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    BEST SOFTWARE[/size][/font]

    Software organizes your photo collection[/size]

    By Lincoln Spector

    The most daunting task for digital photographers of all types, from snapshooter to pro, is organizing the hundreds or thousands of images they’ve captured.

    You can put your images into simple folders, but free or inexpensive photo organizers are a better way to wring order from chaos.[/size]


    The full text of this column is posted at WindowsSecrets.com/2010/08/12/05 (opens in a new window/tab).

    Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.[/td]

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    • #1238769

      I’ve been using “Riot” image resizer and it works great.

      Free and no nags

      get it here:
      http://luci.criosweb.ro/riot/

      Doug.S

    • #1238828

      Unfortunately, Mr. Spector’s review of Google’s Picasa makes it obvious that he hasn’t spent much time seeing all the editing facilities Picasa has available. His statement “The only option for manually correcting exposure is a Fill Light slider bar.” is completely untrue. If you go to the Tuning section of the program, you can manually adjust Highlights, Shadows, and Color Temperature. In the Effects section you have 12 different effects or filters that you can apply to an image. I’ve used Picasa for several years, and use it for approximately 95% of my photo editing. About the only thing it doesn’t do, is allow you to select only a portion of an image for adjustment. For that one needs to go to something like Photoshop, Elements, etc.

    • #1239064

      With regards to re-sizing images, Irfanview is able to do re-size images with a lot of options. I’ve been using Irfanview for ages now and never had the need to use any other image viewer. I use Picasa to index my images but am not so diligent in tagging my pictures to make them more accessible in the future.

      Regards,
      Kenneth.
      http://www.kgomez.com/malaysia

    • #1239078

      Ditto on Irfanview for resizing and a lot of other basic image editing capabilities. I’ve been using Irfanview for more years than I care to remember, and it does an excellent job on batch resizing of images, with loads of options in the process.

    • #1239148

      Irfanview is also useful in managing a collection of photos. You can download Irfanview with a Thumbnails Viewer, which can handle batch operations, and can locate a particular photo within Folder, without opening each file to see what it looks like. It works well in 32-bit Windows, but in 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium, this program is really something!

      In Windows 7 Home Premium, there is also the built-in Libraries feature, which can pull together photos from widely scattered locations for easier access without creating new folders. These Libraries can treat photos much as iTunes creates and manages Libraries of songs. It’s one of the new features of Windows 7 which makes it worthwhile to upgrade if you can. Thumbnail View in any version of Windows which supports it can also help with photo organizing.

      For editing, I prefer to use a separate program, and in 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium, the 64-bit version of Paint.NET works great. Since .NET Framework is already baked-in in Windows 7 Home Premium, and it is also 64-bit, why not use what you have, and let this program leverage .NET Framework for speedy and accurate photo editing? Paint .NET does not work as well in 32-bit Windows XP Pro, and I can personally attest to that. There, Picasa is as good as anything I’ve seen.

      -- rc primak

    • #1239158

      I’ve been getting by nicely in Windows 7, 64 bit with Live Photogallery for minor edits and the default paint for
      modest resizing. I never thought of using the tags until now though.

      • #1239343

        I’ve been getting by nicely in Windows 7, 64 bit with Live Photogallery for minor edits and the default paint for
        modest resizing. I never thought of using the tags until now though.

        As per Woody Leonhard’s recent Windows Secrets column, I just do not trust Microsoft’s current privacy implementations with Windows Live anything. Otherwise I would love to try their Live Photogallery and Live Moviemaker.

        -- rc primak

    • #1239348

      There isn’t any concern with privacy when it come to the installed photogallery, as it is a standalone program.
      In otherwords, it’s not live or internet based. Nothing goes to Microsoft. The program does a decent job with stitching
      photos together to create panoramic shots too.

      • #1239461

        There isn’t any concern with privacy when it come to the installed photogallery, as it is a standalone program.
        In otherwords, it’s not live or internet based. Nothing goes to Microsoft. The program does a decent job with stitching
        photos together to create panoramic shots too.

        Do you have the current link for the Microsoft Photogallery standalone desktop download? Everywhere where I’ve been reading lately, they keep saying that Photogallery has been moved into the Windows Live Cloud Applications, and is no longer available for standalone desktop installation. Maybe I’m missing something here?

        -- rc primak

        • #1239504

          Do you have the current link for the Microsoft Photogallery standalone desktop download? Everywhere where I’ve been reading lately, they keep saying that Photogallery has been moved into the Windows Live Cloud Applications, and is no longer available for standalone desktop installation. Maybe I’m missing something here?

          Yes, it is packaged together with the Windows Live Mail email client. You have the choice to install by adding or removing a check mark from the displayed boxes. In this case only check the photogallery install checkbox.
          Also, when the “Your Almost Done” screen comes up, uncheck; set your search provider, set your home page, &
          help improve windows live.

