How to Take Photos of the Moon? – Part 2: Digital Equipment Required

Now that you have scheduled an appointment with the moon and checked with the weatherman for sky conditions, you are ready to take photos. However, do you know what digital equipment is required to take photos of the moon. As a matter of fact, you have to realize that to take close up pictures of the moon you will require certain level of digital equipment.



What Equipment is the Best for Taking Pictures of the Moon?
Depending what results you are looking for, close up picture of the moon or moon part of the landscape – this will determine what equipment you will need. For landscape results you can try shooting with simple point-and-shoot digital camera. However, for close up picture of the moon you will need digital camera with a zoom lens. Best results you can achieve with 75-300mm or 100-400mm telephoto lens with your SLR* or DSLR* camera. It is also possible to get some photos with point-and-shoot camera that has at least 12x optical zoom [Canon PowerShot S5IS 8.0MP with 12x Optical Zoom], and in addition you can incorporate a digital zoom. Remember, digital zoom is not actual zooming; it is done by camera’s software - interpolation and cropping of the image.

*SLR & DSLR – Single-Lens Reflex & Digital Single-Lens Reflex

Interesting reading on the photographer’s dream lens: The World's Largest Telephoto Lens

Another piece of equipment may be necessary is the tripod. If possible get a well structured one to eliminate vibrations. Usually with larger lenses vibration is not avoidable. The vibration usually occurs on each camera click – it is the pushing force with your finger on the camera that will cause this vibration. Then you probably need a trigger. There are wireless triggers on the market that may be available for your digital camera. However, if you are cheap and do not want to spend anymore money on your equipment, simply try to rest your camera on something stable, or if you get good at, you can rest your elbows on something, hold on to the lens and click. Something I got good at, and eliminated lengthy preparation and set up for the moon photography. I just take my camera, find comfortable resting place and shoot.

Moon Photography Equipment Summary
[1] Digital SLR Camera or Digital Point-and-Shoot Camera with at least 12x optical zoom
[2] Lenses with at least 75-300mm or 100-400mm, or more focal length [Canon, Nikon, Sigma]

[3] Tripod or other stable support




REFERENCES
[1] Moon Photography: How To Take Photos of the Moon - Handy Tip
[2] A Bit of Knowledge: How To Take Photos of the Moon - Handy Tip For SLR Digital Cameras
[3] How to Take a Picture of the Full, Half or Crescent Moon? – Part 1: Moon Calendar & Weather Conditions
Document Release: 0; Document Last Modified: February 19, 2009

How to Take Photos of the Moon? – Part 1: Moon Calendar & Weather Conditions

Soon as the skies are clear and the moon is very clear, full moon, half moon or crescent moon, people around the world get their digital or conventional cameras to take pictures. However, they yet to find out at the time of developing that all you can see is just a bright round object on the black sky. This is in fact a good start. The fact that you took your camera and wanted to take a picture of the moon is an excellent first step. Now let see, what you can do better.

What Weather is the Best for Taking a Photo of the Moon?
It does not take a genius to figure out that you need clear skies in order to take pictures of the moon. However, don’t be disappointed when there are clouds, because sometimes the wind does a little help. In a matter of time, wind can move clouds out of the way, and there is the moon you want to snap a photograph of. It happened to me many times, and sometimes with clouds being on the way, the photo can be even more spectacular. But if there is no wind then you are in bad shape and you will have to wait for the next time.

When you are looking for taking pictures of the moon, it is a good idea to get yourself ready ahead. Check out the lunar cycle for the moon phases, and check out the weather forecast. Then you need to find out where on the sky the moon is going to be and when. Yes location is important, last thing you need is that you cannot see the moon because it is behind the buildings, and when it emerges out of them, the clouds show up – yes some times bad luck can follow us.

Let’s repeat then, you will need lunar cycle calendar, local weather forecast, location on the sky, location from the ground and the time. Don’t be surprised if you see sometimes moon during the day, as I was. I thought that moon was only for the nights.

Excellent resources to start: Kalendar 365 and Sky View Cafe
For weather you can always drop by The Weather Network or in the Google search type ‘weather your location’.

Read Part II: How to Take a Picture of the Full, Half or Crescent Moon? – Part 2: Digital Equipment Required

REFERENCES
[1] Moon Photography: How To Take Photos of the Moon - Handy Tip
[2] A Bit of Knowledge: How To Take Photos of the Moon - Handy Tip For SLR Digital Cameras
Document Release: 1; Document Last Modified: February 25, 2009

Nutritious Bananas Not Just for Adults But For Babies Especially

Bananas, a world’s most popular fruit is a very nutritious fruit full of vitamins and minerals, and let’s not forget it is also a very tasty fruit on its own or in baking or cooking. Everyone, adults, toddlers, babies enjoy it, and let’s not forget the monkeys.

What Do We Know about Banana’s?
I am not going to give you everything here about bananas, but you should know that bananas likely came from Malaysia. It is hard to believe, because I always thought they came from South America. However, since it is a very popular fruit consumed, it is also highly cultivated fruit in most tropical areas around the world.

