Plunge Into Digital Photography

(NAPSA)-School may be just starting, but for most families that means schedules are heating up. With soccer practice, swim team and family holidays ahead there are many opportunities to take great photos and preserve the memories of the fall.
    The popularity of digital cameras is increasing every day. Nearly 10 million digital cameras will be sold in the United States this year, compared with 15 million film cameras, according to Infotrends. In five years, the number of digital cameras sold is expected to double as the sale of film cameras declines. Digital camera prices now start below $200.
Is going digital right for you?
Consumers have been thrilled with the instantaneous power of digital photography, but for most, the enjoyment ends at the camera. Taking the pictures is easy, but sharing them (which is why most people take pictures in the first place) is hard.
Fortunately, Apple has taken the lead in making digital photography fun and easy for consumers. With Apple's new iPhoto (www.apple.com/iphoto), it is incredibly easy to organize, edit and share photos, making this free application an ideal extension to any digital camera.
    After you plug your digital camera into a Mac, last weekend's soccer photos are automatically downloaded and organized into a photo library. iPhoto allows users to scroll through their photos, add titles or keywords, search their entire library for specific photos, or organize sets of photos into digital albums.
iPhoto's editing tools make it super-easy to crop, adjust the brightness and contrast, or eliminate red-eye.
    Perhaps the most exciting thing about iPhoto is the variety of ways you can share those photos with family and friends, such as:
*    Kodak Prints: Place orders for Kodak prints of your favorite shots, right from iPhoto. The easy order form allows you to select from popular picture sizes such as 4x6 all the way up to a 20x30 poster. Those great pictures from last weekend's wedding will arrive on your doorstep in just a few days.
*    Photo books: Chronicle the swim team's winning season with a professionally printed and bound photo book. These beautiful keepsakes allow you to arrange photos and add captions to tell a story. Books are easy to lay out, following templates that range from fun to professional. The finished book is printed on glossy paper and bound in a linen cover.
*    E-mail: Keeping friends and family up to date via your latest photos is a snap-any picture can be e-mailed automatically from iPhoto.
*    Personalized Web site: That collection of your son's graduation photos can be posted to a Web site from just one click in the iPhoto application. Within minutes you've added picture titles, captions, and published to the Web. iPhoto automatically provides a Web site address where the photo album is published so anyone who has a connection to the Internet can share in the memories.
*    From the printer: Pictures of your pool party can be printed and shared before the guests even leave. Print directly from your color printer at home-in standard print sizes, greeting card, contact sheet or even a full page layout.
With all these creative ways to use and share photos, you and the kids are sure to get excited about photography this summer. For those interested in learning more, Apple offers free classes on digital photography at Apple Retail Stores-visit www.apple.com/retail for the closest store.