Go on a Picnik -- online photo editing software

A client told me about Picnik -- they had been using the software to crop and edit photos for their web site. The problem was they had a skewed photo that I was going to help them fix. So, when they told me about Picnik, I was a little skeptical but said I would check it out.

Upon giving it a try, I was amazed. I am an avid Photoshop fan, but the Picnik software is a really great alternative, especially for our clients who need to edit photos for online without proper software and expertise.

Picnik was simple to use and more robust than I expected. Right from online, you can upload a photo, crop, resize, sharpen, correct exposure, remove red eye, rotate, and more -- the end result is an exported photo as you created. The bonus is that the software is free. They also offer a premium account if you want to do more, but the basic account provides quite a bit.

Picnik is a great photo editing tool and alternative to other costly software. The easy to use interface allows you to clean up and edit pictures without knowing a thing about photo editing. The company has been featured in CNET, PCmag, Mashable, Time Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

Check it out today >>

Looking for a web design company to provide tips and great tools? Choose TBH Creative and we will continue to help find you great web design resources like Picnik.

TBH Creative Named in Top 50 List of Marketing Technology Companies in Central Indiana

TBH Creative is proud to announce and be included in the top 50 marketing technology companies in Central Indiana! TBH Creative offers full services web site services in Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel and surrounding areas. Custom application work and effective online marketing are our specialty.

Contact TBH Creative today for more information and thanks Doug Karr for including us on the list!

New Web site for Mike Murphy Congress

TBH Creative was hired to design and develop the web site for Mike Murphy Congress. The web site was developed to offer candidate information and allow users to donate and get involved. The web site uses our custom Content Management System (CMS) to allow for growth and easy updates by staff. Visit the web site to learn more about Mike and his opinions on important issues.

About Mike Murphy for Congress
On May 28, 2009, State Representative Mike Murphy announced his candidacy for the 5th Congressional district seat currently held by Congressman Dan Burton. He said, “Burton has served but he has not led.” Mike Murphy is a free market champion.

Follow Mike Murphy on Facebook and Twitter.

TBH Creative can help you with your web site redesign project also. Give us a call today for professional and reliable web design services.

Dylexia Institute of Indiana Web Site Redesign

TBH Creative was hired to redesign the web site for Dyslexia Institute of Indiana and help re-organize its site structure and pages. We were responsible for the preparing the design and ensuring quality after implementation, as well as photo selection and overall design treatment. The goal was simplicity to emphasize the information and allow for easy navigation between the pages.

Who is Dyslexia Institute of Indiana?
The Dyslexia Institute of Indiana Inc. (DII) is the proven source for tutors and support that enables individuals with dyslexia to overcome their unanticipated inability to read.

The Dyslexia Institute of Indiana exists to serve children, adolescents, and adults with specific language disabilities. DII provides skills, services, and strategies that enable individuals to attain their full potential by learning to manage the challenges of dyslexia and benefit from its advantages.

TBH Creative can help you with your web site redesign project also. Give us a call today for professional and reliable web design services.

Where to Find Free and Cheap Stock Photos

Stock photography is available all over the Internet. As a creative design company, we are continually looking for stock images to add interest to our web designs. Oftentimes, the trick is finding fresh photos so that they don't appear "stocky" or common while keeping the cost low for our clients. Below are a few sources we use often and others we have found for you to reference. If you know of others, please leave us a comment and we'll add it to the list.

A Sample Free Image from Free Range

Free Images
For most of these sites, you just need to register, search and download the images you like for free.

• StockVault
• Free Range
• Stock.xchng
• Free Pixels
• Public Domain Photos
• ImageBase

A few more sites to add to this list from Allan Burch Illustration:

• http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page [many are public domain]
• http://www.fontplay.com/freephotos/
• http://www.rastervector.com/resources/free/free.html
• http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp

Low Cost Stock Photos, Graphics, Video

• iStockPhoto
• Fotolia
• Shutter Stock
• Jupiter Images
• PunchStock

One great feature many of these sites offer is the option to request a photo. Photographers belong to the sites and will often shoot something you need. The cost is the same as the other low-cost photos, although you may need to wait to see your results. IstockPhoto has this option and we have used it in the past to obtain the "right" photo.

Another great source for high quality and professional photos is Getty Images or Corbis. These options are not as inexpensive at the options listed above, but they often have the particular photo you have in mind or the added professionalism that is needed for a project. Oftentimes, the photo collection selected for a project is a combination from the sites above. I recommend to look at the inexpensive or free options first, and then look to the higher end photos or hire a photographer to get exactly what you need.

Professional illustration is another option if you are looking for something unique and original. Our recommendation for creative illustration is Allan Burch. Check out his fantastic collection on his web site and a sample of his work at DoorFly.com.

TBH Creative often assists clients with photo search. A photo is truly worth a thousand words and it is great to have so many resources at our fingertips. If you need help with your creative project, please contact us today. We offer high quality web design and are located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wow! That is so cool. Great web site.

Is that what you want people to say when they visit your web site?

An interesting question to consider. Most people would think "yes" at first, however, the wow factor may not be what is needed.

