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Visited Planet - Online Newsletter!
Volume 5, No. 3, August 2009

Dear Visited Planet supporters,
Central Australia is a feature of this edition, thanks to a recent trip there in May and June. There is also a photo essay on hands a feet and a series of writing and photography tips. The next newsletter will feature details of the pending trip to India and Borneo (Malaysia).

Do you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter? Please forward it on!

In this edition: Central Australia Feature | New images | Tips about photography | Tips about writing | Photographic feature: Hands and Feet | News and products | Upcoming events | How to support Visited Planet | Photographic competitions | Bulletin board | Useful photography links

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CENTRAL AUSTRALIA FEATURE

The MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia stretch across the red heart of the country for over 600km. Their rolling bulges do resemble caterpillars as told in Aboriginal Dreaming stories. According to them these ancient caterpillars carved out the ranges with chasms, gorges and waterholes. Today they are an incredible tourist attraction. Written articles with photographs of the MacDonnell Ranges will appear in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Overlander Magazine, Travelers Anonymous, Ruba Guides and Fastcheck.se. Here's a photographic look at some aspects of them:


Rock wallaby, Simpsons Gap, West MacDonnells	Hiking into Glen Helen Gorge, West MacDonnells	On the road near Glen Helen Gorge, West MacDonnells

Ormiston Gorge's permanent rockhole, West MacDonnells	Rock carvings, N'dhala Gorge, East MacDonnells	Moon rising over N'dhala Gorge, East MacDonnells

On the road near N'dhala Gorge, East MacDonnells	Buzzard cracking over emu egg, Alice Springs Desert Park	Alice Springs Imparja Camel Cup races

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NEW IMAGES

The following sections on the site were created or added to recently:
Australia: Alice Springs, West MacDonnell Ranges, East MacDonnell Ranges (more will be added)

If you would like to be informed about new images on the website please send an email to admin@visitedplanet.com with the subject line: tell me about new photos

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TIPS ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY: Nature photography!

Nature photography here refers to anything dealing with the natural environment be it birds or animals. However it differs somewhat from wildlife photography or macro shots of flowers in that it should suggest some interplay or exchange within the environment eg. a bee taking pollen from flowers etc. Much nature photography requires a lot of patience to either firstly find a small insect or nest and then wait for the right time to take the photo (eg. the moment the bee alights on the flower etc). Lower speed film for softer effects or clarity is adviseable. Macro functions can sometimes come in handy also.

See previous newsletter editions for photo taking techniques and other tips. If you would like more tips about photography consider enrolling in the Visited Planet freelance photography course by correspondence. It costs just AUD $295 and can be completed in your own time.

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TIPS ABOUT WRITING: Writing a lead!

Leads are the hook to the story and must draw readers in past the first line. Feature leads are longer than a news lead and more descriptive. There are many different kinds of leads. What you use is purely up to you, as long as it achieves the desired goal – to keep the reader reading! We don't have space to describe them all but here are a few:

The Summary Statement lead: These leads summarise the circumstances of a story and can be very effective. They are more like a hard news lead in that they punch out the facts as simply as possible. They are very effective when the events or information or people in the story have an inherent interest to readers.

The Narrative Lead: This lead is called narrative because it starts the feature in the middle of a chronological story telling. Usually these leads begin at the very beginning (a once upon a time type) or at a point of time when the outcome of events is uncertain. The writer should not reveal the conclusion so it draws the readers in to see what will happen next.

The Ironic Lead: This lead has also been called the surprise lead and zapper lead. And it prepares readers to expect one thing and then give them something else.

If you would like to develop your writing skills consider enrolling in the Visited Planet travel writing course by correspondence. It costs just AUD $295 and can be completed in your own time.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC FEATURE: HANDS AND FEET

This particular feature has been lifted straight from the new photo essays section of the website although we've added a few more images here.

Hands and feet are a big part of our every day life. They form part of our every day lives and tell much about us, our culture, beliefs, work, family life and friendships. Look at the hands and feet from these diverse communities featured below such as India, Australia, Italy and see what they tell you about the person.


The hands of a newly wed husband and wife on their wedding day in Brisbane, Australia. With a baby on the way and a new house they had much to look forward to.	These bright red hands belonged to children of a poor suburb of Ahmedabad in Gujurat. The holi festival is a chance to celebrate and literally paint the town red in what is often a city full of violence.	Old men and women come to dance the Catalan national anthem, Sardana, outside the Bari Gotic Catehdral in Barcelona on Sundays.

