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by David Peters

Photography is not just about pointing and pressing a button; it’s a decision-making process. One of the best reasons for working photography into your activities and projects is that it helps people better understand the media images they’re bombarded with every day. Photography is also just plain fun, and it’s a wonderful foundation for community-based projects. If you introduce photography properly, it helps you look much more carefully at the world around you.

It is quite easy to touch the optics of a camera and leave fingerprints. The result is that your pictures do not turn out clear in certain areas. Or, the autofocus sensors (if your camera has them) can be fooled by the smudge you leave on them, and deliver blurred pictures. Regularly clean your optics with an appropriate cloth and solution (both obtained at any respectable camera store). Do not use tissue paper, your finger, spit or household cleaning solutions.

Most cameras with autofocus provide a two-step shutter release. Depressing the shutter lightly half-way locks the focus; depressing it fully takes the picture. This two-step shutter release allows you to select the part of the picture you want to be in focus (especially if it is not in the middle — usually the focus zone — of the screen), depress the shutter release half-way to lock the focus, and then reframe the picture. Your main subject, even if it is not now in the camera’s focus zone, will still come out in focus in the final picture. When depressing the shutter, do it gently, not with a jerk. Do not hammer it down with your index finger. Place your index finger on the shutter, and let it rest gently there until you are ready to take the picture. Then depress it gently half-way to lock the focus. Reframe, hold your breath, and then depress it fully, but still gently, to take the picture. This helps you maintain your composition and keep your horizon level.

When you look at a picture where there are objects in the foreground and in the background, you may notice that, besides your main subject, some objects in front of your main subject and going all the way back to behind your main subject are also in focus. This “zone of sharpness” is called the depth of field. The depth of field is dependent on the aperture you are using, the focusing distance, and the size of the projected image. The depth of field decreases as you open up the lens, i.e. as you move to a larger aperture. It decreases as you move closer to your subject. And, at a fixed image size, the depth of field is the same irrespective of the focal length used. You would want to use a shallow depth of field to isolate your main subject from its surroundings, as in a portrait. You can accomplish that by moving in close, by zooming in (again, because it makes the background appear larger and more out of focus) and/or by using a large aperture.

A great technique that helps photographers create eye-catching pictures is the rule of thirds. This is a composition technique, create a pleasing balance between the different obects in a photograph. In order to use the rule, divide your screen into six different parts: three horizontal sections, and three vertical. The focal points, where the eye is attracted when it first looks at a picture, are where the lines intersect. Placing the subjects of your pictures at or near the focal points can help create a balanced and attractive picture.

Landscape photos are very popular and can be very nice-looking. The whole photograph will need to be in focus, unlike some pictures where only a certain part is in focus. In order to have the picture completely focused, you’ll need to have a short focal length. This will create a larger depth of field, and everything will be focused. In order to creating a pleasing balance between land and sky, or water and sky, you can use the rule of thirds. Furthermore, if you want a sense of three dimensions, you can have a subject in the foreground.

In order to take a panoramic picture, you must have a tripod. Set your camera on the tripod and make sure that it can swivel smoothly only left and right; you don’t want it to go tilt up and down. If this happens, your resulting picture will not look right. You’ll have to mentally note where the edges of your picture are, so that you can know where to overlap the next ones. Keeping the tripod planted in the same place, swivel the camera to one side, left or right, and take a second picture overlapping part of your first shot. Continue to do this until you have all the pictures you want. To put them all together, all you have to do is use a basic graphics or picture editing program to put them all in the right order, and you will have a panoramic picture!

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Image from WikipediaIs an SLR camera really worth the extra money? I know I’ve taken some pretty amazing photographs using just a simple, cheap point and shoot camera. I’m sure everyone has. So, is buying a camera like the Olympus Evolt E510 SLR really necessary?

