Help with posting pics PLEASE!!!!

[PhalPal]

OKAY, there MUST be an easier way to post pictures then the method I am using. It takes me 5-6 minutes per picture.

I am going to 'Manage Attachments', browse to the picture(s) I want and then put a shortcut on my desktop. From here I use photoshop to hopefully get them to a size suitable for posting; it is not always possible with all the pics I want to downsize. Back to 'Manage Attachments', browse to the pictures on my desktop, upload and hopefully they will fit.

THERE MUST BE AN EASIER WAY!!!!!!!

I do not know how all of you are getting pics in with your text versus as a thumbnail. I am pretty computer literate and my husband is an engineer but this is the only way we can get it to work. He's big on firewalls; could this have something to do with my troubles? I would love to post more pics; HELP!!!!

[Tobi]

PhalPal,
I use Dave's link on how to post. I haven't been using the thumbnails.

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...post-them.html

[mayres]

There are lots of ways to accomplish your wish - here is what I do.
I assume you have a photo editor of some kind that resizes pics? I think I have 3-4 of them on my pc, but currently am using PaintShop Pro XI. All digitial cameras also come with one. Microsoft Office has a Photo Editor. Even Windows Vista can do some editing. Lots and lots of other options too. Anyway - in the menu you should have an option for each photo that you open for editing that says "resizing". I find 800X600 works well (or something similar). After resizing I "save as" the same name as the original except add a suffix "a" to the end - this tells me that it is the saved smaller version of the pic for quickly going through posting or placing in emails and such later. I keep the larger version available for printing or other editing purposes at a later date.
If you want thumbnails you just select the paperclip and upload the "a" version. If you want the larger photos (also the "a" version) in your posts then you first upload to a repository like photobucket.com (which I use and find a good place) and then when you select the mountain icon you insert the http address where your pic is stored for attachment purposes (within photobuckst or other).
With a little practice you will have it down pat in no time! Looking forward to LOTS of pics......... mike

[Anton]

PhalPlal do you know about Actions in Photoshop ?

Basically you set up an Action, and name it Geeks for example, and record it to resize your images to 900 pixels, longest dimension and to Save for Web.

Have a specific folder where you drop your raw images into after you have renamed them from the number the camera inprints, to a descriptive title for the forum. You then create a second folder for your images to be saved to.

I have two folders on my computers both at home and work, one called Raw, one called Manipulated for this purpose residing in a mother folder named Geeks Stuff.

You then point the Actions to the Raw folder and tell it to save in the Manipulated folder, then you point the Manage Attachments to the Manipulated Folder and Bob's you Uncle.

This sounds long and complicated, but it takes a lot of words to describe what is basically a simple procedure.

The longest part is setting up the Action, from there on it is plain sailing.

If you don't know about Actions PM me and I'll help you with screen shots, once you know about Actions you'll use them for all sorts of things.

I use them at work to manipulate up to 200 images at a time for our teaching slides. It probably takes Photoshop 10 minutes to do what I would have to spend a week doing manually.

As mentioned, the only tricky bit is setting the original Action up.

[patlee]

Hi PhalPal, Bless you for asking the question I needed an answer to!! This is the first forum I have ever joined and I am still trying to find my way around. You have perfect timing--I use a computer at work all day, but I never learned more than Word, Access and Excel.So thanks for your post...

[Anton]

I think for the people that don't have a photo editor you should look at the Lite version of Photoshop called PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS. This will give you a basic version, but which still does a lot.

Most of you won't ever need the full capabilities of Photoshop and this is a good alternative.

[mayres]

IMHO - Adobe Photoshop (which costs hundreds of dollars) is for the purists who want only the best available. Corel Paintshop Pro or the new Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 is a cheaper alternative that will work for 95% of users or the Adobe Elements Anton noted. Nearly all digital cameras now days come with basic editing software that is included with the price of the camera that will easily handle 75% of users without having to purchase anything. Also as I noted earlier, their is a host of free and low cost editing software available on the web. The underlying question is "what do you want to accomplish"? With that said you can pursue the software which meets those needs.

