How To-57: "How to Take Better Photographs"

How to Take Better Photographs

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Many people think they'll improve their photography by buying a spiffy new camera. The truth is, in photography, technique is much more important than equipment. And taking good pictures is something anyone can do with any camera, if you practice enough and avoid some common mistakes.

Steps

1. Read the camera's manual, and learn what each control, switch, button, and menu item does. At the very least you should know how to turn the flash on, off, and auto, how to zoom in and out, and how to use the shutter button.
   
2. Set the camera's resolution to take high quality photos at the highest resolution possible. Low-resolution images are more difficult to digitally alter later on; it also means that you can't crop as enthusiastically as you could with a higher-resolution version (and still end up with something printable). If you have a small memory card, get a bigger one; if you don't want to or can't afford to buy a new one, then use the "fine" quality setting, if your camera has one, with a smaller resolution.
   
3. Start off with setting your camera to one of its automatic modes, if you have a choice. Most useful is "Program" or "P" mode on digital SLRs. Ignore advice to the contrary which suggests that you operate your camera fully manually; the advances in the last fifty years in automatic focusing and metering have not happened for nothing. If your photos come out poorly focused or poorly exposed, then start operating certain functions manually.
   
4. Take your camera everywhere. When you have your camera with you all the time, you will start to see the world differently; you will look for and find opportunities to take great photographs. And, of course, you will end up taking more photographs; and the more you take, the better a photographer you will become.[1] Furthermore, if you're taking photographs of your friends and family, they will get used to you having your camera with you all the time. Thus, they will feel less awkward or intimidated when you get your camera out; this will lead to more natural-looking, less "posed" photographs. Also, remember to bring batteries or charge it if you are using a digital camera.
   
5. Get outside. Motivate yourself to get out and take photographs in natural light. Take several normal 'point and shoot' pictures to get a feel for the lighting at different times of the day and night. Go outside at all times of day, especially those times when anybody with any sense is sleeping, eating, or watching television; lighting at these times is often dramatic and unusual to many people precisely because they never get to see it!
   
6. Keep the lens clear of caps, thumbs, straps and other obstructions. It's basic, yes, but it can ruin a photograph completely. This is less of a problem with modern live-preview digital cameras, and even less of a problem with an SLR camera. But people still make these mistakes from time to time.
   
7. Set your white balance. Put simply, the human eye automatically compensates for different kinds of lighting; white looks white to us in almost any kind of lighting. A digital camera compensates for this by shifting the colors certain ways. For example, under tungsten (incandescent) lighting, it will shift the colours towards blue to compensate for the redness of this kind of lighting. The white balance is one of the most critical, and most underused, settings on modern cameras. Learn how to set it, and what the various settings mean. If you're not under artificial light, the "Shade" (or "Cloudy") setting is a good bet in most circumstances; it makes for very warm-looking colors. If it comes out too red, it's very easy to correct it in software later on. "Auto", the default for most cameras, sometimes does a good job, but also sometimes results in colours which are a little too cold.[2]
   
8. Set a slower ISO speed, if circumstances permit. This is less of an issue with digital SLR cameras, but especially important for point-and-shoot digital cameras (which, usually, have tiny sensors which are more prone to noise). A slower ISO speed (lower number) makes for less noisy photographs; however, it forces you to use slower shutter speeds as well, which restricts your ability to photograph moving subjects, for example. For still subjects in good light (or still subjects in low light, too, if you're using a tripod and remote release), use the very slowest ISO speed that you have.
   
9. Compose your shot thoughtfully. Frame the photo in your mind before framing it in the viewfinder. Consider the following rules, but especially the last one:
   
• Use the Rule of Thirds, where the primary points of interest in your scene sits along "third" lines. Try not to let any horizon or other lines "cut the picture in half."[3]
  
• Get rid of distracting backgrounds and clutter. If this means you and your friend have to move a little so that a tree does not appear to be growing out of her head, then do so. If glare is coming off the windows of the house across the street, change your angle a bit to avoid it. If you're taking vacation photographs, take a moment to get your family to put down all the junk they may be carrying around with them and to remove backpacks or hip packs as well. Keep that mess well out of the frame of the picture, and you will end up with much nicer, less cluttered photos. If you can blur the background in a portrait, then do so. And so on.
  
• Fill the frame with your subject. Don't be afraid to get closer to your subject. On the other hand, if you're using a digital camera with plenty of megapixels to spare, you can crop it later in software.
  
• Try an interesting angle. Instead of shooting the object straight on, try looking down to the object, or crouching and looking up. Pick an angle that shows maximum color and minimum shadow. To make things appear longer or taller, a low angle can help. If you want a bold photo, it is best to be even with the object. You may also want to make the object look smaller or make it look like you're hovering over; to get the effect you should put the camera above the object. An uncommon angle makes for a more interesting shot.
  
