A Regular Guy's Thoughts and Opinions on the Maxi Pro & Equine Thumper Massagers

After doing a fair amount of online research I purchased the Maxi Pro Thumper Massager for my wife's birthday earlier this year. Thumper makes the claim that many of their massagers (including this one) are used by loads of industry professionals (physical therapists, chiropractors, sports teams, etc.). I am a former collegiate athlete now turned recreational athlete, but I work out (hard) every day or every other day, so I the idea that this was a "professional" model rather than something you'd find at Walmart or Target appealed to me. We already had a Homedics hand-held/wand massager, but it just wasn't powerful enough to get deep into large sore muscles like the quadriceps and hamstrings.

I did some shopping and searching online and eventually found the Comfort Store Direct in Lewis Center, Ohio, USA had the best price (and free shipping at the time), so I bought it from them.

The unit arrived a week later in a specially designed box, so it was undamaged and ready to go right out of the box. The Maxi Pro is primarily designed for 2 person use, so I patiently waited for my wife to come home to give it a shot. My wife loved the Maxi Pro immediately but I wasn't quite sold on it. Don't get me wrong, I did like it and it was MUCH easier to use than hand-held/wand massagers, but I quickly noted that the only real setting on the unit that was having much of an effect on me was level 5, the highest setting. As far as I was concerned, the other 4 lower settings really didn't do much at all.

Since we were using the Maxi Pro on its highest setting I consulted their web site for answers and found that Thumper has a more powerful an Equine version of this unit, which was especially designed for elite athletes and of course horses. This unit looks the same as the Maxi Pro but apparently has a stronger motor in it.

Over the course of the next few days I wrested with the idea of going through the bother of sending the Maxi Pro back and getting the Equine model. After 3 days I cracked and gave in. I contacted the Comfort Store Direct and requested a return authorization number, which they gladly gave me - by the way, both my wife and I dealt with these folks and they were always pleasant. I shipped the Maxi Pro back at a cost of about $15 (not bad) and came to the conclusion that the extra $40 for the Equine more powerful motor would be worth it.

When the Equine unit arrived I gave it a shot on my quadriceps (don't need 2 people for this), and I have to say that I was initially disappointed with it. I really expected a notable difference in power between the two units but I just didn't feel it. Later that night my wife tried the unit and while she agreed with me that it might not be significantly more powerful, she felt it might be slightly better.

I sent Thumper an email asking if perhaps I got an underpowered unit and indicated that I was a little disappointed with this new model. To their credit, a Thumper representative responded to me within 24 business hours, she kindly explained that, "The depth of the stroke on the Equine Thumper is 15% higher than with the Maxi Pro. The drive assembly which is the mechanism responsible for the "punch" has a different tolerance than the one on the Maxi Pro therefore the impact is greater."

The Thumper rep indicated that I could return the product for a refund if I would like, which I appreciated. I emailed her back and indicated that my wife really did like the unit (and I didn't think it was too bad) so a refund would not be necessary.

PROS:

• The unit is heavy (8 lbs), but it actually works to its advantage. You don't need to press down on the massager to feel pressure; the weight of the unit does it for you.


• The two handles on the unit make it easy to move manipulate/move/adjust.


• If you are flexible and a little creative, you can actually use the Maxi Pro/Equine Model without someone else assisting


• Quiet. In fact, it's much quieter than the hand-held/wand unit we have that's less powerful. It's not difficult to watch television and use the unit at the same time.


• Very easy to use on someone. In fact, you can often place the unit on someone (like the lumbar part of the back) and the unit will work without you having to hold it at all. You may have to balance it with just a couple of fingers just so it stays in place - either way it's easy.


• Instead of a vibrating motion most massagers have, this one actually pounds up and down like a piston (you can actually see it doing this). I found this approach was much more effective in giving/receiving massages.


• Fast, friendly customer service - the rep I emailed at Thumper was very nice.


