, at night you need a longer period of time to capture the shot, and any movement becomes apparent. There are ways to compensate for camera shake. First, you can use a lens with built in image stabalisation, designed to compensate for the problem. Even with this, though, the tried and tested method is to invest in a decent tripod, with the addition of a shutter cable release.

With any art, the more you practice, the more skilled you become. Find different occasions to practice night shots and create different scenes and moods in your lens. Once you master the necessary digital photography tricks, why not try photographing fireworks, people, bridges, cityscapes, moving traffic or simply anything that catches your imagination at night? Before you know it, you could have people calling you professional as well.

School Assemblies: 5 Tips for an Effective Assembly

For centuries, school assemblies have been effective ways to communicate ideas as simple as school spirit and as complex as bullying. But not all assemblies are created equal. A successful one must have five key components. Starting with the most important:

1. Attention Grabbing

In order for students to listen and therefore learn, they must first be interested. Ask any teacher what the most difficult part of teaching is and they will tell you it is grabbing and keeping the student's attention. Companies with age-appropriate and interesting material will find that gaining the undivided attention of students comes naturally. The start of each assembly should be designed to gain interest. The rest will follow suit.

2. Engaging Content

Getting their attention is one thing, keeping it is another. As any parent, guardian, or teacher will tell you, children of all ages have short attention spans. The assembly should have content that appeals to that adrenaline-filled spirit in children. If it does, they'll be on the edge of their seat.

3. Time Considerations

It's important to be mindful of the length of your school assembly. No matter how interesting or engaging something is, it is a natural human trait to become satiated after a while. There should be no wasted time. No boring lectures. The schedule of the assembly should be specifically built to entertain and inform without dragging on.

4. The Message

Let's face it, no matter how engaged a student becomes, he or she must also be learning. This is paramount to any good assembly program. Popular programs include those on bullying, saying no to drugs and alcohol, character building, etc... Learning is goal number one.

5. Sustainability

Any teacher knows that repetition is one of the pillars of the learning process. Administrators should look for program operators that are highly recommended and widely used.

So the next time you plan a school assembly, remember these five important components. And remember that without a positive, educational component, an assembly can never be truly effective.

Effortless Studying - Find Your Best Time of Day to Focus

We all have times of day when we can race through our to-do list, concentrate effortlessly, and produce our best work. And we all have times of day when we just want to slump on the sofa and watch something mindless on the television.

Here's how to figure out when you study best, so that you can plan your studying for your most effective hours. Studying when you're on tip-top form will make your day go much more smoothly.

1. Experiment with studying at different times of day

Even if you think you're a night owl or a morning lark, try studying at hours that you wouldn't normally work. If you tend to wake up s-l-o-w-l-y and rarely do anything but drink coffee and surf the 'net until midday, try starting studying as soon as you're dressed, for a change. If you never work after dinner, try making an essay plan at ten pm.

You may well just confirm your suspicions that you study best at a specific time - but you might also surprise yourself!

2. Keep a "study log" for a few days

Once you've got a feel for the times when you think you study well, start keeping a log for a few days. It's up to you how you do this, but one simple method is to grab a sheet of paper for each day and divide it up like this:

• 8am - 10am


• 10am - 12noon


• 12noon - 2pm


• 2pm - 4pm


• 4pm - 6pm


• 6pm - 8pm


• 8pm - 10pm

(Obviously, jiggle the times around a bit if you get up at 6am or if you're never in bed before 2am...)

As you go through the day, jot down what you're doing during each timeslot (eg. "writing essay on Chaucer", "having lunch then watching television") and also write down how you're feeling; tired, motivated, energetic. After doing this for a few days, you'll have built up a clear picture of when you can work easily, and when you struggle to concentrate.

3. Plan your day to maximise your best times

The final step is to put what you've learnt about yourself into practice. For some students, you may be tied to studying at specific times - perhaps you have lab sessions from 9am - 5pm. Most students, though, have considerable flexibility over their schedules; far more than the majority of full-time employees.

If you know you concentrate well from 8am-10am, then make sure you get to bed at a reasonable hour so you're actually awake during your best studying hours. If you've been going to the gym at lunchtime, but find you're great at racing through essays between 12-2pm, then why not head to the gym during your 4pm-6pm "slump" instead?

Many people find that they can accomplish as much in one hour of solid, focused attention during their "best" time as in two or three hours of frustrated effort during a time of day when they're naturally tired. Make sure your schedule is working for you, not against you.

What a First Time Wedding Photographer Needs to Know

The news that you are photographing your first wedding often leads to emotions ranging from excitement to apprehension, and in some cases, fear. Assuming you have experience with your equipment and have developed the necessary skills to take great photographs, the wedding event has a greater likelihood of being a successful one if you follow some key steps.

This article provides an overview of important steps to follow before, during, and after the event. As with any important job, the keys are preparation, focus, and follow-through.

Before the Wedding
Proper preparation before the event is the best way for a photographer to have a successful outcome. I spent several weeks before my first wedding visiting other photographer's web sites. I read books on wedding photography, and I researched photography blogs and forums. It is amazing how much information is available for little or no charge. These tips and other photographs can inspire you and get you thinking about what you want to accomplish and how you are going to make it happen.

It is important that you have a standard written agreement that is signed by the bride- and groom-to-be and the photographer. There is no excuse for not having this document in place. It should describe the deliverables and the fees associated with the service and products. It should also include a model release so you can use the photos for promotional purposes. It is highly recommended that you contact an attorney and draft a standard agreement that protects you.

At the time of signing the agreement, there are two other opportunities to enhance the process. First, get to know the bride and groom. Spend some time chatting so you will know their story and they will know you. When the wedding day comes, they should feel comfortable with you so their true personalities will shine. If possible include a no cost or low cost engagement shoot so everyone can gain even more of a comfort level. It is a good opportunity to give them some posing tips that they can use on their wedding day.

It is also imperative to know the schedule. When you are meeting with the bride and groom, go over the agenda for the time you are expected to be at the wedding. Get to know their expectations. Let them know when you expect them to devote time to photographs with you in charge. This is a good time to talk about a wedding coordinator. If they will designate a friend or family member that will help the you identify important family members during the wedding day, it can be a tremendous help.

Another important component of preparation is checking your equipment. Check it thoroughly at least four or five days before a shoot. A check prior to my first wedding revealed a faulty auto-focus mechanism on one of my camera bodies, and I had to borrow a second camera for the shoot, but I was ready.

A proper equipment check also requires making sure you have backups of everything. You need two camera bodies and two flash units at a minimum. If you do not have them, you can rent them. On my first senior photo shoot, the wind blew my tripod and camera to the concrete surface. You never know when something will drop or just fail.

Check your batteries and memory card supplies, and bring more than you think you will need. It is not uncommon to take 2,000 to 3,000 images at a wedding. If you are using flash, you will burn through batteries very fast at that rate. For memory cards, it is better to have several smaller cards than just one or two big ones. If a card fails, you minimize your loss by using multiple cards.

Visit the venue(s) prior to the wedding day in order to scope out lighting and shot locations. Do you need to gel your flash for proper white balance? I often find that if I take a few test shots with and without flash, and perform a custom white balance check with my camera, that there are competing colors from the various light sources. For indoor venues, I often have to gel the flash to match the color of the venue's lighting. This will save you much time and aggravation later in the process.

To prepare yourself physically for a tiring day, have a light meal before you go. It is a good idea to bring granola, energy or candy bars or other portable snacks. Bring water too just in case.

If you are prone to headaches, have a pain reliever with your in your pocket or bag.

Part of blending into the event is dressing appropriately. Talk to the bride and groom about their expectations before the event. In all cases, wear comfortable shoes.

The Ceremony
When you arrive, begin by taking outdoor venue shots. Here in southeast Michigan, you never know if the weather will turn on you later, and the same is true in many locations. Get some key building and landscape elements without people, just to have them.

