Wildlife Photography: Tips to Learn the Basics of Wildlife Photography

If you really want to learn the art of wildlife photography, then you should be aware of the basics of wildlife photography. It is rightly said that wildlife photography is one of the most challenging but rewarding hobby or career. It takes honest practice, persistence and hard work to master the real art of wildlife photography.

For mastering wildlife photography you have to have the basic knowledge of camera handling. As majority of the photos you take will be captured with the help of telephoto lens. This will test your patience and dedication as you have to wait a much longer time for the animal to come in the range and taking right pictures through right angles before that wild animal leaves from the site. Many of the times the animals you want to shoot will be yards away from you so that you have to take your pictures with more precision and care with zoom lenses.

While shooting wildlife you always have to watch out for minute movements happening around you. And for that purpose you have to be attentive for the longer time. The sunlight also plays a very important role in taking these wildlife pictures. For this purpose your camera should have the proper adjustments according to the various angles of sunlight so that pictures will be much clearer without any fuzz.

Also wildlife photography is all about capturing a particular moment of the wildlife. It makes or breaks your photography style. Many of the best wildlife photographers out there are really skillful in shooting the exact speed and momentum of the particular animal they are watching. But to be the best wildlife photographer out there you should first master the basics and you can begin this process by starting to shoot your own home pets. If you learn to shoot their natural movements and habits in their natural style then you can say that you are ready for outdoor wildlife photography.

There are no shortcuts to learn the basics of wildlife photography. Rather you have to practice it religiously and with full devotion. You should have to pay a special attention to your cameras. You have to take care that your camera has a quick shutter speed which is very necessary to take more than one shot as you roam around the wildlife to take pictures. In this type of photography most of the times you have to follow your subject to shoot many pictures at a time in one shot. This process is mainly known as "panning" which consists of taking faster pictures in one snap as you mover closer to a particular animal you want to shoot.

Thus wildlife photography is all about your patience, persistence and shooting skill where you need to wait a longer time to take the perfect picture. But at the end of the day it is also the most satisfying art where you get the really thrilling and enjoyable experience to cherish for.

Film School - Chapman University's Groundbreaking New Facility

Chapman University located in Orange, CA is a small private school but lately it has been making headlines. Why you ask? Well, as of June 2006 it is the first film school in the world to have it’s own backlot studio. Chapman’s 800 undergraduate and graduate film students, part of the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, will now be housed in the Marion Knott Studios, a beautiful 76,000 square foot complex. 

The notion of a studio lot where students could get more hands-on experience and be in the atmosphere they would someday work in came to the thought of Dean Bob Bassett years ago. It took some time and money ($31 million), but his dream is now a reality. With a 4,000 square foot sound stage and it’s baby brother, a 2,500 square foot sound stage that students will have access to, they can shoot cinematography projects, create set-ups for broadcast journalism and film special effects on the green screen stage. 

The facility will also house a foley stage for creating sound effects, 36 editing suites, sound booths, motion capture capable rooms, set construction rooms, audition spaces, Dolby surround sound mixing stages as well as numerous classroom and viewing/seminar rooms. 

Also impressive is the 500 seat Folino Family Cinema theater where students will be able to screen their work, both 35mm film and digital film. 

Chapman University offers film degrees in screenwriting, film production, film studies, public relations and advertising, broadcast journalism, and producing. An emphasis within these majors is also available. All of the faculty are currently employed within the industry as well as professors. 

As a recent graduate of Chapman’s film school I must tell you, it is the most amazing film program. I loved every moment of it. From the first orientation when Bob Bassett told us to enjoy our last week of sleep because we wouldn’t be sleeping for the next few years to the grueling morning hours trying to finishing editing a film before it’s 8 a.m. deadline. It was the best experience I could have possibly had at a school. 

The classes are mostly 10-12 students, with the exception of the lecture/seminar classes which get as big as 45-50 students. For a university class, that’s still incredibly small. If you’re looking for personalized education by professor who really actually care about you then Chapman is the place. All of my professors were always available to help students outside of class and even after graduation. Most give their students their cell phone numbers and private email addresses so they can be reached at any time. Chapman hires professionals who not only know their craft but are able and willing to help the next crop of aspiring filmmakers. 

Chapman’s film program also has a few special programs to further enrich the curriculum. Among these is the Filmmaker-In-Residence program where one filmmakers comes and spends the semester with a select group of students chosen through an application process. These students meet the filmmaker weekly to work on their projects. It is this kind of personal hands on teaching that makes Chapman special, and will, I believe propel it to the top of the list as the best film school in not only the nation, but the world.