There maybe something more telling than the hold holding of this couple at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.	Man making an instrument, Ostang Bou, Kashgar, Xinjiang, China	A woman who has just received a rice bundle from an NGO style orphanage indicates her thanks, Village near Kompong Speu, Cambodia

These worn feet belong to the woman of a social activist campaigning for the rights of Indian families removed from their traditional home lands in newly created national parks.	A farmer holds out a hand of olives during the harvest in Tuscany, Italy	Chef busy making a roadside special Bangkok, Thailand

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NEWS AND PRODUCTS

Print and Card Sales
Click here for the current print sales and card sales. Visited Planet cards will be sold at the Aspley Arts and Crafts Show from 8-10 October, Aspley Uniting Church, Robinson Road, Aspley.

Courses
Visited Planet offers a freelance photography course and freelance journalism course by correspondence. The courses are five lessons each and take students through the process of getting articles or photographs ready for publication and sale! They currently cost only AUD$295, but this will go up shortly so tell your friends about it now. Contact admin@visitedplanet.com for more details.

Travel and Other Plans
VPs plans to revisit India and Malaysia in Sept-Oct to work in with local NGOs. Recent VP photographs will feature in upcoming editions of the Overlander Magazine for 4WD enthusiasts about Central Australia. Other recent written projects include an article on Albert Namatjira for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, a festival piece about Nadaam in Mongolia for The West Australian and travel guides for Ruba.com and Fastcheck.se.

Products
The card range 'people series' is still available on the product page. Desktop calendars of any 12 months may also be ordered using any images from the database. If you know of somewhere the cards could be stocked please contact admin@visitedplanet.com. Or go into the shop and tell the storekeeper about Visited Planet!

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HOW TO SUPPORT VISITED PLANET

Please consider purchasing a card, a print, or even making a donation through the site. Credit card payments are acceptable. Simply contact admin@visitedplanet.com for details or click on the make a donation section.

Please send our newsletter to your friends to spread the word.

Do note that a percentage of all sales is donated to aid organisations. Visited Planet is currently supporting the Doomadgee Memoirs booklet for the aboriginal community in north Queensland, a student in Yunnan (China), disabled families in Bangalore (India) and a young boy to attend school in Sri Lanka.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS

Here are some current photographic competitions:
Visited Planet: Regular competitions on the website with free exposure for developing photographers.
Photographers: This website features many current photography competitions
Photokonkurs.com
Photoburst
Photography Monthly: This online photography magazine has regular submission requirements
Apogeephoto: This online photography magazine has bimonthly contests
IPhoto Contests: Annual, theme and monthly contests

Feel free to contact us with your own competition details. Email admin@visitedplanet.com

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BULLETIN BOARD

Exchange links with Visited Planet
You are more than welcome to link to us. To exchange links with Visited Planet please use the following text:
Visited Planet is a digital image database containing over 6000 photos from over 20 countries. Sections include agriculture, food, wildlife, people, landscapes, children, sport, architecture and hiking. Freelance writing and photography also available.
And use the following url:
http://www.visitedplanet.com
We would prefer a text link than an image link. If you can use both, then please use these images.
To submit your site for review email admin@visitedplanet.com with a description and your url. We are selective about choosing links and prefer sites from independent photographers or enthusiasts.

If you have a notice you would like to add please write to us at admin@visitedplanet.com for inclusion. Do note we do not usually include ads like the one above but this was the only bulletin we had for this edition.

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USEFUL PHOTOGRAPHY LINKS

Visited Planet.com: We hope our website is your first port of call! We have over 6000 images online from over 20 countries and we offer writing and photography courses

Continuing our Central Australian theme here are some sites with great images of the Territory and the outback:
Photoz.com.au - photographer Steve Strike has a great gallery in the Todd Mall, Alice Springs
Fionalake.com.au - fantastic images of cattle stations
Karen Brook - official photographer of the Birdsville Races

If you have a site you would like to see profiled here please email your idea to admin@visitedplanet.com However we can not guarantee all inclusions.

Copyright Notice:
All images on this web site are copyright Visited Planet and Joanne Lane. You may download any of the photos for personal usage (eg school projects etc) but they must have an accompanying photo credit, and link back to the Visited Planet home page. The credit should read as: Visited Planet © Joanne Lane. The images may not be used for web page advertising or editorial usage unless you make an arrangement with us (admin@visitedplanet.com). We would like to know of any such usage. Please feel free to email us if you see any of our photos used for this purpose. We will pursue legal action if necessary. Copyright © 2002-2009 Visited Planet. All rights reserved. No part of this page including (but not restricted to) text and images may be reproduced without the prior written permission of Visited Planet. Website design and maintenance by Ben van Klinken. Site hosted by Lunar Pages .