The Painters of Birds

Both Robert Ridgway and his younger brother, John, were considerably talented as painters of bird portraits, and they executed drawings for the color plates of such distinguished books as Fisher's "Hawks and Owls of the United States." As a boy, Robert mixed his own paints in his father's drugstore in Illinois, and he soon became deeply interested in the subject of color. He early saw the need, especially for the use of naturalists who must be able to describe species of plants and animals with unmistakable accuracy, for a standardization of colors and color terms.

To this problem he devoted his serious attention, and in 1886 he was able to bring out his first work on the subject-"A Nomenclature of Color for Naturalists." In this he presented 10 plates showing 186 named colors in small rectangles. The value of the work was apparent to all concerned, and its reception encouraged him to continue his color studies.

It was 25 years, however, before he was ready with the new and enlarged edition of his color book. This was entitled "Color Standards and Color Nomenclature," and in it were illustrated 1,115 named colors, for which he had scientifically mixed the pigments himself according to standard proportions worked out by him and published in the book in tabular form.

This book became widely used not only by naturalists but also by paint manufacturers, chemists, florists, and artists. It found many commercial and industrial uses, and although other and more modern color standards have since been published, Ridgway's was a pioneer work and has never been entirely superseded. Among naturalists it is still the "color bible." It made Ridgway's name known far outside of ornithological circles and constituted perhaps his most important contribution to science.

1846 was an important year in American national history, for it was the year that Congress on Capitol Hill decided what was to be done with James Smithson's $500,000 bequest to the United States of America.

The first hundred years of the Smithsonian Institute have seen great things, but somehow time opens rather than closes the vistas to fresh fields of knowledge. Every gap that is closed seems to open up new and greater unknowns in man's feeble efforts to understand the universe. Certainly, in its second century, there will be no lack of opportunity for the Smithsonian to continue to serve mankind in the way that James Smithson dreamed.

David is the author of many articles including Best Friend Quotes and also the author of Best life quotes

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Night Photography Can Be Pretty Cool

There are a lot of people that are getting into photography these days. I expect that this is due to the fact that digital cameras are really simple for someone to use. You can take some great shots and you don't have to spend an arm and a leg. It is nice to know that the price of digital photography is coming down to where people can afford it.

As easy as they make it for you there are still things that you may want to know that are easy to apply. A lot of new photographers are having a hard time with night photography. One of the problems that you run across, is that a lot of digital cameras just flat out do not perform well under low light. I know a few things that can help with this, one is that when you are taking night time photos you will want to use long exposure. What long exposure will do is let more light in and by doing so it allows for the details of your subject to be captured.

Another thing that you will notice in night photography is if you are shaking, if you are shaking just slightly it will show more than if you were taking a day photo. So if this is a problem for you use a tripod and if you don't have one you will need to rest on something ,perhaps on a friends shoulder.
A fun thing that you can do when using long exposure is you can shoot moving lights and get the trails effect, such as lights on a car that is moving on down the road.

These pictures always look pretty cool. When you are using long exposure be sure to take advantage of the fact that you are not limited to still photography, you have creative options when it comes to night photography.

http://www.shutterbugphotobiz.com/ you will learn how to prosper with photo's, you wll be introduced to photography marketing and you could win our ditigal camera give-a-way. At Shutterbug-Photobiz our focus is on you

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The Rembrandt Affair - A Complicated Story Smoothly Told

This is the story of a Rembrandt painting which is under restoration work with a friend of the legendary Israeli assassin Gabriel Allon. There is a secret associated with the painting which sparks off a chain of intrigue which travels across various borders. Although it is a sequel to Daniel Silva's earlier works with the same protagonist Gabriel Allon, the new readers will not find it difficult to comprehend the story since The Rembrandt Affair is a complete work of fiction, without any loose ends.

Clear Distinction between Fact and Fiction

The ability of the author Daniel Silva to tell a complex tale shines in the complicated as ever The Rembrandt Affair as well. This is one of those rare stories where Art and Mystery are woven, and the author skillfully mixes fact and fiction together. Unlike other authors, Daniel Silva makes it clear - what is fact and what is not - for the benefit of the readers. This way, there is no confusion in the mind of the readers; they are always in the clear.

Global Agents Join Ranks

In some areas, however, there are denials by the author but readers know that holocaust and other some scenes are real whereas the characters are fictional. The stolen painting, the complicity of Swiss banks and Nazis seeking refuge are all well known incidents (including the Rembrandt painting). The novel The Rembrandt Affair also delves deep into the history and then covers the sons of Swiss bankers and Nazis as well as the protagonist, Gabriel Allon, whose mother was a holocaust survivor. The very existence of Israel is threatened since Iran is building the nuclear weapons at a rapid pace. The CIA and MI6 operatives also join the Israeli agents to tackle the businessman in question.

