As the founder, I couldn’t resist demonstrating our People Powered Gift shopping invention…. could I ?         

The truth is, I almost did.

One night, (December 13^th to be exact) I realized that procrastination was about to get the best of me once again.  So I sat down, and in a period of about two hours researched and purchased all of my 2009 Christmas gifts.  I was able to surprise eight people with something special from our labor of love software-as-a-service website CoolProducts.com.  Granted I got a little carried away, like a kid in a candy store but I narrowed the selections down and clicked through to the merchant and placed each order online in record time.  Then I was done.  For the next two weeks, my conscience was clear and I didn’t have a shred of panic or remorse about my purchases for Christmas day.  The process was a little clunky at first until I remembered I could save the products into My Favorites.  I ended up with 210 personally selected products in My Favorites.   Then I carefully reviewed them and sorted the best ones down on eight small pieces of paper.  Then I tried to keep things somewhat equal since four of my target recipients where my children. On the final list, I had these products.      For my wife: a Diane Artware Delft Blue Turtle Tureen with Ladle  $63  QVC .  My wife and I love having family and friend dinner gatherings and I hoped she would like this large serving container.  She likes it, but it’s not microwavable.  Also, my wife does an amazing job of periodically changing decor in our house so I thought she might like a  Giraffes of the Savanna Sculptural Vase  $65 Design Toscano.  Truth is, I liked it.   To play it safe I picked up a Susan Boyle “I Dreamed a Dream” CD $13  at Borders.com since Susan is also a native Scot.   Total for the three: $141

For my Dad I bought a Kindle Reading Device $259 Amazon, and a neoprene Kindle Case $25 Amazon, and a digital book to load on the Kindle – Ulysses S. Grant   $10  Amazon for a total of $294.  I hoped he would enjoy holding something lighter than a 3-4 lb novel and might like receiving the New York Times or Wall Street Journal on a 10 ounce  8″x5″ devise. 

For my Mom: Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer $94  WalMart online only because she’s recovering from surgery and since Jack LaLanne’s in his 90s so juice must be healthy.  I also got her a book (hardcover because it was not available on Kindle) Ayn Rand and the World She Made by Anne C. Heller$30  Amazon for a total of $124

For my oldest son I purchased a Rotary Cheese Grater $31, Sur la table (shown here), because he’s a gourmet cook.  For my oldest daughter: a Travel Table Easel $68  Blick Art Materials, because she is a wonderful artist.  For my youngest son: a Collapsible Snake Tong $38  from Reptile Supply, because he is an outdoorsman and for my youngest daughter: a Gabrielle at the Gate Jigsaw Puzzle $40 Victorian Trading Co. because her middle name is Gabrielle. Total for the four kids $177.

For the whole family a bought a new game: Civil Lore!  The Game of American Culture $30 Uncommon Goods, because for my buck, time spent together is the best time.  Since my youngest son had won a Wii in an engineering contest, and because I loved playing golf on the thing….it’s so realistic…I bought an attachment for it called the  Wii Fit system $139  Amazon, and a Wii Shaun White Snowboarding game $43  Best Buy, a Wii skateboard/snowboard for the Fit Balance Board $35  Buy.com (shown above).  This is an amazing product and very much like being there.  Total for the family $247  and a grand total of $980  Gulp.          Well, you can’t take it with you.  My wife supplimented my surprise shopping spree with many equally thoughtful gifts, but all in all I was proud of myself for once. 

I’m sure many folks bad equal or better results and I would love to hear about them, but this was remarkable for me.  Even at this early stage of our website, I had my best shopping experience EVER last month.  And it’s all thanks to the staff and participants at CoolProducts.com. 

My goal in 2010 is to create a more efficient system so that our users and myself won’t have to write out little lists of paper or have to browse every single possible item like I did. 

And by the way, all my products were delivered in record time, often just a few days later.  How do they do that?  Stay tuned.

