Christmas is one big photo opportunity. Digital cameras are great for capturing those special memories: photos are clearer and crisper and you can see what you've taken straight away. The only problem is that, if you're like most people, your pictures don't see the light of day once you've downloaded them on to the computer. Well, we've done some online digging and discovered some brilliant ways you can make the most of your photos long after Christmas has passed.
storing your digital photos
If you haven't got into the habit already, try to store your photos by date and description and back them up on a CD ROM. Many people send photos by email but it can be time consuming waiting for picture files to go through and then downloading at the other end. Why not make a CD ROM to give as a gift? Better still, you could take advantage of the many free online services that allow you to store and publish your images in an online 'album' format.
online photo album
Dozens of storage providers are popping up offering online photo storage and album creation. And it really is easy to do. Typically you'll go to a site and put in your name, email address and a password so your privacy is protected. Then you're ready to go. You'll be guided through the uploading process and once you've uploaded your photos on to the site, you can create an instant album.
There are lots of sites out there but it's a good idea to start with some of the bigger names. Kodak, Fuji, Yahoo, Flickr and NTL are just a few of the hundreds offering this service. Storage is completely free and you can store as many photos as you want. Some might even offer you free prints for signing up. Once you've created your album you just send your family and friends a link to the web page and they can see it. You can also order prints from the site. Charges vary but are very competitive. Most of the sites also have basic editing tools like cropping and red-eye control so you can get your pictures into shape before you display your album.
choosing a site
To help you get started we've prepared a list of things to consider when choosing a site:
- Ease of sharing and viewing albums
- Do they charge monthly fees?
- Availability and cost of prints
- Amount of storage: Is it unlimited?
- Availability of editing tools. Eg: cropping, brightness and red-eye control
As this is a big growth area on the web, there is a lot of competition for your photos so do shop around and compare. Happy snapping!
Did you know?
According to a study, Photos are the key to happiness. A survey commissioned by Hewlett Packard revealed that 68% of people believe that displaying photos in the home does more to elevate the atmosphere than anything else. They also found a positive link between mood and family relationships.
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