If you're like most Canadian camera users, your precious photos end up in a "digital shoebox," otherwise known as your computer’s C: drive, while the occasional one is printed for a photo album or emailed to a relative. But your PC can do so much more for your snapshots than provide a convenient storage solution.
All you need is a little time, software and your imagination, and you can turn your photos into extraordinary projects that range from scrapbooking keepsakes and professional-looking DVD slideshows to jigsaw puzzle games and fridge magnets. Here are a handful of ideas to help you get the most out of your digicam and computer.
Jigsaw puzzles
What better way to keep the kids entertained on a rainy Sunday afternoon than with a fun and challenging jigsaw puzzle? Better yet, you can create your own jigsaw puzzles to play on the computer for free using your own digital photos.
Available at Download.com, programs such as Tibo Software's Jigsaw Puzzle or ADC-Soft's B-Jigsaw let you design your own one-of-a-kind diversions by simply importing photos from your hard drive (such as BMP and JPEG image files) and then choosing how many pieces the puzzle should be. Then, simply use your mouse to select pieces and snap them together - if they stick, it's a fit! You can also email the puzzle to friends and family to solve. Some products are free, while others are free to try before you buy.
Slideshows
Put a sentimental spin on your precious photos by creating a stunning slideshow, set to music. Not only can you view these homemade montages on your PC, but you can also copy them to a compatible PDA, cell phone or portable video player, email them around the world or burn a disc to watch on TV via your DVD player. A good pick is the free Windows Photo Story 3, a simple-to-use, powerful tool that lets you import your desired photos and select which order they will be presented in. You can also add captions, your favourite music or with the aid of a microphone, narration, too.
While there are many kinds of slideshow programs available, Windows Photo Story 3 also lets you edit your photos (such as remove red-eye, crop or rotate) and adds automated effects such as zooming in on a photo or slowly panning from left to right.
Fridge magnets
Proudly display your memories in a place you frequent often: your fridge. By purchasing magnetic sheets from business stores, such as Office Depot (roughly $20 for a 5-pack), you can create your very own fridge magnets with your favourite photos. Simply feed these sheets into your inkjet photo printer and select the desired photo size. You can fit four 3.5 x 5-inch photos on one 8 x 11 sheet (or two 5 x 7-inch images). After your printer spits out the sheet, carefully cut out the photo with scissors and you're ready for action.
If you want to get creative, cut the photo into various pieces (such as triangles) and let kids put together the jigsaw puzzle on the fridge. You can also create magnet borders to hold up your paper photos. Or why not buy t-shirt transfer paper to wear your loved one on your clothes?
Special effects
With the use of computer programs such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 ($129) or Microsoft Digital Image Suite ($139), you can let your creativity run wild by adding filters to your photos. You may have dabbled in creating black and white or sepia tone photos from your colour ones, but with the hundreds of filters included in these software packages, you can really get, well, experimental.
For example, you can turn your pics into an impressionism painting, charcoal drawing, antique image or stained glass photo. Frankly, you can lose yourself for hours by toying around with these filters - and kids love seeing the effects, too. How about turning one of your favourite kids photos into four multi-coloured Andy Warhol-esque prints to hang on your wall? Or you can print them out and use them in your scrapbook to impress friends.
Mugs, t-shirts, photobooks and more
Finally, if you've got a shot you're really proud of (maybe one of the kids without them making a silly face for once), why not tap into the many Internet services that will take your digital photo and ship you back a personalized product. Popular Web sites, such as Shutterfly.com, let you create stunning hardcover books using your favourite photos (US$30 for 20 pages).
Or you can order mugs, calendars, mouse pads, purses, coasters, aprons, tote bags, playing cards - you name it. Shutterfly.com also offers various children's storybooks - with your child as the leading character (US$10-$12).
Closer to home, check out places like your local photofinisher or the photo department in a store like Shoppers Drug Mart (which also offers a hardcover photo book creation service).
All you need is a little time, software and your imagination, and you can turn your photos into extraordinary projects that range from scrapbooking keepsakes and professional-looking DVD slideshows to jigsaw puzzle games and fridge magnets. Here are a handful of ideas to help you get the most out of your digicam and computer.
Jigsaw puzzles
What better way to keep the kids entertained on a rainy Sunday afternoon than with a fun and challenging jigsaw puzzle? Better yet, you can create your own jigsaw puzzles to play on the computer for free using your own digital photos.
Available at Download.com, programs such as Tibo Software's Jigsaw Puzzle or ADC-Soft's B-Jigsaw let you design your own one-of-a-kind diversions by simply importing photos from your hard drive (such as BMP and JPEG image files) and then choosing how many pieces the puzzle should be. Then, simply use your mouse to select pieces and snap them together - if they stick, it's a fit! You can also email the puzzle to friends and family to solve. Some products are free, while others are free to try before you buy.
Slideshows
Put a sentimental spin on your precious photos by creating a stunning slideshow, set to music. Not only can you view these homemade montages on your PC, but you can also copy them to a compatible PDA, cell phone or portable video player, email them around the world or burn a disc to watch on TV via your DVD player. A good pick is the free Windows Photo Story 3, a simple-to-use, powerful tool that lets you import your desired photos and select which order they will be presented in. You can also add captions, your favourite music or with the aid of a microphone, narration, too.
While there are many kinds of slideshow programs available, Windows Photo Story 3 also lets you edit your photos (such as remove red-eye, crop or rotate) and adds automated effects such as zooming in on a photo or slowly panning from left to right.
Fridge magnets
Proudly display your memories in a place you frequent often: your fridge. By purchasing magnetic sheets from business stores, such as Office Depot (roughly $20 for a 5-pack), you can create your very own fridge magnets with your favourite photos. Simply feed these sheets into your inkjet photo printer and select the desired photo size. You can fit four 3.5 x 5-inch photos on one 8 x 11 sheet (or two 5 x 7-inch images). After your printer spits out the sheet, carefully cut out the photo with scissors and you're ready for action.
If you want to get creative, cut the photo into various pieces (such as triangles) and let kids put together the jigsaw puzzle on the fridge. You can also create magnet borders to hold up your paper photos. Or why not buy t-shirt transfer paper to wear your loved one on your clothes?
Special effects
With the use of computer programs such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 ($129) or Microsoft Digital Image Suite ($139), you can let your creativity run wild by adding filters to your photos. You may have dabbled in creating black and white or sepia tone photos from your colour ones, but with the hundreds of filters included in these software packages, you can really get, well, experimental.
For example, you can turn your pics into an impressionism painting, charcoal drawing, antique image or stained glass photo. Frankly, you can lose yourself for hours by toying around with these filters - and kids love seeing the effects, too. How about turning one of your favourite kids photos into four multi-coloured Andy Warhol-esque prints to hang on your wall? Or you can print them out and use them in your scrapbook to impress friends.
Mugs, t-shirts, photobooks and more
Finally, if you've got a shot you're really proud of (maybe one of the kids without them making a silly face for once), why not tap into the many Internet services that will take your digital photo and ship you back a personalized product. Popular Web sites, such as Shutterfly.com, let you create stunning hardcover books using your favourite photos (US$30 for 20 pages).
Or you can order mugs, calendars, mouse pads, purses, coasters, aprons, tote bags, playing cards - you name it. Shutterfly.com also offers various children's storybooks - with your child as the leading character (US$10-$12).
Closer to home, check out places like your local photofinisher or the photo department in a store like Shoppers Drug Mart (which also offers a hardcover photo book creation service).
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