Eyes are the windows to the soul

African Lion Mother and Cub, Tanzania
Photograph by Mitsuaki Iwago, Minden Pictures

Everything about this photographic moment is tender. The light, the gesture, the color are perfect. But there is also a small detail that completes the intimacy of this scene by photographer Mitsuaki Iwago. It is the small catch-light in the lion cub’s eye. Perfect. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: Capturing the catch-light in a subject’s eye can take a photograph from lovely to sublime. Eyes are the windows to the soul, so when the eye reflects a beam of light, it draws viewers in and makes them feel a greater intimacy with the subject.

http://tinyurl.com/3kuubuz

Self-love

Your chldren are loved only because they are yours, your friends also, your country and yourself.

BONUS
Curiosity is only vanity
Most commonly we desire knowledge only that we may talk of it. Otherwise people would not cross the sea if the could say nothing about it.

Being stuck in deep depression

Humans are social animals. It is how we are designed. Depression targets this, making us feel alone, unloved and unwanted. It’s an intensely personal experience, for sure, different for everyone who suffers from the horrible black cloud, but it is one that so many people have gone through before. While every person’s experience with depression is unique like everyone is unique there are also overarching commonalities and distinct, potentially helpful classifications. While all depression is horrible there is a range of severity from the most mild onset to the most severe, deep depression that drives people to do the unthinkable. When preparing to deal with depression it is important to look at the symptoms to see where you are on the scale, so we should look at what signs might point to deep depression.

Deep depression takes a deep emotional toll. If someone seems to be perpetually sad they might be on the far side of deep depression. Frequent crying is also a sign, along with a lack of pleasure in activities they once found pleasurable. Depression digs deep into the mind and often causes a deep seeded feeling that they don’t have any worth. Such feelings can drive people to the ultimate risk, planting suicidal thoughts in their mind. If someone says they or the world would be better off if they were dead a red light is going off.

Besides mental symptoms it is also helpful to look to see what kind of physical toll the depression is taking a physical toll on the victim. If someone is having difficulties sleeping and constantly feel fatigued they are at a higher risk for dangerous levels of depression. The victim can gain weight or lose weight dramatically, especially if they are a child, and either change is likely to compound the existing problems. Another red flag is if the person slows down there normal pace noticeably and consistently.

The more of these symptoms the person in question is experiencing the more severe the depression risk is. Of course it isn’t necessary to experience all of the symptoms to be in a deep depression, a completely physically healthy person who is plagued by suicidal thoughts is definitely at an extreme risk.

If you are experiencing depression you need to know that people care. Contacting physical and mental health professionals should be at the top of your list of things to do. Depression is horrible, I know, I’ve been there, but you can make it out and it will be better on the other side. You just need to keep pressing forward no matter what, never giving up. It’s a hard fight but you can and will be victorious.

If it’s someone you know just make sure you’re there for them and that they know it.

http://fightdeepdepression.com/

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. What keeps us in deep depression when were gifted? The state of humanity (life as a whole to be precise), and the nature of suffering (NN)

Learning how to live and how to die.

From Leonardo:

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.

Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art.

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.

Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.

Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation ... even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind.

There shall be wings! If the accomplishment be not for me, 'tis for some other.

The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves.

Where there is shouting, there is no true knowledge.

Learning never exhausts the mind.

Our life is made by the death of others.

The function of muscle is to pull and not to push, except in the case of the genitals and the tongue.

He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.

People react to fear, not love - they don't teach that in Sunday School, but it's true.

As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.

BONUS:

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Victoria Posh Beckham

"People think I'm going to be completely miserable," she once told us, "but I really am a very happy person!"

source

Improve Your Artistic Eye

By Dave Willis

Design in photography is basically a combination of the functional with the aesthetic. What does that mean? It means that it’s hard to define. The slightest variation in light, tone, colors, patterns, shapes, focus, motion, shading or viewpoint can lead to a drastic difference in the overall feel of a photograph. By manipulation of shutter speed, aperture and lens choice—the functional aspects of a camera—you can vary these elements of design in endless ways.

Because good design is so open to interpretation, there aren’t any laws that will lead to a perfect design for every photograph. There are concepts and ideas that can point in the right direction, however. Recently, we spoke to William Neill and Richard Hamilton Smith, two frequent contributors to OP, for advice on how to improve your sense of photo design.

"For me, personally, I don’t think design is concrete," says Smith. "As soon as we try to define design, that means we’re trying to put a fence around it. I think it’s an evolving process."
For Neill, good design is a question of asking himself how he can arrange everything in the frame for the best effect. "After I’ve identified the subject, which is certainly the most difficult aspect, then comes the photographic phase of the process. Is the light right? What lens do I use? Camera position? How do I arrange the elements of my image within the camera’s framing?

Choose A Good Subject
Subject choice is probably the most important part of the photographic process. Don’t simply look for an interesting subject; find a way for it to be shown in a different or unusual manner.

