#19. What is the best free image editing software?
I am not an expert on this subject. That having been said, here are a few programs you might consider.
(This answer was researched and written on April 30, 2009. The following information was gleaned from CNET, About.com, and the publisher's sites. No software was tested.)
>> FastStone Image Viewer version 3.8 [CNET Editors: CNET Users: ½] a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments. Its innovative but intuitive full-screen mode provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touch the four edges of the screen. Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and more. It supports all major graphic formats. (This might be PC only.)
>> Gimp version 2.6.6 [CNET Editors: CNET Users: ] allows you to create and edit images and photos. It has the usual facilities such as a variety of paint tools, layers and channels, transformation tools, multiple undo, selection tools, animation support, numerous file formats and conversion between different file formats. Supported systems include Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Sun Solaris.
>> Helios Paint [CNET has not yet listed this program] may be used to create and edit images on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Unix. Features include a pencil for editing pixels, a variety of lines (curved, straight, freehand), a paint brush with resizable heads, a spray can with resizable nozzle and a global spray facility, shape tools (star, moon, heart, regular polygon, freehand), paint can with color bleed sensitivity, text entry, HSB/RGB/contrast/gamma adjustment, image filters (invert, grey, black and white, color, sharpen, blur, edge feathering, edge detection, oil painting effect, emboss), image color and transparency adjustment, zoom in and out, selection and moving tools (scissors, lasso, wand), undo and redo, printing with page auto-fit, etc.
>> Paint version 3.36 [CNET Editors: CNET Users: ] Lets you create and modify images. It supports layers with effects, has many drawing tools that can do gamma-blending and color gradient interpolation, has sub-pixel accuracy, the usual assortment of tools (magic wand, transformation, brushes, rectangles, ellipses, polygons, etc) and filters (drop shadow, blur, bevel, color corrections, etc), supports PhotoShop plugins as well as customizations using JavaScript, etc. (Windows only.)

#18. Polarizing Filters
Polarizing filters are the one filter, in my opinion, that cannot be simulated using software. They are the one type of filter that everyone who is serious about landscapes should own.
Polarizing filters reduce reflected glare off of all surfaces except metal. This has the effect of deepening the apparent color of things like grass, leaves, water, and even the sky. If it is a solid overcast day, then don't bother. You need at least some blue skies for the polarizing filter to do its job.
The amount of the effect depends on your angle to the sun and the rotation of the filter. That's why the filter is designed to turn in place. If the front element of your lens rotates as you zoom or focus, make sure you do these before you set the desired amount of polarization and then double check focus after.
To see the effect, look through the viewfinder and rotate the filter back and forth up to 90°. The best part is, you see the effect through your viewfinder as you rotate the filter.
Polarizing filters come in two types: circular and linear. All cameras that have auto focus and automatic exposure must use the circular type. Polarizing filters reduce the total amount of light that gets through to your sensor or film. But, by using automatic exposure, your camera will take that into account.
Even if your camera does not have a place to screw in a filter, you can hold one in front of your camera while you take the picture. With circular polarizers, if you hold it backwards you won't see any effect. When hand holding it, make sure you keep the back of the filter towards the camera.
Note: If you wear polarizing sunglasses and look through your viewfinder, things will be black. Take off the sunglasses when using your polarizing filter!

Downtown Long Beach, California

Bland non-polarizing version above.
Dramatic polarizing version below.

Notice how the sky is darker (bluer) and the water is darker because there is less sky reflecting off of it. Notice how the clouds are much more dramatic in this version. This version looks more like a post card. Both of these images were shot using a polarizer. The only difference being the rotation of the filter.

#17. Wild Flowers
If you can control the environment, I would ask for an overcast day. If you can't do that, try shooting in the first hour or last hour of daylight.
The wide shot: Try to shoot low to the ground and fill your frame with as many flowers as you can. Focal length: small (large number) to maximize your field of focus. Shutter speed: just fast enough to allow for a hand held shot.
The close up: Zoom in as tightly as you can on a single blossom. If you can, bring a water spritzer with you to moisten the petals. Focal length: large enough to make sure the blossom is in focus, but the background is out of focus. Shutter speed: make sure it is fast enough to allow for a hand held shot. If there are harsh shadows, use your body or ask your friend to shade the flower.

#16. Food
This tip is geared for advanced/professional photographers only.

Instead of giving general instructions on what to do, I'll tell you the recipe that made this image.

There was open daylight to the side and some lights were overhead. No strobes or fancy lighting was brought in.

I used a Canon EOS 5D set at ISO 400 with a Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens.

Three exposures were shot at:
1) 1/60 sec | f22
2) 1/15 sec | f22
3) 1/4 sec | f22

Each of these three shots was then converted from RAW to TIFF using DxO with their lighting option turned OFF.

