Digital audio books and audio book downloads are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, a recent study by the Audio book Publishers Association estimated audio book sales at approximately $925 Million. With the recent sale of audio book publisher Audible to Amazon.com for nearly $300 Million it would appear continued growth is on the horizon.Recent technology advancements are certainly driving this trend such as the ever popular Ipod and other mp3 players.Could there be more to the appeal of digital audio books than a multi-tasking world and a GLAM Ipod?I would suggest that perhaps there is a much greater appeal than the obvious conveniences and portability of audio books. Could the ancient art of “Storytelling” be making a digital comeback? From our earliest days drawing on the walls of caves and gathering around campfires throughout the centuries the Art of telling stories has always been a central and vital focus.Every culture has its own stories,myths, traditions, and legends. The “storyteller” was often in a revered position.The story tellers have always been giving hoping to share, inspire, educate, entertain, and make their listeners happy.While the oral tradition appears to have gone digital, the subtle nuances of the human voice and the power of the spoken word give a fuller meaning to the stories or other information being shared. The volume, rate, tone, softness, contrast, and pitch can all be varied and have a great connecting effect much more than a written text. Through the vividness of the voice It is easier to feel emotionally closer to the story, the characters, and the author.Isn’t it true that the stories we first heard as children were someone reading or telling us a story?I think it is the unique connection with the author or narrators voice in audio books that make the difference. When listening to an audio book you can just relax and get into the flow of the story without having to actively read and concentrate. It is like having a conversation with a close friend. These are just a few of the reasons that audio books are and will continue to be popular.While appearance of digital audio book technology has changed the tools available to storytellers one of the most precious things about being human is our ability to tell and listen to stories!
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Picking the Best Beach Art Prints
Let’s face it: there are tons of options out there when it comes to choosing artwork for your vacation home or beach house. Beach art prints can add a dream-like quality to a room, and can help your vacation home be a place of true solace, relaxation, and escape. When you’re choosing artwork, there are some specific questions you want to ask. Let’s take a look at some of the key ones:How does the photographer create the picture?You’re looking for a couple of specific elements here. One has to do with artistic vision and talent, while the other has to do with the particular medium that the print is produced in.First, you want to choose pictures that evoke certain feelings. Every print you hang on the wall should feel as though there’s a story that goes with it, and if you can’t imagine the story then it’s not the print you’re looking for.You also want a print that creates a certain otherworldly feel. That comes partially from the composition of the picture, but it also has a lot to do with the process of making the print.Does the print use a process that accentuates beach art?Digital pictures make for poor beach art. Sure, a digital camera can capture a decent beach scene, and if the photographer is talented the composition can be quite nice. However, in the case of beach art where you’re trying to evoke a specific feeling, digital prints just don’t do the subject matter justice.There are some artists out there who use a Polaroid-based process to create their prints, and this process really contributes to that nostalgic, otherworldly feel. They start with actual large-format (8×10) Polaroids. They then take those images and create a larger print from the original. They pull apart the film from the Polaroid, rub the negative onto water color paper, and create the print.This dreamlike quality is something that no amount of enhancing, Photoshopping, cropping, or editing can do for a print.Does the print accent the room or define it?This is an important question. You need to choose your beach art prints early on in the decorating process. Good artwork tends to draw people in, and beach art prints are no exception. You want to make sure that your artwork works well with the rest of the room, and in the case of truly amazing artwork you want to make sure that the rest of the room works well with the artwork.Accordingly, you need to spend some time thinking about lighting, positioning, framing, flow of traffic in the room and even seating arrangements. A good beach art print adds a little something special to a room; when placed correctly in the room, however, it can amplify that feeling of peace, relaxation, and recuperation that your beach house is supposed to give you.