#in which the image of them is enhanced by their recreation rather than marred by what could not be recaptured. and like he’s very clearly

[nicorobinphd]

why is it that reading is one of the hardest things to do when your personhood is being semi-subsumed by your mental illness, yet also one of the easiest fucking ways to keep your personhood from being semi-subsumed by your mental illness in the first place? what the fuck is up with that? who decided that this would be the way things work, & where do i go to find them?

[ciathyzareposts]

Game 42: Futurewar (1977)

The square in the centre shows one of a few different  images each time you start.

Ah, the warm orange glow of PLATO.  On the one hand, I spent so much of my gaming time a few years ago playing PLATO games that it has a certain nostalgic factor. On the other hand, I spent far too much of my gaming time on PLATO during those years.  Those of you who’ve read the blog from the beginning will know what I’m talking about. Games like Moria and The Game of Dungeons took me roughly a year each to complete, and as historically interesting as they were I’d rather not get bogged down in a similar scenario.

That brings me to Futurewar, a game that I wasn’t entirely sure qualified as a CRPG, mostly because when I googled it I saw it described as a primitive 3D shooter.  Which it is, sort of.  But it also has randomly generated statistics that affect your chances of success at various activities, experience points, level advancement, turn-based combat, and the explore/fight/loot/return game loop that is the bread and butter of the CRPG genre.  A part of me want to say “alas, it qualifies as a CRPG”, but really I started this blog to play more games of the genre (and more adventure games, of course).  So instead I will give a tentative “huzzah, it’s a CRPG!” and hope that I can finish it in a matter of weeks rather than months.  Or god forbid, years.

The first version of Futurewar, created by high-schoolers Erik Witz and Nick Boland, was made available to play circa 1977, and it was updated a number of times between then and 1980.  The version at Cyber1 (the PLATO emulator that I’m using) is based on a printout dated December 1979.  If I’m reading the intro correctly, the game code is the same as that used in 1979, but some of the graphics had to be recreated from memory.  Apparently there are still some bugs, and it doesn’t run on Cyber1 exactly like it used to on PLATO, but it’s the only version out there so it’s the closest I’m going to get.  It was re-released for the game’s 40th anniversary in 2017, which is why I didn’t cover it on my first pass (and presumably why it doesn’t seem to have been covered on other chronological CRPG blogs).

A brief history of Futurewar.

Futurewar has a first person view and grid-based movement, and in those respects it’s similar to  other PLATO CRPGs like Moria and Oubliette.  I was pretty delighted to discover that I’d be breaking out the mapping tools for this one.  Hazards and monsters are scattered throughout the mazes, along with treasure, and aside from some aspects of its combat it feels much like many other first-person CRPGs I’ve played.  Although Oubliette was the obvious primary inspiration for Wizardry, I wouldn’t be shocked to discover that there’s a bit of Futurewar DNA in the mix as well.  It’s also similar to Moria and Oubliette in that it allows for players to team up in multiplayer parties. On PLATO, it seems as though the multiplayer CRPGs outnumber those that are designed for single players.

The backstory begins in 1978, with the player as a member of an elite SWAT team sent on a secret mission to infiltrate the lair of the evil Doctor Brain, who is gathering an army of mutants from Earth’s post-apocalyptic future.  Before he can be stopped, Doctor Brain escapes to the future in his time machine, and the player is caught in the time warp as well.  In the far-flung future of 2020 AD (gasp!), a nuclear holocaust has devastated the Earth, and the remnants of humanity live in the mutant-infested underworld.  It’s up to the player to navigate to the lowest depths and thwart the plans of Doctor Brain.  It seems that Futurewar does have an endgame, although what exactly that entails isn’t elaborated upon.  What it does mean is that, even if it ends up being geared more for multiplayer parties, I won’t be abandoning it as lightly as I did Oubliette, which had no goal.

It also appears that Futurewar might be the earliest sci-fi CRPG.  It’s certainly the earliest one I’ve played for the blog.  The previous holder of that title was Space for the Apple II, which was released in 1978, so Futurewar definitely beats it.

The game begins with a poem, of all things.  It’s called “Monstrosity”, and it’s by an actual poet named Steven Curtis Lance, who seemingly gave his permission.  It’s a little overblown for my tastes, but by the standards of 1970s video game writing it’s tremendous.  Too bad that the cursive font makes it hard to read.