• Feels pretty sturdy and durable...although I've only had it for a few weeks.


• Don't get that fatigued feeling in your hands, wrists and forearms that you do from vibrating hand-held/wand massagers. It really doesn't require a lot of effort to give someone a massage.


• Unit does not heat up during or after use.

CONS:

• Not portable if you're traveling, but that wasn't really a concern of ours.


• For the most part, this is a 2-person effort, using the massager by yourself is doable but tricky.


• Still would like it to have a higher, more powerful setting for both units.


• The instructional DVD they send you is worthless. In fact, there was a depth adjustment dial at the bottom of both units that I didn't even know until the Thumper rep let me know via email.

BOTTOM LINE:
I'd recommend this unit to anyone in the market for a personal massager that's tried other vibrating models that don't quite get into the muscles enough. It's easy to use, but I'd suggest purchasing the unit if you have a partner that's willing and able to work with you. At around $300 it's not the cheapest model out there. Personally I'd go with the Maxi Pro since it's less expensive and I didn't feel a tremendous difference between it and the Equine model.

How to Master Digital Photography

Introduction to digital photography

Make no mistake, digital photography is here, it's big, and it's the way things will be from now on. People use digital photography in their work every day:- police officers, real estate agents, insurance agents, fire fighters, scientists and doctors, just to name a few.

Digital photography has come a long way in a few years. Digital photography, as opposed to film photography, uses electronic devices to record and capture the image as binary data. Digital photography has also been adopted by many amateur snapshot photographers, who take advantage of the convenience of the form when sending images by email, placing them on the World Wide Web, or displaying them in digital picture frames.

Digital photography was used in astronomy long before its use by the general public and had almost completely displaced photographic plates by the early 1980s. Digital photography enables you to experiment with the camera settings, different styles of images can be tried out, learn t from and techniques improved all without the expense of film processing.

Some other devices, such as mobile phones, now include digital photography features. With the acceptable image quality and the other advantages of digital photography (particularly the time pressures of vital importance to daily newspapers) the majority of professional news photographers have begun capturing their images with digital cameras.

Other commercial photographers, and many amateurs, have enthusiastically embraced digital photography because they believe that its flexibility and lower long-term costs outweigh its initial price disadvantages. Almost all of the cost of digital photography is capital cost, meaning that the cost is for the equipment needed to store and copy the images, and once purchased requires virtually no further expense outlay.

The biggest advantage of digital photography over traditional film include: Instant review of pictures, with no wait for the film to be developed: if there's a problem with a picture, the photographer can immediately correct the problem and take another picture.

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3 Things You Must Get Right to Get Your Microstock Photos Accepted

It may not be easy, but it is simple. The three most important things to nail down if you want to get your photos accepted at this, or any, stock site are focus, lighting and composition. Subject matter and creativity go along way towards getting sales, but if these three elements are not in order, your image won't pass the initial screen by the reviewers. If it isn't online, it can't sell. It's that simple. Let's look briefly at each.

Focus - Remember to check focus at 100%. I struggle with this on my little monitor and sometimes I would miss areas of poor focus, so I'll share a tip that I use. After reviewing the entire image, select the areas that are critical to your image. For example, on a photograph of an animal, the eyes are probably a key area. Crop this area and review at 100%. Repeat for all areas that are critical to the image. Personally, I like to use a wide depth of field for stock, capturing as much of the image as I can in good focus. That way, a designer can choose to crop the image for use in a variety of ways. A tripod can be an indispensable tool to avoid camera shake and get that tack sharp focus.

Composition - a stock photo should be pleasing to the eye and organized in such a way that the eye is drawn to the main subject of the photo. Examples of organizing principles include the rule of thirds and the golden ratio. Consider colro, shape, movement, point of view of the subject, and the use of negative space in your composition. Remember to check the background and foreground elements and make sure they support your composition!

