Windows Live Photo Gallery 2012

Windows Live Photo Gallery is a program that lets you view all the images you have saved on your computer and make some minor edits to those images. While it isn't the best photo editing tool available, it's great for beginners and those who need to make basic changes.

Depending on which version of Windows you have on your computer, you may dread opening image files. Some systems take so long to open those files that you can run to the bathroom or grab a snack before the image loads. Others will load the image in a brand new screen and only let you look at it without letting you edit it. Windows Live Photo Gallery works with most versions of Windows and has a clean and easy to use interface.

When you load this program, you can let it pull up all photos and videos on your computer or only those found in specific folders or areas of your computer like My Photos or My Downloads. It then lets you sort by the tags you added to those photos or by the date taken. If you did not add any tags when uploading those pictures, you can add tags with the button located on the right side of the screen. This program lets you use descriptive tags to describe the type of image or people tags to keep track of your loved ones.

Double clicking on any of those photos will bring up the editing box. Though Windows Live Photo Gallery lacks advanced editing tools, it comes with basic tools for straightening the photo or changing its saturation. You can also sharpen the details of the image or change a color photo into one that features shades of black and white. There is even a red eye tool that anyone can use. You simply use your mouse to create a box around each eye and then click the red eye tool to adjust the eye color and remove all traces of red.

Windows Live Photo Gallery will only work on computers running Windows 7 or higher operating systems, and as the file is quite large, installation is time consuming. You'll also find that the program requires you to download other programs to make use of all its features. Windows Live Photo Gallery won't replace an expensive photo editing program, but it provides enough features for basic users.

Pros:

• Red eye tool helps you easily remove red eyes in images
• Free to use all included features and tools
• Lets you add tags and sort through photos by tags
• Creates a preview of each image before loading that photo
• Includes contrast, sharpness and other editing tools

Cons:

• Large file takes a long time to download
• Installing the program takes too much time
• Some features may require additional downloads
• Limited number of features cannot compare with paid photo editing software
• Requires Windows 7 or higher