Formatting photos before uploading to Log

[+BlueDeuce]

I want to write up a short howto upload photos to bug logs but I need advice on how to best format an image before uploading.

 

I currently use the freeware IrfanView which does okay in resizing the image to 800x600 but sometimes you can tell that it warps straight lines.

 

Any advice?

[+SSO JOAT]

PaintShop Pro 7 is my favorite, but anything older than version 9 (IIRC) will do. Most of the advanced photo editing programs will to the same, though.

 

First step... crop the image to remove areas that are not needed (use the rule of thirds)

 

Second step... resize the image down to 600 pixels for the longest dimension.

 

Third step... do any contrast/brightness/color adjustments you need to get a nice looking image.

 

Fourth step... export the image to a JPEG file using compression to ensure it is below the 125K limit. One of the great things about PSP is that it has an awesome image conversion utility to export jpg, gif, and png files. Of course, GS only allows jpg.

 

I haven't found a freeware photo editor yet that is worth a dang.

[+BCandMsKitty]

I agree with what SSO JOAT has said for the steps in editing an image, but I'll add that one point

 

When editing images, you should save the exported file with a different name so as to NOT overwrite the original.

 

I use Paint Shop Pro myself, however, for anyone that doesn't have an image editor, Paint.Net is a good free one. It has good help, and is easy to use. It will certainly do everything and more that folks will need to edit images for geocaching, including compression for small filesize.

 

Find it HERE if you want to check it out, and then write your tutorial based on it if you like it.

[+webscouter.]

Just a point of clarification the image needs to be 125K OR 600pixels wide

[+SSO JOAT]

If you do both you get brownie points for not wasting bandwidth.

[7rxc]

I agree with what SSO JOAT has said for the steps in editing an image, but I'll add that one point

 

When editing images, you should save the exported file with a different name so as to NOT overwrite the original.

 

 

Hi BC, long time... having been burned to often... I go one step further and ALWAYS make a copy of the original and work on that in a dedicated working directory... saves accidents... sigh!

 

As for processing, after reducing etc, I find I give the .psp file a shot of sharpen and even sharpen more just before converting to .jpg... the edges of things soften when you reduce them, and more when you do the conversion... so I clean them up a tad... helps preserve the look. Some pics need it more than others though.

I find that it helps a lot... I usually reduce from my original to 25 or 33 %. I don't think one needs super high res... for log snapshots... just big enough to see. You can always crop a close up from the high res.

 

Doug 7rxc

[Pup Patrol]

I want to write up a short howto upload photos to bug logs but I need advice on how to best format an image before uploading.

 

I currently use the freeware IrfanView which does okay in resizing the image to 800x600 but sometimes you can tell that it warps straight lines.

 

Any advice?

A quick way to re-size photos is to email them to yourself. (I use Outlook Express, I don't know what version it is.)

 

--right click on image to bring up the menu of options

--scroll to "send to"

--choose "mail recipient"

--click on "show more options" in the box that comes up

--you can now choose:

small 640 x 480

medium 800 x 600

large 1024 x 768

 

Choose your image size, then complete the email as usual. Viola...a nicely resized photo, ready to save.

 

Another free image editor is PicPick.

http://picpick.wiziple.net/

[Pup Patrol]

argh.....dupsies.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Pup Patrol

[+fizzymagic]

PaintShop Pro 7 is my favorite, but anything older than version 9 (IIRC) will do. Most of the advanced photo editing programs will to the same, though.

 

I use PSP as well; but I like version 9 and later. There is an interactive dialog where you can adjust the JPEG compression to adjust file size. I usually make the picture 800x600 (which is fine for online photos) and then adjust the compression to get a 125K file size.

 

I know that PSP9 doesn't use the libjpeg compression anymoe, but why don't you like it? Libjpeg is not exactly optimal.

[+SSO JOAT]

PSP went downhill after the original creator sold it to the big-box software company. IIRC, it was around version 9 that the new company put their hands in and started messing things up, but maybe it was 10.

