Photo gripe

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

I will be spearheading the 2008 fundage drive. I hope to have all in order next week sometime.

... $40 annually ... I donate to SAAC via their Mastercard which they get a % of at this point.

I figure that is a fair enough amount?

If I can click here http://www.clubcobra.com/modules.php...ertising_Rates and buy a banner ad with my Visa card why do we need to "organize a fundage drive?" People should be able to go there and pay with their credit card just as if they are buying advertising. For the life of me I don't see why this can't be that simple -- c'mon, we're not setting up off-the-books partnerships here, we just want to send CC fifty or a hundred bucks and not hear any more about daily limits or size limits. People that don't care about pictures can still just go there and give whatever amount they feel comfortable with -- the "fundage drive" can be as simple as pointing people to that page. This doesn't have to be a big deal.

[vettestr]

There are several free programs on the net to re-size or change the file size. I use Photo_Resizer\PhotoResizerFree.exe" . Do a search on
photo resizer, free downloads. It is pretty easy and self explaining to use while taking little memory space.

Hope this helps and keep in mind that a lower resolution photo if very special should be saved at a high resolution on disc or whatever for your own reasons and use. If just another photo then LOW res works great

[Rwillia4]

A note about resizing. Leave your camera at the highest resolution seting possible. Then resize the picture with the program above for uploading. You want to keep the resolution high so you can have a good copy of the "prefect" picture that you can have blown-up and printed.

[hey,littlecobra]

yeah, i can see that MANY of us know nothing about pic size, resizing. That does offer some comfort, but this IS a big mess!
So... are we going to be able to 'buy off the boss' and buy our way into bigger galleries??? hmmmmmmmmm I'm interested!
Guess i'll go check out photobucket, too.
I hate that!!!!
I know HOW to resize, it took me forever to figure it out, but i cannot imagine going in and resizing my zillion pics.
what a dilemma!
I am happy to send a thank you contribution to Brent for the site; and i guess his 'thank you' back to us is a bigger gallery of 100megs. That's great, thank you, but how about hmmmm like 1000??? (I'm close enought to it already. )

what a chore!!!!!

hey, whatdya do with my 'cobra goddess' title, now it says 'Senior Club Cobra Member'????????

[Ron61]

Rwilla4,

Setting the new cameras to the highest setting is a total waste of time, battery power and space on your memory card unless you are a professional photographer. I use a mid range setting and print 8 X 10s that are very good. If you are going for larger, then I agree with you. Most of my pictures are in the 900 to 1.5 mb range and are easy to downsize to post. If I do run into something special that I want a high rez picture of then I will set mine higher for those pictures.

Kristen,

You need to get your own server and put your pictures on it. As for your Cobra Goddess Title, that has been replaced with Senior Member because the Mt. Shasta Goddess has taken over.

Ron

[Jamo]

For those of you who don't want to use the link or to scroll up to the top of All Cobra Talk...I copied the very first post from May, 2006 for your reading convenience.

For those of you who can't read, please PM me your telephone number and I will read it to you. If you are hard of hearing, I will compensate for that.






Tips on Picture Uploads and Image Sizes

Many newcomers, and some old-timers, have a common problem here on Club Cobra...that is, taking the pictures from a digital camera and either including them in a post (attached image) or placing them in their Gallery (uploaded image).

Today's multi-megapixel digital cameras often default to a very hi-res image, and taking that image file and attempting to directly use it in a post results in errors about a "file too large".

First, here are the guidelines.

For attaching images directly to a post, we have set some tight filesize constraints. This is because we want our users to have a speedy load time when browsing threads.
If we allowed massive images to be made part of posts, you would have an interesting wait as you changed pages.

As such...we limit the file size of attached images to 39K. Ideal picture size for attachments is 640 x 480.

The Gallery allows for larger, more hi-res images to be uploaded. The ideal picture size for Gallery uploads is 800 x 600, or 1024 x 768 if you have a really detailed picture.
Although the Gallery is more tolerent for file sizes, 80k - 140k is a good upper limit to try and achieve. You can go much larger, but that will quickly consume your Gallery space quota, and often is unnecessary, as the higher resolution may be of no advantage to a displayed picture.
You can go upwards to 1 megabyte in file size if necessary.

Many users have difficulty converting the large, raw image files that come directly from a camera or scanner.
Usually, all cameras and scanners come with some image-editing software. What you want to do, in order to process that raw image, is to:

• convert to a JPEG (if the raw file is a BMP)
• resize the image to 640x480 or 800x600 where appropriate.

Unfortunately, many of these programs get complicated and are difficult to master.

