Ready for an unforgettable photo experience? Join us for a photo trip to photograph the Pennsylvania elk! We just announced the upcoming fall trip: October 1-4, 2018. For more details and to sign up go to: http://www.bobshankphotography.com/PA%20Elk%20Experience/Upcoming%20Trips.htm
As screen time becomes an integral part of the modern workplace, the demand for blue light glasses has surged among professionals. With remote work and digital tasks taking center stage, blue light glasses are quickly transitioning from a helpful accessory to an essential tool for those spending prolonged hours in front of screens. This article explores the importance of blue light glasses in the workplace, their impact on productivity and employee well-being, and how businesses can encourage their use to support staff health and performance.
The Rise of Screen Time in the Workplace
The shift to remote and hybrid work has fundamentally transformed how we engage with screens. Employees now rely on laptops, desktops, and mobile devices not only for work but also for meetings, collaboration, and communication. According to recent studies, the average office worker spends between 6 to 8 hours a day looking at screens, which is even higher for professionals in tech, finance, and digital sectors.
As screen exposure grows, so does the need to protect eyes from the harmful effects of blue light, the high-energy visible (HEV) light emitted by digital screens. Blue light is known to cause eye strain, disrupt sleep patterns, and lead to longer-term vision problems. For many professionals, blue light glasses have become a simple yet effective solution to mitigate these adverse effects and promote a healthier, more comfortable work experience.
Understanding the Impact of Blue Light on Productivity and Well-Being
Excessive blue light exposure is linked to several physical symptoms that can hinder productivity and overall well-being:
Digital Eye Strain: Long hours in front of screens can lead to digital eye strain, characterized by dry eyes, blurred vision, and eye fatigue. Blue light glasses can reduce eye strain, helping employees feel more comfortable and less fatigued throughout the workday.
Headaches and Migraines: Blue light overexposure is also associated with headaches and migraines, especially for individuals sensitive to bright light. By filtering out a portion of blue light, these glasses can alleviate headaches, reducing the need for breaks and enhancing focus.
Sleep Disruption: Blue light exposure suppresses melatonin production, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. This can lead to poor sleep quality, particularly in employees who work late or check screens close to bedtime. Blue light glasses help minimize this disruption, allowing employees to maintain a healthy sleep cycle, which translates into better energy and focus during work hours.
Mental Fatigue: Digital fatigue, often triggered by constant screen engagement, can impact mental well-being, causing burnout, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Blue light glasses reduce eye discomfort, helping employees stay sharp and alert, even during long workdays.
The Role of Blue Light Glasses in Enhancing Workplace Productivity
The benefits of blue light glasses extend beyond health, directly impacting productivity:
Improved Focus and Efficiency: When employees are not dealing with eye strain, headaches, or mental fatigue, they can focus on tasks with greater efficiency. This improvement can lead to higher quality work and increased output.
Reduced Absenteeism: Eye strain and related symptoms are common causes of workplace absenteeism, especially for professionals working with screens all day. By reducing these issues, blue light glasses can contribute to fewer sick days and improved employee attendance.
Enhanced Mental Clarity: Blue light glasses can minimize symptoms that distract from work, such as dry eyes or mild headaches, helping employees maintain mental clarity and perform their tasks with precision.
Long-Term Wellness Benefits: Supporting employees with tools like blue light glasses signals that their health and wellness matter. Over time, this investment in well-being can boost morale and job satisfaction, leading to a more engaged and loyal workforce.
Encouraging the Use of Blue Light Glasses Among Employees
Businesses can take proactive steps to encourage the use of blue light glasses, helping protect their teams from the adverse effects of prolonged screen time:
Provide Education on the Benefits: Start by educating employees on how blue light affects eye health, productivity, and overall well-being. Conduct informational sessions, webinars, or send out company-wide emails explaining the science behind blue light and the benefits of blue light glasses.
Offer Blue Light Glasses as a Workplace Perk: Some companies provide blue light glasses as part of their employee wellness perks. This could be in the form of reimbursing employees for the cost of glasses, offering a small stipend, or partnering with eyewear companies to offer discounts on blue light glasses.
