Stock photographs are licensed for specific uses and are used to for various creative assignments. They are very useful and can cut the costs of hiring a photographer. Many of these photos are supplied on various stock photo Websites. Some can be very inexpensive and even free at times!

Many of the designers Joel Reyes of Tutorial Blog has come across like to download most of their images from 2-3 of the largest sites containing stock photos, however as creative artists he believes we should play the mix and match game that allows us to choose from wide variety of stock images instead of the same “old” set of photos we may be fond of.

Giving a project that requires stock images your best should include photos that are not only sharp, but clear as well. Here we’ll have the pleasure to visit a few awesome (25 to be exact) sites that’ll provide all the needed images to fuel any project, job, or site requiring stock photos. This is a great collection of resources/information that Joel Reyes has shared with other designers/photographers on Tutorial Blog.

StockVault

Stockvault.net is an image sharing website that allows designers, photographers and artists alike to share their images and photographs with one another. If you’re a designer in need of photos then all you have to do is quickly register and download all of the images you desire for free.

Pixel Galerie

Pixel Galerie is not an English site; however, with its wide variety of free stock images it was only fair to include it within this list. Although it may be a bit difficult to read (if you’re not familiar with the language) it is fairly easy to scroll through the sites archives and download your photos.

Free Range

This site provides high-quality of stock photos for both commercial and non-commercial use. This is all provided for free. Images on Free Range are submitted by talented photographers, shot by the site itself, or taken form a wide variety of archives.

MorgueFile

MorgueFile offers free photos in various archives for the creative. You can also contribute images in any category listed as well as opt create new categories. The free images on this site are easily searchable, trouble-free to find and simple to download.

EveryStockPhoto

This gigantic resource site indexes over 3 million photos. This site leans towards being more of a search engine for free photos. It searches hundreds of sites and allows you to specify the license type in order for you to rule out unwanted images.

Stock.xchng

Stock.xchng is one of the more popular sites for free photos. Searching and browsing through countless numbers of images couldn’t be easier. This site also includes a feature called lightbox; this can come in handy for saving images for later use.

Openphoto

Openphoto groups all of their images by various categories. They also offer easy search functionality while registration is only necessary if you’d like to upload images.

Unprofound

Unprofound is can be classified as an unusual or unorthodox site for free stock photos. This is because this site groups images by color, instead of its corresponding category. There is absolutely no search function; however, scavenging through photos isn’t next to impossible. You can also create and online portfolio and contribute to their collection.

PhotoRogue

Photo Rogue brings something unique and unseen to the online community of free stock photos. This is because they actually take individual online requests for specific images. Their diverse crew of photographers will go out and take your photo for you, all for free!

Geek Philosopher

Geek Philosopher offers a wide range of categories for free. You don’t have to register, although they simply request that you place the correspondent photo credit when you use an image. Along with the free photos, they also offer backgrounds and various wallpapers.

Woophy

Woophy uses an incredible map concept and utilizes its home pages as huge map of the world. Every single dot on the entire map represents a photo or group of photos taken at that specific part of the world. This is a special community for travel photographers allowing them to share their images with the entire world.

PhotoRack

PhotoRack houses a large collection of images in the thousands (over 27,000 to be exact). All of the images are organized in their respectful categories which are broken down into subcategories as well.

FreePixels

This site offers corporate styled images that are usually found on paid registration sites. You can easily and quickly search for photos as well as make full use of the tag cloud found on the site.

Design Packs

Design Packs, a small collection of images, grouped into “packs” of 15 images. These images are each in a pack followed by a common theme, such as Money, Flowers, or Lights. These images should appeal to designers and others looking for “abstract” images for backgrounds.

FreeFoto

Freefoto is made up of 117,600 images with over 150+ sections organized into 3,285 categories. There’s a search function, and usage is completely unrestricted. All you have to do is include an attribution link back to Freefoto.com.

Pixel Perfect Digital

Pixel Perfect Digital has a small but quickly growing collection of numerous images. If you register this allows you to upload to your own personal gallery. The search function allows you to search within one or more category while viewing additional images as well.

Free Digital Photos

Free Digital Photos has a good search function, which is very important when you’ve got this many images under one resource. Photos are nicely grouped into categories for easy and quick browsing.

Public Domain Photos

Public Domain Photos is exactly that: a photographer’s domain for public display, all arranged by corresponding categories. There’s a really good search function available, as well.

Free Historical Stock Photos

Free Historical Stock Photos contains various historical images, including many by Matthew Brady (Civil War) and Dorothea Lange (Great Depression). This site also includes paintings and vintage posters. The images are gracefully categorized and easily findable with the use of a search function.

NationsIllustrated

Nations Illustrated showcases numerous amounts of pictures from all over the world with over 7,000+ photos in its collection. You can effectively browse by city, country, or continent.

Kave Wall

Kave Wall is a great source of professional-quality close-up and great macro photography. If you need a great shot of paper clips or rubber bands, this is definitely the place.

Free Stock Photos

Free Stock Photos can be viewed as a small site that contains good quality photographs in both low and high resolution. Photos are grouped into easily searchable categories. The search function utilizes Google however, which doesn’t work that well for images here.

ImageBase

Photos on Imagebase are absolutely free to use, they are licensed under the Creative Commons license. Images are available in two high resolution (1600 x 1200 or 3072×2048) formats.

