Erusal

Playing and learning are so closely related that they often can’t be distinguished at all. In one way or another, most games are educational – even if it were only in educating the player up to a higher level of competition. That’s quite often overlooked, I believe… but it’s true: even your very own recreational game of tennis, on a sweet summer afternoon with a frefreshing drink witin hands reach, is an educational game!

But let’s be realistic: when talking about educational toys, more often than not we refer to learning objects for our children. Especially in the last decade or two, an enormous number of educational “tools” have been developed for children of all ages, and even for grown-ups. The latter may or may not be intentional, but a fact is that many of the more intricate educational or learning systems, like those dealing with science and nature, are enthusiasticaly played with by the parents of the children for whom the gift was originaly intended!

This will less easily happen with educational toys for very young children, like alphabet blocks or ABC blocks. And then there’s the amazing range of educational games/toys for all other ages! Looking back on my own youth in the post-war years I am truly amazed by all the educational tools that are available now! On the other hand I believe that our childrens own creative development suffers from those pre-chewed and bite-sized chunks. I used to be quite excited with the proverbial cigar box from my grandfather, out of which I created houses, factories and garages – the box that is, not my granddad.

So it’s all a matter of relativity, I reckon. Some values are lost, others are gained. But at least, to the great relief of often desperate parents, buying educational games and toys is now easier than it was ever before. Generally speaking, this is an improvement.

Introduction

Welcome to Part Two of Help and Information for Big Cat Photography. Here we continue to look at equipment and common mistakes encountered when photographing Big Cats.

Lenses

Here you have quite a few options, these points are discuss below.

Specific Lenses

Macro – a close focusing lens ranging from 50 to around 110mm in focal length – the longer the lens the further away from the subject you can be. The drawback – foreshortened depth of field – you have just a few millimetres to get the focus point correct – so you’ll need a still subject matter. But you can get some amazing close ups of teeth and paws.

Standard Close Focusing – this would apply to a 30mm or 50mm prime lens but one that has the ability to focus down to around 8 to 12 inches. These lenses can give you close dramatic images when on a Big Cats Experience Day.

Standard Zoom – for me this would be a lens similar to an 18 – 70mm or the 17 – 55mm. Similarly there are some longer standard zooms such as the 24 – 70mm or even a 24 – 120mm. The choice is yours and it comes down to which part of the zoom range you want to operate within, remember on a DX body the lens will be multiplied by a factor of 1.4 to 1.6 depending on which make of camera body you have. So your 17 – 55mm multiplies up to around a 25 – 82mm when compared to a 35mm film camera or an FX digital body. On an FX body – being full frame the focal length is as stated. But remember if you use a DX lens on a FX body you’ll get a darkening of the edges, called vignetting.

Fast Zoom Lens -by this we are discussing how much light the lens can let in at its maximum aperture. For example a lens with a minimum aperture of F6.3 will let in far less light than one of F2.8. Remember the smaller the number the bigger the hole in the lens and the more light it lets in. This then gives you quicker shutter speeds, which you need with longer focal length lenses, for example those over 200mm. Tip – you should always keep your shutter speed over your focal length – so if you‘re at 200mm, you need 200th of a second, but hang on you’re using a DX body and lens so you need to add in the crop factor multiply by 1.4 to 1.6 so at 200mm you really need 320th or 400th of a second. Even some standard zooms with F2.8 aperture used by the professional photographer can still be expensive, for example the Nikon 17-55 F2.8 is around £900.

Standard Telephoto – this would be a lens similar to a 70 – 300mm lens or some of the more all day lenses – like an 18 – 200 or 55 – 200, all day lenses are discussed below. You can get a 70 – 200 F2.8 but these are pricey , most standard telephotos range from F4 to F5.6 in terms of speed and are good all round lenses, just watch the light levels. OK you can up the ISO but again remember the noise compromise.

Super Telephoto – this would apply to either a lens over 300mm or one that I feel is a prime lens, fixed focal length, that sits around F4 or F2.8. These are not cheap lenses and entry levels are around £2,000. Personally I like to use the 200 – 400mm VR lens from Nikon, now selling at a suggested selling price of £5800, but I didn’t pay that for mine, I got in before the 2009 price rise.