• Ignore the advice above. Regard the above as laws, which work much of the time but are always subject to judicious interpretation -- and not as absolute rules. Too close an adherence to them will lead to boring photographs. For example, clutter and sharply focused backgrounds can add context, contrast and colour; perfect symmetry in a shot can be dramatic, and so on. Every rule can and should be broken for artistic effect, from time to time. This is how many stunning photographs are made.
  
10. Focus. Poor focusing is one of the most common ways that photographs are ruined.[4] Use the automatic focus of your camera, if you have it; usually, this is done by half-pressing the shutter button. Use the "macro" mode of your camera for very close-up shots. Don't focus manually unless your auto-focus is having issues; as with metering, automatic focus usually does a far better job of focusing than you can.
    
11. Keep still. A lot of people are surprised at how blurry their pictures come out when going for a close-up, or taking the shot from a distance. To minimize blurring: If you're using a full-sized camera with a zoom lens, hold the camera body (finger on the shutter button) with one hand, and steady the lens by cupping your other hand under it. Keep your elbows close to your body, and use this position to brace yourself firmly. If your camera or lens has image stabilisation features, use them (this is called IS on Canon gear, and VR, for Vibration Reduction, on Nikon equipment).
    
• Consider using a tripod. If your hands are naturally shaky, or if you're using very large (and slow) telephoto lenses, or if you're trying to take photographs in low light, or if you need to take several identical shots in a row (such as with HDR photography), or if you're taking panoramic photos, then using a tripod is probably a good idea. For very long exposures (more than a second or so), a cable release (for older film cameras) or a remote control is a good idea; you can use the self-timer feature of your camera if you don't have one of these.
  
• Consider not using a tripod, especially if you don't already have one. A tripod infringes on your ability to move around, and to rapidly change the framing of your shot. It's also more weight to carry around, which is a disincentive to getting out and taking photographs in the first place. As a general rule,[5] you only need a tripod if your shutter speed is equal to or slower than the reciprocal of your focal length.[6] If you can avoid using a tripod by using faster ISO speeds (and, consequently, faster shutter speeds), or by using image stabilisation features of your camera, or by simply moving to somewhere with better lighting, then do that.
  
12. Relax when you push the shutter button. Also, try not to hold the camera up for too long; this will cause your hands and arms to be shakier. Practice bringing the camera up to your eye, focusing and metering, and taking the shot in one swift, smooth action.
    
13. Avoid red eye. Red-eye is caused when your eyes dilate in lower lighting. When your pupils are big, the flash actually lights up the blood vessels on the back wall of your eyeball, which is why it looks red. If you must use a flash in poor light, try to get the person to not look directly at the camera, or consider using a "bounce flash". Aiming your flash above the heads of your subjects, especially if the walls surrounding are light, will keep red-eye out. If you don't have a separate flash gun which is adjustable in this way, use the red-eye reduction feature of your camera if available - it flashes a couple of times before opening the shutter, which causes your subject's pupils to contract, thus minimizing red-eye. Better yet, don't take photographs which require a flash to be used; find somewhere with better lighting.
    
14. Use your flash judiciously, and don't use it when you don't have to. A flash in poor light can often cause ugly-looking reflections, or make the subject of your photo appear "washed out"; the latter is especially true of people photos. On the other hand, a flash is very useful for filling in shadows; to eliminate the "raccoon eye" effect in bright midday light, for example (if you have a flash sync speed[7] fast enough). If you can avoid using a flash by going outside, or steadying the camera (allowing you to use a slower shutter speed without blur), or setting a faster ISO speed (allowing faster shutter speeds), then do that.
    
15. Go through your photos and look for the best ones. Look for what makes the best photos and continue using the methods that got the best shots. Don't be afraid to throw away or delete photos, either. Be brutal about it; if it doesn't strike you as a particularly pleasing shot, then ditch it. If you, like most people, are shooting on a digital camera, then it would not have cost you anything but your time. Before you delete them, remember you can learn a lot from your worst photos; discover why they don't look good, then don't do that.
    
16. Practice, practice, and practice. Take lots and lots of photos -- aim to fill your memory card, or to use up as much film as you can afford to have developed. The more pictures you take, the better you'll get, and the more you (and everyone) will like your pictures. Shoot from new or different angles, and find new subjects to take pictures of, and keep at it; you can make even the most boring, everyday thing look amazing if you're creative enough about photographing it. Get to know your camera's limitations, too; how well it performs in different kinds of lighting, how well auto-focus performs at various distances, how well it handles moving subjects, and so on.

Tips

• Your camera doesn't matter. Nearly any camera is capable of taking good photographs in the right conditions. Even a modern camera phone is good enough for many kinds of shots. [8] Learn your camera's limitations and work around them; don't buy new equipment until you know exactly what these limitations are, and are certain that they are hindering you.
  
• Pick up a big-city newspaper or a copy of National Geographic and see how professional photojournalists tell stories in pictures. It's often worth poking around photo sites like Flickr for inspiration, too. Try Flickr's camera finder to see what people have done with the cheapest point-and-shoot cameras. Just don't spend so much time getting inspired that it stops you from getting out there.
  
