Emma Cake

And so the saga begins....

2008-10-22T15:43:00.005+01:00

First bit of correspondence back from ECG. However, they've failed to respond to a letter sent to their Valencia-based offices by registered post in which I point out that, as far as I'm concerned, I haven't signed a contract with them. In the letter I wrote:

It appears you believe that the document your company sent to me requesting updated data information is in an unsolicited contract.

However it appeared to me at the time of signing to be nothing more than a request for information. I returned it expecting a free correction of my data in your database, as such I have never agreed to a contract.

This letter is to notify you that I consider no agreement to exist between our two organizations, please reply at your earliest convenience to confirm that you understand this and that no further requests for payment will be made.

Yours Sincerely,

A pretty tame 'First Reminder' to start with - but of course, the worst is yet to come.

In anticipation of getting nasty phone calls (and the ever-persistant barrage of cold calls I was getting every day anyway - despite signing up the the Telephone Preference Service) I've got myself set up with a Caller-ID enabled phone.

Doing a bit more research this week I came across this very informative video clip. It's probably the best bit of info I've found on ECG since this all began.

I predict I'll be posting again in another two weeks! Also, when I have something more solid to complain about I'll be writing to my MEP.

Stop ECG

2008-10-09T15:24:00.003+01:00

It's not very often that I feel compelled to add flashing banners to my websites/blogs but as of this week, this is a campaign that's close to my heart.

I returned home from a lovely weekend in Barcelona to find an invoice waiting on my doorstep for around 900 Euros (£700 or so). The invoice claimed that I had signed up to a worthless piece of advertising in the European City Guide and the money was now outstanding. Now, as far as I'm (and about 300,000 other people and counting) are concerned I never once signed up for advertising space in this junk of a directory. However, I vaguely remember sending off a form asking me to update my details for a European business scheme - but I get those sort of requests all the time for my Photography business so it was nothing out of the ordinary.

I'm feeling particularly stupid this week, especially as I'm normally the one condoning individuals for falling for junk mail and spam. However, the sheer scale of this scam and the fact that it's gaining coverage by the likes of BBC Radio 4, Watchdog and The Office of Fair Trading has given me the reassurance that I'm certainly not alone nor ridiculously gullible.

So, what can I expect to happen? After hours researching this malicious company I now have a good idea of what I can expect to receive including intimidating court and baliff warnings as well as death threats...nice. Apparently it could go on for three years. Luckily with the help of Google I've been able to reassure myself that these will merely be intimidating tactics rather than have any legal weight behind them. The solution will be to stand firm and not be intimidated by these cowboyish bullies. I have an archive folder and I'm not afraid to use it.

If you're reading this after realising you've fallen victim yourself, you're not alone.

Here are a couple of great resources to find out more. These also include in-depth advice on how to deal with threats from the ECG:

http://www.richardcorbett.org.uk/stopecg/

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/01/30/story1947.asp

http://members.aol.com/ActionECG/MainPage.html

I'll add more links as I find them, and will also be keeping you up to date with the correspondance I receive.

Wedding Photography taking over!

2008-07-16T15:51:00.002+01:00

Has it really been four months since I last posted on here? Blimin 'eck. Take it that I've been extremely busy rather than haven't had anything to mention on here. After all, that's the truth.

As well as now working under the title of 'Photoshop Editor' for Digital SLR Magazine (well, that's what the Dep Ed calls me anyway) in which I'm offering up a stash load of nifty Photoshop tutorials and tricks this summer has seen plenty of activity going on for my wedding photography company, Big Bouquet.

Working alongside my soon-to-be husband Ian Davenport we now rarely have a weekend or an evening spare as we whizz round the south coast showing off our contemporary wedding photography, visit couples, recce'ing some stunning wedding locations and wearing ourselves out running around with our weighty camera equipment. We've got some superb jobs lined up for this year and next and August will see our first foray into overseas weddings.

Ian has done an absolutely magical job on the Big Bouquet website (in exchange for ironing) and I think we can quite confidently say that we offer the best online customer service in town thanks to our nifty Online Personal Accounts and after wedding presentation previews (you can find out more about this on our Big Bouquet blog). There's plenty more to come as well so keep an eye on the website!

Colour boosting

2008-03-28T13:44:00.003Z

Keep an eye out for the latest issue of Photoshop Creative. In it you'll find a two-page tutorial of mine on Colour Boosting images in Photoshop using the great (but easy) Orton Effect.

Mobile Broadband Genie

2008-03-28T13:24:00.005Z

Broadband Genie has now expanded to cover the ever-increasing interest in the Mobile Broadband industry, and I'm now looking after the sister site as well as writing the Broadband Genie news pages.

If you're confused about any of the latest mobile broadband jargon then log onto http://mobile.broadbandgenie.co.uk.

