Should operating programs like my photo editing programs be loaded to SSD's with images that will be edited on another HD or External Hard drives?

Work in the SSD, when finished move to the HD/backup stuff.

I agree with the above responses. Utilize SSD for the OS and programs as it runs faster (in RAID for even quicker results when set up for it). Store photos on the HDD as storage space is cheaper.

NEVER PUT THE PICTURES ON SSD .... SSD have a WRITTING limitation and will die ONE DAY FASTER than SSD ...

SSD is good for systeme .. but all temporary files Movement must be on normal HD ...   in any case when you OPEN FILES it's not your hard drive who is important but files is open in MEMORY of your system..and temporary writting on a disque but if you have many Memory everythink is one the memory and not in the hard drive.  Hard drive is a stock of information to charge in memory when we need need it ... you have Memory in system and Memory in graphic card...

but a SSD have a LOW LIFE .. more you WRITE and ERASE .. less your SSD will WORK.

When you transfer files from your SD or CF card, save them to a mechanical HD or external HD or burn them on an optical disc.

If you are working in Photoshop, you can then open those files from the HD or Ext HD, or CD/DVD. 

When you save the edited images you'll need to save them to the HD or External HD. No matter which drive you open the images from, Photoshop gives you the "Save As" option and there you can select which drive you want to save them on.

You should practice "non-destructive"editing. Always save the edited file with a different file name than the original. That way the original file remains pristine in the event you wish to re-edit it in the future.  If you wish to save the edited files to CD or DVD, you'll have to save them in a folder on the HD and then burn the folder to an optical disc.

SSD for everything, if you can. Unclear on any issues that may affect long term storage, in practical terms if the drive remains in a powered or unpowered state and temperatures are at normal levels, it'll perform just as well as a standard HDD there as well.

While certain drives have a longer lifespan than others, both SSD and HDD, the study data I've seen suggests SSDs will last a lot longer, even under heavy usage cycles, than most people will keep or rely on a drive for.

SSDs aren't practical for data storage for most yet, but in a few years I imagine we'll be singing a different tune.

My applications/OS are on one SSD, some other apps and the lightroom catalog are on a second SSD, and the photos themselves are on a high performance HDD that is backed up nightly to another lower performance HDD (that is then backed up via other means beyond my PC).  I wouldn't mind replacing that main HDD with an SSD some day.