Nutritional Value of the Bananas
Bananas are high in potassium, and are obviously recommended to patients who are low on potassium. Go figure. However, if you are pregnant then most likely your baby is consuming all your nutrients during pregnancy; potassium is one of them that will deplete and you will know it by getting sometimes a charley horse in your legs. Therefore, you have that one banana or two. However, watch out in some cases bananas can cause constipation – moderation is the key. Let us not forget the fiber, protein, carbohydrates and sodium. Now, you can see how this can be an excellent fruit for malnourished children. In addition to make this fruit even more nutritious, it contains vitamin A, B, C and few minerals like Calcium, Magnesium along with small traces of Zinc and Iron.

What Is a Connection between Bananas and Monkeys?
This for a life of me I couldn' answer, and here is one answer I found on the ezine: Monkeys and Bananas. I hope it is true, and if it is I have nothing to do with it.

How to Eat Banana?
Yes you are probably saying, who doesn't know how to eat bananas. Well, if you already know, here are few tricks I did learn over the years. First, in order for the banana to ripe nicely keep them in one bunch, if you you want to preserve them longer, take them apart. But remember when you pick them avoid bruised ones. Another interesting trick someone told me one day is to peel banana from the bottom, and all the strings will go away with it. So much for fun peeling my banana, they had to ruined it. So not you know how to eat banana, so go banana.

How to Feed your Baby Banana?
Finally, something related to the title of this post. I started to give banana to my baby at age of 4 months. Just a little bit, not even a full baby spoon. This was for my baby to learn how to eat with the spoon. I did some research, and I found that you don't have to cook bananas before giving them to babies. However, I am one of those paranoid mothers, so I would always steam them in the steam of the boiling water. When feeding baby I would lightly scrape surface of the banana to generate mashed banana. It works very well, you don't really need any equipment to do that.

Important Note: 'Nitrates and vegetables. Some types of strained vegetables and fruits - including spinach, beets, turnips, carrots, green beans, mixed vegetables and bananas - contain nitrates, and should therefore not be given to infants younger than 4 months...In sufficient concentrations, nitrates can cause these children to develop methemoglobinemia, a condition in which blood cells do not transport oxygen efficiently.' [1]

Things People Say about Bananas

‘On a traffic light green means go and yellow means yield, but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means hold on, yellow means go ahead, and red means where the hell did you get that banana at...’ once said by Mitch Hedberg, an American Comedian, 1968-2005.

‘Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana’ once said by Groucho Marx, an American Comedian, Actor and Singer, 1890-1977.

‘Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana’ once said by Bill Gates, an American Entrepreneur and Founder of Microsoft Co., b.1955.

And the last one, ‘Monkeys throwing bananas at keyboard could have written a better post’, the best one I have seen and you can read it about yourself.

Time to Frame the Banana
No I am not talking about putting a banana to jail. I am talking putting a nice picture of a banana on your wall. Hopefully you have learn something new here about bananas, therefore we should feel like we own something to bananas so why not framing nice banana picture on your kitchen wall? Here are some of the best photos of the bananas I have seen on Internet, some free and some for purchase.

Fotosearch.com
Crestock.com

Time to Go Banana
Here you can find banana humor. I am sure some of them are composed images, but they are darn funny. Read more...

REFERENCES
[1] 'Better Baby Food', 2nd Edition, Your Essential Guide to Nutrition, Feeding & Cooking for All Babies & Toddlers, by Diana Kalnins, MSc, RD, and Joanne Saab, RD, The Hospital for Sick Children, pg 46.
Document Release: 1; Document Last Modified: March 16, 2009

Safety First for Babies – When Buying Books for Babies, Toddlers and Children in General

As we walk into any bookstore, or any other place that sells books for children, we get overwhelmed with the range of colourful attractive children books. Putting the attractiveness aside, we must also look at safe books for babies. What I mean by safe book is the printing and design of the book. Aside note that many books now don’t even specify the age this book is intended to. I guess the publishers worry that if they will specify the age, then only mothers with child in that age range will buy this book. This is my opinion, and I say that because I have seen book from publishers that specialize in children’s books, and they do tell you the age of the child.

Let’s talk about books for babies. Yes, we do want to read books to our babies. We want them to touch the book and feel it. However, one thing parent must always do is not to leave a child unattended with the book. Babies when they start teething they will grab books and believe or not chew on it. As a parent you tell me if the printing ink is nutritious for your baby – no it is not. Watch out especially for the books made of fabric, or hard books that may be painted.

The next factor that may be unsafe for children are books with those things that have flip flaps. They are cool and very entertaining for you baby or toddler, but all you have to do is always be around your child. Sometimes they may come off very easy and the book becomes a choking hazard if unattended baby will consume it. Lastly the books with round corners are much better than the books with sharp corners. The pictures of the books below are the two examples. The sharp corners become dangerous especially when flipping pages, often may scratch babies face or even poke.

So next time you shop for a book for your baby, you may want to consider the above points.

	Peak-a-Baby is a book where the corners are rounded. Excellent book to be introduced at age of 2 months.
	Ten Little Ladybugs is a book where the corners are sharp. This book can be recommended for older babies, but please do not leave your baby alone with this book.