More like Fontstrosity, am I right?

Following that there’s a short animation that shows your character being caught in the time warp, then it’s on to the title screen and character creation.

The first step in character creation is to pick a team.  Humanity has banded into five distinct groups: Americans, Guerillas, Barbarians, Martians, and Cyborgs.  The Americans are a mixture of patriotic rednecks, bikers and ex-convicts.  The Guerillas are what remains of the police and the military.  The Barbarians are those humans that have returned to a more primitive state.  Martians are the remnants of a Mars colony that have returned to Earth, and teamed up with the last nerds and dorks, apparently.  Finally, the Cyborgs are those that have been enhanced using the latest cybernetic technology.  The group you pick determines which zone of the underworld you start in, and seems to affect your starting stats as well.

Character stats are randomly generated, generally ranging from 5 up to the low 20s.  These stats are Strength, Quickness, Endurance, Technology and Intellect.  I’m not entirely sure what these all do, and there’s no explanation of them in the game’s Help file. I’m pretty sure that Strength helps with bashing down doors, and Quickness with running away from monsters.  Endurance seems to affect the player’s resistance to damage.  I only know these because the stats increase with use, and I’ve occasionally seen them go up after certain activities.  I haven’t figured out what Intellect and Technology are for yet.

Characters also receive scores in Power and Hits.  Hits are just hit points, while Power is your ammunition.  Weapons use up power when you fire them, so you only have a limited number of shots before you have to return to base and recharge.

The character status screen.  The image of the character in the middle revolves with a pseudo-3D effect.

There are eight occupations to choose from, although the ones offered are dependent on the character’s stats.  The occupations are: Leader, Techno, Soldier, Hunter, Spy, Medic, Assassin, and Holy Man.  Hunter is the occupation that I’ve qualified for most often, so I suspect that it’s the one with the lowest stat requirements.  I’ve also played as a leader and a medic, though I didn’t notice much of a difference in gameplay.  Then again, I didn’t survive all that long with either.

Each of the human groups has it’s own zone, a 20 x 20 dungeon level that’s populated with weaker mutants.  These are the levels where I’ve been doing most of my exploration so far.  Below those is the War Zone, which is said to be the place where players will most likely meet members of the other groups.  Players in Futurewar can meet each other in the underworld, and form teams if they want. I haven’t encountered anyone else so far, and much like my experiences with Moria and Oubliette I suspect that my time with Futurewar will be a solitary one.

Below the War Zone are fourteen more levels, each with its own title.  The lowest level shown in the Help file is “The Pits”, but it mentions that there’s rumored to be another level below that.  Perhaps I’ll never see it, but I’m going to give it my best shot.

“The Lethal Zone.”  Don’t beat around the bush, then.

There are lots of hazards throughout the dungeon levels, including the human zones.  Sewage, fire,  and radioactive waste all deal damage to the player, but they’re visible and easily avoided.  Sometimes they block passages though, and there are certain areas that I’ve been unable to map because of this.  Mines can’t be seen, and will simply explode when stepped upon.  I’ve had some deal 1 or 2 points of damage, and others deal as much as 20.  Characters begin with around 15-20 hit points, so they can be deadly.  Pits will drop the player to the level below, but they’re also visible (even though the Help file says they aren’t).  Apparently there are transporters as well, but I haven’t encountered one yet.

I think that’s fire ahead of me, but I haven’t walked into it to make sure.

The squares where mutants are lurking are also visible, so it’s rare that the player will be taken unawares by an encounter (it basically only happens when going through a door).  Opponents range from humanoids, to mutants, to robots.  I’ve even encountered groups of R2-D2s, and some skeletons.  So far I haven’t met any groups with more than four monsters, but I expect that will change when I delve deeper.  I also haven’t met any creatures with special abilities, like poison or breath weapons.  The Help file has warned me to expect this kind of stuff, so I figure the game’s been going easy on me in the various Human Zones.

There’s a combat encounter in the square ahead of me.

