Arts and Entertainent

Photography For Beginners: Depth of Field.

Depth of field is one of the most important aspects of photography you can learn. Use depth of field well in your photography and you can gain immense control over the look and impact of your photos. Unfortunately, depth of field also seems to be one of the toughest aspects for beginners to learn and master.

Even when you break it down to the simplest terms, the relationship between aperture and depth of field can seem confusing. Whenever I teach a class, or try to explain the manual settings on a friend's camera, this is the always topic we have to go over again and again. The good news is that with practice and concentration, the aperture/depth of field relationship will finally 'click' for you. The bad news is, there is more to understanding depth of field than just using your aperture.

But let's start at the beginning. What is depth of field?

In simple terms, the depth of field is the area behind and in front of your main point of focus, that is also acceptably in focus. So if you focus on a subject one metre away, you might look at your photo and find that everything from 0.9 to 1.2 metres is in focus. In this case, your depth of field is 0.3 metres (30 centimetres).

The very first thing a new photographer learns about depth of field is that it is controlled by the aperture on your lens. Very simply, a smaller aperture creates a larger depth of field, and a larger aperture creates a narrower depth of field. So if we go back to our previous example, let's say the 30cm depth of field was captured with an aperture of F-8. You could narrow the depth of field considerably by adjusting the aperture to F-2.8, a much wider setting.

Sound confusing? It is hard to explain it any more simply, especially without showing you photos as examples. If this is your first time working with depth of field, don't worry. Go outside right now and take some shots just as I have described, and you should be able to see the results right away.

So if it is that simple, why do so many people struggle with depth of field? As I wrote earlier, there is more to depth of field than just the aperture.

Depth of field is also affected by how close the subject appears in your photo. That means either how close you are to the subject, or how much you magnify or reduce the subject using different sized lenses.

The closer you are to your subject, or the closer you make the subject appear by zooming in with your lens, the smaller the depth of field becomes. Let's say you are photographing a person five metres away. At this distance, a standard or wide-angle lens will not only show a lot of background, but the wide depth of field could make the background quite distracting. However, if you walk much closer to the subject and re-focus, the depth of field will become much smaller. As a result, the well-focused person will stand out clearly from a blurry background. You can maximize the effect by opening the aperture to its widest setting.

Now imagine your subject is posing in front of a beautiful waterfall. If you stand close to the subject and photograph them with a wide aperture, you could get a great shot of the person but the waterfall will be an out of focus blur. You could improve the situation slightly by closing the aperture a few stops. However, the most effective way to improve the depth of field is to stand a few metres further back, and/or zoom back to a wider angle with your lens. Not only will you capture more of the background, but it will be much sharper than if you only adjusted your aperture alone.

So there you have a quick look at not one, but three factors than can make it easier to master depth of field; aperture, distance from the subject, and the size of the lens. This really is a topic that needs to be illustrated with a few photos, but hey - you have a digital camera. Why not go and try out these ideas at the next opportunity? It won't cost you anything, and you can see the results right away. You will soon develop a feel for the best way to make depth of field work for different subjects in your photography.

Depth of field is better explained and illustrated in Andrew Goodall's ebook "Photography In Plain English" found at

. You will also find plenty of other great resources for photographers, including a guide to making money from your own photography. For even more photography tips, sign up to the online newsletter...it's free!

Food and Drink

Health and Fitness

The Best Exercise To Lose Weight - A 12-Minute Regimen

Copyright © 2008 Lewis Phillips

Most individuals who are overweight want to shed as many extra pounds as possible; however, not everyone is willing to settle for a boring exercise routine that neither excites nor encourages. People usually fail to see any results from these workouts, and end up believing they're better off doing something else.

There has actually been proof to the supposition that long-period, intense workouts will not do much in shedding the pounds. When done at a lower intensity level, these types of exercises may produce some positive results, but your body could get the wrong notion and end up stockpiling more fat, expecting you to burn fat at a slower pace because of the low intensity level.

The good news is there is a solution to this dilemma. It has been found that exercise done for a brief period but with increased intensity could bring about a much more favorable result. Your body will increase its metabolic rate, and even just a few minutes of exercise will have you burning the calories for the entire day.

So, what is the explanation for this discovery? The actual truth is that high intensity routines expand the muscles. As the muscles expand, the calories inside the body end up getting burned. If you increase more muscle and reduce body fat, you'll achieve a leaner and fitter physique.

Some may wonder if there really are effective workouts that can be done in only twelve minutes. In fact, there is a great workout plan that has been created for the busy individuals who definitely want to lose weight but are time challenged.

Undoubtedly, going to a fitness gym will not be a priority for an individual with a really tight schedule. Who finds the time for something that demands a huge chunk of the day, yet barely achieves the desired results?

Thus, the mission was accepted to formulate the workout plan that will not even require 30, 20, or 15 minutes from you, but only 12 minutes. In this brief period, your body will beat down that fat all day long. Twelve measly minutes is all it takes, and your body will continually work to drop the pounds. This results in an effective and efficient weight loss regimen.

Plus, there is no requirement to drag yourself down to a boring gym or anywhere that is outside your beloved home. You can do this at home where you're most comfortable. Simply pick a good corner in your home, some weights, easy-fitting clothes, execute the 12-minute plan and get yourself on the road to healthy weight loss.

To find out more about this incredible 12-minute exercise routine, considered by many to be the best exercise to lose weight, visit Lewis Phillips' website for all the details. You'll find many tips for dropping those pounds and a free report that addresses the myths about burning fat.

