Arts and Entertainent

Nature Photography: Art Or Technology?

Nature photography has been around since cameras were invented, but in the past 20 years it has achieved new-found credibility as an art form. Before that, it had been largely relegated to the tourist industry, where second-rate nature photography was mass marketed on postcards and calendars. You certainly would not expect to find nature photography featured in galleries and on the walls of the well-heeled and tasteful.

Gradually postcards improved in quality, and serious nature photographers with real talent began to produce their own calendars. High quality posters of whales, wolves, elephants and spectacular landscapes from around the world were suddenly worthy of framing. Finally nature photography galleries began to appear and, more importantly, turn a profit.

When I opened my gallery in 1993, many people still felt that you could not make a living selling photography; that people would only buy paintings to hang on their walls. These days, new galleries are opening everywhere; some good, some not so good, and a few that have really hit the big time.

All this activity in the world of nature photography has inspired new generations of photographers to look at nature photography as a hobby or possible profession. These new arrivals come from a very different world than the one I grew up in. Technology that was unimagined back then is now commonplace, and new photographers have more power in their hands than ever before. But what implications does all this technology have for nature photography?

Photographers now have to make a personal decision about how much they will allow technology to define their photography. In earlier days, good nature photography required a very simple approach; find a great subject, in the best possible light, and use your skill with a camera to capture what you saw. Today it is quite a different story. A nature photographer can (if they choose) find a decent subject, photograph it in whatever lighting conditions they happen to find, then go home and completely alter the colours, the contrast, and even the detail of the picture. The result can be an image that owes more to the marvels of technology than to the wonders of nature.

Each to his own. It is not for me to judge the creative decisions of another photographer. But the question that is in the back of your mind right now deserves to be asked; is this nature photography?

Every photographer is entitled to pursue their craft any way they choose. Nobody could argue that skills with a computer are any less creative than traditional nature photography skills. However, the person who views a photograph deserves to know what they are looking at, especially if that person is a customer prepared to part with their hard-earned money.

I know many photographers get quite defensive on this subject. Camera clubs around the world continue to wrestle with the issue of judging natural photos alongside manipulated photos. Some clubs have tried to divide competition into separate categories, only to find people sneaking their digitally altered photos into the unaltered category for equal recognition. Understandably, 'software photographers' want their talents to be recognised on the same level as the 'in-camera photographers'. And so they should, but not in a way that ignores the difference between the two disciplines.

This is not an attempt to denigrate the skills of the software photographers. It just seems to me that the viewer, and in particular the paying customer, deserves to know.

Increasingly the public is becoming suspicious of good photography. Anything that is outstanding or unusual is now assumed to have been altered or manipulated using computer software. In many cases, it probably has. Unfortunately, this suspicion gives little credit to the traditional photographer (and there are still plenty of us out there) who prefer to do the creative work in the field, before they press the shutter, and reproduce what was captured on the day.

You can't imagine, unless it has happened to you, how frustrating it is to proudly display your best nature photography, only to hear people say 'These days it's all done with computers.'

For the record, my photography is as traditional as it can be in the digital age. I am going through the long process of scanning thousands of slides, and increasingly software is becoming a necessity to my business. Not to alter a photo, but to balance the colour and contrast to make sure the printed photograph matches the original slide. It is also an enormous benefit to finally be able to restore images that have been scratched or otherwise damaged by age.

I recognise that the trend towards using software to enhance and alter photos is not only inevitable, but just as legitimate as old fashioned nature photography. However, I continue to encourage people to learn true camera skills as well, so that the use of software to manipulate images is a creative choice, not a remedy for lack of ability. Thankfully, the demand for my ebooks suggests that there are plenty of people out there who feel the same way.

To see some Australian Nature Photography that is captured in the field, and reproduced from the original image on film, see Andrew Goodall's work at http://www.naturesimage.com.au To learn the essential skills of better photography, you can also find Andrew's ebooks and subscribe to the online newsletter...it's free!

Food and Drink

What is Freeze Dried Coffee?

Most people given a choice would prefer the taste of fresh ground coffee rather than instant freeze dried coffee but nonetheless the freeze dried coffee market is vast both domestically and commercially.

It's sheer convenience and ease of use is probably its main advantage and with the improvements of modern production processes the flavour of the final beverage has improved dramatically. Just add a spoonful of freeze dried coffee granules to a mug, add hot water and you can enjoy a decent cup of coffee.

We have all probably drunk freeze dried coffee at some stage, but what actually is it and how is it made?

Initially fresh brew coffee is made in the usual way using a very large industrial bulk brewer in which very hot water is passed though fresh coffee grounds in a filter system to produce the hot coffee liquor we are all familiar with.