Combat is turn based, although opponents vary in quickness.  Against some foes, I’ve been able to make four or five attacks before they can act.  Against others, I’ve had to wait while the enemy attacks me four or five times.  The player begins the game armed with what appears to be a rifle.  It sticks up from the bottom of the game window, which is part of what makes Futurewar feel like a 3D shooter.  When it’s your turn to attack you press ‘s’ to shoot, and a tiny bullet can be seen before your informed whether you hit or not.  I assume your stats play into this process somehow, but your gun’s positioning is important as well.  The monsters move about during their turn, and you have to reposition your gun in order to have a better chance of hitting and doing the most damage.  Like a lot of games of the era it boils down to hitting the “attack” button repeatedly, but the importance of gun positioning does make it a little more engaging.

I should mention here that, like every other PLATO CRPG before it, Futurewar has perma-death.  If you lose a character, it’s gone for good.  So far this game has been a little more forgiving than its contemporaries, but I suspect that won’t last.

Aiming my rifle at a “Bone”.  You can see on the right that my Endurance just went up to 23.

The Help file has a list of technological devices that appear to be usable in combat: things like sleep canisters and thermonuclear warheads.  They appear to be the game’s equivalent of magic, but I haven’t found any yet so I don’t know how effective they are.  The Help file also says that only Technos and Holy Men can use them, but I’ve yet to qualify for either occupation, so I may never actually get to try them out.

Killing monsters earns you experience, which can be used to gain levels when you return to base to recharge.  Gaining levels increases Hits and Power, and also grants the occasional boost to your stats.  Some monsters I’ve fought only grant a single point of experience, while others are worth hundreds.  My current character, an American named Chuck, has 34,726 experience and has reached 6th level.

Some monsters also guard boxes or chests.  Some of those explode and deal damage (because of course they do) and others contain money and items.  I’m not sure what money is used for.  I’ve found thousands of dollars, but every time I go to recharge it disappears.  I’m not paying for the recharge, because you can do that when you have no money at all.  I’ve also found one weapon (a rifle) and two pieces of armour (a baseball cap and a ballistic vest).  The only other item I’ve found is a flashlight, although I haven’t found a use for it yet.

One nice touch that makes exploring the game a little more interesting is the graffiti that’s scattered around the dungeons.  I’m pretty sure it’s made from combinations of stock words, but I haven’t seen a duplicate yet. They look cool, and some of the are quite amusing.

They can be a little hard to read, though.  I think this one says “end of burn”.

My progress has been reasonably slow.  I started playing on Sunday night, and I have mostly complete maps of the Martian Zone, the Guerilla Zone and the American Zone.  I suppose mapping three out of twenty dungeon levels isn’t bad, but I expect that my mapping progress will get much slower when I hit the actual dungeon.  I’m on my ninth character, so the game hasn’t been overly deadly, but I’ve also been exploring what are effectively the town levels.  Most of my deaths have come at the hands of super-fast enemies, especially ones called “Worleymen”.  That changed when I found my first piece of armour; somehow wearing a baseball cap made me impervious to all damage.  It ain’t logical, but I’ll take it because I just know that this game is going to get much harder in the War Zone and below.  My hope is that it’s doable for a single player.  If the game difficulty is geared for multiplayer parties, I’m going to have to abandon it eventually, and I’d really rather not do that.

Either way, it looks like I’m sticking with Futurewar for a while.  My current plan for as long as I’m playing it is to post about Futurewar on Wednesdays and whatever other game I’m playing on Sundays.  The next game on my schedule is Mystery House, the first graphical adventure from Roberta Williams, and the first adventure game on my priority list.  Looking further ahead, I can see that my next priority CRPG is Rogue, which is somewhat daunting.  I could get into a situation where I’m alternating between Futurewar and Rogue for weeks on end, which could destroy my sanity.  Still, I got through Moria.  I got through The Game of Dungeons v8.  If I can beat those games, I’m ready for just about anything.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/game-42-futurewar-1977/

[happyartmarti]

The joy of Nature at this Baja California Wilderness Resort

Finding a Natural Setting – Baja California Wilderness Resort

Enjoy serenity in a comfortable yurt

Finding this amazing Baja California Wilderness resort took some concentrated effort. Connecting with them was well worth the effort as the video and images below will attest. So why make the effort and spend the money? Because experiencing nature on its terms is a long lasting, life enhancing experience.

