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As we stand on the cusp of summer in the northern hemisphere, a season full of breathtaking panoramas are waiting on the horizon to be immortalized on film.

There’s a trick to capturing the beauty you see, though, or in the case of Digital Photography School‘s Joe Decker, six of them.

1. Get Close!

Because wide-angle lenses take in a bigger angle-of-view than other lenses, using a wide-angle lens at the same distance from your subject will render that subject smaller than it would otherwise. To compensate for this, you’ll have to move closer to your subject. Don’t be bashful about getting close, particularly with super-wides&mash;it’s almost impossible to get “too close” to your subject with a 14mm lens. This emphasis in size that wide-angle lenses give nearby objects means that …

2. It’s All about the Foreground

Contrary to what you might expect, this means that the most important element of your wide-angle landscapes is the foreground. While wide-angle lenses do capture the wider landscape, they also (almost inevitably, because of their wide field-of-view) capture quite a bit of foreground as well, and this foreground is emphasized by the wide-angle perspective. As a result, if your foreground isn’t interesting, your photograph won’t be interesting. This leads us naturally to the Josef Muench idea of the near-far composition, an image which uses a wide-angle lens to not only show a broad vista, but also to show one detail of that landscape in an up-close, intimate way. When you’re photographing wide, be sure to spend some time looking for the most interesting foreground available to combine with your grand vista.  (If there isn’t an interesting foreground, you might want to consider using a longer lens to leave out that less interesting foreground.)

Full story at Digital Photography School.

Getting the perfect shot.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Let’s face it, when most of us giggle at a pommel horse routine, it’s not in the best taste seeing as it usually contains a touch of malice at the stumbles of Olympians, preferably from a country other than our own.

Feel free to laugh out loud at this routine from the Japanese talent show Masquerade, though, without the least bit of guilt or risk of causing an international incident.

Full story at YouTube via Neatorama.

Fun and games.

Dr. Maya Angelou has healing words and inspiring messages that bring hope when people need it. Through her life’s work as a performer, poet, writer, and most importantly teacher, Dr. Angelou is a calming voice in times of need and a spark to the spirit at just the right moment to ignite the flame. Take what you need from her beautiful words and saver them like a tasty tidbit.

Full article on Oprah

More inspiration on Alltop

We point out plenty of articles discussing the various aspects of starting up a business around here, but sometimes, nothing gives a clearer picture of the process than, well, a picture, particularly when it comes to the ever-important issue of funding.

The picture is only part of the story provided by Funders and Founders, so after checking out the chart above, head over to the original article to read more about each phase of the process.

Full story at Funders and Founders via Bit Rebels.

Funding and the entrepreneur.

Who says those who wield a hammer don’t have an artistic touch?

Not anyone who’s seen the work of Japanese artist Kumi Yamashita, whose materials include thousands of nails and continuous lengths of thread artfully wrapped over months to create the amazing detail one sees in his portraits.

His work will be on display until June 1st at Scott White Contemporary Art, in La Jolla if you happen to be passing through.

Full story at Design Boom.

Winding one’s way through the art world.

Children respond to trauma in many different ways. Some may have reactions very soon after the event; others may seem to be doing fine for weeks or months, and then begin to show worrisome behavior. Knowing the signs that are common at different ages can help parents and teachers to recognize problems and respond appropriately.

Tips for talking to kids:

• Provide children with opportunities to talk about what they are seeing on television and to ask questions. 
• Don’t be afraid to admit that you can’t answer all their questions. 
• Answer questions at a level the child can understand. 
• Provide ongoing opportunity

Full article with more information.

Want to read more about parenting?

Photo credit photosavvy

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating tornado that tore through the suburbs of Oklahoma City today, and if you’re looking for loved ones or simply need a way of letting everyone know you’re safe, check out the Red Cross’ Safe & Well site.

The two-mile wide tornado reached speeds of approximately 200 miles per hour and experts note that conditions are still ripe for more serious weather in the Midwest.

As reported at CNN:

Even as authorities and rescue workers struggle to get handle on the damage, NOAA’s [Bill] Bunting warned the worst may be yet to come.

“These storms are going to continue producing additional tornadoes. They’ll also produce some very, very large hail, perhaps larger than the size of baseballs. We’re also concerned that there may be an enhanced and widespread damaging wind threat with storms as they merge together,” he said.

“As bad as today is, this is not over yet.”

Full story at Safe & Well and CNN.

Where to turn when weather turns deadly.

The four-year college experience is as American as apple pie. So is the belief that higher education offers the ticket to a better life. But with student loan debt surpassing $1 trillion and unemployment of college grads a historic highs, people are beginning to question that value.

From Jeffrey J .Selingo via Visual.ly.

Tons of excellent infographics in one place.

Just returned from a trip to New Zealand. This is definitely an enchanting place to visit, and it should be on everyone’s bucket list. The highlights were a visit to Hobbiton where we went inside Bilbo Baggins’s house and a zip line on Waiheke Island.

Thanks to Air New Zealand and Jo Brothers for making this happen.

More New Zealand.

Earlier today, we published an infographic about cyber crime from Go-Gulf.com and noted that “Knowing is half the battle.”

If you’re ready to tackle the other half, take some time to go through SimpliSafe’s online quiz, “How Vulnerable Are You?”, which covers a range of ways you may be digitally vulnerable and links to articles and information when your answers indicate a weak spot in your online armor.

Full story at SimpliSafe.com.

Crime prevention starts at home.