Tech Tuesday Tip

Recently my wife wanted me to edit a couple of pictures so it would look like she was hunting buffalo.

For me it was an exercise in frustration because I don't have that type of software installed on any of our computers.

My brother in law ended up creating it, he does graphic imaging for a living.

Photoshop is the industry standard, but unless you are getting paid to use it, I would skip it and go with this suggestion from Kim Komando instead.

A free, easy alternative to pricey Photoshop

You can do amazing things with a good image editor. Take any photo you've shot. Make subtle changes to remove blemishes and improve the lighting. Or add impossible effects that are just plain cool. Almost anything is possible with the right tool. Photoshop is the best- known image editor. It has loads of features. And it can work wonders. But it will also dent your wallet.

Don't reach for that credit card just yet. Try GIMP. It's a free image-editing program. And it has an impressive set of tools. It can handle nearly any editing task.

Like Photoshop, GIMP is complex. It has a steep learning curve. In fact, it may be too much for a beginner. But if you've found other programs lacking, this is what you want.

Cost: Free

Link: www.gimp.org

System: Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X