REFERENCES
[1] Peak-a-Baby by Karen Katz, A Lift-The-Flap Book
[2] The Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth, Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith

Document Release: 0; Document Last Modified: February 17, 2009

Blogging What to Expect – Things You Should Know Before You Start Blogging

What is Blogging?
Blogging simply is a way of communicating to the world. You can write an email to many of your friends or colleagues, but with blogging you can write to the whole world or to the public of your choice. Technically blogging is short for web log, and is a form of personal or business journal updated frequently and broadcast publicly. It is similar to the discussion board, however, in the blogging world the blogger writes a post, moderates and converses with its visitors. Whereas, on the discussion board all users can communicate with each other and anyone can start the topic, however, don’t be surprise that there is a human guard that monitors your behavior. Needles to say if you are blogger, you are that guard and a writer. Bottom line you are in control. Frankly I don’t see much of a difference, but blogging is more fun because you are definitely the star.

How Do You Start Blogging?
Simple, you can choose blog provider of your choice, Blogger or WordPress- are the two most common free blogging platforms on the whole Internet, at least for now, and at least the ones I know. Sign up is very easy and fast, in a matter of seconds, providing that you know the following: name for your blog and address for your blog. Basic templates are available for you to start blogging immediately; however, you will find that with time you will get an itch to customize your blog template by using third party providers. But let’s not go there yet.

What Happens Next After Your Blog is Created?
What are you waiting for – start writing, linking useful information, show off your pictures, but blog responsibly by providing your original information. Your writing, your ideas, your pictures – bottom line do not copy others stuff without giving them a credit or asking for a permission. Simple as it sounds, if you don’t have visitors or commentators what is the use of blogging. Yes in order to be successful blogger you need visitors to comment on your published articles or pictures, and that is how you start going to other bloggers blogs and comment. Believe or not the professional bloggers that really care about their visitors will visit your blog back, and that is how your blogging virtual friendship starts. But this is only one small thing you can do to increase traffic to your blog. Other you may want to investigate social networking platforms that have database of many bloggers. Simple sign up can lead to your blog discovery. Also remember there are many silent bloggers that just read and go – a visitor counter may be a good idea to have on your blog then.

Blogging Techniques That Will Make Your Visitors Come Back Over and Over Again
I have been blogging for more than two years now, and I have seen many different ways of blogging with others. These are successful techniques that will get you a nice bunch of regulars to your blog. These techniques may be very time-consuming, but if you have nothing to do but blog, then they are rewarding, and your blog will definitely be recognized. Here how you can blog with your visitors.

1. Double Commenting Technique: A visitor comments on your blog post. You comment back. Answer their question if asked; thank them for visit and comment on your blog. Let them know that you will be visiting them soon.
   
2. Single Commenting Technique: A visitor comments on your blog post. You go to their blog and comment back. On their blog you answer their questions that were asked on your blog, thank them for a visit and comment on their post.

You have choice between the two, and obviously the first one is a more time-consuming one, which I have been doing. However, the first one usually guarantees to have your post topic flow on your blog and not scattered all over the other blogs, and probably more virtual blogger friends.

Before You Know It You Are Blogging All Day – Facing an Addiction
Typical blogger behavior after a while is to complain that too much time is spend on blogging, family is abandon, your lower bottom is getting bigger, you have migraines, not sleeping well, too excited – but you continue to blog, blog and blog. And then finally you shut down your blog, and your blogging career is over. These are typical signs of blogging addiction and failure in blogging world. Remember, blogging is free, and should not be stressful, you should be in control – and don’t feel bad if you did not blog for a while or take frequent brakes. If your posts are professional, entertaining and original, your virtual blogger friends will not forget you, and will be visiting you back, soon as they see you posting again.

Recognize Blogging Addiction

• You start complaining in your posts about being tired of blogging.
  
• You spend more than 2 hours of blogging a day.


• For some, if you post everyday and you don’t have time.


• You stopped cooking for loved ones, you miss your favorite shows, and you miss family visits.


• You close down your blog angry, others convince you to come back and you repeat above steps over again.


• You start creating more blogs than you can handle – yes blogging platform allow more than one blog to be created by one user.

Word of advice if you come back to blogging second time ensure to recognize your bad blogging habit. Recognize that you have been addicted to blogging and now set your limits, there is always a second chance.

Set Your Limits
The easiest way to blog is simple word – moderation. Let me emphasize again – moderation, that is blog when you can or allocate set time for blogging. Set your limits up front, tell the bloggers what are your limits and all will be fine. For example, tell yourself and everyone that you will have one post a week on the scheduled day of the week; and you will allocate sometime to visit and read other blogs; and as a result you are a happy blogging camper.

REFERENCES
[1] Image Courtesy of Microsoft Office Online, Clip Art Gallery

Document Release: 0; Document Last Modified: February 16, 2009

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Welcome to selectiv-e-pedia, a short for selective information blog. Collection of book quotes, peoples quotes, books, theories, anything related to literature to beyond science and technology and useful tips. Why selective? Selective, because it would be shame to duplicate what already exists. Selective because we are selecting content to post that is useful and interesting to read. Content that will make you think.