Incorporate Blue Light Glasses into Health and Wellness Initiatives: Companies with wellness programs can consider adding blue light glasses as a component of their health benefits, much like ergonomic chairs and standing desks. This reinforces the company’s commitment to employee well-being.
Encourage Regular Screen Breaks: Complement the use of blue light glasses with policies that encourage regular breaks to reduce digital eye strain. Encourage the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds), which, combined with blue light glasses, can significantly reduce strain.
Raise Awareness Through Testimonials and Success Stories: Employees are more likely to adopt blue light glasses if they hear positive feedback from their colleagues. Collect testimonials from employees who have experienced relief from eye strain and improved productivity with blue light glasses to encourage others.
Recommended Blue Light Glasses for the Workplace
Here are a few highly recommended brands and models that offer quality blue light protection tailored for workplace needs:
Felix Gray: Known for its high-quality blue light filtering without the yellow tint, Felix Gray offers both prescription and non-prescription options that are perfect for all-day wear.
Warby Parker: Warby Parker’s blue light glasses come with stylish frame options and a virtual try-on feature, making it easy for employees to find a pair that suits their style.
Gunnar Optiks: Gunnar Optiks has been a leader in blue light blocking glasses for years and offers glasses with adjustable intensity for different environments, making it ideal for those working long hours.
Pixel Eyewear: Pixel Eyewear focuses on reducing digital eye strain with lightweight, comfortable frames. Their options work well for both short and long screen sessions, providing affordable yet effective solutions.
EyeBuyDirect: With a wide range of frame styles and blue light filtering levels, EyeBuyDirect provides budget-friendly options that don’t sacrifice quality.
Conclusion
Blue light glasses are more than just a trend—they’re a practical tool for protecting employee health and enhancing productivity in an increasingly screen-dependent workplace. By minimizing the symptoms of digital eye strain, reducing sleep disruption, and fostering a healthier work environment, these glasses can become a valuable asset for both remote and in-office employees.
For businesses, encouraging the use of blue light glasses sends a clear message that employee well-being is a priority. With the right education and incentives, companies can create a supportive environment that not only safeguards eye health but also boosts overall job satisfaction and performance. As screen time continues to dominate the workplace, investing in blue light protection may be one of the smartest steps companies can take for the health and happiness of their teams.
We just announced a new Pennsylvania Elk Photography Experience, which will be held on October 2-5, 2017. This guided photo trip will take you to the amazing Pennsylvania Elk for a photographic experience you will not soon forget!
Along the way, you will be around some neat and interesting people who, like you, share a passion for wildlife and outdoor photography. We present three different photography seminars, including how to set up your camera and photograph the PA Elk, and an in-depth look at how to use Adobe Lightroom for your photography. The final seminar is about wildlife photography ethics, the PA Elk Herd, and we also have you share your best five shots from the trip so we can learn from each other!
You will have the opportunity to be out on six photo shoots to photograph the majestic elk during the fall rut when their activity is at an all-time high. The photographic possibilities are only limited by your imagination!
We only have 1 more opening available for 2017 but we will be doing this again next year. Click here for more information.
Much of the time spent in wildlife photography is pursuing the animals we want to photograph. I often tease that, “Yeah, I was out on the mountain chasing the elk around with my camera.” I do not mean this literally, of course. Chasing an animal is just not a very good idea if you intend to photograph it!
So how can you actually get closer to the wild animals? Be patient and let them come to you. That’s right, be patient. In our fast-paced society today, this is not an easy thing for many people to do. Being patient means taking the time to stay in one place for an extended period of time.
Last week, while shooting the Pennsylvania Elk, we were on a hill with a small harem of cows and a couple of bulls within about 100 yards of us. We had our cameras on our tripods and were capturing some photographs at that distance. We patiently remained in that one location for well over an hour. Amazingly, the elk ever so slowly began to feed in our direction. They didn’t close the distance by leaps and bounds; rather, they slowly mossyed in our direction. This took time and we remained patient.
