Walter,
Let me be definite on the need to master Adobe Photoshop if you want decent digital images. I got Photoshop Elements 4 with my Leica digital point and shoot (10 megapixel) camera and could not figure out how to use the software by just doing it, so I bought some books: the best is Scott Kelby, "The Photoshop Elements 4 Book," likely available from Amazon.com. But it's big and detailed and lets you know how to work in the two digital formats, JPEG and RAW (you want the ability to record images in RAW for maximum quality). A smaller book that does the job well is Nolan Hester, "Retouching Photos in Photoshop Elements 4."
Essentially the Photoshop software enables you to either "Quickfix" or do the more complicated "Standard Edit." For your question, what you want to do is both "Reduce Highlights" and "Enhance Midtone Contrast" that is doable in Quickfix in less time than it's taken to type this!
Regards, Tim