The Story Is Less about Violence

Contrary to the first impression the readers may get, the story is less about violence and more about gradual covert operations, which do not seem so dramatic in the first instance. Even those plots which seem very attractive at first impression, cannot sustain the story if the readers do not feel empathetic to the characters. All the characters created by Daniel Silva are passionate and human at the same time. The female characters are also equally sympathetic and believable.

Gabriel Allon Has A Tragic Past

The main protagonist, Gabriel Allon has come through a tragic past as his mother was a Holocaust survivor - and he didn't know all about her till late in the life. His son died in a bomb blast meant for him and the first wife had to be institutionalized due to that tragic event. The overall narration of the story is smooth and every scene appears like a gentle brushstroke from a master painter.

The author Prasoon Kumar works for http://www.uread.com/ which is the leading online bookstore that offers all the current and all time great titles at never before prices. To know more about The Rembrandt Affair, grab your copy at huge discount only at http://www.uread.com/book/rembrandt-affair-daniel-silva/9780718155292

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Photography Books - Enjoy Capturing the Best Images

Informative and valuable books have been the best friends, for forever. Book plays the important role of guide and teacher, which entertains and enlightens the readers from time to time. As per the interest of the reader, he or she can opt for desired books. The market is flooded with various books ranging from fiction and non-fiction to romance, adventure and action to photography. These specialised books enhance the knowledge of the users in their field of interest. Therefore, it can be said that these informational books fill up the mind with innovative ideas.

Photography Books, as the name specifies are meant for the people who are looking to improve their photography skills. These books not only explain the 'technical' information about how camera works but they also stress on the setting/things which need to be done for a perfect image. "The digital photography" by Scott Kelby is one of the best selling book in this domain.

The best photography book is the one which gives answers to all the queries regarding the photography. The phenomenal growth in the field of photography has increased the demand for books with the subject line "photography". Usually, the topics which are covered in these books are related to various issues regarding the night photography, Black & White photography, infrared based picture capturing tips, setting up of studios and many more.

As a matter of fact, these photography books are very helpful for the people who do not know much about capturing of good quality pictures. The photography books are even helpful to those who want to buy a professional or digital camera. A lot of tips and guidelines are given in these books, which help the readers in making better purchasing decision.

Some of the famous photography books include"The Digital Photography Handbook," and "An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide" by Doug Harman. To add more, the "How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera" by Bryan Peterson is also very much popular among the passionate photographers. These books include various techniques of shooting the moving objects as well as usage of flash while capturing the beautiful moments of the life.

Know more about books price comparison at rupiz compare and get discount shop for cheap books [http://www.rupizcompare.co.uk/books-and-magazines/] and magazines subscriptions here.

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WWII Aircraft in Pictures

Perhaps, few things are more intriguing to a young man than picture books filled with race cars, ships or aircraft. Yet, who says those things are only for kids and young adults. Now, I do not deny, I loved aircraft picture books when I was a young man and boy; in fact, give me one of those and I would not even need a babysitting, I'd be busy, and intellectually self-sustained for hours.

Not long ago, I saw just such a book at a used book store and I had to rescue it for myself. I must say, to this day I am as intrigued with such books as then. I bet you will be too, so, let me recommend one of the best WWII Aircraft picture books of all time:

"Aircraft of World War II" part of the series The Aviation Fact File; edited by Jim Winchester; Thunder Bay Press San Diego, 2004.

On the cover sports a P-51 Mustang and all the aircraft of the allied forces from WWII are there, including fighters, bombers, torpedo bombers, blimps, gliders, drones, rockets and cargo aircraft that moved the logistical component. German, French, British, American, Japanese, Russian, and every single nation that had aircraft in WWII are all listed with pictures, data, facts and insignias, and paint schemes.

The Germans had superior equipment at the start of the war, but by the end the allied forces had adjusted their manufacturing efforts and designs to compete and indeed, the rest is history as we know. All that remains of that greatest generation that set fascism back 75-years is the pictures and stories. So, I recommend you get your fill of the real deal in pictures.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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Photo Framing: Choose The Easiest Way To Remember

Who said opting for photo framing is a difficult task to accomplish? You should not give head to such hearsay and half baked truths. The fact that people find themselves in messy situations has its roots in such truths. These facts are without merit and do not hold any whit of logical truth in them. Remember - you aren't first person who is going to use it. As a matter of fact, this world is full of users who think this is the best way to keep their memories alive in their mind. There are numerous instances, when people take pride in sporting these frames in their living room, dining hall, bed rooms etc. If these frames didn't have any special appeal in them, would so many users of these frames use them in their daily life?

This observation essentially brings back the question of necessary home work that one needs to do before he/she finalizes on an option. If you do a closer inspection of such events, a new trend will come before you. Most of these gossip mongers are too busy in blaming a seller or service provider for an inferior quality, exorbitant prices, and what not. You should go and dare to ask them one simple question - did they do any background check before choosing these frames?

