How to select a winner through showdown

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by Saatchi Gallery

If the term 'showdown' conjures up images in your head of bloodthirsty cowboys battling it out to the end, think again. While the Saatchi Gallery's Showdown feature does involve a certain level of competitiveness, it also seems to be a feature where there are only winners, and no losers.

Showdown is an innovative development in Saatchi's online presence that allows emerging artists to showcase their works on the website and build their online profiles and portfolios. The Art room is a particularly enticing section where artwork from children of all ages can be viewed. This is one website where the charming squiggles made by a two-year-old can rightly demand their status as art alongside sophisticated and elaborate oils and watercolors by adult artists. An especially innovative feature of this section is that art can be made as well as displayed online.

One of the most alluring and unusual features of the Showdown section is that visitors to the website can vote for each image on a scale of one to ten. Handy links are also available with each image so that visitors can email their favorite images to their friends quickly and easily. Users can also develop a favorites list so that they can store links to images by their favorite artists, and view new work by them. Works that others have recently added to their favorites can also be viewed on the home screen. The popularity of an artist or an image can increase greatly depending on viewers' perceptions of it. Voting consists of several rounds with individual winners, and an overall winner is chosen at the end.

View of the most alluring and unusual process of Art Showdown section are that visitors to the website can vote for each image on a scale of one to ten.

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Digital Photography: Do Megapixels Really Matter?

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by Andrew Goodall

Is 'megapixel' the most overused word in the language of digital photography?

Tell anyone you are thinking of buying a new digital camera, and the first question they will probably ask you is "How many megapixels does it have?" In my gallery I often overhear comments like "I would love to take better photos, but my camera doesn't have enough megapixels."

Like computers and the internet, digital photography has bred two types of 'expert.' There are people who know a lot. Then there are the people who know just a little, but think they know everything. Many of these people have been persuaded (most likely by a salesman trying to increase his commission) that the key to good photography is a high megapixel rating. By clinging to this notion, they may well be ignoring more important factors that could help them become better photographers.

The number of pixels in a photo determines how much you can enlarge the picture without losing image quality. The more megapixels, the bigger the print. But how important is this really, for most photographers in today's digital world?

Let's forget about the size of the enlargement for a moment. How many photos these days are ever printed at all, let alone enlarged to poster size? Gone are the days of shooting photos on negative film, and printing them to see the results. These days we see the results immediately in the camera, and can look at them in better detail on the computer screen. In fact, by eliminating the cost of film and developing, more people are taking more photos than ever before.

But back to the question: of all these millions of photos, how many are ever actually printed? Most pictures live their lives on a computer screen, where we see a small version of a photo at 72dpi. In fact, if we want to share them in emails or add them to webpages, we have to make them even smaller to travel in cyberspace.

Of course there are people who print a lot of their photos. I encourage everybody to print their best photos, frame them, hang them, give them as gifts...after all, what is the purpose of all these photos if we don't do something with them? But do we need a lot of megapixels to create a good print?

In most cases, the answer is no. The vast majority of printed photos are 6x4 or 5x7 inches, and very occasionally 8x12 inches. Very few photographers (apart from professionals) will ever print a poster sized enlargement. They might think they will; but almost certainly, they won't.

So, do we really need all these megapixels? I equate it to buying a car than can travel 200 kilometres per hour in a country where the speed limit is 100. The power is there, and it may give some inward pride to know it is there...but it is wasted power all the same. Apart from bragging rights, in some ways you equally well served by an old hatchback that just gets you from Point A to Point B.

You can produce good, high quality prints up to 8x12 inch (20x30cm), and probably larger, with a five megapixel camera. This is not a compromise; I doubt you would see any improvement in print quality taking the same picture on a ten megapixel camera. Certainly you would see a difference if you enlarged the photo to poster size, but (as we have discussed), very few people reading this article are likely to do that.

Please do not see these comments as negative. I would never suggest that anyone who has bought a more powerful camera has wasted their money. Your upmarket camera probably came with an extra feature or two that adds to the fun you can have with photography. And of course, it is nice to know you could make giant prints from your photos...even though we both know you possibly never will.

