Tip of the Day

Memorex from Imation has something useful for folks who rely on digital cameras to preserve their upcoming summer memories - the Memorex SimpleSave Photo & Video Backup DVDs. This method offers an easy and hassle-free way to back up the images which are important to you, in addition to providing that extra peace of mind just in case a nasty PC crash happens. These DVDs are readily available, with the discs being record-once DVDs that feature pre-loaded software that is smart enough to find, organize and back up photo and video files on PCs and connected drives automatically. It is beginning to sound like magic, no? Since the software is auto launching, that eliminates the need to install any program, making SimpleSave a totally new way to back up content with almost no effort required.

Memorex SimpleSave Photo and Video Back-Up DVDs are an ideal solution for photography hobbyists, memory keepers, busy moms and anyone who owns a digital camera. In just one step, summer travelers can store an entire season of photographs on one DVD. Once inserted, the Memorex SimpleSave DVD automatically searches for photo and video files, and saves up to 2,000 photos on a single disc. For the happy snapper who took more photos this summer than a single disc can hold, the SimpleSave software will automatically alert them to how many discs are needed to back up all photo and video files. Advanced options also offer the choice to designate which file types should be located and saved, as Memorex SimpleSave discs recognize more than 40 different image and 50 video file formats.

Interested parties will be able to pick up the Memorex SimpleSave Photo & Video Back-Up DVDs are available in packs of five discs with slim storage cases for $14.99 a pack.

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Memorex SimpleSave Backup DVDs » Coolest Gadgets

USB Photo Scanner - 5 megapixel scanner converts old photos to digital at the press of a button

USB Photo Scanner. This clever new box of tricks uses a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor to scan those old photos in our attic and turn them into glorious digital images which can be stored, shared and enjoyed the modern binary way. The device offers up to 1800 dpi resolution and 10 bits per color channel, whatever that means. The only drawback is the fact that you’ll need to manually press that button for every print you want to convert, which could get a bit wearisome after a while. $149.95.

This device quickly and easily converts photographs into digital images, allowing you to confidently preserve your memories for generations to come. Faster and easier than a conventional scanner, this device instantly captures the whole image using a 5 MP CMOS sensor, the same found in digital cameras. With up to 1,800 dpi resolution, 10 bits per color channel, automatic exposure control and color balance, clear, accurate digital images are assured. Photographs are placed into a tray that slides into the converter; the touch of a button records the image instantly. For photo transfers and power, it has a USB cable that plugs into a PC running Windows…

One of the most important keys to learning and mastering photoshop is using layers.

Why work on layers at all?

• They do not destroy your original photo.
• You are working on top of or on copies of that photo.
• You will have more control.
• You can use blending modes to change the way layers interact.
• You can change the opacity of any effects.
• You will have or can add layer masks so that you can work selectively on your photo with any adjustments you make.

Click on link for full lesson:

Understanding Layers in Photoshop

By Shelly Perry

To most travelers, a vacation is a time to relax, take in a few museums, enjoy coffee in an outdoor cafe, eat out, and meet new people. But to me, a vacation is also the ticket to some easy extra income…
Take Paris, for instance. (I’ve been there twice.) I enjoyed the cafes… the lavish meals… the leisurely strolls along the Seine. And I took pictures as I went - just like we all do when we’re on vacation.
The big difference for me is that I don’t just slide my pictures into an album when I get home. I sell them. And the truth is, thousands of websites, magazines, and travel agencies buy vacation photos from travelers like me all the time. And it’s not hard to find buyers…

Online stock photo agencies, also known as "microstock sites," are how I make most of my cash. Enough, in some cases, to cover the cost of my trip.
They’re happy to work with amateurs, but they do expect near-perfect photographs. So you’ve got to have a good digital camera and an eye for composition.
Travel agencies, art directors, and even high school kids looking for photos to illustrate their MySpace page or their geography and history papers are all customers of these online stock sites. It doesn’t cost you anything to upload your vacation shots, and buyers can download whichever pictures they choose for anywhere between $1 and $20 a pop, depending on what size image they want.
You, in exchange, get a percentage of the sale. I average 80 cents per image per month for all the photos I have on file at the stock agency I use (Istockphoto.com). That may not sound like a lot - but, at the end of the month, I get a check for a thousand or so dollars for my efforts.

Over time, I’ve collected several thousand images from my travels, and even pictures from inside my hotel room and from my house and backyard. I don’t have to do any marketing. I just upload the photos and they sell in my sleep.

It’s fast, easy, and fun.

Here are three things you can photograph on your next trip to sell for stock. Keep these in mind when you travel, and you can have fun, take lots of pictures, and make some extra money to boot.

1. Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ markets are teeming with stock shots… from the repeating patterns and colors of seasonal fruits and vegetables to signs scrawled in chalk and people picking out their wares.
Almost every online stock agency requires you to submit a model release for images that contain recognizable people, so I suggest you focus on the fruits and vegetables at first. Model releases are specific to each site, so get your account up and running before you try to submit people photographs.

2. Your Hotel
One photo of a front desk bell has sold 1,021 times on iStockphoto.com. And I’ve sold photos of curtains, tassels, pillows, and more. Do some research and look up hotel pictures on the stock sites before you leave to take inventory of your competition. It’s okay to photograph the same things - just be sure to make them yours by making them unique. But look for what’s selling and what’s not. Put your attention on the type of photos that sell best.

3. Textures and Patterns
People like to buy photos of simple textures or patterns to use as backgrounds for their websites… fine art on their wall… and a myriad of other things. Keep an eye out for them as you travel. Peeling paint, rusted metal, brick walls, cracks in the sidewalk, bark on a tree… can all make for interesting patterns and textures.
Make sure you read the site’s technical requirements and submission guidelines before you start uploading pictures. Some of the leading sites are: Istockphoto.com, Bigstockphoto.com, Shutterstock.com, and Dreamstime.com.

Shelly Perry specializes in documentary or lifestyle portraits. Her images have been seen all over the globe on music CD covers, books, magazines, catalogs, websites, ad campaigns, and even on the American Music Awards. She’s a contributor to Turn Your Pictures Into Cash: A Comprehensive Program in Taking and Selling Amazing Photographs. Find more ideas for how to turn your vacation shots into cash here.

3 Things You Can Get Paid to Photograph on Your Next Vacation - Tutorial

Well you have to give it to the SeaLife ECOshot, regardless of how good or bad it takes underwater photographs, any camera that can take a direct drop from over six feet has to be a crowd pleaser in our clutzy world. It’s got a sleek design that’s encased in rubber handholds for easy gripping, even with dive gloves on.

Powered by a pair of AA batteries to keep the camera small and light, the EcoShot can reach a maximum depth of seventy five feet without an underwater housing. That makes it great for snorkeling and beginning to intermediate scuba divers who are looking to take pictures of the underwater sights rather than set dive records. And with a 6MP CMOS sensor, it hits the digital camera “sweet spot” which states that six megapixel chips are an ideal balance between megapixels and light sensivitiy. And considering that it can get pretty dark down below six feet, the ability to take in and record as much light as possible – even with a flash is a good thing.

The camera also has an interval meter which can set the camera to shoot pictures automatically anywhere from 5 seconds to five minutes. It comes with a small 14MB of internal memory, and sadly, it can only take 1GB SD cards. And at $230, you’d think a diver could at least slide a 2 Giger in there. But this baby’s strengths are in it’s robustness, not in it’s storage capacity.

Source – Slash Gear

Underwater Camera reaches 75 feet without housing » Coolest Gadgets - |2008-03-09|