Eventually, the bull moved to within a few yards of our location. You can see in these photos that I now had too much lens with my 200-400mm. It was an amazing experience!
The key was staying still and patient, while letting the animals slowly feed in our direction instead of chasing them by trying to get closer. I firmly believe that most photographers will get better photographs if they practiced more patience with their subjects. The next time you are shooting wildlife, practice more patience. Remain in one location and let them work toward you. It is an amazing experience when this happens and you will get some incredible photos, too!
Pennsylvania Elk Photography Experience #7 was a pure blast! We saw elk all over the place and bulls were everywhere! I cannot remember a year where we saw so many different bulls and most of them were in camera range. Many of us are spoiled, owning 200mm, 300mm, and even 400mm lenses. The big boy wildlife photographers even haul a 600mm lens out on the mountain!
I confess that lens envy is rampant in my photo circles. We always want more reach. Bigger lenses allow us to stay at a safe distance from the animals and still fill the frame with the subject we are photographing. The other related problem is lack of light in many lenses. Take, for example, the typical 70-300mm zoom lens that is often the second lens purchased by many photographers, it has reach but at 300mm the f-stop is a whopping f/5.6. That is simply not usable at dawn and dusk when animals are most visible and active. An f-stop of 2.8 is ideal, but many settle for f/4, which is a decent comprise to get the reach but also keep the lens affordable. The Nikon 400mm f/2.8 is $9,000!
My favorite lens for wildlife and sports photography is the 200-400mm f/4. I really like the zoom capability of this lens, especially for sports and wildlife. It allows me to zoom in and out from my position on the sidelines or on the mountain with the twist of the wrist. Typically I rest my left hand on top of the lens to be able to rotate the zoom mechanism when needed. Just remember, righty tighty, which zooms in closer, at least for the Nikon shooters.
I purchased the book, “How to Photograph Animals in the Wild,” by Lennie Rue III, and Len Rue, Jr. about 11 years ago. I got to meet them both twice–once at my favorite spot on the elk range behind my camp and once in a workshop they co-led here in the Poconos. Anyway, this book contains some of their incredible photographs. As I read the book and studied the photos, I saw a repeating trend: most of the photos were captured with a 200-400mm lens. Well, it then instantly became my dream lens. I saved for 3 1/2 years to purchase the lens and I use it every week. It really is a great lens for sports and wildlife photography, and it has quickly become my go-to lens!
Each of these photographs in today’s blog entry were captured with my 200-400mm f/4 lens. The lens is sharp and clear and it can be coupled with a teleconverter to provide even more reach if there is enough light. I also am now in the habit of carrying a second camera body around my body. This is necessary when photographing football games, so it comes quite naturally to me now. This week I carried the D300 with the 200-400mm f/4 on my tripod and another D300 with the 24-70mm f/2.8 around my body on an R-Strap. I also toted the Think Tank Belt System to carry my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, my 50mm f/1.4 lens, my 1.4x teleconverter, and other accessories. It is all easy to carry and I am covered from 24mm all the way through 560mm. That’s pretty sweet for wildlife photography!
When we teach our photo classes for the Pennsylvania Elk Photography Experience, we recommend at least 200mm with a teleconverter. This covers out to 280mm and provides good minimal coverage for the large elk. For most other mammals, which are smaller, we recommend 300mm or more. A wildlife photographer can never seem to have enough lens reach!
Another helpful tip is getting close to the wildlife, or preferably, letting the wildlife get close to you. More on this topic next week. For now, just remember that lenses for wildlife might be expensive, but they sure produce consistently clear results. I really, really like my 200-400mm f/4 lens!
Now my next dream lens is the 400mm f/2.8 for football, and the 600mm f/4 for bird photography. It just never ends…
It’s in the books. The 7th Pennsylvania Elk Photography Experience just wrapped up yesterday. Wow! We saw more bulls on this trip than any I can remember in the recent past. We watched bull after bull, heard their blustering bugles, and were astounded by how many were within camera range. This was one outstanding experience!