Pets and Animals

Dog Training Basics: Quick Fixes for 4 Specific Puppy Problems

Dog training isn't difficult, but it does require consistency and the right methods. If you issue a command, do so with authority. Some commands are taught together to be effective. Once you know the secrets to basic dog training, advanced training will come much easier.

Here are solutions to some of the common problems new puppy owners face.

Before any dog training can begin, you'll need a training collar and leash for your puppy.

1. Puppy runs out the door and won't come back.

Until your puppy receives his dog training, the only solution is to ensure he can't get out the door or gate. The sooner you teach him the proper commands, however, the sooner you can stop worrying about him escaping.

There actually are two commands that work together in this situation: sit or down, and stay. You'll start by teaching your puppy to sit. Once he's learned this, which shouldn't take long, you can teach him to stay. So he doesn't get confused, it's best if you save the stay lesson until tomorrow.

Teach to sit:

Kneel or squat down beside your puppy. Keep the leash at a length of about two feet between the puppy's collar and you hand. Gently but firmly grasp the spot on his back just in front of your puppy's hips. Press down firmly to force his back end down while holding his head end up with the leash. While doing this, tell your puppy to Sit, making sure you emphasize the 't'.

Teach to stay:

There are two parts to the stay command. You'll tell him to stay and block him with your hand. With leash in hand, stand beside your puppy so that you're both facing in the same direction. Tell him to sit. He should have learned to obey this command in the "Teach to sit" instruction. Then, order him to stay while holding your flat hand about four inches in front of his face.

Be persistent with your dog training, but don't work with him for more than 10-15 minutes at a time or he and you will become frustrated.

Don't forget the consistent praises for a job well done.

Once he's learned the sit-stay command, you'll find lots of opportunities to use it, like when he jumps on people.

2. Puppy is destructive when he's left in a closed room.

Being social animals, puppies hate being separated from the pack. The separation anxiety, fear and distress caused by being isolated causes him to chew anything in site. There are several, solutions. First, never use a barrier that he can't see through, such as a door or piece of wood. Use a special dog gate or other such item that enables him to see the other "pack" members.

Putting a radio in the room can help, too. And don't forget the toys.

3. Puppy eats shoes, socks and other clothing.

One mistake many owners make is to give their puppies old socks or shoes to gnaw. While this is great fun for the puppy, it sets you up for problems later on. What you're essentially doing is dog training. He doesn't know the difference between your clothes and the ones you give him. Never give your puppy socks or shoes. Provide him with proper puppy chew toys and special jaw exercisers.

4. Puppy won't leave visitors alone.

Puppies love everybody and are anxious to show it. To break your puppy of this habit, teach him the sit-stay command. Of course, you can't do that when company's around. The sooner he goes through dog training, the easier it is to resolve these situations. After he's trained, issue the sit-stay command whenever he jumps on people. In the meantime, simply put him in a confined area with a see-through gate until your guests leave.

Dog training is very important for a number of reasons. It saves you a lot of problems when certain situations arise. It gives you control over your puppy. In addition, it can save his life. Some owners are content just to teach their puppies the basics: sit, stay, come, fetch, and wait.

Once your puppy learns the basics, you can move on to more advanced dog training.

Get more Dog Training tips! Find out how to check your puppy's personality to see if you're a match. Did you know that your dog's personality will determine the right approach to training this particular dog?

Sports and Recreation

Travel and Leisure

Known as the city that never sleeps

Known as the city that never sleeps; you will need to have at least seven days in New York City if you want a real taste of what it has to offer the visitor. One of the busiest visitor locations in the city is the Empire State Building and even if you don't get to the top there is still a great deal to see. For even better views, when the weather is fine, it requires a trip to the top of the 820 feet tall Rockefeller Centre. Visitors to New York will often get the best view of the Statue of Liberty from the many tour boats but New York has seen a dramatic rise in the number of tourists since 9/11 and often it is worth disembarking at Ellis Island instead.

As an alternative why not go to Staten Island via the free ferry and look at the Statue of Liberty from there; this is also a great place to spend some time enjoying the talents of local (almost professional) street entertainers. Whilst you are on a seven day visit to New York New York a trip to the area where the Twin Towers used to stand has become something that every person who visits this great city must do. It's strangely moving location and the terrorist struck World Trade Centre site covers a huge area but it is a peculiarly unfriendly subject for the photographer. The reason many people travel all the way to New York, even for a weekend, is for the stores and you can pop along to Tiffany's or look for bargains around Broadway and Lower East Side.

Bloomingdales is another famous store (for the wealthy) to look around but it is Maceys, who will give 11 percent discount on production of a tourist card where most people will head for. Another popular visitor destination, which is currently closed for refurbishment is the ISASM or the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum which will be opening it's doors again late in 2008; if you're going to be there next year it will be a worthwhile place to see. There is a great deal there with the focus on the USS Intrepid, a Second World War aircraft carrier but Concorde is also there and many other interesting vessels, including a submarine. The New York City Police Museum is worth an hour if you're down that way; it's free to enter but a five dollar donation is recommended to help with its upkeep; because it's about New York's finest (and some not so fine), it has some really excellent NYPD souvenirs.

Another museum is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum which focuses on the appalling conditions experienced by the immigrants back in 1864. If Central Park is on your list of places to see then there is another museum aptly named the City of New York Museum which has exhibitions exploring the city's past, its present and the future. It is all housed in a beautiful building and entrance is free but a nine dollar donation is recommended. Most visitors seem to be on a flying visit so end up missing some of the most beautiful areas and that's why seven days in New York should really be the minimum stay.

More Resources http://www.travelguides247.com