Thank you for subscribing to the Outdoor Eyes Newsletter. If Outdoor Eyes helps to improve your photography or motivates you to participate in an outdoor adventure, then it has fulfilled its purpose. I hope you enjoy this month's issue and thanks for stopping by.  Philip "PT" Tulin

There can be no doubt that artists, including photographers, bear great responsibility. First of all, an artist must decide upon and establish an artistic vision that truly represents her or his creative goals. To accomplish this, there are important choices to be made by photographers, including what subject matter best reflects the artist's passion, what type of equipment is best suited to the work at hand, what kind of exposure settings will obtain the desired effect and what method of producing prints will be most pleasing. I think having these choices to make is a big reason why photography is so much fun. Actually, I find that it's all those highly pressurized artistic moments of decision, or perhaps indecision, which go a long way in making photography such an exciting adventure. For me, photography also provides great inspiration and lifts my spirit.
AN ARTIST'S RESPONSIBILITY. »

Whether you are backpacking or kayak camping, you seem to start thinking about food almost continuously. It's probably because you are burning up so many calories due to paddling or hiking that gets you day dreaming about "What's for lunch or dinner?" When you finally start cooking, it better be at least as good as what you've been thinking about all day long. There is a big difference between paddling and backpacking on the types and amount of food you can carry with you. Water, which weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon is a luxury when hiking (due to the weight) while a kayak can carry much more water.
HOW TO PLAN A MENU & WHAT FOODS TO BRING. »

There are three ways to see wildlife: start hiking and hope that you become lucky, try to follow the tracks that you found during your hike or try to understand the story behind the tracks. Don't think that tracks are limited to deer, moose, fox, dogs and the rest of the animals that come to mind when tracks are mentioned. Ants, turtles, snakes, birds and a whole assortment of reptiles and insects leave tracks, too. The information below is dedicated to the mammals, reptiles and birds. OTG Wildlife Tracking doesn't necessarily mean seeing physical tracks. It is also an awareness that a OTG Wildlife Photography opportunity exists without ever having seeing any tracks. Both methods are explained below. By understanding tracking concepts, you will become more aware of more wildlife, even if you can't identify the tracks.
THE ART OF WILDLIFE TRACKING. »

With so many people obsessed with weight loss these days, it's only fitting that manufacturers of outdoor equipment follow suit. But instead of cutting carbs, gear makers are ditching heavy fabrics and extraneous features for lightweight materials and efficient designs that offer exactly—and only—what outdoor enthusiasts need. Unlike the Atkins Diet, lightweight gear is here to stay. The key advantage of going lightweight, and that which is driving the ultralight movement's popularity today, is that you can cover much more ground with a light load on the shoulders—three times the distance in a single day in some cases. "Our customers are going lightweight because they don't have a week to go backpacking—they have a three-day weekend and want to do more," claims Chris Lennert, VP of Sales at GoLite, a company that produces ultralight gear exclusively.
LIGHTWEIGHT GEAR RISE TO FAME. »

More and more people today enjoy the simple, wholesome fun of hiking. hiking is an affordable, yet healthy and emotionally rewarding way to spend a vacation or a long weekend... and you don't need to visit a travel agent. Experienced hikers will always tell you that every detail matters when you pack hiking gear, especially tents and camping stoves. The right hiking accessories and clothing, a properly and ergonomically packed backpack, positive mood and good fitness; all these elements play an equally important role in the success of any hiking trip. Hiking boots are the most important part of your hiking gear. The right footwear will serve you longer and take you farther and safer than any training shoes or sneakers will. You can wear a cheaper pair of pants or an old t-shirt, but a good reliable pair of hiking shoes or boots should be as expensive as you can afford.
HOW TO ENJOY & PREPARE FOR HIKING. »

Choosing the right photo paper for printing is one of the most important factors in producing great prints. Be it pictures or text, you usually just borrow what's in the copier. But the right printer photo paper makes an immense difference in print quality. To make the right choice, we must know the basics of selecting and printing on paper for general use and pictures. To choose the right photo paper for the required print keep in mind the opacity, brightness, weight, caliper and finish. First, it is important to know what you are printing. Black and white documents are very different from full color photos. There are some multipurpose papers which are good for both. But if you want crisp, vibrant photos that will last a long time, then of course you need to use paper which is designed just for photos.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PHOTO PAPER. »

The Outdoor Eyes Forum has added a new critique and rating system to the forum. This allow members, who want their photographs critiqued... with suggestions and pros/cons to mark their photographs with a special critique icon. A new rating system has been implemented for members who want their photographed rated from 1 - 5 with special icons from other members. Along with the rating system, the member will receive reasons and a explanation regarding why the photograph was rated from other members. If you haven't participated in the forum, please join in and post your photographs.
VIEW THE NEW FORUM RATING SYSTEM. »

This is just a reminder to everyone that no matter how many pictures you take of a subject you are never done. Every image of anything but a static studio shot will be a little different from the last one. Here for example is the Pale Pasque Flower. I have now returned to the same spot at three times, morning, midday and afternoon in cloudy weather and sunshine to photograph the three little flowers on the heath and I fully expect to return several times within the next couple of weeks. As you can see from the images in the collage there are a million different ways to photograph even a flower, and each way can result in a myriad of different images depending on the time of day, weather conditions, light, surroundings etc
YOU ARE NEVER DONE PHOTOGRAPHING. »

Your photographs cannot be seen or sold on the Internet successfully without effective marketing, consumer awareness and traffic. The Gallery was created to provide you with the optimum opportunity to sell your photographs. RISK FREE GUARANTEED: If you're not satisfied with The Gallery, cancel anytime within 30 days, and you will receive a FULL refund. CHECK ONLINE FOR THE LATEST GALLERY PROMOTION (or look below).
LEARN HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN GALLERY. »

• jana thompson
  Welcome to the gallery of Thompson Photography!
• jane arnold
  The Wild Orchid (floral design & photography) By Jane Arnold
• jeanne karides
  Scenes of the West, specializing in birds of prey. Enjoy.
• jeff barker
  JC's Photographic Journey
• jennifer pagan-helms
  Gypseasoul Studios
• jeremy buchanan
  Images by Jeremy Buchanan
  
• ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER GALLERIES. »

Outdoor Eyes embroidered caps are available in the following colors: Steel Blue, Khaki, Berry, Khaki/Navy, Green, Stone and Faded Blue. The caps are embroidered with "No Limits... No Boundaries" logo.
VIEW THE OUTDOOR EYES CAPS. »