4 Steps to an Enjoyable HikeWritten by Kathy Burns-Millyard
Some people have fought many years of their lives to preserve rich heritage of outdoors and nature we now enjoy. That dedication and effort has been rewarded by fantastic hiking opportunities in our local, state, and national park systems. In honor of their efforts, let's break out of our winter hibernation and venture into crisp, clean outdoor air and hit some of those dirt trails. Let's Go Hiking!Here are 4 steps to having an enjoyable hike, no matter where your feet decide to take you. 1. Know area you will be hiking in to. Although many states, like California, Colorado, or Wyoming have exceptional hiking hot spots, even your local park will have some kind of useful information. Whether it's a website with information and trail details, or a map at park office, trailhead, or visitor center, always check before you head out on your hike so you know what to expect. 2. Know conditions you will be facing, wherever you go. Nothing is worse than traveling to a hiking destination only to miss hike, because it was raining or freezing and you weren't prepared. If trail is flooded out, or snowy conditions have shut it down for an extended period, you should be able to find this out as well. It is also good to know if there are any plants or animals to watch out for at your hiking location. Wiping with poison ivy won't feel good in morning. 3. Wear clothing that works and fits terrain and hike conditions. There are many options in your clothing arsenal, to keep yourself comfortable, here are a couple of pointers: - Try and stay away from cotton. Instead, look for synthetic and natural fibers that pull moisture away from your body, or at least stay warm when wet. - Also, go for layers to keep yourself warm, versus carrying around a huge parka, in case you are hit by a freak snowstorm. - The two most important pieces of clothing for any hiker, are good socks and good shoes. Don't underestimate pain a hike can cause with uncomfortable shoes and socks. - Finally, a hat in cold weather is a great addition, since your body loses over half its heat through your head.
| | Macro Photography Inspirations, Tips and TricksWritten by Paul Smith
You won’t have to look hr to find close-up ideas – even everyday household objets can make fantastic subjects Once You’ve trained your eye to look for macro photo opportunities, you’ll find them almost anywhere, even in objects such as stamps, coins, paper clips, drawing pins and so on. The fact that you’re capturing them from an unusual viewpoint makes shot of ‘found’ objects interesting in themselves.
Macro tips If your camera focuses poorly at close range, use telephoto setting to increase magnification. However, remember that this will further reduce depth of field. Attach a close up lens that screws onto camera’s filter thread (assuming your camera has one). Available in +1, +2, +3, +4 and +10 magnification, many camera can be adapted with push on systems that enable a close up lens to be fitted
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