Are you doing a soft proof before you print? The soft proof often looks quite different on the monitor than the final monitor version.

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This is the two programs I use. Their both good programs.

Here is another. If you have CS5 it's a free plugin.
http://www.imagenomic.com/pt.aspx[/quote]

How can it be free? The Portraiture web page lists it at $199.

Very likely it has to do with the fact that your friend is judging the print adjustment from the monitor which is brighter. It's an adjustment issue.

The Epson 3880 (the 3000 model is no longer made) is the printer of choice for those who want ultimate quality. It is true that printing is expensive and involves much learning, but it is an interesting addition to the hobby of photography.

My last vacation was a small group tour of Vietnam and part of Thailand. I carried both my cameras with a CameraSlingers strap, one camera on each hip.
Nikon D700 with 17-35 2.8 lens
Nikon D300 with 70-200 2.8 lens

In my pockets were extra memory cards and spare batteries. On the airplane I carried my equipment in a ThinkTank Airport Ultralight backpack loaded with chargers, SB900 flash, Canon S3iS backup camera, GPS device, 2 Pro Camera rain covers, polarizer, foreign plug adapters, etc.

On my next trip (to Berlin and Prague) I may experiment with buying a Nikon 24-120 f4 lens, putting it on the D700 and just taking that with the Canon as backup. This is just to avoid being robbed. However, when I go to Burma next year, I will use the two camera outfit. My main interest is in candid street photography and, yes, I am one of those bad people photographers who typically stand off at a distance and sneak my shots with a long lens. My bad.

You need to spend a lot of time searching the internet. There is a ton of free information out there, but no one is going to hand it to you on a plate.

The B&W needs more contrast and the sky needs darkening. The color has a nice warm light, but the fence post on the right which is in the B&W has been cropped out and should have been left in to frame the shot better.

The Nik software suite will save you a lot of learning on Photoshop, especially when it comes to making selections because Nik has what they call U-point. It is a plugin for Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom and Aperture.

I'm not a pro, but I just attended a presentation by a pro(Tony Sweet) who regards the original photo as simply raw material for post processing. Not only does he use Photoshop but he also uses Nik, Topaz, Lucis Pro, Alien Skin, and Photomatix. His work is pretty impressive.

Try Hoodman's HoodLoupe.
http://www.hoodmanusa.com/products.asp?dept=1017

Many people, pros included, find that Adobe Lightroom will do 90% of the processing required. It is also valuable for organizing and subsequently finding your photos. It's a lot easier to learn than Photoshop which is a real bear to use.

Yes, all of my stuff is insured. The rates if you are not a professional are not exorbitant.

I carry two cameras on Camera Slingers, a Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35 f2.8 and a Nikon D300 with Nikon 70-200 f2.8. Both lenses have clear filters on them. I also carry a circular polarizing filter and a Hoodman LCD viewer. Each camera has a Really Right Stuff L bracket permanently attached.

I have a lot of other equipment which I take when necessary such as an Induro carbon fiber tripod with a Really Right Stuff ball head, a Manfrotto monopod, a Nikon SB900 flash, a Really Right Stuff wedding flash bracket, a Nikon 18-200 f3.5-5.6 lens, a Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3, a variety of Think Tank bags, a couple of UPstraps, cleaning equipment, very small Qstarz GPS, etc.

I only wish my photography was as good as my equipment. :)

Would that Hoodman right angle viewer work for candid street photography? (You'd be looking down at the camera rather than directly at the subject.)

scancafe.com I have used their services and they are very good. Their prices are much lower than others.