Rather, I want to encourage all those people who didn't buy the top-of-the-range camera and wish they did, or are currently agonizing over how much to spend on their next camera. If you want a camera that takes a decent photo, for use online or to produce small and medium sized prints, you don't need to overextend your budget. Buy the camera you can reasonably afford and be happy with it - it will do the job for you.

If there is one important buying tip that is more important than the megapixels, it is to find a camera with a good quality lens. If your photos are not crystal clear and sharp when they are small, they are not going to improve by being blown up to larger sizes. In fact, all you would acheive is to make your blurry photo bigger and blurrier.

Just as importantly, once you have your camera, learn to use it. Most digital cameras come with manual settings that allow you to be truly creative once you know the basic photography techniques. If you look at any camera club competition, you will find that the winner is not the person with the most expensive camera. Invariably, it is the person with the imagination and skills to get the best out of the camera they have.

Andrew Goodall believes that with a small amount of guidance, anyone can become a better photographer, no matter what sort of camera they have. Andrew's ebook "Photography in Plain English" is a perfect place to start. Check it out at http://www.naturesimage.com.au and while you are there, sign up to the online newsletter for even more tips...it's free!

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Shopping Around For Your New HDTV

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by Victor Epand

HDTVs have become very popular very quickly, and with the switchover from analogue to digital by broadcasters very shortly, the need for a digital television is not one based purely on aesthetics. Certainly there us a great deal to be said as far as design is concerned for having a smart flat panel mounted on the wall in the living room, and it takes up a great deal less space as well. But there is more to simply choosing the size colour of the frame of your new HDTV, and some of the options can be a little confusing to the unwary and those still reeling from the shock of seeing television in colour.

The first thing is that not all HDTVs are built equally. There are different levels of quality, and different ways of formatting the picture. These differences are too technical to be included in this article, but if you are in the market to buy a new HDTV it would be well worth your while purchasing a magazine that can give you reviews and advice on current models, or doing a little more research online.

One of the most obvious choices that you will need to make is whether to go for a traditional looking direct view or tube television, or a flat panel. The advantage of direct view is that they are usually much cheaper. They also offer better contrast of colour with darker shades (in other words black looks blacker) and the viewing angle is much greater. This means that in a living room it will make no difference where you sit, whereas with some flat panel televisions if you sit anywhere other than directly in front of it you tend to get a loss of detail, loss of colour and eventually loss of the picture entirely.

Make sure you are aware of the difference between flat panel and flat screen televisions - because they are not one and the same thing. All too often people tend to use the terms interchangeably, but they are quite different. Flat screen televisions are simply standard televisions with a large tube, but instead of the base of the tube (the screen) being convex (curved), it is completely flat. This gives a sharper and less distorted picture. Flat panel televisions on the other hand are the very narrow type which can be mounted on the wall and take up very little depth at all. The screens are also flat, but unlike the tube sets, there is almost no depth to the television itself.

Another thing to look for is the choice of flat panel HDTVs between LCD and Plasma. The LCD televisions will be very much cheaper, but offer a very narrow viewing angle. Plasma television sets have a wider viewing angle, which suits more homes that have wide living rooms rather than narrow ones. The problem with Plasma televisions though is that they are prone to 'image burn'/. This is where an image, if displayed on the screen constantly for an extended period of time, it can become burned onto the screen so that it is still partially visible at all times. This can cause unwanted ghosting and deterioration of the picture. This is more likely if the screen is used to play video games, as many games have portions of the screen where buttons, options and menus sit that are always visible and can end up being displayed for hours at a time.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about luggage, cruises, hotels, and shopping. You will find the best marketplace for luggage, cruises, hotels, and shopping at these sites for bags, luggage, hotels, cruise, and shopping, televisions, HDTV, flat screen.

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The Courtesan

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by -Sheryll Cross-

Most of us today think that a courtesan is nothing more than a glamorized prostitute. While it may be true that an 18th century-Parisian courtesan provided sexual services just as a 21st century- British Columbia escort does, much, much more were expected of the courtesans of old.

