|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| More Help |
 |
| |
|
|
| A Special Event
or Group |
| Uses: |
 |
Family
reunion |
|
Wedding |
|
Party |
|
School |
|
Sports
team |
|
Other
Organization |
|
Any Event |
|
|
|
|
|
| Look for: |
1. Batch
Uploading: With a drag and drop or batch application,
you can upload large sets of photos at one time.
2. Personal URLs: This is a web address that
members of the group or event can visit to view photos, order
their own prints and products, leave comments. Some sites, like Zoto, even
allow others with an account to add their own photos to the
album.
3. Image Hosting: If the organization has a
blog or if members use social networks like Myspace, image hosting
is a useful feature for adding photos. You need a site that
provides an HTML code for the photo and provides enough bandwidth.
Image hosting is also necessary for auction sites.
4. Storage: The amount of storage depends on
the number of pictures you have and expect to have in the future.
Some sites offer unlimited storage for free, like Shutterfly
and Kodak
Gallery, but have limited services in other areas. Dotphoto
is a comprehensive site that offers free unlimited storage,
a personal URL, image hosting and nice products.
5. Print Quality: Photo sites should specify
that their prints are on archive-quality paper. Excellent prints
on Kodak or Fuji paper can be ordered from Photomax,
Snapfish
and Shutterfly,
in addition to
Kodak Gallery and Fujifilm.net.
6. Photo Editing: Some photo sites, such as
Photomax,
offer professional retouching. Other sites provide you with
the free desktop application to edit photos yourself. A mix
of both is the most valuable.
7. Film Development: For events such as weddings
and group outings, it has become popular to distribute disposable
cameras to guests to capture their own moments throughout the
night. At the end of the event, the disposable cameras can be
collected for development. Many photo sites offer developing
services for 35mm film. The company can automatically add the
photos from the disposable cameras or film to the online account.
This way, all guests of the event can purchase their own prints,
photo products and even CDs with the collection.
8. Easy Sharing: Guests who set up their own
accounts can often view and share with other members easily.
If distributing disposable cameras is not an option, guests
can set up their own accounts and link to each others albums,
such as with Imageevent.
|
|
|
| Professional
Photo Communities |
| Uses: |
|
Avid
Enthusiasts |
|
Web surfers |
|
Professionals |
|
Aspiring
Artists |
|
|
Photo
enthusiasts and professionals can benefit from sites
with a community of people with similar a passion.
Check out the features below before committing your
art to one site. |
|
| Look for: |
1. Valuable Feedback: Sites with serious
photographers generally have useful forums where
pros and amateurs can converse. In addition
to these features, Photo.net
and
Smugmug have professionals around to critique
and rate the photos.
2. Nice Presentation:
Although you do not want the page design to outweigh
the photos, having a nice package never hurt.
Smugmug
and Phanfare
allow great customization of albums.
3. Public Galleries:
Galleries can be organized in two basic arrangements:
designated or free tagging. Designated
tagging allows users to post photos to public
galleries using their own tags, like Flickr
and Smugmug.
This makes broader search spectrums and more
varied response. For browsing, the larger
variety can be a benefit. Designated
tagging provides categories into which users
can submit their photos. This makes
for much more organized browsing, but not
as interesting a response. It all depends
on your preference.
4. Privacy:
Most people value their memories and their
art and do not want the general public. Sites
offer various protection, such as right-click
copying disables and password protection.
Some sites allow high resolution downloading
of your photos for a price and some allow
you to block this feature.
5. Professional Services:
If you intend to make money from your work,
there are valuable business services available.
Custom price setting, global exposure, links
to your own website, watermarking, album statistics
and security settings are all features that
can help pros profit.
|
| See
our Best Sites for Pro Use. |
|
|
| Social
Communities |
| Uses: |
|
Meeting people |
|
Communicating
with friends |
|
Sharing
photos |
|
Researching
Past Events |
|
|
| Look
for: |
1.
Similar features as what we have suggested
for Professional Communities, such
as privacy, galleries and presentation.
2. Commenting: The
ability for both old and new friends
to comment on you blog or albums is
a fun way to stay in touch. Mark your
personal media public or private,
depending on the content.
3. Browse and Search Functions:
Social networks like Fotki
and Faces
are similar to the widely popularized
Myspace, but have room for storing
photos. These sites allow you to create
profiles with a profile picture, personal
details, blogs and public or private
photo albums. Then, search and browse
through all members’ profiles
to find people with similar interests.
|
| Backing
Up Large Amounts of Photos |
| Uses: |
|
Primary
or Secondary
Backup Method |
|
Archiving |
|
Sharing
Large Batches |
|
|
| Look
for: |
1. FTP
or batch uploader:
These options
allow the
upload of
many photos
at once.
2. Camera
Interface:
A rare few
photo sites
offer downloadable
desktop applications
that interface
directly with
your camera,
like Phanfare.
This provides
a fast way
to synch your
camera with
your online
storage to
be sure you
do not miss
uploading
any photos.
Photomax’s
Digital Developer
is a device
in which you
place your
memory card
and photos
are uploaded
to the desktop
application
and your online
account.
