v Brief anger may impair blood vessel function By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 01 May 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: When adults became angry after remembering past experiences, the function of cells lining the blood vessels was negatively impaired, which may restrict blood flow. Previous research has found that this may increase the risk of... Full Article
v Personalized screening early in pregnancy may improve preeclampsia detection By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 02 May 2024 19:18:36 GMT Full Article
v Early diagnosis & treatment of peripheral artery disease essential to improve outcomes, reduce amputation risk By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 14 May 2024 18:00:00 GMT Guideline Highlights: The new joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the treatment of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and ... Full Article
v Palliative care beneficial to manage symptoms, improve quality of life for people with CVD By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:00:00 GMT Statement Highlights: Palliative medication management focuses on providing relief from symptoms and enhancing quality of life for people with cardiovascular disease throughout the various stages of the disease. Decisions about initiating, adjusting... Full Article
v Los cuidados paliativos son beneficiosos para tratar los síntomas y mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas con ECV By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:00:00 GMT Aspectos destacados de la declaración: El manejo de los medicamentos paliativos se enfoca en el alivio de los síntomas y en la mejora de la calidad de vida de las personas con enfermedades cardiovasculares en las distintas etapas de la enfermedad. La... Full Article
v 30-year risk of cardiovascular disease may help inform blood pressure treatment decisions By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: A comparison of two tools for calculating cardiovascular disease risk found that if only the current 10-year risk thresholds are applied, fewer adults may be recommended for blood pressure-lowering medication. The tools, The... Full Article
v La atención coordinada en niños con síndrome de Down y cardiopatías congénitas reviste gran importancia By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:00:00 GMT Prohibida su divulgación hasta las4:00 a. m., hora del centro / 5:00 a. m., hora del este, del jueves, 12 de septiembre de 2024 DALLAS, 12 de septiembre de 2024 - Según una nueva declaración científica de la American Heart Association (la Asociación... Full Article
v La nueva guía explica en detalle cómo manejar el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) antes, durante y después de una cirugía no cardíaca By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:00:00 GMT Aspectos destacados de la guía: La guía conjunta de la American Heart Association (la Asociación Americana del Corazón) y el American College of Cardiology, que aborda el tratamiento y la evaluación cardiovascular de los pacientes antes, durante y... Full Article
v Knowing you have a brain aneurysm may raise anxiety risk, other mental health conditions By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 26 Aug 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: People diagnosed with unruptured cerebral aneurysms (weakened areas in brain blood vessels) who are being monitored without treatment have a higher risk of developing mental illness compared to those who have not been diagnosed... Full Article
v Popular home blood pressure monitoring cuff devices may not fit some US adults By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: An analysis of at-home blood-pressure monitors estimates that the arm cuffs for 10 of the most popular potentially do not fit up to 18 million adults in the U.S. and nearly 12% of Black adults. To ensure accurate blood pressure ... Full Article
v Remote monitoring and pharmacist helped improve hard-to-control blood pressure By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: A new study finds that up to 74% of participants with resistant or difficult-to-control high blood pressure, including those with chronic kidney disease, were able to improve control of their blood pressure within 12 months after ... Full Article
v Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Sat, 07 Sep 2024 19:15:00 GMT Research Highlights: Favorable cardiovascular health in early pregnancy, as measured by the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) cardiovascular health score, was linked to lower risk of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, ... Full Article
v New Spanish language stroke prevention website aims to remove barriers to equitable health By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT DALLAS, September 9, 2024 — While stroke is the fifth-leading overall cause of death in the United States, it disproportionately impacts Hispanic people. It is the third leading cause of death among Hispanic women and the fourth leading cause of death ... Full Article
v Nuevo sitio web en español para la prevención de ataques o derrames cerebrales busca eliminar barreras a la equidad en la salud By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT DALLAS, 9 de septiembre de 2024 — Si bien el derrame cerebral es la quinta causa principal de muerte en los Estados Unidos, afecta desproporcionadamente a los hispanos. Es la tercera principal causa de muerte entre las mujeres hispanas y la cuarta ... Full Article
v Measure of body roundness may help to predict risk of cardiovascular disease By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: Body roundness index — a measure to reflect abdominal body fat and height that some health care professionals believe better reflects the proportion of body fat and visceral fat than body mass index — may help to predict a... Full Article
v COVID-19 infection appeared to increase risk of heart attack & stroke up to 3 years later By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 09 Oct 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: An analysis of UK Biobank health data that included adults who had mild to severe COVID-19 before vaccines were available found an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death among those adults during the nearly three-year... Full Article