A courtesan needs to have more than physical beauty and expert skills in bed. To rule the social circles of Renaissance Italy or 18th century London, a courtesan, for one, has to be intelligent, witty and able to hold her own well in conversations. She needs to be skilled and knowledgeable in the arts, sophisticated, well-mannered and well-read. In short, a true courtesan needs to be the perfect companion, partner and lover.

Their many attractive possessions provided courtesans with a lot of benefits and advantages apart from the obvious monetary gains. Because they are regarded to be intelligent and conversant, they had access to intellectual discussions and debates (a privilege majority of educated women during their time did not enjoy). Pericles' famous "constant companion" Aspasia for example, was so renowned for her intellect that the great Socrates himself brought people to hear her speak --- a true feat considering that during this time (and the next few hundreds of years that followed) women were generally confined to their homes and frilly ballrooms.

The fact that many men considered the beautiful courtesans to be infinitely more delightful and entertaining companions than their wives allowed these female escorts were able to influence many of the important decisions made by the men. Using their companionship as a powerful bargaining chip, they asked for money, social advancement and political power, and the men willingly provided them with all these. Through their skills and charms, many courtesans were also able to sway the decisions made by their benefactors in their favor. Not only did the courtesans have the hearts of their benefactors, they held power over their minds as well.

The clout of Madame de Pompadour over her benefactor King Louis XV was so great for example, that the respected and well-known Austrian diplomat Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz actually asked her to arbitrate in the negotiations for the Treaty of Versailles.

King Charles II's royal mistress Agnes Sorel on the other hand, was so influential that, according to speculations, the king's son ordered her murder just to halt her growing power over the king and the French court.


With extramarital affairs having become more discreet, the society loosening up on its restrictions on women and everything becoming institutionalized, beautiful mistresses and lovers can no longer openly wield their influence over powerful individuals using charm and seduction. The escorts in Vancouver who take the liberty to call themselves "modern courtesans" can protest all they want, but the days of the true courtesan are now over.

For additional information, click this site on escorts in Vancouver. Sheryll Cross is a registered web copywriter in a web design company associated with a company offering British Columbia escort services.

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Successful Child Actress: Keka Palmer

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by Toni Casala

Born Lauren Keyana Palmer, you may remember Keke from her performance in the critically acclaimed, award-winning film Akeelah and the Bee, but Keke was far from wet behind the ears when she starred in her role as Akeelah Anderson.

As a small child growing up in Robbins, Illinois, Keke showed her parents Laurence and Sharon Palmer that her performance skills packed a lot of power when she belted out "Jesus Loves Me" in her church choir.

In their home recording studio, Keke's mother Sharon helped Keke harness her vocal abilities, and both parents were dedicated to taking her on auditions and helping her to perfect her acting skills. In 2004 Keke landed her first big role in Barbershop 2: Back in Business playing the part of Queen Latifah's niece. At this point, it was more than apparent that Keke had star-potential, so the family left behind their newly purchased home and their secure jobs to head to California.

Keke's accomplished resume includes a role on the CBS series Cold Case, a national K-Mart commercial, and even a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role in Wool Cap. She is currently the youngest actress to ever receive a nomination in a Lead Actress category. She has also won the 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Akeelah and the Bee. She also co-starred in the highly-rated Disney Channel Original movie Jump In.

Though her acting career has blossomed, Keke considers music her first love and has signed with Atlantic Records. Her newest album "So Uncool" includes an ode to her Chicago roots. The Palmer's decision to leave the Chicago area in pursuit of Keke's dreams turned out to be a good one, but they were definitely challenging times. In his interview with Children In Film, Laurence Palmer talks about the challenges of being a Power Parent.





INTERVIEW WITH LAURENCE PALMER

On Education

CIF: How did you/do you school your children?
LP: We came to California in November of 2003 and home-schooled our children under the Illinois guidelines for a semester until we found out about the California program Options For Youth, which Keke still attends and our oldest daughter Loreal graduated from this past spring.

CIF: What are the challenges of dealing with a school-aged child who is also working?
LP: Keke is a very social kid. Our main challenge with her is finding time where she can socialize with other children. We make sure she gets to some birthday parties, skating parties and movie outings with her friends. My wife Sharon or our 18 year old daughter Loreal or I accompany her depending on the outing and the other parent's participation.