Calibrate your camera's white balance as soon as you walk indoors; do it for all of your cameras. Also, turn camera sounds off; you don't want your camera to make noise during the ceremony.

Bring a fast lens; the faster the better. Indoor lighting at churches and reception halls is notoriously poor and dim. Be prepared with a fast lens (f 2.8 minimum - f1.8 preferred). If you don't have one, rent it.

If you are in a place of worship, have a clear understanding of where you can go and what locations are off-limits. Also, flash is usually not permitted in places of worship, but you can ask.

Consider bringing an assistant. Let them carry equipment, help set up shots, hold off-camera flash, and more. If you are working a 6-8 hour event, be prepared for the physical impact it will have on you. Having an assistant will ease the burden on you and should result in better photographs.

If you have a break from the bride and groom, start shooting the very young and very old early. They can get tired fast, and some may leave early.

If you have a camera bag, lock it down or have your assistant carry it. If you are on your own, consider using a cable lock for your camera bag and hide it out of sight. It serves as a deterrent from theft. You may feel comfortable with the bride and groom, but you never know about their friends and family or the staff at the venue.

Never reformat memory cards at the event. Backup when you can, but do not reformat. Check everything on your computer and complete backups before reformatting.

Take shots of the bride and groom as soon after the ceremony (or before) as possible. After people start drinking and celebrating, it will get harder to assemble people and have them look their best.

Most of the time, the photographer's role should be to blend in and be discreet. Disappear in the background and try to capture people when they are relaxed, happy, emotional, etc.

If the wedding and reception are indoors, make sure to take shots of the bride and groom outside. Try to get away during the reception and get some outside shots - even if it is nighttime.

Be insured. If someone trips over your equipment are you covered?

Take a group shot of everyone. This is a great way to have everyone in attendance in one photo. It makes for a great enlargement and an opportunity for sales to others in attendance at the wedding.

After the Event
After the event is over, I believe it is important to process the images as fast as possible. There is something to be said capturing taking the energy of the day and carrying forward. Posting images quickly to a web site will make everyone happy.

Keep in contact with the bride and groom and schedule a time to meet with them to go over the images and discuss ordering details. It is as important to provide a high level of customer service after the event and before it. If you establish a relationship with the couple, they will think of you for family portraits and portraits of their children in years to come.

Finally, take notes about what went right and what went wrong. This may help you do an even better job next time around.

Practical Uses of Photoshop for Online Store Owners

Being a seller is tough, especially when you're lacking the tools to promote your products. Luckily, there are image enhancing software like Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw, which are both great in adding panache to any item's value. Photoshop is quite easy to use, actually; it will also surely become handy in the long run if you prefer to edit item images yourself. What's more important is that it is hundredfold more superior compared to the pre-installed image editing program you're currently using.

Here are some basic Photoshop tips to get you started:

1. Use Photoshop only to enhance or adjust the brightness and color levels of images. As a seller, you should not alter the image to a point where you hide any physical defects. You can be sued for shipping an item that is not "as-is" with its ostensible image on your website.

2. One good use of Photoshop is its ability to add seamless watermarks to your images. By adding watermarks, people who redistribute your item photos will - in a sense - help you gain popularity, instead of stealing from you. You can create a watermark of your own on Photoshop, but remember to reduce its opacity to about 40-60%.

3. Use Photoshop to blur the item's background. If you don't own a DSLR, but want to emulate macro photography - where the focus is placed only on the subject, and not on the background - you can use Photoshop's quick mask tool to select a portion you want to edit (which will not obviously will not include the subject), then apply some Gaussian blur to the selected portion, making the background hazy, thereby giving your item the focus it needs.

4. Use Photoshop to scale images. Is your pre-installed photo editor not working wonders to scale your image in the exact dimensions you desire? You can solve this by opening your image in Photoshop, then going into 'Image', then 'Canvas Size'. While on the 'Canvas Size' window, change the 'inches' value to 'pixels' and set the image dimensions of your preference. Then, after the canvas is scaled, free transform the image [Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + T] to fit the image on the newly-scaled canvas. While on free transform mode, hold the Shift key to constrain the proportions of the images.

5. Image file size too big? Optimize it! Photoshop has the ability to compress a 1mb JPEG photo to just 200kb, but still retain its superior quality (and gives you the optional liberty to change its file format at the same time, either to .png, . gif, .bmp, and many others.). To do this, go to 'File', then 'Save for Web & Devices'; afterwards, select JPEG as the output format, reduce the quality to about 60% of the original, and you can see the drastic drop in the output file size. You can also change it to other file formats, but since you're surely optimizing real-life images, it's better to use the JPEG file extension, as it can supports more colors than other file formats.

Beyond these tips, there is a lot more to learn about Photoshop. Eventually, you'll fall in love with the software and even recommend it to friends. The sky is the limit when it comes to editing images using Photoshop.

Giraffe - I Won't Stick My Neck Out For You

People come in all different heights. Most short people wonder how it would feel to be taller. I don't know if tall people would ever want to be short, but maybe not as tall. Because we are such a visual society, something that can be so arbitrary as height, still plays a role in how individuals are perceived. So, can you imagine living in the world of the giraffe. The giraffe looks down upon everything but the trees. The giraffe is the tallest of all land animals.

The giraffe stands on average about 18 feet tall and can weigh in at more than 2000 pounds, depending on the animal. Even though the giraffe is related to the deer and cattle, it is listed in the giraffe family. There is only one other species in the giraffe family and it is the okapi. Though the okapi has a long neck, it is shorter then the giraffe. Ancestors of the giraffe appeared in central Asia about 15 million years ago, but the earliest records of the giraffe itself, date back about 1.5 million years.

Unless you go to the zoo, you won't be running into any giraffes in the US. Giraffes mostly live in Africa. Giraffes live near flat grassland and around trees and shrubs; places where the available food varies during the year. When it's dry they eat evergreen leaves, but when the rains come, they start eating the new leaves and stems that sprout on the trees. Males tend to eat leaves from the highest branches, while the female concentrates on eating closer to the ground. This is such a distinct behavior that a lot of people think you can figure out the gender of a giraffe, just by watching how they eat.

Giraffes spend about half their time eating and the other half is used to search for food, or trying to digest the food they've already eaten. Giraffes are active during the day and normally only lie down at night. Don't expect them to fall into a deep sleep, because they only sleep for minutes at a time. The giraffe must be a laid back animal; because the herds they run in are usually disorganized and there is no designated leader. Unlike most of Africa's plant eating animals, the giraffe can get all the moisture they need from their food, so they don't have to go searching for water.

Female giraffes usually start to breed when they are around 4 years old. Their gestation period can last for up to 15 months; which is one of the longest in the animal world. After birth, the baby is usually on its feet within 20 minutes. The females are fully grown by age 5 and the males by age 7. Young life is not necessarily a happy life for the giraffes. Adult giraffes are too large to be attacked by most predators, but the young can and do fall prey to other animals on the prowl. It is estimated that only 25 to 50% of baby giraffes reach adulthood. The giraffes' life cycle can be as much as 25 years in the wild and 28 years in captivity.

The giraffe is another one of those animals that seem to be losing the fight against hunters and other human activities that are reducing the land in which giraffes can roam.

Areas of Photography Based on Subjects

There are many different areas of photography based on its subjects. Here are a few of the different types of photography:

Nature photography
Nature photography captures pictures of the blessedness and beauty of nature. It encompasses landscape photography that exhibits the beauty of a place and its forms such as deserts, mountains and even waterfalls. Also it involves wildlife photography that takes pictures of animals and their habitats. This type of photography would require adaptivity to nature and knowledge of animals. This can be dangerous if you don't know how to react or treat animals and go about in the wilderness of the forest and mountains.

