Share your digital photos

Transfer, download and organize your digital memories

By Mara Gulens

Digital photography has changed my life. Boxes of unfiled photos? A thing of the past. I shoot as many pictures as I want — and have an increasing circle of friends view them.

A trip to Europe illustrates the point. We captured our travels with a digital camera and uploaded the pictures to the web soon thereafter. The fact that photos were posted almost in real time inspired a transatlantic discourse that made the effort all worth it. We had e-mail discussions about what was going on based on what folks back home were viewing.

But I’ll be the first to admit that organizing and sharing digital photos can be time consuming and frustrating. No wonder so many images taken never see the light of day. Fortunately, “manufacturers make that process easier . . . with card slots, user-friendly software and direct printing from a camera,” says Lori Abbott, a category business manager for digital imaging at a major consumer electronics manufacturer.

Here’s how to go from shoot to finish and make the most of your digital photographs.

Transferring images

It’s not only that memory cards hold a limited number of images; they’re also susceptible to loss and corruption, so photos need to be transferred to a computer or web page for safekeeping. Transfer time depends on the number of images and the resolution.

There are several ways to upload photos.

Cable: Connect the PC to the camera.
Camera dock: Place the camera on the dock.
Card slots: Place the camera’s memory card into your PC’s memory card slot.
Wireless transfer: Send images wirelessly to your computer or the web with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Archiving and organizing

Some digital cameras come with software that sorts images into folders. It works well if you get into the habit of uploading images right after you’ve shot them, says Abbott. Image-editing programs, such as Windows Live Photo Gallery, also have archiving options to quickly locate your images. Photos are most often automatically named according to the date they’re taken. To give a photo its own name once on your computer, right-click the image and select Rename.

Once you have all those images edited and sorted, it’s wise to make a backup, otherwise known as an archive. “PCs can get viruses and PCs can crash,” says Abbott. Another reason to archive: the more pictures you take, the fuller your hard drive. Since images can get corrupted when edited, make sure you retain untouched originals.

You can make copies of your images for safekeeping on CDs, DVDs, external hard drives or online photo sites. Many people find it prudent to make two backup copies. One is kept accessible, while the other is locked up in a place safe from theft, fire and other potential calamities.

CD/DVD: Discs can be one-time use or rewritable. Properly cared for, this type of backup is good for up to 100 years. Burn your images to discs and place them in a safe spot.
External hard drives: Images are good for about 15 years, but the drives can handle more images. Simply drag and drop the files you want.
Portable media (MP3 players): If you want to carry your favourite images around with you, load them onto one of these portable devices for on-the-fly slide shows.
Online photo sites: Sites such as Flickr, Shutterfly and SmugMug let you archive your photos and share them with friends. You do, however, have to pay if you go over the free limit, and if you decide to move to another site you’ll have to move your images with you. Windows Live SkyDrive is an online storage and sharing service that includes a folder for photos.

Sharing your photos with others

E-mail
The primary motivator for buying a digital camera is to share pictures. These cameras allow users to change the setting to take lower-resolution images intended for e-mail while they’re still in the camera so you won’t crash the recipient’s PC.

Print
You can either print your photos at home or at a print shop, such as Kodak Photo Gallery. Open Windows Photo Gallery by clicking Start > All Programs. Click on the picture you want to print. On the toolbar, click the arrow under the Print button and then click Order Prints. On the Select a Printing Company page, choose a company and click Send Pictures.

Photo CDs
Most print shops can burn your images for you. You can also have regular, non-digital photos put onto a CD. Add some music, print a CD cover, and present friends with a musical slide show.

Projects
Images can be used for many creative projects such as greeting cards, iron-on transfers or framed gifts. Check out some of Microsoft Home Magazine’s great crafts for ideas and inspiration.

Web posting
Many web sites, including those of Kodak Gallery, Walmart Photo Centre and Black’s Online Photo Centre, will take you through the step-by-step process of posting photos online. Some Internet service providers also offer free space and walk customers through the process of creating a web page.

Another great way to share photos on the web is through an online journal or blog, such as Windows Live Spaces. Simply visit the Windows Live Spaces homepage and choose to Create your space.

Now the fun begins. Customize the colour and layout, share your thoughts in a blog and, of course, post countless favourite photos to share with friends and family.

The beauty of web postings — as my family discovered — is that they allow people to share photos no matter where they happen to be. Send out invitations informing folks you’ve posted new images, and imagine them gathering around for some old-fashioned photo viewing!