pictures on this forum

[PeterW]

Hi all,
The subject of posting pictures on this forum crops up time and time again, and it seems that different members have different methods. I’ve used Photobucket ever since I joined the forum in 2005 and find that, for me, it’s the easiest way.

We don’t seem to have a standard page to answer the question so I decided to write one. Please note that I use Windows. The method may be slightly different with a Mac.

Could one or two knowledgable members run through each step, please, because I’m human and as open to error as the next guy.

It sounds long-winded but it is really quite fast once you get used to it.

Here goes:
There are two preliminaries before we start loading a picture. The first is fairly obvious: go to Photobucket and get yourself an album.

The second isn’t so obvious. Always size your picture BEFORE you upload it to your album Photobucket may make an attempt to size down a picture that is too big, but in my opinion doesn’t do a very good job.

The maximum width we can use on the forum is 800 pixels but I usually make my pics a bit less wide, particularly if any are portrait format. First do a “save as “ of your picture and use whatever image editor you ‘ve got to make the picture 72pixels/inch resolution. No point in going higher because 72ppi is the highest a computer screen will resolve. Then set the width – I usually go for about 700 to 750 pixels.

OK, prelims over. Now we can upload our picture(s) into our Photobucket album.Open your album and you’ll get something like Screenshot 1 except that you won't yet have any pictures in it.



Click in the green box that says “upload now”. This will give you Screenshot 2



Click on “Select Photos and Videos” and you get Screenshot 3



Choose your picture and click “Open” (almost there now) You’ll get Screenshot 4




Hover the mouse pointer over your picture, and underneath it you’ll get some words and a box marked IMG. Click in this box, and it will say “copied” which means you’ve now got that IMG code on your clipboard.

]Click in “Save to my album” and you’ll get Screenshot 5 with your picture safely inside the album.



Paste the IMG code in the reply box on the forum and click on Preview. Your picture should be in there.

TIP! If you are posting several pictures, save their imdividual IMG codes into a word processor that you can run alonside Photobucket. Then you don't have to keep chopping and changing between your forum posting and Photobucket.

PeterW

[Randy]

Peter, below the header on this forum is this link, it's been there for 5 years.

Click here for an explanation of UBB CODES

[daveh]

Peter,

Possibly a typo, a missing zero in the maximum width - it should be more in the order of 800 pixels rather than 80. Photos bigger than the 800 pixel width will be accompanied by a "this picture has been reduced by x%".

I tend to standardise on 35mm frame size, 3x2 (800x533 pixels) and adjust the jpg quality so it's of the order of 100-140 kb. There is a maximum file size, but I would have to look up what it is. It is a fair bit bigger than 140kb though.


If you use the "attachment" method the photo that comes up is only fairly small, but enlarges to full size when you click on it as long as you are logged in. If you are not logged in (and that might be because of being unregistered) you can only see the thumbnail.

I use imageshack which does let you resize photos when you upload them. I have, however, never used this resize facility, so I've no idea how good it is.

Dave.

[daveh]

Randy,

Yes, some of the information is in the UBB codes, but I find I am unable to access them (I can't access the Cosina files either). All I get is "Oops! This link appears broken. DNS error occurred. Server cannot be found."

I did point this out a while ago, but Bob reckoned that there didn't seem to be a problem.

Dave.

[vintageslrs]

Dave--must be something on your end. I just clicked on the Cosina files link and it went right to it---in its entirety. So go figure.
But I swear it works perfectly for me!

Bob

[daveh]

Bob,
This sort of problem has surfaced several times over the years. On various forums people occasionally come on and say they can't access this or that. Last year I sent some photo files to someone in New York by email. He could not receive them on one of his accounts, but he could on another.

I have tried using firefox and internet explorer using computers running XP. Vista and 7. I have not got through on any. I know that certain programmes are blocked to some country codes (e.g. BBC online radio can not be picked up in some countries).

It would be interesting to know if anyone else is having the same problem. If they are, they won't be able to access the UBB code page to get the instructions. However you have to be reasonably computer literate and/or inquisitive to find out what UBB codes actually are. I would suggest anyone who can't upload a picture to a forum isn't too likely to look under "UBB codes" to find out how to do it.

Obviously I don't know how good the explanation is for uploading pictures, because I can't break into it to find out. What I do know if that I have explained the procedure to a few people on here (and to several more on other forums).

This sort of problem is a bit like that annoying squeak on the car, or dry joint on the hi-fi. They always seem okay when someone else checks them but the fault starts up again immediately you get the item back. Such is life.

Dave.

[Randy]

My domain host has blocked the blanket IP of your area. I don't know why, but I tried to get it unblocked.

[daveh]

Randy, thanks. I can't say I blame it - I would block our area too if I had the chance!

Dave.

[PeterW]

Dave,

Thanks for pointing out the typo. You're quite correct, it should be 800 pixels. I've corrected it.

Randy,

Peter, below the header on this forum is this link, it's been there for 5 years.

Click here for an explanation of UBB CODES

Yes, I know it is there, and I used what it says a lot in the early days. It works, no question about that, but I didn't find it the easiest thing in the world to follow

Then I was playing with it one day and found that, under the picture you've uploaded to Photobucket, it's already got the IMG code. In those days you had to click on it to highlight it and then copy it (Control + c). I don't know when Photobucket changed this, but all you have to do now is click in the IMG box and it comes up "copied". It's automatically put on your clipboard.

Then you go to the "reply" text box of the message you're posting and paste it (Control + V). Go to preview and you can see that your picture is there.

I don't know that you can get much more simple than that.

PeterW

[daveh]

imageshack has umpteen different code formats for the picture. There are URL links which will work on some forums, but not others. I tend to copy the direct link and use that as it saves having to remember what works on which forum. That said it might well be that all the forums are better able now to accept the 'Forum Code'.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

This is the forum code copied and pasted direct into the posting which I have used with success here.

I'll try to disable it, by adding the occasional space:

[ URL=http://img651.imageshack.us/i/mariboustork02.jpg/ ][ IMG]http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/1139/mariboustork02.jpg [ /IMG][ /URL]

Uploaded with [ URL=http://imageshack.us]ImageShack.us[ /URL]

[nikkortorokkor]

I'm a long-term Firefox and increasing Chrome user. If you right click on an image in either, it gives you an option of copying the address of the picture. In Chrome, the choice is to "Copy Image URL". In Firefox, the choice is "Copy Image Location". It can then be pasted and coded using proboard's tag icons.

The only wrinkle I've found is that if I do this from my Picasa Web account, and I'm signed into it, it'll use a secure link (HTTPS). The "S" needs to be deleted or the image won't show.

[Deleted]

Like you I'm using chrome more and more

[daveh]

Funny that - using chrome more: cars have gone away from using chrome.