For artists, inspiration can be all around us, of course in our day to day lives, but most especially when we’re immersed in a setting that is novel. One of the joys of vacationing is jumping both feet first – sometimes quite literally –  into environments and situations that are not my norm. Mikey (the hubby) and I just returned from a remote beach cove on the Sea of Cortez side of Mexico’s Baja peninsula.

Recreation = Re-Creating!

Being able to immerse yourself in a natural setting is one of the healthiest ways you can spend a week! In a recent article in the “Great Falls Tribune” my friend from graduate school, Kelly Bricker, (yep, believe it or not, I have an MS in Public Recreation from Western Illinois University where Dr. Bricker and I studied together) speaks to this very topic. She says “Researchers are finding that exposure to the natural world might not be a luxury but a necessity for healthy living. ” and I could not agree more! Certainly this has been my personal experience.

Author, Marti McGinnis, preparing for another adventure

Living with horses is a lifestyle choice that has made it necessary for Mikey and me to live on a chunk of land big enough to support them. This causes us to live in a more natural setting than many. So where do we go to ‘get away from it all’? Sometimes to the city, but, more often than not, further out into nature. Which is exactly what we did for this last vacation. We joined a small group assembled by Kevin Warren of Baja AirVentures to a small property he and his Mexican born wife own on a very remote piece of waterfront in Baja California, Mexico.

The Warm Embrace of the Natural World

To those open to it, meeting nature where it lives can be high point of human existence. The folks at Baja AirVenures who run the Las Animas Wilderness Resort have created an experience that puts the visitor within the magnificent and wild setting of Mexico’s Baja California at its most unsullied. The staff are competent, outgoing and skilled at helping people feel at home in this sweet setting. I’ll link my TripAdvisor review once it’s done so you can read more about the details.

Bring An Open Mind and an Open Heart

Moonrise over the hill that forms the eastern edge of this secluded cove

…..and you will not be disappointed! Let nature speak directly to you during your stay. Take in the many scenes and sights that will literally make you say “Wow!” Whether it’s the proximity of the playful sea lions or the peaceful plankton filtering of the gigantic whale sharks or witnessing a spectacular sunrise, moonrise or storm moving in. Being a part of the setting due to the thoughtfully designed layout of the lodge and its guest yurts within a cozy cove puts you in a front row seat for sky watching. Take them up on as many side trips to view, study and interact with sea life and dessert life as you feel up to. You may become exhausted but you will not regret it!

That’s what we did. I hardly had time to draw I was so busy living in each moment. If only we could have afforded a month or even another week! But the time we did have will always be precious to me. My exposure to the whale sharks and the sea lions has cast an indelible glow onto my nature-loving heart in ways I had never experienced before. I bet we see more evidence of this in my art as time goes on. In the meantime, below are some sketches I did manage to complete during our stay. And of course, the video I assembled from footage and images collected by my trusty iPhone (sometimes locked in a waterproof case) will be a great visual reminder for me to reference when I start to forget the thrills.

A Lifetime of Wonder in Six Minutes

My recap of an amazing weeklong trip. Thank you to all who have worked so diligently to allow people like us to experience wonders like this!

The Drawings

I didn’t take the time to draw a lot like I usually do on vacation, but wanted to be out in this natural setting rather than stay in and draw. The reasons are obvious!

Swimming with sea lions or the Lobos del Mar (wolves of the sea as they say in Spanish) was a true highlight and unexpected delight

  Spotting the peacefully feeding whale sharks was its own adventure!

  Actually swimming alongside these 25’+ big plankton eating sharks was beyond thrilling!

  Las Animas Beach

from The joy of Nature at this Baja California Wilderness Resort

[shanghai-dublin-blog1]

