I loved my old Nikon FM2 film camera and understood almost everything about the process from aperture to lens usage to light metering to developing and even printed my own for several years. I understand NOTHING about my digital camera at all. I have read my manuel at least 5X's and still can't get a grasp on what it does or how it does it.
Right now I want to print the photo's I took in Italy and then upload them to a ST album. What do I do first? Upload them to a my PC and then send them to a Flickr or Snapfish account for printing and then put them in a ST album? Or do I take them to CVS or Walmart and print them there?
I have a card right now that has my Paris photo's somewhere on it and I can't seem to find them. They show up on the little HP printer but not in the camera and not on the PC. I ran out of space in Italy and had to buy a new card because these photos are taking up space but are not accessible to be removed.
I can't size anything to upload to the message board, I loose photo's on my PC... it says that there unaccessable, is this a camera problem or a PC problem.
I believe there is a Costco down your way. Take your cards there to have prints made as they are known to do a pretty good job at a very reasonable cost. Do this first.
Are you using a card reader or your camera to copy the images from the card reader to a folder on your hard drive?
"I ran out of space in Italy and had to buy a new card because these photos are taking up space but are not accessible to be removed."
Perhaps you could amplify this latter statement.
"I can't size anything to upload to the message board, I loose photo's on my PC... it says that there unaccessable, is this a camera problem or a PC problem."
First thing you have to do is create a folder on your hard drive. Name it "My Pictures" or something like that. Then all the images from your cards should be transferred to C:My Pictures subfolders which you will create. The subfolder will be named something like this: C:My Pictures\Paris11.05.06
I probably have confused you a little more. But, take your cards to Costco, CVS etc. and have them make prints from your card files.
Are you using a Photo Editor?
Any way keep asking. I will try my best to help you.
Peter
Posts: 1366 | Location: Essex Fells, NJ and Longboat Key, Florida | Registered: 21 July 2002
First thing you have to do is create a folder on your hard drive. Name it "My Pictures" or something like that. Then all the images from your cards should be transferred to C:My Pictures subfolders which you will create. The subfolder will be named something like this: C:My Pictures\Paris11.05.06
Then make sure to burn/copy the photos to a CD, verify that the CD is working correctly and put the CD somewhere safe.
You can still lose all your digital photos if you lose our computer's hard drive.
The simplest way would be to run down to the WalMart and use their kiosk, you can plug the card or camera into the kiosk and scroll though the pictures, selecting the ones you want to print. I think you can also burn the pictures to a cd right there.
You should be able to download the pictures from the camera directly to your computer. With Windows XP it is automatic, and I think it's the same with Macs. By default Windows will put them in "My Pictures". If you are looking for the pictures on the memory card itself, they are usually in a subfolder.
As for doing the basic photoediting and reducing the filesize you will have to use a program to do that. There are a ton of free programs to reduce filesize, I use Easy Image Batch. The sites that you are trying to upload to may have other suggestions.
I hope this helps, let us know if you've got any other questions,
Suncoast, you should buy a book on digital photography that helps you understand how this all works. I think there is "digital photography for dummies" book out there that might be helpful. I'm not insulting you, hopefully you're familiar with the "xxx For Dummies" line of books, which provide clear, basic information for people who are brand new to a subject.
To put photos in a slowtrav photo album, you do not need to get prints of your photos first. You simply need to upload the digital files of your photos from your PC directly to your ST photo album.
Your camera should have come with software that allows you to upload the photos from your camera, either via a cable, or from the memory card using a card reader, directly to your PC.
Posts: 947 | Location: Southern California | Registered: 17 July 2006
Giving you dilemma further thought, here is a workflow for copying the images from you card to your PC’s hard drive (assume the hard drive is labeled “C”):
Either connect your camera to the computer with the card in the camera or insert the card into a card reader which is connected to the computer. Either way each will function as a “drive” for you computer. Assume that you connect the camera to the computer with the cord that comes with the camera and following the camera’s instructions. Simply connect the cord from your camer to a USB port and the computer will recognize it as another drive and assign a letter to it. Assume that that letter is “D”. Go to “My Computer” and left click on Drive C. Everything on Drive C will open Left click on “File” (upper left hand corner) and scroll down to “New”. Left click on “Folder” and a “New Folder” box will open. Type “My Pictures” in that folder. Double Click on the “My Pictures” folder Click on File in the upper left hand corner and scroll down. A box will open with “New Folder”. This will be your subfolder. Type in the box Paris Pix for example. Now double click on either the camera drive letter or the card reader drive letter. Keep clicking as follows: Canon (my wife’s camera)>DCIM>130Canon>A list of images (files) will open. Put your pointer on Edit, scroll down to “Select All”. All the files will be highlighted. Right click in the highlighted area then click on “Copy” The go to My Computer and Click on your hard drive “C Open “My Pictures” Put your pointer on the subfolder you made earlier—Paris, Italy etc. Right click on the highlight folder and click “Paste” All you pictures will then move to that folder which will take a few minutes depending on the speed of your computer, the size of each file (Image) and the number of files (Images).