• When shooting photos of children, get down to their level! Pictures looking down at the top of a child's head are usually pretty lame. Stop being lazy and get on your knees.
  
• If you shoot digital it's better to underexpose the shot, as underexposure is easy to correct later on in software. Shadow detail can be recovered; blown highlights (the pure white areas in an overexposed photo) can never be recovered, as there is nothing there to recover. Film is the opposite; shadow detail tends to be poor compared to digital cameras, but blown highlights are rare even with massive overexposure.[9]
  
• Get your photos off your memory card ASAP. Make backups; make several backups if you can. Every photographer has, or will, experience the heartbreak of losing a precious image/images unless he or she cultivates this habit. Back-up, back-up, back-up!
  
• If the camera has a neck strap, use it! Hold the camera out so that that the neck strap is pulled as far as a can, this will help steady the camera. Furthermore, it'll also stop you from dropping the camera.
  
• Install photo-editing software and learn how to use it. This will allow you to correct color balance, adjust lighting, crop your photos, and much more. Most cameras will come with software to make these basic adjustments. For more complicated operations, consider buying Photoshop, downloading and installing the free GIMP image editor, or using Paint.NET, a free light-weight photo editing program for Windows users.
  
• Keep a notebook handy and make notes about what worked well and what didn't. Review your notes often as you practice.
  
• Upload to Flickr or the Wikimedia Commons and maybe one day you will see your photos used on wikiHow!

Warnings

• Beware of taking photographs of statues, artwork, and even architecture; even if it is located in public places, in many jurisdictions this can often constitute a violation of the copyright in these works.[10]
  
• When taking photos of people, their pets, or even their property, ask for permission. Legally, you may or may not need it, but it's polite to do so; that and people may get annoyed at it if you don't ask first.

Things You'll Need

• A camera. Whatever you have, or can borrow, will be good enough.
  
• The biggest memory card you can get, if you're on digital, or as much film as you can afford to have developed if you're not.

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Up and Start Taking Photos
  
• How to Take A Good Picture On Your Camera Phone
  
• How to Take Portrait Photographs
  
• How to Take Flattering Photos of Yourself
  
• How to Brighten up Backgrounds in Flash Pictures
  
• How to Take Hand Held Pictures Indoors Without Flash
  
• How to Avoid Your Photo Being a Dark Silhouette
  
• How to Have a Great Photoshoot

Sources and Citations

• Google Picasa - Software for organizing and editing photographs
  
• 7 Common Mistakes When Taking Digital Photos
  
• http://library.thinkquest.org/28146/composition.html Source
  

1. ↑ See 5 Reasons to Take Your Camera Everywhere in 2008.


2. ↑ For more on white balance, see How to Set White Balance by Ken Rockwell.


3. ↑ See the Wikipedia article on the subject for a fuller explanation of this.


4. ↑ From Seven Common Mistakes When Taking Digital Photos.


5. ↑ Shutter speed and the difference between fast and slow shutter speeds.


6. ↑ For example, if you have a 300mm lens, then you want a shutter speed faster than 1/300th of a second.


7. ↑ See Ken Rockwell's page on sync speed for more details on this.


8. ↑ See Your Camera Doesn't Matter by Ken Rockwell.


9. ↑ See Film vs. Digital for a more in-depth discussion.


10. ↑ See this page on the Wikimedia Commons for a country-by-country breakdown of local laws.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Take Better Photographs. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-56: "How to Take Portrait Photographs"

How to Take Portrait Photographs
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you ever felt that you have far too many "snapshots" of your family, and want a more professional-looking photograph to hang on your wall? Or perhaps you've been roped in to take a photograph for your company's magazine or website. Whatever the reason for wanting them, you don't need a photo studio and a ton of expensive lighting and camera gear to take portraits. With intelligent use of your equipment, thoughtful framing and due attention paid to lighting, anybody can take good portraits. Here's how.

Steps

1. Set up your camera. Where circumstances permit, use a slow ISO speed (lower number). In natural light, use "shade" or "cloudy" white balance if you have it; this leads to much warmer colours.[1] See How to Take Better Photographs for further elaboration and advice.
   
2. Get the lighting right. Those fortunate enough to have a photo studio can precisely control their lighting. They also aren't reading this; the rest of us will have to go out and find the right light. What you're looking for is consistent, and diffused lighting.
   
   • Avoid direct, harsh sunlight from any direction. Apart from a few hours of soft light in the early morning and afternoon, direct sunlight is largely unfavourable for taking portrait photos. Looking into the sunlight will cause your subject to squint, and harsh light from behind will make it more difficult to get a consistent exposure.[2] From any other angle, it will cast harsh shadows on the face (including the horrid "raccoon eye" effect from direct overhead light). Overcast days are best, as clouds will diffuse the sunlight;[3] although since making your own cloud isn't typically an option, head for the shade.
     