Underwater photography
Underwater photography may be a separate type but it is still related to nature photography. It focuses on the attractiveness and splendour of the marine life and the marvels of the underwater. Interesting underwater subjects are fishes, corals as well as other frightening creatures such as sharks.

Travel photography
It is a type that showcases pictures about of places, beautiful sights and even people. It captures the culture of a place and its customs and traditions. This is mostly seen in brochures and its ultimate goal is to promote the location to tourists.

Action photography
It takes pictures of activities that involve action such as sports, adventure activities and daring feats. It is important in this type of photography that the photographer can anticipate when is it best to take pictures, must be willing to venture on this risk-taking pursuit and should be quick at reacting for taking pictures.

Documentary photography
This type of photography is about taking pictures that would be part of history. It captures a relevant period of time and its political or social status and events. This can also include photojournalism, where journalists are not allowed to make any adjustments to the pictures so as not to alter the real image of an event or scene and thus presenting nothing but facts.

Fashion photography
Fashion photography deals with taking pictures of models while putting emphasis on clothing and accessories. It can also be linked into celebrity photography because celebrities are the optimum fashion setters.

Glamour photography
Glamour photography is concerned in turning the model or subject into it's most appealing and glamorous appearance. It can also be connected with portrait photography whose goal is to capture the ultimate image and personality of the subject.

Candid photography
A type where the subjects are spontaneous and sometimes unaware.

Photography: Making Each Shot A Moment to Remember

Aside from the endless burst of sound and sights, Sydney offers the most effective trainings for photography. Every year, there is an increasing number of people visiting the place not just to experience its romantic and beautiful scenery but also to practice their skills in photography. There's no wonder why Sydney photography is highly popular all over the world. It's the place that makes every capture perfect and the warm people that always have this sweetest smile to give. There's no comparing to the combination of nature's grandeur and effective setting that's present in this place. And yes, it's free for you to experience.

Because of countless blessings, many photographers are interested to practice their skills in photography around the place. And for your plans to know the reasons why photography is important, here are the details that are sure helpful to you.

1.Beautiful places. The place is blessed with several breathtaking views that are perfect for different photography subjects. The urban setting boasts several high structures with lights and sounds that are sure to calm your senses. It is a home of beautiful beaches, spacious gardens and churches that are still alive and preserved until now. This is why a lot of foreign and local photographers enjoy every picture that they take around the place. For them, every shot is a moment to remember.

2. It has the perfect climate. There's something irresistible about Sydney where every corner is a reminder of natures wonder. It's not the busy streets or the delight of the colourful harbour but the inviting sun that is experienced most time of the year. The climate condition is perfect for any photographer's interest to capture outdoor views. If you are considering beach views, then consider the coasts of Sydney where the warm sun sets high and beautiful.

3. It has several photography schools. For those aspiring photographers, the place has several schools that motivate and inspire students even at a very young age to excel in photography. Photography schools provide the most up-to-date trainings and the most reliable instructors to give you the best photography learning experience.

4. It is home of several skilled photographers. All around Sydney are the names of popular and professional photographers that have been in the business for so many years. You can expect them to give you nothing but the best results in your photos whether it's an indoor or outdoor event. Many people hire photographers to give them the most stylish and perfect shots and this is not surprising. The fact that it's a home of several nice spots, photographers here trained themselves to apply the techniques for photo perfection.

These are just few of the things why Sydney photography remains the number one choice of many people. If you are wishing to try this exciting photography experience, you are advised to learn first the best locations and the ways to get there. This is to help you save time and money.

Graduation Photo - Tips For Looking Your Best

High school graduation pictures are a lasting record of a celebration in which one door closes and another door opens. It is a rite of passage for high school seniors getting ready to embark on a new adventure. Because of the importance, meaning, and longevity of these pictures, it is crucial to consider how you want to look in them.

Most people these days choose to do outdoor photos, both in their caps and gowns and also in their celebratory clothing. It is important not to choose an outfit for under your cap and gown that blends into your surroundings; however, choose something that you feel comfortable in and highlights your best features. Solid colors often translate well in a picture, whereas prints can seem overwhelming. Also, consider that you may want pictures with your friends, and you don't want your outfits to clash with one another.

Girls often want to get extremely dressed up for their picture, but it is better to keep things more simple and go for a natural look. Wear make-up that you would wear out on a regular day and dress up just one feature. For example, wear a darker lipstick or darker eye shadow, but remember to only do this with one feature. Also remember that graduation is an emotional event, and your eye make-up may run. Don't wear too much of it, and bring a bag for touch-ups. For your hair, wearing it up can create sharp facial angles whereas when your hair is down it creates a softer image. Sundresses are perfect for graduation, as it can get hot during the ceremony.

Guys should be careful not to use too much gel in their hair, and they should also wear softer colors that go well with what the group is wearing. Full suits are rarely worn at graduation ceremonies, but nice slacks, usually in a light summery color, paired with a dress shirt look great. Also remember that your pants and shoes will show beneath your cap and gown, so dress well and avoid wearing your favorite pair of sneakers.

Cool Party Favors, Copyright 2009

Planning Photography For the School Prom

After all the planning, the dress fittings, the limos, flowers and finding the prom partner; you are going to want to make sure you have a professional photos as a reminder of the evening. Today's prom photographers offer a truly professional setup and photo experience. The photographer for the prom is most likely to have a full portable studio with studio lighting and most will also offer printing on the night as well so the photos can be taken away at the end of the evening.

So what should you check for when looking for a Prom photographer?

• An experienced photographer


• A professional portable studio setup with backdrop and studio lighting


• Prints to be available on the night or from a website afterwards

First off check the photographer's website to see the quality of the photographs they can provide. The website is the photographer's window and the images should represent the quality of the images that the photographer will provide. Check that the photographs on the website are taken by the photographer that will provide the services for your prom. Some of the bigger photography firms work as agencies and will allocated a photographer to an event, not necessarily the same person whose images are on the website.

The studio setup will most likely consist of a full length backdrop, usually large enough to provide a background for a small group. The backdrop is there to provide a clean picture where the subject of the image, the student, is the full focus. There should also be a full studio lighting setup, most likely consisting of at least a three light setup. The lighting is the most important aspect of the studio, it can make or break the photographs that are available to the students. If a studio type setup is used then there is no reason why the photographer can't provide photographs that are of equal quality to any High street studio. You should expect the photographer to take a number of shots of every student and/or couple and they should work quickly and in a relaxed manner to get those images of the students that they are going to be proud of. The last thing any student would want is to be presented with a choice of two images that are awful, in other words no choice at all. Remember, this is one of the biggest nights on the school calendar, the quality of the photos should reflect the importance of the prom night.

Next there is the question of getting the photographs. Most modern prom photographers will shoot on a digital setup and this enables the students to view the photos almost immediately on TV screens. The student should then expect to be able to purchase these photos on the evening if they wish, this is a great feature for the night. A quality print is going to be one that is based on dye-sublimation technology, this is the same as used in modern day printing kiosks. Inkjet just doesn't cut it when it comes to producing quality prints on-site in a short time frame. The photographer should also make the images available after the event from their website, this is for the parents/grandparents. Mum and Grandma are going to want copies of those photos for the extended family.

Prom night is a very important night in any student's life. A good prom photographer will provide images that can be treasured for years to come, you will want to pick a photographer that will provide those images in a professional and friendly way.

Unforgettable 30th Birthday Gifts

Unless you're a child, let's face it, birthdays are never particularly welcome occasions. As they approach we feel a sense of dread at having to declare ourselves another year older, and once the day has passed, we have no choice but to get used to the fact that our youth is well on the way out.