v Heart failure, atrial fibrillation & coronary heart disease linked to cognitive impairment By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 10 Oct 2024 09:00:00 GMT Statement Highlights: Previous studies have found that 14-81% of patients with heart failure experience some degree of cognitive impairment affecting language, memory or executive function. Evidence also indicates that people with atrial fibrillation... Full Article
v Initial prescriptions of sedatives among older stroke survivors may include too many pills By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 17 Oct 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: Within 90 days after having an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, about 5% of stroke survivors ages 65 and older were prescribed benzodiazepines (depressants that relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, produce sedation and reduce seizures)... Full Article
v International research challenge to tackle knowledge gaps in women’s cardiovascular health By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT DALLAS, Sept. 25, 2024 — The American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is joining with other top cardiovascular research funders around... Full Article
v Free estate planning webinar provides tools for a secure financial future By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 08 Oct 2024 16:55:00 GMT Full Article
v Nearly $10M investment will expand and enhance stroke care in Minnesota, South Dakota By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT DALLAS, October 10, 2024 — Across the United States, more than 90% of stroke patients have some form of disability as a result and more than 11% experience a second stroke within a year. This risk weighs particularly heavily on people living in rural... Full Article
v Oklahoma State basketball team joins the Nation of Lifesavers By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:00:00 GMT STILLWATER, Okla., October 28, 2024— The Oklahoma State University (OSU) men's basketball team participated in an American Heart Association Hands-Only CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training to learn the correct rate and depth of CPR ... Full Article
v Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine Dr. Robert Harrington to receive the 2024 Chairman’s Award By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:00:00 GMT Embargoed until 7 a.m. CT/8 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 DALLAS, Nov. 6, 2024 — Robert A. Harrington, M.D., FAHA, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, will receive the 2024 Chairman’s Award at the... Full Article
v Dr. Lauren Sansing to receive the 2024 Basic Research Prize By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:00:00 GMT Embargoed until 7 a.m. CT/8 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 DALLAS, Nov. 6, 2024 — Lauren H. Sansing, M.D., M.S., FAHA, professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, will receive the Basic Research Prize from the ... Full Article
v Photographing Fall Colors – Where is the Vividness That I Saw By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:08:00 +0000 Many times I've gone out to photograph the beautiful colors that blanket the trees in Fall. My mind and inner vision is completely lit up with these glowing embers that dance in the wind on the trees. At this moment and place nothing seems more wondrous and somehow these colors seems to permeate deep into my collective thoughts where vivid memories live. You may wonder why the need for all these flowery thoughts. Its because when I get home, what I see from the camera is nowhere near as spectacular as how I felt at the time. I do shoot in RAW format and I know that this format from the camera tends to be a little muted but even increasing the vibrancy, it still doesn’t come close to the mind's snapshot. I think that photographing the wondrous colors of fall is actually a hard thing to accomplish if you want to achieve the vision you had at the moment the shutter clicked. I believe there are 2 main reasons for this.First is that the reds, oranges and yellow of the leaves are highly saturated & luminous and beyond the ability of the camera's color gamut to capture. The color space of sRGB and Adobe RGB just don’t extend far enough to record these highly saturated and bright colors. Second the leaves normally have small moments in the wind and they appear to shimmer, thereby giving them the appearance in the mind's memory of being brighter. When I took the above photograph the yellows on these 2 trees did appear this bright. They glowed in the afternoon sun and were even brighter, almost like a candle flame, but upon reviewing the camera's result it was duller and more greenish-yellow. The image below is from camera with white balance on birch tree set to neutral white 5300K. You may find my modified version (1st photo) a bit gaudy but it does reflect how I felt about this scene. I darkened the sky to increase contrast between the 2 yellow tees. I also, for the greenish yellow leaves, shifted the hue to be more yellow and then increased lightness and saturation as much as I could and still retain detail. The grass was also darkened and made cooler, more blue-green, to again increase contrast with the yellow tops. In the photograph below the sun peeked out near sunset just after the rain had gone by and lit up this singular tree. Again the camera made those leaves less bright and more orange. Once again I increased lightness and saturation towards yellow for the bright leaves. I also added a purplish tint to clouds, (complementary color of yellow) to increase color contrast. I extracted the yellow leaves and increased layer size by 10 pixels and then added a slight blur of about 2 and set this layer to overlay. A pseudo Orton effect to give a glowing effect. In the next image below, the colors, except for a little vibrancy, remain mostly as captured. I did change the sky from a bright blue to a duller and less saturated version with clouds. The original blue negative space was too dominating and took viewers vision away from the tree colors. Many of the good fall photographs have lots of cooler and darker tones surrounding bright trees that help make those fall colors more prominent within the scene. If you have good photo-editing tools don't be afraid to play around and change anything to suit your needs and vision. After all, it's how you saw it at least in your mind. Niels Henriksen Full Article Fall Landscape