Cepolina

Cepolina is an international site that has photo descriptions in over 17 languages and the ability to browse photos using maps of the world, including specific European countries. You can also browse by definite categories, and use their search function.

Abstract Influence

This site requires immediate registration in order to enter it, however once you’ve registered you can upload or download, and participate in all of the forums for free. This is a very community-oriented site.

Image After

Imageafter has over 20,000+ images available. There are two drop-downs (one for textures, one for images) that make it extremely easy to browse desired categories. Imageafter allows you to use their images on printed material for resale as well.

To Conclude

Whether you’re a graphic designer, web developer, or photograph enthusiast there are hundreds of motives on why to use any of these stock photo sites to find absolutely free images for whatever use. Take a few minutes to browse through a couple of these sites and discover interesting and useful photos for a wide range of purposes.

When you are in the process of purchasing a puppy or a dog, sometimes it is good to hear what others have to say about their own experiences. Here are a few stories to help you gain some perspective as to what dog and resources might be right for you.

Erin McMahon and Jaxson

Erin got Jaxson, her miniature dachshund from Grundy Center at Century Farm Puppies. She decided to go with a breeder because she wanted to try and raise a puppy at eight weeks at least once in her life. Another reason she

Erin and Jaxson (Photo contributed by Erin McMahon)

wanted to find a breeder is because she wanted a miniature dachshund and those are hard to come by unless you come across particular breeders.

When she began her puppy hunt, she looked at a lot of different places, mostly around Dyersville, Iowa. She found that most of those breeders only had one litter at a time and many puppies were already sold before she could see them.

After she brought Jaxson home, she didn’t notice any major health issues until he started vomiting frequently. She took him to the veterinarian and it turned out he was eating food that didn’t agree with his digestive system. Other than that, he had no main health issues.

Erin abhors puppy mills and thinks they are a terrible thing.

“I am appalled that these people will do anything to dogs to make a little extra money with no concern to the dog’s health,” says Erin. “I have never had personal experiences with puppy mills, but I have seen a dog that was at a puppy mill. She had no teeth, was scared to death at any sudden movements or loud sounds, and she had a number tattooed on her stomach. Sad!”

Erin does have some advice for those who are looking to buy a new furry friend.

“Make sure you know everything there is to know about the breed of dog you are choosing and make sure it is a breed that fits your lifestyle,” she says. Certain breeds need certain things and you will probably not be able to change that.”

Erika and Lucy (Photo contributed by Erika Tahmasebi)

Erika Tahmasebi, a University of Iowa alumni who graduated in 2008, took a different route when finding her true love, Lucy, a maltese-shih tzu mix. Lucy is short for Lucille Lucius Vorenus Bluth and she is now 4 years old.

Lucy caught Erika’s eye when she gazed at her through the glass window at Petland one day in March of 2006. Erika used to go to the humane society to play with the animals and would always get upset and leave in tears. Her friend took her to Petland to play with the animals there, thinking she wouldn’t feel guilty when she left.

The second she set her eyes on the little maltese-shih tzu mix, she feel in love and purchased her that night. She says there was something about her that made Erika had to have her. The fact she was from Petland made her think twice about purchasing her.

“My whole life I have been against puppy mills and had always gotten my animals from either breeders (the dog I had as a child, Sophie, a Scottish terrier) or humane society (two cats, Oliver and Kirby),” Erika says. “I think puppy mills are disgusting and when I think about all of the wonderful and perfectly fine dogs at shelters without homes, I feel incredibly guilty for choosing an animal from a store. That being said, I love my dog more than anything, and I absolutely do not regret purchasing Lucy. But I know my future dogs will be from either an animal shelter or breeder– most likely a shelter.”

Lucy did not have any health issues and Erika feels very lucky about that. She advises other puppy-seekers to go another route than she did.

“Please don’t go the route I did. The first place you should look to find a pet are the animal shelters in your area,” she says. “Do your research on what kind of dog(s) you not only want but fit your lifestyle. If you have no yard, don’t get a large, active dog. If you want a friend to go running with, don’t get a poodle. Your dog should be a part of your family– he or she will love you unconditionally, so make sure you are prepared to do the same. Thousands of dogs abandoned every day by irresponsible pet owners, so please make sure you are ready for a commitment before you bring an animal into your home.”

Amy Braun and Loki

Amy Braun, the pet counselor from Petland in one of the previous stories, wanted a breed that most pet shops don’t

Amy and Loki (Photo contributed by Amy Braun)

carry. She wanted a pit bull, a breed that many fear because of its “dangerous” nature. She currently has one dog, Loki, who is a mix between a pit bull and a mastiff/Chesapeake bay retriever.

Her first pit bull, Killian, was from Animal Control in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“I wanted to feel comfortable living by myself and nobody was going to mess with me. I wanted a pit bull because they are huge and nobody will mess with them,” she says. She does think that pit bulls are some of the sweetest dogs underneath all that stigma.

She let a friend take care of her dog, Killian while she was in Germany for a year and after many attempts of trying to reach her friend, she found out her dog died three days before returning to the United States. Apparently her friend allowed another friend to watch the dog and she had gotten into some antifreeze. She was taken to a vet the next morning, but didn’t survive.

When she returned to the states, she went on the dog hunt again. She wanted another pit bull, but had trouble finding one. All the breeders she looked at seemed sketchy except those that lived in Louisiana, Idaho or Ohio. Luckily she knew what to look for when searching for a breeder. She noticed that many of the puppies weren’t checked over by a vet or didn’t include any papers according to the Web sites. They also didn’t come with warranties and the breeders didn’t ask Amy any important questions that she expected.