All Day Lenses

A Definition – by this we are talking about an all in one lens, a lens that will cover from wide angle to standard telephoto, for instance an 18- 200mm.

The Benefits – it gets you all the shots you need, no swapping lenses no down time. Often light and compact they are not much to carry about.

The Compromise – optical quality! You’re asking this lens be a jack of all trades master of none. A prime will always out perform a zoom. And an all day lens has to do a job at all levels through the zoom range, the edges of the image will suffer and so too will the speed of the lens, remember the F number and the amount of light it needs. You don’t find professional lens made at F2.8 or faster that cover that wide a range – and there has to be a reason for that – optical quality – Pros carry 2 or more camera bodies with a shot and a long lens set up using matched equipment.

Depth of Field

Depth of Field (DOF) – if you are lucky enough to own f2.8 maximum aperture lenses then be mindful as to how short the DOF can be, especially if the subject comes within the zone where the distance to subject is under the focal length – for example, the DOF on a 200mm lens will be further foreshortened if the subject is inside a 2m (2000mm) range in front of the lens. Some 200mm lenses will focus as close as 1.5 – 1.8m so the impact of this is that you may focus on the nose of say a tiger only to find the eyes are blurred, or out of focus.

Shutter Speed

As a commercial photographer – remember this rule as we mentioned earlier – keep your shutter speed above the focal length of your lens, e.g. 200mm shoot at 250th sec or more, allowing for the crop factor I’d suggest at least 320th sec on a 200mm lens.

RAW or Jpeg

This is probably as much discussed on the camera forums as brand names, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Personally I shoot RAW as it gives you an insurance policy if the shot is slightly out. Added to that I personally think it gives you more editing options. The choice as they is yours. I do shoot Jpeg for press work but only because you don’t have the time for post production.

Image Composition

Detail – this is great option, stripes, spots, eyes, ear noses and tails – there is so much choice.

Action – running, jumping, pawing for food on the ground or in the air, lost of options. And when it all kicks off with the three male lions make sure you’re ready.

Portraits – sitting, lying down with a full belly and a low sun in the sky and the lions look great. Contrast that with an angelic Tiger that just can’t be bothered. All of these give you great options for images.

Close Up – teeth, paws and claws, similar to the details shot but much closer, using macro photography.

Use of flash – this can be done, watch out for green or yellow eye, this is the same as red eye in humans and it’s a lot easier to get and harder to get rid of due to the size of the cats eyes. Also watch out for the cage , make sure the flash gun is a fill to the available light and close to the wire else you get wire stripes.

Common Errors

Wire – while the gauge of wire will have an effect on what can be done, I still see many shots with the wire right through the middle of the shot. It’s best to get the centre of the lens lined up with the square of the wire – i.e. the hole. Ensure you don’t have a vertical or horizontal wire passing in front of the lens or worst still a join, giving a big cross in the shot.

Background – try to get the background as natural as possible use close up shots or a short depth of field to bur the background. Also use any landscaping in the enclosure to mask the cage behind or above. Remember to get down low, take the cats perspective.

Machine gunning! – is the photographer that holds down the shutter button for extended periods of time, shooting continuously without checking the shots back. This will fill up your memory cards very quickly and give so many similar images to edit, when all you really need are short bursts of 3 to 6 shots. Take your time.

Metering – Try and avoid matrix metering and use spot or centre weighted, remember to metre off the subject. Matrix metering is too general for Big Cats.

Accessories

Tripods – these are not really suitable around the Big Cats enclosures as they are awkward and you don’t have the flexibility to move.

Monopods – these are very useful on longer lenses and have the ability to be more manoeuvrable.

Laptops – if you have one it’s a good idea to backup your shots half way through the day. Alternatively use the laptop to check shots back, say at lunchtime, and see how you are getting on. Also remember to back up your cards – the last thing you want is a card failure and no images.