v Reviewing your photographs from Older Archives By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:35:00 +0000 Sometimes its just plain fun to go through your archive of older photos. Now with a distant memory of the scenes and events your photographs may appear better than previous scans. This is in part due to that at the time there are too many good photos and those not with the highest rating but still with merit tend to get drowned out. This image was taken at one of the great Buddhas in Kamakura Japan. The hawk like bird may seem small but this Buddha is very large. Without the bird it would be hard to understand the scale of this image. It could be in anyone’s home garden. Besides scale the bird helps to give height to statue as there is the appearance that the head is up high where birds soar. The next image with people in it does convey the scale of the Buddha. In theses type of metal statues the green colors are soft and muted and it is easy for green foliage to overpower the scene. That is why I have mute the greens in the background to give the Buddha statue more visual punch. The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. It's the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, at a height of 13.35 meters, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple. The statue was originally built in 1252 and located inside a large temple hall. The temple buildings were destroyed many times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries. So, since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open ground. Do take the time to review your collection as there may be hidden gold or at least fond memories of places you've been. Niels Henriksen. Full Article travel
v Book Review – Serengeti – The Eternal Beginning By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:45:00 +0000 I was excited to get the opportunity to review a photography book that wasn't technical in nature. It gave me a chance to read for once and not have to think about the technical merits about the subject material being discussed. At first I thought it might just be a pure photography book, nothing but pictures and little text. When it arrived I realized that there was a fair amount of story that surrounded the photos. The story about the Serengeti was very interesting and unique and an important part of the book. Book Title: Serengeti – The Eternal BeginningAuthor: Boyd NortonISBN: 978-1-55591-593-3Publisher: Fulcrum PublishingHard cover - 265 pages The ReviewOne of the first things that struck me about the book was the experience and depth that the author 'Boyd Norton' had with this area of Africa. While its not exactly clear, it appears that he has spent more than 25 years visiting and getting to know this area intimately about the life and its nuances in the Serengeti. The book is not only about Serengeti as its title suggests but also includes the Maswa Game Reserve, Ngorongoro conservation area, Loliondo Game controlled area and the Masai Mara National Reserve. As with most geographical features, country boundaries do not define its scope. This geographical area defines the coverage, for the most part of the 'Great Migration' that we are all familiar with. Where thousands upon thousand of larger African animals such as wildebeests are seen to run for thousands of miles in search of food as the weather patterns change. While the predators lie in wait for the dinner train to run by. The author discusses the parks earliest beginnings when there wasn’t a park but only early explorers and big game hunters. The early problems all countries seem to have when they want to control activities within an area with competing demands from indigenous groups, expanding farming base and other users of the resources. This is not only a book about the big and small animals that are found here but about the life of the people who have lived here for aeons. It’s interesting to read how the locals, weather patterns and what was a perfect balance of nature all worked together to create a faultless ecosystem. Especially when you think of this place as the dawn of human kind some 3-4 million year ago. The author’s writings give a life to photos that are not apparent directly from the photos. As an example, he discusses how certain rock outcrops called Gol Kopjes seems to have extra gravity that applies only to the big cats. In that whenever they arrive on these outcrops the local rock gravity immediately pulls them flat on the rock and holds them for hours. The book covers the Great Migration when it seems most of the life in the Serengeti is on the move and about the carnivores who patiently wait for their turn at the Great Feast or migration as we call it. The next chapter is about the lions which is a fascinating subculture all unto itself. Who gets to lead, who eats and who gets to live with the group. The 4th chapter is about Ngorongoro which is the remains of a huge volcano called a caldera, like a giant cauldron. In this crater life is different due to its unique ecosystem. The next chapter deals with creatures both large and small and how like any balanced system they each depend on each other for survival. From control of foliage to providing food for the predators. If your visit is to only see the big game animals then you are missing so much more about the life in the Serengeti. The next chapters deal each with the other more famous of the big African animals such as the Rhino, Leopard, Cheetah and Elephant and how they live and communicate. There are personal stories around each encounter with the wilds of Africa and this is what makes this book more exciting than just a lot of photos. There is Anna who can talk Rhino talk and the perception that they are stupid is really outdated. There are also the Acadia trees who can communicate when the giraffes arrive for dinner. Recommended Audience This book doesn’t tell you how to use your camera or take better photographs, which I'm glad as sometimes we just need stories that surround images we are seeing. Inspiration rarely comes from a technical how-to-manual. I now know that if I were to go on an African photo safari I would not expect or want a 1 or 2 day quick tour and photo-op around the park. The book has conveyed to me that there is just so much more to see and experience that it can only be fully appreciated if you take the time to watch and wait. When there, live in the flow of the Serengeti's life. If not for yourself then this would make a great gift for any friend who has been talking about going on an excursion to see those big game animals of Africa. A time before man, at least modern man, has had an impact on the natural world. Link to: Boyd Norton`s Wilderness Photography website with info on supporting the Serengeti. Photo Safari excursions conducted in the Serengeti. I have provided an amazon link for the book, below.Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning Niels Henriksen Disclaimer:Other than receiving a book to review, which will be given away, I did not or will not receive any remunerations, gifts or any considerations for this review from the publisher, author or anyone affiliated with this book. Update:Thanks to a comment from Mike I realized that I hadn't fully reviewed the book by also commenting on the photographs within the book. I found every photo crisp and clear and representative of the its natural environment. The photos are taken as found and therefore the lighting is natural and not staged. Nor are the images manipulated to give extra punch as I am prone to do. All are color prints with no B&W. Since most of the animals by nature's design want to blend in with their surrounding there is not always a lot of high contrast, but they all stand out in the photos. The photos are all of the caliber that you would find in the National Geographic magazine. The front cover image is representative of the quality of images whether they are up close or distant landscapes contained within the book. Full Article books
v A Very Social Christmas and A Happy Connected New Year By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:44:00 +0000 I want to wish everyone, whether you celebrate Christmas or other seasonal festivities, a very happy holiday season and a great new year with many new opportunities for creative growth.From the title you may guess that I am talking about social media, which I am, but more about how I try to fit within that world. Taken in 1955 in Denmark at 4 years old and trying to be a grown-up I believe that, like many people, I seem to have those social connections that you need to link with other people. This works fine if I need to talk or connect with someone but I’m not sure how my articles about photography and other art works all fit within the new worlds of social media. How do I remain fresh and new with all these social outlets competing for the same information. I have My Camera World Blog this and there is a corresponding Facebook page FaceBook My Camera World There is also my art blog ' Niels Henriksen Artworks ' where I post articles about my artwork, whether a painting, fine art photography or other mediums. This is again is matched on Facebook with Facebook - Niels Henriksen Artworks Who says all self portraits have to be ugly. Well maybe they are. There is also just plain old me on Facebook at Niels Henriksen. This Facebook page was initially just to connect with people I talk to regularly but I find I do post mostly about my photography and paintings.I have also loaded some of my photographs on Niels Henriksen on Flickr Please take the time to connect and I'll connect back so I can see some of your photographs. My first studio work where I placed my model battle ships and tried to created a war scene. DOF and focus what's that. Then there’s my Linkedin page which is only visible if you are on linkedin and we have connected. Since we are heading back to San Miguel de Allende for 3 months in Jan I have contacted people about conducting walkabouts with some basic photography lessons included. More than 20 people have shown an interest. To help co-ordinate these walk-abouts and share photos I created a Facebook page ' San Miguel de Allende Photography Club '. Even at 12 years of age I had penchant for the abstract. Honestly this was not an accidental shot, at least that's what I say now. And just lately I've signed on to Goolge+ but as yet haven’t posted anything and that’s the dilemma. How do I remain somewhat fresh across all the media outlets? I just don't want to re-post the same material available on other sites. I don't mind using some of the same images if there is some contextual difference for the audience. This year I want to get a better handle on the whole social media culture and ensure that on each site there is something new and relevant to the reader. I sure would like to here how you are handling your multiple media streams with your content or any ideas about what would work. Please feel free to connect with me on any or all these social sites as I'm happiest when I'm connected with you. Niels Henriksen Full Article Portraits
v An Explosion of Colors at the El Señor de la Conquista Festival in San Miguel de Allende By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:13:00 +0000 The one thing I enjoy most about San Miguel de Allende is that you'er busy. I'm taking photographs everyday, meeting old and new friends and enjoying lots of events. There are many artist shows opening every week and then there's the special film showing and theater plays. The downside, at least for my blog readers, is the problem with actually getting down and writing a new article. I was working on a theme and then on Friday the 2nd of March there was the 'El Señor de la Conquista' Festival in San Miguel de Allende in and around the center square called 'el Jardin'. There were 5 different groups from local towns nearby each with their own style of dress and costumes. Withh such a display of colors and action it was not hard to keep photographing as they almost performed continuously for 10 hours. There was a small break in the afternoon as they started around 10:00am and continued until 9:00pm. Even the people resting provided good photographic opportunities. It's easy to see from the next photo how much these dancers enjoyed and were engrossed with their performances. During breaks they laid their headdress on the ground. The music playing and drums resonated over the whole town all day long and if you wanted a quiet spot you almost had to head out of town. Great costumes and action. Even fathers and sons participated. San Miguel is first an historic town with stunning architecture but the festivals which almost happen every weekend during some months add that extra spice and color to your stay here. Niels Henriksen Full Article Action San Miguel de Allende Street People
