Hello Everyone: Pardon the personal plug, but I was told it was a valuable presentation I made a few weeks ago on "Tabletop Photography and... Family Stories" for the genealogist. This presentation was given to the computer special interest group of our local Rochester (NY) Genealogical Society. I did a lot of photos of small electronic products last Fall for a commercial Web site project that I have been working on, and the down-and-dirty photo techniques seemed to be well suited to home genealogist. Word got out that I was looking like a digital photography expert that could be had without the group paying travel expenses. That sort of economy always amplifies the potential speaker's value. ;-) As a complement to the live presentation, I put my PowerPoint slide show on my Web site for the members to look at from home. I am sure that a few of you may find it of value to look over. You will find it at http://www.Bliley.net/rgs/. I caution you, the presentation is graphic-laden and may be a bit slow with a dial-up connection. You can be the judge of whether or not it is worth the download time. One of my objectives was to convince the group that you can have some fun and do your decedents a favor by illustrating some of your family stories with pictures you have taken. This is probably not a novel idea, but one worth revisiting from time-to-time. Also, documenting some seemingly trivial artifacts can be a lot of fun and pass on a lot of information about the personality or character of a relative. Take for example a set of tools used by yourself or a close relative in a hobby or profession. Try to show the person using them, if they are still alive, or the tools used to make something, such as a chair, quilt, painting or wood carving. Showing what was used beyond the brain and connecting it to the finished product can be a wonderful story and adventure for you. Look at a few of the other examples in my slide show. The show is available for viewing online, or can be downloaded in various forms including PowerPoint and PDF. Let me know what you think of the presentation and if you have any tips to share with other visitors. God only knows, and my wife, that I do not have a corner on good ideas. ;-) I also made another presentation to the group two years ago on the techniques and tools used in my preparation of the CD-ROM version of my grandmother's photo album. You will find the presenation on "Preparing a Family Photo Album on CD-ROM" at http://www.bliley.net/family/Lula_Bliley/Album_CD/Development.htm. Have fun and keep your camera steady. Chuck Bliley www.Bliley.net Rochester, NY