The 30th birthday is no exception, in fact it's often considered the first in a line of scary milestones in life you'd rather not have to face. In truth it's really not so bad, if you can picture yourself at 40, looking back on it! In fact, 30 is actually an age to be rather proud of. You're still within the happy confines of youth, but hopefully, finally making your way in the world and having lots of fun along the way. It just goes to show, birthdays are just a state of mind. The important thing is that we celebrate these occasions in a big way, so that they're not the big milestones we'd rather forget, but days we'd very much like to remember.

There are lots of ways to make a 30th birthday unforgettable. It's a unique occasion, so encourage your 30 year old friend to celebrate in style. Whether they choose to have a huge party, a wild weekend away, or just a quiet meal with family and friends, you can make it special for them with 30th birthday gifts they'll love to receive.

30th birthday keepsakes to treasure

It's when those special birthdays come around that we need a gift that stands out from the rest. If your friend has a small child in their life, whether it be their own son or daughter, a Godchild or a niece or nephew that they adore, you can now have the child's fingerprint pressed into silver and made into precious jewellery. The fingerprint heart or flower pendant or cufflinks for a man, make beautiful 30th birthday gifts to keep for ever. Perhaps your 30 year old is planning an exciting future when they plan to venture forth and travel the world? A few exotic holidays are sure to be on the cards for anyone wanting to make the most of life, so why not give them something for the journey. The beautiful 'Travel notes' book is the perfect travel companion. It's just perfect for keeping mementos in the form of notes, photos and details of all the best hotels they've found along the way.

Memorable Days

Experience days make great 30th birthday gifts for anyone who is willing to try something new and exciting, and nowadays there's so much choice that deciding on the best experience is all the more exciting. Who could resist 30th birthday gifts that inspire and challenge, as well as introducing new hobbies for the future? Hobbies such as karting, horse riding and photography can all be bought and given as 30th birthday gifts. Tomorrow is only going to be another ordinary day, so why not make today an extraordinary occasion, especially as it's someone's birthday.

And who could think of a more memorable way to spend the day than by experiencing the thrill of driving a Lamborghini, or racing a Harley Davidson down the open road. Of course, the experience day you choose could also be simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience to commemorate their milestone. If they love the glamorous lifestyle, look no further than the London Hotel and Theatre break for two, for an occasion that really will be unforgettable.

Games they can play again and again

Do you remember when we didn't have to go out and spend a fortune to feel a sense of satisfaction? When we used to make our own entertainment and use our time to nurture the things that matter? They say that staying in is the new going out, so what could be better as 30th birthday gifts than games and trivia that provide fun for many occasions to come. If your birthday friend likes to entertain, they'll love the 'Dinner on the MS Titanic dinner party' game, an inspiring idea for a Titanic themed meal at the Captain's table with lots of Titanic trivia and even music from the era thrown in.

Alternatively, everyone loves a good murder mystery, and the 'Death by Chocolate' and the 'Champagne Murders' Murder mystery games have all the ingredients for a lively evening of intrigue. If they like their beer and wine, the 'SudoDrinku' game is sure to go down well, but the 'Ultimate Movie quiz' is also something that's sure to get everyone talking. With 30th birthday gifts like these, your only problem will be choosing which game will be best for playing at the birthday party!

How to Become a Photographer - Five Tips to Get Started

Maybe you have a digital camera, enjoy taking photos and want to become a photographer. Or you don't have a camera but are seriously thinking of buying one and to make money with photography.

Becoming a photographer is possible. Unless you want to make a living as a photojournalist, you don't need formal education. You can learn as you go and become skilled at digital photography.

A good digital camera will be your best friend. If you want to take quality photos, you will need a digital camera that has a resolution of at least 5 mega pixels. With this resolution it's easier to post process your photos and they can be printed out at a decent size. Also a five mega pixel resolution is what you'll need in order for your photos to be accepted on microstock photography sites if you want to sell your photos online.

Once you've gained more experience and have clearer ideas of the types of photos you want to take, you can make the investment to a higher-end digital SLR camera and a fast lens.

Take as many pictures as you can. At the beginning, you'll want to take as different kinds of photos as possible. In the process you'll learn to master your camera. You'll experience all sorts of settings under different lighting, expositions.

At the same time, you will make selections of your photos to build up a portfolio so you can show to your prospective customers. Some of the most popular themes include landscapes, portraits, wedding, pets photography to name few. As an example to build up your portfolio in landscape photography you might want to take pictures of sceneries that are typical to your town, city. If you are invited to a wedding you can practice taking photos of the wedding and ask for feedback from the groom and bride. For portraits, you can start by taking photos of friends, colleagues, family members.

Specialization. This is up to you and it also depends on the market. If you want to take photos and sell them online, then you would not necessarily want to specialize. The reason being to be successful at selling photos online you'll need to take photos that sell. You can read more on this in the article I've written for EzineArticles called "Selling Photos Online - Foundation of Your Success at Selling Your Photos Online". You can find the link to that article on my Bio page.

On the other hand, if a specific segment of the market is not saturated and it's a theme that interests you then you might want to specialize in that theme. As an example if you enjoy taking photos of pets and your market research indicates there are opportunities in this niche then you will invest and work to become the best pets photographer in your area.

Look for freelance jobs. The majority of photographers are self employed. To be successful they need to work on the art of photography as well as the art of marketing. Freelance jobs in photography are great to get work. There is a variety of freelance jobs. It could be taking photos as a field photographer for an insurance company or being an assistant photographer to an established wedding photographer in your city. There are websites where you can go to look for freelance assignments. You can also take photos of cars for people who are looking to sell their cars on eBay Motors.

Keep learning as you go. Photography evolves. As a photographer you will keep learning all the time so you can stay ahead of the game. Read websites, magazines, buy e-books to learn techniques and tricks. Attend seminars on your areas of photography to keep your skills up to date. Visit manufacturer websites to download the latest firmware for your camera.

Learning how to become a photographer comes at ease for those who have a passion for this art. You'll find photography is a very appealing field because each photo you take is unique.

Basic Digital SLR Photography - What is Exposure?

Exposure in photography language is the "exposing" of an image sensor to light. In a digital SLR camera this involves opening up the front of the camera at the lens opening by pressing the shutter release button and allowing the light to hit the CCD or CMOS image sensor. Three things control the amount of light entering the camera.

1. First is the size or diameter of the lens opening, called the aperture. Aperture is measured as f-stops, such as f/2.8 or f/11. The smaller the number, or f-stop, the more light is allowed into the camera. So, a lens set at f/4.0 will allow much more light to hit the image sensor than a lens set at f/9.0.

2. The second is the length of time the lens is allowed to open; this is called the shutter speed. Shutter speed is measured in seconds. For instance a shutter speed of 1/40 indicates that the shutter will be open for 1/40 of a second. Obviously, the longer the shutter is open, the more light is allowed into the camera.

3. ISO is the third way to control light. ISO is a control in the camera's computer to set just how sensitive the image sensor will be to light. ISO settings range from 100 to 3200 (and higher in the newer DSLRs). With ISO, the higher the number, the more "sensitive" the image sensor is to light. So you could conceivably set your ISO at a higher number, like 1600, and take pictures in darker areas without the use of a flash. On the other hand, you can use ISO setting of lower values, like 100, when there is plenty of light.

In order for just the right amount of light to enter, there has to be a perfect combination of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. The sensor contains light receptors that are affected by the light that enters the camera during exposure. These light receptors are commonly know as pixels (short for picture element). The light entering the camera will cause the pixels to record information in the form of digital data which is converted into a photograph by a computer program, either inside your camera or in your computer after you have uploaded your images.

By controlling the three elements of exposure, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO, a photographer gain a balance of color and light that is the best possible combination for that image. The goal of exposure in photography is to be able to obtain the exact effect you desire when you press the shutter button. If you get the exposure settings correct you can get many different effects and a wide range of color and brightness values.

The wider the range of color and brightness values you are able to capture, the richer and more striking the image you record. This is why it is important to know the capabilities of your digital SLR and your lens.