On Getting Started in Show Biz

CIF: What actors inspired your child (in her work) or you to get her into this field?
LP: Keke was inspired by Brandy, Rave, Tia and Timara Mowery and Kyla Pratt. My wife and I were professional theater actors in Chicago and I think that helps us in understanding her desire to do this and how she approaches this business.

CIF: How many auditions did you go on before the first job?
LP: Keke's first audition was for the Lion King in Chicago. She made the Saturday cut and on Sunday, out of 400 kids, she made it down to the last 15 before she got cut. For a kid who never had an acting lesson and only did a couple of school plays, we thought that was great. After that we got her an agent. Before we signed with the agent she auditioned for American Juniors where she won a trip to California and made it to the top 33. Her first audition with the agency was for Barbershop 2 and she got the part!

On Working in Entertainment

CIF: Does your child want to be in entertainment for her whole life or does she want to do something else as an adult?
LP: Keke has a desire to eventually produce and direct after she finishes college, but now she wants to do this, and as long as she keeps her grades up she can. She can also say at anytime that she's done with acting and doesn't want to do it anymore and we will take her out of the business.

On Parenting a Child Actor

CIF: What is the biggest mistake you've made as a parent in entertainment?
LP: Nothing comes to mind – Keke's only been in the business for four years and we are still learning the business. We usually try to adapt and adjust to the situations that come into our life. Years from now I'm sure it will be easy to answer that question.

CIF: Are you ever afraid that your child will fall inline with the negative image of child stars?
LP: I would have to say yes. We just continue to go to church, pray together and remain parents. She has to follow our rules and she has to respect her older sister and she has to be an example to her younger brother and sister.

CIF: What advice would you give other parents just starting out?
LP: I would advise them to always remain parents. Kids can not play on sports teams with bad grades or bad attitudes and they should not be allowed to act if they display those same qualities. As a child you don't have the right to act – it is a privilege. As parents we have to let our children know constantly what is right and what is wrong. We must teach them to respect themselves and others.

On Children In Film

CIF: What is your current relationship with Children in Film? Are they/were they a good resource for you?
LP: When Keke was auditioning for American Juniors, we were introduced to Children In Film because we had to get a work permit. Twenty of the top 33 kids were going to be on TV, so all 33 kids had to have permits because the top 20 would be notified by mail and would have to start work upon that notification. My wife and I continue to use Children In Film's services for obtaining our work permits as well as for a resource for some child labor laws and guidelines and any questions we have that we think they can help us with.

Toni Casala is the founder and CEO of ChildrenInFilm.com, a comprehensive information resource center and networking site for parents, child actors and industry professionals where you can get everything you would need to know about young actors working in the entertainment industry. Toni is one of Hollywood's leading authorities on California Child Labor Law.

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Where to Find Urdu Poetry

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by Basit Habib

If you understand what Urdu poetry is then you may want to know where to find it so that you can read it on a regular basis. There are really only a few places that you can find it for the purpose of reading it. Your library, the Internet and your family.

The Library

The library is great place to look for Urdu poetry because they normally have a lot of books to choose from and may have a great section on this kind of poetry. You can look up the authors of the poetry in the file index at the library. This is the best place to start when looking in your local library. You may be able to find translated poetry this way for you to use in your Hindu learning. It's also a great way to learn the culture that you may not be familiar with at all.

The Internet

The Internet is another great place to start looking because it is a great place to get a lot of information fast and conveniently. Urdu poetry is easy to find on the Internet because anyone in any part of the world can add their web page and their information to it. Urdu poetry is something that anyone that loves to read poetry can look for and learn to read with ease. If you find that you start to love the poetry, then you can even learn Hindu from the web so that you can read it in the language that it was meant to be in, in the first place.

Family Members

If you are Hindu, then you may be able to learn a lot from your family and maybe be able to get some Urdu poetry from them as well. This is great for you because you will be able to learn thesis kind of thing from your family and start a tradition that you can pass on to your own kids in the future. Families that have this kind of thing to hand down are more apt to be closer and have more things to share as a family unit. If you think that you want to pass these Urdu poetry pieces down to your kids as well as keeping a tradition alive that has been around for many years. This may not have started in your family but you can keep it going with one easy step.