   • Fill the shadows. Sometimes you'll have no choice but to take photos in direct, harsh sunlight. If your camera has a flash sync speed fast enough, use your flash to fill the shadows. If not, get your subject or an assistant to hold a piece of white or colored card to bounce the sunlight into the shadows. You could use your self-timer and hold it yourself.[4]
     
   • Don't rely on your flash. That is to say, if you don't have a ton of studio lighting (and you probably don't, since you're reading this), don't count on your flash to illuminate your scene or your subject. Using it to fill in shadows is fine; depending on it as your only source of lighting is usually a bad thing. Go outside if weather permits, or get more natural light into your scene by getting closer to windows if it does not.
   
   
3. Make your subject comfortable. A comfortable subject will feel happier, more relaxed and less "posed". This will make for much better shots.
   
• Get to like your subject, and have them like you. If you have time, talk to your subject. Learn to be genuinely interested in other people (or if you're terminally sociopathic, fake it). As one photographer writes about the famous photographer Elsa Dorfman,
  Elsa has the same kind of studio, background, lights, and equipment as a lot of folks with more technical skill. Yet those folks aren't portrait photographers and Elsa is. What's the difference? Elsa cares about people. She is genuinely curious about people she has never met and can connect with them in just a few minutes. After a one-hour session, she knows more about her average subject's life than I do about my sister's.[5]
  
• Get them comfortable with you having a camera around, time permitting. Many, probably most, people freeze up and feel awkward the moment you pull the camera out.
  
• Factor your subject's feelings in with your lens choices. This is not as strange as it might sound. A super-wide angle lens will require you to travel halfway up the nose of your subject in order to frame the photo properly. On the other hand, a subject might feel distinctly awkward at a monster Howitzer-sized telephoto pointing at them from 50 feet away.
  
• Give your subject something to play with. People with something in their hands will relax their shoulders more and feel less awkward than they would if they were standing around doing nothing.[6] If you're taking body shots, have them hold something relevant to them as a person (for example, an executive might hold a book,[6] a child might hold a teddy bear, a photographer might hold a camera, and so on). If you're not taking body shots, even better; find something to keep their hands occupied. Try a stress ball or something else that gives your subject something to do.
  
4. Choose your lens and frame your shot. There are three primary ways to frame a portrait; which you will choose is a matter of artistic judgment.

The head-and-shoulders shot. If you're starting out taking portraits, this is probably the best place to start. For this, use a telephoto lens. Ignore the myth of a "portrait lens". There is no optimal lens focal length for portraits.[7] Longer lenses are good, because they force you to stand further back, and consequently, due to perspective, facial features like noses are de-emphasised (but see "factor in your subject's feelings with your lens choices" above). They also give the illusion of a shallower depth of field (i.e. blurring the background more).[8] In accordance with the rule of thirds, have the subject's eyes one third of the way from the top of the frame. Set your camera to aperture-priority (Av) mode and use a large aperture to blur the background to make it less distracting (or if you have a "Portrait" mode on your camera, use that instead).

• The body shot. All of the above applies. Have your subject stand at a slight angle to the camera; they will look slimmer and more relaxed.[6]
  
• The "environmental" portrait, of people in action and in context. Compared to the above, this is difficult to get right and very easy to make into a mere snapshot, so tread carefully. Use a wider-angle lens for this sort of thing.
  
• Everything else. The cost of experimentation with digital cameras is almost exactly zero. If you have time, try different and drastic angles, strange framing, zooming in "too close", and so on (see also "ignore this article", below).
  

1. Focus and take your pictures. If your camera has an auto-exposure and auto-focus lock, then meter and focus on the subject's face, lock, reframe, and then take your photo.
   
2. Post-process your photo. Use advanced photo editing software like GIMP or Photoshop. Correct the colour balance and remove any haziness. You might want to sharpen features like hair and clothing; smooth out lines and imperfections in faces (this latter part might not be necessary; the sharpening of other features in the photo will make skin look smoother, because our eyes perceive sharpness and softness relative to other things in the photo). Brighten the eyes using the "Levels" tool.
   
3. Ignore this article. Photography is an art, not a set of methods. You can follow all these steps and still take an uninteresting photograph that you dislike. Technically "incorrect" photos can be the most stunning, such as those which are hugely over-exposed, harshly lit, packed with "distracting" background detail, strangely composed, and so on.[9] Know the rules, but know that you can, and should, break them whenever you see fit.

Tips

• Don't bother with a tripod unless poor light mandates it. This will give you greater freedom to experiment with angles, as well as giving you less gear to carry around.
  
• Don't read the discussion of lenses above as an excuse to wait until you have a certain lens (or even a digital SLR at all). Use what you have and work according to its strengths and limitations. Remember that even a 50mm lens effectively becomes a 75-80mm lens on digital SLRs with small sensors (nearly all of them) -- a useful length for portraits.

Things You'll Need

A camera. An SLR and a bunch of lenses (or a single, versatile zoom) are nice if you have them; whatever else you have is fine if you do not.

• Someone to photograph. Start with family and close friends; they're the most likely to be comfortable around you and, consequently, will look less "posed" and more comfortable in a photo.