3. Organization:
Creating albums,
sub-albums,
picture captions
and titles
makes finding
photos easier.
Good thumbnail
display also
helps. Many
sites provide
tag searching,
which allows
you to search
within your
own albums
for keywords.
4. Permanent
Storage:
Most sites
will save
your photos
on their server
as long as
you have an
active, paid
membership.
Most free
sites require
that you make
one purchase
per year.
Winkflash
is one site
that will
“NEVER”
delete your
photos, even
if you do
not make a
purchase.
Most sites,
like Snapfish,
will notify
you if your
photos are
going to be
deleted, it
is always
important
to keep the
account active
just incase
and always
have a secondary
backup method,
such as on
a hard drive,
CDs or DVDs.
5. Archive
DVDs:
DVDs have
more memory
than CDs and
can often
be viewed
in newer DVD
players on
your TV screen.
If you do
not have an
external hard
drive to backup
your personal
media files,
make sure
you can either
burn your
own CDs or
DVDs or choose
a photo site
that will
do this for
you. Sites
like Snapfish
and Dotphoto
have modules
for creating
movies with
your photos,
including
captions,
music and
various effects.
For the price
of a normal
DVD movie,
around $20,
you can purchase
the movie
on DVD.
6. Sharing
Albums:
Most photo
sites allow
sharing entire
albums, but
if you are
backing up
hundreds of
photos from
a group event,
you may want
a site that
provides a
personal URL
for displaying
albums instead
of just email
invites. That
way you do
not have to
send the link
to everyone’s
email address,
you can just
tell them
the simple
website, such
as “jane. smugmug.com”
and even add
a password
that prevents
public access,
like “April
5,”
the date of
the event.
|
| Prints |
| Uses: |
|
High
quality
prints
at low
prices |
|
Multiple
prints
to share |
|
Albums
and scrapbooks |
|
Good
prices |
|
| Look
for: |
1. Archive
Quality
Paper:
Ink
and
paper
should
be able
to stand
the
test
of time.
Photos
should
be printed
on acid
free,
brand
name
paper
to ensure
the
highest
quality
and
durability.
Most
sites
will
use
Fuji
Crystal
Archive
or Kodak
photo
paper.
If the
site
does
not
specify,
you
may
want
to ask.
2. Color
Enhancement:
Many
sites
give
the
option
of automatically
enhancing
the
saturation
and
brightness
of printed
photos.
An example
is Kodak
Perfect
Touch
processing
and
Shutterfly’s
VividPrint.
This
is an
excellent
benefit
for
personal
photos,
but
professionals
and
enthusiasts
should
be sure
that
any
image
effects
and
techniques
are
not
being
affected.
3. Print
Enhancements:
Borders,
captions
and
different
editing
tools
can
enhance
albums
or scrapbooks.
4. Pickup
Locations:
Some
sites
allow
you
to pickup
your
prints
at a
retail
location.
This
saves
money
on shipping,
but
there
is usually
a nominal
fee
associated.
Ritz
Camera’s
site
has
one
hour
processing
and
pickup,
but
at twice
the
price.
5. Shipping
Costs:
The
actual
location
of the
print
processing
matters
when
shipping.
If you
are
in the
US,
make
sure
the
prints
are
being
shipped
from
a domestic
location
or shipping
costs
will
be high.
Pixagogo,
for
example,
ships
prints
from
outside
the
US.
Shipping
for
five
4x6
prints
was
$8.00
compared
to $1.75
from
Shutterfly.
6. Bulk
Rates:
If
you
anticipate
purchasing
a large
amount
of prints,
look
for
sites
that
offer
prepaid
print
packages
for
cheaper
prices.
7. No
Cropping
Option:
Because
the
size
of digital
photos
align
with
computer
monitors
and
not
traditional
print
sizes,
cropping
is necessary
to fit
them
into
standard
prints,
like
4x6
or 8x10.
Some
sites
allow
a no
cropping
option
where
your
photos
are
printed
on larger
paper
so the
digital
image
does
not
have
to be
cropped.
This
is sometimes
called
“Print
with
White
Border”
or “4
x D”
and
“8
x D”
or just
“Print
without
Cropping.”
Smugmug
allows
you
to choose
exactly
where
the
cropping
will
be.
8. Photo
Books:
Rather
than
printing
photos
and
arranging
them
in a
traditional
album,
have
the
album
created
for
you.
Everything
from
mini,
portable
brag
books
to spiral
bound
albums
with
fun
borders
and
captions
to beautiful
keepsake
albums
with
hard
leather,
fabric
and
suede
peek-through
covers
and
book
binding
are
available
online.
9. Reverse
Side
Printing:
A few
sites
have
reverse-side
printing
where
text
such
as the
date
or location
is added
to the
back
of prints
for
easier
organization.
10. Home
Printing:
Printing
photos
on your
home
printer
is always
an option.
The
desktop
applications
from
sites
like
Phanfare,
Dotphoto
and
Kodak
Gallery
interface
smoothly
with
printers
and
provide
layout
instructions
and
templates.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
