"Need Photos"

[Ken S]

I often get replies to my posts stating "need photos". I agree, photos would help clarify things. I can make digital photos. My  bottleneck is getting them from my ipad or macbook to the forum post.

I know there are two venues for photo insertion, the official insertion program and third parties. The official program stores photos on the forum, with limits of four photos, each not larger than 250 kB. The third parties store photos off site and do not have the size and quantity limits.

I don't have a problem with the limits themselves. In fact, we lost many useful photos when Photobucket, the first third party used on this forum, went from free to $400. Four photos per post seems both reasonable and workable to me. I am willing to work at 250 kB per photo. My difficulty is reliably and easily sizing my images down to conform to the limit. I don't mind working within 250 kB if I can easily get there and not end up with images well below the 250 kB limit. I want all the image quality I can get within the program limits.

I am also willing to work with a third party app, if it works well with ios (ipad). Also working well with my macbook would be a big plus. I don't mind paying reasonable fees.

I have used the Image Size app, but with limited success.

Your thoughts would be most appreciated.

Ken

[Fernando]

I often get replies to my posts stating "need photos". I agree, photos would help clarify things. I can make digital photos. My  bottleneck is getting them from my ipad or macbook to the forum post.

I know there are two venues for photo insertion, the official insertion program and third parties. The official program stores photos on the forum, with limits of four photos, each not larger than 250 kB. The third parties store photos off site and do not have the size and quantity limits.

I don't have a problem with the limits themselves. In fact, we lost many useful photos when Photobucket, the first third party used on this forum, went from free to $400. Four photos per post seems both reasonable and workable to me. I am willing to work at 250 kB per photo. My difficulty is reliably and easily sizing my images down to conform to the limit. I don't mind working within 250 kB if I can easily get there and not end up with images well below the 250 kB limit. I want all the image quality I can get within the program limits.

I am also willing to work with a third party app, if it works well with ios (ipad). Also working well with my macbook would be a big plus. I don't mind paying reasonable fees.

I have used the Image Size app, but with limited success.

Your thoughts would be most appreciated.

Ken

Hello Ken

Today almost everyone has an account on Google, so it should be easy that from your iphone, ipad, have google app, in the itunes store are all and are free, for example with google photos is the one I use, I can upload unlimited photos in any size and then I only have the option to share image, copy and paste in the forum of tormek and now, the configuration and use is easy and keeps private what you want private and you only share what you want.
Google drive can also serve you, and it has like 15 GB free

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-photos/id962194608?mt=8

I hope it's useful for you.

[cbwx34]

I found the app "Image Size" easy to use.  (Free too).

You can reduce the size of the picture, and it will show the size of the file.  It works directly with the photos on your iPad, (saves the result as a new picture).  (Here's an example showing this)...


(A screenshot of a picture being resized in the app... then resized to post)...🤪

[Ken S]

Thanks, guys. I will explore both options. I expect both will prove useful for me. Now, if I combine these two good program suggestions with some focused practice............

As the old saying goes, "No se ganó Zamora en una hora." (The fortress of Zamora, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, was not conquered in an hour.) I find it more pleasant to say than "Rome wasn't built in a day."

I'll keep you both posted.

Ken

[cbwx34]

Kinda crazy.... but while looking up info on photos... it looks like Photobuckt might have "caved"... I'm seeing photos that were posted before, that were blocked because of their pricing.  So gonna try...



How 'bout that! ( From Photbucket)!
Still not sure I'd trust, but at least older photos are visible...



Edit to add:  Guess they're gonna try watermarks...

Photobucket hosts over 30 million images for free every day! In order to keep our basic hosting services absolutely free for all members, we overlay a discreet "proudly hosted on Photobucket" watermark on all images that are displayed by our free members on sites other than photobucket.com.

By watermarking images, we are able to reduce our brand marketing expenses to offset our bandwidth costs. Everyone wins!

If you prefer your images to remain watermark-free, we invite you to upgrade to one of our affordable plans that includes enhanced hosting services starting at $4.03/month (billed annually).

[RickKrung]

If you are talking about the "official" site as the Tormek forum, the old limit may have been four, but I recall they upped it to eight and I have loaded as many at times. 

For photo manipulation, I've been using ACDSee for around 15 yrs.  It does all sorts of stuff and is easy to use.  Yes, it does cost something.  I have PhotoShop and Lightroom but find them way too complicated for fast and easy use.  Mostly what I do for photos I want to upload is 1) Crop and 2) Resize.  Only takes seconds. 

Rick

[Ken S]

CB,

We lost many good photos with "Photobucketgate". I hope they will reappear.

Rick,

Nice program, however, it doesn't seem compatable with ios (the ipad program).

Ken

[RickKrung]

...snip...
Rick,

Nice program, however, it doesn't seem compatable with ios (the ipad program).

