Today's African-American student is in a stage where they have had great gains in the access of information. Despite what political affiliation, you cannot ignore the fact that the "No Child Left Behind" Act imposed by President Bush has given African American students easier access to information at a younger age. Currently, our society is witnessing the trend of African American students entering college with some of the same to similar computer skills as the average (white) college student. Because of this, we as educators and staff members of institutions of higher education should move towards instruction that will exploit this trend in the shrinking of the information access divide. There are several ways that one could implement techniques that would succeed, but there is one particular avenue that every institution of higher education has is a library. It has been documented that the integration of library use into course work and school curriculum has exponentially increased the success rates in all levels of education. In the following text, you will learn in what way the divide in information access has become smaller and some ways that you can implore your academic library to aid in your endeavors
Though Information Access and Digital Divide are two terms that have been used interchangeably in the common sect, the two terms are very distinct in meaning and when used in practice. To start, Information Access is just a small part of the Digital Divide that has plighted most of the free world. Digital Divide works on a larger scale, depicting entire societies and countries that suffer from the disparity and knowledge of modern technologies such as cell phones, computers, fax machine etc. Conversely, Information Access (or the lack there of) refers more to the access to these same type of technologies on a smaller scale and mastering of these technologies to obtain and transmit information. For instance, the fact that third world countries do not have access to electricity and we here in the United States do, would be an example of the Digital Divide. The fact that some elementary schools have computers with access to EbscoHost Databases and another schools have computers without access to these databases, would be an example of the divide in Information access. Both schools have access to the technology, but the access to the information that can be obtained with the technology, is lacking.
This Digital Divide and the divide in Information Access here in the United States is steadily on the decline. With concern to the Digital Divide, 94% of African American College students have access to a computer at home and 71% have access at their school as opposed to 97% of white students with home computer access and 81% of school computer access.. Access to information is very close as well. In this case, access to information was measured by the numbers of those who have access to the Internet. 89% of African American college students had home internet access and 70% had internet access at their school with the corresponding numbers of white college students being 94% and 81%, respectfully. The shrinking of the Digital Divide and divide in Information Access could be attributed to many different things but one area that id definitely at the forefront is that libraries, public or other wise, have jumped into the digital age in efforts to close the divide in information access. Looking at public libraries, where African American students have greater access to free technology, over the past ten years have made leaps and bounds in this area. In 1995, The Mary Ann Mongan Branch of the Kenton County Public Library system in Covington, KY, an urban area, boasted only a handful of computers that were only reserved for adult use. In 2005, the number of computers skyrocketed to close to 100 terminals just for public use. That is just in one of their branches and does not include computers used by staff members.
Access to Information perpetuated with equal momentum. In reading The University of Wisconsin's Murphy Library's 1994 annual report, and academic library, we find that the preparer mentions that its library's access to GPO, which offers online access to the Congressional Record and the Code of Federal Regulations, was one of their accomplishments in the previous fiscal year. The annual report goes on to convey the fact that OCLC FirstSearch, an online service that gives library professionals and end users access to a rich collection of reference databases, continues to have heavy usage, numerating over 3,000 searches. That was 12 years ago. In Victoria College's 2003-2004 Annual Report, they give example of Murphy Library's prediction of moving towards access to information rather than ownership of it. In this report, the following is reported: -CD ROM networks are 'dead' technology. -They provide off campus access to over 80 electronic databases and over 35,000 electronic books. -1/2 of library database usage comes from off campus locations -Electronic databases give users access to over 22,000 magazine journals.
Currently with ever-evasive trend of instant messaging that has permeated teenage culture, libraries have started to integrate this phenomenon into their services. In the summer of 2006, Northern Kentucky University's Steely Library initiated its first instant messaging reference service where patrons from around the world have the ability to send an instant message, to have one of their research questions answered. Kenton County Public Library has incorporated RSS feed onto their websites so that their patrons can get the most up to date information about books and other materials and services offered at their library. More and more libraries are incorporating Blogs and texts messaging into their repertoire of services.
Because the Digital Divide and divide in the Information Access, with concern to African Americans, African American students should capitalize on this trend. We as African American staff and faculty members of institutions of higher education should aid our students to capitalize on this trend. Here are a few different ways to do so
Visit your academic library Though a number of faculty and staff members know the value that libraries hold and suggest that their students use every advantage that libraries (public or academic) have to offer, they themselves do not actively use the library on a regular basis. Libraries have changed dramatically over the past 10 years so the items that you are used to using just a few years ago may no longer be available.
Find out what your research librarians have to offer Take an inventory of all that your library has to offer students. Innovations such as email reference services, Online Interlibrary Loan applications and instant messaging service are things that your students could use, but you may not know of.
Implement coursework that will cause students to use reference material Just suggesting that your students use the library may not be enough of a push to get your students to USE the library. The implementations of computers in most academic libraries are already enough to get students into the library, but implementing library use in coursework implants a since of need and urgency for students to Use the library. Today's African-American student is in a stage where they have had great gains in the access of information. Because of this, it is imperative that we as educators and staff members of institutions of higher education implement and encourage instruction that embraces library use and exploits this trend in the shrinking of the information access divide. Do not let this opportunity pass us.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
Collecting Fiestaware
Retro and antique kitchenware has always had a huge following in the hobby market. People love to collect household items that were once commonly found in every kitchen but aren't used so much anymore. For these reasons and more, Fiestaware is one of the most highly collectible things available for those who are looking for a hobby.
The history of Fiestaware is well known to its collectors, and has a lot to do with why the pieces are so popular. If you're interested in collecting Fiestaware as a hobby, read on. This information should help you to understand why certain pieces are highly prized and what to look for.
History of Fiestaware
First marketed in 1936, Fiestaware (which is actually simply called Fiesta by the company that made it) enjoyed instant popularity after its introduction at an annual Pottery and Glass exhibit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The original design of Fiestaware was done by a man named Fredrick Rhead, who worked for the Homer Laughlin company, producers of various types of dinnerware. Fiestaware's design was simple: it was dinnerware glazed in a series of bright solid colors, with concentric rings sculpted into the edges of each plate and bowl.
It is speculated that the huge response to Fiestaware by consumers everywhere was spurred somewhat by the Great Depression. Number one, people were in the mood for some bright colors. Number two, Fiestaware made it easy for anyone to have a new look on their table without spending a lot of money. The key to Fiestaware was that the pieces could be mixed and matched together in any color combination, and you could set a fresh table every time you entertained.
During the late 1930s, special edition pieces of Fiestaware were introduced in order to promote the series and increase sales. While the original sets had offered some unique pieces- including candleholders, ash trays, and every size of mixing bowl imaginable- the promotional pieces were even more unique. Very few of these limited edition pieces survive today; they included such items as a french casserole dish and a juice pitcher.
The Fiestaware colors
Often referred to as the Original Six, the first six colors of Fiestaware were produced up through the 1950s. Originally the line included five colors only- Cobalt blue, Red, Yellow, Light Green, and Ivory- but Turquoise was added in 1937, and it is these six colors that are most sought after by collectors.
In 1943, Red Fiestaware was discontinued, and by 1944 it had more or less disappeared from the market. This was because the red glaze used to make these pieces contained a trace amount of uranium, and around the time of World War II the government took control of all uranium production. Thus, Red Fiestaware was no longer produced. Interestingly enough, some people believe that the Red was removed because of the fact that uranium is in fact radioactive; the truth of the matter is that the amount of uranium in a piece of Red Fiestaware is so small that there is almost no way it could cause damage to human beings. If you own Red Fiestaware today, you should be aware of the fact that chances are good it is worth more money than the other original colors because of this discontinuation.
By the time the war had ended and the 1950s had rolled around, the colors of Fiestaware seemed a little stale according to the new tastes of consumers. Thus, the company produced four all-new colors for the market: Rose, Chartreuse, Gray, and Forest. These four were added to the original Turquoise and Yellow to make six available colors once more.
Ten years later, the company made one last attempt to boost sales by dropping these 1950s colors and introducing a new Medium Green, sold alongside the original Turquoise and Yellow and a newly-resurrected Red. This was the line-up for Fiestaware through the year 1969, when the company was given a new name (Fiesta Ironstone), until the discontinuation of Fiestaware in 1973.
Fiestaware collectors today
Fiestaware is one of the few things on the market that was appreciated almost immediately after its discontinuation. Unlike other products, which languish for years before they develop a secondhand following, Fiestaware began selling almost instantly in junk shops and garage sales. At this time, it was considered an item of nostalgia (many people had grown up using Fiestaware in their childhood homes) and it was also cheap and durable, so it was a popular secondhand choice for dinnerware. By the end of the 1970s, the pieces were still readily available, but as the used market got sucked dry the prices began to rise. And rise.
Today, original Fiestaware can be found for hundreds of dollars- although, if you're a good bargain hunter and you get a little lucky, you can still discover the pieces in thrift shops and secondhand stores for decent prices- provided the seller doesn't know what it is. In 1986, on the fiftieth anniversary of its original production, the Homer Laughlin Company re-introduced Fiestaware. The new pieces are made from a different material and, while they are extremely popular, they don't have the cult following that the originals do.
So if you're interested in collecting Fiestaware, be aware of the fact that you're not alone and that there's some competition out there. It is possible to find a good bargain and score these unique vintage pieces almost anywhere, but you have to know exactly what you're looking for and what it's worth. So read up on Fiestaware, do some research, and prepare to invest some time and legwork. Happy hunting!
-by bjp
The history of Fiestaware is well known to its collectors, and has a lot to do with why the pieces are so popular. If you're interested in collecting Fiestaware as a hobby, read on. This information should help you to understand why certain pieces are highly prized and what to look for.
History of Fiestaware
First marketed in 1936, Fiestaware (which is actually simply called Fiesta by the company that made it) enjoyed instant popularity after its introduction at an annual Pottery and Glass exhibit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The original design of Fiestaware was done by a man named Fredrick Rhead, who worked for the Homer Laughlin company, producers of various types of dinnerware. Fiestaware's design was simple: it was dinnerware glazed in a series of bright solid colors, with concentric rings sculpted into the edges of each plate and bowl.
It is speculated that the huge response to Fiestaware by consumers everywhere was spurred somewhat by the Great Depression. Number one, people were in the mood for some bright colors. Number two, Fiestaware made it easy for anyone to have a new look on their table without spending a lot of money. The key to Fiestaware was that the pieces could be mixed and matched together in any color combination, and you could set a fresh table every time you entertained.
During the late 1930s, special edition pieces of Fiestaware were introduced in order to promote the series and increase sales. While the original sets had offered some unique pieces- including candleholders, ash trays, and every size of mixing bowl imaginable- the promotional pieces were even more unique. Very few of these limited edition pieces survive today; they included such items as a french casserole dish and a juice pitcher.
The Fiestaware colors
Often referred to as the Original Six, the first six colors of Fiestaware were produced up through the 1950s. Originally the line included five colors only- Cobalt blue, Red, Yellow, Light Green, and Ivory- but Turquoise was added in 1937, and it is these six colors that are most sought after by collectors.
In 1943, Red Fiestaware was discontinued, and by 1944 it had more or less disappeared from the market. This was because the red glaze used to make these pieces contained a trace amount of uranium, and around the time of World War II the government took control of all uranium production. Thus, Red Fiestaware was no longer produced. Interestingly enough, some people believe that the Red was removed because of the fact that uranium is in fact radioactive; the truth of the matter is that the amount of uranium in a piece of Red Fiestaware is so small that there is almost no way it could cause damage to human beings. If you own Red Fiestaware today, you should be aware of the fact that chances are good it is worth more money than the other original colors because of this discontinuation.
By the time the war had ended and the 1950s had rolled around, the colors of Fiestaware seemed a little stale according to the new tastes of consumers. Thus, the company produced four all-new colors for the market: Rose, Chartreuse, Gray, and Forest. These four were added to the original Turquoise and Yellow to make six available colors once more.
Ten years later, the company made one last attempt to boost sales by dropping these 1950s colors and introducing a new Medium Green, sold alongside the original Turquoise and Yellow and a newly-resurrected Red. This was the line-up for Fiestaware through the year 1969, when the company was given a new name (Fiesta Ironstone), until the discontinuation of Fiestaware in 1973.
Fiestaware collectors today
Fiestaware is one of the few things on the market that was appreciated almost immediately after its discontinuation. Unlike other products, which languish for years before they develop a secondhand following, Fiestaware began selling almost instantly in junk shops and garage sales. At this time, it was considered an item of nostalgia (many people had grown up using Fiestaware in their childhood homes) and it was also cheap and durable, so it was a popular secondhand choice for dinnerware. By the end of the 1970s, the pieces were still readily available, but as the used market got sucked dry the prices began to rise. And rise.
Today, original Fiestaware can be found for hundreds of dollars- although, if you're a good bargain hunter and you get a little lucky, you can still discover the pieces in thrift shops and secondhand stores for decent prices- provided the seller doesn't know what it is. In 1986, on the fiftieth anniversary of its original production, the Homer Laughlin Company re-introduced Fiestaware. The new pieces are made from a different material and, while they are extremely popular, they don't have the cult following that the originals do.
So if you're interested in collecting Fiestaware, be aware of the fact that you're not alone and that there's some competition out there. It is possible to find a good bargain and score these unique vintage pieces almost anywhere, but you have to know exactly what you're looking for and what it's worth. So read up on Fiestaware, do some research, and prepare to invest some time and legwork. Happy hunting!
-by bjp
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Casio Exilim Camera
by Janie Blank
Well, one would not expect buying a new digital camera to be so difficult when you have already decided what kind you want to buy!
I have been using a Minolta Dimage-X for several years. When I bought it, the Dimage-X was the slimmest, skinniest camera on the market. I am a prolific photographer, if not a very technical one. I am more from the school that is better to have the camera handy, and able to turn on and shoot quickly than having the perfect photograph. I am not very good at all of the adjustments. So buying a camera that is small enough to hide in an evening purse is part of my criteria.
Initially when I got my Dimage everyone commented on its slim size. But as time went on I started to see some cameras that were truly tiny. The slimmest ones appeal most to me. My niece and my daughters best friend both got Casio Exilim models. They seemed to take good pictures. We all attended a wedding and shared photos and I was happy with the quality. I still envied the smaller size but was not ready to replace my Casio. Last year I even spent $50 on a new battery because my old would not hold a charge. But a year later it had gotten to the point where I would only take a half dozen photos and my red light came on. We were out with friends on the boat and I was taking pictures of their daughters tubing behind the boat and the camera went dead and said battery exhausted. It was fully charged when I started out and I got just 20 shots. This is just not acceptable.
We discussed buying another battery but decided in the end that we will be traveling extensively in the near future and should just go ahead and get a new one before we leave. We have a trip planned to Southern California followed almost immediately with one to Europe. Two months later we will again spend the winter in Puerto Vallarta. The Holidays and many other picture taking opportunities are in between. Now is the time we decided.
I went online and looked at all models but pretty quickly narrowed my search to Casio Exilim. The biggest drawback, if you want to call it that, is that they do not include an optical viewfinder. The screen is much larger than what I am used to though, and I notice whenever anyone uses a digital now they always look through the screen so I think this is something I will quickly adjust to. I think my husband is still a little skeptical but there is a large price difference and money can sway him quite easily!