Whenever you go in your search for custom frames, you will see that most of these people have either done no home-work or are not aware of this fact. It has been widely acknowledged that accumulating this type of information isn't a daunting task. When you follow certain simple yet effective ways to accomplish your goal, this process always becomes lot easy with some amount of hard work put into it. Instead of relying on these half truths and hearsay, you should rather focus more on devoting quality time to accommodate these ideas to collect necessary information. At times, when you end up making a complete search for this information, you may even be surprised to find how easy it is. There are instances that have taken place earlier, where people have ended up screaming with joy and saying - Gosh! This process is so simple!

So, next time you think of picture frames, you should try one of such simple techniques. This procedure involves, going through a newspaper that must be arriving in your home each day. When you keep a close vigil on this newspaper, you will be able to gather certain vital information that is generally present in an advert. There is much information like, telephone number, where you need to call in case you want to have more detail. So, once you have this telephone number with you, do not hesitate to call. Whosoever attends your call will be happy to give you all the details which you might want to know.

For more information on photo frames, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the picture frames!

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Top 7 Photography Books on Amazon

If you love a photographer, then you'll want to print a copy of this list. These are the most wished for books on Amazon. This means there is probably a book or two on this list your photographer would love. Save yourself some time by using this list as a shopping list. Your photographer will love you for it.

1. National Geographic Image Collection by National Geographic, Michelle Anne Delaney, Maura Mulvihill (5.0 out of 5 stars)

Behind National Geographic's worldwide reputation as a powerhouse of photography lies one of the finest, most extensive, and most unique graphic resources on Earth: the National Geographic Image Collection. For the first time ever, readers will plumb the fascinating depths of this immense archive from the earliest photographs collected in the late 19th century to the cutting-edge work of today.

2. The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3 by Scott Kelby (4.3 out of 5 stars)

This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here's how Scott describes it: "If you and I were out on a shoot and you asked me, 'Hey Scott, I want the light for this portrait to look really soft and flattering. How far back should I put this softbox?' I wouldn't give you a lecture about lighting ratios, or flash modifiers. In real life, I'd just turn to you and say, 'Move it in as close to your subject as you possibly can, without it actually showing up in the shot.'

3. VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography by David duChemin (4.9 out of 5 stars)

A book for any photographer who's ever felt compelled to combine their craft with the world of commerce and make the transition to becoming a vocational photographer. More like a sketchbook of ideas and wisdom than it is a system to get rich quick on photography, VisionMongers takes a look at the changing landscape of professional photography and the various journeys that can be taken to get there.

4. Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision by David duChemin (4.8 out of 5 stars)

A book about finding and expressing your photographic vision, specifically where people, places, and cultures are concerned. A personal book full of real-world wisdom and incredible images, author David duChemin (of pixelatedimage.com) shows you both the how and the why of finding, chasing, and expressing your vision with a camera to your eye.

5. The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman (4.6 out of 5 stars)

Design is the single most important factor in creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills in making photographs.

6. The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 by Scott Kelby (4.6 out of 5 stars)

In Volume 2, Scott adds entirely new chapters packed with Plain English tips on using flash, shooting close up photography, travel photography, shooting people, and even how to build a studio from scratch, where he demystifies the process so anyone can start taking pro-quality portraits today! Plus, he's got full chapters on his most requested topics.

7. The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets From One of the World's Top Shooters by Joe McNally (4.2 out of 5 stars)

Joe McNally, one of the world's top pro digital photographers, breaks new ground by doing something no photography book has ever done-blending the rich, stunning images and elegant layout of a coffee-table book with the invaluable training, no-nonsense insights, and photography secrets usually found only in those rare, best-of-breed educational books.

There are 3 more fantastic books on BestSLRCamera.org. So make sure you head over there to get the complete list. I'm sure you'll find something your photographer will love. And guess who gets the credit... you.

"I just love it. How did you know?"

Debbie Lattuga is a photography enthusiast encouraging people to express themselves through photography. To find out more about the cameras mentioned, check out her blog at Best SLR Camera. She helps people find the perfect SLR camera for them, without all the hassle.

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Poster Frames: Who Said You Cannot Have A Poster-Sized Frame?

You had gone really mad when one of your friends told it is very difficult to have poster frames in your house. All your life, you have been yearning to have many poster-sized frames that will actually don your living area whenever you own a house. Now that you have a house of your own, you are desperate to have one. But kind of feedback you got from one of your friends really made you thinks once again about the whole idea. This is what happens when you resort to hearsay and half baked truths. Instead of wasting your time on adhering to this silly information, an ideal approach would be to do home work of your own. This way, whatever data you collect will be the one on which you can always place greater degree of reliance.

