"What program or programs are recommended for captioning digital photos? I want to be able to choose the location of the caption, the font, and the colour of the text."

Most photo editing packages allow you to add text to your images. I seldom add captions to photos (and SmugMug automatically watermarks my uploaded images for me there), but when I do I usually just add a text layer in Adobe Photoshop. I just checked Photoshop Elements 6, and it supports text layers as well. Just click on the "T" in the toolbar, click on the image,and it will create the layer for you.

Many companies have downloadable trial versions online. For example, you can download Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 here and see if it meets your needs.

Perhaps you want to take a photo of a friend standing in front of another object. If you have a narrow (or short) DOF, your friend may be in focus while the foreground and background appear out of focus. At the other extreme, a wide (or long) DOF could result in the entire image appearing to be in focus.

There's a good example of effective DOF control here.

"Eric you spoke of small cheap flashes a while ago would you have a model number I could search for. I am looking for something to light behind my subject triggered by an optical trigger."

While the best solution to light a background is a pair of strobes, you can often get away with a basic flash and trigger to light a small area. Just about any flash will do, although you'll need to play with the output level and/or distance to the background to get what you need. If you're close to the background a diffuser might come in handy -- you can buy one or make one out of translucent fabric or plastic.

If you're looking for something cheap I'd try your local photo store and see what they have laying around. You can also talk to anyone who has upgraded to a digital SLR and bought a new flash. If you have to order off the net, check this out.

And, as always, leave me a comment and let me know how it goes!

"I'm looking for a good point and shoot camera.  What do you think of the new Canon G9?"

"Please advise best sequence for working with a digital image, download from camers and proceeding to -- 1. Change PPI 2. Crop 3. Resize 4. Sharpen, Contrast, etc."

Also, apologies to Trevor who wrote with a similar question while I was redesigning the site,

"What is your typical work flow with regards to editing photos?"

These are great questions because, depending on what software you use, performing these steps in the wrong order can make your life more difficult and cost you a lot of time. To begin, let's divide our post-processing into three stages that I'll call acquisition, editing, and output.

On recent vacation, I really did take many terrific shots, but a bummer being a group shot of four kids against some rocks at the beach. The colour and lighting are fine, but three kids are in crystal clear focus and the fourth, blurry.

There are a few things that could cause that problem.  Autofocus isn't magic, and can't read your mind, so it sometimes ends up focusing on something other than what you want.  Autofocus mechanisms look for a straight line, so, for example, if a person is standing in front of a fence, it's not unusual for the camera to autofocus on the fence rather than the person. Digital SLRs often have multiple autofocus modes, and it is critical that you understand the characteristics of the mode you're using.

Nikon has several external flashes, but for most people I recommend the SB-600.  The SB-800 does provide a bit more range and some other features for people using multiple-flash setups, but most people don’t use those features and the additional range is not worth the higher price tag.

When I told you I rec'd a Nikon D80, you recommended a protective lens to me. My husband bought:

Tamron 67mm UV Haze Filter

Will this lens work as you recommended?

It should do the job to protect your lens, but it might not be your best choice.

You can find the image online at http://www.pbase.com/image/75217819

I think the image is strong due to the prominence of the foreground and the lines that lead the viewer's eye toward the horizon.  The fact that some of the lines converge seem to add to the impact. From a technical point of view, I think the wide angle lens, sharp interesting foreground, and horizon at the upper thirds line also contributes to this wonderful image.

If there are any artists reading that can give us some more insight, please do leave a comment with your thoughts!