This coffee liquor is then concentrated through a series of evaporators under vacuum where some of the aroma and flavour compounds are also removed and stored. This ensures that some of the flavour and aroma of the coffee that is lost during the freeze drying process can be 'put-back' into the final product just before packing.

The concentrated coffee liquor then moves on to the actual freeze-dry processing equipment. Here the coffee liquor is initially foamed and then frozen to a temperature of -450 degrees centigrade. It is then ground to the required particle size.

The ice crystals that formed in the freezing process from the water content in the beverage are then removed in a process called sublimation. Here the frozen granules are subjected to a high vacuum which results in much of the water ice content to be transformed directly into gas (without a liquid stage it would normally undergo) before being returned to room temperature.

The resulting freeze dried coffee typically contains just 3 to 5 percent water. The more volatile flavour and aroma compounds extracted at the initial brewing stage are then returned to the dried product just before packing.

As you can imagine an industrial factory producing freeze dried coffee produces vast amounts of used coffee grounds in the production process, but these are not put to waste. They are usually sold on as animal feed, compost or organic fuel.

It should be noted that freeze dried coffee is different from spray dried coffee and is generally accepted as superior in quality. The spray dried production of coffee will be the subject of another article.

For more information about coffee and coffee brewing equipment visit

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

4 Steps To A Tennis Speed Training Programme

Have you wondered what it would be like to be fast?

Do you want to possess the ability to change direction on the spot?

Do you want to dominate opponents with your blistering speed?

Do you want to win matches because you are just too quick?

1. Proper Warm-Up and Cool-Down

Training for Tennis Speed is all about maximum effort and intensity, so a proper DYNAMIC warm-up (no static stretching in the warm up!) is ESSENTIAL as your muscles will be working at full capacity.

The rate of muscular contraction is very high during speed training so if you don't take the time to warm up properly you really run the risk of injury.

The same can be said of the cool-down period after training.

The excessive contractions tend to shorten the muscles and produce waste products as the session progresses so you MUST performf a proper cool-down as this will help to stretch the muscles back to their original resting length and eliminate the presence of the waste products such as lactic acid.

Your cool-down should be similar to the warm-up except the warm up should start slowly at low intensities and build up whereas your cool-down should the be exact opposite (gradually slowing down) finishing with some static stretching.

A proper warm up and cool down will also significantly reduce the amount of muscle soreness that will occur a day or so after the session.

2. Never Train Just in Straight Lines

Let's think about how you play for a minute!

As a percentage, write/scribble rough answers down to the following questions!

How often do you move forwards?

How often do you move backwards?

How often do you move sideways?

How often are you moving forwards (say towards the net) but side-shuffling (basically a sideways movement)?

What about going backwards for a smash (tip - you should be positioned sideways for this shot)?

Do you get the picture?

Do you understand what I am trying to point out?

Hopefully the answer is yes, but if not, here it comes!!

You can see from the above that many, many situations occur during the course of a match that require a multitude of movement types, BUT very few situations call upon you to run forwards as though you were sprinting to catch a bus!

So why would you choose to do your speed training in this way?

It's just not specific is it?

If you were training for the 100 metres then straight line running is acceptable, but for tennis (and most other sports), you have to learn how to move quickly in many directions.

Straight Line training has its place in your programme but should NOT be the ONLY type of speed training you do!

3. Only Train Over Short Distances

Going back to what I said about only training in straight lines this was specific to the way tennis (and most sport) is played.

Another aspect of your speed training involves the distances you should be doing your training over.

Let's think about the game again for a minute!

Again scribble the answers down to the following questions.

What is the average distance you cover to each shot?

What is the maximum distance you may need to cover to get to any shot?

Do you get my point?

The answers will vary slightly for each person and situation BUT they certainly are not 100 or 200 metres/yards!

SO

When you are training for speed, you only need to be training over very short distances such as 5 or 10 metres/yards.

To re-visit our earlier analogy - you are NOT a track sprinter so DON'T train like one!!

4. Rest Periods Are Vital

One of the most overlooked aspects of speed training is the rest you need to take in between repetitions/exercises.

Most people finish a repetition of a drill and begin the next one far too quickly.

The reason this is wrong is because for you to be able to impact on your speed, you have to perform all exercises at 110% intensity and for this to be possible you have to make sure you have fully recovered from the exertions before.

If you are not fully recovered you will only be able to perform at increasingly less intensity as the session progresses and therefore will only really be improving your endurance and NOT your speed.

You really need to be taking at least 1 minute (if not more) to rest although this does depend on the distances involved and the type of exercise involved.

But as a rule make sure you feel recovered before you start the next one.

Remember NOT to hurry your speed training and you WILL win the race!

Paul Gold is a Tennis Performance Enhancement Specialist. For your FREE Top 10 Tennis Training Tips go to

He has just released a special report on speed training for tennis, go to

for details. Copyright © 2000-2007 Tennis Training Central

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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.

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