v Why Photographing Hats Can Improve Your Street People Photography By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:40:00 +0000 This wasn’t something that I consciously knew, maybe deep down we all tend to know these types of things, but something I discovered while undertaking a new photography project in San Miguel de Allende. There are many, many ideas to photograph in San Miguel. Doors are a very common theme, I did one last year and one I am continuing this year. I was looking for something different and with the almost constant blue skies and bright sun, even stronger at 6,800 feet, most people if not all the gringos wear hats. Everyday I walk around photographing almost anything and everything. Great fun and focusing on Hats gave me a new challenge. I am reserved when it comes to photographing people out and about on the street. I feel reluctant to invade their privacy but deep down I love how people relate and engage the city streets. Here in Mexico, being such a tourist destination, the locals are even more wary of being photographed and many times hide there face or just look away. If a person is not comfortable with their photo being taken I won't take it. A different type of sun covering When I photographed street people I tended to hesitate too long (should I or not) with taking the shot and the impromptu moment was lost as they tended to now be aware of the camera. This man is not praying but doing close-up photography of the cactus I found out after the fact that when I was just focusing on people's hats I tended to think less of the person and more on the object of the hat. This allowed me to be quicker with the decision to shoot and also it allowed me to shoot more often. Who wouldn't love this big Mexican hat Because I was focusing on an object it even allowed me to approach people and ask then if I could photograph them with their hat as this was a project of mine. I think people felt more comfortable in letting me photograph them because I wasn't really just photographing them. It was an inanimate object and somehow that was OK. A hatted man with lots of hats I suggest you give yourself a try at this project and see if you don't now photograph more people. Niels Henriksen Full Article Portraits San Miguel de Allende Street People
v Festivals in San Miguel de Allende By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:21:00 +0000 It seems like there is always some sort of festival going on in San Miguel. In fact, there really is. Most of these are tied to religious or Mexican national events, but at times there also those unexpected festivals. When they involve children they can make for extra special photographic events. And who doesn’t love the smiles and special faces that children can make. Add a few costumes and now there is magic in the air. Last year and again this year there was the multicultural school event with kids coming from many districts. I wasn't paying special attention to the date as I didn’t even know it was happening again. I only came by the festival when I was heading by the Jardin. Which is a daily ritual for me in my treks around town. I didn't notice the festival event in the local paper Atencion which is great for highlighting events in and around town. There is always so much going on that it's easy to miss one, or sometimes the festival's name is in Spanish and it may not be evident by its title. I asked one of the girls participants to pose with the rose as she seemed to have the best smile of all of them.She and the boy in the image above were the central characters in their school skit. The pair of them started off sitting on a bench and the boy appeared to reject the advances of the girl. I believe that this was part of a Valentines theme as every person had a heart on their palms. After a short interval, with the music was playing all the time, the rest of their class mates joined them on stage and performed a choreographed dance. It was great fun to watch and in this photo you can see all their hearts on their hands. A few weeks later I came across an art festival called “Thank You Art' project. This is were kids and some adults, me included, glued coloured tissue paper to a clear plexiglass sheet. They were allowed to cut the sheets into strange shapes or with cut-outs and even write messages on their sheets. Then they were glued on top of each other in a multitude of different colors. When the panels were hung in a lighted area they glowed like stained glass panels. During my photographing of the kids enjoying themselves one of the directors of the project asked me if they could use some of my photos for the up coming display of the final glass sheets. I was fortunate to have several of my images selected for the Art show in the Biblioteca that ran for 2 weeks.They printed my images 39cm x 52 cm (15” x 20”) and hung them on the wall around the 2 plexiglass sheets that looked like large stained glass windows. When in San Miguel you should always, and I mean always, have your camera with you as you never know what's just waiting around the next corner. Three times during my winter stay I did not take my camera with me and I regretted it each time. Now I don't leave home without it. It may be a bit heavy so I carry it in my backpack. Niels Henriksen Full Article festivals San Miguel de Allende Street People