Lighting - It is important to have sufficient light that will allow you to use a combination of a fast enough shutter speed and low enough ISO to avoid digital noise. While you can widen your aperture to allow more light in, there is a trade off. A wider aperture gives you a smaller DOF, which can make a great artistic tool if used well, but also decreases the usable copy portion of your photo (the area in clear focus). As a general rule, avoid extremes such as blown out highlights and deep shadows that cause a loss of detail in the picture. Experienced photographers may break these rules effectively for special effect, but it is important to know and understand them.

I'll post more on each of these later, but for now I am gong to grab my camera and build my portfolio! Good luck to you in your efforts!

Aerial Maps: How To Get Training In Aerial Mapping

There are no training institutes that teach aerial mapping in isolation as a subject, but those interested in this area of study have many options depending on what aspect of the field they are interested in. Aerial mapping can be broken down into three areas:

· The photographer who takes the aerial pictures that will be used to make the maps

· The pilot who flies the plane or helicopter

· The cartographer (mapmaker) who translates the aerial photographs into maps

There are certain requirements to consider if you want to explore career options in cartography. With technology playing such an important role in mapmaking, especially aerial mapping, you will need to have a background in computer science. Understanding and knowing about earth and geographical features also mean that an understanding and appreciation of geography is compulsory.

To become a professional cartographer, a college or university degree in the discipline is necessary. Most degree programs are for a period of two to three years. College programs in cartography include courses in related disciplines, such as, computer science, mathematics (for computation of distances and other computations depending on the use of the maps), photography, and mapmaking related areas: geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and surveying.

You can find many colleges and universities worldwide that offer training in cartography; many also teach the subject as a stream in another program such as civil engineering and architectural engineering.

There are also those who opt to learn on the job, and for those who choose this option, there are many companies that take on interns. Also, for continuous upgrading of the skills learnt, cartographers join professional organizations and or subscribe to trade journals in the cartography field, so they can keep abreast of changes in a very dynamic career field.

Digital Wedding Photo Album Software Free Download - Photographer's Top Secrets Revealed

If you're looking for digital wedding photo album software that is free to download and that allows you to make high-quality, professional photo albums then this article is a must-read for you. Not only is this program very easy to use even for people who have never created a single photo book before, but it produces amazing photo books printed on top-quality award-winning photo paper, professionally bounded with numerous cover options. Cover options for your photo book choices range from a very budget-friendly linen hardcover to luxurious handcrafted genuine leather. These photo books are meticulously finished and crafted to last for years and years.

If you think that you have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get that expensive, one-of-a-kind look for your photography book, think again! Despite the fact that many professional photographers are charging top dollar for handcrafted photo albums, you can achieve the same results for a bargain price, if you know where to order your photo books and what digital photo album software (free is always a plus) to use. In fact, many professional photographers are using this exact program and would hate to share this information with you.

This digital wedding photo album software (free to download and use) is packed with great features that no other software program offers on the market today. You can fully customize your album pages, add personalized captions, make custom cover pages with your own photos and text. The software program has powerful photo editing tools, if you need to spruce up your pictures before putting them in the photography book.

But it doesn't stop there! You can also share your digital photo books online with anybody who has an e-mail address for free. Once your friends receive an e-mail with a link to your photo album, all what they have to do is just click the link in your e-mail, and the smiles begin. Your friends can view your photo book without downloading those bulky attachments. Your digital photo album will look like an online magazine, so your friends will be able to turn the pages, zoom in and out, etc.

If you would like to send a printed photo book as a gift to your friends, you can do so with just a click of your mouse. In fact, your friends can order as many prints of your photo books as they like themselves without downloading this digital photo album software.

You can customize your photo album for each recipient by adding a separate cover page and cover title to make a truly unique and personalized gift for any occasion. Who doesn't love receiving gifts with a nice personal touch? Now you can make yours! And no, these gifts won't come with a huge price tag. You will be shocked how inexpensive they are!