I immediately was attracted to the red model! I am part of a group that goes a several trips a year and we al want our own picture of the group. When we al throw our cameras down so someone can take the same shot with each camera – I know this is ridiculous – but I cannot help but think how nice it would be t have a red one! Knowing how long I keep a camera I thought I should get the latest and greatest which is 7.0 megapixels as opposed to 6.0. Now mind you my old one is 3.0! My husband says I will never be able to tell a 6.0 form 7.0 and I am sure he is right.
This created two problems. First is they cost about $100 more and secondly they are not yet available in most stores. We leave in a week for our trip so I did not want to chance ordering it.
The best prices seemed to be at Circuit City. We have one not too far away so we decided to go there and take a look. They had no 7.0 models. All were 6.0 or even 5.0. They also did not have all the models I had printed out from the website. And they had others I had not printed out. So much for all my research.
It also surprised us how many models that they had that were basically the same thing although they varied in physical size. Some were wider, some were thicker. They were all Casio Exilim with 6.0 megapixels.
The only red one was $229. This was $50 less than the one I was looking at online. I wanted to add a 1 gigabyte memory chip that was $40 with a $15 mail-in rebate. With tax and rebate my total cost was $269. This was considerably less than some of the other Exilims. The skinniest one was $299 and I was quite torn because on the one hand it was smaller but then it was not red AND it was $70 more. So I decided to go with the red! It is probably a quarter inch wider than the other Exilim and about the same amount wider than my old one. But it is also about an inch shorter than my old one and slightly thinner than the Minolta Dimage-X.
The model we ended up getting was the EX-Z60. The guy at Circuit City was not al that knowledgeable. He told us it came with a charging cradle and we were excited about that because the Dimage has a battery charger and that means that you must remove the battery charger each time you need to charge it. Over time my battery door became fairly loose. When we got home we found that this model actually does NOT have a cradle but has the same old battery charger and we will need to remove the battery as usual.
Before we even opened the box to look at the camera, I started to read the box. It said the Photoloader software would not work with a Macintosh 10X series computer. That is what I use. Oh, dear! We went to the MicroCenter before going any further and they said that just meant I could not use the Casio proprietary software but that with iPhoto I wouldn’t want to use it anyway. True. I have been using iPhoto now and not the Minolta. He did ask me how much I paid for the 1 gig memory card and he said theirs was just $15. I considered buying it and returning the one I had to Circuit City but decided it was on the other side of town and not worth it. Micro Center did not carry a red Exilim and their least expensive model was $299.
So, to make this long story short, it takes nice pictures. It is pretty. It is small. It certainly was inexpensive. I still have to remove the battery from the case to charge it. But it takes over 300 pictures without needing to charge it so I think in the end I will be way ahead in time and money and I should have a lot of fun with my little red camera!
Well, one would not expect buying a new digital camera to be so difficult when you have already decided what kind you want to buy!
I have been using a Minolta Dimage-X for several years. When I bought it, the Dimage-X was the slimmest, skinniest camera on the market. I am a prolific photographer, if not a very technical one. I am more from the school that is better to have the camera handy, and able to turn on and shoot quickly than having the perfect photograph. I am not very good at all of the adjustments. So buying a camera that is small enough to hide in an evening purse is part of my criteria.
Initially when I got my Dimage everyone commented on its slim size. But as time went on I started to see some cameras that were truly tiny. The slimmest ones appeal most to me. My niece and my daughters best friend both got Casio Exilim models. They seemed to take good pictures. We all attended a wedding and shared photos and I was happy with the quality. I still envied the smaller size but was not ready to replace my Casio. Last year I even spent $50 on a new battery because my old would not hold a charge. But a year later it had gotten to the point where I would only take a half dozen photos and my red light came on. We were out with friends on the boat and I was taking pictures of their daughters tubing behind the boat and the camera went dead and said battery exhausted. It was fully charged when I started out and I got just 20 shots. This is just not acceptable.
We discussed buying another battery but decided in the end that we will be traveling extensively in the near future and should just go ahead and get a new one before we leave. We have a trip planned to Southern California followed almost immediately with one to Europe. Two months later we will again spend the winter in Puerto Vallarta. The Holidays and many other picture taking opportunities are in between. Now is the time we decided.
I went online and looked at all models but pretty quickly narrowed my search to Casio Exilim. The biggest drawback, if you want to call it that, is that they do not include an optical viewfinder. The screen is much larger than what I am used to though, and I notice whenever anyone uses a digital now they always look through the screen so I think this is something I will quickly adjust to. I think my husband is still a little skeptical but there is a large price difference and money can sway him quite easily!
I immediately was attracted to the red model! I am part of a group that goes a several trips a year and we al want our own picture of the group. When we al throw our cameras down so someone can take the same shot with each camera – I know this is ridiculous – but I cannot help but think how nice it would be t have a red one! Knowing how long I keep a camera I thought I should get the latest and greatest which is 7.0 megapixels as opposed to 6.0. Now mind you my old one is 3.0! My husband says I will never be able to tell a 6.0 form 7.0 and I am sure he is right.
This created two problems. First is they cost about $100 more and secondly they are not yet available in most stores. We leave in a week for our trip so I did not want to chance ordering it.
The best prices seemed to be at Circuit City. We have one not too far away so we decided to go there and take a look. They had no 7.0 models. All were 6.0 or even 5.0. They also did not have all the models I had printed out from the website. And they had others I had not printed out. So much for all my research.
It also surprised us how many models that they had that were basically the same thing although they varied in physical size. Some were wider, some were thicker. They were all Casio Exilim with 6.0 megapixels.
The only red one was $229. This was $50 less than the one I was looking at online. I wanted to add a 1 gigabyte memory chip that was $40 with a $15 mail-in rebate. With tax and rebate my total cost was $269. This was considerably less than some of the other Exilims. The skinniest one was $299 and I was quite torn because on the one hand it was smaller but then it was not red AND it was $70 more. So I decided to go with the red! It is probably a quarter inch wider than the other Exilim and about the same amount wider than my old one. But it is also about an inch shorter than my old one and slightly thinner than the Minolta Dimage-X.
The model we ended up getting was the EX-Z60. The guy at Circuit City was not al that knowledgeable. He told us it came with a charging cradle and we were excited about that because the Dimage has a battery charger and that means that you must remove the battery charger each time you need to charge it. Over time my battery door became fairly loose. When we got home we found that this model actually does NOT have a cradle but has the same old battery charger and we will need to remove the battery as usual.
Before we even opened the box to look at the camera, I started to read the box. It said the Photoloader software would not work with a Macintosh 10X series computer. That is what I use. Oh, dear! We went to the MicroCenter before going any further and they said that just meant I could not use the Casio proprietary software but that with iPhoto I wouldn’t want to use it anyway. True. I have been using iPhoto now and not the Minolta. He did ask me how much I paid for the 1 gig memory card and he said theirs was just $15. I considered buying it and returning the one I had to Circuit City but decided it was on the other side of town and not worth it. Micro Center did not carry a red Exilim and their least expensive model was $299.
So, to make this long story short, it takes nice pictures. It is pretty. It is small. It certainly was inexpensive. I still have to remove the battery from the case to charge it. But it takes over 300 pictures without needing to charge it so I think in the end I will be way ahead in time and money and I should have a lot of fun with my little red camera!
Starting A Collection: Be Selective and Have Fun
So you've decided to busy yourself starting a new collection; you even know what you want to collect, how many items, where you will put them, and so on. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work like that. You may be entirely certain you know how many collection pieces you want, and then another "perfect addition" will show up and you won't be able to resist it. Collections can get huge because they always keep growing. You could decide you only want ten rocks, and then find three more that you can't pass up. How do you set some rules without taking away the fun?
Decide what you want to collect. Some of my own collections include shot glasses and bells from my favorite places; model ships; nautical-themed items; and models of historic buildings. When I was younger I collected pencils, book marks, and business cards, until I learned that it's very tempting to just sharpen one of those pencils when you need one, and I usually don't put a book down until it's finished so I didn't really need book marks. If you think the collection you're planning to start could get huge, make sure you have space. It's probably not wise to start a model train collection if you only have a tiny room in which to store your pieces; then you're forced to end your collection much sooner than you would have wished.
If you're collecting something small like rocks or shot glasses, you might want to make a note of when and where you got each piece for future reference. I keep a list of where I bought each item I've collected, and what the occasion was. If model ships are your thing, consider building a shelf and making cards that tell what ship they represent, where they were bought, and maybe even some interesting tidbits about the original ship. Collections are fun and unique, but you can still take a scientific approach and choose to document everything. Collections can be serious or lighthearted depending on your style. If you have a few decorative pillows stashed around your room, you could say you "collect" them, without having an actual collection. If you have shelves full of mugs that are numbered, labeled, and cleaned daily, however, *this* is a serious collection.
Make sure you know how to clean the items you collect. Some things can be cleaned easily, others can not. I've made the mistake of thinking I could clean my shot glasses with lemon wipes, but this leaves a shiny, sticky residue and only makes it worse. My models, however, look great with these wipes. Intricate items like model ships are especially hard to clean. If you have an air can, you might consider gently blowing the dust and grime out from any small crevices. You can also get in there with a damp cotton swab, but most people probably won't want to take the time to do this. If you don't know exactly how to clean something, don't be afraid to ask. The last thing you want to do is take the wrong cleaning approach to something that cost you more money than you care to admit. You'll probably want to dust or wipe the shelf frequently, but make sure to move the pieces to a safe place until you're finished. It is especially important to have the shelves high enough that they won't tempt any pets (or children) that may also live in the house. Animals are drawn to bright, shiny things, after all, and kids just love to play with something new.
Decide if your collection is going to be in your bedroom, and if you'll have room for anything else after you're done accumulating items. I have a few collections in my room, but some are in my travel room on the second story, such as items from other countries and Native American pieces. You can certainly have more than one collection. Some of the most common are rocks, shot glasses, special collectible spoons, bells, models, framed art, and plates, but you can collect anything as long as it doesn't take over your room, any other people in your house aren't allergic to it, and you know how to take care of it. Collections are a great personal expression; anyone walking into your "domain" can see what you love and how it defines you.
By Lacie R. Schaeffer
Decide what you want to collect. Some of my own collections include shot glasses and bells from my favorite places; model ships; nautical-themed items; and models of historic buildings. When I was younger I collected pencils, book marks, and business cards, until I learned that it's very tempting to just sharpen one of those pencils when you need one, and I usually don't put a book down until it's finished so I didn't really need book marks. If you think the collection you're planning to start could get huge, make sure you have space. It's probably not wise to start a model train collection if you only have a tiny room in which to store your pieces; then you're forced to end your collection much sooner than you would have wished.
If you're collecting something small like rocks or shot glasses, you might want to make a note of when and where you got each piece for future reference. I keep a list of where I bought each item I've collected, and what the occasion was. If model ships are your thing, consider building a shelf and making cards that tell what ship they represent, where they were bought, and maybe even some interesting tidbits about the original ship. Collections are fun and unique, but you can still take a scientific approach and choose to document everything. Collections can be serious or lighthearted depending on your style. If you have a few decorative pillows stashed around your room, you could say you "collect" them, without having an actual collection. If you have shelves full of mugs that are numbered, labeled, and cleaned daily, however, *this* is a serious collection.
Make sure you know how to clean the items you collect. Some things can be cleaned easily, others can not. I've made the mistake of thinking I could clean my shot glasses with lemon wipes, but this leaves a shiny, sticky residue and only makes it worse. My models, however, look great with these wipes. Intricate items like model ships are especially hard to clean. If you have an air can, you might consider gently blowing the dust and grime out from any small crevices. You can also get in there with a damp cotton swab, but most people probably won't want to take the time to do this. If you don't know exactly how to clean something, don't be afraid to ask. The last thing you want to do is take the wrong cleaning approach to something that cost you more money than you care to admit. You'll probably want to dust or wipe the shelf frequently, but make sure to move the pieces to a safe place until you're finished. It is especially important to have the shelves high enough that they won't tempt any pets (or children) that may also live in the house. Animals are drawn to bright, shiny things, after all, and kids just love to play with something new.
Decide if your collection is going to be in your bedroom, and if you'll have room for anything else after you're done accumulating items. I have a few collections in my room, but some are in my travel room on the second story, such as items from other countries and Native American pieces. You can certainly have more than one collection. Some of the most common are rocks, shot glasses, special collectible spoons, bells, models, framed art, and plates, but you can collect anything as long as it doesn't take over your room, any other people in your house aren't allergic to it, and you know how to take care of it. Collections are a great personal expression; anyone walking into your "domain" can see what you love and how it defines you.
By Lacie R. Schaeffer
Collecting Teddy Bears
By Christina VanGinkel
Loving teddy bears is a non-discriminatory act when it comes to age. Both young and old alike love them. Some people have the same teddy bear their whole life, coddling it and dragging it along with them everywhere they go as a toddler, to finding a place of honor in their room for it when they get a bit older. As they turn into teenagers, their teddy bears may be forgotten as they are tucked away with their other childhood relics, only to be rediscovered when they become an adult and find themselves out in the big wide world all alone, save for their favorite teddy bear.
Collecting teddy bears, often results when a teddy bear fan realizes that if one teddy bear is good, then a dozen could only be better, and if a dozen is decorative then why not go all out! With teddy bears both new and old just waiting for collectors to discover them, the hobby of teddy bear collecting is one that can last a lifetime.
While I am not sure I could be considered a true collector, as my house is not filled with them, not even a room, I do love the teddy bears I have. Over twenty different Beanie styled bears line a shelf in my workroom, joined by a variety of others, including the newest edition, a felted black bear. He is a bit different from the average teddy bear, as he is actually sitting atop a facsimile pine tree crafted from a real branch, but as he does come off by just lifting him up, I consider him a true teddy bear in all aspects. Not to mention the fact that of all my teddy bears big and small, he is my three-year-old grandson's favorite bear, because he looks real grandma is what I am continually told!
What I love about teddy bears is their simplicity really. No batteries are required, no fancy outfits, no special set of rules accompany them. They just are. They are always ready for a hug, or in my case, willing to sit and listen to me read and re-read any manuscript of part there of that, I happen to be working on. They never sass back, they never have a derogatory word to say. They are the perfect friend. They are always willing to have a tea party, even in my case when my young grandson desires their company for such an affair, they never balk at the idea that holding a tea party with a toddler in charge!
Collecting teddy bears can be a casual affair, much the way I collect them, never really searching any out, yet finding one here and there that just has to join my crowd. Other collectors search styles and makers out, researching bears new and old, with great effort put into deciding which will be the next bear to join their exclusive collection. Some people go so far as to collect only a single type of bear for example, with only one brand or size suitable, or maybe only those teddy bears made of a certain material. Whichever type of collector of teddy bears you happen to fall under, the thing about collecting them is that there really is no wrong way. Teddy bears are the sort that they just beg to be brought home. They always seem so forlorn sitting on a store shelf, or tucked into a basket at a craft show, or lying about in some second hand shop. While not alive, they almost seem to have a change of demeanor when someone decided that yes, that bear is the one they need to add to their collection, and home they bring them.
If you would love to collect teddy bears but are not sure where to begin, check out one of the many magazines or books on this most fascinating hobby. Magazine titles include such favorites as Teddy Bear Review, delivered six times a year, Teddy Bear & Friends, also delivered six times a year, or Teddy Bear Club International, which will arrive in your mailbox all twelve months of the year. Book titles are numerous on the subject with one of my favorites for the collector, new and old, being Teddy Bear Treasury a Salute to Teddy, Identification & Values, by Ken Yenke.
