Is python for me?

[lennart]

Hi,

I'm planning to learn a language for 'client' software. Until now, i
'speak' only some web based languages, like php. As a kid i programmed
in Basic (CP/M, good old days :'-) ) Now i want to start to learn a
(for me) new computer language.

I like Python. Its free, easy to learn and some favorite programs of my
are written in Python / can understand Python (like OpenOffice) etc.

But I'm not a full-time programmer. I know, that I've only time &
possibility to learn one (= 1) language good. So i ask myself is python
the language I'm looking for?

In the future, i want to write the following applications:
[*] A database driven program, which can handle my clients, tasks and
places (= 3 tables, has to work relative with each other). I think,
this isn't a problem for Python
[*] As a photographer i like to build a picture management system (also
db) with raw support. Raw is the raw-data from the sensor of the
camera. My questions:
- can python encode raw?
- can python head for a utility like dcraw?
- or head for a utility like IrfanView (delphi?) or something like
that? 

Tnx for your help!