• Business and Finance
• Family
• Computers and Internet
• Auto and Trucks
• Education
• Health
• Hobbies
• Home Improvement
• Legal
• Marketing

• Home
• Arthur's Articles Home
• Browse Categories
• Browse Authors
• Submit an Article
• Search for Articles

Home » Hobbies Articles » Photography And The Great Outdoors

Photography and the Great Outdoors

Combining photography with the passion of hiking, biking and mountain climbing can result in the most incredible photographs imaginable. Whether it's ice climbing in the Rockies, with your camera bag packed safely away, until you reach the summit where you have a breathtaking panoramic view of the frozen earth spread out as far as the eye can see. Or a leisurely springtime hike up a flower carpeted Pocono hillside with your camera close at hand to catch that pheasant or covey of quail. The outdoors and photography are a perfect match.

If you're a week-end photographer who can't wait to get out of the city and become one with nature, there are countless opportunities that will allow you to fulfill your desire to "get away" and get that "shot of a lifetime".

Consider those who are lucky enough to live in Seattle, Washington where you can leave work on a Friday afternoon and be standing on the majestic and rugged coastline, removing your camera and tripod from their bag in time to be setting up to focus on one of the most beautiful sunsets on earth. The next morning, while enjoying your first cup of coffee, you could be snapping pictures of the Grey whales which migrate north along the Washington coast between February and April every year.

Or maybe mountain scenery is your first love and you are fortunate enough to live in the Yellowstone area of Montana were the wildlife is phenomenal. Grizzly, coyote, elk.... big horned sheep playing on the mountainside. Buffalo grazing peacefully, as they must have a 100 years ago. This is truly Big Sky Country where you can catch a glimpse of a graceful eagle gliding silently through the trees. These are pictures most people can only see in a magazine, not through their camera lens on a brisk autumn morning.

Remember it's important to research not only where you're going to be photographing and what camera equipment you'll be using, but also the bags, backpacks and pouches to which you entrust your valuable cameras, lenses, tripods and accessories The touring bicyclist needs to invest in a dry sack in the event he encounters inclement weather, but the young photographer hiking through the Sierra Nevada, in search of the various species of blooming cactus, probably would be in need of the backpack with room for her water bottles. Look for quality, durability and functionality.

Whatever your passion, wherever you call home. There are beautiful pictures waiting to be taken. That horse pasture you are fortunate enough to pass on your way to work every day. Stop; take a good look. I bet you'll see a terrific photograph. One you'd probably be in awe of if you saw it in a magazine. So pack up those camera bags and keep your equipment handy. You never know when that one perfect picture will appear.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

The Best Kind of Advertising

He was a little old man, and he was confused. All around him were huge, confusing technological marvels, and he had no clue what he was really looking for...or at, for that matter.

I was on commission, so the higher-end merchandise meant a bigger commission for me.

I began by asking him what he was trying to do.

It was simple. He had a huge record collection (you remember records, right?), and he just wanted to sit and listen to Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra...artists like that.

This led to one of my next questions. Were any of the records 78's?

Yep, he had a bunch of those.

Well, in that time and place, the standard reply was that it was very hard to find anything that would play a 78 rpm record. Most people were looking for high-end sound reproduction also, so that cut out the few units that would play 78's.

In talking to him a little more, I learned that he didn't care that much about sound quality, he just wanted something that would make Dean Martin sound like Dean Martin or Peggy Lee sound like Peggy Lee. I also learned that he was on a fixed income and didn't have much money, but, as he looked around at the systems valued at several hundred dollars, he made it plain that he was willing to pay whatever was necessary, but his means were limited.

Well, after talking to him, I assured him that I had exactly what he was looking for, and walked over to a unit that was almost hidden behind a big entertainment center. The price was about $89.00 if I remember. It played 33's, 45's, and 78's, had good sound quality, had an AM/FM radio, played cassette tapes (I'm showing my age here) and it was light. He had also mentioned that he would have to get it in his car as he lived several miles away, and would have to get it in the house as well when he got home.

This seemed to hit the spot with him. In fact, he became very excited. He had not been able to listen to his favorites for a couple of years apparently.

It felt good to have helped him out even if I didn't get much of a commission on the sale, but I soon forgot about the event.

A few days later, however, I came in to work, and one of the clerks called to me and said, "There's a guy over there who has been waiting for you all morning. He was here when the store opened, and said he would wait, even though you weren't coming in for a couple of hours."

I looked over, and it was the little old man. I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong! He lived pretty far away, and wouldn't have come in unless something was wrong with the system.

He saw me, and as he started towards me, he proclaimed in a loud voice that carried across the store, "Don! That system you sold me is GREAT! It's exactly what I wanted. I've been listening to my favorites for days. It was so easy to get into and out of the car, too. Thanks for thinking of that. I just wanted to come over and tell you how much I enjoy the unit you helped me pick out. Thanks for not pushing that expensive stuff on me. I know you didn't make much on the sale, so I really wanted to come in person and tell you thanks!" He shook my hand vigorously and walked smiling out of the store.

There were several customers in the store who heard his remarks, and I am sure a few friends of his who heard similar remarks from him as well. Even if they didn't come to see me, I am sure some of them went to other of our company stores near to them.

Flyers and newspaper ads are nice, but few types of advertising are more effective than the enthusiastic comments of a satisfied customer.

Copyright 2005 Donovan Baldwin