Tag: Blend

5 Reasons To Shoot On Film
by David Burgess on 0

5 Reasons To Shoot On Film

1. There’s something special about holding a film photograph in your hand.

2. Film photographs have a certain look that digital can’t replicate.

3. Film forces you to slow down and think about your composition.

4. Film is more forgiving than digital, making it a great choice for beginners.

5. Shooting on film is a great way to stand out from the crowd.

As a professional photographer, I often get asked why I still shoot on film. After all, digital has come a long way in recent years and many photographers have made the switch to shooting digital exclusively.

Here are 5 reasons why I think shooting on film is still a great choice for photographers:

1. There’s something special about holding a film photograph in your hand.

There’s just something about holding a physical photograph in your hand that is special. With digital photographs, it’s easy to forget that there is a real photograph behind all the 1s and 0s. But with film, you can hold the physical photograph in your hand and really appreciate the artistry that went into creating it.

2. Film photographs have a certain look that digital can’t replicate.

No matter how hard digital photographers try, they can’t quite replicate the look of a film photograph. Film has a certain graininess and depth of color that digital just can’t match. For many photographers, this is part of the appeal of shooting on film.

3. Film forces you to slow down and think about your composition.

With digital, it’s easy to take a million photographs and just delete the ones you don’t like. But with film, you have to be more thoughtful about your composition because each frame costs money. This forces you to slow down and think about your composition, which can only result in better photographs.

4. Film is more forgiving than digital, making it a great choice for beginners.

One of the great things about film is that it is more forgiving than digital. With digital, if you make a mistake, it can be very difficult to fix. But with film, you can often salvage a photograph even if it isn’t perfect. This makes film a great choice for beginners who are still learning the ropes.

5. Shooting on film is a great way to stand out from the crowd.

In the age of digital, it can be easy to blend in with the crowd. But if you shoot on film, you’ll instantly stand out. Film photography is still relatively rare, so shooting on film is a great way to make your work stand out from the rest.

Do you shoot on film? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below!

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Safe Crayons for kids: Non-Toxic Crayons
by David Burgess on 0

Safe Crayons for kids: Non-Toxic Crayons

Go Green – buy soy and beeswax crayons for kids

Crayons make great gifts, but make sure the ones you give are safe – Soy and beeswax crayons are! Even in today’s health-conscious society, many wax crayons contain lead pigments and non-organic products such as petroleum. The same goes for inks, dyes and paints including face paints used by children. In contrast soy and beeswax crayons are completely natural and non-toxic while retaining strong colour that will satisfy your budding artist.

Children are particularly susceptable to ill effects created by petroleum based wax crayons because their organs are still developing. The same goes for high levels of heavy metals that can sometimes be found. It is as well to remember that even when companies tell you their product is completely non-toxic, you should check the content for yourself. If in doubt, ask them!

Prang is a well known name in crayons and these are their best soy ones

These safe crayons are make primarily from soy bean. Manufacturer Prang says these crayons are ‘brighter and smoother’ than paraffin wax crayons. These are certainly non-toxic and they come in a variety of colors and in packs of different amounts.

Praise for soy and beeswax crayons

safe crayons for kids

Most people who have purchased these crayons have nothing but praise for them. The colors seem to be bright and older children found they blend well together for more sophisticated art projects. They seem to work well on different surfaces.
Reservations soy crayons
The biggest complaint I have found about soy crayons is that they are more brittle than petrol-based crayons. However, they are easily rejoined by holding both ends over a low heat. Not much of a price to pay I don’t think.

However, what isn’t clear from all manufacturers is how much if any of the soy bean used is GM.

Why you should buy beeswax crayons

They smell better for a start! Paraffin based crayons smell there is no getting away from it, while beeswax smells sweet and natural with no chemicals or additives.

They also feel nicer to the touch.

Because the color is blended with wax it gives kids drawings a more subtle look than other crayons, in fact because you can produce many more effects with beeswx candles, some professional artists use them too.

The colors stay bright and are light resistent and the wax gives a kind of transparency much like that of watercolor paints.

Stockmar beeswax crayons for sale

Stockmar produce natural beeswax crayons as either conventional stick crayons or as block crayons which can be used flat to create wide sweeps of color or end on to produce finer lines and numbers.

Stockmar Block/Stick Beeswax Crayon Tin

Best beeswax crayons from Faber-Castell

safe crayons for kids
It pays to go for well-known and well-respected brands when you are buying – especially if you want the very best quality. You may pay a bit extra on crayons like these from Faber-Castell but it is worth it.

24 Faber-Castell Beeswax Crayons

Beeswax crayons

safe crayons
Beeswax crayons are getting good reviews right now. They smell nice and,with no petroleum, are non-toxic for little hands. Buy the triangular shaped ones for toddlers as they are easy to hold. The colors are bright and they seem to blend well.
They arn’t cheap but they last a long time if taken care of when packing away.

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Peacock Pictures Including the White Peacock
by David Burgess on 0

Peacock Pictures Including the White Peacock

Peacock Pictures, Facts and Gifts

Peacock Pictures and some interesting facts are included here. I took these pictures with my 8 year old grand daughter during a morning hike. The White Peacock is one I hadn’t seen before, and we were lucky to see many magnificent male peacocks fanning their feathers while doing the mating dance.

