Software...which do you need?

Well...the answer to this question is...what do you want to do with it?

Most amateur photographers simple want nice photos to show their friends and family via the web, slideshows, or prints. But some have a more creative side and would like to see their photos in black and white, duotone (where the picture prints uses a variation of two selected colors), infrared, high key (very bright picture), low key (darker photos), and the list goes on and is only as long as the imagination of the user.

What softwares really address these ends of the continuum?

Well...let's start with what your manufacturer's dedicated software provides. Normally this software contains all you need to manage the downloading of your pictures, minor edits capabilities (i.e. red eye removal, cropping, straightening, brightening, darkening, contrast, etc....), then prep for your output. This software probably satisfies more than 75% of users.

For those in the other 25%, there are many more options. Some other good software are as follows:
1) Google's Picasa - this is free software and has many very user friendly features. If your manufacturer's software isn't getting you the results you need, try this since it won't cost you anything.
2) Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 - this software costs between $70-$100 and is a trimmed down version of the full Photoshop by Adobe. I recommend this software for those wanting to make selections of certain elements of their photos, apply certain graphics effects, and have more precise control over your photo editing and be able to edit in a non-destructive manner (I will post something addressing this specifically in the coming weeks). I have used this software and recommend the quick edit and full edit capabilities, but ask that you totally avoid the organizational functions because they are very non-intuitive and are very possessive when you try to upload photos to your computer, trumping all other software you may want to use instead.
3) Noromis Photolab - this software is around $50 (for internet download, $60 for mailed CD)just came out with a software to streamline and simply direct you through the "workflow" of importing, editing, and managing your photos for output. I haven't tried this software personally, and I suggest you try a trial version before buying.

You may ask, what do I use?

Well, I currently use Adobe's Photoshop Creative Suite 2 and Adobe Lightroom. These are expensive and have more ability than most people would ever need. I use them because I would like to have at my disposal the ability to do more, if I ever want to. I am a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, I study their magazine, and have books I use on Photoshop to learn more. This is what I use to edit and save the photos for posting to the church's website. I will gladly go into more detail about these software in future posts.

Here is a great list of digital camera sites for you to browse through and should give you plenty of resources.

Well, that is it for now...