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Perfect paintings and drawings can look lifeless. As an artist searching for perfection don’t miss the key ingredient to great art. The most important painting component is

“A picture that gives you a real sense of life”

The texture of the canvas adds depth to an oil painting. The finished painting isn’t dull and flat. By building layer upon layer of paint an artist creates a work of art that has interest and character

“With a surface of texture and depth”

To create great Art involves far more. Each painting has a hidden history

You don’t see the plans and preparations. There are the artist’s thoughts and ideas

* There are early ideas drawn on lost preparatory drawings

* Color sketches hidden in old art folders

* Old ideas covered by later repainting

Even if you can copy exactly what you see in front of you, you need to give your painting more

* A painting becomes Art when you use your feeling and understanding

* Your painting’s character comes from your flair and expression

* Your time and dedication is needed for painting success

Artists who use reference photographs can combine details from more than one photograph to create a new reality. You can play with subject details and backgrounds to develop new ideas when you

* Add your memories to your drawings

* Create a storyline for your picture

* Give your painting color

You can disguise drawing faults like poor perspectives with confident line-work. Active drawing permits you to disguise mistakes and lack of drawing skill when you work from real life

* When you draw a still life picture, the natural sweep of your ink pen can mask slightly distorted vase of flowers

* When you use a pencil for figure drawing, errors in body form can be hidden

* A quick swish of charcoal will make trees in your landscape sketch move with the wind

* A swirling dash of crayon can capture the power of Sea waves

You can easily add more interest to you drawings Leave the sketch outlines showing. Your drawings will rank high when your pencil marks show movement and growth.

Don’t hide your talents. Allow the painting process to distinguish your original artwork from a machine produced print copy

* Allow visible brush marks to show the quality of your oil and acrylic painting skills

* Lift your paintings Add a splash of color to your paintings

* Use water to carry color in your flowing watercolor paintings

As an art beginner or intermediate painter take the lead from professional artists. Add soul to your painting and drawing. Don’t allow your art to suffer

“Reveal your character and personality”

Girl tattoo designs are all over the internet. The question, then, is not so much on where to look for them as on how to choose the right one. Here are some basic tips for finding the design that you would love to keep for the rest of your life.

Know What You Want

Tattoo should be more than skin-deep. Remember that tattoos will stay on your skin forever. You should pick a design that you personally want and that is significant to you. Do take note though that various designs may not have the same universal meaning as you would think. Flowers for example are definitely feminine but some particular kinds of flowers may also signify jealousy, flirtatiousness, unfaithfulness and folly. You can ask an experienced tattoo artist for design definitions. You can also research for them online. Decide on a design only when you like it very much and you know what it means.

Pick the Right Spot

Although tattoos can be placed anywhere, some parts of the body however are more ideal than others. Your choice of tattoo spot will depend on your particular purpose for wearing the tattoo. If you want something that can be seen, then you can settle for arm or facial tattoos. If you wan to be more discreet, then you can choose spots that can be hidden by choice. These include the lower back, foot and inner wrist.

There are also spots that are more common than others. These areas include the lower back and the arms. If you want to be more original, you can choose to have a tattoo on the foot, although this may hurt more than usual.

Size Matters

Girl tattoo designs have different shapes, sizes and even variations. There is however, a big difference between designs for males and females. Those for ladies are almost always smaller than their male counterparts. There are big designs for women. These however are typically more delicate, dainty and refined. Tattoo artists may recommend designs for you but the final decision is always yours. If you want a tattoo that will make you seem more feminine, then opt for scaled down designs.

Get the Tattoo for Yourself

Get a tattoo because you want to. Getting one because someone else wants you to is never an option. You have to be certain that your permanent body symbol is your personal choice. This is especially important because tattoos are not universally appreciated. Some people tend to view tattooed women as tramps or sluts. If you make getting a tattoo a personal decision, you wouldn’t worry too much about criticisms.

Pay for a Good Artist

Selecting the right tattoo artist is essential. Reputable artists will always beg off from a design that is not feasible. They will also carefully counsel you about a bad design or tattoo spot location. You should settle for an artist who is experienced but who can be honest with you.

You just can’t pass up great girl tattoo designs. You should always be careful with your design choices though. Make sure you get your design right the first time. A botched up tattoo may be hard to fix.

Sleeping Beauty was the sixteenth film in Walt Disney’s canon, following Lady and The Tramp and preceding One Hundred and One Dalmatians. It was the last feature to be based upon a fairy tale, written by Charles Perrault. Indeed, Disney Studios would not return to a fairy tale again until the 1989 release of The Little Mermaid. Moreover, this was the last feature to use hand-inked cells.