Related wikiHows

• How to Take Better Photographs
  
• How to Choose a Camera
  
• How to Take Better Pictures of People for Free
  
• How to Pose for Portraits
  
• How to Retone a Photograph with GIMP

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ Ken Rockwell, How to Set White Balance.


2. ↑ Bill Hunter, Portrait Photographer's Handbook (ISBN 9781584282075), p. 77.


3. ↑ Ross Hoddinott, The Digital Photographer's Guide to Filters (ISBN 9780715326541), pp. 40-41.


4. ↑ AnandTech Guide to Better Photos: Portraits


5. ↑ Quoted from Portrait Photography, by Phillip Greenspun.


6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Photography tips: taking portrait photos


7. ↑ See Portrait Lenses by Ken Rockwell.


8. ↑ Niell Benvie, The Art of Nature Photography (ISBN 0817433112) says, "The illusion of a telephoto's shallow depth of field anses from the magnification of an out-of-focus background".. See also Paul van Walree's page on misconceptions in photographic optics. "Yes, a telephoto lens may give rise to a large (absolute) blur of the background, but this is not a matter of DOF. From the definition of the depth of field it is clear that DOF should should be judged by the in-focus parts of the image, now matter how unsharp the out-of-focus parts may be."


9. ↑ See 16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques by Brian Auer.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Take Portrait Photographs. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Eyecatchers-137: "100 Milestone Documents of U.S.A."

100 Milestone Documents
www.ourdocuments.gov
U.S. National Archives & Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408 • 1-86-NARA-NARA • 1-866-272-6272

A list of 100 milestone documents which chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965 has been compiled by the National Archives and Records Administration. These documents are drawn primarily from its nationwide holdings. They contain some important Public laws, Supreme Court decisions, Inaugural speeches, Treaties, Constitutional Amendments, and other documents that have influenced the course of U.S. history. According to the U.S.National Archives & Records Administration: "They have helped shape the national character, and they reflect our diversity, our unity, and our commitment as a nation to continue our work toward forming “a more perfect union.”

To view all the 100 milestone documents:
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/print_friendly.php?flash=true&page=milestone&title=100+Milestone+Documents

Grateful thanks to U.S.National Archives & Records Administration (www.ourdocuments.gov).

Letters-72: "Politicisation"

1. It is unfortunate that the Sri Lankan Tamils issue is occupying centre stage in Tamil Nadu politics. Every party is trying to outdo the other in portraying itself as the champion of the Tamils' cause. The ruling DMK is resorting to flipflops to ensure that even while it remains part of the UPA, it is not compelled to yield ground to other parties. The real issue has been obfuscated and the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils has become secondary in comparison with the LTTE, which is getting undue coverage and misplaced sympathy. - G.Gokul Kishore, New Delhi.

2. Our leaders do not seem to have genuine concern for the innocent Tamils caught in the crossfire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan army. They seem to be more worried about the LTTE and its chief Prabakaran. They are engaged in a war of statements. Have they taken any step other than going on strikes, organising human chains and writing to the Centre on the issue? - D.Asokan, Tiruvarur.

3. Thousands of innocent Sri Lankan Tamils are caught between the LTTE and the armed forces. Both sides are militant in achieving their goals and the poor people have become pawns in their game. Their misery is a godsend to our politicians. It helps them remain in the limelight and divert people's attention from price rise, misrule, unemployment, power shortage etc. - A.K.Chari, New Delhi.

4. Colombo is fighting a dreaded terrorist outfit. I fail to understand how anybody can demand that Sri Lanka should stop the war against the LTTE, which is holding the civilians as a human shield. It is the LTTE which should be persuaded to release the people. - P.Senthil Kumar, Gurgaon.

5. The strike called by Mr.Karunanidhi to protest against the killing of Sri Lankan Tamils is unwarranted. We have had enough of strikes, bandhs, fasts, etc. on the issue. It is quite apparent that the move is the result of political compulsions. - N.Nagesh, Chennai.

6. It is frustrating to see bandhs and strikes being organised for some reason or the other. The DMK government should understand the pulse of the common man, who is burdened with day-to-day problems in view of the recession. It should not thrust its outdated ideas on the people to get political mileage in the coming election. - S.Balasubramanian, Chennai.

7. Why are not our politicians talking about development issues? When will we see the end of hartals, strikes, etc., which make the life of the common man a nightmare for no fault of his? - A.C.Krishnan, Chennai.

8. How will a general strike here help the Tamils suffering in Sri Lanka? Instead of observing a strike, the political parties can jointly bring pressure on the Centre to request Colombo to ensure the safety of the Tamils. The Prabakaran question can be discussed later. - Chambath Gopalakrishanan, Palakkad.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, April 23, 2009 ('Letters to the Editor').