I myself, don't have any access to any nifty mobile broadband package. However, I do have a rather smashing new pair of walkie talkies!

ITReviews

2008-03-19T16:52:00.007Z

Keep an eye out for some regular reviews of mine on the excellent IT Reviews website, starting with a review of the Nikon D300 Digital SLR.

IT Reviews has been going for almost 10 years and in that time has proved itself to be a wonderful resource for hardware, software and games reviews. At the helm, Alex Cruickshanks does a wonderful job of keeping everything balanced and current, so if you're thinking of investing in some new kit it's worth checking up on www.itreviews.co.uk to read a thorough review first.

Bright features

2008-03-13T13:59:00.002Z

Keep an eye out for a couple of features I've written that will be included in the latest issues of Digital Photo Pro and Digital SLR User.

Both published by Bright Publishing the first is an installment in the 'Improver Series' section of Digital SLR User where I show users how to do all sorts of nifty things like colour change objects and alter backgrounds.

Next is my interview with Bob Elsdale in Digital Photo Pro. Bob is amazing animal photographer who has created a series of books featuring his pet pigs, chimps and ducklings (there's more about him here). The interview coincides with the release of his new book and there's some fascinating bits on his photographic methods and explanations on how he photographs his animals with utmost respect.

Do You Remember?

2008-02-28T18:01:00.003Z

Story Teller, Speak and Spell, Guess Who and Blackjacks. These are just a few things that circulate around my brain every day. Needless to say I love a good natter about old toys and it looks like a lot of other people do too! My latest role involves doing a bit of housekeeping on the excellent retro website www.doyouremember.co.uk, researching everyone's obscure memories and trying to make sense of their vague recollections.

It's an excellent way to fill a spare lunch break, so log on and have a look to see if your favourite toy or TV show is up there. All memories and comments are welcome!

Mobile Express

2008-01-17T16:40:00.000Z

I now have the perfect excuse for knowing all the ins and outs of every mobile phone on the market. I'll be posting daily blogs on Mobile Express' site www.mobileexpress.co.uk/blog.

Mobile Express is the perfect place to check out the best mobile phone deals around and the blog is great for catching up on all the latest news, tech developments and recently announced mobile devices.

Maybe this year I'll have a better idea of which model to go for when it comes to upgrade time.

Free Photoshop resources

2008-01-14T15:17:00.000Z

Type 'Photoshop' into Google and you will be presented with an outstanding amount of free resources. It can be difficult to know where to start.

It would be an absolutely mammoth task trying to locate and write down all of the free resources, but my latest 8-page feature in the forthcoming Photoshop Creative gets to a pretty good start. Here you will be able to find out where the best places are to track down free plug-ins, fonts, brushes, images, textures and embellishments, tutorials, actions and templates.

Thanks go out to all the Photoshop artists featured here who supplied all their files for the feature. It's much appreciated.

MSN - A guide to the January Sales

2008-01-03T14:03:00.000Z

If you would like more help in finding bargains this January then take a look at my MSN Shopping guide to the January Sales.

Now, I wouldn't consider myself to be a heavy-duty shopper - crowded shops get me all in a tizz and I like my bed too much to be in those Boxing Day queues - but I am thrifty, tight, a bit stingy, I like a good bargain - whatever you like to call it, and that's what the sales are all about, right?

Halftones and Edging Effects

2007-12-19T14:34:00.000Z

Photoshop Creative's December issue is on sale tomorrow from all good newsagents and online at the Imagine Shop. In it you will find a couple of quick tutorial pieces from me.

This first is a guide to Halftone filters in Photoshop CS3, showing you how to recreate comic strip effects using some simple filter applications.

Next, is a 3-page Big Technique on Edging effects. Here, you can find out how to transform your images with a number of different edge tricks including tears, photo corners, vignettes and stamp 'teeth'.

My last Advanced Photoshop projects

2007-12-13T17:13:00.000Z

My final Advanced Photoshop projects are now on sale in all good newsagents. It's the end of an era. I spent my last few weeks putting together both Issue 38 of the magazine and compiling the new Advanced Photoshop bookazine. The hard work paid off as they're both corkers!

Issue 38 features a couple of challenging tutorials from talented artists Kirk Nelson and Mark Mayers and an insightful interview with Scott Robertson. After discovering the delights of Moo.com and Blurb.com I rattled together an article on self-publishing.

The Advanced Photoshop Premium Collection 2 is a compilation of all the best bits from 2006-2007. Really great value with stacks of gorgeous artwork and tips for £12.99 - it would make an excellent Christmas present for any aspiring digital artist.

Digital Photography School

2007-12-11T14:22:00.001Z

Blogging is important. If you don't have a blog you're a nobody. Well, that's a bit harsh but I estimate that in 10 years time we won't be reading magazines and newspapers - carbon offsetting fines for publishers and printers will be so huge we'll all be reading online. I am clued up on this and that is why I've added another blog site to my monthly portfolio.

