If you are like me, then you can easily spend hours browsing through the software
section of your favorite electronics superstore. My local favorite is Best Buy; I can
always find something of interest, and this is exactly how I became acquainted with Hemera's Photo-Objects.
I guess what surprises me about Hemera is why I never saw the product on the shelf
before. Hidden amongst the myriad of cheap collections of clip art was Hemera. If I didn't
look two or three times at the shelf, I would have missed it -- and with that I would have
missed what has easily become one of my favorite sources for electronic artwork.
Hemera's box really says it all. Why would would you want to pay $50 to $75 for yet
another collection of clip art when you could have quality photo art instead? That was a
good question then, and it's a better question now since I, like millions of others, have
continued to add to my clip art collection like the obsessive compulsive fool that I am. I
see one neat graphic on a box, and I am a sucker: I must have the collection. But like so
many disappointing record albums that have only one good song on them, most clip art
collections -- even those taunting me with over 1,000,000 pictures -- tend to be
quick disappointments. Not the case with Hemera.
Hemera makes photo artwork affordable for those of us with limited advertising
and design budgets. Not only is the product affordable and the photos top-notch, but they
give you so many photos for your dollar. More bang for the buck. Similar packages by
established "art" houses sell you 100 to 300 photos for a few hundred dollars.
Hemera gives you 25,000 photos for under $100. That's a bargain that is hard to pass up.
Not only does Hemera have a rich assortment of photos to choose from, but they make it
easy to find what you are looking for with their own customized thumbnail browser. Simply
type in what you are searching for, and Hemera's browser engine immediately (no delays)
displays those thumbnails which best fit your search terms.
The photo quality is quite high, some come with drop shadows, and the collection
includes objects (coins, flowers, household items) as well as people (men, women,
children, different ages, and different walks of life and poses). With 25,000 photo
objects to choose from, it's hard to believe that an imaginative designer couldn't find
something of value.
Once you select the photo desired, you click on the thumbnail and it prompts you to
load one of four CDs from the set. Once the CD is loaded, a larger version of the photo is
displayed. At that point, you use a wizard which asks you how you will use the photo
(Powerpoint, Web, etc.), and it then guides you through the resizing and saving process.
Very easy to use.
To learn more about Hemera, visit their web site at www.hemera.com.
