Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday. This week we're all trying to get back to the "real" world...work, normal diet etc. And it's also time to figure out how to use that new digital camera you got for Christmas or to print all those holiday pictures.

2008 CALENDARS: If you still need a 2008 calendar, why not take some of your favorite pictures and make a photo calendar? There are several companies that are offering deals on photo calendars, like Kodak Gallery, where you buy one and get 50% off a second one (or get 20% off one). In fact, I started a tradition of giving family members photo calendars for Christmas. My nephews got a kick out of seeing photos of themselves with fun captions like" Captain Casey driving the boat."

Everyone thinks I'm some kind of creative genius for putting together these calendars, but the truth is, it couldn't be easier. I upload pictures to a digital photo website (this year I used Shutterfly but I've tried and like all the major photo companies), pick a layout -- I selected a collage layout that let me use several photos per page -- and a design theme. Then I typed photo captions to go below each photo, placed the order and I was done. People assumed it took hours, but it was so fast and easy that I was able to customize calendars with different photos and captions for each person. Everyone anticipates getting their calendar each year, so now I don't dare NOT give them one! See below for a list of discounts on photo calendars and other sales.

NEWSFLASH: Snapfish lowered their 4 x 6 print price to 9 Cents everyday. I don't think there is a better price out there, even taking shipping costs into account. Printing at drugstores usually costs at least double that, and you certainly can't print them at home for 9 cents. Snapfish also has some excellent sales this month. More below.

CAMERA TIP: Photos with Yellow Cast

Do some of your indoor holiday photos have a yellow cast? This is a common problem for amateur photographers like us, especially with all the candles and lights during this season. The issue is the white balance, which takes into account the "temperature" of the lighting the photo is taken in.

If you have your camera set to auto white balance, indoor photos taken under incandescent lighting may have a yellow tinge. Likewise, sometimes outdoor photos come out with a blue cast, especially if there isn't a white point of reference, like a cloud, for your camera to automatically calculate the best setting. Just change the white balance setting to match your conditions (fluorescent light, flash, cloudy, sunny, etc.). Most cameras give you the option to change the white balance manually.

You can color correct images with a yellow cast (or a blue or green cast, whatever the situation) with your photo editing software. For instance, Adobe Photoshop Elements gives you a step-by-step guide to removing color casts. ACDSee Photo Editor also has an automatic to for removing color cast.

Have a great week.

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

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