Digital Photography School is a thriving photography blog from Problogger.net's Darren Rowse. Every week I'll be contributing a couple of photography and Photoshop techniques to the blog. Of course, everyone is welcome to comment on the techniques at the end of the posts. It's OK, after years of moderating Photoshop forums my forum skin is thick and durable.

MSN - Gifts your teenagers will love

2007-12-03T16:44:00.000Z

If you have an awkward teenager to buy for this Christmas then take a look at a couple of Shopping pieces I've written for MSN that are online at the moment:

Gifts for him

Gifts for her

It could save you hours searching for the ideal present...

N.B: I will not be held responsible for any Christmas morning tantrums and/or strops.

Christmas Gifts - Overseas Property TV

2007-12-01T11:54:00.001Z

Like it or not, Christmas is only a few weeks away. To say I'm a fan of the festive season would be an outright lie. It's not so much the actual day as the mass hysteria that surrounds it. The bonus this year will be that I won't have to work in an office with seven different renditions of Chris Rea's 'Driving Home For Christmas' blasting out of my colleagues' iMacs whilst I am on PDF deadline. Hooray! I really am the 21st Century Scrooge.

I'm also egging on the weeks to Christmas. No... I haven't a visit from Tiny Tim to talk about my 'issues'...I'm going to San Francisco! I love to travel, write about travelling, talk about travelling and I generally think about travelling all the time. I'm very excited by the prospect of both escaping the torture of the Christmas and getting a chance to photograph, what I've been told is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Fingers crossed the proposed BAA strikes don't put a dampener on things. Although, even if it does go ahead, I'll already be out there. If I disappear off the face of the earth you know where I am. It's not that I couldn't face coming home, it's that I physically couldn't.

This month I managed to put aside my thoughts on the festive season as I compiled and wrote a selection of different Christmas Gifts for the home and for the property mogul in Overseas Property TV magazine.

Overseas Property TV is a channel devoted to property development on Satellite Channel 287. The magazine itself is a glossy treat that's well edited and inspiring to flick through. Even if you don't have the cash or means to move abroad it can help you dream the dream.

New look for Broadband Genie News

2007-11-28T15:41:00.001Z

Broadband Genie has had a little makeover and the News pages (for which I write underneath the cheeky pseudonym Newsgenie) is looking extremely bright and breezy. As well as showcasing the Latest News, you can now also quickly look up Popular News and Latest Comments.

Adobe Bridge CS3 - Photoshop Creative

2007-11-26T15:17:00.001Z

If you're used to pulling your hair out at Adobe Bridge CS2 and its regular tantrums, you may be pleased to hear that Adobe Bridge CS3 works like a dream. It's quick, responsive and there's loads more features to make it a useful tool rather than a gimmick.

You can read up on my latest quick 'Focus on' in this month's Photoshop Creative magazine.

Broadband Genie

2007-11-23T13:54:00.000Z

Every morning, my routine goes like this; I get forced up at a silly hour with a cup of tea and a couple of chocolate rich tea biscuits (thank you, Ian), then after a bit too long watching an undemanding American sitcom (which must have some kind of jazz segue), I get up and research and post the latest broadband news for Broadband Genie.

If you ever want to get the best advice on UK Broadband Providers or research and compare services for a new ISP, then take a look at www.broadbandgenie.co.uk or alternatively, read up on my Broadband News blog.

If there's ever a new quiz round down at Sandacres on UK Spectrum, ISP mergers or published broadband Q3 results you may as well just hand over the box of Toffee Crisp now.

The new blog

2007-11-23T13:10:00.001Z

Welcome to my new blog site where you can read up on all I've been up to, including new projects, published work and general rambings.

Keep a look out for a new slideshow feature on here soon too where I will be posting some new photos... mainly to show off some new bits and bobs, must mostly to stop me becoming a complete agoraphobe, now I've entered the world of Freelance.

So... A little bit about my previous projects:
Until recently I was Editor of the excellent (if I do say so myself) magazine, Advanced Photoshop published by Imagine Publishing.

This magazine is a great resource for Adobe Photoshop professionals and enthusiasts and features plenty of stunning work from the best digital artists around the world. Keep your eye out in all good newsagents for a couple more issues that I still played a part in, including Issue 37, a MetalFX design issue.

Before that, other projects I have worked on include; Work for magazines including Digital Photography Made Easy, Digital Photographer, GigaHz, Web Designer, Digital Photography User and Digital Photographer User.

Other ventures have seen me writing scripts for Thames Television, having probably the most jammy backpacker's job ever when in Australia working for Latent Image Production during the re-release of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and kick-starting the digital archiving at the ever-stylish Millennium Images.