[alastair_hm]

Good selection of freeware photographic related software.
http://photo-freeware.net/

[shuttertalk]

Hey thanks for the link, Alistair...

A couple of proggies caught my eye - I wonder if anyone has heard of them / tried them? They sound quite interesting...

Sharp Control
http://www.photo-freeware.net/sharpcontrol.php

SharpControl is one of the best free sharpening tools around. The sharpening process can be adjusted over simple number based parameters. The effect can be added to the hole picture or to specific selected areas as well, while a preview keeps you always up-to-date. Really nice and handy enhancement tool and not even for beginners with suitable results.

Cleanvue
http://www.photo-freeware.net/cleanvue.php

Images taken with a standard 1 to 3 mega pixel camera can look soft and lacking in detail, this is down to the lens and CCD configuration which are usually average in performance. What Cleanvue does is analyse the picture, and enhance details to an extent that the image almost looks three dimensional, giving the clarity you desire from your camera. Sometimes images can look too dark or maybe washed out this is due to cloudy weather when outdoors, and the lack of bright natural light indoors. Cleanvue uses a brand new technique that no other image enhancement software uses, it analyses dark areas, midrange and bright areas separately then adjusts them according to rules worked out from thousands of images in its database. This method ensures maximum contrast and extra realism where lighting is concerned, whilst maintaining zero distortion. Think of it as returning the correct lighting parameters of the actual room or space where you took the photos. Cleanvue adds back what gets lost through the lens aperture and CCD configuration of the camera using this 3D technique.

[alastair_hm]

Sounds like they might be worth a look, although I'm sure you could manually achieve the same results in PS or Gimp.