There are many reasons that you should go looking for ways to learn about Urdu poetry. You will get a lot of culture from it as well as learn a new language if it's not one that you already know or can learn that easily. If you take the time to look for the perfect Urdu poetry book and learn what they are saying you will get so much more out of it then you ever thought you would. Take the time to learn what they mean and what you should take from them.

The Author writes articles on urdu poetry. More articles written by the author related to funny urdu poetry, designed Poetry and urdu books which can be found on the web.

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How to Take Action Shots – Digital Photography Tips

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by Al Sanez

It can be really difficult to take pictures when there are objects moving like crazy. Action shots are hard. Sports photos, planes, cars, people running, it is all pretty hard to capture if you don't know some solid digital photography tips for how to photograph motion. This article will give you a basic understanding how to take these shots.

If you have an automatic camera then you're going to have a difficult time taking action shots properly. End of story. Hopefully, you will have some Preset settings like "sport" mode and the like. Other than that, you really have to just cross your fingers and hope your camera knows exactly what you want.

For most cameras, you do have the ability to manipulate some settings. This will give you more power over taking action photos. The most important thing to manipulate is the shutter speed.

Shutter Basics:
If you don't know, the shutter is what controls how long light is let into the camera. If you use a long shutter like 1/30 more light will be let in. The effects of this when taking fact action photos is that the motion is blurred. It can make for some cool shots with the object in motion blurred but everything else not.

A faster shutter speed like 1/500 does the opposite. It will let in light very quickly and result in shots with motion frozen. For example, you could take a picture of a car that swooshes by and to your eye seems like a blur. However, your camera will have captured that car in crisp clear detail.

The easiest way to use the shutter is to set your camera to shutter priority mode. This will let you set the shutter speed to your liking and the other settings are automatically set for you.

Al Sanez has a Free Photo course that teaches beginners digital photography tips. He also has another free program on how to Sell Pictures Online

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Video Production- Chroma Key Lighting

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by Pat Bedall

Lighting a large chroma key drop is not very difficult with a little attention to detail and a few studio multi-source instruments. Chroma keying requires a lot of work and practice to achieve believable results, but the effort is rewarding. With a fundamental chroma key technique and proper lighting, you will stand a much better chance of getting the shot you want.

Lighting the Background

Successful chroma keying requires a lot of light for an even glow the blue screen with absolutely no shadows. Start with two large lights, such as 650 ARRI'S. Set them up high enough on either side of the screen so they cannot interfere too much with the subject.

This setup can remain fairly constant from shoot to shoot; you can find a set up you like and use it every time you have a chroma key shoot. Factors such as interference from foreground lights can cause problems with this lighting, but these adjustments can be fixed easily.

When setting up lights, also consider the reflection of your blue screen. Too much light can cause color bleeding, which occurs when the blue background reflects onto the subject. The easiest way to reduce the reflective properties of the blue screen is by diffusing lights with amber gels.

Lighting the Foreground

Lighting the subject properly can make the difference between a seemingly natural or artificial shot. Once your subject is positioned, place the key light. Know what your planned background will be, including the direction of the principal light. The shadows in the background image and the key light on the subject must correspond.

Also, maintain the separation of the subject lighting and background lighting. Just as key light cannot interfere with blue screen lighting, backdrop lighting cannot interfere with the foreground shot. This can be accomplished by first moving the subject away from the background. Start at least three feet away, and try to create as much distance as possible between the background and blue screen.

Now incorporate the most crucial elements: a back light and a kicker. As they would in a normal shot, these help separate the subject from the background and bring out the detail that may be lost otherwise. They also serve the additional function of minimizing spill.

The most effective way to learn about chroma key is through experimentation. After finding your ideal setup, begin rearranging and readjusting. Try different lights, bounce cards and gels. Play with the key light and background light to come up with new or interesting combinations. Above all, develop a foundation of patience and preciseness.

