Tips for uploading photos

[CDNSushi]

I didn't know where to stick this, so I'll leave it to the mods to move this thread if needed. Or whatever.

Anyway, I like to see photos on this site... Makes my day brighter. But I understand that not everyone is a techno-guru and sometimes even posting a couple photos can be a chore. So I just wanted to share a couple of really cool resources with the rabble, for those who may find use in them. There are tons and tons of options here, ranging from online tools galore, to programs you can download as freeware, to the ones you buy for a lot of money. But seriously, there is no need to drop hundreds of $$$ for Adobe Photoshop to do many basic (and even some more advanced) tasks.

1. Image resizing. The raw file that comes from a digital camera is rarely suited for uploading to the web as-is. Chances are, it's way too big. There are many ways to cut it down to size so that it's viewable by everyone, including people who might be using really slow Internet connections. Because not everyone has 100MBit FTTH (fiber to the home)... (But they should! )

http://webresizer.com/resizer/

This website will resize your photos to something that's not only upload-friendly, but will also look just as good without losing any quality.

2. Hosting. Again, there are zillions of options here. Personally, I use Imageshack. The reason is, that I can not only host my own photos quickly, reliably and easily (and free), but I can also re-host pictures that are up on the web. Legalities aside, re-hosting is useful when a photo is currently on a website that doesn't allow "hotlinking." Another HUGE advantage with Imageshack is that it gives you the "vBulletin" forum code all ready and prepared, so all you have to do is just <c>opy and <p>aste the code directly into your forum message without worrying about HTML tags, VB tags, etc, etc... No matter what you use, I recommend staying away from certain sites (like Photobucket) because 1) they have bandwidth caps -- meaning that there's a chance many won't get to see your photos once the bandwidth is exceeded, and 2) they rely on technology to display the photos that is NOT universal... Meaning, that depending on the type of computer and browser you are using, you won't see any photos at all... Just white space.

http://imageshack.us

3. Online editing. Photoshop kinda stuff. Adding, cropping, subtracting, removing redeye, adjusting exposure, you name it. Most have some basic package on their computer already (on my Mac I usually use iPhoto -- it's surprisingly powerful for what it is). But in case you don't have anything, or find yourself on a computer where using such a program is not an option, there are TONS of online photo editors out there, that do a pretty good job. Here are a couple of simple ones I've had some luck with.

http://pixenate.com/
http://www.pixlr.com/
http://fotoflexer.com/

[Mael Coluim]

Thanks for the excellent tips and links!