"I look for many different things," Smith says. "How light and shadow touch an object, or textures, shapes and patterns. The way colors interact. Those are all part of what goes into the mix of making a picture. Lastly, I decide which parts aren’t necessary for the image I want." Once you’ve selected your subject, it’s important to maintain the balance of the shot.

"How well does everything fit?" Neill asks. "Is something important running off the edge? Is the essence or subject of the photograph distracted by other elements in the image? I think that’s a key thing. Have I distilled the image down into what it’s really all about?"

Try Different Compositions
The rule of thirds is a good guideline to help your photo design. It separates the picture’s frame into a grid, with two evenly spaced horizontal and vertical lines dividing the image into thirds. Then, when placing the subject at the intersections of these lines, the picture becomes more visually pleasing because the subject isn’t centered or symmetrical. But even this tried-and-true method isn’t always the best choice for a composition.

"For a person who’s just learning to make pictures, it’s fine to work with the rule of thirds, but don’t stop there," says Smith. "Sometimes I might frame the subject right inthe center because I feel that’s where it should be."

He continues, "I like to shoot from different points of view. I’m fond of getting on the ground or standing on my car or a ladder. Taking it beyond what and where the normal snapshot would be."

"Photographers often set up their cameras in one spot, take one photograph and move on," says Neill. "Sometimes this approach works, but most often, it indicates a lack of attention to the subject and results in poor composition. Experiment and try out different possibilities. There’s a significance to even a minor adjustment of camera position."

Practice By Proofing
"Editing," says Neill,—is where all the learning takes place. It’s where you get to see options and see that 'that branch’ running cramped right up against the edge isn’t a good fit, and 'a little more space’ in the other image is better—and those are the kinds of things you learn in editing. And they’re the things you take out with you when you go shoot the next time."

Smith studies his own work, as well. Even after editing, he’ll go back and recheck his images to see if he may have missed something.

"I find if I revisit work two or three months later, there may be something in there that I initially thought didn’t work," he says. "Perhaps in the evolutionary process of shaping and challenging my own vision, there’s been some development that now allows me to go back and 'see’ it."

Experiment
"If I were a beginning photographer, I would get into the books and read about how to design a photograph," says Neill. "It’s a good place to start. But it’s also a place people tend to stop. "Using rules is fine, and it’s good to learn them," he adds, "but being willing to push yourself beyond and experiment and try new things is a vital part of being creative."

There are so many ways to experiment in photography. Take the time to shoot the same scene at varied exposures. Try filters for differing levels of color saturation or effects. Photograph at different depths of field.

"I’ve been free to make my own mistakes," Smith says. "In the beginning, I kept copious notes of camera settings so I could learn how those settings worked for exposure, depth of field and composition. Once I had that understanding, then I tried unconventional settings to learn from those results. Many of those mistakes revealed the creative possibilities, so I’m always willing to try things, just to see what happens. I’ll ask myself if I do 'this’ what will happen to 'that’—to color, exposure, pattern?

"I also like to play quite a bit with motion," continues Smith, "either deliberate camera motion, or a static camera with subjects that are moving, or variations with different shutter speeds, or multiple exposures, just to see the results. It’s moving beyond the actual subject for what it might become artistically."

Go With Your Gut
"The adage that I've written about many times," says Neill, "and it applies to composition as well as to the overall approach to my work, is that I’m more interested in asking questions than I am in answering them. A broad scenic kind of answers all the questions. You know, 'Let’s put on a wide-angle lens and let’s get all the information we can in there.’ But by selectively isolating and paring down, you can create a mystery to an image."

He continues, "Using rules is fine; just don’t worship them. If you’re following the rules of composition, you’re going to get a very nicely composed, but not particularly exciting or innovative image. Instead, think about what the important part of the image is. What is the essence of what you’re trying to say?"

"The best shots for me end up being a gut feeling," Smith concludes. "It’s not so much about mastering a particular technique or camera function or technical application. It’s more so about challenging and growing my way of 'seeing.’ It’s "Wow, that’s different! That’s a picture!"

s: www.outdoorphotographer.com

When I was looking the answer of Intellectual Incompatibility

Many people erroneously believe that "opposites attract", and seek a partner with interests opposite to their own under the illusion that this is a good way to form an enduring bond. Partners, who get caught in this lie, often suffer painful consequences. While it is true that opposites do attract sometimes, this attraction usually doesn't hold up to the reality of everyday life and commitment.
Incompatibility remains the strongest factor contributing to breakup. Psychologists have discovered that there are certain types of incompatible relationships that are doomed to fail from the start. We call these Incompatible Relationships.

Incompatible relationships
People should be warned of the dangers of dating someone with vast differences. The following is a summary of the five most common incompatible types of relationships.

1. The Missionary RelationshipIn the missionary relationship one partner is trying to convert the other person to the faith. The common denominator of the missionary relationship is the need to justify the relationship on evangelistic grounds. For starters, how ludicrous to think that you can establish a healthy bond with someone on the basis of a hidden agenda! Unsurprisingly, after hanging on to these dead-end relationships, it's even more difficult to break it off in the end. The bottom line is that when there is spiritual or religious incompatibility - get out. It's too difficult to judge the sincerity of one's spiritual quest, when the emotions of love and romance are involved. The sacrifice is usually unjustified. Missionary relationships simply don't work.