A majority of digital SLR users do not know the power of the tool they weild. That camera is a marvel of technology. Yes, it does have the ability to automatically record correctly exposed pictures (most of the time). However, if you know how to use the settings on your camera in different lighting situations, you will be able to create many more pleasing photos.

Making That Tough Decision To Go Back To College

Have you been experiencing a nagging feeling about going back to college? Is it because you're unhappy in your career, or hit a plateau and need something new? Well for me, at least a decade had passed before I began to think quietly to myself about if I should go back to college to pursue a Master's Degree. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from The University of Michigan in 1996, and I thought I was finished with higher education for the remainder of my life. However, after a stressful series of unfulfilling jobs and experiencing several layoffs in a tough job economy, I realized that I needed to build up my resume with additional education to make me a more valuable asset and employee. The job postings that I attempted to apply to desired people with a Master's Degree and several years of professional experience in various fields. The starting salaries on average were at least $10k more than what I was earning at the time, so those positions really seemed attractive to me. Although the job prospects were exciting and I felt that my current work experience and education was good enough, apparently it was not because those positions required applicants to have a Master's Degree. According to the CensusBureau's 2009 Current Population Survey, only 7.9% of the adult population in the United States has a Master's Degree. As exclusive as that number sounds and wanting to be a part of that demographic, it was difficult to contemplate going back to college to get another degree and spend thousands of dollars in doing so, especially after being out of school for so long.

As fate would have it, the trigger that woke me up out of complacency occurred at work one day, in March 2011, when I became disheartened by the work ethic and extreme sales tactics of the company I was working for at the time. I was frustrated with apathetic co-workers, the job, the 110 mile round-trip commute, and the hours. It scared me where my life was at that point. I also became worrisome about the job hopping that was developing on my resume, to no fault of my own - company layoffs and financial woes. Consequently, living in Michigan during the worst recession in my life (2007-to the present), I took jobs to pay the rent while hoping to find a better job. I even thought about moving out of state, but I already spent five years on the East Coast, only to be forced to move back home after the events of 9/11 in my beloved New York City. However, by living in a state hard hit by the recession and suffering from high unemployment rates, that in of itself forced my hand and provided me the motivation to seek a better life professionally, and financially, by making the decision to go back to college.

In the back of my mind, I automatically knew which university to apply to, and what to study for. I pride myself in being a decisive person, so once the seed was planted in my mind, I knew what I had to do. Based on a hobby that I have been active in for the better part of a decade, writing online and participating in social media developments, I knew that the Communications field was the future career for me. I applied to Eastern Michigan University and got accepted and started my program in the Fall of 2011. As of this moment, I am taking 6 credits a semester, and after 5 classes thus far, while working full-time, and actively engaged in my personal social media work, I have a 4.0 GPA. I was meant to be back in college and I could not be more elated and feeling proud! I am scheduled to graduate with a Master's Degree in Communication in the Fall of 2013, and I want to create my own communications based online business, as well as work in the public sector in helping an organization with its communication and marketing needs. I only wish I could have made this decision earlier, but upon reflection, this really is the perfect time to be in school as I know 100% what my goals are, and I am much more mentally and emotionally stable to demonstrate the discipline that working full-time and driving to class at night requires.

It's very easy to tell someone that if I can do it, you can too. If you're reading this and some of what I have shared with you resonates with you on a personal level, and you're in a quandary about what to do with your life and career, then think no further and contact some universities that offer the program you're interested in, talk to a college advisor, and see if it's a match for your lifestyle (or better yet, make it happen), and just go for it. I believe that if you've come this far, why not take just a few more steps to be happier?

Reference: http://www.census.gov/cps/

Basic Photography - Framing and Composition

One thing some people don't think about when taking a photo is the look of the final image. Purposely framing and composing elements of the picture in the viewfinder before snapping the shot will usually result in a much better final image.

Try thinking of composing the picture as seeing all the visible elements in the viewfinder as parts, and then putting them together as a pleasing whole. Consider what the viewer(s) want to see, then determine the best way to display the main subject.

Also, decide if you should hold the camera vertically or horizontally before snapping the shutter. If you are taking a photo of a single person right in front of you, it is best to hold the camera in the vertical position. If not, you will likely have too much wasted space on each side of the image. On the other hand if you are taking a group or landscape, it is usually better to hold the camera in the horizontal position. You will fill more of the frame with the main subject(s).

Now let us move on to the rule of thirds. This rule has been used by artists and photographers for years.

When applying the rule of thirds, mentally break the camera viewfinder into 9 separate areas. Do this by picturing two imaginary horizontal lines across the viewfinder. One will be a third down from the top and the other a third up from the bottom. Then picture two lines vertically on the viewfinder. One line is one third from the left,and the other will be one third from the right.

When using the rule of thirds, it is best to place the main subject generally in the areas of the frame where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect. Research shows that the eye falls naturally to one of these intersections. This also works for more than one subject in the frame as you can place them at different intersections in the frame and it will still work. This method gives a better visual effect than placing the subject right in the middle of the frame.

Another way to improve composition is to use leading lines. This is easily done by using an element you see in the viewfinder such as a road or bridge to help guide the viewers eye toward a certain area of the picture. The viewers eye will automatically follow the line to the subject or area of main focus.

These are not cut and dry rules, but it is good to learn and know them. They work very well in a wide variety of images. Even if you use them in conjunction with your creative flair, your pictures should still turn out fine.

The Best in DSLR Kits and Rigs

If you are in the film industry - it's absolutely important, no, essential that you have the correct equipment to help you get the job done right. Not only is it important that you have these products and items, but it's important that you buy them from a reputable company that always keeps them in stock, always has high quality products, and will always be there for you when you need them. Some of the products you may be looking for include: DSLR kits and Rigs, a camera dolly which is used to create smooth actions and movements or you could also get a dolly with an included pan & tilt head which helps keep the camera safe, but helps with movement as well. You might also want to look for a jib/camera crane which helps you get the best shot possible - also useful for heavy-duty jobs, a linear slider, stabilization systems or a Flycam series.

The Flycam series which includes products like the Flycam Stabilization Steadicam system helps you get shots you might not usually get before. You can actually find quite a few videos online of this item in action, its pretty cool and it truly allows you to get any shot from any vantage point in the world - a point in which you might not have originally been able to take! Depending on the system, you can do various things.

For example, an Aerial fly cam can actually be taken up into a helicopter! Other products include matte box, gimbal heads, glue pod, CINE led lights, CINE led filters, LCD Monitors And Arm, Follow Focus cameras and of course mic accessories! Mics should somewhat be obvious, especially if you are filming people and or locations, you absolutely need the right mic to help hear all the important noises you need to hear and keep the other noises out.

Hieroglyphic Canyon: A Boulder Hopping, Canyoneering Adventure to the Top of the Superstitions

With many sunny, bright, crystal blue skies and warm day time temperatures in the 60's and 70's, winters here in the beautiful state of Arizona are absolutely gorgeous and the dream of many. Along with its near perfect weather conditions, winters in Arizona are also ideal for getting out and exploring all the beautiful and spectacular desert mountain scenery and canyons right within a stone's throw distance from the Phoenix metropolitan area. As one of my all time favorite places to explore during the winter months, towering high above the city, out over to its eastern side, one of the largest mountain ranges, and in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and gorgeous, are the Superstition Mountains, located just 50 miles from the Phoenix area.

First designated a federal wilderness area in 1964, the Superstition Wilderness makes up about 160,000 acres, ranging in elevation from 2000 feet, in its western region, all the way on up to 6000 feet, in its eastern region. The lower western region of the Superstition Wilderness is extremely rugged, but also highly scenic desert territory with its many magnificent rock formations, amazing hoo doos, narrow rock canyons and steep vertical cliffs. With an extensive network system of inter-connecting trails, and easy access to its 4 main trail heads, Peralta, First Water, Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat, the western Superstitions, particularly in the winter months are by far the most popular and also most heavily visited area for hiking, back packing, canyoneering and rock climbing, ranging from class 2 all the way up to technical rock climbing.