v Alien Skin Exposure 4 Photographic Software Review By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 10 May 2012 17:36:00 +0000 There is nothing more wonderful than exploring new tools or ways for something you are passionate about. A B&W Infra-Red (IR) processing of a red barn and green fields What is the Purpose of this Software? Exposure is an add-on photo-editing application for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Elements that provides almost a complete list of film types, both B&W and Color, for processing for the digital darkroom. I say almost as I didn't count the list of film types in this application and I don't even know all the films that have ever been made, but they sure seem to be all here. 'Sepia – blue Finish (modified)' setting with a layer set to 'Lighten' mode (31%) for an Expsure 4 ver. of 'Kodak HIE (Halation moderate)' One test of software is to see how it feels right out of the box. A lot like taking a performance sports car for a test drive. You may not know everything about it but you know how to drive and turn corners. I never read the manual first as I believe that a person with reasonable skills on the computer and with digital editing should know how to turn it on and drive around a little. Exposure 4 did not fail here. It was easy to install and when launched, the layout and buttons were intuitive. The only problem I had was that it was almost 2 hours later when I realized how much I had been playing with the different types of films. How would I use this Photo-Editing Software? Exposure 4 has a great repertoire of classic, vintage and just plain old films both in color and B&W. Combined with these types of film selections are the various processing adjustments you might make in a wet darkroom, such as contrast, toning, bleaching, cross-processing, calotype, platinum and much more. Some of these are obvious as the IR and Platinum and High contrast B&W I have shown above. Even old color films with faded color can provide unique approaches to the photographic images. Without having access to the original old photograph, an older reproduction could be re-made. This could be cast against another image to create a story of 'then and now' and subject of an interesting photographic book. In the image above I took 2 photos and I applied old color film technique to the bordered version to create the effect of laying an old photo on a new photo to show a change over time. How well does it Perform? Having a 7 processors and 12TB of RAM there should be no speed issues with loading and applying application settings. It was just over a sec to load and less to applying any film setting. The window is originally set up with 3 panels. Large central being the photo being edited. The panel on the right is the main adjustment panel color. See composite below. There is enough functionality to do almost everything you want. A minor problem with the numbers dialog boxes. When you enter a number it doesn't apply until you click the panel and if you use the Enter key it applies the Exposure 4 application. I would rather have that only happen when I click the OK button. The panel on the left are all the pre-set film settings which are based on some combination of settings on the right panel. This is great because once you found a style that suits your needs you can then tweak it to best suit the photograph. I did find that using the color filter produced better color (brighter) for me than using the same color on a layer in Photoshop. It might be the preserve luminosity check box. With my sample photos the rendering of effects was clean with no noticeable distortions unless of course you cranked the saturation way up. I like that both side panels can be minimized and it's easy to zoom into a section for better clarity. With a 24” monitor some apps don't allow full screen editing. I also like how you can save your own presets. The above image is from one I tested since I had created a B&W version previously. The software did produce versions that I liked as well and maybe even better than the original. Who is this Software meant for? For anyone how wants to experience the look of chemical film technology and its variant processes. Definitely for commercial ad type photographic needs. Here with the press of a button, a vintage effect can be created without much time spent by the user. For creative types who may want to create story-line or books where the type of photograph is integral to the story experience For fine-art photographers that require a specific look, as with my image of the tree and bench, that is not easily achieved in Photoshop. To create new layers that can be set to one of the blend modes. There is a practice to create a B&W version of your image that looks best and then set this to luminosity for your color photo. While I haven’t experimented that much with these I suspect I will find some of the film output useful as a blend mode. Recommendations This is a good solid product that provides a wealth of film types and genres. It is easy to use and intuitive. I would give this software a 4 – 4 ½ rating. The limiting factor would be price for a new user at approx $249. but an upgrade is only $99. As an investment, I view software the same as a lens. It's a tool to help you meet your needs or goals. Many people find the cost of software somewhat prohibitive and yet see no problem with spending more on a new lens. I love a lens also as there's something about that precision instrument you are holding. But I photo-edit every photo I show to the public. I always want to bring out the very best and convey the feelings and experience I had at the time I took the photograph. The straight out-of-the-camera version doesn’t give me this. It is a mechanical device and not a human. Definitely do download a trial version and play with it. Niels Henriksen Disclaimer: Other than receiving a copy of the software to review, I did not or will not receive any remunerations, gifts or any considerations from this review from the company, its agents or any of its distributors Full Article PhotoShop software
v Test of Nikon D800e, a DX lens and a Teleconverter By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:59:00 +0000 I was fortunate to finally get a Nikon D800e (36 Mpx) after a brief 3 month wait. I didn't, and I also think its the same with Nikon, expect that there would be such a huge demand for this camera. I don't know why Nikon seemed to leap so far ahead with its next generation but I'm grateful. I think there are millions (well a whole bunch anyway) more who also think the same.This is a full frame camera and a DX lens will work but is cropped due to limited image area. The camera even has mode where it will auto detect a DX lens and crop accordingly. Knowing that there is still a little more image available with the DX crop I decided not to crop and use whatever was available. Nikon D800e with 70-200mm f2.8 VR. The image on right is actual size of window pane My favorite DX lens is the 18-200mm f3.5 VR and as I travel around I notice others who like this lens. While it may have some pincushion and barrel distortion, thanks to