Better Holiday Pics, Without Using a Selfie Stick
If you find yourself vacationing in Budapest, Hungary, you could preserve travel memories by taking a few arm-length, low-quality cell phone selfies that will likely fail to capture the magic of your visit. Or you could hire someone like Dana J. Ardell, a Budapest-based professional photographer who knows photo spots you’ll never find in a guidebook and who can deliver stunning pictures — with your whole travel party in the shots.
Ardell is a photographer with Flytographer, one of a growing number of online services that help travelers find and hire a photographer to take pictures of them during a vacation.
“People who believe memories are the best souvenir” are among those who will find value in photo services, says Flytographer founder and CEO Nicole Smith.
Still, the cost could run a few hundred dollars, so be smart about whom you hire. Here’s what to know about hiring a pro to take pictures on your next vacation or bucket-list trip.
Why hire a photographer?
Smartphone cameras are decent, but they don’t provide the same quality of pictures as a professional camera and lens. Plus, phone cameras aren’t usually operated by a skilled photographer who knows how to incorporate the best light and properly compose a shot and later edit the images.
If you plan to turn a vacation photo into a wall-worthy print, you’ll want something better than a cell phone snapshot. “Nobody’s going to blow up a blurry selfie with seven chins,” Smith says.
Photographers who live in your destination know where and when to shoot — when the light is most favorable and where you won’t be jostling with other tourists during busy times at landmarks.
Part of the benefit of hiring a trip photographer has nothing to do with photos — it’s interacting with a resident, gaining insight into how locals live. “We chat the whole time,” Ardell says. “I love giving recommendations on my favorite places to eat and things to do around the city.”
How to book a pro
You could do your own research to find someone in the place you’re visiting. But online booking services make hiring a photographer easier, especially if you’re going abroad and don’t speak the language. With many of the services, including Flytographer, Local Lens and localgrapher, and you choose the city, then read biographies of local photographers, look at their portfolios and pick one.
According to Smith, an hour long session offers enough time for photos at a couple of locations and gives vacationers time to warm up in front of the camera. But a half-hour shoot can work for those tight on time or budget. Also remember to book early. Booking several weeks out means a wider selection of photographers, dates and times.
If you’ve taken fabulous journeys but your photos just don’t match, hiring a vacation photographer might be the ticket to preserving memories.
1. Which of the following about Flytographer is true?A.It is a Budapest-based professional photographer. |
B.It’s an online service helping tourists find and hire professional photographers. |
C.It’s an online shop that sells souvenirs. |
D.It’s an internet-based vacation planning company. |
A.Photographers take photos for you without crowding into popular sights. |
B.Photographers are a reliable source of tourist information and local culture. |
C.Hiring photographers with professional cameras and lens is value for your money. |
D.Photographers help you preserve the best memories by producing quality photos. |
A.Your photos fall victim to criticism on the internet. |
B.Your photos are not taken as required by photographers. |
C.You photos fail to capture the highlights of your journeys. |
D.Your photos are not as competitive as those taken by others. |
相似题推荐
Receptionist Administration
Full Time
A receptionist is required from 1st June 2017 at Dartford Science & Technology College. The position is only from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Friday, with an hour’s break for lunch every day. The successful applicant must have a good telephone manner, good interpersonal skills and IT skills.
Science Technician
Term time plus 10 days, 37 hours per week
We are looking for a technician to provide a technical support service for science teaching staff. Applications are to be received no later than midnight on 10th June 2015.
Health & Social Care Teacher
Our client, an 11-18 mixed comprehensive school in Ealing, West London, is currently seeking a teacher for Health & Social Care. The position will be a full-time post until July 2015. We require an energetic teacher to develop the learning potential of students. We are seeking someone with excellent subject knowledge who can combine academic strictness and achievement with enjoyment of teaching Health & Social Care.
If you are keen to work, click the button below.
1. The receptionist to be employed will work ______.A.20 hours a week |
B.37 hours a week |
C.39.5 hours a week |
D.34.5 hours a week |
A.A full-time science teacher |
B.A teacher with the ability to get along with people |
C.A teacher with excellent knowledge about Health & Social Care |
D.A technician who can provide a technical support service |
A.on the Internet |
B.in a novel |
C.in a magazine |
D.in a newspaper |
【推荐2】Welcome to Orlando! It has a host of attractions and activities. Ready to join the party and plan a visit to O-Town? Just print out our list that suits your style.
Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure
The addition of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was among the list of must-visits for theme park enthusiasts. Each of the park’s “islands” — Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, and The Lost Continent — has unique appeal in the form of rides and interactive attractions. (407-363-8000)
Gatorland
It bills itself as “Orlando’s best half-day attraction”, for in a city people are limited by their time and money. Catch Gatorland’s animals and handler(驯化) shows in the afternoon. There’s a nighttime run as well, including the Gator Night Shine and various activities. Gatorland ranks as a comparative theme-park bargain. (407-855-5496)
Aquatica
One of the city’s most unique water parks, Aquatica is a fantastical world of twisting, turning rides and sparkling white sand beaches. And if you enjoy a side of terror with your water-park fun, be sure to check out Ihu’s Breakaway Falls. This towering slide is an eight-story mind-bender of a plummet(垂直落下) that is not for the weak heart. The less exciting will still find plenty of fun splashing from one giant wave pool to another or drifting down the lazy river through a world of unusual fish. You can also watch the black-and-white Commerson’s dolphins underwater. (407-351-3600)
Warbird Adventures
Few attractions are more hands-on historic than Warbird Adventures, which offers thrill-seekers the opportunity to fly like the hero aces of World War II in the North American T-6 Texan. Flights range from 15 minutes to an hour. A visit to the nearby Kissimmee Air Museum is a wonderful way to round out the experience. (407-870-7366)
1. For fans of Harry Potter, there’s _____.A.Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure | B.Gatorland |
C.Aquatica | D.Warbird Adventures |
A.needs a strong heart |
B.lies under the water |
C.ranges from 15 minutes to an hour |
D.is suitable for some after-park drinks |
A.407-363-8000 | B.407-855-5496 |
C.407-351-3600 | D.407-870-7366 |
【推荐3】Newton's law of motion ( 运动定律).where every action has a reaction, is appropriate not just to physics.
Pricing.
Consumer choice. Advertising also has an influence on businesses because it leads to the creation of new products and improvement of existing products to meet consumers' needs.
A.Product value. |
B.Product quantity. |
C.Economic influence. |
D.Advertising can be a form of price control. |
E.An increase in competition has effects on the market. |
F.One company may possess a larger share of the market for a time. |
G.It is also true that advertising causes reactions that occur in society and business. |
【推荐1】Booking a trip on an online travel site is convenient, but comes with its own set of problems.
◆They know who's going to spend more.
Last year, US travel research company Orbitz tracked people's online activities to test out whether Mac users spend more on travel than PC users. It turns out that on average, Mac users lay out US $20-30 more per night on hotels. As a result, online travel sites show these users more expensive travel options first. To avoid paying more, sort results by price.
◆Their software doesn't always link to the hotel's system.
A guaranteed reservation is almost impossible to come by anywhere — but the risk of your flight or hotel being overbooked increases with third-party providers. The middleman's software isn't immune(防护作用的) to system errors, so always call the hotel or airline to make sure your booking was processed.
◆Don't be fooled by packages: Often, they're low-end items grouped together.
Ever notice how travel sites recommend a hotel, a rental car, and tour package all in one click? These deals usually feature travel that no one wants, like flights with multiple layovers(中途停留). Check the fine print.
◆Once your trip is purchased, you're on your own.
An online travel agency can't provide assistance the same way an agent can if a flight is cancelled or a room is substandard. Basically, when you arrive at the airport or hotel, you're just another customer who booked at the lowest rate.
1. What does the writer mainly intend to tell readers?A.Steps of reserving a hotel on line |
B.Tips of how to reserve flights on line |
C.Problems about reserving a trip on line |
D.Traps in reserving hotels and flights on line |
A.They are shown less expensive travel options first |
B.Some of the travel expenses are earned by Mac users |
C.They book at prices recommended first by travel sites. |
D.Their flights or hotels are overbooked by tourist agencies |
A.Booking online is better than booking in other ways |
B.The third parties will provide good travel services on line |
C.Few people book trips on line because of possible troubles |
D.Travelers’ interests may not be guaranteed with booking on line. |
【推荐2】A “Game of Thrones” themed hotel made just of snow and ice has been finished in Lapland, Finland. Located in the resort of Kittila, which is 200 kilometers above the Arctic Circle and around 90 minutes from Helsinki, the destination is made up of 24 rooms—10 of which are suites for guests staying overnight.
Temperatures reach -5℃ inside, so high-quality thermal(保温的)sleeping bags are on hand to keep guests warm, as well as a hot berry juice in the morning. Although it’s recommended that guests stay at the hotel for a maximum of one night due to the icy conditions, there are warm log cabins available should they wish to extend their stay in the SnowVillage. Guests can also visit a restaurant, cinema, chapel and bar, all made entirely of snow and ice. Guests also receive a guided tour inside the SnowVillage, a buffet breakfast in the log restaurant, and a diploma to commemorate their stay.
