Going Places: Go for a photo finish

Your vacation was fantastic, and you took lots of photos to prove it. Now what? Here are ways to share and otherwise enjoy your travel snapshots -- the very reason you snapped them in the first place.

PICTUREBOOK 64 MB POCKET DIGITAL PHOTO ALBUM BY BROOKSTONE, $200

This digital album makes it easy to free your photos from your camera or computer and share them. Plug your memory card directly into the album, or connect it to your computer (it's PC- and Mac-compatible) and photos download quickly and easily. Straightforward has its cons, however, and the unit does not have a lot of functions. In each of the four albums, you must scroll past every photo to get to the last one, for example, or view all the photos in reverse. But it is nice and portable, with a 3.5-inch screen that's a decent size for image-viewing.

Available at Brookstone stores or online at brookstone.com.

PHOTO CLUTCH, $16

This trendy vintage-looking clutch comes in a variety of fabrics and opens to reveal an accordion of 16 photo slots. Having just a few photos to print can make the task less daunting, and those you're sharing photos with will appreciate viewing only the well-edited highlights.

Available at Urban Outfitters stores or online at urbanoutfitters.com.

PERSONALIZED PHOTO BOOKS AT CVS PHOTO CENTERS, $13

Love that you can pick up this 6- by 8-inch, 10-page photo book the same day you create it. It looks nicer than the low price tag might suggest, too, with a hard cover and heavy photo stock. Just download as many as 54 photos from CD, USB flash drive or memory card, and choose your background (there are lots of vacation-style options). Although you can easily place up to six photos on any one page, you don't have a lot of control over where they appear on that page. It's also worth noting that adding text adds time -- and can be a hassle.

Available at all CVS/pharmacy stores with Photo Centers. Free workshops from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

PHOTO LUGGAGE TAG BY PHOTOWORKS, $7

Lots of online companies offer services where you download photos onto products--calendars, notepads, coffee mugs and such. At PhotoWorks, these products are supreme (they offer simple photo-printing, too). Maybe that's why the process of creating a luggage tag here was a breeze. Open an account, select the product you want to make, then upload your photo and go. The tag turned out great, though it's worth noting that the photo is on both sides. You'd have to affix your information to one side if you want it to be more than a fine reminder of vacations past.

Available at PhotoWorks.com.

PERSONALIZED 16-INCH BY 20-INCH STRETCHED CANVAS BY CANVASONDEMAND.COM, $89 (PLUS $14.95 S&H)

Creating a high-quality work of art out of your vacation photo takes just a few mouse clicks on this site, especially if you have your digital photo ready on your computer. In four to five days from that final click, your art arrives --your selected photo on a heavy canvas stretched over a wooden support. No framing necessary. Additional services, such as retouching, restoring, or converting to black and white cost extra.

Available at canvasondemand.com.

Berit Thorkelson is a St. Paul-based freelance writer who tests travel products for this column and her travel goods website www.trustypony.com.