“For a solid pit bull I was planning on paying $1000-1500 dollars,” says Amy. “Pit bulls for $200 are sketchy. If you are selling them for that cheap, there has to be something wrong. Most pit bulls run $700-1500.”

She ended up finding Loki, her current dog, from Cedar Valley Humane Society in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Loki is a mix and wasn’t what Amy was looking for at the time, but she fell in love with him. He didn’t have any major health issues. Loki does have a chronic ear infection in one of his ears, but compared to all the other things he could have, Amy considers it to be nothing.

Amy is appreciative of the way Cedar Valley Humane Society handled everything when she was adopting Loki.

“Before they send your puppy home with you, they make sure the dog is kept up to date with vaccinations,” says Amy. “They fix the puppies if they aren’t fixed before they go home with you and are excited to send a puppy home with a new owner.”

As a pet counselor, Amy has offered many helpful tips to people seeking a new pet. Her advice when thinking about purchasing a new dog is to:

“Sit down and make a list of what you want in a dog. Go through everything. Do you want him to be super intelligent, super playful, really friendly with people, a protector dog, etc.? Different breeds fit different desires. Does your lifestyle match up for the breed? Really do your research.”

Please take a look at the slideshow of some of these adorable  lil’ doggies! (Photos were contributed by dog owners).

So what should you take away from these other people’s experiences?

Different people are better with certain breeds. Research what specific temperaments would be a good match for you and don’t base your decision on how a dog may look. You may think a Golden retriever is gorgeous, but if you live in a tiny downtown apartment and can’t take him/her on walks, you are going to run into some trouble.

Not only should you research the breed, but where you intend to get the dog from. Meet with an animal shelter, breeder or pet store owner a few times before you make your decision. Ask questions about the facilities. Make sure they ask you questions. Pay attention to how they treat the purchase – is the puppy they are something they are trying to get rid of and get their cash or do they take a genuine interest in the puppy’s wellbeing with you?

It is rewarding when you find the dog that is right for you. With all these new tips and things to watch out for, I wish you only the best when searching for a new furry companion!

Click on the following links to read more about Puppy Shopping and Puppy Health Issues.

Health Issues Associated with Puppy Mill Dogs
Story and Photos by Nawaar Farooq

According to the Iowa Voters for Companion Animals, puppy mill dogs are often subject to terrible conditions that can lead to many health complications in their lives. Some of these conditions include:

• overcrowding in small wire cages or makeshift enclosures
• stacking of crates so that dog excrement falls from higher crates to lower ones
• no nurturing human contract, socialization, or veterinary care
• exposure to climate extremes in buildings with poor ventilation and temperature control
• rarely taken out of cages except for breeding purposes
• bred every heat cycle until their bodies wear out or they develop other health issues
• “disposed of” when they can no longer reproduce – sometimes they are shot, abandoned, or in rare cases, relinquished to animal rescue organizations.

Veterinary technician Jesse Henderkoff from Bright Eyes and Bushy Tails Veterinary Clinic in Iowa City has seen many dogs in her day and knows what signs to watch out for when purchasing a new pup. She gave me a rundown of some common problems that puppies face, especially those that are bred and raised in puppy mills.

Henderkoff lists the following issues as symptoms and conditions you should watch out for when buying a new puppy:

• BREATHING COMPLICATIONS: An elongated soft palate will interfere with a dog’s breathing. As the surviving mill dogs grow older, they are more prone to developing respiratory ailments and pneumonia.

• CONJUNCTIVITIS: The membrane that lines the inner sides of the eyeball up to the cornea is called the conjunctiva. If it becomes infected, you’ll notice a discharge from the corner of the dog’s eye. The discharge may be clear and watery or opaque and thick. Typically this is the result of a bacterial infection. Your veterinarian can give you the best diagnosis.

• GIARDIA/PARASITES: Though an infection with Giardia is not initially fatal to your dog’s health, it can develop into a very serious condition. These parasites are found in dirty or contaminated water. Since the Giardia organisms interfere with the normal absorption of your dog’s food, this can result in malnutrition, weight loss, and other serious symptoms. In addition to this, due to the frequent diarrhea that most dogs experience when infected with Giardia, a dog may also become severely dehydrated.

• HEART MURMURS: A heart murmur is one of several types of abnormal sounds your veterinarian can hear when listening to your pet’s heart with a stethoscope.  Normally, two distinct sounds are heard when listening to the heart of a normal dog. This is normally caused by a turbulent blood flow. Hearing a heart murmur during a routine physical examination will often be the first hint to your veterinarian that your pet has heart disease. This is not something to panic about, but you should get checked out regularly.

• HIP DYSPLASIA: In dogs, a femur that does not fit correctly into the pelvic socket, or poorly developed muscles in the pelvic area. Large and giant breeds are susceptible to hip dysplasia, and a few smaller breeds suffer from it. In dogs, the problem almost always appears by the time the dog is 18 months old. Dogs might exhibit signs of stiffness or soreness after rising from rest, reluctance to exercise, bunny-hopping or other abnormal gait (legs move more together when running rather than swinging alternately), lameness, pain, reluctance to stand on rear legs, etc. Some dogs do recover, although it can be problematic as the dog gets older.

