Adobe Lightroom 2, (compare prices) (review), compatible with both Mac and PC platforms, this program allows you to post-process your RAW and JPEG digital images. It also functions as a cataloguing software, and includes tools for flexible sorting, selecting and organizing. With this software, you can quickly enhance specific areas of a photo or adjust overall color, exposure, white balance while always allowing for the user to return to the original image, even months after editing--every change made to an image is automatically tracked. This program is designed to be compatible with Photoshop. Lightrooom is the top Photo.net choice for an all-in-one software.

Bibble Pro 4.9, (compare prices), compatible with both PC and Mac platforms, this processing program can handle RAW images at the fastest rate available. You can convert 300 16MB RAW files to JPEGs in less than 60 minutes. Bibble Pro also allows for image adjustments such as White Balance, Exposure, Sharpening, Fill Light, and Highlight Recovery. It also includes the noise reduction software Noise Ninja as a bonus. Comparable to Lightroom and Aperture.

Aperture 2.0, (compare prices), for Mac system owners, Aperture 2 allows for quick, efficient and professional RAW processing. This program has a simplified user interface allowing you to toggle between Aperture and PhotoShop CS3/CS2 or other versions. It also offers a .Mac Web Gallery support for publishing photos online, allowing visitors to view and download images. Within minutes, your grad can upload images, post-process, and publish a web gallery or prepare images for print.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 7, (compare prices), is perfect for the just-getting-started photographer in the world of digital. This software pares down the full pro Photoshop to just the basics. It's simple to use and navigate with easy-to-use editing tools. You can share your photos with personalized creations for print and web, and via invitation-only Online Albums. The program comes with a Photoshop.com membership. Do more with your photos in less time.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 [Mac], (compare prices), or Adobe Photoshop CS4 [PC], (compare prices), this is the tool for any image editing, from simple color enhancements to artistic adjustments. This latest version of Photoshop allows for even more extensive image editing, and includes tools useful for video editors, designers, and more. If your giftee already has an earlier version of Photoshop, buy them the upgrade to CS4. They'll thank you profusely!

Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0, (compare prices) (review), filters designed to work as a plug-in for Photoshop. Color Efex Pro offers both traditional and stylizing filters for quick and easy image enhancements and transformations. The changes to the images can be applied without using masks, layers, or selections. Help your giftee get creative with their images with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Nik Viveza 4100, (compare prices), with this tool, you can selectively modify color, light, and tonality in photographs. This program eliminates the need for complicated selections or layer masks via U-point powered Control Points. For great image enhancing in a fraction of the time required by other tools, use Viveza.

Genuine Fractals 5, (compare prices), completely and entirely useful for increasing image size up to 1000% without loss of sharpness or image quality. This software enables poster size and even bilboard size prints, depending on the resolution of the camera used. Also included in the software is a high-quality sharpening tool for sharpening after up-rezzing an image. Give it a try, it's well worth every penny!

Noise Ninja Pro v2.1, (compare prices), intended for removing noise and grain from digital photos and scanned film images. This program is extremely useful for improving image quality, especially those taken with available light in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. Your giftee will be able to batch process all their images in one go for 2-stop improvements on effective image quality.

Corel Painter X, (compare prices), a tool that allows photographers and artists to create images simulating the effects of natural media, such as charcoal sticks, oil paint, or watercolors. This program is also an image-editing tool, with adjustment and editing features similar to Photoshop. If your giftee is a wedding or portrait photographer, give them an additional edge for unique and custom creative image editing.

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate, (compare prices), an easy-to-use professional tool for fixing brightness, color and photo imperfections such as red eye and sharpness. Use this program to add special effects to photos, text and projects. Also includes features such as HDR photo merge, histogram, curves, and levels adjustment tool. Not only are you gifting creative imaging with a bonus of Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4, this program also includes a 2GB USB flash drive.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Pro, (compare prices), want to create slide shows with your photographs? This program is highly useful for the professional wedding and studio photographer. They can create slideshows in minutes for client demonstration, and drop in custom created soundtracks to accompany the images for added effect. Also, with the new Nikon D90 and Canon 5D Mark II, which have video capabilities, this program is highly useful for editing high-definition movies.

Adobe Acrobat Professional 9, (compare prices), great for many applications, but the most important one for photographers is the ability to email their portfolio in a concise professional manner. This program allows for delivery of the widest range of content, ranging from documents to spreadsheets, images, video, etc, in a single compressed and organized PDF portfolio.

X-Rite Eye-One Display 2, (compare prices), for the most accurate monitor profiles possible. This colorimeter precisely measures the response of your monitor, be it CRT or LCD, to create its "profile." This fingerprint allows you to easily conform the monitor's behavior with a known standard. Don't settle for a one-size-fits-all solution by using canned profiles; each monitor is unique and requires its own profile. Make your pictures look the way they were intended to be seen!

Spyder3 Pro, (compare prices), geared for serious photographers requiring a high degree of color accuracy, the Spyder3 Pro allows for calibrating a system to deliver accurate, reliable and consistent color. This works with all monitors (LCD, CRT and notebook displays) and can also measure ambient light within a room for precise calibration.

Total Training Adobe Online Course, gift the aspiring photographer on your list with a year's worth of unlimited online Adobe training. They will have access to industry pros for instructors to learn everything Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc. The classroom is available 24/7. Each course has downloadable project files to allow the student to work along side by side with the presenter.

Lynda.com Adobe Online Training, with the online training library from Lynda.com, learn the latest tools and techniques in digital media, design, and development. You can gift a month of learning or a year, with unlimited 24/7 access to high-quality training courses on everything Adobe related.

Kelby Training Adobe Online Course, a highly respected and known figure in the world of Adobe digital media, Scott Kelby and a team of professional instructors train you on everything from lighting courses to photography business to Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom training. Gift your loved one a year of unlimited access to a broad range of courses to improve their overall photography skills and knowledge.