Posting pix.

[Leszek Vogt]

Hi,

Not sure if this is purposefully hidden but there is no real instructions or dedicated space in FAQ to explain this process of
posting photos. Or am I sliding by it and not seeing it ? I'm not asking to be in bold and large type. Anyway, I'm not clear
how to perform this. Or is that just not important enough on this forum.

(signed confused) Les


PS I get this feeling that this horse has been whacked to a pulp....

[darr]

At the bottom of the page there is a link to [IMG] code is On.
Click on the highlighted [IMG] for instructions on how to post an image.

[Leszek Vogt]

Thanks for answering my Q. I'm still, however, lost on the concept why is this not explained in FAQ ?

Les

[Bruce Pottorff]

It is not at all clear what the actual procedure is for posting images. I clicked on the highlighted [IMG], but still do not understand. How about a quick tutorial for the slower members, like me.

[darr]

Are you trying to post an image that is hosted on a server or not hosted?

[Ramiro Elena]

I suggested a sticky a while back. Seems like there are many people with the same problem.

[ROL]

Don't feel bad. I'd go as far as to say that this is a recurring issue for all/any internet forums. The problem appears to me to be that many who begin posting in forum don't have much experience in computers, while those who set them up originally assume that their users will be as computer/internet savvy as themselves (for the record, in the past, that may have been the case).

Click on the image icon above the large text entry box, the one where the hovering text shows "insert image".

Then either:

1) From Computer: Uploads image to the forums server (AFAIK). Follow the steps to finding your compressed images on your computer's hard drive.

or:

2) From URL: Forum software accesses your image from an offsite server, most commonly your own website host's server. You need to provide a complete Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a "path" to your image. The URL must be exact. You can obtain URL's most easily by copying the internet address line at the top of a window, or from your file transfer software (needed if you set up your own website). It looks like this:


http://rangeoflightphotography.com/albums/Eastern-Sierra/Sunset%2C%20Sierra%20Crest.jpg

where:

rangeoflightphotography.com = my website domain name
/albums/Eastern-Sierra = the folders where the image can be found
Sunset%2C%20Sierra%20Crest.jpg = the image itself



or may be entered directly by html command line in some forum software:

resulting in this:


http://rangeoflightphotography.com/albums/Eastern-Sierra/Sunset%2C%20Sierra%20Crest.jpg


The second method is preferred as it doesn't use the forum host's server space, isn't limited, and allows you to retain control over your images.

Sharing from flickr accounts requires allowing access via license establishment and then getting the embed HTML code from flickr (I can't give an example because my spartan flickr account is all rights reserved).

In both cases it is best to keep images small, probably jpeg, at 72DPI and not much more than 100KB, to ease host space and transfer times (download speeds) to the forum user. IMO, posting forum images that are so large that they take more than a fraction of a second to load at normal DSL speeds, or that are larger than the average viewer's computer screen (say >800 pixels), forcing horizontal window scrolling to view the entire image, is just plain rude. Use your image processing software, like Photoshop, or google on–line image compression.

The Link icon (world) and Insert Video (filmstrip), located in the same icon bar, work pretty much the same way, not only in forum software but also in website creation software such as Wordpress and other CMS (Content Management System) software. Here's an example from my YouTube Channel, another server:

Click Insert Video and enter the path:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGqubLBOcL4&context=C3d110e4ADOEgsToPDskLXoHRNywFxjtigOB6lkI1Q

resulting in this:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGqubLBOcL4&context=C3d110e4ADOEgsToPDskLXoHRNywFxjtigOB6lkI1Q

I am a big proponent of adding links and referential images to posts, when appropriate, especially in assisting to differentiate experienced advice from unsubstantiated opinion. IMO adding illustration and links is what livens up and prevents internet forums from being dull white paper and text, putting the "inter" in the "net".

Hope I'm not rubbing your nose in it...

[darr]

1. Instruction for posting a Flickr image:

http://cameraartist.com/snaps/flickr3.jpg

Paste the code in a text program for further editing (see below) or use the "Go Advanced," button (under and right of Quick Reply).



2. What the code looks like:

http://cameraartist.com/snaps/flickr.jpg



3. Code you need starts and ends with the tags :

http://cameraartist.com/snaps/flickr1.jpg



4. Result:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6795916212_5490c7654d.jpg


Note: If you place all the code as in #2, it will display your image + a Flickr advertising bug and link.

[tgtaylor]

Another way to post a photo from flicker to this board is to:

1. Click on the photo on flicker that you want to post.
2. Select "Actions" on flicker for tat photo.
3. Choose the image size that you want to post.
4. Then with the mouse pointer inside the image right click and cloose properties from the drop down.
5. Copy the URL for that image.
6. On the LF post click on "Insert Image"
7. Remove the check mark from the box "Retrieve remote file and reference locally"
8. Click on "From Computer"
9. Click back on "From URL"
10. Paste the address that you copied in 5 above.
This is an example of the results of all that clicking back and forth:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5465/7055180927_a7360fbe4f_z.jpg

Thomas

[cosmicexplosion]

ok so what about if the image does not come from flicker or photobucket. i just had a nude cancelled because it was nude... that then rips it out of the forum.

so whats needed are insrtuctions on how to load up to the forum from your computer hard drive.

i have troubles as i am not sure how big the image is supposed to be, and then the image never uploads.

or it is too small and is only a thumb nail of a thumb nail.