[chefatplay]

Still doing homework. Had to try the 800x600 Anton suggested, resized it in my photo editor, HP 7160 photocopier editor included with copier. I then went to orchid photo gallery, browsed, found it, uploaded it there, copied the bbimage code once it uploaded and pasted it here. Not too bad....

[Anton]

Maybe I should start charging for my services.

Either I am an excellent teacher, or I have brilliant students......

I know which one I prefer.

[pikevi]

Anton: You missed the obvious and the third possibility!

*** An excellent teacher and brilliant students ***

Awesome combination

[Jenna]

I have only skimmed this thread but I think I might have the easiest solution of all. That is, just for posting pictures within threads. I don't know the process of uploading pictures to the Orchid Picture Gallery though.

Anyhow..

Photobucket.com

All you do is upload them to your account there and the photo is automatically resized to a desirable message board size, 640 x 480.

After it is uploaded, all you do is click on the appropriate URL you need. For this board, you'd use the URL with the [IMG] tags at the begining and end and insert that straight into any post you make. Or you could just copy the regular URL and use this board's IMG insertion button (the yellow square with the mountain and the UFO in the sky).

With the exception of getting my pictures off my camera, it takes all of 45 seconds to upload and post my pictures.

I hope that or any of the other suggestions help!

[PhalPal]

Thanks so, so much everyone!!! I will play this weekend and see what programs I have that were mentioned above. I think some of the problem may be that we need a new camera; the digital we have now is about 4 years old which is ancient in the tech world. Sounds like a good enough excuse to get a new camera, doesn't it???

THANKS again - pictures of new mini-phals to follow. (my first species! Yeah!)

[mayres]

The age of the camera all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. I am still using a digital camera at work that I purchased in 1999! It was a $1000 camera at the time which I thought I got a good deal on for $850. An equivalent today would probably be $150. However, in spite of this - even though it is only a 3 megapixel camera - it still takes GREAT pics for the use for which it was intended. Good macros and it has a hot shoe on the top for adding supplemental flash - something that the majority of new point and shoot cameras do not have. Look forward to seeing those new pics of your mini phals. I have a couple (unfortunately noids) myself that are sure nice. mike

[PhalPal]

Every time we go shopping for something new in the tech world I feel like the village idiot. I dread getting a new cell phone every two years! Technology changes so fast I just can't keep up and it's a whole new learning curve after only a few years. Our camera is working just okay. I was thinking what may be far superior now is the editing program that comes with a new camera. My husband is the picture taker (and techy) between us and he has been hinting about getting a new toy anyway.

[Anton]

Go for it !

Take the chance while it presents itself.

I gave my wife one for her birthday today, boy has that earned me positive Brownie Points.

A camera, that is.

[pikevi]

I don't think any one can cope with the advances in technology. My cell. phone has features that I have never used. I have not even used its camera feature. And many of my conversations on the cell. last less than 2 mins.,if that.

All my PCs ( I assemble my own PCs) have components that can probably send the shuttle into space( okay , a bit of exaggeration, lol) but I have not used even a third of its capability. Occasionally I use the TV feature: that is it

I think some of us are just happy and content to know that we have the capability, whether or not we use it

[PhalPal]

A trivial bit of information but interesting none the less. Shows us just how much technology has advanced. The Apollo space mission that landed men on the Moon had far, far less computer power then a new car built today. The Apollo mission had ROOMS of computers at NASA assisting in the mission, where today we have a few little microchips doing thousands of jobs in a fraction of a second.

My husband's cousin (Dan Barry) was a shuttle astronaut and walked in space four times! He was also on the show 'Survivor' after retirement. Now he at home in Conneticut building robots in his garage. What a fascinating guy!!