Loving teddy bears is a non-discriminatory act when it comes to age. Both young and old alike love them. Some people have the same teddy bear their whole life, coddling it and dragging it along with them everywhere they go as a toddler, to finding a place of honor in their room for it when they get a bit older. As they turn into teenagers, their teddy bears may be forgotten as they are tucked away with their other childhood relics, only to be rediscovered when they become an adult and find themselves out in the big wide world all alone, save for their favorite teddy bear.
Collecting teddy bears, often results when a teddy bear fan realizes that if one teddy bear is good, then a dozen could only be better, and if a dozen is decorative then why not go all out! With teddy bears both new and old just waiting for collectors to discover them, the hobby of teddy bear collecting is one that can last a lifetime.
While I am not sure I could be considered a true collector, as my house is not filled with them, not even a room, I do love the teddy bears I have. Over twenty different Beanie styled bears line a shelf in my workroom, joined by a variety of others, including the newest edition, a felted black bear. He is a bit different from the average teddy bear, as he is actually sitting atop a facsimile pine tree crafted from a real branch, but as he does come off by just lifting him up, I consider him a true teddy bear in all aspects. Not to mention the fact that of all my teddy bears big and small, he is my three-year-old grandson's favorite bear, because he looks real grandma is what I am continually told!
What I love about teddy bears is their simplicity really. No batteries are required, no fancy outfits, no special set of rules accompany them. They just are. They are always ready for a hug, or in my case, willing to sit and listen to me read and re-read any manuscript of part there of that, I happen to be working on. They never sass back, they never have a derogatory word to say. They are the perfect friend. They are always willing to have a tea party, even in my case when my young grandson desires their company for such an affair, they never balk at the idea that holding a tea party with a toddler in charge!
Collecting teddy bears can be a casual affair, much the way I collect them, never really searching any out, yet finding one here and there that just has to join my crowd. Other collectors search styles and makers out, researching bears new and old, with great effort put into deciding which will be the next bear to join their exclusive collection. Some people go so far as to collect only a single type of bear for example, with only one brand or size suitable, or maybe only those teddy bears made of a certain material. Whichever type of collector of teddy bears you happen to fall under, the thing about collecting them is that there really is no wrong way. Teddy bears are the sort that they just beg to be brought home. They always seem so forlorn sitting on a store shelf, or tucked into a basket at a craft show, or lying about in some second hand shop. While not alive, they almost seem to have a change of demeanor when someone decided that yes, that bear is the one they need to add to their collection, and home they bring them.
If you would love to collect teddy bears but are not sure where to begin, check out one of the many magazines or books on this most fascinating hobby. Magazine titles include such favorites as Teddy Bear Review, delivered six times a year, Teddy Bear & Friends, also delivered six times a year, or Teddy Bear Club International, which will arrive in your mailbox all twelve months of the year. Book titles are numerous on the subject with one of my favorites for the collector, new and old, being Teddy Bear Treasury a Salute to Teddy, Identification & Values, by Ken Yenke.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Collecting Comic Books
By Simon Woodhouse
In recent years, Hollywood seems to have fallen in love with superheroes. Every summer there's a glut of superhero movies passing through the multiplex. Some of them are very good (Spider-man, X-men), and some of them are terrible (Dare Devil, Fantastic Four, Electra, etc.). Of the millions of paying customers who sit and watch Spidey defeat the villain, save the innocent bystander and get the girl, I'm sure quite a few of them don't realize he started life as a comic book character.
All of the most famous superheroes come from the comic book pages of two main publishing houses - DC and Marvel. DC (Detective Comics) started the superhero bandwagon rolling back in 1938, with Action Comics #1. This comic did surprisingly well, thanks mostly to the presence of a brand new superhero called Superman. Once DC realized they had a format that worked, more heroes appeared, the most famous of which being Batman and Wonder Woman. A year after DC started up, Timely Comics came into being. But it wasn't until 1941 that timely found a winning hero in the form of Captain America.
Following World War II, the popularity of comics dipped. The end of the 50s saw a revival though, lead by DC. In the early 60s Timely Comics became Marvel, and a writer named Stan Lee (the Godfather of modern comics) joined forces with an artist called Jack Kirby, and between them they created the Fantastic Four. This team of superheroes appeared in a more 'real world' vein. They weren't noble do-gooders like Superman, instead they addressed the issue of how difficult it was to be a superhero - an individual separated from everyone else by the way they looked and the things they could do. This approach carried on in some of Stan Lee's other famous creations - The Hulk, Spider-man, the X-men, and it put Marvel at the top of the comic book mountain.
Anyone who reads comics on a regular basis can't help but be drawn into the world of collecting. After all, many of the superhero stories carry on over several consecutive issues, making it necessary to keep all the comics in order to enjoy the whole story again and again. They're also quite an easy thing to collect, as they don't take up much room (until you get fanatical), and only need to be kept free from damp and damage. Up until the mid 1980s, comic book collecting didn't really involve much financial gain, and for the most part was the domain of the keen amateur. However, things changed around 1985, when speculators started to move in and view comic books as a potential source of investment. Publishers responded to this by saturating the market with special collector's editions. But the big money titles only made big money because they were rare, so printing ten million copies of a special edition rendered it not very special at all. The bubble burst in the early 90s, the price of collectable comic books crashed, and even the mighty Marvel filed for bankruptcy.
Since then collecting has gone back to its roots, and once again become the realm of the avid, amateur enthusiast. eBay has helped in recent years, being the perfect vehicle through which collectors can buy and sell their wares.
So how should you go about starting a collection of comic books? First and foremost it must be something you enjoy, because it's unlikely you'll ever make any money doing it. It also helps if you've got a favorite hero, as that narrows the field down and gives you a starting point. If you're looking for a comic book store, the chances are there won't be one in your town unless you live in a big city (Metropolis, Gotham, etc). Marvel.com will allow you to subscribe to twelve issues of a particular comic, but have few individual books for sale. But that's a good way to start, because you'll get a whole series involving your favorite character, and that's how comic books should be enjoyed. Newkadia.com is another good source, and they will let you buy individual books, but their site is massive so expect to spend a lot of time browsing. Most large bookstores will have a section devoted to graphic novels (a comic by another name). These tend to be entire stories told in one volume. Graphic novels had their heyday in the mid 80s, when such classics as The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen first appeared. In a way, it's the graphic novel that's kept the comic book industry afloat, but for me they're not the same as collecting a whole sequential series.
Once you've got your comics, and you've read them cover-to-cover, store them in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and laid flat. As time goes by you'll come to cherish your favorites, returning to them again and again. But we're all grown-ups now, so there's no need to read them under the bed covers and by torch light anymore.
In recent years, Hollywood seems to have fallen in love with superheroes. Every summer there's a glut of superhero movies passing through the multiplex. Some of them are very good (Spider-man, X-men), and some of them are terrible (Dare Devil, Fantastic Four, Electra, etc.). Of the millions of paying customers who sit and watch Spidey defeat the villain, save the innocent bystander and get the girl, I'm sure quite a few of them don't realize he started life as a comic book character.
All of the most famous superheroes come from the comic book pages of two main publishing houses - DC and Marvel. DC (Detective Comics) started the superhero bandwagon rolling back in 1938, with Action Comics #1. This comic did surprisingly well, thanks mostly to the presence of a brand new superhero called Superman. Once DC realized they had a format that worked, more heroes appeared, the most famous of which being Batman and Wonder Woman. A year after DC started up, Timely Comics came into being. But it wasn't until 1941 that timely found a winning hero in the form of Captain America.
Following World War II, the popularity of comics dipped. The end of the 50s saw a revival though, lead by DC. In the early 60s Timely Comics became Marvel, and a writer named Stan Lee (the Godfather of modern comics) joined forces with an artist called Jack Kirby, and between them they created the Fantastic Four. This team of superheroes appeared in a more 'real world' vein. They weren't noble do-gooders like Superman, instead they addressed the issue of how difficult it was to be a superhero - an individual separated from everyone else by the way they looked and the things they could do. This approach carried on in some of Stan Lee's other famous creations - The Hulk, Spider-man, the X-men, and it put Marvel at the top of the comic book mountain.
Anyone who reads comics on a regular basis can't help but be drawn into the world of collecting. After all, many of the superhero stories carry on over several consecutive issues, making it necessary to keep all the comics in order to enjoy the whole story again and again. They're also quite an easy thing to collect, as they don't take up much room (until you get fanatical), and only need to be kept free from damp and damage. Up until the mid 1980s, comic book collecting didn't really involve much financial gain, and for the most part was the domain of the keen amateur. However, things changed around 1985, when speculators started to move in and view comic books as a potential source of investment. Publishers responded to this by saturating the market with special collector's editions. But the big money titles only made big money because they were rare, so printing ten million copies of a special edition rendered it not very special at all. The bubble burst in the early 90s, the price of collectable comic books crashed, and even the mighty Marvel filed for bankruptcy.
Since then collecting has gone back to its roots, and once again become the realm of the avid, amateur enthusiast. eBay has helped in recent years, being the perfect vehicle through which collectors can buy and sell their wares.
So how should you go about starting a collection of comic books? First and foremost it must be something you enjoy, because it's unlikely you'll ever make any money doing it. It also helps if you've got a favorite hero, as that narrows the field down and gives you a starting point. If you're looking for a comic book store, the chances are there won't be one in your town unless you live in a big city (Metropolis, Gotham, etc). Marvel.com will allow you to subscribe to twelve issues of a particular comic, but have few individual books for sale. But that's a good way to start, because you'll get a whole series involving your favorite character, and that's how comic books should be enjoyed. Newkadia.com is another good source, and they will let you buy individual books, but their site is massive so expect to spend a lot of time browsing. Most large bookstores will have a section devoted to graphic novels (a comic by another name). These tend to be entire stories told in one volume. Graphic novels had their heyday in the mid 80s, when such classics as The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen first appeared. In a way, it's the graphic novel that's kept the comic book industry afloat, but for me they're not the same as collecting a whole sequential series.
Once you've got your comics, and you've read them cover-to-cover, store them in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and laid flat. As time goes by you'll come to cherish your favorites, returning to them again and again. But we're all grown-ups now, so there's no need to read them under the bed covers and by torch light anymore.
Running The Major Way
When we were younger, we all had dream of running as fast as Chetarah from the Thunder Cats or the Flash Gordon cartoon character. As we got older, the probability of running as fast as either of these two super heroes dwindled to the size of nothing. Saying that, running a 5K run has become a greater fascination for me over the years. Follow me as I take you through my blood, sweat and tears in preparing for a 5k race in Covington, KY.
Runner's Log #1
In that past few years, I have flirted with the idea of becoming a better runner. Last year I ran two 5K races, The Mini Heart Marathon and the Reggae Run. Both were fun and both challenged my running ability.
Today, I remembered that a former employer has sponsored a 5K Run for the past couple of years so I visited their website to see if they were going to continue in the tradition. Sure enough, they are. Kenton County Public Library will be hosting their 3rd Annual "Racing 2 Read 5K Run/Walk" on June 10 at 9am.No longer an employee of KCPL, but they have been an employer of mine for a good part of my working career. I starting working for KCPL the summer I graduated from high school in 1995 until I entered the military December of 1997. Upon my release from the Army early 2001, and was rehired at KCPL as Reference Desk Librarian assistant. Over the next three and half years, I moved up the ranks to the Computer Learning Center Program Director and then to the Supervisor of the entire circulation Department. In October of 2004, I left KCPL to pursue other avenues. This June will mark the third 5K hosted by the Library. At the first one, I was in charge of the Kids Fun Run which was a block long race just for kids. How fun...I had planned to run the 5K the second year, but a mishap and a night watching Monique at Newport On The Levee prevented me from participating. Surprisingly the time that I have completed the last two 5K's in the same time, 33:25 min, kind of scary, I know Today, I ran for 30 min and traveled 2.85 miles. It looks like I have got some work to do. I want to shave at least 5 min off the 5K in June.
Runner's Log #2
Last week I made a mental commitment to run the Racing To Read 5K run sponsored by the Kenton County Public Library. Even though the commitment was there, a running plan was not. Thursday I did some research on training for a 5K and found some good advice and training runs that I felt comfortable with.
Thursday, was an easy training day so I walked on the treadmill for one hour and went 2.88 miles. Saturday was a hard day, so on the treadmill I ran 30 min and went 2.82 miles.
I don't seem to be getting any faster.
Runner's log #3
Today I did not seem to run as hard as I have been the past couple of time that I have jumped on to the treadmill. But today at lunch, I ran my normal 30min on the mill but this time I traveled the equivalent of 2.94 mile. Still not as fast as I want to be, but I guess it will do.
Runner's Log #4
Today was the day. As I walked out of the door to head to the race, the thought to just stay at home due to the dark sky and chilly weather, crossed my mind but only a split second. Once at the race I see that there are many more people than I had expected. Later, after the race, I found out that registration for this race had almost doubled since the year before. The race promptly started 9am by John Lomax from WKRC Channel 12 and I was off. I tried not to run as fast in the beginning, as I do on the treadmill, but it did not work. About 2 1/2 miles into the race, I walked for about 10min. The good thing about this course is that the last mile or so is somewhat down hill so that helped a bit. Bottom line is, I achieved my goal! I ran the race in 29min and 31 sec.
Runner's Log #1
In that past few years, I have flirted with the idea of becoming a better runner. Last year I ran two 5K races, The Mini Heart Marathon and the Reggae Run. Both were fun and both challenged my running ability.
Today, I remembered that a former employer has sponsored a 5K Run for the past couple of years so I visited their website to see if they were going to continue in the tradition. Sure enough, they are. Kenton County Public Library will be hosting their 3rd Annual "Racing 2 Read 5K Run/Walk" on June 10 at 9am.No longer an employee of KCPL, but they have been an employer of mine for a good part of my working career. I starting working for KCPL the summer I graduated from high school in 1995 until I entered the military December of 1997. Upon my release from the Army early 2001, and was rehired at KCPL as Reference Desk Librarian assistant. Over the next three and half years, I moved up the ranks to the Computer Learning Center Program Director and then to the Supervisor of the entire circulation Department. In October of 2004, I left KCPL to pursue other avenues. This June will mark the third 5K hosted by the Library. At the first one, I was in charge of the Kids Fun Run which was a block long race just for kids. How fun...I had planned to run the 5K the second year, but a mishap and a night watching Monique at Newport On The Levee prevented me from participating. Surprisingly the time that I have completed the last two 5K's in the same time, 33:25 min, kind of scary, I know Today, I ran for 30 min and traveled 2.85 miles. It looks like I have got some work to do. I want to shave at least 5 min off the 5K in June.
Runner's Log #2
Last week I made a mental commitment to run the Racing To Read 5K run sponsored by the Kenton County Public Library. Even though the commitment was there, a running plan was not. Thursday I did some research on training for a 5K and found some good advice and training runs that I felt comfortable with.
Thursday, was an easy training day so I walked on the treadmill for one hour and went 2.88 miles. Saturday was a hard day, so on the treadmill I ran 30 min and went 2.82 miles.
I don't seem to be getting any faster.