[Ramiro Elena]

I'd use Picasa. It's free and provides a link for posting in the size you choose.

[Ralph Barker]

ok so what about if the image does not come from flicker or photobucket. i just had a nude cancelled because it was nude... that then rips it out of the forum.

so whats needed are insrtuctions on how to load up to the forum from your computer hard drive.

i have troubles as i am not sure how big the image is supposed to be, and then the image never uploads.

or it is too small and is only a thumb nail of a thumb nail.

A. External Hosts - Yes, many of the "free" hosting sites do not allow nudes of any kind. Some don't even allow images to be posted/linked ("external references" in webspeak) on outside forums such as this one. You have to review their "terms of service" in this regard.

Externally hosted images, as has been mentioned, do not use our server space or bandwidth, so there is no limitation on image size or file size. Another option for externally-hosted images is to establish your own domain through GoDaddy or myriad other services, and host images there. Then, it's a simple matter of using the image icon in the "advanced" editor to insert the full URL of the image.

B. Uploading to this server - Images uploaded to our server are limited to 750x750 pixels for .jpeg or .jpg files, and 250000 bytes, largely due to the fact that we operate on server space and bandwidth donated to us by a benefactor.

Uploading images to this server can be done in several ways, including the albums feature of your profile, the attachments feature in your settings, or via the "advanced" editor used to create a specific post.

For the latter, scroll down from the edit window and click on the "Manage Attachments" button. There, you'll have the option of dragging/dropping images from one of your existing albums, or uploading a new image from your computer.

[rdenney]

For posting pictures:

There are three methods to post pictures.

Upload and store the picture on the forum, when creating the message that will display it.
Store the picture on your own site or server, reaching by IP address, and then link to it.
Store the picture on a third-party picture storage site, such as Flickr and Photobucket, and then link to it. (We do not provide instructions for this method because each hosting service is unique and they are all different. The stuff related to this forum is provided in Method 2.)


Instructions follow:

Method 1. Uploading and Storing the Picture on the Forum.

a. Create and store the picture as a "JPG" or "JPEG" file on your computer, to be no larger than 250K. The forum will resize the longer dimension of the picture to 750 pixels if it is larger, so if you size it that way to begin with, you won't suffer resizing errors that the forum software sometimes causes. BMP, GIF, and PNG files are also accepted, but limited to 150K and must fit within a 650-pixel box to avoid resizing. JPEG is preferred.

b. Then, when creating a post, click the picture icon on the icon bar right above the text entry box, which will read "Insert Image" when you mouse over it. That will bring up a Insert Image dialog box that will have two tabs. Click the tab that says "From Computer". Then, click the "Select Files" button at the bottom of that dialog box. That will bring up your operating system's typical file selection dialog. Navigate to the image file you created in Step A above. Click "Open". That will add the file to the file list in the Insert Image dialog box.

c. You may click "Select Files" again to select another image. You may upload as many as four images in any one post.

d. When you have finished selecting images, then click "Upload File(s)". You may also "Clear List" and start over.

e. Add whatever additional text you want to your message, and click "Submit".

The images will be stored on the Large Format Photography Forum server. A thumbnail that fits in a 150-pixel box will be displayed in an image attachments box, and forum readers can click on the thumbnail to open a picture viewer window.

Method 2. Store the Picture on Your Own Site or Server.

If you have server space or your own website, and your picture can be reached from the general internet, then you won't be subject to as many restrictions as when storing the picture on the forum.

a. Create and store the picture as a "JPG" or "JPEG" file. There are no size limitations, but please respect others, and size pictures not to exceed normal viewing screens. And by more normal viewing screens, we don't mean your 1920x1280 wide-screen, but rather my 1280x900 laptop display. Fitting within an 800-pixel box is a useful maximum size.

b. Following the instructions provided by your web hosting service for your site or server space, upload the picture there. It must be stored in a place that allows a direct link to the actual jpg file, which should look like: "http://YourServerURL/YourPictureFile.jpg". For example, a URL to a picture on the site of one of the moderators looks like this "http://www.rickdenney.com/Island/stairs_lores_bw.jpg".

c. Then, when creating a post, click the picture icon on the icon bar right above the text entry box, which will read "Insert Image" when you mouse over it. That will bring up a Insert Image dialog box that will have two tabs. Click the tab that says "From URL". That will provide a single line entry box for a URL. Enter the entire URL, from "http://..." to "...jpg", as shown in Step B, inside that box.

d. UNCHECK the box that says "Retrieve Remote File and Reference Locally". If that box is checked, it will move the picture file to the Large Format Photogaphy Forum server, subject to all the restrictions in Method 1. (For more advanced posters, it is possible to use this method, with the box checked, to include attachments inline in the text of your message, and still store the picture on the forum servers. But they will still be shown as thumbnails.)

e. Click "Okay".

Alternate Steps:

a. Insert image tags directly by adding the following text to your messages:


http://YourServerURL/YourPictureFile.jpg

Putting the complete URL to the picture inside IMG tags will cause that image to display within your message. This approach works no matter where the image is stored, including on third-party image hosting sites, though you must follow their instructions to determine what the image tag contents should be.

I will add the above to the faq, if nobody finds errors in it.

Edit: Here's the link to the FAQ:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_picturelfpf

[Skip Roessel]

I've spent hours in last few days trying to attach photos to posts or short replies. If you want to put up a quote or an emoticon, no problem.
Now I just have correspondents email me directly, and take the conversation offsite.

Skip