Metro Productions is a full-service video and multimedia production company headquartered in Virginia. Metro Productions provides clients with the ability to realize the benefits of high-end visual media products for the purpose of sales, marketing, recruitment and training. Delivery mediums for these productions include DVD, streaming media and broadcast quality High Definition applications.

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Do You Know Painting Designs On Leather Goods?

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by Zoran Pablo

As one of the several forms of leather craft, leather painting is the application of a color or a series of colors to the surface of a section of treated leather. Leather painting allows for the creation of a number of designs and styles on tooler leather surfaces, adding interest to all sorts of items that are made with the material.

Whenever you are attempting a project like this, always test it out on a scrap piece first. When using different pigments, be sure to let one dry before adding the next color.

What to Use
Use water-based acrylic paints designed for leather because they are more flexible than ordinary acrylics. If painting the entire surface of the leather, check to see if your leather goods are vegetable-dyed, as they absorb the paint better than leather goods tanned by other methods.
Not sure if the leather goods are vegetable-dyed? Test a scrap piece to see how well it absorbs the paint.

What to Do
Begin by cleaning the leather goods, using a solution of one ounce of leather bleach to one pint of water, applying the solution with a soft brush or wool dauber. You can also lightly sponge the leather with water prior to painting in order to ensure a more even absorption of color. Do not soak it, just get it damp.

Applying the Paint
You can paint over a large area of the leather goods or just a small part for highlighting effects. If you want to do the former, paint over the leather first with a water-diluted solution of the paint. In this way, you will prepare the surface of the leather goods to receive the undiluted paint.
Use one part paint and one part water, and apply in broad, even strokes with a wool dauber. Add more water if the leather is not absorbing the solution, and more paint if the color is not showing sufficiently. Two coats of the solution should be applied, leaving sufficient time between coats for the paint to be absorbed but for the leather to still be somewhat damp and not dry. Try this out first on a scrap piece of leather and take your time.

Applying Undiluted Paint
Now it is time to apply the undiluted paint using a brush or wool dauber, and broad even strokes. For small areas that you wish to highlight, use undiluted paint and a small paintbrush. To prevent the paint from cracking, it is important to flex the leather goods throughout the drying process. Do this between coats of paint as well.

Using an Airbrush
Another option when applying paint is to use an airbrush. A double action airbrush allows you to control the flow of the paint and the air with one finger and avoids the initial blob of paint emerging with a single-action airbrush. You can strain the paint to remove any flecks by using a piece of pantyhose. If you over spray, acrylic paint can be easily removed while it is still damp.

Tools to Use
* Water-based acrylic paints
* Leather bleach
* Wool dauber
* Paint brushes or airbrush

Summary
* Vegetable-dyed leather goods and water-based acrylic paints work best
* Clean the leather goods with a solution of water and leather bleach
* Apply two coats of water-diluted paint, with sufficient time between coats for the paint to be absorbed
* Apply undiluted paint

You can use the tools to pain, such as:
* Water-based acrylic paints
* Leather bleach
* Wool dauber
* Paint brushes or airbrush

Patterns and guidebooks on leather painting are often found in craft and hobby shops. There are also a number of Internet sites that offer tips for beginners with an interest in leather painting, as well as some basic patterns that can be downloaded with ease.

Find decorative paints and more useful information about painting designs on art resources.

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Nature Photography: Is It Still About Nature?

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by Andrew Goodall

Nature photography has been popular since the birth of photography. In recent years it has found a new respect as an art form. 20 years ago, nature photography had been relegated to mass-market postcards and calendars of dubious quality. It certainly was not often found framed on a gallery wall.

Over the years, postcards and calendars began to improve in quality as nature photographers with real talent entered the industry. 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 nature photographers grew up in a very different world than the one I come from. 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?

Nature photographers must now decide how much they will allow their photography to be influenced by technology. 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. Of course skills with computer software are just as creative as 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.

Nature Photography that truly reflects the wonder of nature defines Andrew Goodall's 20 year career. See his images at http://www.naturesimage.com.au and learn from his experience with two top selling ebooks. To learn even more, sign up to the online newsletter...it's free!

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