Binoculars and Art Kits are flying off the shelves at the Grandview Branch these days. We are winding up our Summer Reading Program, and if your child hasn't finish reading his or her 1080 minutes needed to earn their 3 prizes, the time to do so is now. Infants to high schoolers can participate but the program comes to an end July 31st.
Are you interested in becoming an improved photographer? Would you like to know how to take better pictures of your family, pets, vacations, or other interests? If so, the Liberty Branch has an abundance of books on photography for all skill levels. Books on photography techniques will help you learn how to transform your snapshots into works of art.
Cameras are no stranger to me. My dad is a photographer, my mom scrapbooks, and two of my siblings have now taken up photography professionally. I grew up with a camera in my face; we never left the house without one it seems. Growing up, it was annoying, but I've had my own camera for years and am now the one taking an annoying amount of pictures (my last trip I took nearly 800 pictures in a week!). I now know the value of these photographs and am grateful for the memories I have, past and present, because of them.
Once upon a time, back in the dark ages (you know, before the YouTube, XBox, and cell phones) taking pictures required a mysterious substance called "film". The difference between film and digital cameras was that the photographer only had a limited number of exposures on a roll of film. Film also costs money, both to purchase and to develop.
Have you ever found an old metal photograph and wondered what it was? Recently, I found myself in possession of several of these old pictures from my family history. These types of photos are called tintypes. Tintypes, also known as ferrotypes, began showing up in the 1850’s, and stayed around until the early 1900’s. Unlike the name implies, no tin was used, but rather iron. They were popular for several reasons; they were cheaper, faster, easier to create, and more durable than other types of photographs. The pictured tintype is of my great-great-great-grandparents and their family.
Christmas!! Why not make some fun and unusual presents. Check out the book entitled Photojojo! by Amit Gupta. The subtitle tells it all: insanely great photo projects and DIY ideas. One of my favorite projects in this book is how to make photo slider puzzles and photo Rubik’s cubes. I have decided to try my hand at making both of these items.
How Surreal! Using an Air Canvas & Light Paint Brush
One of the activities during Teen Photography Club at the Oak Grove Branch is drawing with light using glow sticks. You can create any design that pops into your head. This is an easy activity you can do at home! Find a dark or dimmly lit area, some glow sticks and your camera, then unleash your creative juices. Remember, just have fun with it! You'll surprise yourself at how easy it is to create an uber cool work of art.
As the outside world begins its thaw from winter, it is the perfect time to fire up your cameras and capture on film some of the natural wonders around you.
Whether you head out to the Kansas City Zoo for a more wild approach or stick to the flora and fauna in your backyard, nature photography combines the elements of art with the fun of welding a camera.
One of my favorite hobbies is taking photographs. I have thousands of digital images on my computer. While trying to find something creative to do with them, I came across a book called 365 Days of Scrapbooking Ideas by Better Homes and Gardens. This book has some fun and unique ideas for preserving memories and creating beautiful scrapbooking layouts.
The smartphone has become the camera of choice for millions of people. While the image quality of early cell phone cameras was often marginal at best, the cameras included in many phones today (such as the iPhone 4 and Android phones) rival or even exceed many dedicated compact point-and-shoot cameras. So now that we have smartphones capable of taking crisp, clear, well-exposed photographs, what is the major trend in phone photography? Making those crisp, clear photos look like they were taken with an old film camera!