• KENNEL COUGH: Also known as canine tracheobronchitis, kennel cough refers to a highly contagious class of viral and bacterial ailments which spreads rapidly among dogs in close quarters, such as in a pet store or veterinarian. Both viral and bacterial agents play a role in the complex, much as in human bronchitis, making the syndrome difficult to diagnose. Once kennel cough has been contracted, the treatment course is much as it is for humans with similar infections. Antibiotics are prescribed if bacterial causes are determined, as well as a week or so of naptime in a freshly scrubbed room away from other dogs.

• LUXATING PATELLA: The patella is the bone we know as the knee cap. A groove in the end of the femur allows the patella to glide up and down when the knee joint is bent back and forth. In so doing, the patella guides the action of the quadriceps muscle in the lower leg. The patella also protects the knee joint. In some dogs, because of malformation or trauma, the ridges forming the patellar groove are not prominent, and a too-shallow groove is created. In a dog with shallow grooves, the patella will luxate (jump out of the groove) sideways, especially toward the inside. This causes the leg to ‘lock up’ with the foot held off the ground. Smaller breeds of dogs have the highest incidence of patella luxation.

• NEUROLOGICAL/SOCIALIZATION DISORDERS: Due to the frequently poor breeding conditions in puppy mills, puppies bred there often suffer from health and/or social problems. Puppies raised in a cramped environment shared by many other dogs become poorly socialized to other dogs and to humans. Dogs are then transported over long distances in poor conditions, sometimes resulting in animal stress and death.

• OVERBITES/UNDERBITES: Puppies and dogs with overbites and underbites may need to have dental surgery because the Constant contact between upper and lower incisors can cause uneven wear, periodontal disease, and early tooth loss.  Many times the tips of the teeth are shaved off or the problematic teeth are removed altogether.

• PARVOVIRUS: Parvovirus is a viral disease of dogs. It affects puppies much more frequently than it affects adult dogs. The virus likes to grow in rapidly dividing cells. The intestinal lining has the biggest concentration of rapidly dividing cells in a puppy’s body. The virus attacks and kills these cells, causing diarrhea (often bloody), depression and suppression of white blood cells — which come from another group of rapidly dividing cells. In very young puppies it can infect the heart muscle and lead to “sudden” death. Vaccinations usually are given at around 2-3 weeks and after the first series of shots, puppies are given boosters every 2 weeks until they are around 13 weeks old.

• UNHEALTHY COAT: What a dog looks like on the outside is likely an indication of what is going on in the inside. If a dog’s coat is matted, dull or has an unkempt appearance, chances are that the animal is unhealthy and should be looked at by a veterinarian. The dog may need more fatty acids and nutrients in its diet than what it is getting.

These are just some of the symptoms and conditions that puppies and dogs from puppy mills might exhibit. Other puppies born in normal conditions may have these conditions as well, but these are just some of the most prevalent ones found in puppy mill puppies. There is no reason these dogs and puppies should be subject to these conditions. The new legislation regarding puppy mills should be very beneficial in curbing many of these commercial breeding facilities where dogs are produced for quantity and profit.

Click on the following links to read more about Puppy Shopping and Experiences of Dog Owners.

How many times have we gone to a pet store and seen the perfect little puppy look up at us with those inviting eyes saying “Please take me home?”

I know I’ve been there. I go to the pet shop and I want to play with at least four puppies, two of which I normally contemplate taking home with me. In fact, one time I did do just that.

However, there are many things to consider when buying a puppy. They aren’t just something you can toss to the side when you get bored with them. They need attention and care, just like us.

When you are considering getting a puppy, you should know about where you are buying from. Many people think they know the right answer when the go looking for a pet. Purchasing puppies and dogs without having any idea of their background and history can be dangerous and you might wind up with a dog from a puppy mill.

What is a puppy mill, you ask? A puppy mill is pretty much like a farm for dogs, and not one of those cozy, homey ones. It is more like one of those giant cattle farms where the cows are mass bred to be slaughtered for your dinner at night. Not a very pretty sight. What’s especially scary is that Iowa has the third largest number of puppy mills in the nation with more than 400 facilities.

To be an educated puppy buyer, you must know where you can get dogs. There are three main places that most people look. These include pet shops/commercial kennels, breeders and animal shelters.

After talking to many people about where they buy their puppies and talking to people who sell puppies, I’ve come up with a list of things you can expect when you go to each of these places seeking a pooch. Keep in mind that all of these can be viable resources if you do your research and pay attention to some vital signs.

BREEDERS

Many people like seeking breeders when looking for a new pet. Breeders can be tricky. Some breeders are essentially mass breeding through puppy mills and they have Websites that look amazing. People can get fooled by these Web sites and assume that these are reputable breeders. However, really they are just puppy factories waiting to ship out many litters to whoever will take them.

So how do you tell if your breeder is a good one that you can trust? Here is a list of things you should look for when

getting a puppy from a breeder according to pet counselor Amy Braun from Iowa City.

• Good breeders ask a lot of personal questions. They might ask who you live with, how many hours you work,what your housing is like and what kind of guests you normally have. They want to know this so they know that the puppies they are offering go to good, safe homes where they will have a good life. If your breeder doesn’t ask you questions about yourself, stay away!
• Good breeders will often provide a warranty or guarantee of some kind. The best breeders will offer lifetime guarantees, but even if you are offered one for a year or a few months, it is a good sign.
• If for some reason you absolutely cannot keep your dog, a good breeder will take back the dog, even if they didn’t actually breed the dog. Many good breeders are also involved with rescuing whatever types of dog they breed. This isn’t a surefire way to tell if your breeder is a good guy, but it definitely earns them some points.