Photoshop lens correction, this is almost all eliminated. Nikon D800e with 70-200mm f2.8 VR set to 1.2 crop. The image on right is actual size of window pane. I didn't realize at first that the crop factor also applied to FX lens. It was while I was performing a resolution test with my D300 and the new D800e by using both the 18-200mm f3.5 VR and the 70-200mm f2.8 VR that I noticed that when full zoomed on the DX lens that vignetting seemed to disappear, but looked like a dime at 18mm.This excited me more than the current test and therefore I decided to pursue this further.The 18-200mm is really like a 24-300mm on a DX camera due to the 1.5 crop factor and this range will meet about 90% of my needs. With a 1.4 teleconverter on the FX camera it's now almost the same range as on a DX camera.The test I performed was hand-held as I didn't need with this test to check for perfect resolution. I stood in front of a large apartment building in the parking lot across the street and remained at the same position while I changed the lens focal length.In the 1st test, see film strip below, there is significant vignetting in the 18mm and slowly reduces as the focal length is increased. Even at 200mm there is still slight vignetting at the corners. When the teleconverter was added then magic seemed to appear. At 18mm there is only slight vignetting at the corners and disappears by 24mm. The film strip below shows the changes with teleconverter added. Now a favorite lens becomes useful on my full frame camera.Most lens that have such a wide range of focal lens is all about compromises when being designed and built. The same with the 18-200mm f3.5 VR. Photoshop easily handles the barrel distortion. But this lens at the glass edge, maybe more is being used now, also has a fair amount of chromatic appellation. This is also handled well with Photoshop. Since most artistic images don't need to be sharp or well defined at the corners of a photograph then any additional distortion caused by using more lens area is not really a problem with digital-editing.So when and if you do decide to go full frame one day then your DX glass can be useful with a teleconverter.The reason this works is because the lens is now further from the sensor and therefore increases in size on sensor chip. Take a magnifying glass and hold it to show an image appearing upside down on a piece of paper. Now move the magnifying glass further away and watch how the image on the paper grows larger. The same happens with a teleconverter attached.Niels Henriksen Full Article Equipment
v Ottawa Lumiere Festival of Lights – Full Camera Skills Needed By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:44:00 +0000 The Ottawa annual Lumiere Festival of Lights is not just a wonderful events for kids and spectators it's also a great chance to get some interesting and new photos for your collection. ISO 400; f6.3; 13 sec; -0.67ev; 123mm; tripod mounted; Nikon D300 This is my 3rd time attending this event and each and every time I go there is something new to see. The festival is all about light and for this event it means candle power. There are activities for kids in the leading-up week where they make wonderful colorful paper mache objects that have holders inside to take those small candles in metal cans. These candles go inside the object and are lit at dusk. This creates a wonderful glow emanating for the colorful paper mache objects. ISO 2,500 f5.6; 1 sec; 48mm Hundreds of these lit lanterns in the shape of many different forms from faces to animals line the many paths around New Edinburgh park in Ottawa. For the photographer it's visually stunning but also provides many photographic challenges in order to capture the event as the night unfolds. When you first arrive around 7:30pm, you are at the golden hour of light and normal settings gets most of these shots. You may need a bit of fill light from your flash and here an attached strobe flash is necessary to get just enough light to fill area and the ability to reduce the exposure (-ev) so as to not over power the ambient light. See image of man on stilts below. ISO 200; f5.6; 1/60 sec; 40mm; Flash -1ev With hundreds of kids moving around and depending on their activity in front of you, a long exposure shot may create interesting photo image. The children in the image below are playing a large chess game. I wanted to show motion blur to create effect of action within the photo. ISO 80; f25; 3 sec; 32mm As dusk starts to envelope a more stronger flash is necessary to freeze motion and completely fill subject as with the Tango dancer. ISO 200; f5.6; 1/60 sec; 100mm; Flash There are other areas like the lit swans in the river where flash won't work and a long exposure is needed to amplify available light to avoid the noise of higher ISOs. But when there is some wind movement then you will need the higher ISOs as in the photo below. In these photos it's all about the soft glow of candle power. ISO 2,500; f5.6; 0.3 sec; -0.3ev; 190mm; tripod mounted ISO 2,500; f5.6; 2 sec; -1ev; 28mm; tripod mounted But a near full darkness only longer exposure times and a tripod will get you those interesting photos like the girls with their glowing and twirling hula hoops. The main event at this festival is a giant maze on a baseball diamond (to reduce chance of grass fire) covered with lunch paper bags filled with a little sand for stability and then a small candle. There are hundreds of children walking around this maze but with long exposures they do not show up in the photo because of their darkness. It's only when they are carrying candles or light that they show up as a moving white line. ISO 1,000; f5.6; -1ev; 3sec; 1230mm; tripod mounted At this event I did use my new Nikon D800e and I found it worked well. I did forget to bring my small flashlight to light the buttons on the camera. Thankfully there remained mostly the same from the D300 and I could with some ease figure where to press to make changes to seetings. In summary for an event like this you need to be able to switch between: Aperture, Shutter priority and Manual mode – Flash will freeze when necessary. Low and high ISOs. Normal shutter speeds and long exposures of 2-3 seconds. Flash power adjustments for fill light strengths. Hand-held and tripod shooting. I do hope you all get a chance to try events like these or a an amusement park or fair ground. Niels Henriksen Full Article festivals Night Photography