There are people who have either not shown keen interest in collecting necessary information or where they have not done so, they have mostly relied on such hearsays. Eventually, these were the same people who met with little success or had only failure by their side. You should learn from those mistakes they committed. If that is the case, you should not shy off from walking that extra mile. Remember - in this world there are no short cut to success. To achieve your goal you always need to put that extra bit of efforts to scale new ladders of success.

So, if you want to know more about picture framers, all that you will be required to do is to take help of certain measures which can guarantee success for you. Some of these measures are the ones which you can easily do right from the comforts of your home. That means you do not have to run pillar to post in order to collect these data. For instance, you can easily refer to a news paper. In these newspapers, you will find numerous adverts every day.. When you give a closer look to these adverts you can find information like a contact number, communication and postal address, email address etc.

Presence of this information may eventually turn up to be mines full of information. For instance, when you call up that phone number that is mentioned in an advert, you will be happy to find answers to all your queries. Normally these numbers are dedicated helpline numbers that are especially designed so that interested customers can call these numbers and get their doubts clarified. So, when you call this number, person answering your call will help you with all information that you might need. In certain cases, they are also known to suggest yeas that will suit your need.

Next time you want to know more about framed pictures, do not hesitate to call and get all your doubts and apprehensions clarified before you mike the ultimate decision of choosing best option that will fulfill your criteria.

For more information on photo frames, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the poster frames!

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Right Photo Frames Bring Your Pictures to Life

Pictures speak a thousand words they say, and that's entirely true. You hold on to photographs from your past dearly because they mean a lot to you. People in those pictures might not be around you but looking at their pictures brings their memories flooding back. Some photographs even have such an impact that you feel you are in conversation with people in those pictures. That's why these pictures need to be preserved. However choosing wrong Photo Frames for your pictures can dull and subdue them beyond recognition, almost sucking the life out of them.

That's why you should lay emphasis on choosing appropriate Photo Frames for your house. They should bring out the nuances of the picture and complement it beautifully. But what is often seen is that frames take away from the beauty of the picture and can be unnecessarily distracting.

Also choose your Picture Frames according to your house and not just your individual style. Many frames look great in a store but that doesn't necessarily translate when mounted on your wall.

Here are a few pointers for buying appropriate Photo Frames for you:

In this case size does matter. Some pictures look their best in small size while others work wonders as blow ups. Choose your frames for pictures accordingly. While detrimental effects of wrong frames are not seen much in small frames, they will be magnified with large frames. On the other hand choosing the right large frame will give your picture a larger than life feel.

Choose your frames according to the look of your house. Traditional frames naturally go with traditional houses and are a mismatch for modern homes. Metal Frames, with a minimalistic look are perfect for contemporary homes.

Look at as many catalogues, designs as possible before choosing the right frame for you. Do not buy in a rush but put in some effort and time.

For more information on photo frames, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the photo framing!

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Photo Frames: To Beautify and Protect Your Photos

Framing a photo not only gives it a pretty look but also acts as a protector from outside elements. Therefore, if you were under the impression that Photo Frames act as a beautifying accessory, then you are right but also add its role as a protector. Therefore, a frame has the dual responsibility of "beautifying" and "protecting" a photo. It plays an important role of preserving your photo for a longtime while adding to its beauty. That is why you will find old photographs are neatly framed and hanged onto the walls for many years; probably you must be still giving some old photographs of your grandparents hanging from the wall in your house.

Chances are that most of the photographs of your grandparents and, maybe, even your parents are neatly framed with transparent mirror on the face of it and hanged on the wall of your house. Some of the photographs are so neatly done that they reflect the artwork that went into making the frames of the photos. There are postcard sizes or larger frames that can be used for framing photos. Photos Frames of various sizes and shapes can be framed. You can either hang them on the wall or keep in some places as a decorating accessory.

You will get them in various shapes, sizes and even customs made. Visit your local framers and probably you will get the frames that you want. If still you do not get the exact frame, you want you can also order him to make. The local framer will make it for you but he will charge little higher if you ask him to customs made. However, if you want ready made you should visit other local framers and you might get what you want.

You will also get them made of different materials. In the olden days they were made exclusively with wood, but today you will get frames made of steel, wood and plastic. You can also get photo-frames in different colors- black, gold, silver, white and others. As making them is a big business, you will get quality of them and some of them are even imported quality. There are different photo frames companies that specialize in manufacturing them and even exporting it outside their country.

Making them is a work of art. In olden days, wooden photo frames were exquisitely carved by woodcraft artists, which looked unique and beautiful. Even today, we still have wooden artists who specialize in making image holders for different companies. With the advancement of technology, they can also be designed by computer and you can even personalize it on your desktop. Most of these companies take an advantage of the technology and designs their image holders in computers. Remember you can also order them online

For more information on photo frames, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the photo framing!

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