Articles written by Mary Ann Melton

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About me - Mary Ann Melton

I started taking pictures as a child with a Kodak "Brownie" camera. As a young adult, I began taking 35mm pictures first with a view finder camera and later with a SLR. A couple of years ago I discovered digital photography. Over the last three years, I have

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Arts & Humanities > Photography How many megapixels you really need: 1 of 4

When choosing a digital camera, the end use of the photos is an important consideration when deciding how many megapixels to get. For those that will primarily keep their photos archived on their computer, shared with friends on webpages and emails, or printed in 4X6 prints, a small megapixel camera is probably sufficient. A...
Celebrations & Holidays > New Year's New Year's resolutions: Making each day count: 3 of 10

It is a new year, a clean slate, and fairly easy to be optimistic. Of course, we will overcome all our bad habits, reach our goals, and receive our just rewards this year . . . right? Today is a day when most of us will contemplate what we want to do in 2008. We will make resolutions. We will hope to be better people at the ...
Arts & Humanities > Photography Tips for improving composition in photography: 10 of 17

To create a photograph that will grab a viewers attention, composition plays an important role. One important guideline is the "Rule of Thirds." When you are looking through your viewfinder at your subject, mentally divide the area into nine squares, using two vertical and two vertical lines dividing each axis into thirds. E...
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Writers: How to handle rejection: 26 of 31

Whenever you send an article (or in my case photos) to an editor, you are sending something that you have created, something that is part of you. Therefore, when the editor sends it back as something that does not meet his needs, it is VERY easy to take this very personally. Remind yourself immediately that this was a reject...
Home & Garden > Gardening (Other) How to attract hummingbirds to your yard: 11 of 12

Attracting hummingbirds brings a lot of joy and delight. Nectar from flowers and small insects such as aphids are the mainstays of their diet. Over the years, I've been adding perennial plants to my yard that not only bloom all summer, but also attract the hummingbirds to my yard. The advantage to plants over feeders is that...
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture The Christian faith journey: 38 of 38

I believe that humans are spiritual beings as well as physical ones. Most societies have some form of belief that looks beyond the physical world around us. If we are spiritual beings, then our spirit needs to be fed just as our physical body needs to be fed. I have found that taking time each day to nourish my soul gives me...
Travel > Texas Destinations Travel destinations in Texas: 10 of 10

While the Texas Panhandle is often viewed as a flat almost desolate area, there are some hidden treasures that are well worth going out of your way to visit. Driving south out of Amarillo, the flat prairie abruptly drops into Palo Duro Canyon, sometimes dubbed the Grand Canyon of Texas. The most visited portion of the canyon...
Arts & Humanities > Photography Comparing digital and film cameras for beginners: 9 of 9

Digital cameras are taking over the world. They come in a wide range of prices and with many choices in features. With digital cameras, you can see immediately what you captured. You can immediately reshoot with different exposures or framing. Because there are no development costs, digital photography gives a beginner an in...
Arts & Humanities > Photography How to improve photo quality with landscape scenes: 7 of 7

Landscape photography brings a lot of reward as you try to capture the beauty of nature, but there are some tricks that can help you transform your photos into works of art. 1. Lighting: Most of us take landscape photos on our vacations as we travel down the road. We take them as memory photos of the beautiful places we see....