Extra cards – a very good idea, keep them smaller, now-a-days around 4GB. 16GB cards are all well and good but if it fails, that’s a lot of lost data. 1GB used to bethought of as large, a while back, now using this card in a modern DSLR and it more resembles the number of shots you’d get on a roll of film.

Clothing – Check the weather before you go. Take a few options to allow for a change in the weather or for getting down on the ground.

Author : Peter Davey MA DipM

http://smartsystem2020.com

Hemroids are hurtful, embarrassing and a excruiating daily condition to have. The good news is, one are able to treat hemroids at home with the tips reviewed below.

Preventing hemroid flare ups is as necessary as treating them when they do occur. Check the list below and ensure you are not doing these things:

* Eating foods that can make hemroids worse, such as caffeine, alcoholic beverages, even nuts or spicy foods.

* Wiping or rubbing too much after eliminating

* As you’re at the toilet, straining or pushing

* Standing or sitting in the same place for extended amounts of time. Move or shift your position.

If you’re doing any of this, stop now! This is making your hemroid symptoms worse! Instead, implement these dietary alterations:

* Look for other food, in addition to those already listed, make your hemroids get worse and stop eating it

* Eat the recommended amount of fiber in your diet, or with fiber supplements. You’ll find it’s a lot easier to eliminate when you have a fiber rich diet.

* Consume at minimum 8-10 cups of water everyday. This, like fiber, should make it easier to eliminate.

If your piles get worse, do everything you can to help allieviate them. If they are not getting better, they’re getting worse. Try to be proactive.

Common hemroid treatment options include drugstore medicines, for example Preparation H or Tucks medicated pads. However, the ingredients of some medications indicate they may not be safe for extended use.

Investigate if there are hydrocortisone creams in stock. Their anti inflammatory properties can help reduce swelling to the delicate skin of your hemroids.

You’ll find a zinc oxide lotion, like that in diaper rash treatments, to be very cooling. They should help with sudden reduction of pain.

Sprays are also around that have numbing ingredients.

You’ll also want to ensure that you are patting down the area rather then wiping and rubbing after using the restroom. Baby wipes are a great solution here, as they are gentle on sensitive skin.

The numbing and decrease in swelling produced by using ice on the area for ten minutes is a simple way to lessen pain, and should be applied many times per day. Using sitz baths are another option. Simply resting in bed to prevent muscle strain is a good idea also when your hemroid symptoms are very bad.

Wetness|Moisture} causes worsening for hemroids, so switch to cotton undergarmets to keep your skin dry. If you’re applying any products that have dyes and perfumes, stop. They’ll only irritate the skin more.

Read this way to cure hemroids article by Cassie Biddleton you will need to read about here.

Using the ideas in this article will help alleviate your hemroid symptoms. Always check with your health care professional or doctor when beginning any new treatments.

In this day and age of economic meltdown one thing is clear. Those who have the best products, products that provide exceptional value will remain. The rest will be history. Maybe that will be a good thing.

Consumers are re-evaluating the value they get for their hard earned and uncertain wages. Marketing budgets are bursting at the seams with cash trying to get everybody’s attention for the same old products and consumers are mostly ignoring them.

Home business start-ups are growing at an exception rates. What is amazing is that while the media is constantly promoting the idea that the economy is collapsing and the government is pouring money into the economy at sums impossible to imagine consumers are finding ways to rescue themselves. Not content with waiting for the government, and certainly not expecting leadership from the captains of the financial industry they are starting home based business that they hope will provide products they use to others.

What is truly a revolution in thinking; consumers are choosing products that are important to their everyday lives and recommending them to their neighbours. The basic idea is along these lines: if I use this product and it improves my quality of life, or it save me time or it prevents a problem in my home it probably will for others. If it works for me, and other have the same problems I have it will likely work for them. If I tell them it solved my problem they will likely try it themselves and thus a home based business is born.

In our case, we have found that TAHITIAN NONI® Juice is such a product. It provides exceptional antioxidants, helps maintain cholesterol at existing normal levels, and supports the immune system and increasing energy. We represent this company because it provides quality and exceptional value in its products. We also obviously profit by selling sell TAHITIAN NONI® Juice and we are involved in our own economic recovery.

