If you own a digital camera but have yet to get a digital photo organiser software, it's high time you got one now. Gone are the days that you just import the photos into your computer and kept them in folders on your desktop. Not only will it be difficult to find a particular photo, you will be overwhelmed by the mess of folders and files sooner or later anyway.

Digital photo organisers are software that enables users to file, catalogue and sort their photos into manageable categories. Nowadays, many also come with photo editing functions and a number of other features.
While there are many such software tools available on the market today, Mac users have the option of using Apple's offering - iPhoto. Part of Apple's iLife software suite, iPhoto comes bundled with other fun applications including iMovie, iWeb and Garage Band. I tried the latest iPhoto '08 to see what the new and improved photo organiser and editing software can do.

Organizing and sharing photos

Importing stories into iPhoto is easy - the application detects my digital camera when I connect it to the computer and the import window pops up, allowing me to transfer files with just one click. The application is smart enough to detect duplicate files as well, so you don't import the same photo twice even though the old picture is still in your camera.

The latest instalment of iPhoto also organizes your pictures into 'events'. This means that photos are no longer grouped into 'rolls' (according to upload batches) but according to the date they were created instead. I find that this a love-it-or-hate-it feature, depending on how one uses iPhoto.

For one, organising photos by events will work great if most of your pictures are already organized as such. iPhoto didn't have a problem grouping pictures of my friend's birthday or my dog's first trip to the groomer's. But a friend who didn't like the new sorting system me that iPhoto '08 messed up her carefully organized scanned photos from old albums. iPhoto also seems to get a little confused should you upload pictures of the same 'event' from two different cameras.

Although these problems can be easily fixed by clicking and dragging to merge events or transfer photos from one event to the other, people with large existing iPhoto albums might face a daunting task of sorting pictures should they not be classified properly.

Sharing photos, however, is much easier than before, as iPhoto works hand in hand with iWeb, another application in the iLife software suite. If you have an Apple Mobile Me account, uploading your photos to a professional-looking photo gallery can be done in a snap.

Photo editing

For a photo organising software, iPhoto '08 has a surprisingly sophisticated photo editing feature with lots of tools that will probably satisfy semi-professional photo enthusiasts. iPhoto offers a large number of retouching tools and effects normally found in professional software.

While you won't find features like those in the professional editions of Photoshop, the retouching and editing tools in iPhoto are still of good, semi-professional standard and best of all, are easy to use. I especially like the Straighten tool, which automatically corrects crooked pictures by aligning the horizon with a handy transparent grid.

I also like the fact that iPhoto allows users to revert edited photos back to their original state, so there's always room for experimenting. The changes you make to a particular picture will also be reflected when you use them in other iWork or iLife applications.

Print products

iPhoto '08 also offers a new and improved printing service. For those who are not familiar with the software, iPhoto includes a new print product creator that allows users to make prints, photobooks, postcards, calendars and greeting cards from their photos.

This latest version of iPhoto includes the option to create a hardcover photo book complete with dust jacket, as well as a larger 10.4 by 13 calendar. Creating a photo book is generally easy - you just have to click and drag the pictures you want and iPhoto creates the layout for you.

Customizing your photo book is fun; changing the layout of the page and choosing how many pictures to display is a simple, one-click process. What I found frustrating though, was that there seemed to be no option for me to add or remove text features. I also get an error message from time to time telling me that there were default text boxes that were left unchanged even though there doesn't seem to be any. These glitches aside though, the product creating feature is straightforward and very fun.

A photo store in your computer

With a wide array features and an easy to use, yet fully customizable semi-professional photo editing function, iPhoto is almost like a one-stop photo store on your computer. From the easy importing of files to the sorting, editing and printing of your photos, iPhoto takes care of every step.

Getting things done is also simple with generally straightforward and easy to understand functions and tools. What makes iPhoto better is Apple's decision to include advanced features for those to want more than just the basics.

If you own a Mac and a digital camera, you should definitely consider getting iPhoto - those memories you captured in pictures will definitely be in safe hands.