We discussed Picasa 2 late last year, but since then I have discovered many more wonderful things that can be done with the program. In fact, I now use it more often than any other program for my day-to-day digital photography.

HOW TO GET PICASA:

1. Either click on this button, or go to www.picasa.com and click on the Free Download button.

2. After downloading, install the program by double-clicking on the Picasa icon wherever you downloaded it to.

3. After installing, the program will search your entire computer for photos and arrange them by date.

PICASA 2 FEATURES AND HOW TO USE THEM:

Import – The Import features will suck pictures into your computer from your digital camera or scanner

Click on the Import button at the top to start the process

If you are importing from a digital camera or memory card, the process will automatically begin

If you are bringing the pictures in from a scanner, you may be asked what device you want to import the pictures from

Once all of the pictures have been pulled in, click on the Finish button

Type in a name for this collection of pictures. You can always move the pictures and subdivide them into other folders later

Slideshow – The Slideshow feature works great at an automatic slideshow, but you can also control the slide transitions manually

If you are controlling the show manually then you can also rotate the images and view the comments you have added 

Timeline – The Timeline features doesn’t have many practical uses, but it is kind of cool. It lets you view the photos by groups by date

Gift CD – Here’s how you make a gift CD using Picasa:

1. Click on the Gift CD button

2.  The Picasa will want to make a CD/DVD of the pictures in the folder you have selected. If you want to add more folders, click on the Add More button and check all of the boxes next to the folder names

3. Click on the Include Slideshow button if you want the pictures to run as a slideshow. If this button is left unchecked then it will simply dump all of the pictures into a single folder

4. Type a name for the CD/DVD

5. If you want your friends to experience Picasa, check the Include Picasa button and it will also be included on the Gift CD

6. The blue bar in the bottom quarter of the screen will tell you how many CD/DVDs it will take to inclue all of the pictures

Backup – Use Picasa to backup any and all of your photos on a regular basis without having to use any other software

1. Click on Tools -> Backup Pictures from the menus at the top

2.  If this is the first time you have backed up, click on the New Set button

3. Type in a name for your set. If you will be backing up to CD/DVD and an external drive, you will want to make two sets and name them accordingly, such as "HardDrivebk" and "DVDbk"

4.  Check the type of media you will be backing up to

5. Choose the path that you will be backing up to if it is going to an external drive

6. Check All File Types

7. Click Create

8.  The window you were just working in will close

9. Click on the Select All button

10. The blue bar in the bottom quarter of the screen will tell you how many CD/DVDs it will take for the job

11. Click on the Burn button

12. Since you named your set, Picasa will keep track of which photos have been backed up and the next backup will begin with the newest pictures.