Travelers can book an overnight visit at the snow hotel or simply take a day trip to the SnowVillage, which covers an area of about 20, 000 square meters. The village is open for visitors daily and has a cinema, a chapel, an arctic bar that serves drinks in glasses carved from ice, and a restaurant with frozen dining furniture and a menu featuring reindeer (驯鹿)steak
While it’s been constructed yearly since 2000, this is the first time the SnowVillage has included a “Game of Thrones” themed section.
Kittila is also a great location to view the Northern Lights, and SnowVillage offers snowmobile safaris snowmobile safaris (旅行)where guests can try to catch a glimpse of Greenland’s natural phenomena, as well as activities like reindeer-sledding and ice-sculpting classes.
1. What can we learn about the themed hotel from the first paragraph?A.It is 200 kilometers from Helsinki. |
B.It is 110 kilometers from he Arctic Circle. |
C.It is in the resort of Kittila. |
D.It is made up of 34 rooms. |
A.prove |
B.comfort |
C.cover |
D.pay |
A.2000 square meters. |
B.18,000 square meters. |
C.20,000 square meters. |
D.22,000 square meters. |
A.Geography. |
B.Travel. |
C.Climate. |
D.Culture. |
Ecotourism can put wild animals at risk
Ecotourism has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Now, scientists have analyzed more than 100 research studies on how ecotourism affects wild animals. They find the presence of humans changes the way animals behave, and those changes may put them at risk. Therefore, they concluded that such trips can be harmful to the animals.
When animals interact in seemingly kind ways with humans, they may let down their guard.
The presence of humans can also discourage natural predators. It creates a kind of safe place for smaller animals that may make them bolder. For example, in Grand Teton National Park, elk and pronghorns in areas with more tourists are less alert and spend more time eating.
Ecotourism has effects similar to those of animal domestication and urbanization. Research has shown that domesticated silver foxes become more obedient and less fearful. Fox squirrels and birds that live in urbanized areas are slower to flee from danger.
Scientists hope the new analysis will encourage more research into the interactions between people and wildlife. It is essential to develop further understanding of how various species in various situations respond to human interaction and under what conditions human exposure may place them at risk.
A.As animals learn to relax in the presence of humans, they may become bolder in other situations. |
B.This massive amount of ecotourism can be one of the drivers of rapid environmental change. |
C.The phenomena result from evolutionary changes, but also from regular interactions with humans. |
D.Do not import or release living animals or plants into the wild that could harm native species. |
E.In many cases it involves close interaction with wildlife. |
F.Interacting with people can cause great change in the characteristics of various species over time. |
【推荐1】Worry is defined as thoughts and images of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid the expected potential threats.
If we were to keep a record of all the things we worried about during a given period of time, we would discover, in reviewing them, that the great majority of our expected problems or troubles never come to pass. This means that most of the time we devote to worrying, which pushes us to try to come up with a solution to what is troubling us, is wasted, Thus, we not only caused ourselves unnecessary mental pain, but took up valuable minutes and hours that could’ve been spent elsewhere.
To avoid this, it is often necessary to stay calm and trace the sources of worry. More importantly, we should analyze the situation and see whether it is the very problem that is bothering us. Blindly feeling nervous about whether the problem can be solved is sometimes ridiculous, for the problems do not exist. Once, shortly before a major concert, a member of Arturo Toscanini’s orchestra approached the great Italian conductor with an expression of fear on his face. “Maestro (大师), ”the musician said, “my instrument is not working properly. I cannot reach the note of E-flat. Whatever will I do? We are to begin in a few moments.” Toscanini looked at the man with amazement. Then he smiled kindly and placed an arm around his shoulders. “My friend, ” he replied, “Do not worry about it. The note E-flat does not appear anywhere in the music that you will be playing this evening. ”
The next time we find ourselves in the middle of worrying about some matters, we might be wise to stop and ask ourselves what the problem is and whether it will happen. Then we may be able to go on to do something more meaningful or at least avoid being disturbed by something imaginary.
1. What do we know about worry from the first two paragraphs?A.It requires people to record and review the trouble later. |
B.It drives people to try and stay safe from anticipated trouble. |
C.It’s referred to as negative ideas about things that will never happen. |
D.It causes a waste of time that should be spent on solving the problem. |
A.the note E-flat does not appear in the music |
B.wrongly analyzing the problem is ridiculous |
C.it’s not wise to be disturbed by something imaginary |
D.a man of wisdom is able to deal with1 worry effectively |
A.Arturo Toscanini was a great Italian musician from Italy. |
B.Worry is defined as thoughts and images of a negative nature. |
C.Time wasted on worry should be spent on something meaningful. |
D.People feel annoyed by worry because of psychological problems. |
A.The source of worry. |
B.How to deal with worry. |
C.The definition of worry. |
D.How worry affects people. |
【推荐2】Your emotion helps you make sense of the world. At the core of an emotion is a subjective experience of the valence of it — what emotion scientists call “affect” (情感). Generally speaking, affect is what we are most focused on. Do you have chocolate cake in front of you? That’s good! Do you see a spider on the table! That’s bad!
