I can already hear the majority of folks saying, real men don't use photoshop filters! Well, usually I would agree with you. However, the other day I ran into this new application called Filter Forge. It's a peer updated filter set for photoshop - which means, you can create your own filters and throw them into an online library free for everyone.
Of course there are sites out there that offer filters, brushes and so on but I thought the concept of this app was unique. Not only that but some of the user submitted filters are actually good and seem like they may come in handy every so often. The program can be downloaded for a 30 day trial but you can also sign on as a beta tester which gives you a couple more months to test it out. Contributing testers are also eligible for a free package, or percentages off when it's released.
It's definitely not going to replace your years of self taught texture skills, but it looks as though it could come in handy in a lot of circumstances.
