how do you store your photos?

Just one of the wonderful things about the blogging world is that you can get instant and honest opinions from a huge number of people on just about any subject.  In the past I have asked your opinion on paint colour for shutters, and window treatment in our guest cottage but today, dear friends, I am asking you to apply your technical mind !!  OK,  not too technical, because I wouldn't understand a word of it, but I'd like to know what solutions you use for storing all your photos.

At present I am using Picasa, but I have a couple of issues with them, including the unreasonable amount of space they require on my computer and rumours of google accessing my database via my photos.  Urban legends maybe, but whatever, I think I am ready for a change.

I want a system that allows me to download my photos from my camera, or possibly from the internet;  I want to be able to crop, enhance etc, make a few buttons, play around with fonts.  I like to store an original of each shot, and to file the reworked version by theme.

I'm looking at Adobe Elements, but I'm not sure if the basic version is interesting enough, and of course I don't want to spend megabucks on the professional one.

So what would you advise me to use?  What do you use? Are you happy with your system.  Thank you so much for taking a moment to help me on this one. 

Gibson asked me to tell you that he'll give his favourite sock to whoever leaves  the best suggestion - and I bet you don't get an offer like that everyday!!

10th photo

 I have had a lovely surprise, Julie at  Being Ruby   has tagged me amongst others, to talk about my tenth photo.  Julie has amazing talent as a photographer, all the photos on her blog are hers, and are beautiful works of art. Her text comes close to poetry no matter how mundane the subject - let's just say it :  I can't hope to compete.

The tenth photo stored in my photo file happens to be one that was taken by my daughter of herself and her pony.  This picture tells several tales.  A sad one of how a lovely girl grew too attached to the wrong pony.  A creative one of the importance of expressing yourself artistically, and lastly the tale of how our ponies are an integral part of my children growing up.

I shall start with the last, growing up with ponies.  When I look at this picture I think of the pleasure my girls have sharing emotions with their ponies.  As small children might whisper their secrets into the ears of the softest teddy bear, so my daughters have told things to their ponies that no one else has ever heard.  Constant companions in good times and bad.

This daughter discovered photography a couple of years ago.  Artistic talent is not given space to grow in the French school system,  if you  want your children to appreciate the joy and importance of artistic expression it has to be encouraged at home.  My girl loves to take photos, alone, with friends, small exhibitions, alot of fun. She is a great communicator and I am curious to see how she'll use these talents in her future life.

Finally a tale of disappointment.  This pony's name is Oliver.  He is strong and handsome and was chosen for his potential to jump high, but we hadn't realised how arrogant and disrespectful he would become.  After almost two years of persevering we had to admit that we couldn't handle him, that he was dangerous even.  He had to be sold, but for us all it felt like a failure.  We thought we had failed our daughter, she felt she had failed her pony and it left us sad for a long time.  This is part of learning, and coping with whatever life throws at you.  You just have to emerge stronger and grow together.

I would like to tag the following blogging friends to share their own tenth photo:

Angie at Angie Muresan

Debra at 5th state

Millie at the Laurel Hedge

Trish at Trouvais
Greet at Belgian Pearls

and  Tish at A Femme d'un Certain Age.

I wish you all an excellent and sunny week!

A feast for the eyes

I came across this wonderful Garden Photographer of the Year competition, organised by the amazing Kew Gardens in England.  Enjoy!!

 

This is by Michael Lowe, I think it looks like a tapestry.

as does this by Philip Coleman.

Pretty topical, this by Tim Smith,

 

so is this which I've slipped in from my daughter's collection.

While Carole Drake promises us warmer days to come.