Better Guide to Digital Photography For a Wedding - More Clients For Your Business

When you are looking for a better guide to digital photography for wedding, there are some criteria that you need to follow. This is because; there are numerous digital wedding photography guides out there that only focusing on certain technical topic.

It is important for wedding photographer to apply latest techniques in digital photography to get outstanding pictures. However it is more important to keep your business grow and maintain. Thus, whenever you are looking for digital wedding photography guide, you should also do not forget to learn how to increase your business profit.

So, how are you going to get more clients for your business? Let's find out the answer.

1. Do your business professionally

Not many wedding photographers prepare complete agreements between them and their clients. Usually they will only prepare payment agreement and think it is enough. If you want to run a successful wedding photography business, you should prepare at least:

a. Wedding photography contract your clients should signed. This is so crucial that determine smooth flow of you business while working with your clients.

b. Extended time agreement. Seriously, this agreement will save you from a lot of hassles.

c. Deposit reminder. This agreement will ensure you get your payment on time

The guide should not only teach you the technical skills behind digital photography but also covers other important aspect for your business. The success of your business depends solely on how well you market and handle your wedding photography business.

2. Marketing your business effectively.

The success of every business depend on two things namely good quality of product or service and marketing. Marketing plays a major role since this is how you expose your business and get more clients. how should you market your wedding photography business?

Joint venture is one of the powerful ways to improve your business. There are many business and people involve in wedding event. Make up artist, catering, wedding cake business and many more. Take an action to do joint venture with them and see how your business sell.

Photography Depth of Field Explained

Over my nearly twenty years of teaching university photography classes, I've come to discover that one area that students often have the hardest time mastering is depth of field. Whereas beginning students usually manage pretty well to work with their cameras in manual mode which forces them to make their own selections of apertures and shutter speeds, they often seem to overlook creating images with a limited area of focus as the valuable tool it is for creating striking images.

Actually, I think one explanation for why this approach isn't explored more by many students is that they aren't active enough when they're out shooting. They see something in the distance that interests them and I fear too often they just take the shot from that point and don't investigate much further.

What, then, is "depth of field" (or DoF, for short)? Basically, it's the term we use to describe the area in the photograph which is in acceptable focus from the point nearest to the camera to the point furthest from the camera. What's interesting about this concept is precisely that this distance can change radically according to different settings and choices made by the photographer.

What Creates Different Ranges of Focus?

1. Aperture size. Large aperture openings like f 2, f 2.8 will have among the shortest or shallowest of range of focus. Smaller openings like f 11, f 16 and f 22 will have a progressively bigger depth of field as the opening is smaller (bigger numbers = smaller openings)

2. Lens type. Wide angle lenses will tend to have a greater range of focus than will longer telephoto lenses. The same will be true even with zoom lenses-when you're set to a more wide angle setting such as 35 mm or smaller, you'll have a bigger depth of field than if the lens is set at 100 mm or higher.

3. Focal distance. This may actually be the most important setting to impact whether you have a very narrow or very wide range of focus. If the absolute focus point is set on a point less than a meter (a few feet) from the camera you will have a much shallower depth of field than if your focal point is 10 meters or more from the camera.

Consequently, although an f 2.8 setting where you focus on a subject less than a meter from the camera will have a shallower range of focus than if you take the same picture with a smaller aperture (f 8, 11, 16, etc.), they will all be relatively shallow DoF precisely because the camera is focused very close.

Therefore, one is likely to find that the DoF will become narrower as one moves into tighter quarters which prevent focusing on objects at a greater distance. Now, why is all this important? Clearly, when something is in focus it draws the attention of the viewer more than something which is out of focus. In this way, a shallow range of focus can help direct the viewer toward parts of the picture which seem more important. Likewise, to take a portrait against a background that is a bit distracting, a shallow DoF which limits the area in focus primarily to the subject would allow the background to become softer and therefore less distracting.

Michael McCarthy
Atelier Vagabond Photo Tours & Workshops