 

PSP 7 does have an interactive dialog that allows jpg compression adjustment. You get to see the quality changes to the image as you adjust the compression level and it instantly shows you the file size changes. In fact, this feature dates back to somewhere around version 3 or 4.

[+Castle Mischief]

We use PSP 7 here at the Castle, but for those that don't want to auction their first born there is a free alternative available called GIMP. Very much nearly all the functionality of PSP in an open-source environment.

 

http://www.gimp.org/

[+debaere]

We use PSP 7 here at the Castle, but for those that don't want to auction their first born there is a free alternative available called GIMP. Very much nearly all the functionality of PSP in an open-source environment.

 

http://www.gimp.org/

 

+1 for The Gimp. It is also cross platform so one can use the same software on (almost) any computer out there.

[Dinoprophet]

Another for GIMP. When I'm Waymarking, I try to remember to shoot at a lower res. But when I forget, I bring out the GIMP.

[+musthavemuzk]

its not like the pics need to be incredible quality. irfanview works just fine imho. i like that it can batch process easily.

i have noticed pics i upload are not always the size i upload anyways. some are the size and some have been shrunk in pixel size.

 

Monty

[sdarken]

I use Photoshop but my daughter uses Picnik which is a website that makes basic image manipulation really simple.

[+dartcache]

I use Picasa. With Picasa you have some basic adjustment tools. There is a button for Export.

Export the picture with 640 pix and quality on max.

Its a good result when uploaded.

[+northernpenguin]

I use Adobe Lightroom. I have an "Export to Geocaching" preset that finds the largest dimension and locks that to 600pixels. The overall image quality is automatically locked to 125 KB as well.

 

Only took a few seconds to setup the export preset.

[+Semper Questio]

When I upload photos I...

 

1. Put on hard drive

2. Get them all oriented correctly

3. Resize them all in place to 640x480 using the Image Resize Microsoft windows Power Toy (Google it - it is a small program that is run as a context menu item when you right click on an image).

4. Upload

 

Very quick, very easy.

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

I'm a Mac user and I use GraphicConverter, which is an amazingly powerful shareware program that does a variety of things and includes support for geocoding. I prefer it to PhotoShop for most things (I have both). You can use it forever without paying if you're patient with waiting for it to start. I bought a copy because I am not patient and because it is a phenomenal product at a very good price. (I recall it was $40.)

 

You can do batch conversions to the size you want and also do other batch processing far more efficiently than PhotoShop does.

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

One more tip I learned when I worked for an art director. Always take larger pictures than you need. Then crop them to a more pleasing composition when you get them back to your computer. (Then reduce their size to the appropriate size to upload.)

[GPS-Hermit]

I believe the program you are using will do fine with the advice given above - I use it all the time and it does great.

[+geodarts]

The graphic programs discussed will all do the job. With all of them, of course, be sure that the original proportions are being maintained.

 

I have used infranview without any problems -- it is a quick app that is handy for a lap top or while on the go.

 

If I am at home, I use photoshop, although I very rarely do more than resize, crop, or make minor adjustments if it is just for a log.

 

On the iphone, I use photo forge, perfectly clear, camera bag, squirrelizer, and UFO (along with camera genius for the shot itself) -- I did a few photos that contained significant enhancements on a recent trip using these tools during down times and ended up posting a couple of them.

Edited October 13, 2010 by mulvaney

[+DonB]

I have photoshop and photoshop elements, but for a fast and simple resize job I use Microsoft's Image resizer which can be downloaded from their power toys section. Once installed you just right click a jpeg and on the pop-up menu you will see resize image. Click on that and it will give you four or five options for resizing the picture. It also doesn't overwrite the original, it saves it as a copy in the same folder.

[boomwife76]

Thanks for this post. . .it helped me greatly!!

[+TerraViators]

I like Picasa.