Uploading your photos to a computer

Question

Uploading your photos to a computer     
Before you upload 
Create a new folder on your computer where you can store your images. You may wish to create a folder with your name on it under “My Pictures” or directly on your desktop. A separate folder can be helpful, especially if multiple people share the camera or computer.
  3 Ways to upload your images
1) Use the included USB cable to connect the camera directly into a USB port on your computer.
2) Purchase a USB card reader, which will allow you to plug your memory card directly into any computer.
3) Use built-in multimedia slots if included on your computer or printer.
  After your images are uploaded to your computer
You may find it useful to change the “View” setting of your new folder. This is
commonly an option in the toolbar at the top of your folder. Changing the view
allows you to display your images as a list of file names, small thumbnails (mini-
photos) or in “filmstrip” mode which shows small thumbnails in a row with the
selected image enlarged so you can see more detail.
  Double-clicking on any photo in your new folder will automatically open it within your computer’s default picture-viewing software, but generally will not allow you to make any alterations to the image itself. (See Basic Editing tips below)
  As with any important files on your computer, it is highly recommended to immediately create a backup of your transferred photos. Two common ways to do this would be to save a copy on an external hard drive or to burn them to a CD or DVD.
  To delete these photos from your memory card and clear up space for new photos, place the card back into the camera and select the “Format Card” feature from the menu. You should use the camera instead of your computer to format the card so that it can re-write any camera-specific data.
Basic Editing  Software
There may be image-editing software preinstalled onto your computer, otherwise most digital cameras come with basic editing software. For greater options and flexibility, you may wish to consider purchasing a more advanced software program (i.e. Photoshop Elements).
  Rotating your images
Some cameras will automatically rotate the image so it is facing the right way. Basic editing software will allow you to rotate the image clockwise or counter-clockwise.
  Cropping your images
Cropping an image allows you to digitally cut excess areas of the picture off – for example, if there is too much sky in your photo and you want to zoom in on your subjects instead, you can crop the excess sky out of the picture. Keep in mind that the more you crop an image the worse the resolution of that image gets.
  Red-eye reduction
The red-eye reduction feature allows you to reduce the appearance of red-eye in
your photos, which is caused when the flash reflects off the back of the eye. Many cameras have a red-eye reduction flash feature that sets off small quick-flashes before the picture is taken; this delay can sometimes distract your subjects. Software can also make red-eye less visible by overlaying a darker color over the red area.
Allan
Community Connector
Best Buy® Corporate
Allan|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Answer 1

For relatively advanced editing software, some people might find GIMP (http://www.gimp.org/) useful.
It's free and open source, I use it for nearly all of my editing/postprocessing work.
For those that want to work with RAW images from cameras that support RAW, UFRaw is a great companion to GIMP.
*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.