Peacocks are sacred birds in many parts of the world, as well as the National bird of India. The peacock that most of us know for it’s beautiful coloring of the eye feathers is called the India Blue. This is just one of several kinds of peacocks, and the exact opposite is the all white peacock.

The images here will show both male and female peacocks, as well as answer a few basic questions about Peacocks including why the male peacock is the pretty one. Besides the Peacock Images, there are links to other photos I have taken of nature.

Male India Blue Peacock

Peacock Feather Facts

The Male India Blue Peacock’s feathers are close to 5-6 feet in length when they are mature.The juvenile male is almost as drab looking as the female, as the tail feathers haven’t fully grown in yet. It takes about 3 years for a peacock to mature.

Peacocks have several kinds of feathers besides the eye feathers. There are 3 main sets of feathers:

1. Eye Feathers– these are the ones that are on the tail (train)

2. Wing Feathers– the striped or molted ones on the side

3. Sword Feathers– they are part of the tail, the tall wispy ones

Besides these are the beautiful feathers on the neck area, and the top feathers on their head. But mostly it is the eye feathers of the peacock that people collect. They use them for crafts like masks, earrings, and many other things. Peacocks lose their feathers once a year.

Watching several males from young juveniles to the older males they really reminded me of junior high and high school aged boys…trying to outdo each other for the benefit of a group of girls that acted like they could care less. In some of the peacock photos here you will see a few female peacocks not paying much attention and the male peacock just strutting his stuff.

The male peacock will strut around in full display,fanning his beautiful display of tail feathers, but if there are no females he will strut for the other males, it really is both beautiful and laughable.

What Do Peacocks Eat?

Wild or Domesticated Peacocks, what do they eat?
Peacock images taken by Kathy McGraw

Peacocks are part of the pheasant and turkey families and are used to foraging for their food.

Peacocks eat just about anything that is small and crawls from the insect world like ants, ticks, bugs, worms, termites, scorpions and mice. They also eat flowers, plants, grains, and berries. Peacocks have also been know to like cat food (dry) and chicken feed.
White Peacocks
All White Peacocks
White Peacock Picture by Kathy McGraw

White Peacocks have the same feathers as their counterparts except they’re just white.

Many people think the white peacock is an albino, but it’s not. Albinos have pink skin and eyes, but the white peacock has blue eyes. It is also believed they are rare, but again this isn’t true. There are probably more in captivity than in the wild, but they aren’t rare. Also some people believe that the white peacock is magical. This one, I can’t prove or disprove as everyone has their own beliefs as to spirituality and faith.

After following several peacocks around the ranch, we noticed a white peacock in the distance in one of the cages that was fanning his tail feathers, so we rushed over to see it. We were barely able to get this picture before he stopped fanning, and put his feathers down.

White Peacock Feathers

White Peacock Dry Erase Board
The White Peacock is beautiful if you’ve never seen one. No, it doesn’t have the coloring of the India Blue, but just appreciating the difference, and the conversation of “Have you ever seen a white peacock” makes this a great gift.

Peacock Fanning his Trail of Feathers During Mating Season

Male Peacock Fanning his Tail Feathers
Peacock Picture by Kathy McGraw

Why is the Male Peacock the Pretty One?

Male Peacocks have beautiful coloring while females are drab
Female Penhens blend in Image by Soleil

In the animal kingdom most males are the colorful ones, or the ones that have something extra like big antlers on bucks, and huge manes on lions. Why is this? And why do the male peacocks have the beautiful tail feathers while the females do not?

The most important reason the male peacock is prettier is for survival of the species. Males strut their stuff and show off with strength or wit, but it is the female who does the choosing. If a female is interested in selecting him she will let him know and then they mate.

The drab coloring on the female peacock helps her blend in with her surroundings while she is protecting her eggs which usually take about 28 days to hatch. Peacocks have to avoid their natural predators and the male can fly into a tree as he doesn’t have to worry about the eggs or chicks, while the female does.

Peacock Jewelry

Beautiful Jewelry With Peacock Themes
Peacock Necklace This genuine 925 Sterling Silver Peacock necklace, with gemstones and box chain, is just one of several peacock themed jewelry items that show off the majestic image of the peacock. Peacock feathers are what give these jewelry pieces their colorful charm.

More Photos by Kathy McGraw

and her grandchildren
I love taking photos and am still trying to figure out how to do them digitally. Most of my cameras are film, with all the lenses and filters. My grandkids also love taking photos and I am so amazed at the eye that a couple of them have. The peacock images were all taken during a morning photo shoot where the youngest and I went out at 5am to get pictures of the sunrise. We did get some amazing shots, and had a wonderful morning. Many of the photos in all of my writings have some of the best memories. And to me, that makes a great photo 😉

I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about Peacocks

Leave your comments here
My Grand daughter and I had a wonderful time taking these peacock pictures. She is 8 years old, and both of us spent a beautiful morning taking photos in the desert, and these peacocks were just one of the subjects we found that morning. You will notice the lighting…early morning shadows, but that’s as good as it gets when you are visiting somewhere.

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