Three TIFF's were combined in Adobe Photoshop CS2 to create an HDR image.

The 32 bit per channel HDR image was downsized to 8 bits per channel using Photoshop's Exposure & Gamma option. The exposure and gamma were adjusted to suit.

#15. Composition ― The Rule of Thirds
There are books written about composition. For this brief installment, I'll talk about the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds divides your image into nine equal parts. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid overlaying your image. The points where the four tic-tac-toe grids intersect are where one's eyes tend to gravitate. The most important parts of your picture should fall on one of these locations.

'Cory' (Image Number 1637-522bw from August 2008) Notice how this example places two significant eye-catching Cory elements on two of these points.

'Steve' (Image Number pv-c-03 from around 1990) This example places Steve's face at one of these points.

Both of these images were re-cropped to better exemplify the rule of thirds. I think these new croppings are better than the originals. The original for-the-web croppings can be viewed at Cory & Steve.

Remember that all rules in photography can be broken, given the appropriate reasons. So don't try to follow it if you think your image looks better framed differently.

#14. How does Drew make prints?
I primarily use one of two professional labs depending on what is needed. The labs are Fromex and MPix. Both do great work and will re-print anything that isn't to my satisfaction.

#13. How do I shoot pictures of my black Labrador?
To keep a black animal from appearing like a black blob in your pictures, turn on your flash and set your exposure compensation to plus 1 or 1½.

#12. Portraits
When shooting portraits you want the person to be the center of attention. (But not necessarily the actual center of the image.) To do this, you want the background to be blurred and indistinguishable. To put the background out of focus, use a large aperture (small f-number.)
To put your subject at ease, shoot in his/her environment doing something that he/she normally does.
Self-Portraits
For self-portraits you have several options depending on your equipment:
>> Self timer & wireless shutter release
If you don't have a tripod, place your camera on a table or counter and use coins to point it up or down the necessary amount. Shoot a few test pictures to get the framing right, then shoot lots of shots and throw out the bad ones later.
>> Mirror shot
Make sure the mirror is clean. Turn on all the room lights. Turn off the flash on the camera. Use a high ISO and a large aperture (small f-number.) Make sure you are steady because you are going to be using a slow shutter speed. All of this avoids the flash showing up in the mirror and blinding the image. Be sure to flip the image left to right when you are done. This will make sure you are presented the way others see you (not the mirror version that you are used to.)

#11. How do I keep my pictures of snow from looking dirty?
To keep your snow from looking gray or dark, use exposure compensation of between +1 to +2.5. Or, lock your exposure on something that is medium toned like a face, clothing, or dry pavement.

#10. How do I take better pictures with my cell phone camera?
1. Shoot with the sun (or other main lighting) behind you. (The only time you would want to shoot into the sun would be to get a silhouette.)
2. To prevent lens flare on those occasions when you must shoot into the sun, shade the lens with your hand. Be careful that your hand does not show up in the picture.
3. Cell phone cameras have wide angle lenses, so get as close to your subject as you can.
4. In darker situations, steady yourself by bracing against a solid object (like a wall.) Use two hands.
5. Take the best quality image your phone allows. Use the highest resolution you can.
6. Do black & white conversion and other effects later in your computer.
7. Delete images later. Wait until you view your pictures on your computer till you decide which ones are keepers.
8. Digital zoom gets you nothing that you can't get later on your computer. Don't bother using it in the field. You can crop later, which will accomplish the same thing as digital zoom.
9. Don't be afraid to try new and strange things; experiment. Throw out the bad shots later.
10. Keep your lens clean. Spray glass cleaner on a soft cloth and then wipe.
11. Be considerate. Don't take pictures in a place in which most people would consider it to be a violation of privacy.
12. If you are shooting from a car, open the window. If you can't open the window, hold the camera as close to the glass as you can.
13. Learn how long it takes from the time you push the button until the picture is taken. Anticipate. Shoot before the moment to allow for that delay.

#9. What settings should I use for landscapes?
Use a large F-stop value (f8 to f16) which will give you a small aperture. This will give you a large apparent range of focus. Make sure the shutter speed is fast enough not to introduce blur to the image. Focus at a point about two-thirds of the distance into the frame.

#8.  Holiday Lights -- indoor and outdoor
1. Turn off your flash
2. Steady yourself by bracing against a wall or the car
3. Use a slow shutter speed (1/30 of a second is good if you are very steady, otherwise 1/60 of a second.) After you shoot a test shot, view it and zoom in all the way to check to see how steady you were.
4. Try using the exposure compensation button to lighten the picture (+/- button to plus 1 or 2)
5. Indoors: try both with other room lights on and off
6. Outdoors: around sunset works well
7. Outdoors: take advantage of wet reflecting streets

#7. Shooting Sports
I hope you are shooting outdoors in the daylight. Only the most expensive cameras and lenses can do a good job of shooting sports under the lights.
1. Position yourself so the sun is at your back. That will minimize the glare from the sun and the shadows on the players.
2. Use the largest aperture available to you. That would be the smallest aperture number. (An aperture of ¦5.6 is larger than an aperture of ¦8.0.) The large aperture setting will help you gather the most amount of light and it will also help throw the background out of focus so your subject will pop off the print.
3. Use an ISO setting that will allow your shutter speed to be relatively fast. e.g. 1/300 to 1/600 seconds or faster.