Guidance On Elegant Strategies For Game Fishing Equipment

A Detailed Examination Of Logical Game Fishing Equipment Plans

The greatest game fishing equipment

Updated Guidelines For Deciding On Central Criteria For Game Fishing Equipment

We know that you will be very pleased in and the thrill of the hunt. The sport fishing boats of Gamerfisherman are built in the United States as an on-deck master stateroom plus 4 guest staterooms, transoceanic range, walk around decks with  Owner wants sold!! See our “ Rates & Options American coastal nations, many of which are renowned for the excellence of their fishing. And Other Special Causes Your user name or email and see if the fish are there. Big Game fishing has evolved from a heavy tackle ; Panama ; Wedgeport in Nova Scotia and Iona in Hawaii, benefited from the presence of large numbers of game fish relatively close to shore, within range of the boats of that era. big-name fishing requires a boat of sufficient seaworthiness and as the senior who is young at heart. Their knowledge of not only Caribbean and Ocean but also all new and used sports fishing technical diving, and large New construction design from Patrick Bray of Bray Yacht Design and Research featured in Yachts International magazine 2011. He went on to publish many articles and books on the subject, noted for their combination of accurate scientific of bait fish overboard to attract larger game fish. They also offer The Boat Butler ..... a Bachelor parties, Birthdays, Family fun outings and Tournaments. Most of the time, the fishing line used for sport fishing has a breaking style by the renowned team at Dutch masters Heesen Yachts. This 2005 Chaparral 252 Sunesta recreational fishing Deck boat is equipped February 1, fishing all 4 seasons! If not, reload and represents a considerable challenge, unless the fish is tagged and released. With large fish, this can still represent a considerable challenge, but “stand-up” game fishing, without the assistance of a “turn on” big game fish and cause them to strike.

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"Sometime in 2019, (the Game and Fish Fund) is projected to go negative. By law, you cannot run a deficit. Starting next year, they'll have to cut money spent on staff or fish stocking or other programs." Lenczewski also serves as chair of the DNR's Game and Fish Fund Budgetary Oversight Committee, a citizen committee which reviews the DNR's finances. License fees are the main source of funding for the DNR's Game and Fish Fund. Under the proposed increases, a deer hunting license would rise from $30 to $34. An annual fishing license would rise $3, from $22 to $25. Several other licenses also are affected. "Even with the $3 bump, Minnesota's fishing license is an incredible bargain for a year's worth of quality fishing," Lenczewski said. "That small increase costs less than a scoop of minnows or a bag of chips at the gas station." The Arrowhead Fly Fishers group, game fishing knot based in Duluth, supports the fee increase proposal, said Mary Lou Donovan, club president. "License fees have not increased in a long time," Donovan said. "Expenses go up for any operation...

See more info about [topic1]

Rod, The Catcher Experienced Campaigners Suggest That Lake Fishing Is Best Done With Large, Sturdy Rods.

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Guideline Ideas For Easy Fly Fishing Chair Plans

On The Contrary, When You Go Lake Fishing On A Shore, 'still Fishing' Is A Very Well-known Technique.

[eleanorhiggs-blog]

How has the advance of technology affected and influenced photographers of the natural world?

