Here are a few useful links to friends and to some useful resources.  If there is anything that you think it would be helpful to include here, please let me know!

Free Software

• GIMP – for advanced users, a great alternative to Photoshop
• PhotoScape – a simpler application, great for beginners and quick fixes.
• PhotoME – A pretty specific little program for editing the embedded meta data in photos.  It allows you to add missing focal lengths from manual lenses, for example, or record the use of supplementary lenses or correct or add incorrect or missing date and location data.

Communities and Forums

• Amateur Photographer Magazine Forum – A great place to get advice on gear, techniques and to post photos for appraisal.  A generally friendly bunch (but they’ll speak their minds!)
• Photography on the Net – A Canon-focused forum, but there are plenty of general sections.

Competitions & Exhibitions

• British Wildlife Photographer Awards
• NHM Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• Travel Photographer of the Year
• WPO Sony Photography Awards

Magazines & Journals

• Amateur Photographer
• National Geographic

Other great blogs and websites

• BudgetAstro – An excellent resource for those looking to get into the wonderful (and incredibly technical) world of Astro Photography.
• Ken Rockwell – A happy accident of a website or a corporate rip-off?  There are many different opinions on the information on the site, but there is no denying there is a LOT of information. I sit on the side of the fence that a lot of it is useful – I just don’t need to buy all of the expensive gear!
• Leanne Cole Photography – Another great website written by a passionate photographer, and providing a place for readers to share that interest.