If you’re like me, part of the fun of photography is in sharing the results. There’s something about showing someone else my images that makes them and my experiences more real. I guess that’s why I’m drawn to tips and tools on the subject.

From Mike Rodriguez’s demonstration of Photoshop Elements’ built-in features in Sharing Your Images with Others, to the various tools that make sharing possible, I’m a fan!

Still, when it comes to slideshow tools, I do have my favorites. Tools that allow me to customize the look and feel of my slideshows rate much higher than tools that don’t. Likewise, I prefer tools that let me share where I want, like my own websites or blog. Finally, since I do photograph family events on occasion (like engagements and weddings), I like tools that with a professional feature set (such as royalty free music, zoom and transition control, a way to purchase prints, etc.), but are not overly costly.

So, in addition to the options Mike mentioned, here are some of my favorite slideshow tools:

• Flickr Slideshow (basic features for free with free Flickr membership)
• Pictobrowser (basic features for free with Flickr and Picassa memberships)
• Zenfolio (professional feature set and store option)
• ShowIt SlideShow (professional feature set — example, below)

And now, for a little slideshow from my tour of the Southwest this summer…

For more on sharing, please check out our Printing, Slideshows and Web Topic page.