About Eli Mitchell...
I live in the great state of Alaska, in its second largest city, Fairbanks. Traveling around the state and enjoying the vast amount of natural beauty are some of my favorite activities. I like getting outside in the winter to absorb the snowy splendor. I also have an attraction to the thrills of exploring various areas of Alaska. Note: Alaska is a state, and you can drive to it from the "lower 48". We do not live in igloos, nor ride dog-sleds to work. I say that because I've heard of people who would disbelieve all of those things I just said.
A while back, I randomly wondered what was behind the web browser making the Internet work. A little bit of research led me to W3Schools, one of the most complete web tutorial/reference sites in existence. I began learning how to create web pages, and the process grabbed my interest. I built this website as a project to apply my recently attained knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP, Java-Script, XML and SQL (web programming languages).
My hobby of photography began a few years ago with a small, simple camera. I found enjoyment in reproducing Alaskan scenes into photographs. It struck me how many amazing things could be discovered and appreciated in the seemingly mundane details of Creation. Photography has helped and continues to help me appreciate and observe the many things around me that I take for granted.For those who are interested, my equipment consists of a Canon 40D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM and a Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 (a fairly obscure third-party MF lens). To those considering the purchase of a DSLR, I have some small bits of advice.
- 1.) Don't expect DSLRs to magically produce professional images. Professional photographs are a result of experience combined with good equipment.
- 2.) The best equipment combination is not necessarily the most expensive camera you can afford. In fact a much better option would be to get a less expensive DSLR and invest in high quality glass. The best lenses from Canon are labeled with an "L" (for "luxury"). Often they are black or white with a red ring around the front. They have superior optical and structural construction than the normal non-L lenses.
- 3.) Third-party lenses are an option for those on a tight budget. Although Canon does not recommend purchasing anything other than a Canon lens, there are some good third-party options out there. Full compatibility is not guaranteed since they are not from the OEM. However, this is not an issue with many current third-party lenses. There are some excellent options out there that will save you lots of money over the Canon equivalent. But there are also many third-party lenses that should never have seen the light and are total duds. There are some excellent review sites out there which I will mention below.
About the 
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This icon represents Dreamstime, an online microstock agency of which I am a member. I upload photos to the site, which are reviewed, rejected or accepted. Then the images that are accepted are placed on the website available for sale. The image is protected by a watermark when viewed on the site, but the downloaded image is watermark-free. When you see the Dreamstime icon on one of my image pages, it means that it is available to buy and download for a small fee at Dreamstime. When you download one of my images from Dreamstime, a percentage of the sale price is credited to my account. You can support this website by purchasing photos in this manner. If you are interested in selling you own photos on Dreamstime, you can register here. I would appreciate it very much if you used my referral code: res1253295.
About CyberStream
My goal for this website is to take advantage of "cyberspace" to share the gorgeous nature found in Alaska. If you can't come to see the incredible beauty here, I hope my photography can bring it to you. Also, I hope this website provides current/aspiring web developers with useful information to strengthen and expand their knowledge. You may have noticed some advertisements for Opera Web Browser on this website. I test my website in all 4 major browser engines, IE, FF, Webkit and Opera. Opera is by far my favorite. It is also the least popular and the second-oldest. In the recent years, it has undergone an overhaul that makes it one of the best browsers available. It has a sleek interface, is fast, secure, customizable and feature-packed. It is also very supportive of current and future web specs, meaning it will render web pages more attractively. All of this is packed into a tiny installation package of less than 10MB. The installation packs of other browsers are over three times larger, and they can't even do as much! Opera browser is fairly insignificant right now, but with publicity, it has great potential. Download Opera now to enhance your Internet experience.
About You
Think about the things that you dislike most. I'm quite sure that is not a difficult exercise. Unfortunately. A 3-foot long list probably formed instantly in your mind. That is because this life is filled with trouble.
You may have asked yourself the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" To answer the question, we need to go back to the very first people, Adam and Eve. God placed them in the perfect Garden of Eden. His relationship with man was incredibly close. He walked in the Garden with them (Genesis 3:8). God gave them permission to do anything they wanted, except to eat from the tree in the center of the garden. Inevitably, the time came when Eve was drawn to the forbidden tree. Satan, in the form of a serpent, was on the tree. He tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, twisting the truth. Eve finally gave in, ate the fruit and shared it with her husband, Adam. They were overcome with guilt and shame. God was walking in the Garden one day, and He called Adam. Adam finally admitted his sin, but not without blaming it on Eve, who blamed it on the serpent. God then proceeded to tell them the curses that this disobedience would bring upon them. Survival from that time on would be accompanied by pain and hard work. So in short, that is the answer to "why bad things happen to good people."
But it doesn't stop there. God loved us enough to give us the ability to choose. But He knew that choice would lead mankind into sin and pain. Man's first bad choice created a gulf between us and God. The gulf is called "sin". Because God is absolutely perfect, the most generous thing we do for others appears as "filthy rags" in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). Since we "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), it is impossible for us to please God and not go to Hell (eternal torment and separation from God). However, God still loves us with unconditional love, and He did the most amazing thing ever done. He let His Son, Jesus, be born as a man, live a perfect life, and die the death you and I deserved for sinning against our holy Creator. Neither I nor any human can comprehend the love that motivated such a selfless sacrifice. But the gift of Salvation is still available to any person who accepts it and gives his/her life into the possession of God.
It would be an eternal tragedy for you to miss Heaven. Read how to receive the free (but not cheap!) gift of salvation here.
My Favorite Websites
At one time, I was subscribed to nearly 100 RSS feeds. However, it quickly became apparent which sites were most valuable to me. Here is my current list:
Photography Sites
- DPReview - a website that is updated regularly with photography-related news, reviews and previews.
- The Digital Picture - A website that has comprehensive reviews for basically all Canon lenses and cameras, as well as many generic lenses. There is also a news/good deals announcements RSS feed.
- Fred Miranda - A popular photography website with forums, articles, reviews, contests, and more. My favorite part of the website is the Buy and Sell forum. It can yield incredible deals (which consequently sell very quickly!)
- BH Photo - An excellent, reputable source for photography equipment. They have excellent service with competitive prices.
Web Development Sites
- W3Schools - An indispensable, well-rounded reference/tutorial website on current web technologies. The forum is also a great place to learn.note: W3Schools is not associated with W3C.
- Nettuts Plus - An exceptional website for its high quality, practical web development tutorials.
- Tutorialzine - High-quality, practical tutorials focusing heavily on jQuery, but more generally on streamlining web applications.
Miscellaneous Sites
- InMotionHosting - If you are getting ready to start your own website, InMotion is a great web hosting company. They have great rates and superb, easily accessible support. If you are interested in registering, I'd appreciate if you clicked the link above to use my referral code.
- Ben Firth Studio - This is one type of artwork you probably have never seen! What a talented artist.
- Alaska Photographics - I hesitate to link to this site because you will never return to CyberStream. Patrick Endres is a talented Alaskan photographer who has a collection of approx. 40,000 images online. You could spend all day browsing his galleries and still be amazed!
- Apologetics Press - A website containing numerous resources on controversial contemporary issues.
- Christian Courier - Have you ever been confused with something in the Bible? This website almost certainly has an article on it.
