Month: November 2024

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Landscape Photography Photo Tip – 3 More Ways To Get Better Sunset Photography!

In today’s landscape photography photo tip, we will discover three more ways to get better sunset photography.

We’ve been discussing adding a “star” to your sunset photography. This will give our viewers something to focus their attention onto… the pretty colors are not enough to generate contest winning photographs.

The last couple articles have focused on adding a person as the star, but it can be anything. It could be some birds flying by, or a silhouette of a pier, a palm tree or even a particularly interesting cloud formation.

It doesn’t much matter what you use, as long as you make your sunset photography about something.

Photo tip #1 – As far as settings go, always shoot in RAW format. Not JPEG.

Shooting in RAW format will gather a lot more visual information than JPEG. There are a lot of delicate colors in a sunset that just won’t get picked up in JPEG. Plus shooting in RAW format makes it much easier to later make changes in Photoshop – if you should so desire.

Photo tip #2 – Hang around for a while.

We all know to shoot a sunset photo as the sun is about to dip below the horizon! That is a classic and a given. But – hang around for a while. After the sun goes below the horizon you can still get some very nice shots. Actually, you can get great shots for as much as an hour after sunset!

Here is something many of you may not have heard before… About 20 to 25 minutes after the sun dips below the horizon, there is a “second” sunset where the colors in the sky are often even better than they were before the sun went down.

Check it out – a lot of your favorite sunset photos will have been shot after the sun is below the horizon. It’s the colors from this “second” sunset they are after!

Photo tip #3 – Now that we know what format to shoot with, and when the best colors are likely to pop up – we need to know when to shoot so we can actually see something worth hanging on the wall!

A clear sky will NOT give you what you are looking for. To get the most stunning sunsets, you need clouds in the sky. If there are no clouds, you may as well stay home!

But, not just any clouds!

A solid gray cloud cover just won’t do. You should be looking for broken cloud cover. Notably, you want light wispy clouds.

If it has been a rainy day – you are in for a treat! Often, the rain clouds will begin to break up around sunset and provide the ideal conditions! There are enough clouds to reflect all the gorgeous colors – but broken up enough to provide visually interesting patterns!

I once heard a talk by a master salesman who said that no salesman should ever be at home on a rainy day – because that’s when all his prospective customers will be at home!

We can change that slightly to read… No photographer should ever be at home on a rainy day – because that is when the best possible landscape photography presents itself!

There you have it, three more landscape photography photo tips that will give you better sunset photography.

Make a note of these landscape photography photo tips then get out there and start shooting! Shoot in RAW format and shoot as the sun is setting – but don’t leave too early. Stay for the second sunset and you will be richly rewarded! Never stay home on a rainy day… that’s the ideal time to be doing any sort of landscape photography, but particularly sunset photography.

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Changing Corporate Culture – A Three Step Process of Recognition and Praise

Saying “thank you” is a special art. When someone does something that we want to compliment or are grateful for, many of us give a common passing “good job, I appreciate it” remark. A simple thank you can become profound recognition by following a three-fold method of giving thanks:

Step one

– make the general remark that you are used to making.

“That was a very good presentation you made, Rob.”

Step two

– tell the person specifically what you liked, what behavior you are especially trying to reinforce. “I particularly liked the way you used humor to make a point about the changes we’ll have to make in the department.”

Step three

– generalize from this specific instance to a personality trait or character strength. ” Your sense of humor always gets us through rough times. I sure admire that.”

In I Saw What You Did & I Know Who You Are, Janis Allen, a consultant from Atlanta, Georgia, calls using a positive statement about a specific performance- a “lead-in to universal praise.” “Think of it this way,” she says. “If you can name a specific behavior that someone does or has done, and go on to say, ‘This conveys your professionalism, your diligence, your eye for detail,’ then you’ve done a good job of reinforcing. You are telling that person, ‘This specific event is indicative of something I’m proud of about your habits and I like the way you run your life.’ Who couldn’t use hearing a remark like that once in a while.'”

A smile or a compliment can go a long way. These simple acts are the foundations of true recognition. Phase one recognition is AWARENESS – letting someone know that you know that they exist – that who they are makes a difference, that they matter, that they are important. And, that’s at the heart of what we all want most of in life..

APPRECIATION is phase two of Recognition – when we let someone know we are grateful for what they have done. If we use the three-fold approach of expressing gratitude, highlighting specific behavior and then generalizing to a universal quality of the person, we have gone a long way in helping to change those negative imprints. People must first believe in their own quality before they can produce quality work.

Phase three is ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. When our compliments and thank you’s are universalized to a person’s qualities or character, we’ve begun to understand acknowledgement. Actually, the acknowledgment phase is essential for recognition to have any lasting effect. Becoming master acknowledgers requires understanding human nature, human behavior, and what motivates people. We feel acknowledged when we can say, “they really know me; they ‘get’ who I am.” When this goes a step further, and we really let people know that they are worthwhile individuals, we have moved into the phase of Recognition known as ACCEPTANCE. It is at this phase that recognition progresses from being something nice to do to a life-changing appreciation of the uniqueness of each individual.

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Brighten Your Camping Trip With the Power of a Maglite Flashlight!

Tripping in the dark? Can’t see the trees? Time for the power of the Maglite Flashlights!

Maglite Flashlights are practically a staple in our camping gear and around our house. You won’t find a better or brighter flashlight.

I wouldn’t ever go camping without one. And if you know a bit of their history you’ll understand why.

In 1979 Mr. Anthony Maglica introduced the world to the first Maglite flashlight. He sought out the highest standards of quality and integrity. He was obsessed with fine engineering and the company continues to produce Maglite flashlights with that in mind.

North American made, the Maglite Flashlights are so durable and long lasting I’m sure our children will be able to pass them down to their children one day!

There are a large variety of styles, sizes and colours to choose from including the mini Maglite flashlight. The mini mag flashlight is just as rugged and durable as the full size Maglite flashlights but obviously a lot smaller and lighter. These are super clipped onto your backpack, used for reading in your tent and make the best flashlights to give to the kids.

What we love about the Maglight flashlights is how well made and tough they are. And there’s nothing delicate about the mini flashlight.

All of their flashlights come with the outer casing made of aluminum and is resistant to corrosion. They have a pretty strong light beam and come with two power settings, one full strength and a lower setting that conserves power and is great for reading at night or used inside the tent.

Of the large selection of models they make, we also like their Maglite led flashlight and their MagCharger – rechargeable flashlight.

All of these are made with high standards of quality and dependability, made of aluminum and are designed to be tough, rugged and long lasting.

Of course being both campers and hikers we also bring a few headlamps with us, especially when we’re backpacking. Being able to be hands free at night time is pretty important when you’re out in the back country. We have headlamps for the kids too and these are also a staple in our camping gear.

You can look at the cheaper, plastic flashlights but if you really want to get your money’s worth and have the brightest flashlight in the campground, look for the Maglite brand, you won’t be sorry and you won’t miss your way to the bathroom either.

Happy Camping!