" Amazing Story "

This fantastic story was emailed to me by Jennifer Armstrong from Eureka Montana.

A true story that I just had to share with you. Awesome wonder of God! I hope that you enjoy it.



Freedom and I have been together 10 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She's my baby.

Jeff



When Freedom came in she could not stand. Both wings were broken, her left wing in 4 places. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vet's office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn't stand in a week. You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her dog cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington. We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair - the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone. Yahoo!

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't know how long. That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power coarse through his body. I have so many stories like that.

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom's.

Hope you enjoy this.

Jeff

Composition for Digital Photography Tips

Composition for Digital Photography Tips

Composition for Digital Photography Tips
By Al Sanez

One of the most important things that you need to use for composing for digital photography is the lines and shapes. Lines and shapes are everywhere and knowing how to capture them in a pleasing and eye catching way is basically what can make some photos look really great.

Lines are very important for composing for photography. The lines should always be looked at and thoroughly thought about when taking photographs. Where do these lines in the photograph lead the viewers eyes to? Is it relevant for the effect you are going for?

Think of various examples of pictures that have lines in them. The pictures of roads shows the lines of the road and how they approach a point in the distant area. These are very strong lines that lead the viewers eyes.

It is actually really easy to start using lines in your compositions effectively. Try to have the lines actually lead to an object of interest. Having the lines lead to an object that is of no importance is very bad photography. Be sure the lines are used for a reason besides to look good.

There are many different lines everywhere. Not all are as obvious as the road lines. You can use the lines of peoples bodies and position models so that the lines of their shoulders lead to their face. Or if they are sitting down have their legs lines point to their face.

One of the best way to see how lines is used is by looking at how the pro photographers take their pictures. See how they use the lines in their photographs and try some of the techniques that they do. And don't go complex when using lines. A few lines is enough. Keeping it simple is always better than having millions of lines.

Al Sanez has a great program that teaches you how to take better photos. He also teaches people how to sell photos online.

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14 Tips for Capturing Spring Flowers

Photography - 14 Tips for Capturing Spring Flowers

Flowers photographed by Stephanie Adriana

Photography - 14 Tips for Capturing Spring Flowers
By Sue Barthelow

Ah, spring is in the air. The daffodils and other spring bulbs are blooming throughout the foothills. The almond trees have moved beyond their peak bloom, and other trees are joining the cacophony of bloom to overwhelm the senses. Here in the countryside, the wildflowers are popping up, inviting us to come out and enjoy nature.

Being a photographer, you probably have your camera on your mind and, hopefully, in your hand. It's time to take advantage of those lovely spring blossoms; to capture them forever.

So dust off that camera and wake it up from its winter slumber. Here are some tips that may help.

1. Watch out for the wind. Unless it's the movement you're trying to capture, you'll get your best images when the air is still.

2. Use your tripod and self-timer or remote control to get the sharpest images.

3. Full sunlight brings out the brightest colors and adds contrast to give you highlighted detail. Watch out for dark shadows. You can lighten the shadows using a reflector or fill flash.

4. If you want to give your flowers a softer look with muted colors, shoot on an overcast day, in the shade, during early morning or after sunset. You may be able boost your colors by changing your camera's optimize image settings to something that will produce more vivid colors (check your camera manual).

5. Depending on the orientation, the light near sunset can make light colored flowers glow against a darker background.

6. Use your aperture priority setting. To blur the background, start with an f/5.6 aperture. Move upwards from there to get more and more depth of focus. Anything over f/11 is probably overkill.

7. Set your color saturation setting to Enhanced.

8. Use a variety of lens focal lengths. Try everything from wide angle to telephoto. A telephoto lets you step back from the flower and makes it easier to throw the background out of focus.

9. Try your camera's macro setting and get up close. You can capture an interesting part of a flower that will give you a different type of image.

10. Shoot in both horizontal and vertical camera positions.

11. Want to create a portrait? Try placing a black, white or colored backdrop behind a flower to give it that formal, composed look.

12. Vary your position and look for the most compelling image. You can shoot from below or above the flower. You can shoot from a level straight at it. Sometimes shooting from an off-angle will give you the best image. Watch the light and shadows. Look for an angle that gives you interesting texture or contrast.

13. Trying to capture a fine art type of image? Get up close and personal. Capture a small area of the flower that provides an interesting feature. Leave or crop out everything except for that intriguing section.

14. How about something in black and white? Look for color variations that will give you everything from black to white.

Sue Barthelow is a freelance photographer specializing in abstract, landscape, travel and wine production photography. Visit her gallery at www.SueBarthelow.com/photo_gallery.

Shop for your photography-related gear at www.MoreThanCameras.com.

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Tips on Capturing Action Shots

I hope that this article is helpful. I get asked all the time for help with action shots, this article breaks it down pretty well.

Tips on Capturing Action Shots
By Fiona Erna

Do you find it quite a challenge to shoot great action shots?

Whether you are shooting a fast moving car or pictures of a soccer match, you may find it some challenges to produce nice photos of those subjects.

In fact, the first thing you'll realize is that digital cameras are rather bad for action shots. That is why first time digital camera users often grumble about how lousy their action shots turn out.

Through some ample combination of careful lighting, focusing , positioning and shutter-speed adjustments, you can take the exact stop action shots. Even if you never take sports photos, knowing how to freeze action allow you capture birds in flight, water splashes, and fleeting childhood moments.

Worry not, the best way to master your digital camera's many buttons and screen menus is through hands-on experience. If setting your camera's shutter to 1/500th of a second gets you that perfect image of your baby mid-bounce, you're more likely to remember how to activate shutter-priority mode next time. So don't spend your time memorizing settings. Instead, remember the following principles for good action photography. Over time, making the camera do your bidding becomes second nature.

1. Move in close.
   Using a zoom lens, digital zoom, or your own body, get as close to the action as possible to eliminate distracting backgrounds.



2. Increase your camera's shutter speed.
   One of the major reasons why digital camera cannot shoot nice action shots is due to shutter lag. If your camera has manual mode, shutter-priority mode, or even a preset action mode, use it to prevent blurring caused by movement.



3. Anticipate the action.
   When you see the perfect moment on your camera's screen, it's way too late to press the shutter, especially if your camera has a substantial shutter lag. Even if you use burst mode to fire off a bunch of shots in a row, the time to begin taking your shot is about a second before the best action is likely to occur. It takes practice, but you will get the hang of it.



4. Do as much as possible before you take the shot.
   Prefocusing and spot metering are easy on most digital cameras. Get in the habit of setting them during breaks in the action. Once your camera has focus and/or exposure locked in, you can concentrate on getting the shot without the drag of shutter lag.



5. Above all, persevere.
   Don't get frustrated if many action shots don't turn out, even when you use these techniques. Pros shoot dozens, sometimes hundreds, of frames just to get one good picture. By its very nature, action photography produces lots of wasted shots. Just remember you've got a digital camera, so mistakes don't cost you a thing.

You must understand the sport game before you start shooting. You have to know how points are scored, what cause penalties, etc. This way, you will understand where the best action is likely to happen. Don't forget to capture the emotion. Be ready to capture player's faces on winning, or other emotional action in the game. They should make your photos looks alive!

On the next time you take such shots, do keep the above tips in mind, and I'm pretty sure your results will get better.

Learn about digital camera tips and various techniques you need at http://digitalcameramaster.com

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