Jon Sienkiewicz

We live in a world of color. Rendering a multicolored scene in monochrome, or as “black and white” (in quotes because that label is a misnomer), is a paradox. Back in the old film days, the difference between shooting color and shooting black and white was explained like this: amateurs begin with black and white, graduate to color, and when they really understand their art, go back to black and white. I subscribe to that theory, and that’s why my mission today is to warn you to never let your camera create monochrome images for you.

It all began back in 1990 with a shareware program called Paint Shop. Debuting the same year as Adobe PhotoShop 1.0, comparison to that legendary product has been inescapable. Paint Shop, known as PaintShop Pro X6 Ultimate in its current incarnation, has always been associated with three characteristics: extreme affordability, sufficient power for most photo enthusiasts, and Windows-only compatibility. PaintShop Pro has continued to evolve and improve, and today offers many significant enhancements, including the ability to run smoothly on Macs using a Windows emulation program.

Ever have a camera or gadget bag strap that wouldn't stay on your shoulder? Read about this tacky solution.

If you’re long on artistic ambition but short on psychomotor skills (i.e., hand-eye coordination) like I am, SnapArt 3 from Alien Skin may liberate the Rembrandt hidden in you.