Grateful thanks to M/s.G.Gokul Kishore, D.Asokan, A.K.Chari, P.Senthil Kumar, N.Nagesh, S.Balasubramanian, Chambath Gopalakrishnan and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Letters-71: "LTTE and Terrorism"

1. The world must allow the Sri Lankan government, which has come so close to eliminating the LTTE menace, to do everything it can to complete the task. By any logic, the military can only limit the extent of civilian damage. Any pause in the current offensive will allow the LTTE to regroup. Once the LTTE is finished, India and the rest of the world can apply pressure on Colombo to address the genuine issues of the Tamils. - V.Govindarajan, Singapore.

2. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a terrorist "is a person using especially organised violence to secure political ends." In the context of Prabakaran and the LTTE, the word should redefined to read as "a sadist who wants to see human blood flow in his relentless pursuit of imaginary ends." - S.Ramakrishnasayee, Ranipet.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, April 23, 2009.

Grateful thanks to M/s.V.Govindarajan, S.Ramakrishnasayee and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Self-Improvement-51: "Promises to Keep"

Promise Yourself ....

1. To be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
2. To talk Health, Happiness and Prosperity to everyone you meet.
3. To make all your friends feel that there is something of value in them.
4. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come through.
5. To think only the best, to work only for the best and to expect the best.
6. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
7. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
8. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticise others.

Courtesy: "Imaya Geetam", Tamil Monthly, April 2009.
Grateful thanks to "Imaya Geetam".

Letters-70: "Code of Conduct"

1. Much of the Election Commission's resources have gone into disciplining and pulling up candidates and political parties for their behaviour during the election campaign ("Honouring the code in the breach," The Hindu, April 16) so far. The erring candidates have received excellent help from the electronic media which relayed and analysed every act threadbare and provided hour-after-hour of publicity to them. The campaigning was generally distasteful. What ought to have been issue-based - there is no dearth of local, regional and national issues - became an acrimonious exercise. The voter had an overdose of rallies devoid of intellectual content, with parties releasing meaningless manifestos. - R.Swarnalatha, New Delhi.

2. The editorial, it appears, has been written more in sorrow than in anger at the dismal state of affairs in the largest democracy of the world. As pointed out, increased public awareness is the only solution to prevent further decay. - K.N.Bhagavan, Bangalore.

3. Since it has no statutory backing, the model of code of conduct is like a balloon without air. the campaigning for the first stage of the election was characterized by irresponsible remarks by many leaders. What we need are reforms to make the parties more responsible and the Election Commission more powerful. - Ankit Kumar, Ghaziabad.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, April 17, 2009

Grateful thanks to M/s.R.Swarnalatha, K.N.Bhagavan, Ankit Kumar and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Letters-69: "Election Manifestos"

1. In our country, political parties can promise anything during elections because they know nothing will happen if they do not honour them. The congress has promised a law on food security, under which families living below the poverty line will get rice or wheat for Rs.3 a kg, knowing full well that this and its other promises involve huge financial implications and the funds earmarked for other projects may have to be diverted to turn the promises into reality. We do not have a mechanism to evaluate the performance of a party on the basis of its election manifesto. Till we evolve one, political parties will continue to take us for a ride - Mudgal Venkatesh, Gulbarga

2. Parties announce freebies to woo voters because these will be paid for by the taxpayers. No party has talked about raising agricultural production without which the assurance to give rice at Rs.2 or 3 a kg will remain a mere promise; industrial development to generate employment, and measures to alleviate poverty. - A.K.Rao, Hyderabad.

3. Election manifestos are forgotten once the polls are over. Accountability in public life is an abstract proposition. If one analyses the poll manifestos of political parties over a period of time, it will become clear that very few promises have changed. It seems the parties pull out their old manifestos, decorate them with new covers and make a few modifications. The parties in power should come out with a statement on how much of their promises they delivered on during their tenure, and what they propose to do about the promises they could not fulfil. This calls for high integrity. Slogans like "India shining" and "Jai ho" convey nothing - Samiron Phukan, Hyderabad.

Grateful thanks to M/s.Mudgal Venkatesh, A.K.Rao, Samiron Phukan and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Facts & Figures-56: "Australians, Most Propserous"

Good health, freedom of choice, political liberty, civil rights - these, along with high income, make Australians the most prosperous people, says a study.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 23, 2009.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Health News-23: "Green Tea for Healthy Gums"

A cup of green tea a day may keep gum disease at bay. Researchers found that among middle-aged Japanese, the odds of having gum disease declined as the men's intake of tea rose.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 23, 2009.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

TED Talk-2: "Future of Renewable Energy" by Saul Griffith

Letters-68: "Right direction"

1. The Election Commission's direction to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer to file criminal cases against Varun Gandhi, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit, for allegedly making anti-Muslim speeches at a meeting is a step in the right direction. The communal overtones in the speech attributed to him have vitiated the atmosphere. He should be stopped from contesting the election. - Shahid Jamal, New Delhi.

2. Varun's speech as telecast in a few television channels was undoubtedly anti-Muslim. He has not only violated the model code of conduct but also gone beyond the limits of moral ethics. His puerile and immature speech makes one wonder whether he belongs to the same class of political leaders as Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. - R.M.Manoharan, Chennai.