If you'd love to get out to visit the Superstitions and you're looking for a great idea for a hike, and if you're more of an advanced hiker, are in relatively good physical condition, and are ready for more of challenge, an incredible canyon hike that's a little less traveled for being in the western supes, offering interesting ancient Hohokam Indian petroglyphs, then further on a real boulder hopping, bushwacking, canyoneering adventure packed with gorgeous scenery, and stunning panoramic mountain top views, then I'd highly recommend that you check out hiking Hieroglyphic Canyon to Superstition Peak, in the western Superstition Wilderness, Gold Canyon Ranch, Arizona.

It was a clear, brisk, New Year's Eve morning that I met up with a local hiking club called the TLC Hiking Club, led and organized by Eric Kinneman, at a designated meet up location in Gold Canyon Ranch located on US. 60 on the far east end of town. After gathering up our group members by 7:15am, we set out together for the Hieroglphic Canyon trail head. It was quite a "zig zag" route but basically to reach the trail head you'll want to head east on US 60 until you come to Kings Ranch Road, turn left for 1.6 miles, then when you come to Baseline Road, turn right for.3 miles, then make a left onto Mohican Road for.3 miles, then another left onto Valley View Drive for.3 miles which turns into White Tail Road, then finally make a right onto Cloud View Ave for about 翻 mile until you reach the large parking area and trail head for the Hieroglyphic Canyon Trail and also the Lost Goldmine Trail, which they commonly share together in the beginning. Once everyone had arrived having successfully navigated it to the trailhead, by 7:30am, we had packed up, geared up and were ready to start our day's trip and what would soon be our greatest hiking and canyoneering adventure of the year!

As most trail descriptions accurately describe, the Hieroglyphic Trail actually begins at the Lost Goldmine Trailhead but after a short ways, the Lost Goldmine Trail veers off to the right and you'll want to stay left for the Hieroglyphic Trail. With the sun quickly beginning to rise by this time, looking up from the rocky desert trail, the views of the reddish tainted Superstition Mountains before us with the sun's early morning rays glimmering upon them were absolutely beautiful!

With Eric leading the front half of the group and well out of sight by now, the rest of us continued to follow the rocky but level Hieroglyphic Trail, rated an "easy" trail, crossing the Superstition Wilderness boundary and through the beautiful desert mountain scenery for about 1.5 miles, roughly about an hour or so, until we reached the edge of Hieroglyphic Canyon and arrived upon a large, open rock area with a few small pools and etched into the smooth rock walls were many petroglyphs created by ancient Hohokam Indians, who lived in this region, circa 800 A.D. Wow! It is said that although there's been some vandalism through the years, these petroglyphs are still some of the best and most extensive collection you'll come across. Although I've seen many petrogyphs before, I really was quite astounded that there were so many and so vividly etched and well preserved. What an amazing sight!

From the petroglyphs and on into the upper reaches of Hieroglyphic Canyon, the journey now becomes a difficult and strenuous rated hike, with no clearly defined trail, and mostly all boulder hopping, and bushwacking, with class 3 climbing in some spots and a lot of class 3 and class 4 bushwacking, which is also combined with a scramble and climb of over 1700 feet to reach the top of the Superstition Ridgeline and then if that's not enough, there's another.7 mile of scrambling and climbing with another 700 feet or so to the summit of Superstition Peak. Eric strongly advised us that up from the petroglyphs, this was definitely a very difficult and strenuous, roughly about a 1.6-1.8 mile hike, with many hikers having returned saying that it's even harder than Flat Iron! So before deciding to take this one on you must really assess your abilities and experience level first, then be aware that depending on how fast of a hiker you are and if you enjoy taking a lot of pictures along the way like my friends & I do, you must also manage your time well in order to make it back and out of the canyon before sunset. However, if more of an easier hike is what you're looking for, then you could opt to just take the Hieroglyphic Trail up to the petroglyphs, for about 3 mile round trip, and still have a really nice and enjoyable day's hike.

After arriving at the petroglyphs and taking a short break to get some really great pictures, we said good bye to our good friends, Dan, Karen and Katrina, as well as a few others who were just hiking it up to the petroglyphs that day and where the Hieroglyphic Trail officially ended. I turned to head in the direction of the canyon and quickly ran into the wash hopping over the rocks and boulders to catch up with the rest of my friends as well as the rest of the group where we now began our journey and canyoneering adventure into Hieroglyphic Canyon and on up to the Superstition Ridgeline and Peak!

Having caught up with my good friends and fellow TLC Hikers, Bob and Scuji as well as another fellow TLC hiker and a great gal, Shauna, and with no clear trail in front of us, we quickly began the long boulder hopping, bushwacking venture heading up into the canyon along the Hieroglyphic Stream, but staying down in the wash on the canyon's floor pushing through thick brush and trees, and past thorny shrubs and bushes, hopping from one huge boulder to another, and in a few spots scrambling and climbing straight up vertical walls. At the same time, I was trying to take as many photos as I could get because when you took a moment to look up, the canyon's scenery and surrounding landscape, with all the interestingly sharp edged rock formations along the top, were absolutely amazing and gorgeous!

It was roughly about mid-morning and about halfway through the canyon, that we received confirmation from Eric by radio that he had already reached the top of the Ridgeline. We let him know where we were located and he advised us to continue to stay down in the wash until we had arrived at what he said was a "dry waterfall" located at the far end of the canyon. From there his directions were to hang a left at the dry waterfall, then a sharp right and follow the trail and the hand built rock cairns up to the top of the ridgeline. I conveyed the directions back to the group and we pressed on, still trying to get as many pictures as we possibly could but also staying aware of and conscious of our time so as not to fall too far behind. However, we all felt that the scenery was just so incredibly beautiful, you couldn't help but stop to get another great shot!

At this time, having also joined up with our good friend and fellow TLC Hiker, Jennifer, we finally had reached the end of the canyon where we veered left of the dry waterfall, then hung a right and saw where the trail to the Ridgeline began. And in my opinion, here's when the adventure really began because up to this point it was mostly boulder hopping and bushwacking along the bottom of the canyon. However, once you arrive at the end of the canyon and the dry waterfall to start heading for the Ridgeline, it's a straight up climb and scramble on a faint and narrow cliff trail, up a total of about 1700 feet with only occasional cairns to help guide you along the way until you finally reach the top of the ridgeline and a whopping 4043 feet in elevation. Wow! There were many moments when it was downright scary, especially when you looked back behind you, but whatever fear you have is quickly replaced by sheer excitement because the higher you got, the more stunning and spectacular the views became of the canyon and valley below you and wow, it was really incredible!

By 11:30am, and after getting stabbed in the legs by numerous cacti along the steep ascent, we finally made it to the top of the Ridgeline. It was then that I finally stopped to really take a look back at where we had come from, how far we had come and also where we had made it to now with all the amazing views all around. Wow, it was unbelievable! I quickly called to Eric to let him know we had made it safely to the Ridgeline and by this time he along with a small group of TLC members had already ventured on and were now at the summit of Superstition Peak. I could clearly see all their arms waving at us too in the not so far off distance. Meanwhile those of us at the Ridgeline rested, had lunch and thoroughly enjoyed our time together taking lot's of great photos of all the spectacular and gorgeous scenery not only of Hieroglyphic Canyon to the south of us, where we had come, but also the stunning and amazing views to the north of the Superstition Wilderness with Four Peaks way off in the background. Wow! It was absolutely breathtaking!