Tony Schmidt

President

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Today’s expert is our founder Tony Schmidt (me) :  )

I’ve been interested in Photography for 20 years.  I became interested when I realized I could make a living taking pictures.  I bought an existing photography company in 1988 to make money so these opinions are based on one inspired by the profit motive.  As owner of Heart of America Photography, Inc.  from 1988-2005, my staff and I photographed commencement ceremonies and large group pictures for over 400 institutions as well as numerous marathons in a 6 state region.   As an example of a consumer level camera setup that approaches pro, heres a  Nikon DSLR Outfit.  It includes a Nikon D40 DSLR Camera, AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm and AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm Lenses PLUS a bonus Nikon Gadget Bag and 2-Instructional DVDS.  This would deliver great pics and it’s available at CoolProducts.com

Photography became an important part of my life and I hope to offer you some useful information that you can utilize when shopping for someone with similar interests.  Some things to keep in mind when shopping for someone interested in photography:

1.  Are they doing it as a hobby?  If so; do they like portraiture, nature, landscapes, citizen journalism, sports events, real life, etc?

2.  Do they hope to make money doing it such as; contracting weddings, events, free-lance jobs, newspaper stringer, magazine staffer, eBay?

3.  Are they film or digital people?  Film people really can’t make money any longer. Digital is the preferred media for gainful employment opportunities.  Digital people are likely to also be interested in image manipulation and programs such as PhotoShop and sites like Flickr.

As a photography enthusiast my preferences tend to focus on lighting.  Digital cameras are all pretty good these days.  It’s hard to mess up a digitally created image, and most cameras have enough megapixals to satisfy the naked eye.  In reality, it is my understanding that only when digital cameras offer 25 MP will they be equal to or better than 35mm film.  6 MP or better will produce excellent 8×10′s.  To me, the important issue is to be able to manually adjust your digital camera to accommodate different light situations and lighting systems.  

1.  Lighting is important to me because I like portraiture and lighting and because it is an arena where photographers can differentiate themselves.

2. Lighting creates dramatic photos.  That’s why Ansel Adams shot so many great landscapes early in the morning or late in the day.  When the light was low and streaming in from the side.

3.  Lighting can soften a subject and provide idealism.  Lighting is crucial for Black & White. I have always admired photos with the classic three to one lighting ratio where one side of the subjects face is dark, and the other side is three times brighter.  I also like hair lighting, and background lighting.   

Keeping in mind the recipient’s preferences it’s also helpful to know whether they are a beginner, intermediate or expert. 

With a beginner you might keep in mind what classes or training they have had, if any.  What kind of camera are they using?  Are they producing nice pictures already?  Do they keep albums of their work?  I would suggest products along the lines of Cameras (A NikonD90 is the standard) and Flash attachments.  

With an intermediate you might keep in mind that they probably have the camera they want.  An extra lens, or something to challenge them might be in order.  I’ve liked my wireless remote light triggering system and soft boxes for my light kit with stands. I also like using a domed backdrop light. I would suggest products along the lines of Pocket Wizards and Alien Bees.

With an advanced photography enthusiast you should probably assume they have almost everything they want.  Maybe a long lens they have been pining over.  Long lens with a low 2.8 F stop are optimal, but those can run several thousand dollars.  If they are into studio work, I would suggest products along the lines of a backdrop organizing system, a posing stool system, a heavy duty tripod on wheels, reflectors, or maybe a panoramic camera.

On the topic of gifts, the most unusual items that I have ever received or purchased, given my passion for photography has been the following items: A Hasselblad medium format camera which is the name brand standard for excellence.  This brand was taken to, (and left on) the moon.  My cameras and lens assortment made me a lot of money. Another fun item was a refractor wand to create the illusion of fast movement which was fun when my four kids were growing up.  But always, the most fun has been the latest and greatest Nikon Professional camera.  I also would have liked to have had a studio management software program. .    

 In conclusion, there are many factors in giving the right gift and avoiding embarrassment.  These are only some suggestions and you must rely on your knowledge of the person more than anything.  Good luck and happy gift hunting.

For more information on the topic I would suggest looking in these places: Coolapedia, Adorama, Best Buy,  Ritz Camera, Abe’s of Maine & B&H Camera. 

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