3. The statements attributed to Varun are disturbing. That such heightened frenzy against the people of a community is being created in the election battlefield is difficult to digest. Although the BJP adopts a public posture of being committed to nationalism, it has been proved time adn again that it carries a heavy and dangerous agenda of divisiveness and hatred. - N.Sekar, Salem.

4. Actually what Varun Gandhi said is nothing new. His elders in the BJP such as Praveen Togadia, Narendra Modi and L.K.Advani have been saying the same kind of things for years. The question is: are such people fit to be our representatives? In our country, politicians think they are rulers, not representatives. Until that perception changes, other changes are difficult to contemplate. - M.Yawar Baig, Hyderabad.

5. It is a matter of shame that a young politician like Varun Gandhi on whom the nation has great hopes should be exploiting religion for votes. Like any other politician, he looks at the electorate as Hindus and Muslims, not Indians. - Arjun Bagvath, Chennai.

6. Varun's speech has become the focus of attention because he is Indira Gandhi's grandson. Otherwise, inflammatory speeches by politicians in public meetings are common. Leaders permit their party workers to use foul language against a community and political opponents. If it leads to trouble, they respond in an elusive manner or distance themselves from the comments and the speakers. It is time for political parties to control their cadre. - R.Prathaban, Kancheepuram.

7. Why find fault with Varun for his hate speech when every institution has been communalised? Communal elements have penetrated government bodies, business houses and even educational institutions. They are sustained and reared by political parties which want to consolidate their vote-banks. The people should reject such forces and help to defeat the communal, divisive, fascist and anti- national elements in the coming election. - Asra Kamal, Hyderabad.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 19, 2009.

Grateful thanks to M/s.Shahid Jamal, R.M.Manoharan, N.Sekar, M.Yawar Baig, Arjun Bagvath, R.Prathaban, Asra Kamal and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Letters-67: "Action Against Police"

1. The High Court makes no mention of the unruly behaviour some lawyers indulged in on February 19. There is no doubt that the police resorted to excessive force. But the trouble started after the advocates went on the rampage. They even set fire to a police station on the court premises. The Justice Srikrishna report has clearly dealt with the sequence of events that took place that day. Taking action against the police alone is not fair. - S.Kannan, chennai.

2. Now that action has been recommended against two police officers, what is proposed to be done with regard to the erring lawyers? Will the lawyers who attacked Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy in the court hall and those who burnt down the police station on the court premises made accountable for their acts? One hopes senior lawyers will strive for enforcing equality before law. - K.Ramasami, Coimbatore.

3. Are rotten eggs permitted inside the court? What action has been recommended against the lawyers who assaulted another lawyer in front of judges? Since police officials face suspension for taking steps to tackle a violent situation, can they be told how they are expected to act in the event of mob violence in future? What is the fate of the Srikrishna report? How can there be two different findings on the same issue? - K.Dhandapani, Coimbatore.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 20, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to M/s.S.Kannan, K.Ramasami, K.Dhandapani and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Eyecatchers-136: " Made-to-order magazine to let readers choose"

Time is experimenting with a customised magazine that combines rader-selected sections from eight publications as it tries to mimic in printed form the personalised news feeds that have become popular on the Internet.

Called "mine", the five-issue, 10-week experiment also aligns readers with the branding message that its sole advertising partner, Toyota, has for its new Lexus 2010 rX sport utility vehicle: It is as customisable as the magazine carrying its advertisements.

The magazine is free, but the print edition is limited to the first 31,000 respondents, while an online version is available for another 200,000. Sign-ups are available at http://www.timeinc.com/mine. The first issue is to be mailed in early April, and then every two weeks. Online subscribers will get digital editions that look just like the printed version, but in a special format that allows virtual page turns with clicks. A promotional push for the magazine kicks off on Friday. - AP

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 19, 2009.

Grateful thanks to AP and The Hindu.

Letters-66: "On Ragging-2"

1. The Supreme Court's observation that the time has come for cutting off financial aid to institutions that do not comply with its directions to put down ragging is sure to act as a deterrent. The college managements, it is hoped, will comply with the directions at least for fear of losing financial aid. - N.Vivekananda Rao, Hyderabad.

2. Ragging has become the worst manner of interaction between new entrants and seniors. The death of Aman Kachroo and the suicide attempt by a student in Andhra Pradesh are condemnable. They expose the indifference of the college authorities. But cutting off financial aid alone will not have the desired effect. Colleges which fail to curb ragging should be closed down. - Suman Kukal, Chandigarh.

3. Over time, ragging has evolved into some sort of organised crime. it is time to conclusively do away with the practice. Aman's death should serve as a wake-up call to society. Besides enacting a Central law banning ragging, a social movement against the practice should be launched. - Rakesh Chourasia, New Delhi.

