As you may have read already in the Winter 2013 issue, I started my wildlife project that will involve various wildlife rescue centers locally and around the world eventually. I exclusively use Sigma lenses with my photography work. Why is that you ask? Well, the colors captured, the glass, the ease of use, the solid build; I think they are absolutely fantastic. The main lenses I used for the first part of my series at the Marine Mammal Center are: The Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens and Sigma 120-300/2.8 DG OS HSM.

The 17-50 features a nice range of focal lengths, a wide f/2.8 aperture, HSM autofocus and OS (optical stabilization) in a well-built and awesomely-priced lens. This lens is my “general purpose” lens. I use it for everything, almost any kind of shot; take it with me everywhere; all except the bathroom. The wide aperture is a great advantage. Use the wide aperture to stop action (or camera motion) in low light by allowing a faster/shorter shutting speed and/or to blur the background. At 17mm, you are going to need closer subjects to make any background blur at 17mm f/2.8, but, at 50mm, blurring the background becomes very easy. With the lens wide open, f/2.8 aperture, it is impressively sharp in the center throughout the focal length range with 50mm showing very little reduced sharpness. This particular lens controls vignetting extremely well, not really a problem at all. Overall, I’m extremely happy with my Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens’ image quality, sometimes the corner sharpness is lacking, but it varies, and it is not enough where I would complain. Sigma lenses in general, all of their lenses in my opinion, have a superior build quality. The focus and zoom rings are very smooth with no wiggle play. The zoom ring has the right amount of resistance, while the focus ring has slightly a little too much play. But I’ve grown used to it and it suits me just perfectly.
There were a few times I could not get in close, when the vets and volunteers were treating the Sea Lions. Maybe this choice was extreme, but that is just me, I decided to throw on the Sigma 120-300/2.8 DG OS HSM. It enabled me to get in close without bothering the Doctor and his crew. That is important, especially in a wildlife hospital environment, being there without being in the way. Anyhow, my close-up shots of “Melbourne” when they were taking blood samples; came out precise and sharp. I had no issues with focus accuracy on most shots taken with the Sigma APO 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM. AF was not always absolutely perfect, but was always well within the typical Nikon specifications for f2.8 lenses. There are two OS modes. Mode 1 is for general use and provides both vertical and horizontal stabilization. Mode 2 is for use when panning and stabilizes on the vertical axis.
The OS is very useful though when using the Sigma 120-300 hand held. It’s a heavy lens (6.5lbs), a f!@#$% monster, so it’s not easy to hold steady for long lengths of time. That additional 2-3 stops of stability make it a much more useful lens that quite simply; kicks ass. Sharpness is excellent at all focal lengths. It’s well built, fast, optically amazing and the stabilization system works ridiculously well. The most amazing thing is the price! It sells for around $3200! Yes that is quite steep for any artist or photographer out there, but Sigma’s competitors run about $4,000 to sometimes even $6,000 for the same type of bang! The Sigma 120-300 is not cheap, but it is a lot more affordable than their competitors.
Overall I give the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM and Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM, a positive 200%. Please lookout for my next article on the Lassen Volcanic National Park area. I will be using the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM and also a lot of other Sigma goodies. Stay tuned. You can see more of my work and keep updated with news and projects here: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelKeelPhotography
If you would like to donate to my journey “Lions/Moonbears project,” please go to: http://www.gofundme.com/protectlions-moonbears

The movement of a horse, side to side, forward and backwards, is a movement similar to the steps of a human when walking.

This gentle stimulation relaxes tight muscles and increases the range of motion for riders. This motion also encourages the rider to work on strengthening their balance and challenges them to work harder in complete safety and fun. This sense of accomplishment, no matter how slight, is the confidence builder that develops growth and self-assurance.

Social: Allows interaction with others of like limitations, and helps form new friendships with staff, volunteer teams and of course, the horse.

Emotional: Grooming, bathing, tacking and nurturing the needs of a large 1200 pound animal safely and with love focuses the student outward.

Physical: Decreased spasticity, strengthening of the respiratory system, stretching, posture, speech, hand to eye coordination, muscle tone, sensory touch and balance are improved through exercises, games and various teaching objects.

Directional: Students learn to respond to right, left, down, forward, stop, walk and back through various activities, improving a sense of direction and concentration.

Visual: Identify equipment, symbols, objects, and associate a name with a horse.

Cognitive: The student responsiveness to teaching directives, in the class, reasoning through turns and obstacles, helps them deal with behavioral reactions in their world.

Relaxation: HAVING FUN!!

