Oklahoma, OK

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America.

With 3,579,212 residents in 2006, it is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state by land area. Its name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma, meaning "red people," and is known informally by its nickname, The Sooner State.

Formed from Indian Territory on November 16, 1907, it was the 46th state to enter the union. Its people are known as Oklahomans, and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.

A major producer of natural gas, oil and food, Oklahoma relies on an economic base of aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology.

It has one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, leading states in gross domestic product growth and ranking third in per capita income growth.

Oklahoma City and Tulsa serve as Oklahoma's primary economic anchors, with nearly 60 percent of Oklahomans living in their metropolitan statistical areas.

The state holds a mixed record in education and healthcare, and its largest universities participate in the NCAA and NAIA athletic associations, while two house athletic departments rated among the most successful in American history.

With small mountain ranges, prairie, and eastern forests, most of Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains and the U.S. Interior Highlands—a region especially prone to severe weather.

With a prevalence of German, Irish, British and Native American ancestry, more than 25 native languages are spoken in Oklahoma, the most of any state.

It is located on a confluence of three major American cultural regions and historically served as a route for cattle drives, a destination for southern settlers, and a government-sanctioned territory for Native Americans.

Part of the Bible Belt, widespread beliefs in evangelical Christianity make Oklahoma one of the most conservative states, though voter registration in the Democratic Party exceeds the Republican Party by 11.6%.

Origin of the name

The name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning red people. Choctaw Chief Allen Wright suggested the name in 1866 during treaty negotiations with the federal government regarding the use of Indian Territory, in which he envisioned an all-Indian state controlled by the United States Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Equivalent to the English word Indian, okla humma was a phrase in the Choctaw language used to describe the Native American race as a whole.

Oklahoma later became the de-facto name for Oklahoma Territory, and it was officially approved in 1890, two years after the area was opened to white settlers.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Oklahoma".

Building a Darkroom at Home

by Autumn Lockwood

Working in the darkroom is a hallmark of being a photographer, as well as a great way to grab a little personal time to really focus on your craft. Having a locked door can provide you with some quiet uninterrupted time as well as help prevent film or images from being ruined from accidental light exposure. Sadly, we can't all pop down to the local darkroom any time we want, so a better alternative is to build one right in your own home.

The Perfect Place for Your Darkroom

Garages, sheds, basements and extra rooms are all great places to have a darkroom. Just remember before choosing a location that you'll need access to running water and that the chemicals are hazardous and smelly. Additionally, since the room you choose will have to be completely sealed of light, it's a good idea to choose a room with no windows that you don't mind removing from normal life - once you make a room a darkroom it's not going to serve as anything else. For this reason, your best bet is probably a shed with plumbing and electricity, or the basement. You can also set up a darkoom in an unused bathroom however this might be a bit cramped.

The Darkroom Supplies You'll Need

Most of what you need for your own darkroom is pretty basic and won't cost you too much. Excluding whatever it takes to lightproof the room you use, you can get by with the following:

* 3 Trays big enough for 8x10 paper * 3 Sets of tongs * Chemicals (see below) * Enlarger and timer (see below) * Easel * Darkroom light

The only expensive things you need are the enlarger, which you fortunately only need to purchase once, and the chemicals, which will need to be refreshed now and again. You can buy a photo enlarger for around $200 and a basic timer for about $150 or you can search online for some used equipment.

The chemicals are a bit more complicated. You can get most chemicals in either powder or liquid form. With powders you have to be careful as they can become airborne and do require mixing however they are easier to store. Liquids on the other hand, are easier to work with but are more expensive than powders and take up more storage space.

At the very least, you'll need to invest in some sort of developer, fixer, and stop bath. It's a good idea to purchase or mix small quantities as these chemicals will go bad over time (developers go bad more rapidly than the others), and keep them in dark areas in plastic bottles (your hands are almost always wet in a darkroom and glass isn't a great idea). A darkroom light will allow you to see in the room without ruining your paper, but be aware that a darkroom light will still ruin undeveloped film - if you're going to develop your own film it requires its own process and must be done in complete darkness.

Setting up Your Darkroom

Once you have the chemicals sorted and all of your supplies in order, you're good to go. The best darkroom setup should have a "dry side" with your enlarger and a work bench and a "wet side" for your chemicals. It's also a good idea to have a sink at the end of this table for the final rinse - if you have extra cash they make special "always running, always full" sinks that are absolutely stellar for this purpose. I would also highly recommend a lock for the door to prevent friends and family from accidentally ruining your work, but be sure it is easy to open from the inside in case of a fire.

Once you have all of the supplies you need, you can really set up your darkroom in any place that's protected from light. Figure out what works for you and soon enough you'll be printing your own photos in no time.

About the Author

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Visit our website and see our selection of gorgeous red picture frames. Shop online and see our selection of bright red picture frames and pretty pink picture frames now.