After about a 翻 hour or so break at the top of Ridgeline, we were now ready to begin the next part of our New Year's Eve hiking adventure, the trek and climb over to the top of Superstition Peak! I really felt though that the roughly.7 mile journey and 700 foot ascent up to Superstition Peak from the Ridgeline was not really all that difficult compared to what we had just experienced and if you've made it this far, it is definitely well worth the extra time and effort to go on and make it to the summit of Superstition Peak. While en route from leaving the Ridgeline saddle area we finally caught up with Eric and the rest of TLC members who were already on their return from the summit. We enjoyed a few short minutes of conversation then quickly had to say good bye and while Eric led the 1st half of the group back down to the trail head, we continued on the roughly 翻 mile trek and gorgeous journey climbing and scrambling to reach first one saddle area, then on from there to follow the trail along the northern side and come around and on up to reach another saddle area, which basically rested at the base of the peak, then finally on from there, the last 200 feet or so, the final push to the summit. Wow, we did it!

Only about an hour's journey later, by 12:30pm, and we had made it to the top of Superstition Peak, topping out at an elevation of 5057 feet! I had thought the views from the Ridgeline were absolutely gorgeous, but I was truly stunned and amazed at just how much more spectacular and incredible the scenery and views were from the top of Superstition Peak, the highest peak in all the Superstition Wilderness! Wow, absolutely breathtaking! Combined with all the giant hoo doo's and rock formations there at the top, it was really an amazing experience, beyond belief really, and like being in a different world. I don't think there will ever be any words to truly express the level of excitement and exhilaration that you feel after having successfully climbed to the top of mountain peak summit. It's truly an exhilarating and incredible experience, you will never forget!

After a short break at the summit, spending some time taking a lot of great pictures and video of all the breathtaking panoramic scenery, we were so excited and really enjoying our new "accomplishment", but after taking the last group photo shot, we decided it was time to get going again if we were to make it back down and out of the canyon before nightfall. So by 1:30pm, we began the long, trek and journey back down from Superstition Peak to return to the top of the Ridgeline, then the adventurous climb back down 1700 feet from the Ridgeline, trying to follow the faint trail and rock cairns placed along the route, to order to drop into the canyon's floor again on course for the long boulder hopping, bushwacking, and in some places, climbing and scrambling through the wash until hours later, roughly by 4:30pm, we had finally reached the petroglyphs again.

Continuing from the petroglyphs now on the Hieroglyphic Trail, it was an easy 1.5 miles trek back to the trailhead and parking lot. And at exactly 5:30pm, we finally made it out of the canyon and with only minor cuts, scrapes and injuries but plenty of sore muscles and shot out knees. Literally the last ones out of the canyon that day, we finished out the hike just in time for sunset and according to our GPS, round trip, it was a total of 8.3 miles, with a 2993 feet elevation gain and a total hiking time of 10.0 hours, a little longer than the average hiking time but that included our lunch, rest breaks and the many photo ops we took along the way.

In all, really a great day for a really phenomenal hike as it was a clear, sunny gorgeous day with the temps in the low-mid 70's, couldn't have hoped or asked for anything better for a long and challenging hike like this was. A really great hiking adventure that was once again very well researched, carefully planned, and also very well advised by Eric Kinnemenan of the TLC Hiking Club. This was definitely the longest as well as the toughest hike I've ever done and we all agreed, this hike was much harder than Flat Iron when you combine the trek to the Ridgeline and Peak with the long, boulder hopping, bushwacking journey through Hieroglyphic Canyon. But wow, what an incredible day and a great adventure! Absolutely the perfect way to finish out the year too! So if you're ready for a real boulder hopping, bushwacking, canyoneering adventure that's got it all from ancient Indian petroglyphs to gorgeous scenery, and stunning panoramic mountain top views, then I definitely say go check out hiking Hieroglyphic Canyon to the Superstition Peak, in the western Superstition Wilderness, for a truly amazing experience you won't soon forget!

A Regular Guy's Thoughts and Opinions on Tony Horton's P90X Exercise DVDs - 1 Year Later

A little over a year ago I posted an article on EzineArticles about Tony Horton's P90X DVDS, that article generated quite a lot of buzz about the product. Since then I've had a lot of people email in and asked if I still use the DVD's, and if I still feel the same way I did when I wrote the initial article.

Yes, and yes again. I still use them (my wife does as well), and I still maintain most of the opinions I had in the original article.

After Over a Year, Here's What I Feel About P90X:

• It still is challenging, and it's still fun.


• If you're creative with your workouts you can always keep them fresh. If you get a little bored with their routine, consider switching exercises around.


• There are some exercises I just can't do, and there are some videos I tend not to use as much.


• I still don't use the fitness guide, I think we recycled that. Of course this limits the effectiveness of the workouts and my results, but I am not going to count calories or eat like a rabbit.


• I've read other reviewers complain that the music gets old quickly. Nonsense. While I am not looking for the music to download off of iTunes, it's not bad at all. Watching Tony and his crew didn't get boring either, even after I've used these discs repeatedly for over a year. I actually know most of Tony's banter and ad-libbing by heart now - my wife finds it funny that I can lip-synch to what he's saying while in between exercises.

Silly Observations and Personal Opinion:

• My favorite disc is the first one: Chest and Back.


• In one of the videos, Tony keeps calling Dave (a substitute teacher) by the wrong name. He calls him "Adam" and "Jason" or some other name. The guy takes it in stride though.


• At the end of the Chest and Back routine either Tony calls Scott a "punk" or vice-versa, but I can't tell who's saying it.


• In one of the routines, Tony is walking around giving everyone a congratulatory "high-five" in between exercises. While doing this, one of the participants (a blonde woman) totally ignores him - she's in her own world. The camera quickly cuts away, but it is kind of funny to watch.


• My favorite 3 members of Tony's crew are: Maurine - she's always happy and smiling; Bobby - don't think this guy's got a mean bone in his body;  Phil - dude works frighteningly hard.

If You're Looking to Purchase P90X, Here's the Bottom Line:

• If you want results you need to be consistent; Tony says "Just keep pressing play". He's right, if you keep showing up and trying your best, you will see results. If you're looking for the quick fix, forget it...but that never works anyway.


• You can strive to keep up with Tony and his crew, but don't get discouraged if you can't. He's a pretty encouraging guy, so it's easy to stay motivated.


• Try to do as many of the discs as you can, but like me, you may find some (or specific exercises) not safe to do. If you're going through a disc that has an exercise or two you can't do, skip to the next exercise or do some cardio work (jumping jacks, etc.) instead.


• If it's been quite a while since you've exercised, or this is the first routine you've ever done. Consult with a doctor first, and consider working with a trainer instead (at least at first). Tony's not messing around and you could get hurt or discouraged if try too hard too fast.


• I still go to the gym frequently and feel that it's a necessary component to exercise. For that reason I don't believe these discs alone can replace a good cardio machine and the professional equipment at the gym, but it's an outstanding compliment for anyone who wants to workout at home when they can't get to the gym. For most folks, P90X might be all they want out of exercise, for the more serious you'll want to integrate these into your gym routine.  


• Lastly, people do ask me, "Would you still recommend these after having them for a year?" You bet.

PS - Tony (or someone else at Beach body) if you're reading this, consider having the discs available streaming online where people would be able to customize their own routines.

Five Ways to Share Vacation Photos

I still smile when I recall Betty White's tongue-in-cheek critiques of social media, and how she equated the global sharing of vacation photos as a form of punishment. It's true that those of use who spend a many hours connected online to loved ones tend to share everything that amuses and interests. These days, I communicate more with cousins in a day than I did twenty years ago when I saw them once a year. The Internet is useful, and if you're eager to share your vacation photos of the beach or that awesome nature hike you'll find there are ways to do it without inspiring people to cease following your updates.

We know you intend to take lots of pictures on your beach vacation, and if you prefer the old school method of creating a photo album for the shelf that's cool. For people who don't get to your house often, here are a few ways to share your memories.