#6. Indoor Holiday Family Photos
1. Turn up all of the room lights. If it is daytime, open the curtains.
2. Use the fastest ISO (largest number value) that you can use without introducing noise.
3. Make sure your flash is on.
4. Make sure you know how far your flash will reach for that ISO. Don't try to shoot people beyond the reach of your flash.
5. When shooting people at the table, try to move half of them to the other side standing behind the half that is seated. Remember that your flash power drops off dramatically with distance. (Flash power actually drops off according to the inverse square law.) So, you want to try to have all of your family within a very narrow distance range from the camera. The narrower the range the better. That way the flash will evenly reach everyone.

#5. Group/team pictures
How do you get everyone in sync especially when there are many people trying to take the same picture?
I'll answer this from the perspective of a parent in the chaos that ensues when several people are trying to take the same group picture at the same time. I suggest you talk to the other photographers and figure out which two or three people might be able to do the best job. Let each photographer step up one at time to take three shots. As each photographer steps up, s/he should hold up his/her hand and request everyone look at him/her. Each photographer can then email his/her best shot to everyone.

#4. Record Keeping
Here are the steps that I go through for each photo shoot: 
1. Record the shoot. (You can use a plain text document or a spreadsheet.) Record:
     a. Shoot number (a unique sequential number)
     b. Date first image was shot
     c. Date the last image was shot (for me, often the same as the first)
     d. Description (who, what, where)
If you wanted to start right now, I would suggest starting today with a Shoot Number of 500. And as you have time, go back and assign Shoot numbers to older shoots using 499, 498, etc. More elaborate information, if needed can be saved in a text file in the shoot's folder.
2. Copy all images from your camera over to a new folder in your My Pictures folder. You might even group them by year into a 2008 folder. (You've already set your camera's date and time, right?)
3. Rename the folder to be the Shoot number and a short version of the Description. e.g.: 1601 Oak Creek Canyon
4. Change the names of the image files. My camera assigns names like "IMG_0001." I use The Rename -- a free program -- to rename all image names to include the Shoot number. I have it replace "IMG_0" with "1634-". This way all images that I have ever shot have a unique number. (I never shoot more than 999 images at one time, so I don't need the leading zero. Sometimes, I even get rid of two leading zeros.)
5. Tell my camera to restart image numbering for the next shoot at 0001.
6. Archive all images to DVD or CD... twice! I create two backup copies. Label the disc with the Shoot number, a brief description, and the Date first image was shot. One copy stays in my home. The other goes to another location.
After recording your shoots, you will be able to easily search for names, places, etc. in which ever program you choose to use. {Control}{f} brings up the find dialog for many programs. It will make finding text very easy.
7. Delete from your hard drive all of the images that you don't ever want to look at again. (They are already backed up to CD or DVD.)

#3. How do I know if my sensor needs cleaning?
(This question & answer applies to digital cameras with interchangeable lenses.)
1. Switch to manual focus
2. Crank the focus to the closest focusing distance possible
3. Take two pictures of the daytime sky. (Clouds, if any, will be out of focus.)
4. Turn auto focus back on
5. Open the images in your image editing software. Both at the same time, if possible.
6. Zoom in and examine the results closely. If any blotches occur in the same places in both shots, then you need to consider having your sensor cleaned.
When needed, I recommend professional cleaning. But, there are kits that allow you to do it yourself.

# 2. Use your flash outside in the daytime!
When shooting people in the daytime, use your flash! It will fill in the shadows, balance their lighting with that of the background, and put a sparkle in their eyes. Your flash can be used in the shade, when it is completely overcast, and even in direct sunlight. Read your instruction manual to find out how. Also check to see how far your flash will reach. If it won't reach the subject, then make sure it is off – or, you could move closer. Also, make sure you bring extra batteries. Using your flash in the daytime eats up a lot of power.

In the following two examples you can see the difference that the flash makes in the shadows. No special processing was done to either image. Both images were shot in fully automatic mode.

Daylight image, no flash. Notice the shadows
in the eyes and under the chin.

Daylight image, with flash. Notice the transparent shadows
and the sparkle in the eyes. Automatic daylight flash in
today's cameras does not overwhelm like it once did.
 
Model: Gail