As an alternative, here is a little tool that Microsoft has available for Windows XP that will let you instantly resize a picture in a very simple fashion.

Microsoft has a drawer full of little utilities that never made it into the formal releases of Windows.
They call this collection Power Toys and they are available for personal use, without guarantee from Microsoft.

One of them is an Image Resizer for Windows XP. It is a handy little tool for those folks who want to take pictures from their digital camera and send them via e-mail or post them on a website...but don't have a Photo Editing program...or can't figure theirs out.

Most images today from digital cameras are far too big for web use.

The Image Resizer, when installed, enables you to resize one or many image files with a right-click.

First, download the file from this URL, and save on your desktop.

http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...ertoySetup.exe

When you have downloaded the file, close all programs and locate the file, ImageResizerPowertoySetup.exe, on your desktop.

Double-click to launch the installer and follow the instructions, taking the default choice on each page.

When the installation completes, you are done. You can delete the file you downloaded from your desktop.

This little program modifies the right-click context menu such that, when you point to any standard image file, you will now see a choice in the menu called "Resize Pictures."

Try it...

Find an image file on your computer (.jpg or .bmp), point to the icon of the file and right-click.
Choose Resize picture, and you will see the following:



Choose a new picture size and click OK. The program will create ANOTHER image file in the same location with the same name, but with the 'size' term added to its file name. (e.g., "small", "medium", etc.)

For posting on the forum... the Small size is appropriate for Attachments, while the Medium or Large is correct for Gallery uploads.

You can customize the tool with the Advanced Button. When the Resize Picture window is displayed, hit Advanced and you will see:



This lets you pick a custom size.

It also lets you configure the program to MODIFY the original image, and not create a duplicate with the new size...NOT recommended unless you are sure you want to destroy the original image.

Have fun.... this should help new camera owners prep their pictures in a more standardized fashion.

Ron
ClubCobra Moderator__________________
Ron KMP178


Last edited by computerworks : 05-07-2006

[fastraxsg]

One of the other "good things" about having a suitable size photo posted....is I don't have to drag or scroll left or down to see the whole photo in one view. A few of the photos here are huge and you need a double wide screen to see 'em...or try to imagine what the whole thing looks like while you scroll back and forth.

[fasterpatrick]

Yea, I got all of that but how do I get around the ten pics a day rule. and how does that work is it 24 hrs since the last one or does it start and stop at a specific time this is driving me nuts trying to get my build thread back together ten pics at a time; Patrick

[Full Throttle Al]

There are also sites on the net that allow you to post/store unlimited photos, such as:

http://www2.snapfish.com

This site is from HP. You can also have them make very cool books with your photos at a very good price.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by fasterpatrick

Yea, I got all of that but how do I get around the ten pics a day rule.

Let me work on overriding that....

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by fasterpatrick

Yea, I got all of that but how do I get around the ten pics a day rule. and how does that work is it 24 hrs since the last one or does it start and stop at a specific time this is driving me nuts trying to get my build thread back together ten pics at a time; Patrick

As an addendum to this topic...

We are in the process right now of overriding the 10 uploads a day limitation.

You should be able to do as many as you need now.

[hey,littlecobra]

Let's say i join up with photobucket, or snapfish. And, I figure out all the resizing toys. Great! consider it successful!
what about my current gallery??
Is there a 'quik fix' to resize all of those???
Would I have to resize in my photo program, delete from here, and upload the smaller version??
Can i get another gallery with another member name for a new gallery???? I would still post under hlc, but maybe gimme a new forum name for ANOTHER gallery??
gosh i'm just trying to avoid deleting, resizing and uploading all those pics!
i will never get that done!
I can't buy myself more space?? please???

[computerworks]

if you can...sit tight on those alternatives for a bit...we'll see what we can do.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by hey,littlecobra

I can't buy myself more space?? please???

Evidently not. Your money is no good here. No amount of money will get you out of this problem. You can't get a price quote, nor will you get an answer as to why that is. You have a better chance of getting the Kirkham brothers to fly out and cut your fiberglass body off with X-acto knives and replace it with aluminum -- at least with that you could probably get a price quote. So just face it, you're not going to get an answer as to why you can't buy space, and you're not going to get an answer as to why you can't get an answer. And heaven forbid others miss the "once a year" chance to contribute, they are then forced to wait for the opportunity to come around again next year. You'd think you could give away a contribution to CC at any time, and it would be easy to do, but that just ain't the way it is.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You'd think you could give away a contribution to CC at any time, and it would be easy to do, but that just ain't the way it is.

Your tone is not appreciated....at all.

