Desperate Spouse Seeks Help for Photoshop Addict

Make: Online's Holiday Gift Guide for DIY Photography lists a bunch of great gift ideas for the Photoshop addict in your life. It might even be worth looking around at the other gift guides for ideas. In addition to DIY Photography there are: Gifts You Can Make, Blinky Blinky, Kids, Mischief Maker's Guide, Gifts for Dads, Science and Chemistry, Gifts Under $20, Santa Claus Machines, Geek Toys for Grown Up Girls & Boys, Made in Japan, MAKE's Toolbox Gift Guide, Retro Tech Guide, and Music Machines.

If you don't find something there, you might consider the Pantone Huey. For a few dollars more you can get the Huey Pro. It might be a little off-budget, but the Lensbaby would also make a great gift.

Don't forget there's also the O'Reilly Holiday Gift Guide with lots of fabulous ideas for the digital photographer.

Here are some ideas that come to mind, although admittedly, the first thing that popped in my head regardless of price was a big, beautiful, high definition monitor, but that's because it wasn't my credit card at risk! So, staying closer to budget...

• If he's really into changing images around in Photoshop (as opposed to just carefully crafting his own photographs) then nothing can beat Deke's Photoshop Channels & Masks book. Unlike the regular Deke Photoshop book, this one goes on a deep dive for how to "extract" pieces of an image to use in another image. (Like grabbing a blonde haired person from one background and placing them on another.) It's Photoshop geekery at its best!
  
  
• If he's more of a photographer who uses Photoshop to process his files without a lot of complicated rearranging, then I'd recommend Derrick Story's Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers. It's got great quick tips for who just want to learn the most efficient way to do things they have to do often (like whitening teeth for example.) And it's priced like a stocking stuffer!
  
  
• If he's got a laptop and you're willing to fight with Photoshop for his attention span even when you're at the beach, you might check out a sunshade (ThinkTank, Hoodman, and LapDome all make similar products) that allow you to see a laptop screen in bright sunlight. Of course, you don't need to be using Photoshop under that tent either. When I use mine, my son gets embarrassed, but it does allow me to see if I got the shot I want while I'm still out in the field and can grab a better one if I don't like the first.
  
  
• If he's on a Mac that wasn't purchased in the last couple of weeks, then one of the new Magic Mouse from Apple is pretty cool. It kind of allows you a combination of regular mouse maneuvers and the iPhone like finger gestures. I don't know how "Photoshop" it is, but I know I personally want one in my stocking!
  
  
• OnOne software has some wonderful plug-ins (software additions) for Photoshop, but it's the kind of thing you probably want to take the giftcard route with and let him shop for a tool that does that one thing he's been wanting to try.
  
  
• Finally, (OK, not really, but shopping with other people's money could go on forever), if he's spending long hours at the computer then you might look into different types of ergonomic enhancements for his workspace.

Regardless, sounds like he's lucky to have a partner who supports his creative addiction! Happy Holidays to you both.

Thanks!!! Signed, Relieved mate.