2. Sacrificial Relationship
Some women tragically apply the mission of falling for men who are emotionally "sick and dying" for their love lives. Against all odds, they attempt to love, comfort, and take care of their lovers, hoping to nurture them back to emotional health. It reminds of a children's game -one is the nurse, and the other is the patient. If you have a tendency to hang on to needy people in order to "love" them to health, then you need to ask yourself why. Why do you have this unquenchable need to be needed? You are called to be an equal partner in a relationship, not a shrink, surrogate parent, missionary, or nurse. Sacrificial relationships may seem exciting and challenging at first, but they usually end in disillusionment. If this describes you, you need remedial work - get a life!

3. The Exotic Relationship
When two people from radically different cultural or ethnic backgrounds get together it's called an Exotic relationship. At the beginning you might be intrigued by the accent, cultural differences, and mysterious demeanor of the other person. The relationship can be based on the allure of being with someone completely different in so many ways. Sure, exotic relationships are exciting and adventurous, but they're extremely impractical. Under the best of circumstances, dating and marriage are difficult and challenging. Before you invest time, energy, and money into an exotic relationship, consider the fact that the odds of this kind of relationship actually making it one in a million.

4. Unequally aged Relationship
The hallmark of the unequally aged relationship is the considerable age gap between partners. If you find yourself saying, "Yes, sir" to your partner, then you may be in this particular type of relationships. If your partner is still telling you stories about the "good îld days" in the fifties, then this is your case. These types are usually trying to compensate for emotional insecurity, or expecting their partner to fill in for Mom or Dad. Regardless of the psychological reasons behind this trend, in most cases this substantial age difference is another example of incompatible relationships.
Unequally aged relationships provide a sense of emotional or financial security at their early stage, but eventually they hit several snags of incompatibility. Energy levels can be drastically different. Cultural connecting points such as movies, historical events, music, and past trends will also be different. These things may seem trivial, but they are extremely important when you are seeking to build a long-lasting bond.

5. Rebellious Relationship
The first sign of this kind of relationship is the need to date some¬one purely out of your 'caste'. Rebellious relationship daters choose a partner, who is exactly the opposite of everything their families would want for them. Most of the time, people engaged in this kind of relationship, are merely angry with their parents or attempting to define them¬selves as a way to establish a sense of independence. However, there are more constructive ways to deal with anger or establish independence understanding, forgiveness and maturity. Save yourself the pain and embarrassment by staying clear of any kind of rebellious relationship.

Compatible relationships
A relationship, by definition, is the connecting of people. Therefore, to have a successful relationship with the opposite sex you must connect on many levels. This is what is called Compatible Relationships. Example below shows that in order to truly connect with another person, you must be compatible on three general lev¬els: spiritual, physical, and social.

1. The Spiritual Connection
If you cannot connect with your partner on a spiritual level, your relationship is headed for disaster. What you believe about God, how you pray, which holidays you celebrate, which books you hold to be sacred, and your opinion on baptism are just a few components that make up your spiritual belief system. When you don't see eye to eye with your partner in these areas, then you are compromising something that is deeply ingrained in you. Your spirituality and how that is expressed is the most intense and intimate part of you. Tremendous heartache and frustra¬tion will occur, when two people are unable to connect and share this most intimate part of their lives.

2. The Physical Connection
Being sexually attracted to your partner is a prerequisite for a healthy relation¬ship. Having a spiritual connection is not enough. You must have that spark, that chemistry, that attraction that draws you to the person like a magnet. There must be "something" in the way that person looks, moves, laughs, speaks, or smiles; something that compels you to want to be with him or her. All great relationships have some element of chemistry, and you either have it or you don't.

3. The Social Connection
Some people often neglect social compatibility, though this very area creates lots of stresses on relationships. Social compatibility primarily concerns family patterns and social relating.
The old saying, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," usually holds true. Who you are, and many of your life perspectives stem directly from your family upbringing. If you grew up in a home in which you received love, support, encouragement and security from your parents, then you probably have a good foundation for build¬ing a happy family. If you didn't grow up in such an environment, then you would have to work harder to develop a strong bond. Some of the important issues associ¬ated with family background are holiday customs, family rules, finances, domestic responsibilities, and rearing children.

The other area of connecting at the social level deals with patterns of relating. This dimension of a relationship covers a wide variety of concerns, including social skills, communication style, and intellectual compatibility.

What does it mean to be compatible? Well, similarities between people make life together much simpler. Being together involves compromise, and people can reach these compromises more easily when they share common values and inter¬ests. Sure, sometimes opposites can attract, but for a stable relationship bet on similarity.

source:peoplerelationships.syl.com

Art (1)

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics, and even disciplines such as history and psychology analyze its relationship with humans and generations.

Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".^[1] Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.

s: wiki