v Leading national groups voice ‘full support’ for prohibiting menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Sun, 05 Nov 2023 13:00:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5, 2023 — Weeks after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review, the American Heart ... Full Article
v Targeted scientific research projects to demonstrate effectiveness of ‘food is medicine’ in health care By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:00:00 GMT DALLAS, Jan. 24, 2024 — In an effort to identify effective food is medicine approaches for incorporating healthy food into health care delivery, the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health... Full Article
v Cardiac arrest survivors, families urge approval of HEARTS Act By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:30:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., March 20, 2024 — The U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee today is considering the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, which would help ensure students ... Full Article
v In victory for public health, federal appeals court upholds FDA’s graphic cigarette warnings By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Fri, 22 Mar 2024 19:33:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a major victory for public health, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has unanimously upheld graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and advertising required under a 2020 FDA rule. This... Full Article
v Administration continues to delay ending sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 01 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., April 1, 2024 — In December 2023, the White House announced a delay in the release of final rules to eliminate menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and all characterizing flavors (other than tobacco) in cigars. At the time,... Full Article
v La Administración continúa retrasando el fin de la venta de cigarrillos mentolados y puros de todos los sabores By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 01 Apr 2024 15:12:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., 1 de abril 2024: En diciembre de 2023, la Casa Blanca anunció un retraso en la publicación de las normas definitivas para eliminar el mentol como sabor característico de los cigarrillos y todos los sabores característicos (excepto el ... Full Article
v Ruling in the Braidwood Case Continues Uncertainty Over Access to No-Cost Preventive Screenings By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Fri, 21 Jun 2024 21:00:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., June 21, 2024 – Today, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals limited a lower court ruling that many health insurance plans would no longer be required to provide cost-free coverage of preventive services recommended by the United States... Full Article
v Supreme Court decision to overturn ‘Chevron deference’ threatens to disrupt public health care system By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Fri, 28 Jun 2024 18:42:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., June 28, 2024 — Today, the Supreme Court of the United States announced its decision on the Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo case and its companion case, Relentless v. Dept. of Commerce. The majority’s opinion abolishes the rule of... Full Article
v New data show both improvement and concerning trend in youth tobacco use By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:39:00 GMT DALLAS, September 5, 2024 — The American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, issued the following statement in response to the 2024... Full Article
v La Cámara de Representantes aprueba un proyecto de ley que salvaría la vida de quienes sufran un paro cardíaco en el ámbito de una escuela By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 23 Sep 2024 19:13:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., 23 de septiembre de 2024 — En el día de hoy, la Cámara de Representantes de los EE. UU. aprobó la Ley de Educación para la Salud, Concienciación, Investigación y Capacitación sobre Cardiomiopatías en las Escuelas (Health Education,... Full Article
v Bill that would save lives from cardiac arrest in schools clears House By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 23 Sep 2024 19:42:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., September 23, 2024 — The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, which would help ensure students, staff and school visitors are prepared... Full Article
v “What Would They Say?” spoken word video named finalist in international award competition By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:15:00 GMT DALLAS, Oct. 28, 2024 —“What Would They Say?” – the powerful spoken word poem produced by the American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain... Full Article
v Second booster approved as option for additional protection against COVID-19 By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 29 Mar 2022 17:44:21 GMT Full Article
v More than $10M in research grants awarded to study long COVID impact on CVD health By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 14 Apr 2022 16:54:02 GMT Full Article
v New USPSTF guidance: Continue to take low-dose aspirin if you have a history of heart attack, AFib, stroke or vascular stenting By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 26 Apr 2022 15:05:00 GMT DALLAS, Tuesday, April 26, 2022 – Earlier today, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its final recommendations on low-dose aspirin therapy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults: people who have a history ... Full Article
v Nueva guía del USPSTF: seguir tomando una dosis baja de aspirina si tienes antecedentes de ataque cardíaco, fibrilación auricular (FibA), ataque o derrame cerebral o stent vascular By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 26 Apr 2022 15:05:00 GMT DALLAS, martes 26 de abril del 2022 - El martes, el Grupo Especial de Servicios Preventivos de los EE. UU. (USPSTF, del inglés U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) publicó sus recomendaciones finales sobre el tratamiento con dosis bajas de aspirina ... Full Article