Special effects and graphics are great for web designers, photographers, and other creative folk, but for most other types of business, it is more important for visitors to notice what you have to say and learn about your service or product. The graphics and design should complement the message.

This question comes from a post by Seth Godin. He recommends creating a site that is not too cutting edge or slick and not too horrible or amateurish either. He makes the comparison: It's sort of like the clothes you want the person giving a eulogy to wear. No Armani, no cutoff jeans.

TBH Creative creates web sites with a purpose and designs with clean, simple graphics to help convey the message and direct users to a determined call to action. Call us today for more information about our Indianapolis web design services.

Tools to Help Develop (or Feed) your Creativity!

If you were not born with that natural creative knack and you are searching for ways to feed your creativity, then take a look at these online tools. With the Internet at your fingertips, why not take advantage of these tools for ideas and inspiration?

Color Palette Creation
If you are inspired by color or work with color, these tools will help you find new and creative ways to use colors together.

• COLOURlovers. Not only can you compare color palettes, but find out about color trends, read color articles, and more.
• The Browser-Safe Web Palette. Use these tools to create colors that will look great no matter which browser your readers are using.
• kuler. This tool is versatile and fun. Find colors by images, emotions, colors you select, or by browsing popular combinations.
• Color Palette Generator. Enter the URL for any website to get the colors used in it.
• Colorcombos. Get the latest color combinations, search the archives, or select random combinations to find colors to fit any need.

Photo Editors
Use these tools to make the most creative images you can, then share them with the world.

• Gimp. If you can’t afford Photoshop, try this tool that includes layers, channels, paths, and plenty of painting tools.
• Picnik. This powerhouse of a photo editing tool lets you get creative and is totally free.
• Splashup. Modeled after Photoshop, this free tool allows you to edit and manage your photos.
• Picasa. Organize, edit, and share your photos online with this super easy and versatile photo editor.
• Flickr. Edit photos and share with others or browse through the amazing number of photos available for anyone to enjoy.
• Flash Slide Show Maker. Create Flash slide shows quickly and easily with this free software.

Photo Prompts
If you like looking at photos for inspiration, then check out these places on the Internet that will stimulate your creativity.

• Smugmug. This site has some absolutely gorgeous photos that are well worth browsing for help finding your creativity.
• elements. Click on the Explore button to generate inspirational photos. Sign up for free to rate, follow, and see favorites.
• SXC. Find free stock photographs at this site that can either serve as inspiration or you can incorporate into your creative endeavors.
• morgueFile. These stock photographs are free to use and free to browse through for great ideas.
• One Photo a Day. Get a new photo every day on this site, or browse through the past days to see inspirational photos.
• 365 Pictures Prompts. Visit this site each day for a new photo contributed from independent photographers to feed your creativity.
• The Photographer’s Life. Enter contests or just browse through the inspirational photos here. Be sure to visit the Hall of Fame for some of the best.
• Every Photo Tells a Story. Check out the images posted here every day for a wide range of photos and pictures.
• Fotosearch. While these photos aren’t free to use, there are plenty to browse through for inspiration or ideas for your own creations.

Various Creativity Triggers
From checking out inspirational websites to creativity exercises to coming up with fun slogans, these tools will help trigger your creativity when it’s waning.

• Creativity Portal. Find ideas for arts and crafts, creative living, writing, and prompts–or if all else fails, get creativity coaching.
• EyeWire Creativity Cards. Print out these cards and use them to spark your creativity when you are feeling less inspired.
• Favorite Website Awards. The websites showcased here are sure to offer inspiration and appreciation for other’s creativity.
• An Exercise. Try out this exercise from the book, The Creative Brain, that gets your imagination and creativity flowing.
• Learn to be MORE Creative NOW!. Get exercises to start the creative process as well as four lessons at this website.
• Creativity Pool. Add ideas for inventions that should be made or search for ideas that others have contributed here.
• CREAX. Use this amazing website as a tool to spark your creativity with its links to 841 websites handpicked by the CREAX team and thought to be the best in creativity and innovation.
• Creative Aerobics. Select online activities from this list that will help you explore topics or concepts, break mindsets, find alternate problem-solving techniques, and much more.
• Web Lab. Check out the projects going on at this site that all share a goal of bringing new perspectives to important social issues.
• Mindstreaming. This community shares ideas on how to bring about world peace. Find some creative ideas here that may spark your own creativity.
• Instructables. This website is full of fun projects you can create yourself. Browse through these projects to get your creative juices flowing.
• Sketchcast. Create your own sketches you can share or spend some time looking at sketches drawn and posted by others.
• Sloganizer. Use this tool to create slogans based on keywords or use the slogans generated as a trigger for brainstorming your own.
• Good Things Should Never End. The fun, interactive graphics on this website are meant solely for entertainment purposes and will likely feed your creativity as you play along the way.

Source: 100 Excellent Online Tools to Feed Your Creativity
Check the full list for creativity in organization, brainstorming, journaling, and more.

Or you can always hire someone to do the creative thinking for you, especially the design work! TBH Creative specializes in creative web design -- Indianapolis web design at its best. Contact us to learn more.