I think this workflow will work for you. It looks complicated but it really isn’t hard to learn. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions.
Giving you dilemma further thought, here is a workflow for copying the images from you card to your PC’s hard drive (assume the hard drive is labeled “C”):
Either connect your camera to the computer with the card in the camera or insert the card into a card reader which is connected to the computer. Either way each will function as a “drive” for you computer. Assume that you connect the camera to the computer with the cord that comes with the camera and following the camera’s instructions. Simply connect the cord from your camer to a USB port and the computer will recognize it as another drive and assign a letter to it. Assume that that letter is “D”. Go to “My Computer” and left click on Drive C. Everything on Drive C will open Left click on “File” (upper left hand corner) and scroll down to “New”. Left click on “Folder” and a “New Folder” box will open. Type “My Pictures” in that folder. Double Click on the “My Pictures” folder Click on File in the upper left hand corner and scroll down. A box will open with “New Folder”. This will be your subfolder. Type in the box Paris Pix for example. Now double click on either the camera drive letter or the card reader drive letter. Keep clicking as follows: Canon (my wife’s camera)>DCIM>130Canon>A list of images (files) will open. Put your pointer on Edit, scroll down to “Select All”. All the files will be highlighted. Right click in the highlighted area then click on “Copy” The go to My Computer and Click on your hard drive “C Open “My Pictures” Put your pointer on the subfolder you made earlier—Paris, Italy etc. Right click on the highlight folder and click “Paste” All you pictures will then move to that folder which will take a few minutes depending on the speed of your computer, the size of each file (Image) and the number of files (Images).
I think this workflow will work for you. It looks complicated but it really isn’t hard to learn. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions.
There is a camera club in Naples. No doubt someone there will be pleased to help you. Here is the website: www.lewisclarkphoto.com
Peter
Peter
Posts: 1366 | Location: Essex Fells, NJ and Longboat Key, Florida | Registered: 21 July 2002
Thank you all for your expertise. I don't have any problems getting my photos into My Pictures onto the computer. I understand how to copy and also how to move them off the card. What happens when they get on there is that I can't seem to size them and then I lose a few. They are just blank white spaces with a square inside. When I go to open them up it says that Windows needs to know which program created them. It's the same program that's created all the other photos and why it doesn't know that is a mystery.
As for using the space on the chip, I don't know where the photo's are that are taking up the space. I can't find them in the camera, although they do show up on the little HP printer, and I don't know how to get them off to free up that space. I did transfer them to My Pictures already.
So you guys don't think Snapfish or Flickr is a good option for prints. I do need to go down to Walmart or CVS and print them there, then come back and move them into My Pictures. I am going now to check out the photo program and tutorial that Pete, & Peter ( ) so kindly provided a link to.
So you guys don't think Snapfish or Flickr is a good option for prints.
I haven't used Flickr, but Snapfish does a nice job.
Actually, if you upload your pictures to the Costco online photo site (you have to be a Costco member), it uses the Snapfish software. The pricing is kind of weird though. Prints from Snapfish are 12 cents, and from Costco they are 17 cents. However, Snapfish charges for shipping, and there is no charge for standard USPS shipping via Costco (or of course if you pick them up at the store, which is also an option). It usually takes a day or less to get them done if you pick them up. Costco will email you when they are ready.
Does anyone know if prints also cost 17 cents each if you take your photo card in to Costco? I've never done that; only used the upload because it's so much more convenient.