Equine Therapy is one of the fastest-growing options in the therapy of autism and pediatric cancer.

Why choose to work with a horse to help facilitate your recovery?

The presence of a horse brings comfort and positive energy and help the student to conquer whatever the day brings.

Emotional healing is an ongoing process no matter what stage of diagnosis, treatment, or recovery you are in.

Horses may be large in stature and equally as big in heart. They are sensitive, honest and very perceptive to human emotions.

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Winston Churchill.

Cancer Patient Classes-

Taught by Jackie Sourini, NARHA Certified Instructor and 2 time cancer survivor!

Hug
Groom
Ride
Sponsor

HEALING WITH HORSES
Therapeutic Horse Lessons
Lessons for non-riders:

A major emphasis is placed on time for each student to bond with their horse or pony. Students will first learn to move safely around a horse and then they will learn to lead a horse and be taught ground exercises that are fun for the horse and student.

Lots of time will be spent grooming and petting. Students can talk privately to their horse about hopes and dreams and receive strength and wordless comfort.
Lessons for riders:

In addition to the skills learned by non-riders, this next step includes learning how to get on and off a horse safely, how to start and stop a horse and go in the direction you want at a comfortable pace. Every student is assigned a horse leader and aids to walk alongside the horse to ensure rider safety.

The Instructor will determine the students skill level and place them accordingly. Our instructors will create a lesson plan geared to improving skills and having fun.

No previous riding experience necessary.

We are pleased to offer this therapeutic horse program to watch the difference it will make in our student’s lives!

SPONSOR A HORSE TODAY in honor of a loved one who has or is dealing with cancer. Your sponsorship dollars will help to ensure that we can offer this beautiful healing program.

Mission: Florida Disabled Outdoors Association enriches lives through accessible, inclusive recreation for all.

Long Range Objectives

1. To educate the public and disseminate information pertaining to recreational areas, facilities, programs, events, and opportunities that include persons with disabilities.
2. To promote and provide recreational activities and programs for people of all abilities and all ages.
3. To forward the advancement and development of the appropriate use of public and private lands on which people with disabilities may participate in recreation.
4. To advocate for accessible and inclusive recreation while networking with recreation program providers as well as organizations that serve persons with disabilities.
5. To assist designers, planners, and managers in making recreational programs, areas, and facilities universally accessible.
6. To work with civic groups and organizations in promoting special recreational opportunities to include people with disabilities.
7. To provide community resource information to the public emphasizing efforts to reach persons with disabilities.
8. To promote the wise use of our natural resources in the best interest of all, both present and future.
9. To advance understanding of the importance of active leisure activities on the health and well being of everyone and the therapeutic value of recreation.
10. To promote high standards of sportsmanship and ethics.

Preamble

The common property natural resources are here for all of society to use and enjoy. This organization believes that much can be done in providing improved accessibility and promoting availability of these resources to persons with disabilities. We realize that educating people with disabilities as well as the able bodied citizens of this state is necessary to enhance the opportunities for outdoor recreation for everyone. We are dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.

IN DEFENSE OF THE UNDERDOG -

EVEN THE ALREADY FAMOUS HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THEIR ORIGINAL ART

Bonnie Warren, Staff Writer

Many of us, as original artists – visual artists, musical artists, film makers, screen writers, all of us out there who CREATE to SHARE for THE purposes of enjoyment, or to make a social statement, or to inform and educate — “hear ye hear ye”— there is a quiet revolution going on in art that we need to discuss and participate in.

It involves an already established film producer and director trying to make their new groundbreaking film available to as many people as possible, especially to those who can benefit from it the most.

It is the story of the documentary expected to be released at the end of this month, entitled “BULLY”.  It’s a new film produced and directed by this year’s academy award winning Producer Harvey Weinstein and Director Lee Hirsch, who just won acclaim for their incredible work on the film “THE ARTIST”.

They made the documentary film “BULLY” to address the rise in teen bullying by sharing the compelling real life stories of teens across America who have been bullied.  The issue of bullying and how to stop it has certainly been receiving more attention and coverage of late, and rightfully so.  It’s on the news, it’s in songs and videos (the “It Gets Better” Project).  As a matter of fact, the Grammy for the Best Children’s Album of the year at this year’s February Grammy Awards went to the record “All About Bullies, Big and Small”.  Produced in the suburbs of Philadelphia, it included 37 songs and stories about bullying, some performed by nationally known veterans of the music business, and some by personalities more local to the area. And of course, let’s not forget the hit series “GLEE”, which addresses bullying on a regular basis for reasons relating to sexual preference, same sex relationships, participating in the arts, and having disabilities.