One of the many highlights was on Wednesday night when we were literally in the middle of six bulls and a harem of cows. This alone could be thrilling, but add to it the location was on a river full of water and you can begin to see why this experience was so thrilling! We watched patiently for the first bull to cross over the water with splashes of water at its feet, but eventually we saw six crossings. This all provided an astounding opportunity to capture some amazing wildlife photographs.
If you want to photograph the Pennsylvania Elk, you really should consider signing up for next year’s PA Elk Photo Experience. You can find more info here. We are also seriously considering another winter trip. This is a quieter experience without the hoards of elk viewers we are accustomed to seeing in the fall rut. The elk can be a little more difficult to find in the winter, but once we do they make for stunning subjects in front of the wonderland of snow!
Here is a gallery of my best captures this week.
Coming Soon:
I am in the finishing stages of designing and creating a new photography magazine. The title is Wild Photo Tips Magazine and it will feature tried and true techniques for photographers of all levels from beginner to expert! The new magazine will feature mostly wildlife photography but occasionally delve into other branches of photography like sports, portraits, and even drama!
This idea for a photo magazine was birthed from the success of my book: How I Photograph the Pennsylvania Elk. This photo book project was more successful than I first imagined and it led me to this new project. By the way, my photo book is still available for sale here: http://www.blurb.com/b/1611137-how-i-photograph-the-pennsylvania-elk The idea for a photo magazine came quite naturally for me, after all, I have a journalism degree from Temple University with a focus on Magazines!
The new photo magazine will be published two times a year to start and will include articles in the following categories: basic photo tips, advanced techniques, my favorite photo destinations, on location, wildlife tip of the month, camera and software tips, wild photo tips, a photo critique, and much more! The magazine will be sold for $7.95 at the Elk Country Visitor Center on Winslow Hill, PA. There will also be an online version available for $3.95 per issue. The first online premier issue will be available for free to give you an idea of the great ideas and tips featured in this magazine.
Keep checking my photo website at www.bobshankphotography.com to see when the premier issue will be available. Check it out and share it with your photography friends. There will be something for every level of photographer out there!
Does anything get you fired up? I mean, does anything provoke you to sit up, pay attention, and decide to do something about it?
I hear a lot of rhetoric from well-meaning and good intentioned people, but few are motivated to stand up and be counted. We also have the slippery slope of political correctness that has run amuck in our country. I just said the other day that political correctness might be the gateway to our demise.
So here goes. I am going to say some things I believe strongly enough to stand up for and be counted. To some, it might sound like am coming out of the closet because I don’t always wear these feelings on my sleeve nor do I share them publicly very often. I am sure I will offend some and perhaps many, but I want to be honest with you and with myself.
I grew up in the farming and hunting traditions of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. My parents taught me right from wrong and I listened to them sometimes. When I didn’t I got whacked real good! I attended church every week. I learned to respect my elders, do my chores, and enjoy God’s beautiful creation. My grandpa took me for walks in the woods to hunt for mushrooms. I never ate one of them, but I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations we had on those long walks in the woods. At the age of 12 I became a hunter. My uncle was my hero and I couldn’t wait to hunt game and get to eat it. I got my first squirrel on Thanksgiving Day in 1977 with the help of my uncle. I did not eat this squirrel because my dad had it mounted for me to remember that successful hunt the rest of my life. I hunted all through high school and developed a deep friendship with my best buddy, Randy. We roomed together in our first year of college, had one big fight and a few smaller arguments, but we always looked forward to hunting season. We ran a successful muskrat trap line and trapped a few raccoon, opossums, and skunks along the way! Then I transferred to Temple University and saw how life was lived in the city. It was awesome! It was all new, of course, to me, but it was mentally engaging and challenging in ways I never experienced before. My very first day in the city, I met an African-American for the first time in my life. Danny took me around the city, which was far different from taking a long walk in the woods! I learned that people might look different from me but they have similar wants, likes, and problems just as I do. I learned that some people are treated differently, too. African-Americans could not walk into certain neighborhoods, which was a hard lesson for me to understand. The city of brotherly love is just not always that lovely it seemed–at least not for everybody. I moved to Pittsburgh to continue my education and my life experiences expanded as well. I met a friendly