Your next handbag?

I finally tried Picasa picture management software to actually get something done. I must say that it is really intuitive picture management and editing program. One can easily make main changes to pictures and try even some cool effects, like soft focus and B&W. However, it has two major shortcomings that make it almost useless for me.

First, it does not have an tool for darkening light areas. It has a tool to brighten picture overall, darken dark areas, brighten bright areas. But there is no way to control bright areas the other way round. Sad.

Second, and most important, the software thinks that I want to let it manage my picture files. Namely, when you edit pictures, the changes are not written to original files. If you want to get the new picture file, you have to use Export pictures functionality. I understand that it is good that I cannot spoil original files so easily. But I would still like to have an option to write apply all changes that I have made to files. This is exactly how Microsoft Office Picture Manager (part of Office 2003) works. When you close the program, it asks whether you want to approve all changes you have made during session.

There is no reason, why this software could not be a perfect simple photography tool for general occasions, like most social pictures are. It is fast and it has good functionality. I hope next version (the current version is 2) will fill the holes.