1) Instagram them! The popularity of the Instagram tool for the iPhone and Android has skyrocketed, with amateur photographers creating instant works of art to share with friends and the world. Take your photo, and use the tool to create a retro-style look to it, just like Grandma's collection of Polaroids. You can connect your account to Twitter and Facebook, too, and share as you go.

2) Pin them! Pinterest is fast becoming on of the top social media sites. Photo sharing is huge, and Pinterest allows users to create personal "boards" of information on a myriad of custom topics. With an account, you can create a vacation board and upload your photos to one place. Friends can like the photos and re-pin them to their own boards to save as vacation ideas.

3) Create a cloud. Cloud computing is the new buzz phrase - most things you kept on a shelf - music CDs, books, and pictures - now have a virtual counterpart that you can access from a tablet, phone, or computer. If you use a digital camera, you can transfer photos to a cloud account and offer friends and family access. Dropbox is one tool I've used to share files between my tablet and laptop, and it's easy to create public and private folders for people to view.

4) Blog them! With the improvements to Blogger, for example, you can create a dynamic view style blog that creates a photo album site. Tile photos on the front page in a colorful display.

Tumblr is another good option for a photoblog. You'll find many templates to use that are conducive to photo sharing.

5) Print and pass! Sometimes, the old fashioned way is best suited to your situation. There's just something about holding a glossy photo in your hand that encourages the memories of a great vacation to return. Get your photos printed and bring a stack along to the next Sunday dinner. If you're really feeling old school, there do exist photography services that turn photos into slides!

One thing to note, if you're protective of your pictures, choose only the ones you want to share publicly and consider adding a watermark to prevent theft.

6 Ways to Make Money Online Tonight!

The Internet can be a great way to make money, if you know how to protect yourself and watch for scams. Although with most legitimate online businesses, it takes time to make money, certain opportunities offer a faster paycheck than others. Here are a few ways you can start making money tonight, and see the fruits of your labor quickly.

1. Sell on eBay.

One of the most popular ways to make money online is selling on eBay. Tonight you might only be listing your own things for sale -- items you don't want anymore, but that someone else might be willing to pay for, such as computer items, music, movies, antiques, and collectibles. When you run out of things to sell, though, there are other options to keep your business going. For instance, some eBay stores sell other people's things for them, and earn a commission on every sale. Another option is to comb estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores for items you can resell for a profit. Some sellers even make items to sell: jewelry, quilts, crocheted hats and scarves, laptop and eBook reader sleeves, and more.

The best way to get paid quickly when you list on eBay is to do a one- or three-day auction, or even better, a "Buy It Now" or fixed price listing. Make sure you price your item low enough to encourage a quick sale!

2. Write for article directories.

Writing for article mills doesn't pay much, but if you're looking for a little additional money, you can easily crank out a few articles a night and earn some extra spending money. Websites like Associated Content (now owned by Yahoo) publish your articles for a small upfront payment and/or a "royalty" based on either page views or a percentage of the ad revenue.

Obviously, if you are getting paid for page views or ad revenues, you won't see the money right away -- or ever, if you don't choose a reputable site. Look for a website that has a large article base and is widely read. Small or brand-new article sites aren't worth your time, since low traffic will mean practically no page views and very little ad revenue.

3. Sign your website or blog up for pay-per-click advertising and affiliate programs.

If you already maintain a personal website or blog, you may already have the traffic and readership to start earning money with pay-per-click ads and affiliate programs. A night's work is most likely all it will take to integrate the ads into your website, and then you can just sit back and watch the money roll in!

There are numerous programs you can join: AdSense, Google's pay-per-click ad program for publishers, is probably the most well known. Just sign up with the program, choose your ads, and you'll be given the code to install on your blog or website. Every time a reader clicks on the ads, you earn money -- pennies, in many cases, but those pennies add up!

Affiliate programs, on the other hand, work a little differently. You put product images, ads, and links on your website or blog, but unlike pay-per-click ads, you are only paid when someone completes a sale. Most affiliate programs pay a small percentage as a commission. Amazon's affiliate program is the most well known, but there are also others, such as LinkShare and the Google Affiliate Network.

4. Sell stock photos.

Certain websites, such as iStockPhoto, allow you to put your photos and computer generated images up for sale. Every time one of your photos sells, you'll be paid a commission. You don't have to be a professional photographer or graphic designer, but images should be high quality.

Again, you may not see the money right away, since you'll have to wait for your photos to sell, but this is a great opportunity for anyone who likes to take a lot of pictures with their digital camera. Most likely you will have quite a few photos on your computer already that you can sell on a stock photo website -- no photography sessions required! As you become more familiar with stock photography and what sells the best, you might also decide to set up some photo shoots or start looking for good photo ops.

5. Take surveys online.

Sometimes you can take research surveys online in exchange for money or gift cards. There are quite a few sites that offer these opportunities, but be careful when choosing which ones you want to sign up with -- do your research first and make sure that the site is reputable, real (not a scam), and pays in a timely manner. Surveys usually don't pay very much, but can provide some nice additional spending money.

6. Sell an ebook.

How-to eBooks, which provide needed information to customers quickly and easily, are big sellers online. Obviously it takes time to write an eBook, so you won't be doing that tonight. But you may have something on your computer already that you can turn into a eBook with a little bit of work. For instance, think about written assignments that you've done for your classes, or other documents that you hold the rights to. (Don't use documents that you've written while on the clock at work, since most likely a court would find that your employer holds the rights instead of you.) With a little bit of rewriting, editing, and formatting, you can turn that work into a product that you can sell online.

There are quite a few opportunities these days for authors to self-publish eBooks. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords all publish indie authors' eBooks and pay a percentage of every eBook sold. You can also sell the eBook directly from your own website, which gives you a bit more control but also means that you have to figure out things like how to automatically deliver the file to customers. Advice for maximizing sales over the long term: Don't just throw your eBook online and expect it to sell like hotcakes. Market your eBook with a blog, Twitter and Facebook pages, membership on related forums, and other online networking activities.

Only a lucky few will be able to make enough money only to quit their day jobs, but there's no reason you can't make a little extra income on the side. A little creativity and dedication can really pay off -- literally!

What Kinds of Photo Editing Software Are There on the Market?

When you are a professional photographer or just someone who loves to take pictures for your photo albums or scrap booking, then purchasing photo editing software would be a great tool for you to use in order to fix photos that may not have come out the way you wanted them to or to add special items and affects to your photos such as colors, frames, or text. There are many types of this editing software on the market along with many websites on the internet that you can purchase this type of software from.

There are many brands of photo editing software on the market today including Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo, Serif PhotoPlus, Ulead PhotoImpact, ACDSee Photo Editor, PhotoSuite, FotoFinish Suite, Photo Explosion, Picasa, and PhotoImpression. There are many other imaging programs but the ones listed here are said to be the top ten that are used today. There are many websites that you can visit that will have reviews about these specific programs from people who have used them and what type of experience they have had in their use.

There are also comparisons between them so that the potential buyer can see exactly what each one has to offer when it comes to the types of tools and features that you can use and better be able to choose the type of program that would better fit their needs. The ranges of price between these programs go from $29.99 up to $129.99 dollars depending on where you purchase the program. There are also many ratings on several websites about what the users think about the products when it comes to ease of use, importing, editing, sharing, output capabilities, organizing, and the help and support that is given with the program.

Just about every program that you purchase when it comes to photo editing software will have the features and the tools that you can use in order to do basic editing of your photos. Mainly the professionals are the people who need the more advanced programs because they are paid money for their services and their photos that they take have to have a perfect result in order to make their customer happy and keep their business growing. These features that they usually require are the layering affects, the automated batches, and the program having the capability to support additional plug-ins that the photo editor may need to make a perfect product.