Capturing Your Summer Memories

Perhaps it's a wedding, that long-awaited family reunion or a special graduation. Or maybe it's just the first time your child rides away on his bike without training wheels.

Summer brings with it all sorts of special occasions, many of which are once in a lifetime. Capturing them with your digital camera is the best way to enjoy those moments for years to come. But photos can quickly add up, which is why you also need a fast and easy way to sort through your pictures and, just as importantly, share them with friends and family.

The photo editing and storage capabilities on today's PCs make finding, editing and sharing photos an easy process. For example, Windows Photo Gallery, part of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, allows users to take advantage of a one-stop-shop for managing, editing and sharing photos or home movies. With it, users can quickly copy pictures from their camera to their PC. Downloaded photos are immediately indexed, making them easily searchable with one or two keywords in the instant search feature.

Dave Windrim, a retired telecom technician and Windows Vista user, says Photo Gallery makes sharing photos an enjoyable experience for the whole family. "I can keep all of my videos and photos really organized. It's especially useful when I'm trying to find photos I took at the cottage."

For those family or friends unable to make the trip this summer, Photo Gallery makes it easy to send them your favourite shots. Simply select, compress and send via email in just a few seconds.

"It's a great way to keep in touch with everyone in the family and make them feel like they were part of a summer get-together, even if they weren't there. It's one of the many ways Photo Gallery helps make managing photos so much easier," adds Windrim.

- News Canada