First, let's go over what a few of the tools do. Cropping can fill the screen with a subject or cut away unwanted scenery. Frames will allow you to add fun and fancy borders to an image. Color correction can aid you in fixing bad color or changing the color in a photo. You can use touch-up or retouch tools are for erasing unwanted facial lines, scenery or red-eye. Now that we've covered some of those basics, let's get on to some of the software.

Microsoft Digital Suite has a lot of punch for the money spent. There is a small learning curve with tasks guided by wizards. Projects of templates include albums, cards and calendars. This software is only basic, with no advance manipulation and the editing tools are less graceful than other software. A photo library and batch processing are also featured. Over 200 effects and creative tools offer the user fun and games.

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for Windows is a full-featured item that has a lot more to it than just a beginner's level. This software can grow as the user grows. With this package you have the ability to edit, retouch, paint, draw and work in layers. This could be confusing to the beginner, but this editing software does have guides and tutorials.

Corel Ulead PhotoImpact C3 is a little less confusing than PaintShop. Guides make this editing software very easy to follow as the user works with web graphics, adds special effects to photos, and works in 3D. Watch out for incompatible plug-ins. PhotoImpact does allow for one-touch resizing and more.

Photoshop Elements is a skimmed down version of Adobe's Photoshop available as their creative suite. Long held as the number one editing software, Photoshop Elements works simply, yet expertly. Beginners can enjoy many plusses with this software allowing you to organize, edit and share digital photos. Create slide shows, videos, emails and special projects with the tools in Photoshop Elements.

Picasa is freeware for beginning editing. You can organize and share as well, with one touch simple fix editing tools.

ImageForce is another freeware program that allows the beginners to edit by adding effects or retouching. Photo albums and slide shows can be created, as well.

Jasc PaintShop Pro has a full range of features and functions that allow artistic additions, touchup, and is much like the full version of Photoshop. Easy to use, it's not cumbersome to the beginner.

To choose the correct photo editing software for the beginners, just have in mind what the bottom line may be. If you only want something to crop pictures, and maybe add a frame to it, then Ulead and Picasa can be good choices. If more effects interest you, but you want to keep it simple, then Microsoft Digital Suite and ImageForce would be the pick. For the beginner that want simple to start, but the software to grow as you do, then you may want to purchase Photoshop Elements or Jasc PaintShop. Bountiful are the options when it comes to photo editing software!