Free Cards for the Holidays

If blogging was not already fun enough, now you can get 100 Free blogger cards to help promote your blog around the world. This is good news for me to be able to show off this blog, videos and movies at the same time with one business card. The newest "Web 2.0" business cards allow you to place your blog in the forefront and gain a much wider audience.

You do not even have to be a filmmaker to use these cards. You could have a blog about your life, favorite celebrity or other topics of interest to you and your friends. These cards are offered by Ooprint.com and can be custimized to your liking.
This could be a great way for me to promote this blog and my movies separately as well. To top it all off, they are free so there is not much more than anyone could ask for. It is one of the best gifts that bloggers can get themselves for the Holidays.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Photographers

To be fair, Photographers can be just as important as filmmakers. In fact, we use each others expertise on many different occasions. If you know photographers who are your friends or relatives, this is a great time of the year to get them something that will be useful in their profession. While thinking of the best holiday gifts to give photographers, I came up with a practical list. Be sure to take notes or bookmark this list for your holiday shopping trips.

Photo Props
These are one of the most fun gift ideas for photographers. The options are endless when it comes to photo props. Many photographers use them to take school and holiday photos of children. Some adults use photo props in their photos as well. This gift idea is not cheap unless you can find some props on sale. Photo props can cost anywhere from $20 to over $2000. Therefore, there is a wide spectrum that you face when making a decision about gift ideas for photographers.

Some popular photo props include numbers, letters, toy blocks and benches. Some are also categorized as posing props. Holiday props can also be a useful gift ides for photographers. Valentines Day, Christmas, Easter and Halloween tend to be some of the most profitable times for photographers. Therefore, the right photo props can definitely come in handy.

Photo backdrops
This is one of the most widely used items that can be gift ideas for photographers. Photo backdrops are used in photography studios and come in a variety of colors and textures. Photographers also take photo backdrops to events and other locations. High School proms are one of the most popular events where photographers utilize photo backdrops. This may be one of the least expensive gift ideas for photographers. It all depends on the type of photo backdrop that you get. They are available in canvas material, muslin and paper.

Many simple paper photo backdrops cost between $30 and $50. They usually have one color while textured and scene paper backdrops are priced at $100 and up. There are also scenic photo backdrops made of canvas and muslin material. These items usually have more detail like ocean scenes and home interiors. The most expensive photo backdrops cost a little over $200. Another useful gift idea is a backdrop stand, which can cost between $100 and $300.

Studio Space
If you have enough money to purchase expensive photo props, you might as well go all the way with a studio rental. This is one ultimate gift idea for photographers that will help their career. The prices vary for photography and artists studios and what you pay will depend on your (or the photographer’s) location. One month of studio space can be better than standing out in the snow trying to take pictures of clients. You do not have to bankroll a photographer for one or more years.

Any amount of studio space will definitely be appreciated. It also gives off the impression that the photographer is very professional. However, that depends on the type of photography that he or she does. Nature based photographers are usually not sitting up in a room taking pictures of engaged couples for the Holidays. That is what makes this list of gift ideas for photographers very useful. There are more options than studio space in this article.

Picture Magazine Subscription
This publication highlights photographers that may not be very famous or mainstream. The work included in Picture Magazine is very unique and fun to study. The editors also feature profiles on equipment, studios and other resources that can be helpful to photographers. It is published six times each year and is another fun gift idea for photographers. A subscription to picture magazine will cost you between $18 and $35. It depends on what country you reside in.

American Photo Magazine Subscription
This publication is one of the premiere (if not the ultimate) magazines for photographers. It features famous work from all over the world and includes tons of instructional information. American Photo magazine also has news on the latest cameras, lenses product reviews, a buying guide and other toys that photographers love. It is published every month and there are two subscription choices. You can get a print edition for $12 or a little more if you live in Canada or international territory. A digital subscription for American Photo magazine would cost you $10. This is only for one year, but there are options to get a longer gift subscription.

There is something that everyone can afford on this list, so do not be stingy or cheap when it comes to shopping for gifts to give the photographer in your life.

Photo: MShades
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The ecommerce aspect of Entertainment made simple

Ugly websites do not make people want to shop. I know that I would not shop online at any website that was not designed neatly, user friendly and had faulty content. Imagine trying to buy some DVDs, Movie T-Shirts or music CDs from a website with broken links? Selling movies and other gifts from unorganized websites is careless. However, there is a solution for this mess. It includes great ecommerce software that provides usability, less confusion and less doubt among entertainment fans.

I visited the website of one movie theater chain that had working pages and some other pages that appeared to be a work in progress. While the theaters may be alright to visit, the website is not. Who would want to buy advance online movie tickets that way?

Website design is one thing. The ordering process should be simple. You can place a simple, generic looking order button on your website and leave it that way. However, unless the layout is flawless, many people cannot get away with that or even Paypal buttons. I found a great company that provides shopping cart software that makes the selling and shopping process much easier. It is a relief that can save people a lot of time and is provided by Ashop Commerce.

This company's website is even designed well, indicating that they are by no means, substandard. One of the great things I like about this software is that there are tons of payment options, which means that the sale of a DVD or other product won’t be lost because of payment restrictions. I would be mad if I couldn’t sell my products because my accepted payment methods were limited. This ecommerce software is also easy to add to a website without any installation. That is a plus for people who may not be very tech-savvy. It makes things easier when it comes to designing webpages and online stores. It should be easier for people to purchase movies, artwork and other fun items online. Ashop Commerce makes that happen.

The Ashop ecommerce software also includes tons of features with the software. It seems like much more than I have seen from other ecommerce software applications. These features are worth the money. There is also a free trial, which may top everything else appealing about Ashop Commerce software because free trials are great.