Particularly disturbing is the recent rise in the amount of teen and young adult suicides of individuals who have been bullied relentlessly and just couldn’t see a way out other than to take their own lives.  Moreover, brutal statistics show that more than 160,000 children miss school every day because they fear attack or intimidation by other students. (Online Access Press, March 9, 2012)  In addition, children who are bullied are more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders, so the effects of bullying can either cut a lifetime short, or cause disturbing issues for a lifetime.

Part of the problem is that bullying in recent years has taken on a whole new life. Young people of all ages are not only being bullied in traditional ways, like in the locker room or in the cafeteria at school, but through social media.  Social media attacks can be devastating.  The wonderful tools of Facebook and Youtube and Twitter are double edged swords.  They can popularize the good, and unfortunately the embarrassing…..  But we’re not talking about a celebrity sex tape here, which is certainly wrong but the celebrity has the maturity and the money to fight back.  We are talking about the act of humiliating the young and innocent, who aren’t yet empowered enough to standup for themselves, let alone really fight back.  And if you have been a target of bullying through social media, you know that it gets to everyone everywhere in a matter of viral moments, and has the potential to create a “herd behavior” phenomenon that is scary beyond belief.

Now the film “BULLY” is essentially itself being bullied.  Mr. Weinstein and Mr. Hirsch want to see their film rated PG-13, to make it accessible for viewing by middle and high school students, where too many live the horrors of being bullied every day.  The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has given it R rating, which – in case you forget – means you need to be 17 to see it without a parent or guardian.  There is a movement gaining momentum, where people are trying to change the rating of BULLY, since so many young people won’t get the chance to see it if it is an R.

There is one particular teen activist who deserves some positive attention here.  Katy Butler (Los Angeles) started an on-line petition through Change.org to help the cause.  She has collected over 300,000 signatures (my own included) to help convince the MPAA to rate “BULLY” PG-13. The R rating is just for language…..as if these kids haven’t heard four letter words before…..    And to drive the point home to our MPAA even further, kudos go to the Canadian Motion Picture Rating Authority, which has given the film a much more lenient rating of PG.  At least in Canada,  more young people will be able to see this film. At this point in time, the MPAA is not interested in changing their rating designation of “R”.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Weinstein and Hirsch’s THE ARTIST won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.  Harvey Weinstein and Lee Hirsch do not want to edit the film BULLY, because they feel that to water down the language would be to water down the impact of the film, and by definition that would water down the real life experiences depicted in the film. As a matter of fact, Mr. Weinstein has threatened to withdraw his future films from the MPAA rating system.

This whole issue of the rating of the movie “BULLY” is so relevant to the mission of this magazine that we felt the need to address it and help garner support to get the rating changed.  It’s not only about doing the right thing, but it is central to the very nature of art.  Art always pushes the envelope, gets people to see and feel things they wouldn’t normally, opens people’s eyes.  How many movies, photographs, paintings, and songs have taught you about a cause or an issue that became important to you? How many times has some kind of ART showed you a world you knew nothing about, broadened your view, made you a better person, made a difference in your life?

This is about art, about change, about an issue that so many people in the arts can relate to — being bullied.  How can we, as original artists, be silent here? How many of us were bullied because by definition, original artists are not part of the mainstream.  We are often not the jocks, not the cheerleaders, not our class presidents, not the popular ones in the popular outfits. We dress and act according to our identities and these are part of our means of expression.  We exist in the mainstream, but let’s face it, we are different.  This should be celebrated. Unfortunately though, the problem is that some people just can’t accept us for who we are, and so they bully us.

Bullying on all levels must stop, and the MPAA must put down their bully sword as well, and we have to help them. If parents don’t want their kids to see this movie, they don’t have to drive them to the theater. But I, for one, hope they do, and hope they see the movie too. There have been too many teen and young adult suicides because of bullying, and we all have to take a stand to help prevent EVEN ONE MORE sad story from becoming true.  We must speak up, express, support, and create on behalf of those who can’t, who are too scared, or who don’t know how.  We must support original art as a means to help an important cause.  To sign the online petition requesting the MPAA to give “BULLY” a rating of PG-13, please go to    http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-don-t-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating.

No one should be ostracized, left out, teased, hurt, attacked…. Bullied.   Patrick Swayze had it right when he said “No one puts Baby in the corner”. Nobody deserves to be shoved in the corner….. in dance, in art, in life.