Manage Photos with Windows Live Photo Gallery - Windows 7 Tutorial
Managing Photos with Windows Live Photo Gallery
If you have transitioned from Windows Vista to Windows 7, or perhaps utilized a different photo manager in Windows XP, you may be seeking information regarding Windows Photo Gallery. This article details the utilization of Windows Live Photo Gallery, a component of the Windows Live Essentials suite.
About Windows Live Photo Gallery
While Windows Photo Gallery was present in Vista and provided adequate functionality, Windows Live Photo Gallery presents a compelling alternative, particularly if you’ve upgraded to Windows 7 or simply desire a new photo management solution. The software can be obtained by downloading the Live Essentials installer and selecting Photo Gallery, alongside any other applications you wish to install.
It’s important to note that installation is customizable; you are not obligated to install all applications within the suite, only those that meet your needs.
During the final stages of installation, ensure that the boxes pertaining to setting your search provider and homepage are unchecked if you prefer to maintain your current settings.
Launching and Initial Setup
Following installation, you can initiate Windows Live Photo Gallery by navigating to Start, then Windows Live, and finally, Windows Live Photo Gallery.
Upon the first launch, you will be prompted to sign in with your Windows Live account.
The application can also be configured to open TIF and BMP files.
Photo Management Features
Once launched, you can begin viewing and managing your photos. Hovering the mouse cursor over a thumbnail will display a larger preview of the image.
The left-hand panel allows you to browse through your image directories, sort photos by date taken, or utilize people and descriptive tags.
Selecting an image provides access to tagging options, additional photo data, zoom functionality, rotation capabilities, photo rating, slideshow initiation, and more.
Resizing and Importing Photos
A convenient built-in feature allows for photo resizing. Right-click on an image within the gallery and choose 'Resize' to select from predefined sizes or specify a custom dimension.
Importing photos from a camera or scanner is streamlined through an intuitive wizard.
You can include specific folders within the gallery, and the application will automatically monitor them for new images.
Customization and Organization
Within the Windows Live Photo Gallery Options, you can define default actions for importing pictures from various devices and media.
Image tagging can also be customized, enabling efficient organization of photos from multiple events or trips.
Additional Features
The application allows you to personalize your computer by setting your Photo Gallery as a Screen Saver.
Basic photo editing features are included, such as color effect adjustments, red-eye removal, cropping, and straightening.
You can create blog posts, CDs, DVDs, and more using your photos from Live Photo Gallery and other Live or Windows tools.
Live Photo Gallery facilitates publishing photos to SkyDrive, printing them, and sharing them via email.
Integration with Flickr is also available, allowing you to save and share images on that platform.
Numerous plug-ins are available to enable easy sharing of your photos to other social media sites, including Facebook, Drupal, SmugMug, and Picasa.
Conclusion
Windows Live Photo Gallery provides a comprehensive set of features and represents a significant improvement over the Photo Gallery included in Vista. This guide should provide a solid foundation for utilizing Windows Live Photo Gallery to organize, edit, and share your photos in Windows 7. The software is compatible with Windows XP (32-bit only), Vista, and Windows 7 (both 32 & 64-bit versions). If you are seeking a user-friendly picture manager with robust organization and sharing capabilities for Windows 7, Windows Live Photo Gallery is an excellent choice.
Download Windows Live Photo Gallery
Windows Live Photo Gallery Plug-ins
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