Organize and share your photos
If a picture is worth a thousand words, the built-in suite of photographic solutions in Windows Vista, or Photo Story 3 in Windows XP, can help you capture all of them.
These basic tools and desktop features are yours to enjoy right out of the box. They're simple and intuitive enough that beginners can jump right in and start making memories, yet powerful enough that experienced shutterbugs can turn any scene-stealing moment into an instant classic.
Ready to learn how to catalog, touch up, and edit anything from family portraits to vacation snaps? Here's everything you need to know to produce eye-catching images and distribute them by e-mail, animated slideshow, CD, or DVD—not to mention go from amateur to paparazzi overnight.
Because the photography solutions for Windows Vista are distinctly different than Photo Story 3 for Windows XP, the first part of this article is dedicated to Windows Vista. If you're running Windows XP, you may want to skip directly to Using Photo Story 3.
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Organize your photos
All it takes to get started is a Windows Vista-ready PC and a digital camera.
To import from an older PC, use Windows Easy Transfer. Access it by entering "Easy" into the Search Bar. Otherwise, begin by transferring photos onto your computer using one of the following solutions:
1. | Connect your camera, and an AutoPlay window appears that will walk you through the process of importing photos.  Auto-import options make transferring photos from digital devices to your PC easy. |
2. | Attach any electronic device such as a USB key, video camera, portable media player, or MP3 player to produce similar results. |
3. | Insert a CD, DVD, Memory Stick, or Secure Digital (SD) or Multimedia (MMC) card, and content will be automatically detected, as well. |
In the AutoPlay dialog box, click Import pictures and Windows Vista will automatically scan for photos in all formats. Hint: To save time, set default actions to be performed every time photos are found on a newly inserted disc, device, or storage platform.
Next, assign images textual descriptors known as tags (for example, "Spring Break" or "Jane's 1st Birthday"). Not only do tags offer a great way of quickly and clearly naming large groups of photos, they make finding photos easier. Once you have given tags to your pictures, you can type the first few letters of the phrase into the Search Bar, and matching entries will appear.
Assign pictures tags for easier search and retrieval.
Pictures can be assigned multiple tags to help refine searches. This way, it's possible to quickly pull up only family photos featuring summer picnics, for example, or shots of your child scoring the winning touchdown or goal.
Manage and edit images
You can store and edit all your pictures in Windows Photo Gallery. From the gallery, you can:
| • | Catalog pictures, displayed as stunning thumbnails (just hover your mouse over any to enjoy a larger view), which can be rotated or increased in size on command. A few ways to sort snapshots, all of which are user adjustable, include: | • | Tags | | • | Dates | | • | 5-star ratings | | • | Folders | | • | Recently added |
 Windows Photo Gallery centralizes all your digital photography needs. |
| • | Find any photo with the Search Bar at the top of Windows Photo Gallery. |
| • | Instantly determine file size, graphic resolution, tags, ratings, and date/time stamps, or add captions at a glance using new Info Pane features. |
| • | Improve photos by removing imperfections, enhancing lighting, and brightening colors with editing tools. |
User-friendly, built-in tools enable you to enhance any image.
To do digital touch ups, just highlight a picture and select Fix in the Windows Photo Gallery. A simple slider bar and mouse-driven interface helps you quickly and concisely adjust options like:
| • | Exposure |
| • | Color |
| • | Red eye |
| • | Brightness |
| • | Contrast |
Use editing tools to improve your pictures.
Hint: For the best results, use the Auto Adjust options, and crop photos to emphasize your images' most striking features. Don't be afraid to experiment with tint and saturation, either—subtle changes can affect the entire mood or feel of any scene.
There's no need to worry about making a mistake. You can click Undo to roll back unwanted changes one adjustment at a time. Windows Vista also saves digital negatives: In case of a grievous mishap, you can always hit Ctrl+R to instantly revert to a picture's original, pristine form. You can even schedule regular backups to keep hard copies of your collection on hand.
Sharing snapshots
Windows Vista offers more great ways to share favorite photos than Microsoft Windows XP. For example:
| • | Send buddies best wishes in the form of single or multiple images by selecting them in Windows Photo Gallery and clicking E-mail. The Photo-Video E-Mail Wizard immediately appears, helping you effortlessly resize photos (smaller files transfer faster and minimize chances of clogging recipients' inboxes) and attach them to outgoing correspondence. |
| • | Print
professional-looking snaps or full-contact sheets featuring up to 35 gorgeous images right at your desk using the Photo Print Wizard's predefined templates. You can even customize paper size, print quality, and color settings to ensure creations are instant attention-getters.  Templates and adjustable settings make printing pictures more effortless than ever. |
| • | Print photos in Windows Vista with either the Online Print Wizard or the Photo Print Wizard. With either method, you can select photos and then a print task from either Windows Photo Gallery or the Pictures Explorer. |
| • | Create CDs and DVDs ready to hand out as gifts or party favors using the Burn command in Windows Photo Gallery. |
| • | Make memories come alive
as special effects-laden slideshows complete with snazzy transitions using the Slide Show function in Windows Photo Gallery. You can even set your slideshow as your screen saver. |
| • | Integrate pictures or slideshows into awesome home movies using Windows Movie Maker or Windows DVD Maker. |
| • | Enjoy life-changing shots or family reunion-ready animated albums in high-definition on your living room TV with Windows Media Center. |
Boasting better built-in virtual darkroom options than any other operating system of its kind, it should be obvious: Windows Vista clearly raises the bar for digital photography.