The film was supervised by Walt Disney himself, though he charged the direction of the feature to his trusted animators Les Clark, Eric Larson, and Wolfgang Reitherman. The three animators, as well as six other co-workers, were known collectively as “The Nine Old Men.” The Nine Old Men were the key animators who had worked with Walt beginning with Snow White and ending with The Rescuers. The film’s score was performed by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, based on the 1890 Sleeping Beauty ballet composed by Pytor Tchaikovsky. Production of Sleeping Beauty stretched nearly the entire decade of the 1950s. According to Wikipedia, the story was rewritten through 1951, the actor’s voices were recorded in 1952, the actual animation spanned from 1953 to 1958, and the stereophonic score was recorded in 1957. Walt Disney wanted the style of the film to mimic medieval art. This marked a decided break from the characteristically rounded and fluid animation style Disney had become famous for. Since the feature would be screened via the Super Technirama 70 format, Disney was keen on making Sleeping Beauty as complex and detailed as possible. The Super Technirama 70 format was a method that optically enlarged 35mm film stock to a 70mm print. The Black Cauldron is the only other Disney film to have been presented Super Technirama 70.

Disney charged Eyvind Earle, a background painter and artist, with the production design of the film. Earle was given a great deal of freedom to push the boundaries. His lavish backgrounds often took seven to ten days to paint, whereas an average background painting took only one day to prepare. Earle’s artistic latitude was not popular among the animators as they had previously enjoyed a great deal of participation with regards to their respective characters and background settings. Disney’s belief in Earle was directly related to his winning an Academy Award for a Disney released short in 1953 entitled Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom. Following its release, Sleeping Beauty only earned half of its $6 million budget. This shortfall nearly bankrupted the Disney studio. The film was initially criticized for its pacing and alleged shallow character development. Many felt the radical new look alienated a number of Disney fans. It has subsequently come to be considered a classic, most notably for its lush backgrounds, widescreen format, and stirring soundtrack.

Are you looking to learn mentalism? This article will be useful to you because I will show you what you need to know about learning mentalism. I’m a big fan of mentalism and the tricks always seems to keep me guessing. This article will go through 6 things that you need to know get started with mentalism

1. Mentalism, what is it? Mentalism is considered to be different from general magic and is a specific area of magic that is unique. Mentalism is different in the way that it uses mind tricks to amaze spectators. If you are looking to get started with magic, you should learn mentalism because of the fact that there are really simple trick you can get started with.

2. Presentation. This is the area that you would probably want to concentrate on most. Of course you need to learn the trick, but a trick without proper presentation won’t impress anyone. You need to be able to convey to your spectators that what you are saying is true. When you prep your spectator with words, the trick will become even more impressive.

3. Persuasion. This is part of the presentation that is key to learning mentalism. In order to persuade someone, you need to understand what they think and how they think. In this way, you can shape your words and phrases that mix in fiction and reality to create an interesting story. If you watch many magicians today, you will see that they are very good at persuading their spectators.

4. Misdirection and concealment. This part of mentalism requires you to draw the eyes of your spectators whereever you want. Body control and hand movements are very delicate which will keep your spectators from looking at other parts of your performance. If you can master misdirection, you can pretty much do anything like make things disappear.

5. Mind reading. This is probably the area that mentalism is most known for. I would have to say that if you learn mentalism, you should take the time and learn many different techniques of mind reading and mind control. A good place to start is “prediction” tricks where you try to read what the person’s mind and make a prediction before they make a choice or decision.

6. Card tricks are great when done correctly. If you are looking to learn mentalism, you should definitely add some card tricks into your routine. Mixing this up with mind reading tricks will make a great performance.

Now I hope these 6 things will help you in getting started when you learn mentalism. I advise you to start reading and practicing everything that you learn. Start with easier tricks and then try more difficult ones that require memorization and attention to detail. Once you have those small tricks under your belt, stringing them together will make for an awesome performance.

A tattoo is a change to your body that lasts for life so knowing the good and bad about this decision is important. And by asking the right questions before you get started, you will be happier with your tattoo when the procedure is finished. So it’s a good step for us to discuss the basic things to think about before you go to an expert tattoo artist.

You don’t want to take up too much of the tat designer’s time, so make sure that you enter the shop equipped with a drawing of what you want your tattoo pattern to look like. Most folks are looking to obtain a tattoo for sentimental reasons. For example, they may want to tattoo the name of their kids on their body eternally.

