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Not long ago, in order to share a photo with someone online meant you sent them an email with an attachment of that image. This is great for one or two people, or for one or two images. Times have changed and it’s considered by many to be normal to share your photos with the world now. Photo sharing online means that you upload your images to a website and then share that location/URL with your friends or co-workers, conference attendees, or the world.
First, what are the benefits of sharing online?
- You don’t have to burn copies of CD’s of your photos collections for others to see. Instead, simply give the people the URL and they can view them easily themselves. And, most of the sites offer photo printing so the visitors can order copies of the images THEY want, instead of getting ALL of them.
- You don’t have to try to manage your photo inventory yourself. Upload to one of the websites, and let them store the photos there. (Be aware that you may not be able to get the ORIGINAL sizes back off some of the websites, so it’s best have a backup of the original that you keep.)
- You don’t have to worry about clogging someone’s email with tons of photos. Just a link in an email and you are done.
What are some of the photo sharing websites?
- Flickr — one of the best known for sharing with the public in general. In fact, many organizations have a Flickr account to help publicize events. Free for a limited number of images/month. Not the easiest to do “private” photo sharing, more of “open” sharing.
- Shutterfly — this is a personal favorite of mine. You can upload as many photos of whatever size you want. (They have a “Shutterfly Studio” application to upload whole directories quickly.) Easy to set up private shares. Free. Visitors can easily order prints.
- Picasa Web Albums — if you love Picasa, then this can be an easy choice, built right into the application. Free.
- SmugMug — similar to Flickr but with more control on the look/feel of the pages and on privacy. Paid accounts only.
- Kodak Gallery — similar to Shutterfly but visitors have to create an account to view your photos. Free.
As you can see there are lots of options, and that’s only a small sample of what’s out there. Maybe you have a recommended photo-sharing website?
Some Photo Sharing Websites
So, the next time you are tempted to send someone 30 photos in an email, or burn a CD full of convention photos, STOP! See if sharing the photos online might save everyone some time!
Here’s what makes Hooray different than any other photo sharing site:
It’s not just easy — it’s the EASIEST photo sharing site on the Web.
It took almost 2 years of development to make every page, every navigation,
every feature clear, simple and intuitive. Unlike our competitors that were
built as technical applications for the photo print business Hoorray was created
in response to the actual needs and aspirations of real people. Thousands of them.
Audio Voice Narration – an exclusive Hooray feature.
Imagine being able to capture your child’s voice at the age of 3 and make it part of a
“living photo story to cherish forever. “ Or a grandparent talking about your family history.
Or just a good friend giving you a hard time about an funny candid photo. Photos are
different, and much more powerful than video in preserving moments in time…precious
moments in your life and the connections to those you love. Now you can create and share
“living photo memories” and preserve them forever.
Auto Fill – another exclusive Hooray feature.
OK, this can’t be any faster, easier or more fun! Upload some photos. Click your mouse.
Wow! You’ve got an INSTANT Preview of your custom Photo Album, Custom Photo Calendar
or a bunch of custom Photo Greeting Cards. One more click and your custom photo creation
is it’s way to you! Or get creative with loads of personalized themes, backgrounds and more!!
Now you’re on your way to making some fantastic gifts, keepsakes and heirlooms!
Whole Folder Photo Uploading – up to 300 photos at once!
Got lots and lots of photos? No problem!! Hoorray gives you unlimited photo storage and
photo uploading – FREE! No more hunting and pecking one photo at a time. Just click on
your photo folder and watch the magic happen! In no time at all, al your photos will be safe,
sorted, organized, ready and waiting at your fingertips – so you can share them, get high
quality prints, create beautiful photo albums, calendars and gift cards.