A suitable learning tool and companion for shooters of all ages and skill levels, Microsoft's newest operating system won't just improve your picture-taking talents in record time. Happily, it'll also give friends and family more ways to share in the magic than ever.
Using Photo Story 3
Using Photo Story 3, you can touch up treasured photos by reducing red eye; cropping images; producing a working story outline; and adding attention-getting soundtracks, spoken narration, or clever captions. These catchy creations, ready to distribute via e-mail, the Internet, CD, or mobile phone, are a great gift idea and can be a way to reconnect with friends and family members.
Choosing a theme
Every special occasion deserves a photo story. And Photo Story 3 lets you improve your photo presentations by constructing them from groups of related images to tell a more satisfying tale.
Here are a few sample themes that provide a good basis to build your story around:
| • | Birthdays |
| • | Graduations |
| • | Sports |
| • | Vacations |
| • | Children |
| • | Weddings |
| • | Holidays |
| • | Family reunions |
Building your story
Thanks to the simple, mouse-driven menu interface, constructing a Photo Story is fun and easy. Follow the steps below to get started:
1. | Transfer images from digital camera or scanner to your Windows XP-based PC. |
2. | Load Photo Story 3 and click Begin a new story.
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3. | Click Import Pictures and choose the photos you'd like to include. |
4. | Select pictures by clicking individual snapshots. Adjust red-eye/color levels and crop, edit, or rotate images using the buttons located just below the main picture display. Then drag and drop photos on the filmstrip to change the order in which they're displayed. Click Next.
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5. | Select a picture from the filmstrip, then type in a caption. You can also add special effects to each photo by selecting them from the Effect drop-down menu. Click Next.
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6. | To test sound settings, click the microphone icon. To record narration for each photo, click the picture, and then click the Record button (the one with the red dot). Click the Stop button when finished.
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7. | Click Customize Motion to add zooming, panning, and transition effects to each photo. Use the Preview options to test your settings before saving. When finished, click Save, and then click Next. |
8. | Add background tunes by clicking Create Music, or click Select Music to pick from your collection of digital audio files. Click Next.
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9. | Decide how and where you'd like to archive your story, click Settings to choose video resolution and quality, then specify a file name to store it under. Click Next. Congratulations—your slideshow is ready!
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Hints and tips
Here are several handy suggestions to help you both maximize your Photo Story 3 experience and thrill viewing audiences alike:
| • | Remove black borders: Eliminating the black border that surrounds certain images helps to better highlight the picture contained within. Try out the various auto-removal options in Photo Story 3 to see how you can obtain optimal results. |
| • | Add fonts and colored lettering: Picture titles and captions can be added anywhere—top, bottom, left, or right of the image. Use fonts and colored lettering to help them further stand out on the page. |
| • | Experiment with effects: Turn photos into eye-catching works of art by employing digital effects to make them look like pencil drawings, watercolor portraits, or sepia-toned antique snapshots. |
| • | Insert music and motion: Create more dramatic slideshows by introducing sweeping soundtracks, attention-getting audio cues, close-up effects, and circular or diagonal transitions. |
| • | Save disk space: Photo Story 3 creations require very little storage space to begin with. However, video quality settings do affect file sizes—the higher the slideshow resolution, the more disk space is required. If you intend to distribute a photo story via e-mail, personal digital assistant (PDA), or smart phone, save it at a lower resolution; it doesn't need to be as sharp-looking as it would if you were showing it on a desktop, and the smaller file size will make it easier to view and send. |
| • | Speak your mind: Remember, this is your story, so feel free to add clever jokes, witty commentary, or personal insight and anecdotes where appropriate. Nothing helps observers connect with a tale like hearing or seeing it expressed in your own words. |
 | Scott Steinberg
Get Rich Playing Games author, freelance writer, and radio/TV host Scott Steinberg has covered technology for 400+ outlets from CNN to the LA Times, NY Times, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and TV Guide. For more of his insights, visit him at scottsteinberg.com or gadgetexpert.net, where he highlights the hottest new gadgets and games.
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