How do I add photos to my posts?
01-04-2013, 07:58 AM
#1
How do I add photos to my posts?
Using Photobucket to Share Your Photos
I frequently see questions posted along the lines of: How do I add photos to my posts?
I had the same question when I first joined the forum, so I used the "View Source" trick in order to read the image tag codes, and that's how I learned about Photobucket.
I only mention Photobucket since that's the service I currently use, but there are plenty of similar photo sharing services that work pretty much the same way (search: photo sharing services free), and decide which one you like best.
The first thing you need to do is create an account. That's the easy part. After that, all you have to do is start uploading photos to the service.
Photobucket makes it quite easy with a drag-and-drop feature. I should also mention I am running Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 9. As a side note, whenever I need to access my Pinterest account, yet another photo-sharing service, I use Chrome, since I was having lots of problems when using IE. I mention this because some times there may be compatibility issues, especially if you are still running an old Operating System, so keep that in mind if some of the features mentioned here do not work.
Anyway, as you surf the many boards you may be a member of, I am sure you've encountered "broken" images, usually depicted by a little red X or a message that the image has been moved or deleted. It is my guess that if someone uploads tons of photos, at some point or another, they will decide to organize their folders. One for car pics, another for family-related stuff, and so on.
Nothing wrong with that, of course, and a good idea to start with. However, as you make changes along the way, any older links to Album 1, for example, are broken the moment you move the photo to Album 2. Some services (I think this may apply only to Pinterest), change the URL for the photo if you rename a photo album.
You could also keep a record of every post you've made and then edit posts to show the new URL, but who has the time for that?
So, it may be a good idea to create separate albums from the get-go for your car-related photos, another one for family and friends pics, etc., etc.
Photos
Download photos from your camera or phone to your computer. Save them to a folder you are familiar with or directly on your desktop.
Now is the time to crop and/or resize your pics. Avoid having people in your pics. They can be distracting and that pesky "Privacy" issue arises.
By using a photo-editing tool such as Windows Paint, you can crop the photo so attention is focused on the subject matter. Remember to save your work. If your photo is "full-size," you definitely want to resize it. I usually resize photos to a width of 950 pixels, by whatever the proportional height may be. Windows Paint, for example, does this automatically when you specify the width of an image in pixels. And again, save your work when done.
Uploading Photos
Once your photos are ready to be shared, upload them to Photobucket, either directly to the folder you want them in or to the default "Library." Once done you can move photos to whichever album you want.
Sharing Your Photos
Go to the album where the photo is located or simply click "View Library." You will see large icons of your photos.
Locate the photo you'd like to share and do a "Mouse Over" over the gear icon on the photo. A little menu appears.
Click the "Get media links" and a "Share the photo overlay screen will appear.
Click the "IMG code" option. and the code for sharing that particular photo will get automatically copied to your computer's clipboard.
You can click the little "X" on the top right corner to return to the library page. But you're not done yet. Go back to the forum where you would like to share this photo, go to the thread or start a new one, and "paste" the code where you would like your photo to appear (you can position the cursor in the right line, press and hold the CTRL key, and press the "V" key at the same time. Or "right click" the mouse and select "Paste" from the pop-up window that will appear.
A cryptic line of code will appear, along the lines of...
At this point you can "preview" your post to make sure your photo looks okay, fix any typos that always seem to creep into your narrative, and, when you're happy with how the post looks, click "submit."
Your photo will automagically appear for the world to see. Well, at least for those who happen to be reading that particular thread.
Just remember that you are basically sharing an address of sorts, because that's what a URL is, a web address. So, again, if you move your photo elsewere, you are in fact, changing the URL and, unless you edit the aforementioned link, the old address will lead to a non existing image or one of those oh-so-annoying boxes that read...
One word of caution
As convenient as these services are, by signing up for an account with them, you give them a lot of control over the stuff you host with them, so you may want to read the fine print. Also keep in mind that if you are sharing photos that include family members and/or friends, they may not appreciate it. People nowadays are very concerned about their privacy, and rightfully so, so it may be a good idea to avoid having people as part of your photos.
Every photo-sharing service out there, at least reputable ones, give their users a basic level of control over their digital media. In other words you can choose how much you are willing to share, so it is a good idea to become familiar with those options just to be on the safe side. For example, you may prefer not to make your photo albums public, or only available with those you give a link to. By default most services will help you "promote" your photo album by making it public, or allow others to find it when they search your name. Again, you may want such publicity or maybe not, but at minimum you must be aware of what your options are and how much you are sharing.
I must also include a caveat here. I am by no means an expert on photo-sharing services. I am just a guy who has used, over the years, many of them. I enjoy sharing pics I shoot at car shows or of my projects, but I am always careful about how much info I am sharing with the rest of the world.
Hope this helps!
Note: This approach to adding pics to forum posts and/or threads, was specifically written with TGO and the 82-84 Firebird Zone, http://www.earlythirdgen.com in mind. However, the same approach will most likely work with most other forum services.
No trees or small animals were hurt during the creation and upload of this message.
However, a large number of electrons were annoyed and disrupted.
The author makes no claims of sanity or that this tutorial will yield the expected results.