          • #1239542

            Yes, it is packaged together with the Windows Live Mail email client. You have the choice to install by adding or removing a check mark from the displayed boxes. In this case only check the photogallery install checkbox.
            Also, when the “Your Almost Done” screen comes up, uncheck; set your search provider, set your home page, &
            help improve windows live.

            Doesn’t all of this still require getting a Windows Live ID? The mere act of getting a Windows Live ID exposes personal information and web activities to public view, according to Woody Leonhard’s recent Windows Secrets column.

            -- rc primak

    • #1239355

      If you just want to shrink pictures to send them as email, there is a very simple program called Shrink Pic which does automatically does that for you.
      Here is a description from their Website (http://www.onthegosoft.com)/shrink_pic.htm) :
      “Shrink Pic runs in the background and when it detects that you’re sending a large photo, it automatically creates a temporary copy, resizes it and sends it instead. It gives you a notice message, so you’ll know the photo you sent was resized. There’s no setup, no operating instructions, nothing, nada. Just send your photos normally and Shrink Pic takes care of shrinking them.”
      It works like a charm!

    • #1239480

      I’ve been struggling to find a replacement för ACDSee ever since it became bloatware. Picasa has filled the void but only partially. I also find the lack of integrated tagging a bit annoying but it’s ok. However, I really don’t like that Picasa stores its faces locally. I want them in the picture metadata! A tool I’ve found recently is AvPicFaceXmpTagger which takes Picasa face info and adds it to picture metadata! (I have yet to try it though)

      Another thing that Picasa apparently is lacking is lossless rotation. As it is now, Picasa only stores a “flip” bit in it’s .picasa.ini file. I want the picture to be “psysically” rotated so I can use whatever picture viewer I have available. ACDSee could do it and so can XnView (and I presume Irfanview). So I have to use XnView to do the rotation stuff before I go over to Picasa for tagging, faces etc.

    • #1239544

      No, you don’t need a Windows Live ID to use or install Photogallery. You do for a Live Hotmail or WL Messenger account though.

      • #1239903

        No, you don’t need a Windows Live ID to use or install Photogallery. You do for a Live Hotmail or WL Messenger account though.

        I don’t know how you are doing your download, but for Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit on my Toshiba Satellite laptop, I cannot download the installer version you indicate from the link you have provided, nor from any other link. The installer I get from any link, only allows the full installation of all Windows Live services, and does require the Windows Live ID. There are no opt-out checkboxes in this version of the installer. Microsoft is no longer offering the older installer with stand-alone desktop applications through Windows Live to Windows 7 users. At least not those whose Windows 7 came preinstalled on a Toshiba Satellite laptop. This is why I went looking for alternatives.

        -- rc primak

        • #1239993

          I don’t know how you are doing your download, but for Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit on my Toshiba Satellite laptop, I cannot download the installer version you indicate from the link you have provided, nor from any other link. The installer I get from any link, only allows the full installation of all Windows Live services, and does require the Windows Live ID. There are no opt-out checkboxes in this version of the installer. Microsoft is no longer offering the older installer with stand-alone desktop applications through Windows Live to Windows 7 users. At least not those whose Windows 7 came preinstalled on a Toshiba Satellite laptop. This is why I went looking for alternatives.

          If you have an older version of a WL component installed when you run the installer you are forced to update the component. The WL suite probably has dependencies such that running different version of various components will lead to trouble/errors. In particular if you are looking at the WL wave 4 beta this is true. There are significant changes to supporting pieces that render older versions unusable with the newer version.

          Joe

          --Joe

          • #1240008

            If you have an older version of a WL component installed when you run the installer you are forced to update the component. The WL suite probably has dependencies such that running different version of various components will lead to trouble/errors. In particular if you are looking at the WL wave 4 beta this is true. There are significant changes to supporting pieces that render older versions unusable with the newer version.

            Joe

            Good one Joe, I hadn’t thought of that.

    • #1239927

      I have Windows 7, 64 bit too, and I tested it prior to my original post by downloading from the above link I provided and started the install.
      [The above download is a “short” installer, not the full set of programs…Additional download after options are checked are needed].
      I did get the options boxes for Live mail, Live Writer, Photogallery, and a few others. When I saw those I stopped and didn’t go any further, as I only use the WLM and Photogallery.

      So I don’t understanding why you can’t get the same options to display.

      The Windows Live Photogallery is a completely independant program that that is not dependant on any service, Microsoft server, social service network, or otherwise.

      You can thank Microsoft’s retarded naming scheme for much of the confusion.

    • #1240869

      Appreciate the info on VSO’s Image resizer. You might also take a look at Qimage from ddisoftware, which makes use of some sophisticated interpolation algorithms both for upsizing and downsizing photos, in addition to optimizing them for printing, which is its primary function. Has many other features, too. Basic version is $35, 30-day free trial.

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