city that was much different from the big city of Philly. These differences were both good and bad in my opinion. I got to experience a wonderful new culture on many levels. I often went to the Balcony, which featured great jazz musicians from the city and the entire region. I also went with a friend to a Reggae concert. Jeff and I were the only white people in the whole place! But we were treated like brothers and enjoyed the concert and the crowd immensely! I now got to work in a church and learned the hard way that church is not always a loving and friendly place. There are even some hypocrites and hateful people in the church. I got married to my high school sweetheart and lived in a little two-bedroom apartment. Denise worked at the hospital and I continued my education. My horizons were expanding and life was excellent! We bought some land in the mountains, near where I had hunted since the age of 15. It was so nice to have a little slice of God’s creation to steal away to every once in a while and to have a place of our very own. It didn’t hurt that the wildlife was abundant and we saw our very first Pennsylvania Elk. Wow, what a beautiful and majestic animal! I continued hunting with my dad and my buddy from high school, Randy. I often saw nice bucks in bear season and beautiful bear in deer season! We bagged a few bucks and I started trying to photograph the wildlife in the off seasons, especially the elk. My wife gave birth to beautiful twin children–Lydia and James. They helped me continue learning more and more. I learned my uncle had lied to me: he said your own children don’t stink! I learned that girls are different from boys, in more than just the obvious ways. I also learned that children will do the exact opposite of what you tell them sometimes! I served several churches as pastor and got to meet all kinds of wonderful people from all walks of life. I had great mentors along the way. I met some gay people who were more committed in their relationships than some of my friends and relatives were in their marriages. I had some of my thinking challenged and confirmed and completely torn apart. I thought I had life pretty much figured out when one of our church teenagers shot and killed his mom and dad. Why? I will probably never know. I enjoyed success and failures, and all kinds of ups and downs. I still enjoy hunting, trapping, and now other shooting and target sports. The best part is having an interested son who shares some of my interests and who is going to be a much better hunter than I will ever be in this life. He shoots straight and has specific goals and a good direction for his life, much like I recall in my own life when I was his age. My daughter keeps me cultured and tries to keep expanding my horizons. I don’t always like her music or her boyfriends. I love my children but, yes, we disagree sometimes and I am not always right. However, living in my house requires living by my rules. Funny how I find myself parenting like my parents raised me! Mom got her wish, too. She often said, “I hope when you have a son, he’s just like you!” Thanks, mom, thanks a lot! I still enjoy hunting and believe strongly in our Second Amendment. I am a proud member of the National Rifle Association. I was a member years ago but let my membership lapse because I thought they went too far much of the time. I’ve changed my thinking completely on this topic. I never thought I would live to see the day that hunting might be outlawed, but I fear that day is much closer than most of might imagine. A new bill introduced on Capitol Hill this week does include hunting rifles that may not be legal in Pennsylvania, but they are legal in other states. Why do I only get upset when my way of life is threatened? What about when other people’s ways of life are threatened? Shouldn’t I speak up then, too? The Second Amendment is not primarily about hunting, it’s about the unalienable right given to us by our founding fathers in the Constitution to bear arms. Yes, it was about a militia at the time of its conception but it was also about individual rights, too. It was also about protecting the citizens from a tyrannical government. Rights are sometimes lost over time. Just look at parenting. Remember the old adage: spare the rod and spoil the child? This is out the window today. I know that guns are often the choice for bad people to inflict hurt on others, but I also know that many more people die from car accidents and abortions. Could it be that our society is full of spoiled brats who need to learn a lesson or two before they become an active part of our society? It is an odd mix today, really… many feel entitled and yet many rights continue to be threatened. Morale in the church and our country is down. The economy shows signs of bouncing back like in the Stock Market but still hurts so many people trying to make a decent living and our seniors on fixed incomes. I do not believe in global warming, but I do see a lot of changes going on around me. My dad died a little over a year ago and I miss talking with him on hunting trips and I miss his camp cooking! My uncle is still my hero but many other hopeful heroes have come and gone, despised by society for the bad things they got caught doing and lied about. I question why so many people die so young and unexpectedly. I question but I remain faithful. And I still enjoy hunting deer but will only shoot the Pennsylvania elk with my camera. I thoroughly enjoy photographing God’s beautiful and amazing creation.
