iPhoto '06 has been acknowledged by reviewers as a much improved version of its predecessor. It now not only supports a large volume of photos (up to 250,000 images) and facilitates easy searching, it's also faster, simpler and cooler.

For those who want some tech specs, iPhoto supports RAW which is the preferred format in Digital SLR.

Additionally iPhoto has built-in support from a wide variety of leading camera manufacturers and allows users to import not just JPEG and RAW images but also MPEG-4 video clips which are found in a large number of compact cameras.

In a nutshell, this version of iPhoto offers tools that are easy enough for any beginner but yet doesn't compromise on image quality. So you still get your professional finish without the need for the sophisticated process.

Full suite of eye-busting features

Apart from features such as organizing your photos and images into albums, books and calendars, what's new is Photocasting - a refreshing way to share photos online.

You can maintain a dynamic collection of photos on the Web, and allow access to friends and family who can view and also add whatever they want with your permission.

If that's not enough, you can also create an entire website to host your photos thanks to iWeb - one of the latest additions to iLife '06.

Add captions, sort, search and manipulate your photos in seconds.

With the ability to create calendars, cards and books, you can send postcards with a personalized touch to that special friend or loved one without the need to buy those mass produced ones at your local giftshop.

Apple-designed templates make it easy to create the layout you want, add captions and publish your professional-looking masterpieces.

Sort, view and edit

Getting started

The basic interface of iPhoto is pretty intuitive in itself. The Source list on the left side shows the categories of photos you have organised. You can make the Source List neater by creating Folders for your albums so you don't need to mull through an entire slew of albums should your collection expand.

The 'Library' contains every photo imported into iPhoto. It serves as a primary repository for everything in your iPhoto.

Photos can be sorted into books, calendars, albums and slideshows. The 'Last Roll' and 'Last 12 Months' icons show latest photos imported.

The function buttons at the bottom left corner give a variety of uses intended for the interface. To create and name a new album, click on the Plus symbol.

The 'i' symbol gives you details about an individual photo as you mouse-over. The calender symbol displays dates and months for you to locate your photos. The 'key' symbol helps you find photos by keywords.

Image editing tools are located at bottom of the screen.

A 'Size slider' at the bottom right corner and the vertical scroll bar allows for close-ups and quick scans of all the photos in the library respectively.

Let's start by importing the photos into iPhoto.

It's simple. Just connect your camera to the computer by USB and let iPhoto detect the device. Then 'Import' the desired images into your Library.

What about importing images from elsewhere in your hard drive to iPhoto? Simply access them using the iPhoto software, and then drag and drop them into the Source list.

A new album will be created for these images. Name it accordingly.

Editing Images

Source: Marrutt Software Training

All the tools needed for editing are located in the tool icons at the bottom of your screen. Right-click on the image to be edited and choose 'Edit'.

iPhoto has the basic functions of any image editor like Crop and Rotate. The 'Crop' function allows some default sizes for various usage. (Eg. DVD, Book, Postcard)

'Enhance' function fixes saturation and hue to attain darkness or brightness.

iPhoto enables editing in a slide-show format so once you are done with one image, an arrow key directs you to the next image in sequence for you to edit. You can also see the image sequence in a scroll strip above.

More advanced editing can be accessed when you click on the double-arrowhead icon to the right of the 'Red Eye' icon. Flirt with stuff like retouching blemishes, adding effects to your images, or adjusting saturations, brightness and hues.

You can also edit using external softwares like Photoshop by changing your image editing settings. Go to 'iPhoto' at the top of your menu bar and select 'Preferences'. Under 'General', browse for your preferred image editing software in the 'Edit photo' option box.

Right click on your image and select 'Edit in external editor'.

Editing in 'Full Screen mode' allows for convenient comparing of multiple images in one window.

Podcasting with photos

With Apple's .Mac online service account, you can share your iPhoto album over the Internet.

Imagine having an online shared album controlled by you, but accessible to your friends on their own computers. Their albums will be automatically updated as you update yours.

To start with Photocasting, simply select an album and then click on the Photocast button on the toolbar. You can select a size for your images (small, medium, large, or actual size) and even protect your pictures with a user name and password.

When you click on the Publish button, iPhoto will upload your images to your .Mac account.

iPhoto will also give you the option of alerting users via email of the Web address for them to access your Photocast.

You can share your Photocast by getting other users to choose iPhoto's Subscribe command and entering the address.

The Photocast will appear in their iPhoto library, just like an album, and subscribers will have free access to the photos, as well as see any live changes that you make on your Photocast.

PC-users are not left out of the loop. They can view your Photocast from any RSS reader. Simply supply them with the address.

Showtime with iPhoto

iPhoto also functions as more than just a mere photo album. It is also a video album, helping you sort and store your various videos.

Import and create albums for your clips the same way you import photos. (Drag and drop into the Source List and name your new folder.)

Source: Marrutt Software Training

Slideshows can be turned into movies using the Ken Burns effect - a feature that adds more drama and angles to your still photos, bringing them to life.

Select your desired photos for the show and click on the 'Slideshow' icon at the bottom of the screen.

A slideshow folder for these selected photos will be created and displayed in your source list for you to name accordingly.

The 'Transition' function lets you choose how you want your slides to appear. Various effects like 'dissolve', 'flip', 'mosaic' make for a professional presentation style.

The 'Preview' button lets you see how they will be displayed.

Now come drama and motion.

Tick the Ken Burns effect checkbox and then browse through each image. You can zoom in and out, left and right of an image and use the 'Start-End' toggle to determine at which point of the image display you want to focus on a particular spot in the photo.

By adding stuff like music from iTunes and your very own commentary, you create a story to go with your slideshow and hey viola - you've got your story-style slideshow made simply from photos.

iPhoto is even capable of keeping track of which song links to which album.

Images in iPhoto can be repurposed in iMovie, iDVD, Garageband, etc by simply using iLife Media Browser - a fantastic way to quickly access your photos and reuse them whenever you want to.

For basic tutorials in iPhoto '06 and all the other applications on the iLife '06 suite, visit here.