Ken

That may be.  I make the mistake often of forgetting about iOS users, even though my mobile phone is an iPhone and I have and use an iPad.  I just don't use either for photo manipulation, just for looking at them. 

Maybe I should take a look at the app CB posted about, "Image Size". 

Rick

[Ken S]

Interesting points, Rick. I don't manipulate the photos on my ipad, except for size. When I finally went fully digital, I sold or gave away my film cameras and darkroom. Part of the proceeds went for my new "darkroom", a Macbook. I use it to store my digital images. I have my Lightroom subscription loaded on it. With my present digital camera and Lightroom, I finally have the flexibility I had for decades using the Zone System with 35mm and view cameras.

Back in high school, my father taught me to "get it right on the negative". Dad was an excellent photographic technician. Over the years I have followed his dictum. Working carefully, I rarely find the need for digital manipulation, especially for images viewed on a computer screen.

I like the speed with which I can make photos with my ipad. Resizing them for the forum is a speed bump. My difficulty with the Image Size program that CB has suggested is my lack of experience with it. An hour or two of focused work with it should solve that problem. I need to become consistent in resizing to just under 250kB.

We talk about the learning curve. I find it is ongoing. That's not a complaint, just a statement.

Ken

[cbwx34]

...
I need to become consistent in resizing to just under 250kB.
...

I don't resize based on file size... as someone pointed out a while back, having a picture that is 480 pixels across (horizontally) or less "fits" and makes them easy to view on smaller devices.  (The program will "auto size" vertically).  Don't worry about trying to be "just under 250kb" (not that important for a forum post IMO).

Edit to add: and I should add, a bit smaller size makes them easier to load (and uses less data) on a mobile plan.

...
We lost many good photos with "Photobucketgate". I hope they will reappear.
...

It looks like they have... (for now anyway...). 

[Ken S]

I have been able to resize images and select them from the photos app. I click on the

[RickKrung]

...snip...
With my present digital camera and Lightroom, I finally have the flexibility I had for decades using the Zone System with 35mm and view cameras.
...snip...
Ken

Nice.  I studied and used the Zone System back when I had a darkroom (70s-80s).  While I could do well enough technically with it, I just felt I didn't have the artistic element necessary to create really good photographs.  I used the Zone System as professed by Fred Picker.  I still have the cold light head that I had for my Beseler 23C enlarger. 

I'll have to look closer at Lightroom.  I may contact you privately for pointers. 

Rick

[cbwx34]

I have been able to resize images and select them from the photos app. I click on the [img] button, but am unable to load them onto the post. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Ken

You still have to Attach the file to the post, then if you want the picture to appear within the post, copy the link of the attached photo, and then modify the post and use that link with the image button.  So....

Create a post or reply
Attach the photo to the post (like normal)
Post the reply
Copy the link you'll now see underneath the attachment
Click on Modify
Put the cursor where you want the image
Click on the image link and paste the link you copied

Easier done than said.   

[RickKrung]

Yes, easier said than done...

That process is very annoying.  With more than a couple photos, that iterative process of copying the URL once the message is posted and then going to modify it and pasting in the URL for the photo is very time consuming.  I have taken to uploading all the photos and then posting the message.  Once posted, I copy each link (URL) and paste them into Notebook.  Once the text of the links are all in Notebook, I go back to the post and open it to Modify it.  Then I jump back and for between the browser (Tormek forum) and Notebook, quickly copying each URL and pasting into the modified text.  Much faster and efficient than iteratively copying the URL, open the message to Modify, posting the message and then copying the next URL. 

It would be much handier if the forum interface showed the URLs within the "Preview" so the links could be copied into the message prior to even the initial post.  But, so much for wishes when it comes to getting a change like that. 

Rick

[cbwx34]

Yes, easier said than done...

That process is very annoying.  With more than a couple photos, that iterative process of copying the URL once the message is posted and then going to modify it and pasting in the URL for the photo is very time consuming.  I have taken to uploading all the photos and then posting the message.  Once posted, I copy each link (URL) and paste them into Notebook.  Once the text of the links are all in Notebook, I go back to the post and open it to Modify it.  Then I jump back and for between the browser (Tormek forum) and Notebook, quickly copying each URL and pasting into the modified text.  Much faster and efficient than iteratively copying the URL, open the message to Modify, posting the message and then copying the next URL. 

It would be much handier if the forum interface showed the URLs within the "Preview" so the links could be copied into the message prior to even the initial post.  But, so much for wishes when it comes to getting a change like that. 

Rick

I don't disagree, but the reality is, the pictures are just designed to be "attached" to the post, not placed within it.  That's an "extra" that you, me, and a few others do.

That being said, there might be an easier way of doing it... someone may know... I've never investigated it.

The key here is at least getting photos attached to the post... anything else is probably a bonus.