4. The only way to end this menace is stringent punishment for not only the offenders but also those at the helm of affairs in the college. Parents can also do a lot to prevent ragging. If their children are good enough to get into professional colleges, they should understand that juniors are also human. Parent should impress this idea upon their wards. - Rebecca Thomas, Mylapra.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 20, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor")

Grateful thanks to M/s.N.Vivekananda Rao, Suman Kukal, Rakesh Chaurasia, Rebecca Thomas and The Hindu.

TED Talk-1: "A Meditation on Hope" by Sherwin Nuland (An Audio & Visual Presentation from TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)

Health News-22: "Himalayan Herbs can control Type 2 Diabetes"

A Belfast-based scientist has claimed that a herb found in the Himalayan region could be effective in controlling Type 2 Diabetes. Dr.Yasser Abdel-Wahab, a senior lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ulster, and his team discovered that the roots of a cucumber-like vegetable - a herb found in the forests of India - and extracts from the bark of a Himalayan plant, all showed positive results in test cases.

Dr Abdel-Wahab said that following early laboratory work carried out on the Northern Ireland-based campus, researchers discovered the bark of Swertia chirayita, a plant traditionally grown in the Himalayas and also known as chirette, indicated that some compounds extracted from the bark appeared to stimulate insulin production and improve its action.

"Natural anti-diabetic drug discovery is a key area of research that is attracting a lot of interest. More research is needed to establish definitively how and if our findings could be translated into new therapeutic agents for treatments for people with Type 2 diabetes, but we are hopeful that this will one day be the case," he said. Scientists have been investigating complementary therapies that have the potential to help treat Type 2 diabetes. - PTI.

Courtesy: The Hindu, March 16, 2009.

Detailed Wikipedia articles on "Diabetes Mellitus Type 2" and "Diabetic Diet":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_type_2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_diet

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Letters-65: "On Ragging"

1. The death of Aman Kachroo, a first year student of the Dr.Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra, allegedly at the hands of his seniors, has shaken the faith of those who are for the effective implementation of anti-ragging measures in educational institutions, especially professional colleges. The time has come to discard the term "ragging" an d substitute it with the word "torture". "Ragging" does not seem to convey the ominous consequences to which it can lead. It is still considered by many as some form of camaraderie, necessary for juniors to get to know their seniors. The law should leave no scope for doubt in the mind of the torturers about the nature of their actions. - Subhash Chander Gupta, Rohtak.

2. Aman's death makes one wonder what led his fellow students to behave in the manner they did. Who is to blame for the barbaric mentality in youngsters? Their acts of violence reflect the slackening of moral values among the younger generation. The resignation of the principal or the suspension of a few will not help to end ragging in colleges. The attitude and outlook of the youth should change. And for this to happen, they should be educated on human values. - Sruthi Appu, Bangalore.

3. The arrest and expulsion of the four students who allegedly beat Aman to death are welcome. But the legal procedure may take some time and the torture undergone by Aman will soon be forgotten. The trial should be swift and the guilty brought to book soon. The Kangra incident should serve as an eye-opener to all collgees. Instead of waiting for students or parents to complain of incidents of ragging, the college authorities should be proactive in preventing ragging on campus. Even the so-called light ragging - lime making students sing or dance - should be dealt with firmly as it eventually leads to serious ragging. - Jayanthi Viswanathan, Palakkad.

4. It is shocking to learn that ragging continues unabated despite a ban on it and the Supreme Court's direction to educational institutions to curb it. It is not the seniors alone who are to blame for what happened to Aman. The college authorities are equally to blame. Colleges in which such instances take place should be derecognised. The fear of de-recognition may be more effective in curbing the menace of ragging. - Amit Kumar, Patna.

5. Aman's death is not an isolated incident. Serious cases of ragging are suppressed by college authorities. Deaths are dubbed as suicide. In spite of the Supreme Court's orders, the mental and physical torture of freshers continues in almost all professional colleges across the country. All rational people should raise their voice against the despicable practice. A toll-free helpline should be created for the victims of ragging. - U.Kaur, New Delhi.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 14, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to M/s.Subhash Chander Gupta, Sruthi Appu, Jayanthi Viswanathan, Amit Kumar, U.Kaur and The Hindu.

Letters-64: "Unacceptable and Shocking!"

It was indeed shocking to read that advocates attached to various Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu burnt not only copies of the Justice B.N.Srikrishna report but also an effigy of the retired Supreme Court judge who probed the violence in the Madras High Court. The behaviour of lawyers has already attracted criticism from many quarters. A few members of the legal fraternity think they are above the law and can therefore indulge in despicable acts. They have tarnished the fair name of their noble profession. Before things go from bad to worse, the lawyers should resume work. - G.Ramalingam, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 11, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor")

Grateful thanks to Mr.G.Ramalingam and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

S&T Watch-54: "Wheel obeys Mental Signals!"

A wheelchair that obeys mental signals sent to a computer has been designed. The user, linked to a computer with electrodes on his scalp, sends a signal by focusing on the name of the destination displayed on a screen.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 12, 2009 ("Snapshots")

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.