Runner's log #3
Today I did not seem to run as hard as I have been the past couple of time that I have jumped on to the treadmill. But today at lunch, I ran my normal 30min on the mill but this time I traveled the equivalent of 2.94 mile. Still not as fast as I want to be, but I guess it will do.
Runner's Log #4
Today was the day. As I walked out of the door to head to the race, the thought to just stay at home due to the dark sky and chilly weather, crossed my mind but only a split second. Once at the race I see that there are many more people than I had expected. Later, after the race, I found out that registration for this race had almost doubled since the year before. The race promptly started 9am by John Lomax from WKRC Channel 12 and I was off. I tried not to run as fast in the beginning, as I do on the treadmill, but it did not work. About 2 1/2 miles into the race, I walked for about 10min. The good thing about this course is that the last mile or so is somewhat down hill so that helped a bit. Bottom line is, I achieved my goal! I ran the race in 29min and 31 sec.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Marketing Your Photos
By Misti Sandefur
So, you've built your portfolio by selling your photos to magazines, newspapers and etc, now, through this article, you will discover how you can continue to build your portfolio and earn even more money in the process.
You should begin by creating a Web site to present some of your work, information about you, your portfolio and your resume. It isn't hard to build a small Web site, and there is software out there to make it a whole lot easier for you, but if you don't want to build the site yourself, you can always pay someone with Web site building experience to do it for you; it will pay off.
If you decide to build the Web site yourself, display some of your photos on your Web site, and place them in a gallery, separated by subjects. In addition, you can also add a shopping cart to your Web site to allow visitors to buy photos this way too. In order to sell your photos on your Web site, you not only need a shopping cart, but also you will need a way to accept credit card payments, and Paypal (http://www.paypal.com) can help you do that. Paypal also provides a way to add payment buttons.
To get ideas for other things you can add to your Web site, view Web sites of other photographers. Don't copy their site content or design because this would be copyright infragment, but you can view the sites for examples of things other photographers add. To find other photographer's Web sites do a search on Google for "photographer websites."
Once your Web site is live, start marketing yourself -- and in the process -- send your potential clients to your Web site. When you market yourself and your photos, send a query letter with a promotional package to each place. Your promotional package should include such things like your bio, your business card and a brochure that includes some of your photos. Before you seal the envelope, make sure to include a SASE (self addressed, stamped envelope), because you may not get a reply without one.
Greeting card companies buy photos for their greeting cards. Search the Internet for greeting card companies, find the contact information for the person you need to contact, and then send a query letter with your promotional package to each company.
Dress up and do face-to-face meetings in your local community with galleries and businesses. Many businesses need photos for their brochures and other promotional materials. However, when you present yourself to businesses, be prepared to educate them on how your photography skills will be beneficial to them. Plus, when doing face-to-face meetings, take along business cards to hand out, and carry your binder of photos with you in case they want to see some of the photos you currently have.
Events are another way to make money with your photos. You can run an ad in local newspapers advertising your photography services for weddings, baby showers, parties and etc. Plus, if you have a good camera, a tripod, backdrops, photo printer and good photo software you can also advertise to take pictures of children, families and etc. Rent a space in your local community to set up at, then establish your prices and have people who want their photos taken to make an appointment with you. This can bring in good money if you're good with people, picture taking and photo software.
Finally, set up a booth at a local mall or events. Displaying your photos at booths will allow consumers to get "up close and personal" with the product, and it allows you to interact with the consumers by answering their questions or even taking special orders.
When trying to decide on your prices, study your competition and try to beat their prices, but don't undercut yourself. You want to make sure you charge enough to cover your overhead. After all, you want to be successful and make money--not lose money!
Earlier on, I mentioned promotional packages for promoting yourself, now I would like to give you a small list of things to include in your promotional package. What you include in your package can be very important in making a sale, and your materials need to be effective to grab your potential client's attention.
So, you've built your portfolio by selling your photos to magazines, newspapers and etc, now, through this article, you will discover how you can continue to build your portfolio and earn even more money in the process.
You should begin by creating a Web site to present some of your work, information about you, your portfolio and your resume. It isn't hard to build a small Web site, and there is software out there to make it a whole lot easier for you, but if you don't want to build the site yourself, you can always pay someone with Web site building experience to do it for you; it will pay off.
If you decide to build the Web site yourself, display some of your photos on your Web site, and place them in a gallery, separated by subjects. In addition, you can also add a shopping cart to your Web site to allow visitors to buy photos this way too. In order to sell your photos on your Web site, you not only need a shopping cart, but also you will need a way to accept credit card payments, and Paypal (http://www.paypal.com) can help you do that. Paypal also provides a way to add payment buttons.
To get ideas for other things you can add to your Web site, view Web sites of other photographers. Don't copy their site content or design because this would be copyright infragment, but you can view the sites for examples of things other photographers add. To find other photographer's Web sites do a search on Google for "photographer websites."
Once your Web site is live, start marketing yourself -- and in the process -- send your potential clients to your Web site. When you market yourself and your photos, send a query letter with a promotional package to each place. Your promotional package should include such things like your bio, your business card and a brochure that includes some of your photos. Before you seal the envelope, make sure to include a SASE (self addressed, stamped envelope), because you may not get a reply without one.
Greeting card companies buy photos for their greeting cards. Search the Internet for greeting card companies, find the contact information for the person you need to contact, and then send a query letter with your promotional package to each company.
Dress up and do face-to-face meetings in your local community with galleries and businesses. Many businesses need photos for their brochures and other promotional materials. However, when you present yourself to businesses, be prepared to educate them on how your photography skills will be beneficial to them. Plus, when doing face-to-face meetings, take along business cards to hand out, and carry your binder of photos with you in case they want to see some of the photos you currently have.
Events are another way to make money with your photos. You can run an ad in local newspapers advertising your photography services for weddings, baby showers, parties and etc. Plus, if you have a good camera, a tripod, backdrops, photo printer and good photo software you can also advertise to take pictures of children, families and etc. Rent a space in your local community to set up at, then establish your prices and have people who want their photos taken to make an appointment with you. This can bring in good money if you're good with people, picture taking and photo software.
Finally, set up a booth at a local mall or events. Displaying your photos at booths will allow consumers to get "up close and personal" with the product, and it allows you to interact with the consumers by answering their questions or even taking special orders.
When trying to decide on your prices, study your competition and try to beat their prices, but don't undercut yourself. You want to make sure you charge enough to cover your overhead. After all, you want to be successful and make money--not lose money!
Earlier on, I mentioned promotional packages for promoting yourself, now I would like to give you a small list of things to include in your promotional package. What you include in your package can be very important in making a sale, and your materials need to be effective to grab your potential client's attention.
- Business card.
- Samples of your work.
- Price list, if you have one.
- Brochure.
- Attention-grabbing query or sales letter.
- Resume.
When marketing your photos, you can market them using all the methods given above, or you can choose only the methods you feel comfortable pursuing; the choice is yours. However, before you really get into the marketing process, you do need to get set up first, then, after your set up, let the marketing begin! Following are the things you need to do to get set up...
1.Organize all the photos you have into groups.
2. Put together your query or sales letter.
3. Create your promotional package.
4. Create a price list for your photos and any services you will be offering to the public.
5. Create a marketing plan.
6. Create a Web site and submit it to search engines.
7. Study your market and your competition.
If you've followed the seven tips above, then you should be ready to put your marketing plan into action. Good luck and happy snapping!
The World Of Books
Early in my life books were a key to another world
I can remember one of the first books that I ever learned to read. It was a toddler's book chronicling the wonders and the woe's of the story, "The Three Little Pigs'. I don't remember my mother teaching me, but I am sure that she did, for it was well before I started kindergarten that I learned to read. Though my home life was nothing close to being that of most in third world countries, yet far from living as if I were born with a silver spoon in my mouth, this book was the first time that I was able to live outside of the present world.
This infatuation with turned into a hobby that has lasted through out my few decades of existence. I have come up with a few tips for the avid reader like myself.
Pick some thing you like.
Reading should be fun, not a chore. Some college students may think different about this. That could be because of a couple of different reason, most likely because most college students do not really know what they want to study and are taking classes just because they are there and not because they are interested in the subject.
But I digress.
You want to make sure that you enjoy the books that you choose to read. It will make the time you spend with your nose buried in the book go by much faster and much more enjoyable.
Keep the books you like
When you do find the books that you like, you want to make sure that you keep them. Don't just choose a book and keep it because it's THE book of the century. It does nothing for you if you do not want to read it. (I guess unless you are a collector of fine books).
Organize by fiction, non fiction, not the way they look
Once you start to get a good collections of novels, novellas, non-fiction text or short stories (all dependant on what you are interested in), you are going to want to display what you have decided to collect and to keep. Make sure you find a place that has low humidity, preferably a room or cabinet or shelf that is climate controlled. Once you have found the perfect place you are going to want to arrange you collection by subject, and not by the way that the book looks. That is so tacky. There is nothing worse than going into a person's personal library and seeing a book about traveling the canals of Italy next to I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings just because they look cute together because to the similarity of their outer coverings.
Limit borrowing to a select few
Once you have chosen the books that you want to keep and found an acceptable place where you can house all to this volumes of work, you are now ready to show off your collection. Dinner parties are great ways to show off the books that you have collected (not to mention a great reason to have a group of friends over and partake on jovial conversation). Though you want to show off your collected works and want to do it over conversation, mindless banter and food, beware that once you open your treasure trove of novels and other as sundries, there are going to be those who want to 'borrow' them. We all know that with most people, the word 'borrow' is an open invitation to take what they want without any notion of returning the item. If you do take the state of mind that generosity is the best policy, make sure that those to whom you lend your wares to are trustworthy and honorable. Better yet, make sure they are the type of borrowers that actually believe in returning an item.
Like I said in he beginning of this article, I was not born with a silver spoon lodged down my throat, but because of the love of my mother and my propensity to learn, the joy of reading has led me to love to hobby of collecting books that I love and has taught me that if ever I want to get away from this mundane world, all I have to do is open a good book.
I can remember one of the first books that I ever learned to read. It was a toddler's book chronicling the wonders and the woe's of the story, "The Three Little Pigs'. I don't remember my mother teaching me, but I am sure that she did, for it was well before I started kindergarten that I learned to read. Though my home life was nothing close to being that of most in third world countries, yet far from living as if I were born with a silver spoon in my mouth, this book was the first time that I was able to live outside of the present world.
This infatuation with turned into a hobby that has lasted through out my few decades of existence. I have come up with a few tips for the avid reader like myself.
Pick some thing you like.
Reading should be fun, not a chore. Some college students may think different about this. That could be because of a couple of different reason, most likely because most college students do not really know what they want to study and are taking classes just because they are there and not because they are interested in the subject.
But I digress.
You want to make sure that you enjoy the books that you choose to read. It will make the time you spend with your nose buried in the book go by much faster and much more enjoyable.
Keep the books you like
When you do find the books that you like, you want to make sure that you keep them. Don't just choose a book and keep it because it's THE book of the century. It does nothing for you if you do not want to read it. (I guess unless you are a collector of fine books).
Organize by fiction, non fiction, not the way they look
Once you start to get a good collections of novels, novellas, non-fiction text or short stories (all dependant on what you are interested in), you are going to want to display what you have decided to collect and to keep. Make sure you find a place that has low humidity, preferably a room or cabinet or shelf that is climate controlled. Once you have found the perfect place you are going to want to arrange you collection by subject, and not by the way that the book looks. That is so tacky. There is nothing worse than going into a person's personal library and seeing a book about traveling the canals of Italy next to I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings just because they look cute together because to the similarity of their outer coverings.
Limit borrowing to a select few
Once you have chosen the books that you want to keep and found an acceptable place where you can house all to this volumes of work, you are now ready to show off your collection. Dinner parties are great ways to show off the books that you have collected (not to mention a great reason to have a group of friends over and partake on jovial conversation). Though you want to show off your collected works and want to do it over conversation, mindless banter and food, beware that once you open your treasure trove of novels and other as sundries, there are going to be those who want to 'borrow' them. We all know that with most people, the word 'borrow' is an open invitation to take what they want without any notion of returning the item. If you do take the state of mind that generosity is the best policy, make sure that those to whom you lend your wares to are trustworthy and honorable. Better yet, make sure they are the type of borrowers that actually believe in returning an item.
Like I said in he beginning of this article, I was not born with a silver spoon lodged down my throat, but because of the love of my mother and my propensity to learn, the joy of reading has led me to love to hobby of collecting books that I love and has taught me that if ever I want to get away from this mundane world, all I have to do is open a good book.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Lego for Children of All Ages
Lego is a line of toys manufactured by Lego Group, a privately owned company in Denmark. Its main product, also called Lego, consists of muli-colored interlocking plastic bricks and assortment of gears, minifigures which are also called minifigs or ( Lego People), and other pieces which can be put together in endless combinations. Accessories available for purchase, include buildings, cars, castles, planes, ships, trains, spaceships, sculptures, and working robots. Lego bricks are famous for their accuracy and quality of manufacture, resulting in a low cost yet consistently high-quality product.
In 1932, Lego was created by Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, where he made toys of wood. He and his son, Godtfred, in 1947 acquired samples of interlocking plastic bricks from the company Kiddicraft. Theses bricks were designed and patented in the UK by Hilary Harry Fisher Page. Lego began producing similar bricks called (Automatic Binding Bricks). The first Lego bricks, produced from cellulose acetate, were to be used like the wooden blocks that could be stacked upon one another. The plastic bricks could be locked together, but not so tightly that they could not be pulled apart.
The Lego name came from the Danish phrase leg godt , which means "play well".In 1932, Lego was created by Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, where he made toys of wood. He and his son, Godtfred, in 1947 acquired samples of interlocking plastic bricks from the company Kiddicraft. Theses bricks were designed and patented in the UK by Hilary Harry Fisher Page. Lego began producing similar bricks called (Automatic Binding Bricks). The first Lego bricks, produced from cellulose acetate, were to be used like the wooden blocks that could be stacked upon one another. The plastic bricks could be locked together, but not so tightly that they could not be pulled apart.
The use of plastic for toy manufacture was not easily excepted by retailers and consumers. It was thought that plastic toys could never replace wooden ones. In 1954, Godtfred's conversation with an overseas buyer brought about the idea of a toy concept. He envisioned the potential for the Lego brick to be a big hit with children of all ages. The brick still had some problems, the locking ability was limited, and they were not very adaptable. In 1958 the modern-day brick design was developed and five years later the correct material was found. Lego bricks from 1963 will interlock with those made in 2006 and the young children Lego sets are compatible with the sets made for teenagers.
Lego elements are produced within a tolerance of two-thousandths of a millimeter (0.002mm). When snapped together the bricks, axles, beams, minifigures and all other parts must have the right amount of (clutch power), they must stay together until pulled apart, and they cannot be pulled apart to easy, or the construction of any structure would be unstable. The disassembly of one structure to build another cannot be to difficult to pull apart as it is part of the Lego appeal.
Production of Lego bricks occurs at many locations around the world. Brick packaging and decorations is performed at plants in United States, Denmark, South Korea, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. Molding is done at plants in Switzerland and Denmark. Lego bricks average about 20 billion per year,or approximately 600 pieces per second.