This is what really matters to me: God’s creation, my family, the traditions I grew up with, having an open mind, the Bill of Rights and our Constitution (especially the Second Amendment), photographing wildlife, continuing to learn as I experience more and more all the time, and knowing that there is no place like the mountains!
This is me, Bob Shank, for better or worse. I am a product to a large degree from where I came from and where I’ve been through the years. I don’t think my way is always better, but I think my way is right. I enjoy having debates and long conversations even with those who look at life differently, and I enjoy educating people on some topics. I hope I am still learning and I hope my life is making a difference in some way.
What really matters to you?
“Oh give me land, lots of land, under starry skies above,
Don’t fence me in;
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don’t fence me in.”
These photos were taken at the Gilbert Viewing Area, also known as the Porcupine Run Viewing Area. I prefer to call it the Gilbert Viewing Area, after the family who last owned the farm before it was purchased by the Conservancy and then became an addition to State Game Lands 311. Today there is little evidence that this was a farm because the Game Commission burned down the old farm-house and the barn, which is their standard policy when they acquire land.
The fence in the foreground was put in to keep the elk viewers from venturing too far into the elk country. There is a bit of a controversy with this idea because typically State Game Lands are open to the public. The idea here in the viewing areas, however, is to keep human contact to a minimum to allow more people to view the elk. This same policy is in affect to the surrounding area of the Elk Country Visitor Center. Visitors can see the obvious red signs depicting the area off limits along Winslow Hill Road just above the Elk Country Visitor Center entrance.
This cow put on quite a show for me last month on a day that was quite on the hill. The rut was just about over and elk viewers were few and far between during the week days. I enjoyed photographing this cow with only one other elk viewer in the area. I thought it was comical to see the elk behind this fence, as I wondered if the elk was thinking, “Don’t fence me in.” My mother-in-law, Edna Rosenberry, used to sing this song to our children, Lydia and James, when they were just babies! Few of us like to be fenced in, including the wild elk of Pennsylvania!
Obviously, these elk are not fenced in. The fence in the foreground of these photos only covers a small area at the top of the viewing area. Still, I thought it made an interesting perspective. What do you think?
The colors are not nearly as brilliant as they were a month ago, but capturing a bull in the late fall in its natural setting is still worth capturing. Some photographers limit their outings to the fall rut when the elk activity is at its peak. This is understandable, but there is not a bad time throughout the entire year that is not worth the effort to be out photographing the Pennsylvania elk.
This is true for any photo subject. The best way to get better is to be out photographing your favorite subjects as much as possible. Cal Ripken, Jr. says this: “Perfect practice makes practice.” His theory reflects that it is not just practice, but perfect practice that helps us get better. This is true in baseball as well as in wildlife photography. One problem is that we can tend to crawl up beside a warm, comfy wood stove as the days get shorter. This is a mistake for any serious photographer, especially wildlife photographers. The sun sets differently in the late fall and winter sky than it does in the summer, which creates a different sunset to capture with our cameras. As a matter of fact, I was standing out in a misty rain with my long johns on during this particular photo shoot.
The late fall sees the elk habits change, too. Sure, a few bulls are still anxious to breed a cow, but now things are slowing down and the elk are thinking more about putting on weight to endure the upcoming winter. They gain weight by eating, so the photographer has to be patient, waiting for an elk to look up from eating. Patience is a virtue and this is no more true anywhere than with wildlife photography!
So, put on some warm clothes, grab your camera gear, and venture out into the wild this late fall season. When you come back into the warmth of your home or cabin, you will be glad you braved the elements to photograph wildlife. After all, to be a good wildlife photographer we have to spend more time in their habitat throughout the whole year!