Question really but not gardening........

i use picasa it was recomended by jacque and find it easy to use and its free :o))

I've been using Picasa for a long time now and just love it. Easy to use and has all you need for storing, editing and playing around with photos. I do also use Photoscape when I need to stitch photos or split photos - it's not as simple to use as Picasa, but gets easier with experience.

I've tried several but can't understand them so I just use Canon software that came with my camera. If I had time I would like to learn Photoshop but I'm still struggling with all the knobs ect. on my SLR. lol When or if I get to learn how to use my camera to it's full potential, I'll have another try.

i love taking photos and just discovered picasa, but also have Nero which is fun for adding captions and editing photos.

Picasa seems to be the popular one and easy too, but I use Photoshop elements2 only because it came free with the camera. Owt fer Nowt! :o)))

I don't use any of it/them, all my photos are as i originally took them.

So are mine Louise, i don't understand all that technology, wish i did but i don't.

For a number of years I have used Photoshop Elements. When I had my email problems last week I changed to gmail and a friend recommended Picasa. I have downloaded this (free) and, with about four days experience, I must say that I think I like it more than Photoshop. Easy to use and lots of options for this technologicaly challenged gardener.

louise i only use for collages not my pics, they stay as i take them, did mess a bit on one or two but dont really bother,nice for collages though ;o)

I use Arcsoft Photo Impressions 6 which I just happened to 'find' on my desktop. Not sure how it got there, maybe with camera software! Has quite a few bits like frames which Picasa doesn't but doesn't do collages (as far as I've discovered anyway!). Both are good for having fun with but mostly I only do cropping for pics, they need it as I'm still a beginner at photography

Louise your pics are so good you don't need software to improve them. I don't use any either other than to crop re-size and tag. However I know proper 'Togs' who say that photoshop is an art just like taking pics. It would seem that the most popular is Picassa. There are occasions when photoshop ect. is useful for example the pic of Barnaby originally showed him with his lead but my friend painted it out. If I ever get time I would like to be able to use it.

Thanks for all your views, I used to use Picasa very user friendly, but find it rather limiting, as iphoto is almost the same as Picasa (part of the mac program) I would like to try more adventurous photography, changing backgrounds adding pictures to pictures adding text etc, Those of you who use Photoshop Elenents, does this program cover this sort of thing? I am not looking to improve my photos but to have more fun with them, know nothing about Nero, Kimmy is this a windows program only? also I dont want to spend a vast amount of money ............
Heron I know what you mean have just got to grips with mine, you can make it as difficult or as easy as you want, really.....cant you?

Pass dont know what you talking about, but i just put my photos on as i've taken them :o)))

I use Kodak`s own software as I find it the most user friendly and gives the best results.

Sandra :o)

I have used Picassa almost since it came out. I use it ti lighten photos & to put captions on them. It used to upload them to the internet but the space is now full & I can't upload any more, not without paying for more webspace!

I haven't explored all the possibilities of the programme. I've never been interested in doing anything other than lightening photos that were too dark or crop them & lately I've been putting captions on almost all the new photos I've uploaded to my computer.

For a time I used the software that came with my digital camera but for some reason it "disappeared". When I plugged my camera i the software used to start up automatically then one day it didn't & the Windows default programme started up in its place. It's still on the computer somewhere but I've not bothered looking for it in a long time.

I downloaded "The Gimp" but I couldn't get my head around it & uninstalled it again! Just like MS Paint, I've hardly ever used it in the 8 years I've been using this computer. I've tried different programmes but until Picassa came along I've never got a long with most of them.

Balcony thanks for your comments, I have downloaded Gimp and as you say it is complicated, there are several books on Amazon on how to use it!!! will try my library,( as it is free I would like to get my head around it.......)
Thanks to everyone else who has answered my questions.

Do you have a local photography group Daisy? perhaps they could help or maybe classes on at a local college? I am a total technophobe and just use finepix which came with my camera, it's very simple, but doesn't do much:-( Come to think of it, reminds me of me:-)

Hope you find it more useful than I did!

Lol Bornagain, I am amazed I turned into a computer geek, just find the whole thing fascinating.
Balcony I will sort it one of these days......

Photo shop Elements will do all you want layering puting pictures on diferrent backgrounds etc.Get Digital photo magazine (i think thats what it called ) i usally comes with disc to show you how to use it and alter your pics.....

Mushy thanks for that, just what I need.

I haven't a clue about all this photo stuff and just needed to reduce some of my pics for various forums including GOY...and found "Splashup Light "very easy to use.....Simple for simple minds!!! So far it has let me do all I need!!
http://www.splashup.com/light/

I

Alz will look at it, many thanks.

Hope it helps DD....I found the Picasa was OK for editing BUT it had a nasty habit of hijacking all the pics on my laptop - and I have a few thousand (LOL) ...and filed them all up for me ...drove me nuts so I ditched it and went back to Splashup Light.
Have fun!

Its called digital camera mag and theres also digital photography mag as well

Sounds worthwhile Mushy ...but at the moment ....never mind the photos...I am looking for an EASY way of addressing 150 Xmas card envelopes .....LOL

I am starting to find the same as you, Alz, regarding the hijacking of pictures by Picasa. On another forum I used to be able to enlarge screen pictures easily just by clicking them but now Picasa wants to go through a whole process. I am thinking about deleting this program also.

Yes -BBH...every time I opened the wretched prog....it started hunting and finding every pic on my laptop and extra hard drive .....and I never did find how to stop it.!
So I ditched the whole thing and moved to Splashup Light.....simplicity itself ....and waits to be told which pic you want dealing with ....thank you very much!!!

Unfortunately that is how Picasa works, there might be a way of stopping it in preferences, not sure now as I took it off my computer, all my pics go straight into iPhoto, but it is fairly basic, which is why I wanted to find something more advanced, from what I understand Photo Shop Elements is the one to go with, so thanks all for your help.......and watch this space......!!!!!!!

Maybe I'm better off with finepix;-) I'm frightened to try anything else in case my pics vanish or finepix takes offence and deletes them in a fit of jealousy:-( If I download splashup , what would happen when I want to download from my camera as it automatically is downloaded on finepix? What happens to pics already on finepix? Oooooh my head hurts:-(

Bornagain I understand if it is all set up with finepix, and you are happy why rock the boat? I like to live on the edge, usually fall off, but, hey, I just pick myself up (well nobody else will!!!) dust myself down,good song lyrics there?
You could always store your photos on another hard drive?

Hi there Bornagain....Splashup doesn't work like that. Your pics would be downloaded exactly as they always do. When you you need or want to edit one - you just right click it - left click "Open with" in the little drop down menu and chose Splashup. When you have done whatever editing or re-sizing etc you want - you just file up the new version under a slightly different name and that's it - job done! The original one would stay exactly the same and where it originally was.
Finepix wouldn't take the 'ump - promise!! And like DD says - you should be keeping copies of all your lovely pics on another drive anyway...tut tut !!