Lego Group has produced thousands of play sets themed around, dinosaurs, pirates, cities, holiday locations, robots, medieval, vikings, suburbia, wild west , boats, space, trains, racing-cars, the Arctic, Harry Potter, Batman, Avatat, SpongeBob Square Pants, Spider-Man, Star Wars, and more. Recently, the Lego line has expanded and added motors, lights, sensors, gears, and cameras designed to be used with Lego components. There are special bricks, like the Lego RCX that can be programmed with a computer to perform very intricate and useful jobs. These bricks or sold under the name Lego Mindstorms.
The Lego Group operates numerous Legoland amusement parks in California and Europe. There are also several Lego Brand retail stores, including at Downtown Disney is both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts and in the Mall of American in Bloomington, Minnesota. There are 25 LEGO Brand Retail stores in the USA, a number of stores in Europe, and a franchised LEGO store in Abu Dhabi.
Lego bricks today are not just for child's play.
The Lego group itself has developed a form of business encouraging creative thinking, called Lego Serious Play, where members build metaphors of their experiences using Lego bricks, and work through hypothetical scenarios using the Lego visual device of the constructions.
A devoted following of people who have used Lego pieces to make sculptures, extremely large mosaics and complicated machines has developed. Some sculptures weigh thousands of pounds and use hundreds of thousands of pieces. Some of the mosaics are fully functional, an ink jet printer built by Google co-founder Larry Page while at the University of Michigan, also, padlocks, a pendulum clock, and a harpsichord, have all been constructed from Lego pieces. One outstanding masterpiece solves a Rubik's Cube through the use of Lego cameras, motors, a task that innumerable humans cannot achieve. Many photos of fan creations can be seen at (http://www.brickshelf.com) and (http://www.mocpages.com).
Lego bricks have been used in several unimaginable ways. One spectacular example, is at The Brick Testament, Reverend Brendan Smith has built the Bible in Lego pieces. Over 2,000 photographs of Biblical scenes highlight the site. A set of software applications called LDraw or LEGO Digital Designer (http://www.lego.com/ldd) can be used to model imaginable Lego creations in 3D. Because of the unusual quality of similarity in Lego bricks, they have been used in areas such as computer vision, where exact dimensions and positions of objects is effective for devising test data. Another unique use of Lego bricks is the bring together of bricks and electronic components to make a Lego Electronic Lab Kit (http://computer.team.lu/legoelectronic/index.html).
Cooperative building is a growing effort for AFOLs, the goal being to build huge displays for Lego shows and fan meets. The Great Ball Contraption , is an example of cooperative building, in which participant are ask to build a machine of painstaking precise measurements that is handed a Lego soccer ball every second or so. It's job is to take the ball do something fascinating with it then pass it on to another machine. A long chain of these machines or connected together, a huge Rube Goldberg system can be put together that process soccer balls from one end of the machines to the other, each ball having passed through the chain of machines. Other examples can be found at these sites.
(http://www.teamhassenplug.org/GBC). Other examples are Moonbase
(http://www.zemi.net/moonbase/), medieval castles
(http://www.classic-castle.com/ccc/cccstandard.html) and train layouts (http://iltco.org/)
One pursuit among fans is to make short movies creating favorite scenes from popular movies, using Lego bricks for the scenery and Lego play sets as characters. These movies are called brickfilms, Lego movies ,or cinema Lego. One example , is the Monty Python and The Holy Grail special edition DVD contained a interpretation of the Camelot musical completed with Lego minifigures and accessories.
Another example of creations using Lego sets is from the Polish artist ZbigniewLibers's Lego Concentration camp (http:users.erols.com/kennrice/lego-kz.htm)
An entire Modern Art collection in a Lego Gallery was shown at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool,Uk, created by The Little Artists (http:www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/littleartists/)
A few fact on Lego's
_______________
In Gothenburg there is a building called The Lego House because it looks like a big Lego.
Six eight-stud Lego bricks of the same color can be put together in 915,103,765 ways, and just three bricks of the same color offer 1,560 combinations.
The word Lego comes from Danish leg godt which translates "I put together, play well,I assemble"
Community
__________
*Brickshelf (http://www.brickshelf.com) Website of Lego picture creations
*LUGNET (www.lugnet.com/) group network for LEGO users.
*EUROBRICKS(http://www.eurobricks.com/) LEGO fan site discussion
board,European
*LEGOFan (http://www.legofan.org/) LEGO web site run by fans, for fans
*MOC pages (http://www.mocpages.com/) Lego creations display and rates
*Wiki-brick-links(http://wiki-brick-link.wikispaces.com) Open directory of links to Lego sites
*Brick Links (http://.wwwbrinklinks.com) Bricks of distinction
Australia, old and new bricks discounted
Written by Michael Toney
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Avoiding the Cliched Photograph
Learning to avoid the overused cliche when you're taking photos is one of the most important artistic steps you will ever learn.
Now, when I say the words "cliched photograph," I'm not talking about snapshots at the family reunion or pictures of the kids opening their Christmas presents. While it's nice if you can incorporate some artistic ideas and techniques into these types of candid shots and make them a little more interesting, really, the main point of those photos is to record the moment and save it for posterity. And thus in those cases I think it's perfectly fine to take a picture of Grandma smiling from the picnic table or to line the kids up in front of the tree. No harm done. Chances are that when you look back on those photos you'll be focusing on someone's smile or how much they've grown- not on whether or not you used a unique camera angle.
What I am talking about when I talk about cliches exists in the rapidly expanding field of artistic photography. With the onset of digital photos, it seems that everyone is becoming involved in taking artistic photos. And that's fantastic. What isn't so fantastic is the fact that many of those photos are not art. And the standards for such things are becoming ridiculously low.
So what does it take, you might ask? Contrary to what many people might believe, creating artistic photos doesn't take (at least, not necessarily) years of training or specialized education. Although those things can help, they're not requirements for someone who is willing to put plenty of time and practice into the pastime of teaching themselves how to shoot effective photos. What is required- and this is the one absolute must, in my opinion- is a distinct and definite distate for the cliched shot.
I think the reason this is on my mind at the moment is because I recently joined the staff of an art magazine. After going through the magazine that was produced by this group last year, I'm a little surprised at the lack of quality in some of the artwork. We're planning a major shake-up in the submission rules this year, and if I have any say in it cliched photos will be the first things to go.
So what am I referring to when I say a cliched photo? Well, it's something that "works" on a very clean level; everything in the photo looks like it is where it's supposed to be, and maybe when you look at it you get the impression of a calendar or a postcard shot. But one important thing is missing: the emotion, the element of surprise. The artistic eye.
Let's take an example. Let's say two different photographers are each given a camera and the same subject to work with. The subject might be a rock-strewn beach on a windy day, with waves crashing in the distance. OK. A shot like this can sometimes be tricky because there is no real "focal point"- no people, no trees, just water hitting the beach. One of the two photographers might stand head-on and take a photo of a wave just as it breaks. It may be a beautiful shot, with the blue of the water contrasting against the white breakers and the rocks gleaming in the sun. But the photo feels too "pat." Everything is where it should be. You can imagine standing on that beach. In the photo, it looks just like ten thousand other beaches. You don't get a sense of emotion; what you get is "ooh, isn't that pretty." You get a calm sense of postcard beauty when you see it. This type of photographer might do fine in the world of calendar and commercial photography; but art it is not.
Now let's go to our second photographer. This one, the anti-cliche artist, decides to get down on one knee. He holds his camera at a 45-degree angle to the water, and shoots a skewed picture that is part water, part sky, with the tip of a breaker just visible in one corner. This picture? It doesn't give you the impression of standing on the beach, not unless you're planning on standing on your head. It may not make you say "ooh, how pretty," so much as it makes you say, "what is that?" But it does show you the beach- instantly recognizable after a moment's study- and it hits you in a unique part of your chest, making you say "Oh! I see what he did here!" It gives you a whole new perspective on that beach that you might have stared at ten thousand times. And that, right there, is what I consider art in photography.
Be aware of the fact that some "anti-cliche" shots have been used so often as to become cliches themselves. I'm thinking now of the silhouettes of people's backs as they stand looking at something, like a waterfall or canyon; the shots of a girl drinking coffee in front of a cafe; close-ups of hands caressing each other, of feet resting on the floor. These shots have been overdone- maybe not by everyone, but by enough would-be photographers to make them just as common and unsurprising as any vacation snapshot. Avoid those shots, too, like the plague. You can do better.
So, the next time you have a camera in your hand and you want to create something beautiful, do something unexpected. Try shooting from the hip without using your viewfinder. Take an entirely new angle on a familiar scene. Keep in mind all of the cardinal rules about photography regarding light, framing etc... but don't keep them in mind TOO much. The key is not to imagine a postcard-perfect shot while you're taking the photo. Don't try to imagine anything at all; just shoot. Your camera is a pair of scissors and it's cutting a jagged image out of the world around you. Everyone else is cutting perfect circles. Go for the jagged trapezoid. That's how you'll really learn to create photos that move people... photos that fall into the realm of true art.
-by bjp
Now, when I say the words "cliched photograph," I'm not talking about snapshots at the family reunion or pictures of the kids opening their Christmas presents. While it's nice if you can incorporate some artistic ideas and techniques into these types of candid shots and make them a little more interesting, really, the main point of those photos is to record the moment and save it for posterity. And thus in those cases I think it's perfectly fine to take a picture of Grandma smiling from the picnic table or to line the kids up in front of the tree. No harm done. Chances are that when you look back on those photos you'll be focusing on someone's smile or how much they've grown- not on whether or not you used a unique camera angle.
What I am talking about when I talk about cliches exists in the rapidly expanding field of artistic photography. With the onset of digital photos, it seems that everyone is becoming involved in taking artistic photos. And that's fantastic. What isn't so fantastic is the fact that many of those photos are not art. And the standards for such things are becoming ridiculously low.
So what does it take, you might ask? Contrary to what many people might believe, creating artistic photos doesn't take (at least, not necessarily) years of training or specialized education. Although those things can help, they're not requirements for someone who is willing to put plenty of time and practice into the pastime of teaching themselves how to shoot effective photos. What is required- and this is the one absolute must, in my opinion- is a distinct and definite distate for the cliched shot.
I think the reason this is on my mind at the moment is because I recently joined the staff of an art magazine. After going through the magazine that was produced by this group last year, I'm a little surprised at the lack of quality in some of the artwork. We're planning a major shake-up in the submission rules this year, and if I have any say in it cliched photos will be the first things to go.
So what am I referring to when I say a cliched photo? Well, it's something that "works" on a very clean level; everything in the photo looks like it is where it's supposed to be, and maybe when you look at it you get the impression of a calendar or a postcard shot. But one important thing is missing: the emotion, the element of surprise. The artistic eye.
Let's take an example. Let's say two different photographers are each given a camera and the same subject to work with. The subject might be a rock-strewn beach on a windy day, with waves crashing in the distance. OK. A shot like this can sometimes be tricky because there is no real "focal point"- no people, no trees, just water hitting the beach. One of the two photographers might stand head-on and take a photo of a wave just as it breaks. It may be a beautiful shot, with the blue of the water contrasting against the white breakers and the rocks gleaming in the sun. But the photo feels too "pat." Everything is where it should be. You can imagine standing on that beach. In the photo, it looks just like ten thousand other beaches. You don't get a sense of emotion; what you get is "ooh, isn't that pretty." You get a calm sense of postcard beauty when you see it. This type of photographer might do fine in the world of calendar and commercial photography; but art it is not.
Now let's go to our second photographer. This one, the anti-cliche artist, decides to get down on one knee. He holds his camera at a 45-degree angle to the water, and shoots a skewed picture that is part water, part sky, with the tip of a breaker just visible in one corner. This picture? It doesn't give you the impression of standing on the beach, not unless you're planning on standing on your head. It may not make you say "ooh, how pretty," so much as it makes you say, "what is that?" But it does show you the beach- instantly recognizable after a moment's study- and it hits you in a unique part of your chest, making you say "Oh! I see what he did here!" It gives you a whole new perspective on that beach that you might have stared at ten thousand times. And that, right there, is what I consider art in photography.
Be aware of the fact that some "anti-cliche" shots have been used so often as to become cliches themselves. I'm thinking now of the silhouettes of people's backs as they stand looking at something, like a waterfall or canyon; the shots of a girl drinking coffee in front of a cafe; close-ups of hands caressing each other, of feet resting on the floor. These shots have been overdone- maybe not by everyone, but by enough would-be photographers to make them just as common and unsurprising as any vacation snapshot. Avoid those shots, too, like the plague. You can do better.
So, the next time you have a camera in your hand and you want to create something beautiful, do something unexpected. Try shooting from the hip without using your viewfinder. Take an entirely new angle on a familiar scene. Keep in mind all of the cardinal rules about photography regarding light, framing etc... but don't keep them in mind TOO much. The key is not to imagine a postcard-perfect shot while you're taking the photo. Don't try to imagine anything at all; just shoot. Your camera is a pair of scissors and it's cutting a jagged image out of the world around you. Everyone else is cutting perfect circles. Go for the jagged trapezoid. That's how you'll really learn to create photos that move people... photos that fall into the realm of true art.
-by bjp
An eye for composition
No matter where in this world we live the subject matter for photographers is for all practical purposes, never ending. We are limited only by our imagination and creative vision.
I believe that it is important to be able to visually see someone else's work, style and approach to photography, not to become a copycat of that specific style, but as an aid in developing your own style.
Perhaps you've learned some great landscape technique from David Muench, a great close-up idea from John Shaw, or how to use vivid colors in your images for impact from Pete Turner. Each idea gets logged into the brain, absorbing and remembering those points or styles that interest you the most. Then when you find yourself in a particular shooting situation, you draw upon that knowledge and apply it to your own images.
While I credit much of my success as a photographer to folks like John Shaw, Art Wolfe, David Muench and others, I've had to continually be willing to learn from others and from my own personal experiences.
Composition is one area of photography that begs for constant nourishment. I keep looking for new ideas and new subject matter with which to test my skills and creativity as a photographer. Sometimes I feel a little stale, and other times I'm "on the jazz" so to speak. It's those times when I'm on the jazz that I feel like a creative Superman and my excitement level for photography is so high.
In this article, I'll use some visual examples of basic and creative compositional techniques that I hope will stimulate your own creativity as well.
I'll assume that you have a good basic understanding of how your camera works, how to get correct exposure, the compositional rule of thirds, and the good basic compositional elements of line, shape, and texture. What I hope to do for you is stimulate your creative thought process by sharing my own thought process as I compose a shot.
Remember first that your choice of lenses will play an important part in your composition and how the final image will look. Wide-angle lenses expand the apparent distance between objects, and a telephoto lens will compress the apparent distance between objects. Knowing this, you can choose your lens based on the compositional effect that you want.
Making Good Choices: One very important element in developing an eye for composition has to do with making good choices within your composition. First of all, I'm very big on finding a great foreground subject such as a big rock, an interesting tree or something similar to give the eye a point of entry into my composition. Your eyes will naturally see that subject, then, move across comfortably through the rest of the composition.
This foreground subject also helps to make the viewer feel as though he or she is right there seeing what I saw and experienced at that very moment. This adds a three-dimensional quality and great depth to your image, which of course is a technique used by many 4x5 shooters. Develop an awareness of what to include or exclude from your composition, with a mind for keeping your compositions simple.
Achieving Balance: There are a few basic approaches to this technique. You can have a very large dominant foreground with a complimenting background, such as a large rock framing or leading you to the smaller appearing lighthouse in the background. This tends to add drama or a unique quality to an often-photographed subject.