If you are getting a purebred puppy, Krista Mifflin from About.com says there are a few things that should be included and that you should pay attention to. These are:

• A pedigree that goes back a few generations (usually three)
• Any titled champions within the first two generations (parents/grandparents of puppy)
• OFA certified hips and elbows
• Eyes have been CERFed and don’t have genetic abnormalities
• Care and grooming information
• Right of refusal, if you need to give up the dog for any reason
• Puppies should be healthy and socialized with humans that adjusts well to others being around

ANIMAL SHELTER/CITY ADOPTION CENTER

Another option when purchasing a new pup is to go through a local animal shelter. Iowa City has one called the Animal Care & Adoption Center.

Maggie Winegarden, a temporary animal center assistant at the City of Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center

has been working there for two years and thinks animal shelters are a great resource when looking for a new pet.

“These animals already exist and are in need of a home,” she says. “Breeders and pet shops encourage more litters when there are already many animals in need of a home.”

Why not adopt a dog that already exists instead of constantly trying to produce new ones?

Here are a few of the other reasons she gave as to why people should look to animal shelters when looking for a new furry companion.

• These animals already exist and are in need of a permanent, loving home.
• Breeders and pet shops encourage more litters, which can lead to more dogs ending up in the shelter or with people who can’t take care of them. -
• Puppy mills are rampant in Iowa. When you go to a breeder or pet shop and don’t do your research, you may end up with an unhealthy, unsocialized dog that will cause you more problems in the long run.
• When you get a dog from the animal shelter, you have a history of where they are from and a good idea of what their health is and any behaviors they exhibit. Their temperament is thoroughly tested. When you get really young puppies it is harder to tell sometimes. You can’t usually tell a puppy’s personality until they are about 6 months old.
• Volunteers at the adoption center constantly work with puppies to be socialized (if they are not already) and are taught basic commands. You usually can’t assume that when buying from any breeder or pet shop.
• The adoption center also offers financial assistance for spaying/neutering to prevent having any unwanted litters.

Please view the following video to see some of the current dogs up for adoption at the adoption center in Iowa City:

PET SHOPS/COMMERCIAL KENNELS

Another option that you can look to (but might want to be wary) of is purchasing a puppy from a pet shop. There have been rumors that many commercial kennels take puppies from puppy mills and because of that pet shops have received a bad rap. Of course, this isn’t always true, and with any situation, it is the consumer’s responsibility to do their research before taking on such a hefty responsibility.

I have purchased a puppy from a pet shop and haven’t had any issues so far, but I was as careful as I could be when I did.

There are local pet stores and franchise pet stores. Both can have a great pet waiting for you inside and some can have sick animals. You should never buy a pet on impulse, no matter how cute they are. Instead, make sure you get the breeder history (if possible), so you know what breeder the puppies came from.

Pet Counselor Amy Braun used to work at Petland in Iowa City. She knows about the stigma attached to Petland and its rumored association with puppy mills.

“ With how much they are talking about puppy mills in the news, it leads the viewer to believe that puppy mills are around every corner,” she says.

Amy doesn’t believe that is the case and supports buying puppies from pet shops like Petland.

“Just because we are a pet store doesn’t mean we have puppies from puppy mills. Puppy mill puppies have health issues and aren’t socialized with people. Our puppies are well groomed and in general they love being around people and other dogs. We have warranties to back up each puppy. We will pay for veterinary bills regarding hereditary issues that occur within the year [up to the puppy’s’ cost]. Puppy mill puppies generally have hereditary issues, Petland puppies usually do not. You can also exchange puppies if necessary,” says Amy. “We would be completely out of business if we weren’t doing right thing.”

You can expect higher prices at pet shops. They have to make a profit, after all. If you do buy a puppy from a pet store, you should be offered the following:

• Initial vet records and check-up
• Warranty of some kind
• Microchipping in case your pet gets lost

Take a look at what Allie Brunn, the general manager of Petland has to say about her pet shop in the video below (I apologize for the shakiness, I didn’t have a tripod with me):

Hopefully that has given you some insight as to what to look for when you are on the hunt for a new pet. Just remember to do your research and don’t buy the first puppy you see. Each of these places can help find a healthy puppy/dog a new home, but it is up to you as a smart consumer to decide which resource is right for you.

Click on the following links to read more about Experiences of Dog Owners and Puppy Health Issues.

I’ve always liked telling stories through pictures. Some of them are obvious and some are abstract. I  have been sketching and illustrating from a very young age. When my dad bought a new 35 mm film camera, I got my hands on it and started taking pictures of anything and everything.

I didn’t know then that visual narratives would be so relevant to my life in the future. In high school I enjoyed documenting as much of my life as I could. Whatever events I had going on, my bulky little 35mm would come along with me.I remember how big (as in size) digital cameras were then and I would get so excited when my dad would bring the digital camera from work home. My friends and I would get together and have mini photo shoots. I look back on those pictures and laugh. I am so happy that I took pictures of all those memories.