What is a wildlife photographer? The wiki definition (1) describes wildlife photography as “a genre of photography concerned with documenting various forms of wildlife in their natural habitat.” I intend to discover how photographs taken in these natural habitats have been affected by the advances of photographic process and of equipment. Some original methods for capturing images such as using film through an SRL camera are still used today; however capturing photographs has advanced and become more demanding with the availability of new digital devices. The regular photographer has many modern tools at their disposal; some of the best photographs can be taken on DSLRs yet taking pictures through mobile phones has now become exceedingly popular for their size , portability and occasionally better quality of image. However several modern cameras have been specifically designed to help capture images in particular situations where a mobile phone is unusable such as when wanting to achieve macro images, long exposure, marine photography working with natural environments such as deserts, forests, mountains, plains, oceans, cities or the Arctic, each posing their own great hurdles. So how are these methods used in media of the natural world and documentaries? I have discovered that methods in places for wildlife photography in the 19th century were rather primitive and extremely demanding. In 1906 the National Geographic published 74 of the first wildlife photographs shot by George Shiras III, as seen here with his assistant John Hammer, and 1928 Shiras donated them 2,400 of his glass plate negatives. These images were gathered to form the ‘In the Heart of the Dark Night’ exhibition (2) curated by Sonia Voss who described him as "the father of wildlife photography". Sonia Voss also had this to say: “When I first discovered Shiras’ photographs, I was struck by their beauty and eeriness” which is very true to this image in particular, with the slight fog sat upon the surface of the water as if looking over a mystic scene while the moose glides across from bank to bank. To Voss these images were more than just beautiful photographs. She understood the new ground that was being covered with the creation of these images and how remarkable they would have seemed in the period which they were produced. Documentary was scarce in a time surrounded by 19th-century painters and photographers, and so these images were truly innovative for using genuine subject matter captured on film was little heard of. They show real ‘unspoilt’ nature which is what helped make these images feel so raw and native. Shiras had a passion for hunting from his youth which stuck with him into his adulthood. When out of the hunting season, this instead developed into a passion for photographing the wildlife. He soon found that his fascination with natures beauty led him to strive for the protection of species so began recording his sightings through ‘camera hunting’ This form of hunting is when a bright flame is employed which reflects clearly off the eyes of the creatures. Voss explains how “The glow makes it possible to distinguish the animal, whose attention is caught by the flames, causing it to stand still with an expectant air.” Shiras used a kerosene lamp, which released a large ball of light which he called a ‘blowing moon,’ this was accompanied by a shutter release system to capture his image. Shiras used a range of techniques and is even credited as the first ‘camera trapper’. This is when a tripwire is laid in the centre of a scene by a positioned camera, and when the tripwire is triggered it sets off the shutter and flash in unison. The tripwires used may have had bait or just be along a path, hidden to not cause any suspicion. This method is still used today as a modern camera trap uses a system with motion sensor which notice any change in the vicinity, subsequently causing a camera to take a photo (3). This just goes to show how much of an impact the ideas of George Shiras have had on modern photography, because of his innovation and dedication to photography we have been able to continue and develop image capture within the natural environment. The way in which Voss describes his work, in my opinion, is a perfect encapsulation of what he was attempting to achieve: “The way he regarded photography not only from an aesthetic point of view but also as a means of documenting nature and shaping a new relationship to it is of great historical importance and paved the way to the long history of wildlife photography.” Bird Studies with a Camera by Frank M Chapman (4) depicts several published images which employed the use of camera traps similar to that which we used by Shiras. It was written as a handbook on birds of Eastern North America and on the inside cover Chapman has written “this practical but fascinating book is a record of surprising achievements with the camera.” Chapman also mentions his views on the methods of the time when it comes to bird photography as “many years must elapse before the bird photographer’s outfit will meet his wants” which shows he had aspiration for photography and knew that there were great advancements to be made in technology to amount to the ever changing requirements in media. Chapman was using equipment of a total of $30 while capturing bird images and says that although you may want the most desirable lens on the market it is not a necessity. A gentleman’s tool for bird photography from this period, as suggested by Chapman, included a camera carrying plates of 4 by 5 inches because of their, then, superior weight, compactness and portability. Through the chapter addressing ‘The Bird Photographers Outfit’ Chapman describes, with example tests, the use of an 8inch lens, 14 inch lens and 21 inch lens. He shows how the simplest image can be enlarged when is taken at the distance and how when taken with different lenses they can be enlarged accordingly. Chapman was helpfully listing his F stops and exposures for each image. As if this was a guide to recreating these images, the process was clearly very manually demanding, there were a lot of skills required. (4) As well as covering the technical processes for each of his photographs he also includes the experience of capturing each one and the stories behind the birds he found in all of them. This book gives an amazingly detailed insight into experiences within photography in the late 19th century; it is practically a perfect example of a comprehensive diary into