Or, you can balance the foreground and background subjects by keeping them similar in size. This technique is used when there is not an overpowering, dramatic subject, even though you find the overall scene pleasing. You can also build that drama or emotion in your photograph by looking for smaller foreground subjects that lead to that large dominant background such as when a stream gently leads your eye back to the much larger and more dominant mountains in the background.
The Compositional Rule of Thumb: There are of course many ways to compose your subject, but if you have a good understanding of how to use line, shape, or texture to your advantage, your compositions are far more likely to have impact than if you did not use them.
Depth of Field: You may have exercised any one of these standards of good composition, but if you failed to achieve adequate depth of field, your images may leave you dissatisfied. Unfortunately many of today's lenses lack a depth of field scale and/or depth of field preview buttons. One easy way to assure maximum depth in your photograph is use as small lens aperture such as f/16 or f/22 and then focus a third of the way into the scene. Not the actual physical distance of the closest object in your picture to the farthest, but a third of the way into your frame as you look through the viewfinder.
Use your depth-of-field preview button (if you have one) to stop the lens down to its taking aperture to visually check and see if everything looks sharp. Take your time and allow your eye to adjust to the darkened image in the viewfinder. A 'dark cloth' or coat can be handy to shield the sun as you look into the viewfinder. Depth-of-field and critical focus is very important to the finished image.
Another way to get maximum depth of field is to focus at your lens' hyper-focal distance which is what you're simulating by focusing 1/3rd of the way into the scene.
Food for Thought: Finally, here are a few good review points to remember each time you compose an image.
1. Make sure your horizon line is level.
2. Look for distracting elements in your viewfinder that might take away for an otherwise excellent composition.
3. If you want sharp front-to-back detail, make sure you have enough depth of field.
4. Look for things in the composition that will allow you to use the basic design elements of line, shape, texture and form.
5. Look for good foreground subjects to add that three-dimensional look to the composition.
6. Finally, when photographing at the top of high cliffs or overhangs, don't step back to admire your work! Just checking if you're paying attention.
Make your Own Halloween Cards
By Christina VanGinkel
Halloween has become a favorite holiday of many people. Where it once was more of a celebration for the elementary aged child who for one night of the year could ponder dreams of piles and piles of sugary confections and grotesque makeup and costumes, it is now a holiday enjoyed by all ages, especially the adults. In addition, whether you are announcing the Halloween bash of the year, or just want to spread a bit of holiday Boo!, making your own cards is decidedly the way to go! Supplies for decorating them are available in all shapes and forms, and no matter if you are wanting to make one or two, or a couple of dozen, you can have them whipped together in no time.
Stamps
Halloween themed stamps are available from a variety of stores such as Lillian Vernon, who offers a choice of sets, including one with twelve stamps, and a larger set of 24. Each includes a variety of ghosts, pumpkins, witches, bats, haunted houses and more. The small set retails for less than five dollars, and the larger set for a bargain price of $7.98, so cost will not scare you off surely! Each stamp is also self-inking, so add some Halloween colored paper, a few envelopes, and stamps, and you will have everything you need to get those cards in the mail.
If you happen to be a fan of Stampin' Up, be sure to check out their selection of howling good stamps, including smiling Jack-o-Lanterns, Trick or Treat sayings, and oh so fun designs such as their Stampin' Around Arachnophobia stamp, which is sure to get your Halloween spirit firmly onto every card you decorate with it! Be sure to also check out their daringly cute Best Friends set, which includes not only a spider, but also a bat, a cute spidery decorated Boo!, and several witchy and monstrous friends, all sure to help you decorate your Halloween themed cards in no time at all.
CraftROBO & Wishblade
If you own one, of the ingenious cutters that crafters are all fawning over such as the Wishblade or the CraftROBO, put it to use, and cut up a whole slew of Happy Halloween cards. I made a die cut of a spider and her web, and several other Halloween themed die cuts to decorate my annual Happy Halloween cards last year, and plan to do so again. Many of the manual cutters also have dies perfect for Halloween crafting, including the Sizzix which offers a bat, a ghost, a spooky tree and many more.
Emboss
Embossing was a popular craft in years past, and recently it has once again been making a strong comeback with crafters all over. It is fun to do and produces some unique pieces. Halloween has not been left out when it comes to embossing supplies. With the Fiskars Shapeboss and their mini fall stencil, you can make an elegant looking Halloween card decorated with an embossed pumpkin and foliage. Other Companies that sell embossing supplies also carry a variety of Halloween themed supplies.
Stickers
Stickers with a Halloween theme are in abundance from probably every company that makes stickers for the craft market. Fun, scary, silly, all the fronts you could possibly be considering are available in the form of a sticker. Combine a few with some lush cardstock and you will be able to create a Halloween themed card that all your friends and relatives will keep on display long past the big day. If your local craft and hobby stores only carry a small number of choices, be sure to check out a couple of online stores for a much broader selection. Oriental Trading and eBay both have a huge variety of Halloween themed stickers to choose from. When I peeked at eBay for what was being offered just for Halloween themed stickers I cam away with over 600 hits. While some are duplicates being offered by different sellers, many of them are in designs that are so unique, eBay is probably the only place you will encounter them.
Halloween is a great time of the year to try your hand at crafts. Make some Halloween cards to share with family and friends and to show them just how much fun creating your own cards can be.
Halloween has become a favorite holiday of many people. Where it once was more of a celebration for the elementary aged child who for one night of the year could ponder dreams of piles and piles of sugary confections and grotesque makeup and costumes, it is now a holiday enjoyed by all ages, especially the adults. In addition, whether you are announcing the Halloween bash of the year, or just want to spread a bit of holiday Boo!, making your own cards is decidedly the way to go! Supplies for decorating them are available in all shapes and forms, and no matter if you are wanting to make one or two, or a couple of dozen, you can have them whipped together in no time.
Stamps
Halloween themed stamps are available from a variety of stores such as Lillian Vernon, who offers a choice of sets, including one with twelve stamps, and a larger set of 24. Each includes a variety of ghosts, pumpkins, witches, bats, haunted houses and more. The small set retails for less than five dollars, and the larger set for a bargain price of $7.98, so cost will not scare you off surely! Each stamp is also self-inking, so add some Halloween colored paper, a few envelopes, and stamps, and you will have everything you need to get those cards in the mail.
If you happen to be a fan of Stampin' Up, be sure to check out their selection of howling good stamps, including smiling Jack-o-Lanterns, Trick or Treat sayings, and oh so fun designs such as their Stampin' Around Arachnophobia stamp, which is sure to get your Halloween spirit firmly onto every card you decorate with it! Be sure to also check out their daringly cute Best Friends set, which includes not only a spider, but also a bat, a cute spidery decorated Boo!, and several witchy and monstrous friends, all sure to help you decorate your Halloween themed cards in no time at all.
CraftROBO & Wishblade
If you own one, of the ingenious cutters that crafters are all fawning over such as the Wishblade or the CraftROBO, put it to use, and cut up a whole slew of Happy Halloween cards. I made a die cut of a spider and her web, and several other Halloween themed die cuts to decorate my annual Happy Halloween cards last year, and plan to do so again. Many of the manual cutters also have dies perfect for Halloween crafting, including the Sizzix which offers a bat, a ghost, a spooky tree and many more.
Emboss
Embossing was a popular craft in years past, and recently it has once again been making a strong comeback with crafters all over. It is fun to do and produces some unique pieces. Halloween has not been left out when it comes to embossing supplies. With the Fiskars Shapeboss and their mini fall stencil, you can make an elegant looking Halloween card decorated with an embossed pumpkin and foliage. Other Companies that sell embossing supplies also carry a variety of Halloween themed supplies.
Stickers
Stickers with a Halloween theme are in abundance from probably every company that makes stickers for the craft market. Fun, scary, silly, all the fronts you could possibly be considering are available in the form of a sticker. Combine a few with some lush cardstock and you will be able to create a Halloween themed card that all your friends and relatives will keep on display long past the big day. If your local craft and hobby stores only carry a small number of choices, be sure to check out a couple of online stores for a much broader selection. Oriental Trading and eBay both have a huge variety of Halloween themed stickers to choose from. When I peeked at eBay for what was being offered just for Halloween themed stickers I cam away with over 600 hits. While some are duplicates being offered by different sellers, many of them are in designs that are so unique, eBay is probably the only place you will encounter them.
Halloween is a great time of the year to try your hand at crafts. Make some Halloween cards to share with family and friends and to show them just how much fun creating your own cards can be.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Understanding Crochet Abbreviations
By Christina VanGinkel
Crochet is a hobby that many people enjoy for various reasons, but mainly because of the simplicity involved in creating beautiful items from a seemingly innocuous balls of thread or yarn. If I had to list one aspect of crochet though that, I could see as being difficult for a new hobbyist to learn, that would have to be the varied abbreviations that those who write crochet patterns use. What many novices misunderstand though is that there is not really anything difficult about the lingo used, it is about as straightforward as any set of abbreviations could be. To explain the proper way to read a pattern, one only has to understand the terms they represent.
The terms single, double, and treble, in crochet refers to how much depth each stitch is creating in a given stitch. The term single crochet refers to exactly what it sounds like, a single depth of what a stitch could create, and a double means the single stitch has been doubled within one stitch by creating another loop within the single stitch itself (It does not mean two single crochet stitches). The triple, or referred to by some as the treble stitch, is in essence, three times the depth of a single crochet stitch, again making note that it does not refer to three single stitches, but instead means that the crocheter will loop the thread or yarn three times instead of the single time it is looped in the single crochet stitch. Each loop is then moved off the hook individually, creating a step each time you remove one of the loops, building up the depth that equals the stitch. So, what it boils down to is a simple shortening of the related terms to their shortened abbreviations, i.e., SC or sc means single crochet, DC or dc means double crochet, and TR or tr, or sometimes trc means a triple, or treble crochet stitch. At this point, you might be grasping that the abbreviations that crochet enthusiasts use really are as simple as they seem, and they really are.
If you pick up a crochet pattern at this point and glance through it, with just the knowledge that you just learned, you might be able to read the complete pattern, without any more explanation, but if you are the sort who likes such details clearly spelled out, read on for some further abbreviations and their meanings. This by no means an inclusive list of every single crochet abbreviation ever included in a pattern, but it is sufficient enough to get you up and running, able to read a basic to moderately difficult pattern.
beg is equivalent to beginning, or the start of a row or round
rw is equivalent to row
rnd is equivalent to round
rep is the abbreviation for repeat and is used when the pattern calls for a row or round to be repeated exactly as the previous round or row
bet means between, as in working between tow stitches in a previous row
bk lp is referring to the back loop. If you work a row of single crochet and look down at the tops of the stitches you just made, you will be able to see the loops. The one facing you, the one closest to you as you hold it is the frnt lp or frt lp, and the back loop is the one furthest from you when you are looking directly at it.
ch equals chain
cont means to continue on as beforedec means to decrease stitches, which will be explained within each pattern as to how many
inc means to increase stitches. Again, each instance of such a change in a pattern will be explained within each individual pattern
cl or cls refers to a cluster of stitches
hdc refers to a half double crochet stitch. Depth wise, it is between a single and a double crochet stitch. The first half of the stitch is made as if you were about to create a double crochet stitch, but instead of slipping off the loops one at a time, you slip them off all at once.
lp refers to loop
pc is a popcorn stitch, and is a decorative stitch
sk is the abbreviation to skip a stitch
tog refers to holding together
yo refers to holding the yarn or thread over the hook
Crochet is a hobby that many people enjoy for various reasons, but mainly because of the simplicity involved in creating beautiful items from a seemingly innocuous balls of thread or yarn. If I had to list one aspect of crochet though that, I could see as being difficult for a new hobbyist to learn, that would have to be the varied abbreviations that those who write crochet patterns use. What many novices misunderstand though is that there is not really anything difficult about the lingo used, it is about as straightforward as any set of abbreviations could be. To explain the proper way to read a pattern, one only has to understand the terms they represent.
The terms single, double, and treble, in crochet refers to how much depth each stitch is creating in a given stitch. The term single crochet refers to exactly what it sounds like, a single depth of what a stitch could create, and a double means the single stitch has been doubled within one stitch by creating another loop within the single stitch itself (It does not mean two single crochet stitches). The triple, or referred to by some as the treble stitch, is in essence, three times the depth of a single crochet stitch, again making note that it does not refer to three single stitches, but instead means that the crocheter will loop the thread or yarn three times instead of the single time it is looped in the single crochet stitch. Each loop is then moved off the hook individually, creating a step each time you remove one of the loops, building up the depth that equals the stitch. So, what it boils down to is a simple shortening of the related terms to their shortened abbreviations, i.e., SC or sc means single crochet, DC or dc means double crochet, and TR or tr, or sometimes trc means a triple, or treble crochet stitch. At this point, you might be grasping that the abbreviations that crochet enthusiasts use really are as simple as they seem, and they really are.
If you pick up a crochet pattern at this point and glance through it, with just the knowledge that you just learned, you might be able to read the complete pattern, without any more explanation, but if you are the sort who likes such details clearly spelled out, read on for some further abbreviations and their meanings. This by no means an inclusive list of every single crochet abbreviation ever included in a pattern, but it is sufficient enough to get you up and running, able to read a basic to moderately difficult pattern.
beg is equivalent to beginning, or the start of a row or round
rw is equivalent to row
rnd is equivalent to round
rep is the abbreviation for repeat and is used when the pattern calls for a row or round to be repeated exactly as the previous round or row
bet means between, as in working between tow stitches in a previous row
bk lp is referring to the back loop. If you work a row of single crochet and look down at the tops of the stitches you just made, you will be able to see the loops. The one facing you, the one closest to you as you hold it is the frnt lp or frt lp, and the back loop is the one furthest from you when you are looking directly at it.
ch equals chain
cont means to continue on as beforedec means to decrease stitches, which will be explained within each pattern as to how many
inc means to increase stitches. Again, each instance of such a change in a pattern will be explained within each individual pattern
cl or cls refers to a cluster of stitches
hdc refers to a half double crochet stitch. Depth wise, it is between a single and a double crochet stitch. The first half of the stitch is made as if you were about to create a double crochet stitch, but instead of slipping off the loops one at a time, you slip them off all at once.
lp refers to loop
pc is a popcorn stitch, and is a decorative stitch
sk is the abbreviation to skip a stitch
tog refers to holding together
yo refers to holding the yarn or thread over the hook
Turn Your Love for Photography Into Cash
By Misti Sandefur
If your hobby involves taking pictures, I have some good news for you! You may love capturing the most beautiful scenes on camera, but what do you do with all those photos? Do they just sit there and take up space on your hard drive, or are they placed inside folders and picture albums? No matter where these photos are, get them all out, organize them, and start making money with your love for photography -- you deserve something. Besides, you should share those breath-taking photos with the world, and your talent should be rewarded.
Before I reveal how you can make money with your photo-taking abilities, I'm going to help get you organized. Organization should be the first step, because knowing where to find what you need will make the whole process much easier.
Let's begin with all those photos you have scattered about -- the images on your hard drive, in folders, in photo albums, in your digital camera and etc. Take all these photos and place them in one pile in front of you. Next, separate each photo into similar groups (family, nature, animals, places, etc.). Once you have all your photos separated in groups, place each photo into photo page sheet protectors, and put the sheet protectors into a binder. As you place each sheet protector -- with the photos -- in your binder, still keep the photos in related groups in the binder. To keep them in groups, buy lined paper and plastic tabs, then, place a tab (with the group name) on each sheet of lined paper. Finally, place the lined paper with tab before that group of photos. Later, I'll tell you why you should use lined paper.
