Developing Digital

Photo Online

By Charlie Kerekes, 4/26/2005

Taking digital photos has its own pleasure, but the ultimate goal of capturing an image is to share with others.

Sharing photos can be accomplished in a multitude of ways: printing at home, emailing to friends, posting in a web album, having them developed, and countless others.

In this article I will cover the basics of developing digital photos online.

First, let me differentiate between how I use the terms "printing" and "developing".

Printing: The process of placing the digital image on paper by a printer such as laser, inkjet, etc. In other words, the computer instructs the printing device to simulate the photo by laying down colored dots on the paper.

Developing: The process of exposing traditional photo paper to light and developing the image on the paper using chemicals. This is the same process used for film photography.

Be aware that the above are my own, simplified definitions, and the photo industry may use them to mean slightly different things. For example, the term "printing" is regularly used to refer to what I call "developing".

Advantages of online developing

Each method of photo finishing has its own merits. Below is a short list of online developing advantages:

• Image quality is generally superior compared to inkjet printers
• No photo printer is required
• No photo printing supplies are required
• Developed photos are generally less expensive than home printing, if you consider the necessary supplies such as ink and quality photo paper.
• Entire process can be completed from your home or office using an Internet connection
• Finished product has the look and feel of traditional pictures

Services offered

Each online developer offers something different to make their services stand out. Here is a basic list of services you can expect to find at all of them:

• Free sign-up process to open an account and upload your photos
• Digital photo developing (which they may call "printing")
• Free web photo albums so you can share online
• Basic image editing tools such as rotating, red-eye removal, zooming, and cropping
• Placing photos on various keepsakes and novelties such as cards, apparel, calendars, and more
• Friends and family can order prints from your shared web album at their own expense

Where to develop

Your choices for online developing are ever-increasing. Here is a short list of established companies with quality workmanship to get you started:

• Kodak EasyShare Gallery at KodakGallery.com (was Ofoto until recently)
• PhotoWorks.com
• Snapfish.com

Uploading your images

The process of having your photos developed online is very easy and requires only an Internet connection. Start by selecting one or more

To my knowledge all online developers offer a free set of prints to new customers, making it very inexpensive to try several (you still pay for shipping).

Unless you know otherwise, assume that the developing service will accept only JPEG image files, those ending with .jpg or .jpeg.

Fortunately, most cameras take photos in JPEG format so you do not need to convert them.

If your camera takes photos in another format such as TIFF or CRW, you will have to convert them to JPEG before uploading. Refer to your camera's user manual for details.

Once you have selected the JPEG images for development, connect to the Internet and log on to the developing service's web site.

The actual upload process will vary. Look for links or buttons named "Add Photos" or "Upload Photos" to start the step-by-step uploading process.

Developing your digital photos is only the beginning for sharing your memories.

For a comprehensive list of fun ways to finish your digital photos, please visit my site at FlyingSamPhoto.com.

Share Your Pictures Online

If you are like me and have many pictures that you like to share with your friends and family but don't want to send them using email anymore because the files are too big then I suggest you to give a try to SmugMug.
You can store unlimited number of photo and it's much easier to share your picture. Give a try to their FREE Trial you will be impress by their service. You can also print and burn your picture on a cd with Smugmug.