| Most of us know how much fun it is to take | | | | to get old hat! |
| hundreds of pictures with our great digital cameras. | | | | So, where do you go to get started? There are |
| Gone are the days that you had to send your roll of | | | | several options out there. But buyers beware; not all |
| film out for processing (film? what’s that?) | | | | photo development sites are created equal! The |
| and then wait a week or two to get them back to | | | | most visible have been CVS, Kodak Easy Share |
| finally see what they actually look like! Am I a | | | | Gallery, Shutterfly and Snapfish. They all have a wide |
| photographer or just an amateur? Well, either way, | | | | variety of products from quality single prints to photo |
| when it comes to capturing those special moments | | | | books and gifts. All of these will require you to set up |
| with whatever is behind the shutter we are all pros. | | | | an account and login each time you want to use their |
| There is just nothing like remembering those great | | | | sites, and then you have to upload all of your |
| times, be it the birth of a child, or the first bike ride, | | | | pictures before you can get started. That can take |
| a graduation, a once in a lifetime vacation, or that | | | | some time. But there is another that has come into |
| night goofing around with friends. Whatever it was | | | | the picture called RocketLife and they have made |
| that brought real meaning and fulfillment to our lives it | | | | some significant improvements over the others. |
| is captured for us in those pictures. And when we dig | | | | RocketLife has won two prestigious DIMA (the Digital |
| them out and take a look, the reliving and the story | | | | Imaging Marketing Association) 2009 Innovative |
| telling is just as much fun! | | | | Digital Product Awards for RocketLife Touch™ |
| Now, thanks to some new technology there are new | | | | and RocketLife Mobile™ at the PMA convention |
| and fun ways to save those precious memories and | | | | held recently in Las Vegas. PCMag.com, October 2008 |
| even make some pretty unique gifts out of them as | | | | wrote, "What sets (RocketLife) apart is its |
| well; the kind of gifts that are really special for those | | | | ability to add more than a handful (even hundreds) of |
| we love. I’m talking about photo expression | | | | photos at a time from your computer or Phanfare |
| software or digital photo publishing and it is a great | | | | account." After testing by InfoTrends, |
| way to create your own special gifts and mementos | | | | RocketLife proved to have a lot more going for it |
| that are about as personal as it gets. Think how cool | | | | and overall was just easier, faster and more fun to |
| it would be to take all those pictures from your | | | | use that all the others. |
| family vacation and have them sorted and organized | | | | RocketLife’s technology allows you to do all |
| into a beautifully bound book with your own captions | | | | of the fun stuff from your computer and select |
| and comments set with a theme that you choose | | | | websites that have the software. After the free |
| and create yourself on your own computer. These | | | | download, you launch the software and work on |
| types of “photo books” are not your | | | | your computer with your photos saved on your |
| ordinary photo album where you stick a picture on a | | | | computer. The software has a host of powerful |
| page and replace the transparent plastic sheet over it | | | | creative and editing tools ready for you to play with. |
| to hold the photo in place. These are quality books | | | | Only after you are done designing your photo book |
| like the books you buy in bookstores. Only these | | | | and personal creations are your pictures uploaded |
| photo books have your photos and captions printed | | | | with your order. With RocketLife stores there is no |
| right on the high quality pages and bound just for | | | | login and you work with the software on your |
| you. You can have them bound in soft cover or hard | | | | computer, not on the web server. This makes for a |
| cover with or without a dust jacket, even with | | | | faster, carefree and fun experience. And, it is all free |
| premium leather – a great choice for a photo | | | | to use for as long as you want. You only pay for the |
| book you want to have as a family heirloom. They | | | | products you order. |
| really are nice as a keepsake for your family or given | | | | Well, I hope that this article has given you some new |
| as a gift. Of course with these photo books the | | | | ideas for what to do with all those digital pictures |
| pricing will vary depending on the amount of pages | | | | you have stored on your computer and discs. You |
| and the binding selected. Because you do all of the | | | | owe it to yourself to look into this fun way of saving |
| design and picture selections, you can keep it at | | | | your memories for your family and friends. |
| whatever price range you want. | | | | You’ve taken all those great photos, now |
| Not only can you create custom photo books but | | | | isn’t it time to publish them? Even your |
| some other really fun and unique items for gifts and | | | | business could make some very affordable |
| keepsakes too, like key chains and luggage tags with | | | | promotional items such as a photo book of your |
| your picture on them. Spotting your luggage on the | | | | projects or drink coasters for your clients with your |
| carousel at baggage claim just got a little easier! | | | | logo and their name on it. The possibilities are only |
| There is, of course, the old stand by coffee mug | | | | limited by your imagination! By the way, all of this is |
| with pictures of the kids for the Grandparents, and | | | | quite affordable; multi-image coffee mugs are about |
| t-shirts, mouse pads, drink coasters, even jigsaw | | | | $15.00, t-shirts are around $16.00 and photo books |
| puzzles! How about a calendar with pictures of last | | | | start at around $20.00 and go upward of $175.00 and |
| year’s family vacation, or a refrigerator | | | | more, depending on the number of pages and the |
| magnet with a picture of the family pet? Wow, just | | | | type of binding. Now, go have some fun! |
| when you thought taking digital pictures was starting | | | | |