Now, set your binder aside and focus on organizing the photos you have stored in your hard drive and digital camera. To organize the photos on your hard drive and digital camera, burn them onto a CD-RW or CD-R using Nero 7. Following are step-by-step instructions you can follow to burn the photos onto CD using Nero 7. The instructions that follow are the way I burn my photos using Nero 7. If you use a different software program for burning CDs, then check your program's help manual for instructions.
- Start Nero 7, next click "make data CD" and open with Nero Burning Rom.
- Drag and drop your picture files from the "my documents" folder (or whichever folder your pictures are stored in) to Nero Burning Rom. Hold down CTRL to select multiple files. To select all files in that folder, click edit, then click select all.
- After you have all the files you want to burn, click "burn" from the top of Nero Burning Rom.
- Once you click "burn," you will have to set the options to what you desire. (See glossary in the help menu for an explanation of each term.) Here's what I use for my settings: Under the multisession tab, I select start "multisession disc."
Under the ISO tab, I select "mode 1" for "data mode"; "ISO 9660 + Joliet" for "file system"; "Level 1" for "file name length (ISO)"; "ISO 9660" for "character set (ISO)." Under "relax restrictions," I usually check the following: "allow path depth of more than 8 directories," "allow more than 255 characters in path," and "allow more than 64 characters for Joliet names."
Under the label tab, I select "automatic," and in the field for "disc name" I enter a name for my disc (e.g., family photos, animal photos or etc.).
Under the dates tab, I select nothing for "volume creation," but for "file dates," I select "use the date and time from the original file."
Under the misc tab, the only thing I check is "cache files from disk and network," but if you don't want to cache your files you can leave both tabs unchecked.
Finally, under the burn tab, for "action" I select "write," and for "writing" the "write speed" I select is 48x, and for "write method" I select "Disc-at-once/96." Next, I enter the number of copies I want to make, and then I check "BURN-Proof," "use multiple recorders," and "do a virus check before burning." - Hit burn and wait.
See, that wasn't so hard, was it. And now -- since your photos are all organized -- finding what you need to make money will be a much simpler task.
Moving on. ... To turn your abilities into cash you will begin by finding magazines, newspapers, businesses and etc. who will buy your photos. Yes, writers make up the content for these publications, but artists make up the covers and photos. Furthermore, to be honest, the greater part of these publications pays more for photos than they do for the written content. How do you find these markets? Being with a few searches on Google. Search Google for keyword phrases such as we pay for photos, photo guidelines and sell your photos. When you enter the keyword phrases, place quotation marks around them -- this searches the exact phrase.
Other than Googling search terms, another place to find a market for your photos is the current edition of "Writer's Market." "Writer's Market" is not only for writers, but photographers can use this resource guide as well. The "Writer's Market" specifies if the publication accepts photos, and most of the time it will also state how much pay is given for each photo. Updated more frequently than the print edition is the online edition of "Writer's Market," therefore, in my opinion, I think the online edition is the best way to go. A yearly subscription to the online edition of "Writer's Market" is $29.99 -- a small price to pay for over 100 markets.
Remember when I said to put lined paper in your binder; this is where it comes in play. On the lined paper, you will write the name of each market you find that will take photos in that group. Not only will you write the name of the market, but you will also list their Web site URL, the submission information, how much they pay, and the rights they purchase. For example, on the lined paper separating the animals group, write down all the information specified above on the markets that accept animal photos. Then, for the family group, write down all the information on the markets that accept family related photos, and so on. Finally, when you're ready to submit your animal photos, using your tabs, you can flip to the animal group in your binder, choose the animal photos you think are best, and submit those photos to the markets listed on the lined paper in this group.
There are many other ways to sell your photos, but you must build a portfolio first, and the techniques mentioned above are the best way to get started. After you have established your portfolio, refer to my article on marketing your photos to discover the many other ways you can make money with your photos.
Go ahead and start selling your photos using the system in this article today, and in no time your photo equipment should pay for itself!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
How I got Into Purebred Dog Breeding
I never thought I would be a purebred dog breeder. But it happened. I didn't mean it to, and now I can't imagine my life without my dogs. Sometimes it seems like it's a lot of work, and sometimes you just want to give up and go away, but in the end, it's always worth it. Our dogs are completely worth it.
We breed Alaskan Klee Kai. They are miniature versions of Alaskan Huskies, and they are quite expensive. But they are the most wonderful dogs I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. The breed was developed not long ago, around the 1970s. It was developed in order to be a companion sized husky - a smaller version of the husky dogs that race in the Iditarod sled dog race each year.
When it comes to purebred dogs, often it seems as though people believe we have not taken the time to do the research. Often, there are cases of people who decide to breed dogs and don't really take the time to do the research. They might be wanted to breed dogs to make money or to breed dogs for the fun of it, but it's a hard life and it actually takes a lot of work! Before we decided to get involved, we studied hard!
WE have for sure done our research. Before we even began to breed purebred dogs, we did an awful lot of research about them and came to the conclusion that these were the best dogs we could ever imagine breeding. We studied several different types of dogs and came to a conclusion that the Klee Kai was what we wanted.
The reason we are so gung ho about these dogs stems from our first experience with a Klee Kai. I got one for my parents two years ago for xmas. Since they race the big sized huskies, a little tiny one was the PERFECT gift for them. He looked and acted like the big dogs, but he could travel everywhere with them and do the things that they wanted to be able to do with the bigger dogs but couldn't because of a lack of space. This little dog was just unbelievable. He was so smart and SO easy to train. He knew each person in the household individually and came up with ways of saying hello to each one. WE didn't know much about the Klee Kai before we got Cash, (Johnny Cash, you see), but the more we learned about the breed, the more we loved it. Tony and I had talked about later on, down the line, maybe getting our own female and breeding it with Cash, because we just loved the breed so much and we loved CASH so much.
But as the fates would have it, we weren't meant to have him for very long. That June, he was killed in a freak accident - one of my parents' big dogs got loose and he tried to play with the little one - of course, this big dog had never SEEN a little dog before and had no idea HOW to play with him. And cash was a small dog - just itty bitty with a tiny little body. Well, the big dog bit him playfully, like all dogs do, but it was in the wrong spot cause it got something inside of him and he died later that night, probably from something internal. It was just AWFUL. We rushed him to the vet and the vet thought he was just sore and sent him home, and he just died. And my whole family was just devastated.
So while we were looking for another puppy - not to replace Cash, but to try to fill the huge whole he left in our lives - we came across this lady's website. She said she had a lot of pups from these litters that hadn't been sold. Some problem with her computer or something and none of the apps got through, and the puppies were 7 or 8 months old and no one wanted them cause everyone wanted puppies. We decided that this was our Ka ( Ka is the force the drives destiny) - because it was something we wanted to do eventually and we were so inspired by the wonderful dog Cash was.
So we drove to Colorado and got Wicket and Willie and a male named Rx (Rex) for my parents. He is going to be the sire for Willie, obviously. The thing is that the lady who we got them from knows everything about the breed. The dogs are prime, perfect examples of the Klee Kai, each one was perfectly healthy, white teeth, all of their shots, beautifully groomed, but hadn't had a chance to do a lot of socialization with them. She has 80 dogs in her kennels. And each is cared for extremely well, meaning they are all fed properly and given the correct shots and have beautiful extensive kennels with indoor and outdoor areas, etc, etc, but its hard to socialize that many dogs. The dogs were TERRIFIED of people, places, EVERYTHING. It really did take them months to come around, but they have. They no longer are kept on the leash in the house, and will come up to us anytime we ask. They aren't very good with strangers yet, but we're working on that one, too. They know us and love us, but are very shy with strangers, and we don't entirely trust that if they got loose here in town they would come back right away. Every day is better though and its sad to me because the breed itself is NOTHING like that. The dogs just THRIVE on socialization. They become best friends with people from the minute they are born and are the best companion dogs, for older people, for children, for families. But these three never had much contact with people besides for feedings and people through gates. They missed out on ALL of that. It is amazing to see them come around every day. When we first got them, Willie would crawl on my lap, but Wicket and Rx would cower in the corners and would have to be pulled by their leashes. Now I can't get Wicket to stop jumping all over me for attention, and all the dogs will smother your faces with kisses. Its amazing to see them learn how to come and how to stay, and the latest and they are doing very well at learning how to sit. Willie hates my little brother and she will bark and him and even bit him in the butt a couple of weeks ago. I think that while she must have had a bad experience with a child somewhere along the line. Wicket will let strangers pet him but only if one of us is holding him. So they are really our own special education kids, but I am confidant that given enough time they will be able to reach their full potential. We spend a lot of time at puppy therapy. taking them to soccer games and MAKING them socialize. But not with my little brother! :)
We breed Alaskan Klee Kai. They are miniature versions of Alaskan Huskies, and they are quite expensive. But they are the most wonderful dogs I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. The breed was developed not long ago, around the 1970s. It was developed in order to be a companion sized husky - a smaller version of the husky dogs that race in the Iditarod sled dog race each year.
When it comes to purebred dogs, often it seems as though people believe we have not taken the time to do the research. Often, there are cases of people who decide to breed dogs and don't really take the time to do the research. They might be wanted to breed dogs to make money or to breed dogs for the fun of it, but it's a hard life and it actually takes a lot of work! Before we decided to get involved, we studied hard!
WE have for sure done our research. Before we even began to breed purebred dogs, we did an awful lot of research about them and came to the conclusion that these were the best dogs we could ever imagine breeding. We studied several different types of dogs and came to a conclusion that the Klee Kai was what we wanted.
The reason we are so gung ho about these dogs stems from our first experience with a Klee Kai. I got one for my parents two years ago for xmas. Since they race the big sized huskies, a little tiny one was the PERFECT gift for them. He looked and acted like the big dogs, but he could travel everywhere with them and do the things that they wanted to be able to do with the bigger dogs but couldn't because of a lack of space. This little dog was just unbelievable. He was so smart and SO easy to train. He knew each person in the household individually and came up with ways of saying hello to each one. WE didn't know much about the Klee Kai before we got Cash, (Johnny Cash, you see), but the more we learned about the breed, the more we loved it. Tony and I had talked about later on, down the line, maybe getting our own female and breeding it with Cash, because we just loved the breed so much and we loved CASH so much.
But as the fates would have it, we weren't meant to have him for very long. That June, he was killed in a freak accident - one of my parents' big dogs got loose and he tried to play with the little one - of course, this big dog had never SEEN a little dog before and had no idea HOW to play with him. And cash was a small dog - just itty bitty with a tiny little body. Well, the big dog bit him playfully, like all dogs do, but it was in the wrong spot cause it got something inside of him and he died later that night, probably from something internal. It was just AWFUL. We rushed him to the vet and the vet thought he was just sore and sent him home, and he just died. And my whole family was just devastated.
So while we were looking for another puppy - not to replace Cash, but to try to fill the huge whole he left in our lives - we came across this lady's website. She said she had a lot of pups from these litters that hadn't been sold. Some problem with her computer or something and none of the apps got through, and the puppies were 7 or 8 months old and no one wanted them cause everyone wanted puppies. We decided that this was our Ka ( Ka is the force the drives destiny) - because it was something we wanted to do eventually and we were so inspired by the wonderful dog Cash was.
So we drove to Colorado and got Wicket and Willie and a male named Rx (Rex) for my parents. He is going to be the sire for Willie, obviously. The thing is that the lady who we got them from knows everything about the breed. The dogs are prime, perfect examples of the Klee Kai, each one was perfectly healthy, white teeth, all of their shots, beautifully groomed, but hadn't had a chance to do a lot of socialization with them. She has 80 dogs in her kennels. And each is cared for extremely well, meaning they are all fed properly and given the correct shots and have beautiful extensive kennels with indoor and outdoor areas, etc, etc, but its hard to socialize that many dogs. The dogs were TERRIFIED of people, places, EVERYTHING. It really did take them months to come around, but they have. They no longer are kept on the leash in the house, and will come up to us anytime we ask. They aren't very good with strangers yet, but we're working on that one, too. They know us and love us, but are very shy with strangers, and we don't entirely trust that if they got loose here in town they would come back right away. Every day is better though and its sad to me because the breed itself is NOTHING like that. The dogs just THRIVE on socialization. They become best friends with people from the minute they are born and are the best companion dogs, for older people, for children, for families. But these three never had much contact with people besides for feedings and people through gates. They missed out on ALL of that. It is amazing to see them come around every day. When we first got them, Willie would crawl on my lap, but Wicket and Rx would cower in the corners and would have to be pulled by their leashes. Now I can't get Wicket to stop jumping all over me for attention, and all the dogs will smother your faces with kisses. Its amazing to see them learn how to come and how to stay, and the latest and they are doing very well at learning how to sit. Willie hates my little brother and she will bark and him and even bit him in the butt a couple of weeks ago. I think that while she must have had a bad experience with a child somewhere along the line. Wicket will let strangers pet him but only if one of us is holding him. So they are really our own special education kids, but I am confidant that given enough time they will be able to reach their full potential. We spend a lot of time at puppy therapy. taking them to soccer games and MAKING them socialize. But not with my little brother! :)
The Joy of Purebred Dogs
I used to be one of those people who scoffed at the idea of raising purebred dogs. It never seemed to me to be the kind of thing that I really wanted to do - the kind of people I wanted to associate with, or the kind of job that I thought I would be good at. There is a stigma in raising purebred dogs - the idea of the haughty dog breeder using inbred dogs to promote rich people having a hobby. How many times have you seen a famous person with their purebred dog - carrying around a tiny toy poodle in an expensive designer bag just for the purpose of being seen and having the dog be seen? It happens all the time, and this is what comes to a lot of people's minds when they think purebred dogs.
However, there are many reasons to breed dogs, and many people who do this for reasons other than to be seen or have the dog seen. The world of dog shows is a world that I am not even the slightest bit familiar with, even though I raise purebred dogs. It opens a whole new set of doors, when you start to talk about purebred dogs.
I totally used to feel the same way. But yeh, they are worth that, at least right now. Mostly because there are only about 1200 of them in the entire world. The breed was only created in the 70s, and so far all the breeders are really protective of it - you have to fill out an adoption application and be approved before you can buy one, and most contracts come with clauses - like, our contract states that each dog sold will be spayed/neutered and not bred with anything else, and that the new owners will send monthly updates for the first year of the dogs life - I think that so far the breeders as a group have only heard about one or two accidental klee kai/other dog breedings. Its part of the high price, the fact that there aren't many of them and when someone pays that much for a dog they are going to protect it and protect the breed and lines, and what not. Never thought I'd be a proponent of purebreds or anything, but I really am. Mostly because they come from sled dogs, and I love the loyalty you get with sled dogs. These little ones will just pick a person and follow them around all the time. It's great. You'd love them. but they are really demanding at the same time. They NEED attention, not like some of the bigger breed dogs who are fine to just be on their own in the house.
And, when it comes to inbreeding, that kind of thing isn't present in the breed that I am a part of. The klee kai population is about 8 generations old, maybe 10. At the start, of course, there had to be inbreeding. Now, when breeders breed their dogs, they look at the pedigrees, which can go all the way back 10 generations. If they find the same dog in both pedigrees anything earlier than 6 generations back, they don't breed them. That's part of what keeps the numbers low, and the price high.