Of course, with all these photographs, I am running out of space in my house. Thank goodness for digital photography. I can store thousands of photos on a hard drive (assuming my hard drive won’t fail). Earlier this semester I learned how tragic it is to try to open a photo and realize that you lost it.

I do like photojournalism, but my personal issue with that is there is very little you can do when it comes to editing the photograph. Most news institutions (especially newspapers) don’t allow for much photo enhancement, if at all. There are usually pretty strict guidelines. I happen to enjoy working with different types of techniques and image manipulations. Of course I can stick to the guidelines if I get a job in photojournalism, but I see myself more fit for a publication that allows for more photo illustrations, such as magazines.

I think there are some important elements of a photograph that every photographer needs to take into consideration before they just start shooting away. One important element is composition. You have to know what kind of story you are telling in order to compose the shot well.

If you and your friends are bowling and someone gets a strike, it is better to get as much of the context in the shot as possible instead of focusing on just a big smile on his face (a close-up wouldn’t really give the viewer an idea of what was going on). If something in particular does catch your attention, move in close, investigate it. Come up with interesting angles and a different way to view the subject.

The rule of thirds is another extremely helpful tool. Imagine a 3×3 grid over whatever you see in your viewfinder. The most interesting points are where the imaginary lines would intersect. This simple rule can make a photograph more visually appealing and interesting.

Exposure is extremely important when photographing. I am guilty of overexposing my photos at times. A photography that isn’t exposed well is hard to fix and can kill a great photo. Always take some time to play with the exposure settings ahead of time to avoid poorly exposed photos.

Everyone knows that stories need a structure to be effective. This is the same for visual storytelling. I always try to consider how I will arrange the photos and elements including introduction, plot, body and conclusion.

There should also be a point to your images. Random images that don’t really evoke any response aren’t going to engage your viewer. You should have an idea in mind as to what you kind of story you are trying to tell, whether it is in one image or multiple images.

Not only that, but the selection of images is important. I take so many pictures in one sitting, I would never be able to go through all of them and edit them unless that’s all I ever did. I always create two or three folders. I keep the originals in one folder in the order that they were taken and then I create a new one for those I want to edit and play with.

I think this is important to do because if you decided to edit a photograph and accidentally save over the original, it is very difficult to go back to the original, if not impossible. I cannot express enough how important it is to back all your stuff up!

I think editing also can also help create a priceless photograph. Sometimes you get so close to getting the shot you want, but something is in the way or the color is off. Sometimes you just want to create a different mood. There are so many creative ways you can change a photograph. This is one of my favorite processes in photography.

Unfortunately, I don’t have nearly as much time as I would like to sit here and edit photographs all day. I also do plenty of that at work. I have learned a lot from my job as a photojournalist for local newspapers in my hometown as well as my job as a portrait photographer. There are many ways you can approach photographing and many ways to tell a story. I love experimenting to see the various routes I can take to tell an effective story. Sometimes I just like playing with a photo and it turns into something entirely different. The process of exploring these creative paths is an exciting journey that I especially enjoy.

I love the idea that a photograph can be so powerful when conveying a message. It is able to communicate so many things visually, from an idea, emotion, story, message or mood. These are all necessary aspects of storytelling. Words do it well, but sometimes a photo can say so much with so few words, if any.

Today, the term “working class” tends to have a negative connotation and refers to those with lower tier jobs. However, it doesn’t hold that meaning for everyone and many people take pride in the term because the working class is also a socially functioning community. Some concepts that caught my attention in an article “Visualization of Working Class Narratives,” by Darren Newbury were masculinity in images, the presence of the photographer, and the value of images as ethnographic artifacts.

Nick Waplington and Richard Billingham tied in the concept of masculinity within their representations of the working class. Men were photographed doing physical labor a majority of the time. Gillian Rose discussed how women were usually photographed while posing formally, such as standing in a doorway. It is interesting to see how the gender roles were represented in the working class, where family was considered a tight-knit institution. Men were photographed in their actual working atmospheres, whereas women were photographed as the homemaker, guarding her domain—not necessarily even showing her working in the home in many instances. If this type of photography is considered to ethnographic/social scientific observation to any degree, the men and women should be shown in their natural environments as well. It’s interesting that in Sirrka Liisa Konttinen’s work, there are very few images of men working, yet there are many of women working (cleaning, etc.). Perhaps these photos were drastically different because they were coming from a female point of view. It would be interesting to study how the gender of the photographer affects the portrayal of the working class.

What I enjoy about Waplington’s photography is that it rarely seems as if the subject notices the photographer’s presence. The images gave the sense that the photographer and the subject were quite comfortable with each other, as if the photographer was just someone that was sitting around with the family in the living room. As a portrait photographer at a studio, most of the photos I take of people are contrived and don’t give the viewer a sense of who that person might be. This type of photography makes the viewer feel as if they are in the room with the subject and observing that person in a relaxed and natural setting.

Humphrey Spender described his approach as “one of spending many days with the family in order to make his presence as unobtrusive as possible.” This is similar to the naturalism Waplington strived for. However, it doesn’t specify whether the subjects considers the photographer someone they enjoy having around and bring in as part of their own family or if they view him as someone that is a separate observer that they are aware of, but have grown comfortable having around. It would be intriguing to hear the subjects’ accounts of the interaction instead of the photographer’s portrayal, It would also be interesting to notice the differences when a male photographer versus a female photographer was the observer. Unlike the gender study I mentioned before, this would be focused on the subject’s perspective instead of the photographer’s.