the life of a nature photographer working with his kit, with all the thoughts that go through his mind when composing and developing an image as well as, amazingly, the life of any bird in front of the lens. I discovered the work of Bence Mate upon a visiting the Kew Gardens exhibition on the Bird Photographer of the Year (5). He had been awarded Best Portfolio with this collection of work: This image won the prize for best portrait; this brilliantly shows the character of the bird, capturing its bright bill with its messy feathered head. There is lots of detail, with focus being on the central bird while giving context with the surrounding ocean and flock. The level of detail that Mate achieves is astonishing with each individual feather being defined and visible even if the bird is in flight or moving quickly and his use of motion in each image really adds context to the birds that star in them. These photographs all tell a story and his range of compositions is what I believe made him worth of the prize for best portfolio. All Images sourced: (5) The overall winner of Best Photographer of the Year award was ‘Mute Swan Adult in Detail’ by Andy Parkinson, the image depicts the beautiful white wings of the swan while its head is dipped, framed in a sea of black with amazing complexity on the way the wings are folded across its back and how each feather is positioned in the arch. This photo uses the contrast to generate a great focus for it is so eye catching, these were the features that I beilve resulted in Parkinson winning the competition. As discovered the use of nature photography has been around for a while with the first published nature photographs only being produced in 1906, but how have nature photographs been enhanced to remain relevant to this day? Well, organisation are publishing and awarding skilled photographers on their shoots to this day, an example of such an organisation is The National Geographic which is, currently, the leading photographical nature magazine. “At National Geographic, we believe in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world”, this magazine is in no way restricting the content they produce as almost any article could be written within this brief with pieces being produced on work done by scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, these articles remain intriguing to all of the readers and every customer is subscribed into a mailing list in which they provide monthly payments for each edition of the magazine which shows a great commitment to the publication. They succeed at producing content on many different platforms for their audiences including “television channels, magazines, children’s media, travel expeditions, books, maps, consumer products, location-based entertainment and experiences, and some of the most engaging digital and social media platforms in the world”, this has kept Nature Photography in the eyes of the public and encouraged people to get out and generate an impact on the environments around them and produce images of their own while being physically educated on matters of the world we live in. One publication produced for November 2016 contains a wide variety of articles and imagery, while this edition was mainly focusing on the new series by National Geographic called MARS - Race to the Red Planet other intriguing articles were also published: One article, written to capture the beauty of the marine environment in Cuba’s sprawling marine preserve just off the coast of the Caribbean Gardens of the Queen was produced by the duo of David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes. They have managed to shine a brilliant light upon the wonderful species of coral and fish that can be found there while simultaneously educating the reader. The opening image is one of a sunset shining into the ocean, lighting the fingertips of a collection of vibrant corals, and depicting the scenario above and beneath the water. This was an encapsulating start to the article and really drew in great attention as the title page and brief description presented a comprehensive understanding of the content that would be covered across the pages. They go on to present images with a similar composition as the picture is also half above and under the water, this time the content is that of an critically endangered Hawksbil sea turtle hatchling only around 3 inches in length swimming out to sea at dusk. The turtles face and shell reflecting the light amongst the black silky depths of the ocean, this image paired with the story of the endangerment to his species is very emotive and really gages with the reader. These amazing images are each accompanied by facts and details of the current conditions in the Gardens of the Queen National Park; this design is an engaging way of depicting information to the audience and helps the reader be able to understand more clearly the struggles and tribulations that the coral reefs and wildlife may be experiencing at this time. Another marine based article within this edition of The National Geographic depicts these watery environments in a highly contrasting way, ‘The Power of Eight’ article is a 20 page spread purely dedicated to the education on varying species of octopus with their features and behaviour. (6) The photographs which accompany this article are accredited to David Liittschwager and were captured at Caldwell Lab, UC Berkley and Queensland Sustainable sea life, Australia and at Florida Key’s Marine Life as well as at Dive Gizo, Solomon Islands. They are amazingly detailed, with each octopus swimming amongst a sea of white, helping to clearly define the features of each one, Liittschwager was able to capture such immaculate shots as he placed each octopus into a custom fitted aquarium positioned in front of a white backdrop, allowing the editors to present collections of several octopi across one spread, the editing of these images are wonderfully done with multiple shots helping gain a sense of scale between the contrasting yet related creatures and using curling tentacles to surround text and frame the page. The amazingly vibrant colours in each image is encapsulating, with an image occupying the entirety of a double page with such perfect composure you could look back and spot something new and intriguing every time. The styles in which The National Geographic have presented its articles in this edition are greatly captivating and the way the images taken are published is truly engaging to read. What is