Cameras vs. Editing

I've been asked recently what kind of camera I use to take the pictures that I put up on this blog. I am a serious amateur, so I only have two cameras. One is a point and shoot Nikon that I bought in 2005. It is very small, so I carry it with me just about any place I go. It takes great shots and is extremely easy to use.
I also have a Canon Rebel xti that Stacey bought for me in 2006.
She surprised me at Christmas and it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. She was so proud of herself for the big surprise factor and I have to give her credit---she got me.
Any way, the Rebel is an SLR camera which essentially means that you have more control over the settings. It takes some getting used to (and some reading of the owner's manual-ick) but can really help you take your photography up a notch. I only have two lenses for now: the one that came with the Rebel, and a little non-zoom lens that takes terrific close-up shots.
I won't bog you down with the details. If you want to know more, send in a comment.
The photography tool I just can't live without though, is Picasa by Google.
It is a FREE editing tool and is really easy to use. Some folks don't like it because it doesn't do as much as say, Photoshop; but for my amateur self, it works great.
Here are a few examples of what Picasa can do.
I took this photo at Mission Tejas on a camping trip. I used my Nikon.
It's a decent shot. Nice reflection in the water and some good fall color in the trees.

And here is the same shot edited in Picasa. You can see how the colors are more intense, the highlights are increased and there is an overall "glow."

Now here is a shot I took with my Canon Rebel. This is across the highway from my parents place oustide my hometown. I was trying to get a shot that I could give as a framed gift to one of my best friends that was getting married. The Rebel captured what I needed: the windmill, the sunset and some clouds that give that big, open sky some interest. But, I didn't get the lighting just right and it could use a little "pop."

Depending on the look you need, you can adjust the colors and make them bright and bold or more subdued with a glow. Now that I'm looking at this one, I lost a bit of the drama of the clouds behind the windmill and would probably continue to adjust it.

Picasa just launched a new version this week and it has some great new tools. It has a retouching tool so that you can remove blemishes and such. It also gives you the ability to type over your photos which can really come in handy. Now get off my blog and go try it.