Most of the other stuff besides prints on the online photo store is cheaper if you go through Costco rather than Snapfish. I found out the hard way that I could have gotten the photo calendars I ordered from Snapfish a lot cheaper if I had gone through Costco. I hadn't realized at the time I made my Snapfish calendar (for $19) that Costco also offered them for $10. The calendar from Snapfish was beautiful, though, and the software to make it was very easy to use.
Costco also has a great deal on photo Christmas cards. Only $15.99 for 50 cards and envelopes. Snapfish charges $16.99 for 20.
Ginger, since you don't have a Mac with iPhoto, which makes resizing and editing your photos really easy (sorry, couldn't resist that plug ), check this topic here on Slow Talk, which has suggestions for software to use to do this.
Your description of the problem points to an issue with how the images are being named or with the extension that they are given.
For instance, if your camera saves pictures in .JPG format and you don't have a program that reads that format you will get the result you mention.
Try this, instead of double clicking on a picture icon to open it, open Microsoft Paint, in your Accessories folder of the program menu. Use that to attempt to open one of the pictures. Another potential problem is that the image files might be getting transferred with no file extension at all. you might try right clicking on one of the icons and choosing properties. It should say something like "JPEG Image" next to "Type of File".
Oooh Roz, as I was reading through all the detailed directions - left click, double click, right click, new folder, etc. I was thinking to myself - Get a Mac. Glad you said it first!
I do have a PC at work and also struggled with managing photos on it. There is a free program called Picassa which works on PCs. It also has some basic editing abilities. This may help?
Today when I was looking at the Costco photo center site, I noticed that you can download from them free software to edit and organize your pictures. I don't know anything about it, but if you are a Costco member, Ginger, it's worth looking at. You have to create an account on the Costco photo site first.
When I go to open them up it says that Windows needs to know which program created them. It's the same program that's created all the other photos and why it doesn't know that is a mystery.
That is strange problem.
Most if not all digital cameras will save your photos as JPEG or JPG, TIFFs and/or RAW file formats. RAW is propitiatory file format and in you are a Windows user in all probability will not recognize is without other software being installed. I am not a Mac user so I no thing of it.
Suncoast
Email me one of the photos you are having problems with. I have access to almost every photo file format being used today.
If I cannot open it, then I am afraid that your problem might be a corrupted photo file.
I downloaded the Costco photo organizer and still can't find the function to let me change the size in order to attach a photo to a post in a thread. I wanted to attach a photo of my cats to the pet thread. Now what???
Got your Email. I have to take out that "nospam" from my email.
The file is not a regular photo format. It is a MP4, believe it used for Apple Quicktime Movies. More information
You have to have Apple’s Quicktime software installed on your PC to view it. There might be a CD that came with your camera to install the software.
Check if your camera can take movies and photos. Your might have the camera set for movies instead of photos.
Last thing you should post what camera you have. There might be others Slow Travelers with the same camera as you and are in a better position to help you.
Your right, I probably did have it on the movie function instead of the photo function. Thank you for solving that one. I have an Olympus 770. All I want to do is to be able to resize my photos and I can't seem to find the right function in Microsoft Paint. It doesn't let me resize by KB, only inches, cm & pixels, and even then I can't see any changes. The same now with the Costco program. Arggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!
I can't seem to find the right function in Microsoft Paint. It doesn't let me resize by KB, only inches, cm & pixels, and even then I can't see any changes.
Ginger, when you shrink the pixel or inch size, you are also reducing the KB, but you can't see that on the screen, until you save the picture and check the KB size from your desktop. By the way, make sure you save an EXTRA copy of the photo; do not overwrite your original copy, or you will not have a good image for making prints.
Usually if you resize to a maximum dimension (length or width, depending on the orientation of the photo) of somewhere between 400 and 600 pixels, it will be small enough to upload. If your program also includes a figure for dpi, that should be 72.
I really like shrinkpictures because it does not alter the original photo. You upload the picture, determine the specifications in terms of the size, (you can use their presets or determine your own pixel count) and it resizes your photo, saving it temporarily for two hours on their server. You download the resized picture from their server, save it anywhere you want on your computer, and from there you can rename it or organize as you choose.
Slow Travel Talk 
) so kindly provided a link to.
), check 
and I can't seem to find the right function in Microsoft Paint. It doesn't let me resize by KB, only inches, cm & pixels, and even then I can't see any changes. The same now with the Costco program. Arggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!! 