By now, you have a digital camera, right? You should, since digital cameras are among the top moneymaking tools used by top sales associates today. More good news: they're free if you currently take a lot of photographs. How so? Consider these costs associated with the way we've taken our photos before: film, developing, bad shots....and, don't forget, the cost of your time (or your assistant's) as you take film to be developed, pick it up, go back out to a home to correct a missed shot, etc . Today's digital cameras eliminate all these expenses, so by the time you add it all up, the digital camera doesn't cost you anything.

Another advantage of using a digital camera is the fact that you can edit the images you take: crop them, lighten them, add or take away contrast, eliminate shadows, etc. You can also transform photos using special effects. One of my favorite examples is taking a picture of a home, bringing it into a photo editor (my favorite is "Hot Shots," part of the Picture Works program...amazingly easy!), and instantly turning the photo into a puzzle. Using this special effect, you can put the picture of the home in puzzle form on the outside of a brochure done up in Microsoft Publisher, and you've got a great marketing piece: "Selling your home is a real puzzle. Let Jane Smith, CRS, put the pieces together for you!"

In short, digital cameras give us flexibility, and a big part of that flexibility is the photo editing software we use. Why do you need a photo editor? According to CNet, a photo editor gives you a second chance if you've ever snapped a less-than-perfect picture. "Photo editors can crop edges, fiddle with colors and contrast, retouch the blurs, and remove the red-eye. Photo editors are also perfect for photo resizing and seamless editing, and they act as the go-between for your photo images and the Internet," says the site.

CNet's online magazine has just posted a segment on photo editing that will give help and creative ideas to anyone using a digital camera (or who still uses a scanner).

Read the reviews on the best cheap photo editing software out there. Find the lowest prices on digital cameras. Convert your existing photos to a digital format and post them instantly on the Internet. Learn to make the adjustment from taking photos the old way to managing your own digital darkroom.

This is great information on editing digital photos, reviews of editing software, recommendations on heavy duty illustration tools, low cost photo editors, reviews of digital cameras by price range (note: prices have come down significantly), and much, much more. Beginner or expert, there's something at this comprehensive new information site for all of us.

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Published: June 11, 1999

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Allen F. Hainge is a nationally known real estate technology speaker and author with a difference: he builds his seminars and articles around concrete, practical experiences he learns from his CyberStars(tm), a group of top agents nationwide who use today's technology to dominate their marketplace. He is the author of "Dominate! Capturing Your Market With Today's Technology." Allen's seminar schedule and offerings may be found www.afhseminars.com. Subscribe to Allen's Newsletter by Clicking Here