Photographs have value as artifacts in a way that ethnographic written texts do not. Photos don’t take very long to mentally process. Ethnographic texts have to be read, which takes time, whereas a photo can evoke a reaction in seconds and all the viewer has to do is glance at it. There are problems with this because of the formal qualities of the images, as Malinowski suggested. He believed that this distracted from the actual concerns of the ethnographer. One issue with this is because photographers tend to be more concerned with the artistic and less with the social science aspect of the images. I believe that photographs are an excellent addition to ethnographic research and even if they aren’t thought to be as qualitatively informative as formal written research might be, they do offer a look into a different worlds that words cannot express at times.

Dandiya-Raas is a traditional folk dance from Vrindavan, India (Part of Uttar Pradesh in northern India). It originated as a devotional Garba dance, which was performed in Goddess Durga’s honor. Dandiya Raas is usually performed after Aarti (worship), whereas Garba is generally performed before.

The dance is meant to depict various battles between Goddess Durga and Mahishasura (a might demon-king). Together, Garba and Raas are featured dances of Navratri (Festival of Nine Nights), a Hindu festival of worship and dance that takes place in the evenings of the festival in Western India.

Folk dances are entirely different in comparison to classical Indian dances. One big difference is there are no specific mudras. Generally, men and women dance in two circles with sticks in their hands. There is a four-beat rhythm and people stand on opposite sides of each other. While they dance, they hit sticks at the same time in a choreographed fashion. The steps of Dandiya-Raas are more intricate than Garba steps. One circle will move clockwise while the other goes counter-clockwise. In Western cultures, dancers tend to form rows rather than circles. They also tend to bob their heads more, which was most likely picked up from film culture.

In regard to costume, women wear colorful embroidered cholis, ghagras, and bandhani dupattas (traditional attire). The clothing is usually tie-dyed and has many tiny mirrors embroidered into it. Also, unlike the heavy silk costumes in classical dance, the folk dance costumes are usually made of light cotton. The dupatta (scarf) is diagonally brought down to the side and placed in a knot.

Dancers wear heavy jewelry, but the bells they use are much simpler than classical dance bells. While Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancers have their bells on a leather belt or rope, the folk dancers bells are much lighter. Bangles are very important and women usually wear heavy choker necklaces.

The dandiyas (sticks) are the main props used in the dance. They represent Goddess Durga’s sword. The sticks are usually 18 inches long and can be made out of wood or plastic.

I took these photos of my friends Punam and Lopa dancing in Punam’s backyard (with my new Nikon D300). Some of them are Raas moves and some of them are Garba moves. I changed the tone of the photos to make it seem what I think is “folky,” if that makes any sense. Please view the YouTube video below to see more photos (again, the resolution isn’t great in the video). Also, the photos in the YouTube slideshow have not been postprocessed or touched up, so they look a little rough.

To be honest, the reason I started to learn Kathak was because I had seen some older girls in my town do it and wanted to be able to dress up, wear makeup and dance on stage like they did.  I decided to stay with it throughout all the years because it was a unique and strong way for me to connect to my culture. - Tanvi Inani

The term Kathak is derived from the Sikh (under the Gurmukhi script) word katha meaning story, which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word katthya and katthaka in Sanskrit means s/he who tells a story, or to do with stories. The name of the form is properly कत्थक katthak, but this has since simplified to modern-day कथक kathak. ‘Katha kahe so kathak kahaave’ is a saying many teachers pass on to their pupils, which is generally translated as ‘she/he who tells a story, is a kathak’, but which can also be translated, ‘that which tells a story, that is Kathak’ (Wikipedia).

Kathak is a partly narrated North Indian classical dance form that was developed by nomads. It was commonly performed in courts of Muslim Rajas. Today, its form contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement. From the 16th century onwards it took on certain features of Persian dance and Central Asian dance which were imported by the royal courts of the Mughal era (Wikipedia).

Kathak is used to depict rasalilas, which are dances of divine love between Krishna (Hindu heroic god) and Radha (Krishna’s childhood friend and a lover of Krishna).

Kathak, like Bharatanatyam, is a classical dance. However, there are some key differences. For instance, Kathak has limited or no hip movements. Kathak is also based on the use of fast footwork known as tatkar as well as spins known as chakkar.

Kathak is also known for its innovative use of devotional moods in abhinayas. Aside from the traditional expressive or abhinaya pieces performed to a bhajan, ghazal or thumri, Kathak also possesses and utilizes a particular performance style of expressional pieces called bhaav bataanaa (lit. ‘to show bhaav or ‘feeling’). It is a mode where abhinaya dominates, and arose in the Mughal court. It is more suited to the mehfil or the darbar environment, because of the proximity of the performer to the audience, who can more easily see the nuances of the dancer’s facial expression. Consequently, it translates to the modern proscenium stage with difficulty. A thumri is sung, and once the mood is set, a line from the thumri is interpreted with facial abhinaya and hand movements while seated. This continues for an indefinite period, limited only by the dancer’s interpretative abilities (Wikipedia).

While Bharatanatyam has many sitting and bent knee postures, Kathak has more of a standing posture. One of the most common stances is the diamond stance, where one foot crosses over the other and the knees are slightly bent. The legs then form a diamond shape.