As indicated at the bottom of all our web pages, these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please visit our website for details.

Journal of Wound Care Magazine is specialist magazine to provide you with detailed coverage of wound care related practice, education, research and management (PERM). The magazine has insightful articles on wound care related topics written by researchers and top practitioners. The magazine also covers the latest research, practice and guidance for professionals looking for the very best advice in treating all different kinds of wounds – chronic and acute. Journal Of Wound Care Magazine is one essential read for everyone who wants to get the best ideas, knowledge and provides you with a comprehensive mix of practice, research, education and management articles. Covering all types of wounds, whether chronic or acute, Journal of Wound Care is an indispensable resource to help you in all aspects of your wound care practice.

Wound Care Practice

A Journal Of Wound Care Magazine Subscription comes with some nice write ups on wound care practice and guidance to practitioners from all parts of the world. The magazine makes sure you get unique coverage of practices followed in different parts of the world. The coverage includes social, psychological and physical aspects of wound care management. Journal Of Wound Care Magazine’s writers also outlines successful management formula used by different organizations and professionals.

Research Papers

Papers on researches going on in different topics like bacterial changes in venous ulcers, patient centric approach to exudates management, etc are presented. You will find the best read, suited to wound care practitioners. Health Magazines

Education

Journal Of Wound Care Magazine also provides you details of wound care related education and facilities available in all parts of UK. You will also read in detail about the course content and the history of medical schools, where the courses are conducted.

Book Reviews

Journal Of Wound Care Magazine also publishes reviews on papers and books published on the topic of wound care. Practitioners, researchers and students can benefit from the knowledgeable book reviews by eminent practitioners, trainers and managers in the sector.

News from International Wound Care Organisation

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If you suspect yourself, a member of your family or even a close friend of suffering from psoriasis, it helps to know the symptoms of psoriasis in order that you can get the kind of medical treatment that is needed to keep the different manifestations of this disease to a minimum. If you know the symptoms of psoriasis, you will be able to recognize whether or not someone is suffering from it by doing some research on the subject. Of course, one quick way to get to know the symptoms of psoriasis is to ask a doctor to give you a list of symptoms that this disease has. Visit Control Psoriasis and Know the Symptoms of Psoriasis 

People who know the symptoms of psoriasis can tell you that the common indications of psoriasis is the usual itching and burning sensations that are often associated with rashes and other such skin problems. The other symptoms that a person can get which can easily show that he is indeed suffering from psoriasis are the lesions and scaly skin that usually end up in flakes or cracked dry skin. Other symptoms to look out for when psoriasis is suspected are red spots that can be seen on certain parts of a person’s body, like the scalp, the elbows, knees, and even the genital areas.

Once you know the symptoms of psoriasis, you will need to consult a doctor to help you or the person who is afflicted with this problem get a remedy for the uncomfortable and sometimes painful flare-ups that psoriasis often brings. The treatments for a person with psoriasis vary according to the type, severity and even the places where the scales and flare-ups are found. An example of a kind of psoriasis that a person can treat easily is the kind that is found on the scalp, and this is known as scalp psoriasis.

You will easily know the symptoms of psoriasis of the scalp since the same lesions and scaly skin that you can find on the knees and elbows of a person with psoriasis can be found at the nape and the scalp of the person who has this condition. Treatments for scalp psoriasis may include topical creams and ointments that are formulated to get rid of these lesions and flakes, dandruff shampoos that can get these flaky substances out of a person’s hair, and other such treatments that can be used on a person’s scalp. For all skin conditions visit Control Skin Conditions 

Other psoriasis types, like pustule psoriasis and guttate psoriasis may need other kinds of treatments that can help with the symptoms that these kinds of psoriasis bring. This article is not intended to be used as medical advice or to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, or used for therapeutic purposes or to replace health professional advice. Visit Top Skin Care Shop for all skin care books on skin conditions including What Does Psoriasis Look Like 

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