The artist doesn’t care what the design is so if you want something artistic or fun such as a horse or a sunburst, that’s fine. But knowing what you want helps a lot so you can be ready to hand the design to the artist who will do your tattoo. Don’t plan to just describe it because these artists don’t like to work that way. Bring the pattern with you.

You also must decide on the tinting that you require. Keep in mind that certain colors show up better than others on different shades of skin. For example, a white color may or may not be seen on pale skin. A professional tattoo artist should guide you here.

The next thing to consider is where you want the tattoo to be etched on your body. If you want the entire world to see your new tattoo at every opportunity, you will put it somewhere that is normally exposed, like the neck, the wrist, shoulders, or the lower leg. But if you are getting your tat more for yourself and not for others, you may decide on placing your body art on your mid thigh, lower back, or on the upper part of the foot.

But keep in mind that a tattoo is a permanent change to your look so decades from now, it will still be there. Down the road you may not be comfortable with “I Love Susie” tattooed on your neck when you are married to Joan or when it is visible at your place of work.

The final but very important consideration is the professionalism and skills of the tattoo parlor and the tattoo artist you wish to you. And as with a lot of things, nothing can replace a reference so if you know someone who had a great experience getting a tattoo, find out who did it and where and seek out the best in the business. The knowledge of someone who has gotten a tattoo can be helpful about which tattoo parlors are clean and professional, who the best tattoo artist might be at the parlor and whether they had any medical problems with the tattoo.

After you have collected all the information and become an intelligent tattoo consumer, promise yourself you will think about it for a day or two before making this big step. Getting a tattoo has no place as part of a prank, to fulfill a dare or as part of a drunken spree on the town. That tattoo will be on your body forever so be sober and smart about who, what, when, where and why you get a tattoo.

A girl tattoo design and its meaning differs from that of men’s. If you’re a woman looking for a tattoo, one thing is for sure: you can’t just pick a tattoo design based solely on your personal preference. The first thing you have to look into is the tattoo meaning. A tattoo may look cool, cute or exquisite but you wouldn’t want to get stuck with a tattoo that isn’t significant to you. In worse cases, some people get stuck with tattoos that have negative meanings. Here are some designs that you might want to consider:

- Floral designs signify delicate femininity. You should be careful though because different flowers may have different meanings. Roses for example can have a variety of significances ranging from love to infidelity depending on the flower color.

- Stars are also popular as female tattoo designs. They can however also carry a variety of meanings. Nautical stars typically give off the message of purpose and direction or the love for the sea. Other star designs are simply reflective of childish fantasies or hopes and wishes.

- Female’s lower back would look awesome with tribal designs. A horizontal swirl of tribal designs can accentuate the sexy curves of a woman’s back. Be careful though. Some tribal designs are created by artists with no particular meaning. Others however are taken from real tribes like the Maori, Polynesian and Native American tribes. Your girl tattoo design may carry a particular tribal significance that you may not be aware of.

- There are also tattoo designs with more obvious meanings. Angels and crosses for example could communicate religious faith.

- Foreign alphabets and characters are also another favorite design for girl’s tattoos. You can have a Japanese or Chinese character that stands for love, friendship, power and many more. It is very important though that you get artists who can really read these characters. You can also opt for translators who can help you with making the design. It is not uncommon for foreign characters to have a few missing parts here and there and end up meaning something else.

- There are also animal designs to choose from. Sleek felines like a puma, cheetah or leopard would look great on women who want to exude strength and empowerment. Butterflies however are an absolute favorite due to their delicate features.

- Fantasy designs have been around for ages. They seem to have become even more popular these days because of famous fantasy shows and movies. Typical fantasy designs are fairies and unicorns. Other designs however may carry a more powerful meaning. The phoenix for example almost always means rebirth and rising from the ashes again.

- Of course, you can also make your own design. Some artists would be more than willing to come up with designs that stem from your own personal experience. A personal code between you and a significant other and the face of your baby are some examples. This is the safest tattoo design option because you are sure of what it means. On the other hand, a tattoo artist may charge extra for the design. Making the design may also take some time.

A girl tattoo design would become more meaningful if you choose it yourself. It is important to remember though that you should know exactly why you would want a particular design. The significance of your tattoo matters a lot. It contributes to the impact of your tattoo.