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Before the use of digital cameras was widespread, there were places that you could take your photos to have them customized with various effects. Now, these same effects can be had on your computer, using a cheap or even free piece of software, and the choices for how to edit your photos are nearly endless. Digital photo editing can create new picture from composites, insert cartoons into the photo, and much more.

Usually, people receive their editing software with the purchase of a new computer, printer, scanner, camera, or other electronic component. Sometimes, these are trial versions or free versions of paid software. This is alright if the trial or free version is just a less fully featured version of the paid option, but it can be troublesome if it’s the type that locks you out after a given period of time.

Downloading free software from the internet is a possibility. Whether it will work for you depends on what you plan to do. If you are just exploring the idea of editing software, or want to do some basic tweaking to your photos, it’s probably good enough. If you plan to do complex editing or a lot of photos, paid might be a better way to go. Editing software isn’t one of the more expensive types of software out there, unless you go very high end.

The functions of editing software vary depending on the type, but they have a few basics in common. Usually, the ability to merge one photo with another, in a more or less sophisticated manner, is a staple. This is often referred to as ‘photoshopping’, and is what people are talking about when they complain that people in magazines don’t look real, and must have been altered.

A common use of photo editing software is to create colorful borders for photos. Holiday themed colors and patterns can be used around the edges of a photo to create a card-like effect, and then printed as a single image. There are usually also tools for cropping and turning photos, as well as enlarging and darkening or brightening the picture.

Everyone with a computer should at least take the time to play with some digital photo editing software. It’s fun and educational, and can give you lots of great ideas about ways to make creative art out of your photographs.

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The popularity of digital photo frames has really shot up over the last couple of years or so. During the 2008 Festive season, they were one of the most popular gift choices. There were significant price cuts during 2008 – initially due to reductions in the cost of the materials and parts and later, in the last six months of the year, due to price positioning by the main manufacturers and retailers. However, whilst lower prices were probably a key factor if the increased popularity of these frames, this does not full explain the increased acceptance of them.

Likewise, the technical advantages enjoyed are unlikely to account for the growing acceptance of digital photo frames into the mainstream. You can setup slideshows – great. You can have background music – great. You get a remote control – wonderful. It’s all good stuff – but is it a big factor for your mother or your granny? They are most likely to receive these frames as a gift after all.

Now that digital frames are no longer the sole preserve of gadget freaks and early adopters but are firmly in the mainstream consumer market, they are very much more cosmetically pleasing. Early models certainly had a tendency to be either black or metallic chrome constructions. However, it is now possible to find frames with removable surrounds – specifically designed so that you can change the look of the frame to suit your home or office decor. That would certainly go some way towards increasing the appeal of these devices – but it’s still not sufficient, in and of itself, to account for the recent widespread acceptance of the devices.

The critical factor that makes these frames ideal as gifts is the simple fact that they can be customised and updated in the future – two highly valued features nowadays. A lot of people will take a little time to store a few photos of grandkids, children, recent holidays, family pets etc. on the frame before handing their gift to Granny. They’re not just handing over some high tech gizmo – it’s a personalized collection of memories in that nicely wrapped gift box.

And it doesn’t end there. For the next holiday, family celebration, anniversary or whatever, they can simply pass over a memory card with a whole bunch of new snapshots on it – a kind of photographic family news bulletin if you like. A lot of the newer frames have Wi-Fi functionality so you can update photos without needing a new memory card.

Admittedly, we have come full circle back to the technical aspects now. But only since it facilitates the truly important thing – the sharing of shared memories.

For the perfect, customizable gift, check out Digital Picture Frames today.