ImageAlpha converts 24-bit PNG to paletted 8-bit with full alpha channel. This greately reduces file sizes with only minor loss of quality. Such images are compatible with all browsers, and even degrade well in IE6.

ImageAlpha can achieve conversion quality better than Adobe Fireworks by employing latest pngquant, pngnq.

Even images that need more than 256 colors can be made more compressible using special alpha-channel-aware posterizer.

ImageOptim optimizes images — so they take up less disk space and load faster — by finding best compression parameters and by removing unnecessary comments and color profiles. It handles PNG, JPEG and GIF animations.

ImageOptim seamlessly integrates various optimisation tools: PNGOUT, AdvPNG, Pngcrush, extended OptiPNG, JpegOptim, jpegrescan, jpegtran, and Gifsicle.

Have you ever seen those fancy photographs where the town and people look like a miniature model? This kind of effect is called “Tilt-shift photography”; it refers to a specific, soft, selective focus that makes photos look miniature. You can achieve this effect in two ways: using either a special photo camera lens or digital tools. The good news is that now you don’t have to buy a special photo camera or lens. You can achieve this effect in just a few simple steps.

A Pixelmator tutorial on replicating a ‘tilt shift’ effect.