November 16, 2005

• I keep most of them in iPhoto, and upload the ones I want to share to Flickr. My mom always has "issues" when I send her photos via e-mail, and can't figure out how to open them. Clicking a link is much easier for her and doesn't clog her inbox. I also create sets from events and parties to share with friends, then they can download the ones they want. I also like the handy size selection tool on Flickr. The only "physical" thing I've done with my photos is create a calendar of Pagan imagery found around NYC, and sell it as a fundraiser. I did that with Kodak gallery because they had the best bulk price for small quantities, and a decent calendar creating application.
• I do a couple things; first, I unload them off the camera onto my wife's laptop, where she goes through them periodically and deletes the crappiest (you gotta be tough - shoot a lot of images, and get rid of all but the best). The keepers she moves to a folder on our server downstairs for short term storage. I take the ones off the server and burn them to a CD - the CD serves as both a transporter to the local Sam's Club, where I have 'em printed (4x6's for .17 each = beauty!) and, when I'm done, it goes into the CD sleeve for long term storage. So, I end up with all of them on the server, prints for my wife to put into her scrapbooks, and CD backups in case the server goes bitchcakes. The ones on the server, I sort according to date, typically, albeit some of the best I put into "best of" folders, to trot out in case someone in the family wants copies, or just to look at.
• Picasa kicks iPhoto's butt in my humble opinion. Wish Google would target some of these apps to OSX, as I feel a lot of folks would appreciate the option. I just save the originals to HDD and then make periodic backups. I like to package them as slideshows with Picasa to send to friends on CD. The CD automatically includes a copy of Picasa. Simple to use and free like free beer.
• Another vote for iphoto... love it on a mac.. I keep everything except the really bad stuff (out of focus, bad light, duplicates, etc)... I do albums and keywords for sorting.. Back it all up weekly to an external bootable hard drive... I keep a couple of photo galleries online on my web site, one for hobby related photos, open to the public, one for family stuff, url known only to very extended family (they can upload to it as well). This is a new addition, much fun. I burn slideshows to dvd to share with older family folks that have dvd players but aren't on the net (in the 80 range in terms of age). I share "in house" via the tivo...company comes and I'm showing the latest images to them in the living room without every getting out of my chair! And, alas, my poor, very expensive 35mm Pentex with three bodies, about 10 lenses and a million little pieces sits gathering dust now.... Next step, scanning about a million slides to add to the digital collection... haven't found an easy way to do this that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!
• Burn a disk and send it out of town. A back-up in case of crash, fire, flood, or theft.
• Download them (in a timely fashion) to the HDD, Carefully select the proper gamma levels, brightness and contrast, and then print on proper glossy photo stock 5x6 papers, after which I toss them into the paper sack that's been gathering random photos for about 8 years and forget about them. One of these days I'm gonna organize that bag. Yup.
• I hope those who are storing their backups on CD are re-burning them about once a year to be safe. Those things don't last forever, even in dark, dry storage.
• That is one of the things that make me go "mmmmhhh...." about current technology. I've scanned & restored many old, rusty, splotched, creaky family pictures and marvel at how they're still around, many decades later, usually with no more care than being inside a paper envelope in a dusty drawer. And then, I reach for some 'backup' data disc from 6 years ago and it complains and can be accessed just enough to copy the data to a new one. Have boxes full of zip disks that are now all but obsolete. Been archiving my work stuff on DVDs, only to recently hear they're even worse for middle-term storage than CD-Rs. That's one of teh things I've lately come to value about physical photos. You hand an album or a polaroid to a person and all those moments and emotions are there, no net connection, no computer, no electricity necessary.
• I heard on NPR that the US National Archives records 10 CD's a year to vinyl, because it's the longest lasting medium they've found yet. Wouldn't that be wild to record DVD's to vinyl . . . an LP or 50 full of fax sounds
• I have become a digital photo addict. Especially since I moved to the coast of Oregon. I download mine into the computer then transfer them to Ofoto. Print the ones I like and send links to whoever I think will be interested. It sooooo pays to be able to print at home. Although, like HuronBob, says, my good camera remains dusty. I kick myself all the time for not having it. I like the photos my digital takes but they are nothing compared to a 'real' camera.
• Please'scuse the extra comma.
• As far as putting out quality product, that's going to take some time, figure on at least two to three seasons. That's just for starters. A really good book for photography is this one Photography You should also strongly consider getting into some photography classes as well. And most important: Have fun, Rome wasn't built in a day.