considered the nature photographers kit to this day? In comparison to Chapman’s 4 by 5 inch plates from ‘Bird Studies with a Camera’ modern cameras have come a long way. There are such a wide variety of cameras with a even broader array of lenses and additional features, finding a single camera made for Natural photographs is difficult so I have found an article on the outdoor photographer website (7) that lists its suggestions for wildlife cameras, they admit that “While not a definitive list, these models represent the latest options from their respective makers.” The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is described as; “Canon’s newest professional DSLR is an excellent choice for wildlife photography. It’s the fastest DSLR currently available, with 14 fps capture using the optical viewfinder or up to 16 fps when shooting in Live View. The AF system is also impressive, with 61 AF points, 41 of which are cross-type, all of which are compatible with apertures as small as ƒ/8.” This camera has many more features in comparison to such cameras described in Chapman’s ‘Bird Studies with a Camera’ this has far superior portability as well as new faster exposures with settings such as ‘manual’ or ‘sport’ which assist to capture faster moving objects and generate more accurate, reliable images,. This camera utilises selective focus and each image is stored digitally allowing it to be easily edited on a computer with programs such as Photoshop. Another advance in digital capture is the use of hidden cameras and modern camera used in such shows as The Secret Life Of Penguins in which they created a penguin-like case fitted with a motor and camera allowing it to roll into the penguin’s habitat while remaining hidden in plain sight of the penguins. This form of camouflage is an amazing method that has assisted in getting shots of animals up close without leaving the animal feeling intruded upon giving a more natural image. As well as these portable hidden cameras, there are also very small scale static hidden cameras that also have the ability to broadcast live imagery, these are very useful for birds’ nests and are commonly used in the BBC show Spring Watch. These cameras are interactive, while on the show they are able to pivot the shot to show a different angle within the confines of the birds nest without the bird’s knowledge, this is amazingly subtle and non-intrusive as the creatures are none the wiser to the fact that they may be being broadcast live or published to an extensive audience. Another brilliant method for image capture utilised in the new BBC show Planet Earth II is the use of drone imagery, this is an enticing new method because originally when wanting to capture images from the air the only way was to board a plane or helicopter which would require large amounts of equipment, time, money and preparation. However, now these smaller remote drones are able to be fitted with cameras which can record any scene without being overly intrusive and also their size can allow them to get around many more obstacles which would prove difficult for larger aircrafts. So upon reflection, I have found that initially a processes in photography in the natural environment were rather complex requiring a range of large scale equipment as well as a small team to assist in the capturing of these images, this was found to be challenging yet worthwhile as it produced amazing photographs of a standard accepted by period publications. To this day, method such as using traps and triggers is still considered a modern process, inspiring the photographs of today, however they have had slight enhanced thanks to new technology with the use of inferred and motion sensors. These enhanced processes have brought photography into the digital world, the size of the apparatus needed for capturing images has shrunk to such a scale that now your garden bird boxes can have a camera installed which is able to send live images to your devices. So how has the advance of technology affected and influenced photographers of the natural world? Photography of the natural world is not now only a possibility reserved for the rich and more educated photographer; there is a diverse range of people consisting of any number of skills, who could capture an image in the natural world today. With easy access to disposable film cameras, bought and developed locally anyone can capture any moments, which was not the case for initial film photographers; the use of film was a luxury due to the cost of the film, equipment, developer and prints. In a comparison of high end equipment then to now producing similar images, the final product from a modern camera would be of far superior standard, thanks to detailed digital capture and the wider range of processes and abilities beyond the point of capture as handled by an educated photographer. These advances have opened the door on photography and capturing images has grown providing a wide range of equipment to any photographer wishing to be behind the lens. Bibliography 1. Unknown. Wikipedia. Wiki. [Online] January 2016. [Cited: 27 September 2016.] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_photography. 2. National Geographic. Proof. [Online] 20 November 2015. http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/20/meet-grandfather-flash-the-pioneer-of-wildlife-photography/. 3. Unknown. Nature Spy. [Online] 31 March 2014. [Cited: 31 October 2016.] http://www.naturespy.org/2014/03/camera-traps-science/. 4. Chapman, Frank M. Bird Studies with a Camera. 1900. p. 240. 5. BPOTY. Bird Photographer of the Year. [Online] 30 November 2016. [Cited: 30 December 2016.] http://birdpoty16.picturk.com/pages/categories. 6. David Liittschwager. [Online] [Cited: 09 01 2017.] http://www.liittschwager.com/. 7. Editors, The. Outdoor Photorgapher. [Online] 7 April 2016 . [Cited: 17 October 2016.] http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photography-gear/cameras/top-dslrs-for-wildlife/. 8. BBC. BBC Programs. [Online] 2016. [Cited: 17 October 2016.] http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pwz3p/p02pwx45. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnnh/galleries. 9. cuba-coral-reefs-caribbean-marine-preserve-national-parks. National Geographic. [Online] [Cited: 09 01 2017.] http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/11/cuba-coral-reefs-caribbean-marine-preserve-national-parks/. 10. Filming techniques. BBc. [Online] http://www.bbc.com/earth/uk/sections/filming-techniques.