Your affective reactions tell you which experiences are desirable, and which aren’t, but the total emotional experience includes all you do and think. You can learn a lot by observing and describing them. You can also learn a lot by appreciating their secret life.
The problem is: the affective features of emotions tend to dominate. Our subjective valence of emotion is almost all we can see. When emotions are only about what is pleasant or unpleasant in subjective experience right now, the more important features of emotion disappear.
If you can slow down and expand; if you stop running or clinging (沉浸其中) and adopt a sense of curiosity, emotions become more subtle and different. When fear comes up, don’t walk away so that fear dissipates. Instead, stay. Allow yourself to feel the nervousness, the sweating, and everything else that comes along with it. It is one of the hardest things to do in life, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. If you run, you are telling basic parts of your brain, “I guess this threat really was real. I better stay away from it.” You are training yourself to fear, regardless of that situation. If you cling, you are saying, “Escape from this emotion is a threat”, and since it is not a happy experience, happiness slips through your hands like sand.
Note that you can not fool yourself. Just allow the full emotion. You will never enter into their secret life until you stop running or clinging. To control your life, you need to actively train your emotions to be your ally (同盟). Observe. Describe. Appreciate. Do that and you may find you have allies for healthy living that were there all along.
1. Why does the author mention “chocolate cake” and “spider” in paragraph 1?A.To explain the complex response of emotions. |
B.To show the subjective experience of emotions. |
C.To indicate the goodness and badness of the world. |
D.To emphasize the significance of emotions in life. |
A.The present feelings are less obvious. |
B.The subjective emotions are less powerful. |
C.The overall picture of emotions is easier to ignore. |
D.The observation and description of emotions are easier. |
A.Deepens. | B.Spreads. | C.Disappears. | D.Sticks. |
A.The secret of emotions. | B.The subjective experience. |
C.The importance of allies in life. | D.Magical functions of emotions. |
【推荐3】Big Tech companies are “training” generative AI (生成式人工智能) models by stealing music, books, photographs, paintings and videos off the Internet using copyright “fair use” as an excuse.
Last month, Getty Images took legal action against Stability AI — the maker of the popular image generator Stable Diffusion — for not only using 2 million of Getty’s photos, but also for changing or removing copyright management information from the images. It seems clearly unlawful, but that doesn’t mean the courts will agree. Big Tech has successfully skated through legal matters for years, waving the banner (旗帜) of “permissionless innovation”.
Only the biggest of Big Tech players will dominate generative AI, because it requires massive amounts of computing power. But copyright appears to be anything but a top priority for Google and Microsoft. So while human creators rationally (理智地) explore and debate this issue, tech companies are using their work to train the generative machines that ultimately may make the artists irrelevant in the future.
The problem goes beyond artists losing incomes. AI operates on the theory that all the possible original ideas in the universe are already contained in the data sets from the Internet. So, the intelligence of AI merely requires reorganizing this data into something that differs enough from the original work to not risk a copyright problem.
Surely, the world has plenty of standardized artistic content already. What’s needed: ensuring a continuous flow of original ideas and fresh perspectives — to build a culture that goes beyond what is already found on the Internet and can be enriched by artists who might grow in ways no AI could predict.
We realize that Big Tech’s involvement in AI has raised concerns that may make the endangering of artists’ rights seem pale. Yet a nation’s cultural life is not a minor matter, and preserving artists’ rights is essential to ensuring their continued contribution. Existing copyright laws should ideally prevent abuses, but this is not always the case. Another solution may be needed: new laws governing AI and safeguarding the human core of artistic creativity.
1. How do Big Techs justify their use of copyrighted material?A.By claiming “permissionless innovation”. |
B.By arguing AI operates on existing photos. |
C.By editing management information of the images. |
D.By avoiding legal consequences with permission. |
A.AI should be banned by law. |
B.Artists should adopt less rational approaches. |
C.AI may harm sustainable artistic ecosystem. |
D.The courts are to blame for the copyright theft. |
A.Artists will finally be replaced by AI. |
B.Artists’ low incomes are caused by AI. |
C.A nation’s cultural life will be harmed. |
D.Artistic creativity will be totally ruined. |
A.To blame Big Techs for stealing. | B.To focus on a copyright law case. |
C.To introduce generative AI technology. | D.To call for a copyright law reform. |