Incentive for Hope in the Florida Film & TV Community

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Florida Film Commissioner and indie feature film maker Paul Sirmons gave an eye opening symposium on the current state of film and television production in the state of Florida on Monday, March 13, 2006 at Full Sail for the Recording Arts in Winter Park, Florida.

In a local production industry that seems to be dwindling away except for the likes of growing production companies like Pink Sneakers Productions and seasoned production groups like Lightship Entertainment, there is a lot to worry about for anyone who makes a living by working in the film and TV business in Florida.

At first glance, it seems like the once booming industry that included Nickelodeon Television, Tom Hank’s From The Earth to the Moon, The Mortal Combat TV show, Parenthood, several other commercial and indie films, and dozens of commercials is all but gone from our neighborhood.

There are several reasons for this: some out of town companies and directors haven’t gotten the best treatment by our studio systems, there have been accounts of mismanagement at certain stages, and talent simply doesn’t want to be here. Their agents, connections, and high paying gigs are in New York and Los Angeles.

Still, anyone who has worked in Florida knows that our crews, equipment houses, stages, and experience rival anything New York and Los Angeles have to offer.

Another major past reason productions chose not to shoot their features in Florida was due to the low tax incentive program offered out of town film and TV industry groups. Up until the last fiscal year (which ended last June) the state of Florida offered a meager tax incentive package that didn’t even amount to 2.5 million dollars. That simply isn’t enough savings for companies.

However, the Florida Film Commission now offers a 10 million dollar tax incentive and, according to Sermons, this has helped the state of Florida attract block buster films including the Transporter 2 which was originally scripted to film in Paris but was re-written to shoot in South Florida.

This is extremely hopeful news to the thousands of film and TV industry professionals working and living in Florida. In fact, hearing the statistics Sirmons shared with the full auditorium at Full Sail dispelled myths and clarified what the State of Florida is doing for the Florida film and TV industry.

Most notably, Sirmons pointed out that quadrupling the recent tax incentive to 10 million has also quadrupled the number of employees hired, the amount of money spent in the state totaling more than 78 million dollars, and the amount of Florida wages totaling approximately 40 million dollars.

Sirmons also pointed out that Governor Jeb Bush can only make suggestions as to what incentives should be in Florida. It is the legislature that approves the final numbers and it is the voter that influences the legislation. If residents of Florida working in the film and TV community do not write their legislators influencing them to increase the amount of tax incentives for incoming and residential productions, then the legislature does not fully recognize or appreciate the need.

The recent increase in Louisiana’s tax incentive program has created thousands of new jobs for that state. In fact, at this time, there are at least 6 films being shot in the “sportsman’s paradise” even after Hurricane Katrina – mainly because their tax incentive is double that of Florida’s.

Sirmons encouraged all members of the Florida film and TV industry to contact their legislators and to support two major industry bills: House Bill 1321 (Representative Don Davis) and Senate Bill 2110 (Senator Burt Saunders).

Baby Name Books: Are They Worth the Buy?

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There are some parents who know what they will name their child before it is even conceived, but others have a more difficult time. It is not uncommon for some parents to take a few days to name their child after it has already been born. There are a number of ways that parents go about trying to select a baby name for their child. One of those ways is to purchase a baby name book.

Baby name books have been sold all around the world for a long time and many parents use them when trying to select a name. There is a wide selection of baby name books available for purchase from a number of different locations. Baby name books can be purchased from book stores, media stores, baby stores, traditional department stores, and online.

Since there are a large number of baby name books available for purchase it is likely that the books are different. There are some baby name books where the most popular names for the year are listed for both boys and girls. Other books may just list random baby names. It is also possible to purchase a baby name book that lists religious baby names or baby names from another country. More elaborate baby name books tend to provide readers with the meanings of particular names.

The advantages of purchasing a baby name book is that there are an unlimited number of books to choose from. Another advantage is that it allows parents to select a name for their child that they may not have thought about on their own. While there are a number of advantages to purchasing a baby name book there are disadvantages as well.

A parent could pay anywhere from five dollars all the way up to thirty dollars for a book. The price will all depend on how new the book is, whether it is hardcover or paperback, and what type of baby name book it is. Five to thirty dollars is not a large investment, but many parents will only use the baby name book once or twice. What many new parents fail to realize is that the same information can be found online for free.

There are a large number of baby name websites online. These websites can often be found by performing a standard internet search. By performing a standard internet search parents can be provided with multiple baby name websites that offer quality and popular baby names. There are even websites that display the meaning of a babies name or websites that provide religious or unique baby names.

As a parent you have the choice to purchase a baby name book or not. The decision is all yours; however, all parents should be aware that the baby names and information provided in these books can also be obtained online and mostly for free.