Sorry...

This site isn't intended for the graphic savvy, it's geared towards the user who doesn't do much more than crop or red eye removal. I wanted to encourage people to try and do a bit more than the basics and to explore the features of programs like Paint Shop Pro.

It's meant to be lighthearted and fun, not a heavy step by step technical site. There will be some step by step tutorials but nowadays most software comes with pretty easy to follow guides so it's really not necessary to show you how to do it ..so much as to show you what can do... and where to get the extras to allow you to play and have fun.




The Links and Tips and Tricks pages will have links to places you can get step by steps if you really feel you need them. Just don't be scared to experiment.. as long as your originals are safe then have some fun... you might just surprise yourself.

If you have webspace why not have some fun with it, check out the web section for fun ideas to brighten up your site.


keep checking back as more content is added :)

...... and feel free to poke around in the gallery, new stuff is added regularly..

You are only limited by your imagination!!

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If anyone is thinking about gifts for their favorite photographer.. here are a few of the things on my wishlist. If you have a photographer in your life maybe something will catch your eye. I tried to mix it up a bit for every budget... be sure to shop around if you see something interesting, prices may vary a lot specially from one country to another.



Top of my list .... and probably the priciest item.. but oh what a gift !!! this would make someone a very very popular person this year in my book.

Canon EOS 5D

12.8 million effective pixels WOOT !!! and a price tag to match. This is not a point and shoot camera, this is definitely for the serious hobby photographer or semi pro/pro.
Read Reviews Canon EOS 5D

( Don't forget most stores will be selling the body only, lenses have to be purchased separately so check the offer carefully to see what is included ).

Additional Memory cards - you can never have too much
Mobile storage - If your photographer is a real snapper.. these are invaluable.
Spare batteries - If your camera uses special batteries a spare is always handy, if it uses standard batteries such as AA's a .. rechargeables are a great way to go.
Specialist papers - if your photographer is also the artsy type... check out all the mad papers you can use... everything from shrink and bake to t-shirt printing paper, waterslide decals and canvas paper.
Carry cases - If your photographer is the kind to cart everything around with them you can't beat the backpacks. They are very comfortable to cart around specially in rural areas where hands free is useful for clambering around, the protection they give to equipment is great and even the smaller ones hold a full SLR setup ( adjustable storage units designed to fit any camera).. My personal favorite is the Lowepro range, but there are other good brands out there.
Digital Photo Frame - These have been around a while and are still cool gadgets for the office desk or people who don't like to clutter up space with lots of photo frames.
For the photographer that has it all.... how about a subscription to a photo library or webspace. Let them put their work on show, maybe they will even make some money to pay for their next piece of equipment.

There are lots of photo stock libraries which cater to different styles and levels of photographer. Some are more aimed at professionals than others; so be sure to check the requirements for subscribers before signing up. If they require the photographer to submit pictures for consideration it's most likely aimed at the semi-pro extremely talented hobbyist.

.. but there is no reason why you can't make your gift as an IOU. When it isn't practical to purchase a gift I've designed and printed out an IOU note detailing what I'm offering and popped that in the card. It's a cute way of giving the equivalent of a Gift Certificate for gifts where a commercial GC isn't available.

Just be sure you can afford to honor your IOU's. ( offering an alternative cash/credit value so your recipient may choose a different gift, just in case they already have a subscription to a similar service is a good idea) and that you include details so they can see what they are receiving.. a website link and brief description, printed materials or whatever is appropriate for the gift in question.

Alternatively purchase one of those prepaid Visa cards and when you give it to them tell them what you had in mind and let them know it wasn't lack of forethought, but that you actually wanted them to have something they really wanted and since commercial Gift Certificates restrict them to choosing something from one place, and only those who do GC's. Letting them know that you felt that they would get more pleasure from a prepaid visa and a list of gifts you thought they might like, but still give them the choice.

Bluehost is a great hosting service for any photographer who wants to put their work online. Plenty of storage space and bandwidth allowance... no service cut offs for exceeding monthly bandwidth allowance like a lot of the free sites, no adverts and lots of great scripts including galleries to make it easy to get a good size gallery up and running quickly with minimal web design experience.

...or how about a photography weekend or workshop? there are lots of weekend workshops.. just search the Internet for one in your area or in an area you fancy Some of them even have alternative workshops, so great for couples who don't share an interest but want a weekend away together. Some are simply a day under the tutelage of a pro photographer and cover such topics as portrait and studio work or glamour shoots.. right the way up to 2 week treks to exotic places with pro photographers to help you learn how to shoot on location and how to tackle specific subjects. Some local colleges and stores offer short photography courses which are great for beginners...so check with your local photo stores and colleges to see what is available in your area.

If you are a photographer looking for ideas for personalized gifts.. one of my favorites is e-watch factory. It's a great way to spotlight your work and give something unique as a gift or even as a promotional item. Prices are pretty competitive but again check around, there are new companies providing similar services coming up all the time.


Can't afford to spurge out big bucks on photo equipment, well make sure you check out the sweeps area. For American visitors.. Pop Photo amongst others have monthly gadget giveaways so be sure to hop on over and sign up for this months prizes.