Snap, click and share holiday photos instantly

Holiday celebrations always include plenty of opportunities to capture cherished memories in photos. Sharing those memories was a gratifying, but time-consuming, process. Film had to be developed, prints were often put in photo albums or frames, then they were mailed or stored in an unorganized fashion in drawers, envelopes or shoe boxes.

New digital photo products let you create digital photo albums instantly. Put images for family and friends on a CD instantly.

Thanks to advances in technology, many amateur photographers now use digital cameras. But they still use the same process to share holiday photos.

Wouldn't it be fun to send your friends and family home with a digital photo album on CD on the same day of the party? The latest developments in digital photo technology make it possible to do just that. Pacific Image Electronics' PrimeFoto, a digital photo editor, photo album creator and CD burner, connects directly to a television. It lets the family photographer pull the memory card from his digital camera (seven popular memory cards are compatible) and pop it into PrimeFoto. Then select, edit, rotate or flip images, and add background music or narratives, all while viewing them on television. Images can then be compiled quickly and easily into digital photo albums and copied onto a CD for viewing on any popular DVD player.

No one will have wait for mail or e-mail to receive prints days or weeks later. Everyone can have a CD commemorating the celebration to take home the same day.

PHOTO TIPS

Now that you have the ability to instantly share your holiday photos with family and friends, you'll want to make sure you capture those precious moments while having your photos look as professional as possible. Here are some ideas to help you take pictures that are just as memorable as your celebration, courtesy of Pacific Image Electronics.

Rely on candids. Candid shots allow you to capture the essence of a person and the moment. On the other hand, staged or posed shots can leave you with an album full of static poses. Plus, when people don't know they are being photographed, they are less self-conscious about how they look or act.

Watch your lighting and mirrors. Your light source -- sun, candle, lamp, etc. -- should be behind you, not your subjects, when snapping photos. This way, you'll avoid the washed out "halo" effect or the silhouette that often occurs when your subject poses in front of light. The same goes for mirrors. You may end up with your reflection in the photo or a large flash spot if you shoot near a mirror.

Share the memories. CDs allow you to share photos with family and friends. View photos instantly on your television from most memory card formats, edit images, create digital photo albums and photo slide shows, and copy the slide shows to CD using PrimeFoto.

Pacific Image products are available at photographic specialty and major retailers throughout the United States, including Staples, Target.com, PC/MacMall, eCost, Amazon.com, PC Connection, Costco.com, BestBuy.com, RadioShack, Fry's and B&H Photo.

For more photo ideas, visit www.scanace.com.