When it comes to a purebred dog registry, especially one like our dogs have, getting a dog correctly registered is one of the most important things. Many times, a breeder will make sure that the owners who plan on breeding the dogs that they have purchased from them fill out examination forms before the dog can be registered with the UKC or AKC. This is what we had to do, and what we require those who purchase our puppies to do.
With this breed, it is SO new that they are taking every precaution to insure the quality of the breed. For instance, I have the UKC numbers on all of the dogs, because the pups are registered when they are born, but they won't be transferred into my name for ownership rights and breeding rights until the original owner has received the forms we have to send. Before a dog can be transferred to another person, there is a comprehensive exam that must be given by a vet, and let me tell you those were not just ordinary exams! The normal height and weight and what not had to be recorded, along with many questions about their temperament, exact markings, blood work analysis, and all kinds of other things we had to do! From the looks of it, all of our dogs should "pass" this exam, so they can be transferred to me with breeding rights included. If they don't pass, I will be able to become the official only if I sign and follow through with a neuter/spay contract. This is to insure that only the exact perfect qualities of the Klee Kai are transferred into the lineage. For instance, Wicket although he is absolutely pure bred and passed all of the tests, will be transferred to me but he has already been neutered because his sire was in question there were a couple dogs it could have been, and none of the DNA tests are conclusive. so we bought him knowing that he can't be a breeder. Willie and Rx however we are hoping will be able to breed. We have all the paperwork on their ancestors to insure that none of them are related, and we have signed documents stating that our purpose is to fulfill the best interest of the breed - this means being responsible breeders yes, but also following through with each of the pups we produce - for instance if Willie has a puppy that doesn't have symmetrical markings, its my responsibility to insure that that puppy doesn't go to a home until it is neutered or spade, or with a contract that states the new owners will do that. The dogs are EXTREMELY rare, and very pricey. We got wicket for 400 because he was neutered and couldn't be shown or bred. But will cost 1900 and Rx cost about 1800. I really think that this insures, actually, a better breed standard. I wasn't going to spend more than 4000 on dogs if I wasn't serious about the breed, and serious about helping the breed reach its potential. At the same token, I know that people aren't going to spend that much on MY puppies unless they are serious about it. These dogs won\'t get advertised in the paper! We are actually already working on a website, because every breeder in the country usually has a waiting list for their pups - some of them can be over a year long. And there are questionnaires galore! We had to fill out three just to GET the dogs, and there was more to do after we had gotten them, during this period of applying for breeding rights. I am working on the rough draft of MY question are, to make sure that I can evaluate each of the people who requests a dog from me, and chose the best matches with dogs and people. And Tony and I are hell-bent on refusing to ship dogs anywhere. If someone wants one of our puppies, they can come here and get it, or we can drive to them and get it, because I won't give a puppy to someone, no matter how much they pay me, if I can't meet them in person and feel them out.
I think that the most important question to keep in mind when talking about breeding is WHY someone wants to breed the dogs. We want to breed the klee kai because we have fallen in love with the breed - because we know what kind of wonderful, adorable and perfect companions they can make - and also because of how new the breed is. Me, as a breeder, I can produce quality dogs and make sure they go to the right people so that this wonderful breed can continue. It's more than just continuing the breed though, because no one wants the klee kai to get interbred with anything else or become common. It's intended as a rare, beautiful breed. I want to help insure that that continues, by making sure that my pups only are bred with klee kai and only are allowed to be given to owners who will respect the breed as much as we do and make sure that the breed can continue down its path.
However, there are many reasons to breed dogs, and many people who do this for reasons other than to be seen or have the dog seen. The world of dog shows is a world that I am not even the slightest bit familiar with, even though I raise purebred dogs. It opens a whole new set of doors, when you start to talk about purebred dogs.
I totally used to feel the same way. But yeh, they are worth that, at least right now. Mostly because there are only about 1200 of them in the entire world. The breed was only created in the 70s, and so far all the breeders are really protective of it - you have to fill out an adoption application and be approved before you can buy one, and most contracts come with clauses - like, our contract states that each dog sold will be spayed/neutered and not bred with anything else, and that the new owners will send monthly updates for the first year of the dogs life - I think that so far the breeders as a group have only heard about one or two accidental klee kai/other dog breedings. Its part of the high price, the fact that there aren't many of them and when someone pays that much for a dog they are going to protect it and protect the breed and lines, and what not. Never thought I'd be a proponent of purebreds or anything, but I really am. Mostly because they come from sled dogs, and I love the loyalty you get with sled dogs. These little ones will just pick a person and follow them around all the time. It's great. You'd love them. but they are really demanding at the same time. They NEED attention, not like some of the bigger breed dogs who are fine to just be on their own in the house.
And, when it comes to inbreeding, that kind of thing isn't present in the breed that I am a part of. The klee kai population is about 8 generations old, maybe 10. At the start, of course, there had to be inbreeding. Now, when breeders breed their dogs, they look at the pedigrees, which can go all the way back 10 generations. If they find the same dog in both pedigrees anything earlier than 6 generations back, they don't breed them. That's part of what keeps the numbers low, and the price high.
When it comes to a purebred dog registry, especially one like our dogs have, getting a dog correctly registered is one of the most important things. Many times, a breeder will make sure that the owners who plan on breeding the dogs that they have purchased from them fill out examination forms before the dog can be registered with the UKC or AKC. This is what we had to do, and what we require those who purchase our puppies to do.
With this breed, it is SO new that they are taking every precaution to insure the quality of the breed. For instance, I have the UKC numbers on all of the dogs, because the pups are registered when they are born, but they won't be transferred into my name for ownership rights and breeding rights until the original owner has received the forms we have to send. Before a dog can be transferred to another person, there is a comprehensive exam that must be given by a vet, and let me tell you those were not just ordinary exams! The normal height and weight and what not had to be recorded, along with many questions about their temperament, exact markings, blood work analysis, and all kinds of other things we had to do! From the looks of it, all of our dogs should "pass" this exam, so they can be transferred to me with breeding rights included. If they don't pass, I will be able to become the official only if I sign and follow through with a neuter/spay contract. This is to insure that only the exact perfect qualities of the Klee Kai are transferred into the lineage. For instance, Wicket although he is absolutely pure bred and passed all of the tests, will be transferred to me but he has already been neutered because his sire was in question there were a couple dogs it could have been, and none of the DNA tests are conclusive. so we bought him knowing that he can't be a breeder. Willie and Rx however we are hoping will be able to breed. We have all the paperwork on their ancestors to insure that none of them are related, and we have signed documents stating that our purpose is to fulfill the best interest of the breed - this means being responsible breeders yes, but also following through with each of the pups we produce - for instance if Willie has a puppy that doesn't have symmetrical markings, its my responsibility to insure that that puppy doesn't go to a home until it is neutered or spade, or with a contract that states the new owners will do that. The dogs are EXTREMELY rare, and very pricey. We got wicket for 400 because he was neutered and couldn't be shown or bred. But will cost 1900 and Rx cost about 1800. I really think that this insures, actually, a better breed standard. I wasn't going to spend more than 4000 on dogs if I wasn't serious about the breed, and serious about helping the breed reach its potential. At the same token, I know that people aren't going to spend that much on MY puppies unless they are serious about it. These dogs won\'t get advertised in the paper! We are actually already working on a website, because every breeder in the country usually has a waiting list for their pups - some of them can be over a year long. And there are questionnaires galore! We had to fill out three just to GET the dogs, and there was more to do after we had gotten them, during this period of applying for breeding rights. I am working on the rough draft of MY question are, to make sure that I can evaluate each of the people who requests a dog from me, and chose the best matches with dogs and people. And Tony and I are hell-bent on refusing to ship dogs anywhere. If someone wants one of our puppies, they can come here and get it, or we can drive to them and get it, because I won't give a puppy to someone, no matter how much they pay me, if I can't meet them in person and feel them out.
I think that the most important question to keep in mind when talking about breeding is WHY someone wants to breed the dogs. We want to breed the klee kai because we have fallen in love with the breed - because we know what kind of wonderful, adorable and perfect companions they can make - and also because of how new the breed is. Me, as a breeder, I can produce quality dogs and make sure they go to the right people so that this wonderful breed can continue. It's more than just continuing the breed though, because no one wants the klee kai to get interbred with anything else or become common. It's intended as a rare, beautiful breed. I want to help insure that that continues, by making sure that my pups only are bred with klee kai and only are allowed to be given to owners who will respect the breed as much as we do and make sure that the breed can continue down its path.
Plastic Canvas can be Fashionable
By Christina VanGinkel
I created my first item from plastic canvas so many years ago, I gave up trying to figure out when it was, only to come to the realization that it was before I met my husband who I have been married to for nearly twenty-five years. Through the years, I have constructed everything from coasters and dolls, to Christmas and Halloween ornaments, and even checkbook covers and tissue box covers from various sized sheets and shapes of plastic canvas and an assortment of yarns and threads. One of the things I enjoy most about working with plastic canvas is the fact that the designs are often whimsical in nature. As far as crafting hobbies go, plastic canvas is a hobby that is easy to learn, and both children and adults can quickly learn how to do it.
While supplies vary, the average plastic canvas project is worked with a large eyed plastic needle that is easy to thread. This fact alone draws many people to the craft. Even today, when I am in a crafting mood, yet my hands are too sore to pick up my beads and small needles or a crochet hook, I will often reach for my stash of plastic canvas supplies.
Plastic canvas has gotten a bad reputation (unfair in my humble opinion) through the years as a craft that does not produce fashionable, quality pieces though. When someone thinks of plastic canvas they often think of cheap looking, useless items. You can create some unique items from plastic canvas supplies. A lot will depend on the materials you chose to work with. It will also be important as to what the item is, and the care and time spent stitching the piece and assembling when called for.
Quilt patterns are perfect for transforming into plastic canvas and carry themselves well into pieces that expound the typical plastic canvas article. The colors and designs in a quilt pattern, transformed with a plastic canvas in a variety of sizes and yarns have the advantage of color and design play in an easily constructed form. If you have a room, comfortably decorated with early American artifacts, the addition of a s t of coasters in a vintage quilt pattern would fit right in and not bring with it a sense of cutesy when instead you were aiming at handcrafted class.
When shopping for plastic canvas supplies, consider both the size of the plastic canvas, and the material you will use to stitch onto the canvas with. The larger the count, the smaller the hole will be, the smaller the number, the larger the hole, similar to cross stitch sizing. For example, a 14-count sheet of plastic canvas is going to correlate to smaller holes in the canvas when compared with a 10-count sheet of plastic canvas. Because of this, a 14 count is going to look more uniform in design because the holes are not as large, thus yarn will fill in more of the space. A larger number corresponding to a smaller hole size, will also provide you with the choice to use alternative materials besides traditional thick yarns. Thread, cotton floss, baby yarns, even seed beads can all be used on canvas, but will work much better on a 14-count sheet when compared to a 10-count.
If you are more comfortable working with a ten count though, or have the perfect project for something as large as a 7-count, then consider using a material other than 4-ply yarn if the project would both accommodate it and look better with the alternative choice. Consider strips of fabric, cording, including the somewhat elastic metallic sold for use with plastic canvas, or even several thicknesses of cotton embroidery thread held together. An example of a project using a non traditional material on a larger sized canvas could be a small hanging basket to catch mail made of a 7-count plastic canvas stitched with hemp cord and decorated with a three dimensional embroidered flower stitched right over the top of the hemp. I made mine of two sheets stitched together on three sides, leaving one end open to slip mail in. I braided a cord handle and hung it on the drawer handle of my buffet.
Plastic canvas projects can be fashionable, fitting into a home's decor no matter your decorating style. If you enjoy creating with plastic canvas, or have always wanted to try it, but just did not think you would put to use anything you made, reconsider this fun hobby. It is a great way to relax, is not complicated at all, and the materials you use can have a huge impact on the finished project.
I created my first item from plastic canvas so many years ago, I gave up trying to figure out when it was, only to come to the realization that it was before I met my husband who I have been married to for nearly twenty-five years. Through the years, I have constructed everything from coasters and dolls, to Christmas and Halloween ornaments, and even checkbook covers and tissue box covers from various sized sheets and shapes of plastic canvas and an assortment of yarns and threads. One of the things I enjoy most about working with plastic canvas is the fact that the designs are often whimsical in nature. As far as crafting hobbies go, plastic canvas is a hobby that is easy to learn, and both children and adults can quickly learn how to do it.
While supplies vary, the average plastic canvas project is worked with a large eyed plastic needle that is easy to thread. This fact alone draws many people to the craft. Even today, when I am in a crafting mood, yet my hands are too sore to pick up my beads and small needles or a crochet hook, I will often reach for my stash of plastic canvas supplies.
Plastic canvas has gotten a bad reputation (unfair in my humble opinion) through the years as a craft that does not produce fashionable, quality pieces though. When someone thinks of plastic canvas they often think of cheap looking, useless items. You can create some unique items from plastic canvas supplies. A lot will depend on the materials you chose to work with. It will also be important as to what the item is, and the care and time spent stitching the piece and assembling when called for.
Quilt patterns are perfect for transforming into plastic canvas and carry themselves well into pieces that expound the typical plastic canvas article. The colors and designs in a quilt pattern, transformed with a plastic canvas in a variety of sizes and yarns have the advantage of color and design play in an easily constructed form. If you have a room, comfortably decorated with early American artifacts, the addition of a s t of coasters in a vintage quilt pattern would fit right in and not bring with it a sense of cutesy when instead you were aiming at handcrafted class.
When shopping for plastic canvas supplies, consider both the size of the plastic canvas, and the material you will use to stitch onto the canvas with. The larger the count, the smaller the hole will be, the smaller the number, the larger the hole, similar to cross stitch sizing. For example, a 14-count sheet of plastic canvas is going to correlate to smaller holes in the canvas when compared with a 10-count sheet of plastic canvas. Because of this, a 14 count is going to look more uniform in design because the holes are not as large, thus yarn will fill in more of the space. A larger number corresponding to a smaller hole size, will also provide you with the choice to use alternative materials besides traditional thick yarns. Thread, cotton floss, baby yarns, even seed beads can all be used on canvas, but will work much better on a 14-count sheet when compared to a 10-count.
If you are more comfortable working with a ten count though, or have the perfect project for something as large as a 7-count, then consider using a material other than 4-ply yarn if the project would both accommodate it and look better with the alternative choice. Consider strips of fabric, cording, including the somewhat elastic metallic sold for use with plastic canvas, or even several thicknesses of cotton embroidery thread held together. An example of a project using a non traditional material on a larger sized canvas could be a small hanging basket to catch mail made of a 7-count plastic canvas stitched with hemp cord and decorated with a three dimensional embroidered flower stitched right over the top of the hemp. I made mine of two sheets stitched together on three sides, leaving one end open to slip mail in. I braided a cord handle and hung it on the drawer handle of my buffet.
Plastic canvas projects can be fashionable, fitting into a home's decor no matter your decorating style. If you enjoy creating with plastic canvas, or have always wanted to try it, but just did not think you would put to use anything you made, reconsider this fun hobby. It is a great way to relax, is not complicated at all, and the materials you use can have a huge impact on the finished project.
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