Florida, FL
The State of Florida is located in the
southeastern region of the United States. Most
of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf
of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on
its east.
Much of the state has a humid subtropical
climate, except for southern Florida, where the
climate is tropical.
Florida was named by Juan Ponce de León, who
landed on the peninsula on 2 April 1513, during
Pascua Florida (Spanish for "Flowery Easter,"
referring to the Easter season).
Florida is the 4th most populated state in the
country. It ranks 4th in population only behind
New York(3rd), Texas(2nd), and California
(most).
Geography
Florida is situated mostly on a large peninsula
between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean,
and the Straits of Florida. It extends to the
northwest into a panhandle, extending along the
northern Gulf of Mexico.
It is bordered on the north by the states of
Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end
of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the
countries of the Caribbean, particularly the
Bahamas and Cuba.
Florida's extensive coast line made it a
perceived target during World War II, so the
government built airstrips all around the state.
Today approximately 400 airports are still in
service due to the coastal geography of the
state. According to the National Drug
Intelligence Center, Florida has 131 public
airports, and more than 700 private airports,
airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases.
Florida is one of the largest states east of the
Mississippi. Only Alaska and Michigan are larger
in water area. The Florida peninsula is a porous
plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock.
Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes
and springs are found throughout the state and
supply most of the water used by residents.
The limestone is topped with sandy soils
deposited as ancient beaches over millions of
years as global sea levels rose and fell. During
the last Ice Age, lower sea levels and a drier
climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely
desert.
At the southern end of the peninsula, the
Everglades are in fact an enormously wide, very
slow-flowing river. At 345 feet (105 m) above
mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest
point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any
U.S. state.
This article is
licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation
License. It uses
material from the
Wikipedia article "Florida".
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Digital Photo Restoration Can Save Your Old Family
Photos from Fading Away
by
Valerie Goettsch
Many
of us have antique or old family photos that need
repair. They may have faded or the colors have
changed; some may have a pink, yellow or blue haze.
If photos weren't stored properly, they could also
be damaged by mildew. By having your photos
digitally restored and retouched you can save them
from further deterioration and ensure that special
memories are preserved.
What
Kind of Photo Damage Can Be Repaired? A good digital
photo retouching and enhancing service can fix
almost any B&W and color photo, negative or slide
from:
•Fading
•Scratches and Dust
•Stains
•Tears and Folds
•Water Damage
•Mildew Damage
•Fire Damage
How
Are Photos Repaired and Restored? With the use of a
computer and photo enhancement software, most
damaged photos can be repaired. The original
picture, slide or negative is scanned to create a
high-resolution digital photo from which to work on.
The original image is left unaltered. The idea is to
repair and enhance the photos while keeping the
original feel and look of the picture.
While it is certainly possible to fix and enhance
your old photos at home, it takes a scanner and the
appropriate image editing software (Photoshop is the
gold standard) and some skill, patience and
practice. Restoring photos is painstaking work. A
good photo restorer will use cloning and healing
tools to repair blemishes and scratches on the
digitized image rather than just smoothing them out,
which may change the look of the photo or make it
look more like a painting.
If
your photo is badly faded or the colors have
shifted, a digital photo restoration service can
make photo enhancements such as adjusting the
contrast, color and sharpness. They can also remove
dust and scratches and repair tears. If you have
severely damaged images, such as photos that have
fire, water or mildew damage (mildew is common with
slides stored in damp areas such as basements), they
can be repaired too. In some instances areas of the
original photo are so damaged that important parts
are missing. A skilled photo restoration service can
use imaging software to re-create the missing
sections or to paint them in. Most services will
also colorize B&W photos and change or remove
backgrounds and objects.
Why
Should You Restore Your Old Photos It only takes a
few years for most photos to start to fade and color-shift.
Color photos may have a pink or orange cast while
B&W photos may yellow. If they are exposed to
sunlight, stored in an attic or basement, the
deterioration can accelerate. They can even mildew
if stored in a damp or humid location. By restoring
and repairing your photo collection, you are
stopping the cycle of deterioration. Once they are
restored you will have digital copies of your
photos, which you can print, archive on DVD, CD or
an external drive, create a slide show and share
them with other family members. Restored old family
photos also make great gifts for birthdays,
Christmas and other occasions.
By
scanning and repairing your old photos, you will be
able to archive and preserve your treasured memories
for years to come.
About the Author
Valerie Goettsch
operates the website
www.digitalphotos101.com. Learn more about how
digital photo restoration can repair and
preserve your old family photos. |
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