Hello Bob
Can we take this in slow motion? You have a photo. Where was the photo? For example, in an email? On a web page? Right clicking on the photo does indeed produce a drop down menu including "save to downloads folder". You then have to select this option by left clicking it.
Are we together on this so far? If you did this, then the photo would be copied to the Downloads Folder which normally resides in the Dock to the far right, close to the Trash. If not there, it can be found by going into Finder. Downloads is listed on the left.
Now, I don't quite understand the next bit. You say you tried to open the photo - that is, view it, presumably in the Downloads Folder? Yes? Normally, you'd do this by double clicking the file; or you could just highlight it and press the spacebar. Both methods use the app called Preview.
Where you've lost me is when you say that: "Up in the right top square of the screen were it says Download, it would show (today) instead of (image) and then it would go to full screen". Sounds like you were in the menu bar at the very top of the screen rather than in Downloads.
Can you help us here? Tell me which parts of the sequence I've guessed correctly and where you did something different from what I've suggested.
When you used Force Quit, I'm guessing again that you closed Text Edit.
Sorry for these tedious questions, Bob, but give us as much info as you can and we'll do our best to help.
Ian