Contact Brent Mills, the site owner, for any of your requests.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by patrickt

So just face it, you're not going to get an answer as to why you can't buy space, and you're not going to get an answer as to why you can't get an answer.

First off, remember where you are, you are at Club Cobra, a forum for talking Cobras and related items. This is not a photo hosting service, but instead a forum that offers it's members (both contributing and non contributing) "some" server space so that they can host "some" pictures. Now you spew forth a rant like a spoiled kid about not being able to load more oversized files to the server, come on, give the rest of us who play within the guidelines a break, same goes for the owner of the site (who does this in his spare time and does work a FULL TIME job to boot), and the moderators who try their best to make it all run smoothly (think it's easy, I moderate clubhotrod.com and can tell you it's a thankless, unpaid position where as a moderator you are damned if you do and damned if you don't).

Of course, now as a typical end user here who read all of this thread (and your posts), I'll add the following to try and get you to understand things behind the scenes here in a way that you'll be able to follow and understand, so here we go..

Seeing that you are a car guy and not a computer techie, imagine if you will that each picture is a small compact car (think Pinto or Geo Metro here), and the bandwidth (that is what space and server resources are used each time one of your pictures is loaded on a web page, or downloaded to someone elses computer screen) is a one lane road surface. Now, imagine if you will your file size (600-1,500K large) as a Tractor Trailer sized vehicle. Which do you choose to have running down that one lane road at any given time, 200 of the small size files (times 100,000 downloads), or 200 of the large size files (again times 100,000 downloads). Brent does pay for this bandwidth useage, and the larger size files do slow down the rest of the server (again think of a 20mph speed limit vs a 65mph speed limit on that one lane road) and it's resources. An even better analogy would be if you ever drove over the Cross Bronx Expressway, in which case would you rather be there during rush hour, or at 2:30am with those same vehicles coming and going (times 100,000).........

Again, do not take this post as an attack, just someone elses viewpoint and opinion...Again I hope that the above paragraph helps you understand the technical (behind the scenes) things a little more....

Here is wishing you and yours a great holiday season.

Yours In Rambling Fords,

Bill S.

[Jamo]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Evidently not. Your money is no good here. No amount of money will get you out of this problem. You can't get a price quote, nor will you get an answer as to why that is. You have a better chance of getting the Kirkham brothers to fly out and cut your fiberglass body off with X-acto knives and replace it with aluminum -- at least with that you could probably get a price quote. So just face it, you're not going to get an answer as to why you can't buy space, and you're not going to get an answer as to why you can't get an answer. And heaven forbid others miss the "once a year" chance to contribute, they are then forced to wait for the opportunity to come around again next year. You'd think you could give away a contribution to CC at any time, and it would be easy to do, but that just ain't the way it is.

...or you could learn to read.

[1ntCobra]

A couple of thoughts:

1) Keep the resolution turned up on your camera. You could have bought a cheaper camera if you did not want that resolution. And today memory cards can hold lots of pictures. My wife has a 10mp camera and can get 900 pictures at that resolution on her card. With your camera always set to high quality, some day you might shoot that killer picture that you want to blow up to poster size and you will be glad you can. One of these days, I'll probably switch from film to digital myself. 8^)

2) It is a little extra effort to downsize the pictures before uploading them here, but I'll make the effort going forward.

3) Do you really want us to downsize to 640x480? That looks pretty small on both my home monitor 1920x1200 and my work monitor 1680x1050.

4) I may have photos on other sites and link them into posts. That will not take up space on clubcobra's server. But is there a way I could do that to link pictures into my gallery as a way of not using up my gallery space? By having the pictures in my gallery, it gives other members a chance to find them by searching the gallery (as opposed to searching thru discussion threads) to find them. But it seems to me that the only way to get my pictures into my gallery is to upload a copy of the pictures file (which takes up space on clubcobra).

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Do you really want us to downsize to 640x480? That looks pretty small on both my home monitor 1920x1200 and my work monitor 1680x1050.

Not at all...we all love a good, hi-res picture.

800x600 or 1024x768 is just fine for most resolutions.

We set the max pixel size to 1300x1300 for uploaded images.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

I may have photos on other sites and link them into posts. That will not take up space on clubcobra's server.

That's correct.

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

But is there a way I could do that to link pictures into my gallery as a way of not using up my gallery space? By having the pictures in my gallery, it gives other members a chance to find them by searching the gallery (as opposed to searching thru discussion threads) to find them.

Good thought, but the answer is no. The Gallery is a photo repository.
Even though you now can grab an image from a URL elsewhere, instead of a direct upload from your PC, the Gallery will still take that image and place it in full into your album space.