“The structure of a conventional Kathak performance tends to follow a progression in tempo from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax. A short danced composition is known as atukra, a longer one as a toda. There are also compositions consisting solely of footwork. Often the performer will engage in rhythmic ‘play’ with the time-cycle, splitting it into triplets or quintuplets for example, which will be marked out on the footwork, so that it is in counterpoint to the rhythm on the percussion” (Wikipedia).

There is also a difference in the costumes. Kathak performers usually wear their hair in a simple braid, unlike Bharatanatyam performers who wear a braid with a sun and moon decoration. Although the costumers are made out of silk, kathak costumes aren’t quite as elegant as Bharatanatyam costumes.

Kathak performers used to wear saris, but now they wear long skirts and tops known as lehenga cholis. Both Bharatanatyam and Kathak performers wear brass bells on their ankles. However, the bells of a Kathak performer are normally on a rope rather than a leather belt, which is the Bharatanatyam style.

I was lucky to find Tanvi Inani, a University of Iowa student. She has danced Kathak for many years and was able to give me a lot of good information. We met at Halsey Hall one night to arrange for me to shoot her photos. I had a lot of fun, although it was really warm in there. I’m not sure how Tanvi survived in all that silk!

Please click on the YouTube video below to see more of the pictures. As usual, YouTube decreased the resolution, so they don’t look as good as they normally would.

Our third day in Bahrain was when we started to explore. I’m not sure if we should call it our second or third. When we arrived in Bahrain it was turning midnight, so it’s hard to say I really spent a whole day there. For that reason, I will refer to it as the second day of our trip.

I didn’t realize shopping was such an event in Bahrain. After checking out the pool by my parents’ complex and one of the public beaches, my dad took Nawaal and I to the City Centre Mall. The beach was a gorgeous shade of aqua blue and the sunlight against the waves made it look like a bed of shimmering crystals. I wanted to hop into the water, but that would have been a bad idea with my inability to swim and all. Instead, I took some pictures of my sister.

After our relaxing time at the beach it was time to check out the mall. Okay, so here in Iowa we think Jordan Creek or Coral Ridge is big. No… I am sorry, my friends. The malls in Bahrain are ridiculously huge. We spent the entire day trying to navigate the mall instead of getting any shopping done.

One thing I really appreciate is the fast food in the food courts. It’s not McDonald’s or Panda Express (not that I don’t like Panda– I usually eat there when I go to work). However, these food courts were HUGE and had just about anything and everything you’d want to eat. My dad and sister and I decided that we were going to have some spicy kebabs and rice. For fast food kebabs, they were pretty legitimate.

While we sat in the food court we saw this adorable little girl. My sister and I are obsessed with small, cute things (babies, puppies, whatever…) and she kept smiling and waving at us. Apparently it is true that Bahrain is one of the friendliest countries in the world. Her parents (who didn’t speak much English) let us play with their daughter, even though they had no idea who we were! I know the picture of the little girl feeding her dad the fries is a little grainy, but it was so cute I had to put it up.

Later that day we had dinner at one of our auntie’s houses. FYI, South Asian people generally refer to their parents’ friends as auntie’s and uncles. Nawaal and I were absolutely exhausted by the time we got home. Not only did we not buy anything, but we got more of a workout than anything.

We had just eaten at the mall, but we were served another four course meal at our auntie’s house. It would have been rude of us to not eat anything, so we did. I thought my stomach was going to burst, I ate so much that day. At least all the food was delicious and spicy. We had shrimp curry, chicken tikka, and a delicious chocolate cake.

At one point I had a green chili pepper stuck in my throat and I thought I was going to die. I kept drinking Sprite until I thought it was gone, but there it was, lodged in my throat like a hot coal against my esophagus. It was painfully good. Actually, no, I think that was just painful.

We also made some new friends while we were there. Madiha and Manal were the auntie’s daughters. They were very sweet and intelligent. We only saw them once the entire trip, but we saw Mushfiq (another boy who was at the house) regularly while we were there. We kind of started treating him like a little brother. He acted like he hated us, but we knew deep down he was going to miss us.

After that eventful day, we went home and literally fell on our beds, closed our eyes and went to sleep.

Now with the magic and convenience of Photoshop, you’re able to produce a similar effect quick and easy – no slide films involved! This helpful tutorial by Yiiee of Photoble takes you through the process step-by-step.

Turn an ugly seagull:

Into a dreamy one:

Creating the sharp, overexposed image

Open your image in Photoshop. Now duplicate the background and call that layer “Sharp”

Duplicate that layer again and call it “Sharp +2″

Click on the layer “Sharp +2″ and set the blending mode from normal to screen. That should brighten the image.

Right click the “Sharp +2″ layer and click on Merge Down to combine the two sharp layers.

Creating the blurry image

Duplicate the Sharp +2 layer and call this new layer “Blurry”

Now on the top menu, go to Filter > Blur and then select Gaussian Blur

This where you would need to play around with the amount of Gaussian blur to apply. You want it to a level where the details are too blurred to be distinct, but the shape of the object can still be recognized. In this case, I’ve set it to 12.5. In general, the bigger the megapixel, the more blur you’d need to apply.

On the Blurry layer, change the blending mode to Multiply.

And there you have it! You can play around it with some more, by adjusting the opacity levels of the Blurry layer or have a go tweaking some Curves and Saturation. The photo below has been left as is.

You will find some objects and situations work better with the Orton effect than others. Experimenting with a variety of photos helps you get an idea of what images work better.