Welcome to the November issue of the Digital Photos 101 Newsletter.

As we are already gearing up for the holiday season, I wanted to highlight a few things to help you plan and shop. I've got info for you on the most popular digital cameras for your gift list, a great new photo sharing program I found, and some g good deals on holiday photo cards. We always say we are going to start planning for the holidays early, but most of us never manage it. Maybe this will help you get going.

New Photo Sharing Program
Popular Digital Cameras
Digital Photo Service Holiday Card Promos

New, EASY Photo Sharing Program

Now that we are getting into the holiday season, you will probably be taking more photos than normal. This means sharing photos on the web will be increasingly popular. However, some people, especially those who don't spend a lot of time on their computer, have problems e-mailing pictures because they don't know how to optimize them (reduce file size) to send on the web, or they want the photos to appear in the body of the e-mail message rather than as separate files the recipient has to click on one at a time. Others, for various reasons, are stuck with dial-up Internet service, which can be annoyingly slow for uploading and downloading photos.

I ran across a nice, simple software program that makes sharing your photos as easy as it could possibly be. It's called SendPhotos Gold v4. And it does exactly that. Quickly, easily, intuitively and with a variety of optional, fun borders, backgrounds, stationery and layouts. Plus, it uploads/downloads pictures up to 25 times faster than usual on dial-up Internet connections.

SendPhotos Gold v4 is great for people who want an easy-to-use photo sharing program without having to learn a lot of complicated features. Parents and grandparents come to mind. While it comes with an extensive Users Guide, the software is so straightforward you probably won't need it. When you open the program, SendPhotos automatically finds your My Pictures file and you simply select the images you want to send, type in your e-mail message, add captions to the photos if desired, and choose a layout, border, stationery and background.

The beauty of the program is that your photos and captions are embedded within the body of the e-mail, not in separate attachments. SendPhotos gives you the option of sending your message and photos from Outlook or Outlook Express or with its own e-mail program. It also works with most e-mail programs including AOL (Version 8.0 or higher), Yahoo, Hotmail, Eudora and Netscape.

It's inexpensive (under $30) and you can get a free trial, which I highly recommend. For more info, go to SendPhotos, or for a FREE TRIAL, click here to download.

SMUGMUG: My Favorite Dedicated Photo Sharing Site

For those who do a lot of photo sharing and want their own web space to display their photos for friends and family, Smugmug is tops. I just love this site, and so do thousands of others. You can read my review here and get a free trial, too.

Most Popular Digital Cameras

'Tis the season for buying gifts, and with the enormous popularity of digital cameras, it is likely that a new camera will be on your gift-buying list. There are so many to choose from that you may be stumped on what to get. To help you out, here is a list of the most popular cameras, according to digitalcamera-hq.com:

1. Canon 350D - also called Canon Digital Rebel XT - 8 megapixels, approx. $899

2. Canon SD550 - ultra compact, 7.1 megapixel, approx. $460

3. Canon A610 - update of popular Powershot A95 - 4 megapixels, approx. $249

4. Panasonic FZ30 - for photo enthusiasts, 8 megapixel, approx. $850

5. Canon A620 - 7.1 megapixel, approx. $399

Where to find them:

Wal-Mart -  has great prices on digital cameras & accessories, printers, and other electronics. You can order online and pick up at a local store, or have your order delivered to your home.

Circuit City is a good resource for digital cameras. Web-only special: save 10% on select cameras. Get free shipping and no sales tax.

Amazon has a huge selection of cameras and excellent prices, plus you get free shipping and no sales tax (most states).

Digital Photo Software - Sales, Rebates

Here are the current sales/promos on digital photo editing and organizing software. LOTS OF REBATES STILL AVAILABLE and lots of good sales. Note: prices are as of 11/15/05, they can change at any time.

ACDSee 8 PHOTO MANAGER is $49.99 direct. Download a free trial

Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 is $67.99 at Amazon after a $20 rebate and free shipping.

Corel Paintshop Pro X is $59.99 after rebate and free shipping at Amazon.

Corel Photo Album 6 Deluxe is $8.99 at Amazon after special rebates and free shipping. It's practically free, and it is a very good photo management/album program.

Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 is on sale at Amazon for $87.99 with free shipping. PLUS get a $30 rebate, bringing your final cost down to $57.99. This is a great deal.

Digital Photo Printing Services - Holiday Promos and Discounts

Photo cards are a nice way of personalizing your holiday cards. With all the competition between online photo services, there are some good sales and promos that can save you quite a bit. I have used all of these photo services and have been quite pleased with the quality and service, too. They are much better than drugstore prints or photo cards, that's for sure. Remember, signing up is free at all these photo services. You just pay for what you order, and you can store your photos on line for free, indefinitely.

SNAPFISH: 12 cent prints all the time. Holiday savings:

• Save 15% on holiday cards, plus receive 20 free prints. Use coupon code CARDS0515 It's valid through November 30th.

• Save 10% on photo gifts. Use coupon code HOLIDAYGIFTS2005 by December 10.

Go to Snapfish.

SHUTTERFLY:

• New member special offer: Receive 5 FREE personalized photo Greeting Cards on orders $25+.
(Expires 11/23/05)

• Pre-season Card Sale: Save 20% on personalized Holiday Photo Cards. Coupon Code: AF11-CARD - Through 11/30/05

Go to Shutterfly

PHOTOWORKS: 15 cent 4x6 prints every day, through 12/31/05. Enter discount code: C427-38-5182-61

• Save up to 40% through 11/23/05 on HOLIDAY PHOTO CARDS Enter discount code C441-38-5182-91

• Save 20% on Photo Keepsakes thru 11/23/05 Enter discount code C454-38-5116-01

Go to PhotoWorks.com

KODAK EASYSHARE GALLERY: has 15 cent 4 x 6 prints every day. Savings on holiday cards and gifts:

• Save 20% on your minimum $10 order (not including prints) through Nov 23. Use coupon code NEWGALLERY at checkout.

• Photo greeting cards are just $16.99 for a set of 20 cards and envelopes and $14 for each additional set.
40 styles to choose from.

• Save 20% on photo greeting cards through 11/21/05. Use coupon code SEASONGREETING at checkout.

Go to Kodak EasyShare Gallery

That's it for now. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Valerie Goettsch
www.digitalphotos101.com
How to get the best from your digital camera

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