If irritation occurs, you're doing it wrong.
I frequently see questions posted along the lines of: How do I add photos to my posts?
I had the same question when I first joined the forum, so I used the "View Source" trick in order to read the image tag codes, and that's how I learned about Photobucket.
I only mention Photobucket since that's the service I currently use, but there are plenty of similar photo sharing services that work pretty much the same way (search: photo sharing services free), and decide which one you like best.
The first thing you need to do is create an account. That's the easy part. After that, all you have to do is start uploading photos to the service.
Photobucket makes it quite easy with a drag-and-drop feature. I should also mention I am running Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 9. As a side note, whenever I need to access my Pinterest account, yet another photo-sharing service, I use Chrome, since I was having lots of problems when using IE. I mention this because some times there may be compatibility issues, especially if you are still running an old Operating System, so keep that in mind if some of the features mentioned here do not work.
Anyway, as you surf the many boards you may be a member of, I am sure you've encountered "broken" images, usually depicted by a little red X or a message that the image has been moved or deleted. It is my guess that if someone uploads tons of photos, at some point or another, they will decide to organize their folders. One for car pics, another for family-related stuff, and so on.
Nothing wrong with that, of course, and a good idea to start with. However, as you make changes along the way, any older links to Album 1, for example, are broken the moment you move the photo to Album 2. Some services (I think this may apply only to Pinterest), change the URL for the photo if you rename a photo album.
You could also keep a record of every post you've made and then edit posts to show the new URL, but who has the time for that?
So, it may be a good idea to create separate albums from the get-go for your car-related photos, another one for family and friends pics, etc., etc.
Photos
Download photos from your camera or phone to your computer. Save them to a folder you are familiar with or directly on your desktop.
Now is the time to crop and/or resize your pics. Avoid having people in your pics. They can be distracting and that pesky "Privacy" issue arises.
By using a photo-editing tool such as Windows Paint, you can crop the photo so attention is focused on the subject matter. Remember to save your work. If your photo is "full-size," you definitely want to resize it. I usually resize photos to a width of 950 pixels, by whatever the proportional height may be. Windows Paint, for example, does this automatically when you specify the width of an image in pixels. And again, save your work when done.
Uploading Photos
Once your photos are ready to be shared, upload them to Photobucket, either directly to the folder you want them in or to the default "Library." Once done you can move photos to whichever album you want.
Sharing Your Photos
Go to the album where the photo is located or simply click "View Library." You will see large icons of your photos.
Locate the photo you'd like to share and do a "Mouse Over" over the gear icon on the photo. A little menu appears.
Click the "Get media links" and a "Share the photo overlay screen will appear.
Click the "IMG code" option. and the code for sharing that particular photo will get automatically copied to your computer's clipboard.
You can click the little "X" on the top right corner to return to the library page. But you're not done yet. Go back to the forum where you would like to share this photo, go to the thread or start a new one, and "paste" the code where you would like your photo to appear (you can position the cursor in the right line, press and hold the CTRL key, and press the "V" key at the same time. Or "right click" the mouse and select "Paste" from the pop-up window that will appear.
A cryptic line of code will appear, along the lines of...
At this point you can "preview" your post to make sure your photo looks okay, fix any typos that always seem to creep into your narrative, and, when you're happy with how the post looks, click "submit."
Your photo will automagically appear for the world to see. Well, at least for those who happen to be reading that particular thread.
Just remember that you are basically sharing an address of sorts, because that's what a URL is, a web address. So, again, if you move your photo elsewere, you are in fact, changing the URL and, unless you edit the aforementioned link, the old address will lead to a non existing image or one of those oh-so-annoying boxes that read...
One word of caution
As convenient as these services are, by signing up for an account with them, you give them a lot of control over the stuff you host with them, so you may want to read the fine print. Also keep in mind that if you are sharing photos that include family members and/or friends, they may not appreciate it. People nowadays are very concerned about their privacy, and rightfully so, so it may be a good idea to avoid having people as part of your photos.
Every photo-sharing service out there, at least reputable ones, give their users a basic level of control over their digital media. In other words you can choose how much you are willing to share, so it is a good idea to become familiar with those options just to be on the safe side. For example, you may prefer not to make your photo albums public, or only available with those you give a link to. By default most services will help you "promote" your photo album by making it public, or allow others to find it when they search your name. Again, you may want such publicity or maybe not, but at minimum you must be aware of what your options are and how much you are sharing.
I must also include a caveat here. I am by no means an expert on photo-sharing services. I am just a guy who has used, over the years, many of them. I enjoy sharing pics I shoot at car shows or of my projects, but I am always careful about how much info I am sharing with the rest of the world.
Hope this helps!
Note: This approach to adding pics to forum posts and/or threads, was specifically written with TGO and the 82-84 Firebird Zone, http://www.earlythirdgen.com in mind. However, the same approach will most likely work with most other forum services.
No trees or small animals were hurt during the creation and upload of this message.
However, a large number of electrons were annoyed and disrupted.
The author makes no claims of sanity or that this tutorial will yield the expected results.
If irritation occurs, you're doing it wrong.
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